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National Football League

Page 357 - Get up to date with the latest news, scores & standings from the Cycling News Community.
Twice now I've read OPEDs: The NFL takes players letting air out of footballs more seriously than players groping woman... referring to Winston getting three games and Brady four. That's hard to defend. IMO Brady should have gotten a fine, not suspension. I can't decide on the groping issue though. Most of me wants to see Winston out for the year. I can only speak for my job, but if I was found guilty of sexual misconduct, I would be unemployed and likely never be able to work in this field again. The key is I would have to be found guilty in court (or admit to it). He hasn't even been legally charged (yet). I can ASSUME that since he isn't fighting it, he is guilty, but I won't charge a person based on my assumption. He did say "I would like to say I'm sorry to the Uber driver for the position I put you in." (is that an admission). There is of course his history of forcing himself on women as well.
 
Re: Winston, Brady, etc. NFL needs to get their priorities in order of severity of offense. Winston's alleged offense of groping a woman Uber driver is far more egregious than deflating footballs. Or take Josh Gordon: out of the league for 2 years essentially for smoking a leaf. NFL does not appear to have a plan. They just hip shoot.
 
Re:

jmdirt said:
Not only. He had a pretty elaborate, heart-felt post on Twitter regarding his career being over. Not technically a retirement though. He was medically not cleared to play again, meaning that for his remaining contracts years (2 I think) he gets paid a guaranteed sum (not sure if the full contract amount for the season). That's fair. Players who sacrifice the body with future risk to health deserve better than to just get kicked to the street with no compensation.
 
Rule changes for a player lowering the head to make contact is bound to cause some confusion (for everyone, including refs), and hopefully will cause teams and players to recalibrate themselves in how they are taught to play, and how they actually play. Otherwise flags will fly for a big 15-yard penalty. We will have to wait and see how this changes the game. Maybe we will see more juking, spin moves, jitterbug style of running, and less of the head-lowering pounding of a power running back. Who knows, maybe the NFL play goes to flag football. Couple of articles on the matter:
- https://www.si.com/nfl/2018/03/28/nfl-safety-rule-change-lower-head-helmet-themmqb-newsletter
- https://www.si.com/nfl/2018/05/22/nfl-targeting-rule-change-lowering-head-helmet-hit
The second link mentions these changes need to also be made at all levels of football (college, HS, & youth leagues).
“This has to go into the NCAA, the high schools and then to the youth leagues,” Riveron said. “It’s a culture change, and it’s something we are taking full responsibility [for].”
I agree it "Has to" reach those levels. Up until 6 months ago, we have seen tragedy strike the likes of long time NFL players like Seau and Webster, making it appear that CTE only affects the older former players. Now we have proof this is not so. Tragically, RS-junior QB (ed: Tyler Hilinski) of Washington State University took his own life about 6 months ago. This past week or two, his medical report was publicized revealing he suffered from stage-1 CTE (a beginning level of CTE, but that he had the brain of a 65 year-old). This after only 11 collegiate starts, and a HS and MS career that involved some play at LB. This has got to scare the pants off any parent and player competing at HS and younger levels. So, the NFL has got to change, otherwise in 10-20 years the NFL talent pool might just dry up. Flag football for the NFL anyone (including revised OL/DL play)?
 
Re:

Unchained said:
Today's New York Post has photos of Jason Pierre-Paul's hand after a fireworks accident!!! OMG
The guy was a big talent as a NY Giant..I had no idea about his hand..
WARNING.. the photos are bad
That was three years ago. I think they were probably just using the photos as a PSA to show people what can happen.
 
BullsFan22 said:
on3m@n@rmy said:


Is it too early to say Sherman was a bad signing for the 49ers? He's had injury issues the last couple years, and he wasn't as effective for the LOB as he was early in his career. Perhaps he'll come good when it matters during the season. Not sure what to think.
Honestly is too early to say a bad signing. He was injured Nov 9 vs Cards, then had surgery in March (why so late??? - my guess is he was hoping for non-surgical intervention). That surgery would be minimum 3 months to return to athletic activity (June), full athletic activity may take 6 months or more. It will probably also take some time for him to gain confidence in his repaired foot when putting serious stress on it, such as planting and changing directions.
 
Re:

on3m@n@rmy said:
Re: Winston, Brady, etc. NFL needs to get their priorities in order of severity of offense. Winston's alleged offense of groping a woman Uber driver is far more egregious than deflating footballs. Or take Josh Gordon: out of the league for 2 years essentially for smoking a leaf. NFL does not appear to have a plan. They just hip shoot.
Im 100% against people being banned for Marijuana, but wasn't Gordon also banned because he was DUI?
 
Re: Re:

The Hitch said:
on3m@n@rmy said:
Re: Winston, Brady, etc. NFL needs to get their priorities in order of severity of offense. Winston's alleged offense of groping a woman Uber driver is far more egregious than deflating footballs. Or take Josh Gordon: out of the league for 2 years essentially for smoking a leaf. NFL does not appear to have a plan. They just hip shoot.
Im 100% against people being banned for Marijuana, but wasn't Gordon also banned because he was DUI?
Gordon has been banned 3 times by the NFL (codeine, marijuana, and alcohol, in that order. The first two suspensions were handed down before the DWI (I guess in 2014 in North Carolina it's a DWI instead of DUI). His DWI arrest came between his 2nd and 3rd suspensions - the 3rd suspension being specifically for alcohol. But the DWI may have been a factor in the decision by the league to suspend him the 3rd time. That's the short answer. Here's the long answer:

Gordon’s history with substance abuse (codeine, marijuana, & alcohol) is so extensive and goes back so far (to 3 failed drug tests for marijuana in college) that it is confusing, among other things. Below (#1 - #3) is a summary of the suspensions in Gordon’s NFL career:
#1 - 2013: 2 game suspension for failed drug test (codeine, from “cough syrup” according to Gordon).

#2 - May 10 2014: received 1-year ban for substance abuse (failed drug test for marijuana months prior to May 10). This is the suspension due to marijuana use that I referred to, which came before his DWI infraction.
http://www.espn.com/espn/otl/story/...cleveland-browns-faces-season-long-suspension [this link discusses suspension #1 and #2 above]
July 5 2014: DWI arrest in Raleigh, North Carolina.
July 24 2014: Gordon appeals the 1-year suspension handed down on May 10.
Aug 2014: Gordon loses his appeal as NFL upholds the 1-year suspension handed down on May 10.

#3 - Feb 2015: suspended 1-year for violating NFL substance abuse policy, this time for alcohol. This is the 3rd consecutive year Gordon was suspended for violating the substance abuse policy.
http://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/12275102/nfl-suspends-josh-gordon-cleveland-browns-least-one-year

It got worse for Gordon before it got better:
- Jan 20 2016: applied for reinstatement but was denied when it was reported that he had failed another drug test.
- July 25 2016: reinstated, allowed to do training camp, but was suspended 4 games of the 2016 regular season.
- Sept 29, 2016, left the Browns to enter an in-patient rehabilitation facility.
- Mar 1 2017: again applied for reinstatement, but was denied on May 11.
- Nov 1 2017: reinstated on a conditional basis, meaning he could return in week 13. After nearly 3 years being out of the NFL, Gordon returned in week 13.
- Dec 10 2017: vs Packers, Gordon scored his first touchdown since the 2013 season.

He could have learned from Chris Carter's experiences. Or he may have learned quicker had the team taken harsh action (like Philly head coach Buddy Ryan did with Carter) instead of the team staffers relying on the league to be the bad guy. To this day, Carter admits that being cut by Buddy Ryan was the best thing for him at the time, because it shocked him into awareness of his substance abuse problem and the consequences of continuing that lifestyle without getting treatment/help. And that is the reason for the long answer.
 
on3m@n@rmy said:
BullsFan22 said:
on3m@n@rmy said:


Is it too early to say Sherman was a bad signing for the 49ers? He's had injury issues the last couple years, and he wasn't as effective for the LOB as he was early in his career. Perhaps he'll come good when it matters during the season. Not sure what to think.
Honestly is too early to say a bad signing. He was injured Nov 9 vs Cards, then had surgery in March (why so late??? - my guess is he was hoping for non-surgical intervention). That surgery would be minimum 3 months to return to athletic activity (June), full athletic activity may take 6 months or more. It will probably also take some time for him to gain confidence in his repaired foot when putting serious stress on it, such as planting and changing directions.
He ruptured the right Achilles in that Nov game and had surgery within a few days after the swelling went down. This past March he had a minor procedure to clean up some bone spurs on the left Achilles. Sherman at the press conference says it was a "scope" and he should be good to go in "4-6 weeks" (my guess it's most likely an ankle arthroscopy for bone spurs at the Insertional Achilles junction, which is a common chronic problem with some athletes).

IMO, the repaired ruptured Achilles is going to be his biggest challenge since a repaired Achilles tendon forms scar tissue which doesn't exactly act like the original tissue in terms of flexibility (unlike a reconstructed ACL in which the torn ligament is replaced with a new graft). He might lose a step or two since he's playing a position that requires explosive acceleration and movement - but we'll see when he takes the field here shortly...he might surprise us all.

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000918358/article/richard-sherman-underwent-surgery-on-left-achilles

https://youtu.be/Cio_XM2dNAU
 
on3m@n@rmy said:
Johnny Manziel to get 1st start for Montreal Allouettes.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/mo...t-cfl-start-for-montreal-alouettes/ar-BBLkeGk
One week after he heard chants of “Johnny, Johnny, Johnny” and “We want Johnny” in a loss that dropped the Montreal Alouettes to 1-5 on the season, head coach Mike Sherman confirmed that Manziel will start Friday against his former team, the Hamilton Tiger-Cats
Woo-whoo. Start of auditions for the NFL?
JF won't attract NFL interest any time soon after tossing 4 first half INTs in debut game. Bad OL didn't help, and INT #2 was bad luck, but INTs #1, 3 and 4 were bad decisions or throws by him. See for yourself (in CFL, offense gets only 3 plays per series):
#1: https://youtu.be/eXhkKC4kdwE
#2-4: https://youtu.be/igmVV7ol4S8
 
Some thoughts on recent posts. HOF game had lower ratings than last year, but still had the highest ratings during that time slot, proving the NFL is alive and well.

Ray Rice and his wife are still married, and now have two kids. He was actually criminally charged. The Ravens ended up paying him all of his 2015 or 2016 salary, and I believe he donated all of it to domestic violence charities. I'm not saying the guy made full amends for his actions, and of course what he did was despicable, but hopefully what appears true is true and his life is in order.

If you follow the rules of the NFL playbook as closely as you could have, in that NFL playoff game against the Colts, once the underinflated balls were discovered it should have been a 15 yard penalty to start the second half from the first play from scrimmage against the Patriots for equipment tampering. Then, for every incidence of balls found, the Patriots should have been fined $10,000, which is either $110,000 or $120,000, depending on which balls really fit the mold. That's it, nothing more. I don't have the rule book in front of me, but if someone knows something different, I'm all ears.

Goodell often makes things up as he goes, when he thinks he sees something. It's a horrible way to oversee a league. Hopefully by the next CBA the players will insist on independent arbiters to determine anything that isn't within the rule book. I can't imagine they won't.

Ignore all scrimmage games, and most of the pre-season when you see players playing great or being burned, especially in practice. It's almost always meaningless. Having said that, it might be fun Thursday to watch Mayfield throw the ball. Might, maybe, possibly give you an idea how many games he'll sit before he starts (I'm guessing less than 4, unless the Browns are at least 2-2).

Manziel was, and probably always will be a fringe for success. His style of play relies on broken plays, which never works for long. Exciting at times, yes, but successful? No. Granted, he seems to have his personal life in order for the most part, and he's on maybe the worst team in the CFL, but I still don't ever see him playing in the NFL again.
 
I agree that the pre season doesn't always show us what WILL happen (for a lot of reasons), BUT, it does show us some things. For example: we will likely see if Andrew Luck is able to be an elite QB again (that doesn't mean that he will look elite in the preseason, but there will be signs). We saw that RGIII looked OK, etc. We saw that the new helmet rule is going to be messy.
 
Re:

jmdirt said:
I agree that the pre season doesn't always show us what WILL happen (for a lot of reasons), BUT, it does show us some things. For example: we will likely see if Andrew Luck is able to be an elite QB again (that doesn't mean that he will look elite in the preseason, but there will be signs). We saw that RGIII looked OK, etc. We saw that the new helmet rule is going to be messy.
Agree w/what you and Alpe say regarding pre-season games. But for me, this pre-season feels different (e.g. more exciting) primarily because we have so many young QB prospects who I'm dying to see how they work out. At this point we already have some idea, with probably the worst QB hot prospect being the Bills Josh Allen, who reportedly is struggling with the mental part of the game. So are the Bills the new Cleveland? Seeing as how the Bills (& others) passed on Josh Rosen, who reportedly is doing very very well and impressing everyone in Phoenix.

Speaking of Cleveland, and Baker Mayfield: Will Baker Mayfield showing up an hour and 15 later than Tyrod Taylor in the mornings be an indicator? Or will he respond to the HC's request to show up an hour earlier?

Closer to home for me, Seattle OL situation is intriguing under new OL coach Mike Solari. For starters, weeks ago newly retired DE Cliff Avril said RT Germain Ifedi (Sea top pick several years ago) is struggling because he has an entitlement based attitude problem. In the past week in scrimmages, Ifedi has committed too many (back to back) penalties, which prompted HC Pete Carroll to publicly criticize his play by calling it "really disappointing". This week Ifedi was benched and replaced by rookie 5th round pick Jamarco Jones (Buckeyes), who is a natural LT. The question will be, can he adjust to the right side?

Lots of preseason games starting today over the next 2 days:
THURSDAY, AUGUST 09TH
BROWNS@GIANTS
PANTHERS@BILLS
BEARS@BENGALS
STEELERS@EAGLES
SAINTS@JAGUARS
BUCCANEERS@DOLPHINS
REDSKINS@PATRIOTS
RAMS@RAVENS
TITANS@PACKERS
TEXANS@CHIEFS
COWBOYS@49ERS
COLTS@SEAHAWKS

FRIDAY, AUGUST 10TH
FALCONS@JETS
LIONS@RAIDERS

SATURDAY, AUGUST 11TH
VIKINGS@BRONCOS
CHARGERS@CARDINALS
 
Re:

jmdirt said:
A very limited sample, but Luck looked like he is on track.
Ones I didn't see, but: Mayfield/Taylor, Darnold/Bridgewater, Kesler, Weeden played well.
And not to only talk about QB, how about Shaq Griffin leading all tacklers (9)?!
Well, Shaquem Griffin showed he is a baller. Even if minus one hand. Quick, fast, instinctive, & explodes to the ball. He was all over the place, while still covering his responsibilities on plays. So fast, linemen have hard time getting to him.

Seattle OL looks much improved, tho too early to tell for sure.

Glad to see Luck back. Physically he looks fine.

I watched Taylor/Mayfield. Both played well. But Baker stood out. He has potential to be a stud. Really impressed how easily he moves around in the pocket, & keeping eyes downfield.

Also watched McCown/ Bridgewater/ Darnold. All 3 played well, but Darnold showed why people think he's a future star.
 
Agree on Mayfield. While it's hard to tell in preseason with all the 2nd and 3rd stringers, he made excellent decisions and some solid throws. It's only a matter of time before he's the starter. I'd say if they start 0-2, by week three against the Jets he should see time or even start. Same with Rosen, who is supposedly going to start on the bench. Not sure about Allen yet, who despite his incredible arm, needs work. I won't be surprised if Darnold starts week 1 in NY, which the Jets say he might.

Other QB's not thought of, Jackson in Baltimore looked solid. He was very mobile, but mostly kept his eyes down the field and looks like he could have a chance in the future to start. And Mr. Irrelevant, Chad Kelly, outplayed Paxton Lynch in Denver and has a reputation in camp by teammates of being an extremely hard worker, bumping up to #2 on their depth chart, giving the Broncos some surprising hope.

Saquon Barkley had one great run for the Giants, and made a couple rookie mistakes, but you could see his potential.
 

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