NFL Thread

[merylinkid]

Everyone sings the Star Spangled Banner too slow.   Dr. Z used to have a stop watch and time it.   It is set to a drinking song for heaven's sake, pick it up.   

 

Reggie Bush is officially the dumbest man on the planet.    Is this really the time to be admitting you would discipline your small child "harshly."    Even if you would, or have (his kid is 1 poor thing) talking about that right now is incredibly stupid.

[BitterApple]

Reggie Bush is officially the dumbest man on the planet.    Is this really the time to be admitting you would discipline your small child "harshly."    Even if you would, or have (his kid is 1 poor thing) talking about that right now is incredibly stupid.

Well he dated Kim Kardashian for three years. That should give you a pretty good idea of his intellect.

 

I can't imagine "whooping" really small children. I'm not saying let them be brats and get away with murder, but when they're 2, 3 and 4 they're still learning. 

[merylinkid]

Yeah but he didn't marry her, unlike 3 other men.   

 

Look, corporal punishment is legal.   You can smack their little hands if they are about to stick them in the electrical socket.   You can use your bare open hand on their covered butts (heck if they are still in diapers they won't even feel it), but taking a switch or any weapon and leaving open wounds is so far over the line you can't even see said line.   This should be a fairly obvious thing by now.   But apparently it is not.

[Bastet]

That's why I've taken to turning off the TV or putting down the paper when someone starts spouting off about "I got spanked" or "I spank my children" -- we're not talking about spanking.  Opinions on spanking are irrelevant to the Peterson case; this was a beating.  One that left visible, lasting wounds.

 

Especially in this day and age when I can't pick up a handful of groceries without stumbling across some unruly child being totally ignored by their parent, I am all for parents laying down the law as to what is appropriate behavior at all life stages.  Discipline is good for everyone.  But discipline doesn't leave marks like that.  I'm also incredibly disturbed that Peterson not only finds it acceptable, but seems - especially by his texts to the child's mother - to delight in it.   

[BabyVegas]

The big dogs are starting to weigh in. McDonald's, Visa, and Anheuser-Busch are all "concerned" and "disappointed" with the league's handling of the recent incidents. I don't know that I believed that Goodell's job was in trouble before this, but now I certainly believe that at a minimum Goodell believes his job may be in trouble. 

 

In reference to actual games, though, I was really disappointed in the way the Seahawks played on Sunday. The crispness wasn't there, and the defense seemed off. I really hope they solve it. Does anyone know who was calling that game, though? I had to mute my TV several times to avoid throwing something at it. I know color commentators need something to comment on, but it seems like commentators pick a favorite team and it becomes really hard to listen to. I know the Broncos fans aren't too happy with Phil Simms and I can understand that. When the Seahawks had that one sketchy touchdown where Harvin appears to have possibly run out of bounds and the commentators kept on it, I got it from the perspective of "refs can make mistakes and we want to call that out." Certainly I still hold a grudge against the refs for the Seahawks-Steelers game because that was egregious and continued (in my opinion), but at some point one call is one call and the commentators need to get something new to say about it or they need to find something new to talk about.

[merylinkid]

One thing that was pointed out was that the Chargers had a short week since they played the Monday night game.   And the Seahawks played on the Thursday before so had a mini-bye.   Normally that would mean the Chargers were tired and the Seahawks were well-rested, but I wonder if the Seahawks were too well rested while the Chargers were hyped.   The Seahawks had so much time to prepare they kinda took easy and lost focus because "heck we got time" while the Chargers compressed it all and really focused.   

[Minneapple]

The only way Goodell is losing his job is if the owners don't want him in that job anymore. And keep in mind that the owners are mostly lunatic billionaires who are used to getting their way all the time.

[crimsongrl]

Adrian Peterson suspended from all team activities effective immediately

[merylinkid]

I have a question about the timeline of the reporting of the abuse.    This is what I understand happened:

 

1.  AP whips the child.

2.   Presumably that same day he texts the mom that he might have whipped the child too hard.

3.  The Mother takes the child to a regularly scheduled doctor's appointment.

4.   The doctor discovers the abuse and reports it.

 

Here's my concern, HOW long from Peterson telling the MOther that he whipped the child to the doctor's appointment?    Because if my child comes home bloody, I am heading to the ER RIGHT AWAY to document what happened.   If she waited any length of time, why is she not being investigated too?   Because if she waited, she clearly had no problem with what Peterson did.    

 

Also, not to do with the timeline, but related, what are the mothers of his other children doing?   I would so be asking for supervised visits for my kid with him to keep this from happening to my child.   Or are they just sending their kids along with no problem?   Not sure about Texas law, but usually when child abuse is involved, you can get an emergency hearing.

[topanga]

 

Also, not to do with the timeline, but related, what are the mothers of his other children doing?

Also, not to do with the timeline or potential child abuse or Adrian Peterson, but (loosely) related, what are these athletes doing to get so may baby mamas? (And I'm not just talking about the NFL or black athletes). I know what they're doing, but why aren't athletes wrapping it up? Aren't they considering what most ordinary people know: many of the women who hang around professional athletes want a piece of their fame and fortune? The athlete might not always want the woman, but if there's a child created, then the woman will always have a piece of that athlete's fortune. I tried to find the stats comparing the rates of unmarried fatherhood in professional athletes vs. 20-40 year old men in the general population, but I came up empty. Are these athletes so blinded by their endless opportunities for casual sex that all common sense goes out the window?

 

--I know that condoms are not 100% effective in preventing pregnancy, but if an athlete has 3 or 6 or 9 children with multiple women (and wasn't married or in a long-term relationship at the time), it's statistically unlikely that the condom broke 3 or 6 or 9 times.

 

 

But back to football:

 

Adrian Peterson suspended from all team activities effective immediately

 

So much of what the NFL is doing these days is reactionary. The Vikings were ready to suit up AP for Sunday's game before the loud outcry from the public and sponsors.

Edited September 17, 2014 by topanga

[crimsongrl]

I have a question about the timeline of the reporting of the abuse. 

 

Here's my concern, HOW long from Peterson telling the MOther that he whipped the child to the doctor's appointment?    Because if my child comes home bloody, I am heading to the ER RIGHT AWAY to document what happened.   If she waited any length of time, why is she not being investigated too?   Because if she waited, she clearly had no problem with what Peterson did.

I think its something like:

1.  AP whips the child.

2.  Presumably that same day he texts the mom that he might have whipped the child too hard.

3. The Mother Skype's with the boy and Adrian to see what's going on.

4. A week later the boy returns to Minnesota after visiting AP in Texas.

5. The Mother takes the child to a regularly(?) scheduled doctor's appointment.

6. The doctor discovers the abuse and reports it.

 

I guess she wasn't aware of how bad it was until the boy came home. I had assumed she took him to the doctor after she saw the bruises. I can't imagine she waited around to make an appointment!

[KerleyQ]

Reggie Bush is officially the dumbest man on the planet.    Is this really the time to be admitting you would discipline your small child "harshly."    Even if you would, or have (his kid is 1 poor thing) talking about that right now is incredibly stupid.

 

And don't forget, he "tries" not to leave bruises.  It's sickening seeing all these big, strong professional athletes talking about how hitting kids is OK.  

[merylinkid]

I have no idea what athletes are thinking when it comes to baby mammas.   I can see being surprised that the mamma lied about being on the pill the first couple of times.   But after the 4th or 5th "surprise" child, you would think they would take responsibility about wrapping it up.   Sadly, I see the same thing in my law practice.   Guys who have kids by multiple women and complaining about paying child support for each and every one of them.    Dude, you found out with the first one you would have to pay child support. why are you surprised the 5th one wants child support from your minimum wage job too?   

[BabyVegas]

I imagine they don't like wearing a condom because it dampens the sensation and damn the consequences. Irresponsible, but there it is.

[merylinkid]

Well paying all that child support can dampen the sensation of having money to spend.   

 

Football -- Greg Hardy is now on the Exempt List.   About damn time, he actually had a hearing before a judge.

 

Actual football -- illness has hit 2 teams -- Ravens and Skins.   Hmmm, should I be careful out there?   I live right between the two (I hate that being a Cowboys sufferer, I mean fan)

[xaxat]

Adrian Peterson's high school coach used to hit his players with an 18 inch paddle.

 

That's sadism, not discipline. 

[KerleyQ]

Yeesh.  And Adrian "has suffered enough."  I love how concerned some of these people are about how much poor Adrian has suffered.  How about how much that poor 3 year old suffered when one of his parents, who he should be able to look at as the person who will protect and love him, beat the ever loving crap out of him?  Has he suffered enough, Coach?  

 

And Adrian's half right, the way he was brought up has affected the man he is today, just not in the way he's thinking.  It's led him to become a man who thinks that a violent, bloody beating of a 4 year old is somehow appropriate discipline.  

 

And that coach is creepy.  He seems so damn proud of himself. 

[Rick Kitchen]

Another day, another NFL player charged with domestic abuse - http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/jonathan-dwyer-arrested-domestic-violence

[KerleyQ]

At this point, Goodell has to be like "OK, fine, you can hit each other harder on the field, go helmet first, I don't fucking care, just don't lay a hand on anyone off the field."

[Danny Franks]

On a more positive note for the NFL, here's a nice feel-good story involving an ex-Raven and an ex-Steeler.

 

They're not all evil, woman and child beating thugs, no matter what the press would have people believe.

 

Adrian Peterson, and any other players (I'm looking at you, Antonio Cromartie) who have bastard children dotted around the country, should be neutered, if you ask me. Either be prepared raise the child as a father, or keep your dick either in your pants, or safely wrapped. Don't have a Week With Daddy event for all your unwanted offspring to spend a bit of time with you, just so you can feel like you're not a deadbeat. Hell, I mean the child who died last year, Peterson had only just become aware he existed, as I understand it.

[Snowprince]

 

 

They're not all evil, woman and child beating thugs, no matter what the press would have people believe.

 

 

The vast majority of them aren't. Roughly 1800-2000 players in the NFL. Five cases of DV/Child abuse. FIVE. For those who would add the qualifier "that we know of", lets extrapolate this out and try to cover those by multiplying the known cases by 10, bringing us to 50. That's 2.5 % of 2000. Not enough? Lets multiply by 100, bringing us to 500. Out of 2000, that's 25%. Even if the "thug" rate is that high which I doubt, call me crazy but I don't think that qualifies the NFL for the derisive nickname "National Felons League" when 75% (at least) based on that extrapolation, don't fit the woman and child beating thug profile.      

Edited September 18, 2014 by Snowprince

[Minneapple]

Jonathan Dwyer's arrest would have been mostly ignored if not for the recent incidents. He would have received a slap on the wrist and been back on the team after making bail and saying how sorry he was. Who knows if the media would have even noticed.

[Fukui San]

Guys! I just found Roger Goodell's Suspension Decision formula:
 

Someone has done something wrong in the NFL!

Is it bad?             Yes +2 games suspension / No +1

Who got hurt?     A woman +1 / A child +1 / recreational drug laws +2 / Your Feelings +3

Is the wrongdoer a very good player?        Yes -1 / No +2

Does TMZ have it on tape?          Yes x2 / No ÷2

Did he say he's very, very sorry to you personally?      Yes ÷3 / No x3
Have you consulted anyone about this?       Of course not.
Does the media think it's too little?          +1 (Repeat as necessary)
Does the media think it's too much?         -1 (Repeat as necessary)

Does the media think it's just right?          Alright! Drink a celebratory fruity beer with Peter King!

[DrSpaceman]

The goal of the Thursday night games seems to be to find the crappiest game all week and get it out of the way first.

[merylinkid]

It wouldn't be crappy if the Bucs would actually PLAY.

 

Looks like one of my picks will be good this week, provided the Falcons don't do themselves in with penalties and injuries.

 

I was working on my quilt that I am going to auction off on EBay with 100% going to a DV organization but the game is way too interesting.   That's how I cope with bad stuff, I quilt.   

[Snowprince]

If this had been a Pop Warner game, the mercy rule would have been invoked about half way through the first quarter.

[merylinkid]

In the NFL, the mercy rule equivalent is putting in the back ups.   It's not making a difference.

[nowandlater]

I don't get it. The NFL said this Thursday package, especially the CBS portion, would have more compelling games than the shitty NFL Network package.

 

And here we are in the 2nd game with this snoozer. The point was to go with all division rivalries. Well, there were many other NFC South matchups that would've been compelling. You could've seen this stinker a mile away.

 

CBS got ripped off.

Edited September 19, 2014 by nowandlater

[Irlandesa]

I get why they wanted to have games on Thursday.  It's one of the most watched nights on TV and if a successful program is on, they can charge more for that delicious movie studio money advertising the upcoming weekend's film offerings. 

 

But I just don't think short weeks are good for the quality of football.  I love MNF double headers.  I wish they'd do more of those. 

 

Maybe that wasn't the issue tonight since the Falcons looked sharp but maybe the Bucs would have been a wee bit more ready to play without such a short turnaround.

[merylinkid]

This is why they play the games.

 

On paper, this looked like a compelling divisional match up.   The Bucs were supposed to be so improved under new Coach Lovie Smith.   He was going to bring them back to their glory days under Tony Dungy/Jon Gruden.    "Everyone" in preseason said so.   And of course the Falcons would be trying to rebound from 3-13 last year.   2 teams with something to prove to start only Week 3 of the season.   Awesome.

 

Nobody predicted a 56-14 blowout.   

 

It wasn't the short week.   The Falcons had a short week too, after completely falling apart to the Bengals.   They had key injuries too.   Yet they played just fine.   

 

It's just sometimes what looks great on paper in April when they release the schedule turns out to be not so hot when they actually take the field.   Nobody can predict or control that.

[DrSpaceman]

Denver Seattle, SF-AZ and GB-Detroit are all obviously more compelling games they could have chose for Thursday night this week that don't rely on a bad team suddenly becoming a contender to make it a decent match up.

[Rick Kitchen]

Goodell is whistling past the graveyard, on his way to his professional death.

[Bastet]

Support the Player and Be Quiet: What it's Like to be an NFL Wife by Tracy Treu. 

[Jediknight]

Goodell is whistling past the graveyard, on his way to his professional death.

He isn't doing that.

 

He's throwing all his personal documents into a fire, and is in the process of changing his name to Miguel Sanchez.

[yourpointis]

Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti offered Ray Rice job as bribe after cutting him

 

 

http://network.yardbarker.com/nfl/article_external/ravens_owner_steve_bisciotti_offered_ray_rice_job_as_bribe_after_cutting_him/17319641?mb_edition=3734&linksrc=mb_story_main_head_top_17319641

 

ESPN’s Outside the Lines dropped a major bomb on the Baltimore Ravens regarding their handling of the Ray Rice situation, saying that the team engaged in a massive cover-up to lessen the punishment their star running back and franchise icon would receive.
According to ESPN’s story, the Ravens knew exactly what was on the elevator video hours after the assault took place. ESPN’s story says Ravens officials such as owner Steve Bisciotti, Dick Cass and Ozzie Newsome worked together with Rice’s lawyer, Michael J. Diamondstein, to try covering up the incident and lessening the punishment Rice would receive from both the league and legal system.

 

The report says “within hours of the elevator attack, an employee of the Ravens was describing the inside-elevator video to friends in graphic detail, telling confidants that Rice knocked out his then-fiancée with a punch and that the video was ‘really bad,’ according to a source close to a Ravens official.”
Rice also told his personal trainer as well as Ravens coach John Harbaugh and GM Ozzie Newsome exactly what happened. ESPN says Harbaugh and team director of player personnel George Kokinis wanted to release Rice, but Newsome, Cass and Bisciotti overruled them.

 

Now how is this for an example of a cover-up? From the report:
By phone, Diamondstein told Cass that the video was “f—ing horrible” and that it was clear “Ray knocked her the f— out.” The lawyer advised Cass that the video, if released, would amount to a public relations disaster for the Ravens and for his client.

 

For that reason, the Ravens tried hard to get Rice in a pretrial intervention program. Part of the conditions of the program are that the video would remain private. They knew what was on the video. They didn’t want to see what was on the video because that would probably weigh on their conscience and make it harder for them to continue their cover-up.

 

And who was leading the cover-up? Supposedly it was Ravens owner Bisciotti, who after cutting Rice when the video came out, texted the running back to say there was a job waiting for him after football.

 

Hey Ray, just want to let you know, we loved you as a player, it was great having you here. Hopefully all these things are going to die down. I wish the best for you and Janay.

 

When you’re done with football, I’d like you to know you have a job waiting for you with the Ravens helping young guys getting acclimated to the league.

 

Rice interpreted the these text messages from Bisciotti as a bribe for his silence while the team and league threw him under the bus.
What a scumbag. Bet Bisciotti never thought that would come out.

 

[yourpointis]

Ravens release statement following ESPN Outside The Lines story

 

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/ravens-release-statement-following-espn-010740553.html

 

Organization calls the report false.

The Ravens offered a brief statement concerning the ESPN Outside The Lines story that published early Friday evening.

"The ESPN.com 'Outside the Lines' article contains numerous errors, inaccuracies, false assumptions and, perhaps, misunderstandings. The Ravens will address all of these next week in Baltimore after our trip to Cleveland for Sunday's game against the Browns."

 

John Harbaugh will likely get asked about the report on Sunday and no-comment everything until the scheduled presser. By denying the report now, the Ravens better hope the NFL's "independent" investigation doesn't discover what ESPN alleges in the story.

Yet again, the Ravens have another distraction to deal with heading into an ever-important divisional game. We'll have to see if the players can compartmentalize everything surrounding this like they were able to last time.

[merylinkid]

Please note they never say exactly what those alleged errors and inaccuracies are.    If it is so full of them, surely they could have mentioned at least one in their statement.   They still believe they can make this go away by ignoring it.   

[DrSpaceman]

This surprises me about Newsome I think the most.

If this is true he needs to be fired. ANd he has been one of the most respected GMs in the league.

And WHAT A GREAT IDEA!!! Dump Rice, then hire a wife beater to TEACH YOUNG PLAYERS HOW TO ADJUST TO LIFE IN THE NFL!!! I can just imagine what he could teach them

How to cover up a wife beating

How to deal with a nagging wife

The ins and outs of casino security scams

Elevator ettiquette

[nowandlater]

Please note they never say exactly what those alleged errors and inaccuracies are.    If it is so full of them, surely they could have mentioned at least one in their statement.   They still believe they can make this go away by ignoring it.   

 

Yeah, sounds like classic PR strategy. All day yesterday, there were reports about how the Ravens had emergency meetings in preparation for this article.

 

So they have no response, so the natural thing to do is to say it's wrong without going into specifics.

[benteen]

I will say I absolutely laughed at Anheuser-Busch's statement.  This is a company that's products have caused more domestic violence than the NFL ever has.  This is a company that took over a town in Colorado and turned it into what sounded like some hedonistic retreat.  They have no moral code.

[merylinkid]

This is a myth that being drunk causes domestic violence.    Being drunk is an excuse after the fact.   the abuse was happening long before he took that drink that got him drunk.   The beer did not take his hand and caused it to smash into her face.   

[xaxat]

I heard an interview with the reporter that did the OTL piece. He said that the Rice camp is not happy at all with the outcome and implied that Rice may publicly go after the commissioner and Ravens if (when) his appeal is denied.

 

I will say I absolutely laughed at Anheuser-Busch's statement.  

 

This is a company that had a CEO who routinely showed up for meetings drunk/high, regularly employed prostitutes at his summer home, was involved in a DUI that resulted in a death and owned so many firearms he had a separate building built on his estate to hold them. 

[Fukui San]

This is a company that had a CEO who routinely showed up for meetings drunk/high, regularly employed prostitutes at his summer home, was involved in a DUI that resulted in a death and owned so many firearms he had a separate building built on his estate to hold them. 

That'd only be a scandal if he drank Heineken.

[mojoween]

This is sad -

Rob Boronas killed in car crash

[nowandlater]

On September 6, Terry Bradshaw was on Jimmy Kimmel joking about hassling his new son-in-law, Rob Bironas.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cC7Teh3ljXg

[DrSpaceman]

I didnt know bironas as married to Bradshaw's daughter.

Sad story.

[KerleyQ]

Please note they never say exactly what those alleged errors and inaccuracies are.    If it is so full of them, surely they could have mentioned at least one in their statement.   They still believe they can make this go away by ignoring it.

Exactly. And the "misunderstandings" is total weasel speak to cover everything ESPN got right by saying "we'll, yeah, but you misunderstand..."

[merylinkid]

Well hell.   All because Fivehead Manning called tails.

[BabyVegas]

Obviously I'm super thrilled that my team won. Amazing playing and the Broncos scared the Hell out of me. But the Seahawks stayed calm and got it done.

I bet CBS is really, really happy they got to air this one.

ETA: it wasn't just because Manning called tails. The Seahawks also put out a killer drive.

Edited September 22, 2014 by BabyVegas

[GuiltyPleasures]

Holy shit, that was an intense game. No such thing as a moral victory, but it's slightly satisfying that Seattle had the crap scared out of them.  Denver has a much better defense than last year, and Emmanual Sanders is a much improved weapon for Peyton over Decker.  Christ, I thought I was going to have a heart attack.