NFL Films on the way out?

by | Apr 4, 2008 | Business of Football

The New York Times says NFL Films, the New Jersey-based company that has spent the last 50 years documenting the league’s history, may be on the way out.

The Times notes that NFL Films laid off 21 employees and that the league may have shifted its focus to higher-technology media and toward its own NFL Network.

It’d be a shame. More than once I’ve pleasantly wasted an afternoon I planned to spend working on projects listening to John Facenda narrate the nuances of the game.

Hopefully Patriots owner Robert Kraft was serious when he told the Philadelphia Daily News that NFL Films was a part of both the league’s past and its future.

League passes new rules

by | Apr 4, 2008 | Business of Football

The NFL tabled a discussion on hair length and didn’t act on a proposal that would have allowed Wild Card playoff entrants with better records than Division champions to host playoff games.

But the league did eliminate the force-out rule allowing receivers to be credited with a catch if the referee judged they would have come down in bounds without defensive contact.

The league also voted to allow the team winning the pre-game coin toss to defer its decision to the second half and to eliminate the 5-yard facemask penalty. The 15-yard flagrant, twisting of the facemask penalty still remains. Does that mean minor contact with the facemask is now okay?

And, after the debacle in the Browns/Ravens game last season, owners agreed to extend instant replay to field goal reviews.

Henry cut

by | Apr 3, 2008 | 2008 NFL Free Agency, Business of Football, Fantasy Football, NFL Draft

Chris Henry finally ran out of chances. The Cincinnati Bengals issued a statement wherein team President Mike Brown said: “Chris Henry has forfeited his opportunity to pursue a career with the Bengals. His conduct can no longer be tolerated.”

Good to know that even the Bengals have limits.  It’s a move that had to be made, but probably should have one or two transgressions ago. (more…)

Patriots interested in McFadden?

by | Apr 1, 2008 | Fantasy Football, NFL Breaking News, NFL Draft

The New England Patriots are bringing Arkansas running back Darren McFadden in for a pre-draft look, according to the Boston Globe.

The impact McFadden would have on an offense already consisting of Randy Moss, Tom Brady, Wes Welker and other role players … wow. That would be an impressive collection of talent.

It’s hard to picture the Arkansas star dropping to the seventh pick with his combination of size, speed and playmaking abilities that some have compared to last year’s rookie stud Adrian Peterson. And there’s also no guarantee they would take him, given the presence of Laurence Maroney and Kevin Faulk and the defection of several key defensive players this off-season.

But if the stars align and he ended up playing half his Sundays in Foxboro he’d give the Patriots a reasonable shot at eclipsing the scoring record they set in 2007.

That would be some offense. Wow.