NFL Fines Absurdity Continues

by | Dec 14, 2008 | Business of Football, NFL News, NFL Random Thoughts

The NFL continues to amaze me in their ability to find ridiculous actions to fine players for.  And while I’m not ready to go down the path of claiming vindictiveness yet, at least some Viking fans are thinking the NFL has it in for the team, possibly due to the Kevin & Pat Williams lawsuit.

The latest fined Viking?  DT Fred Evans, who was fined $5k for grabbing the face mask of RB Kevin Smith.  And my problem with the fine this time isn’t just the face that fining players for actions like a face mask, which is an unfortunate but common part of the game, is ridiculous (Vikings LB Chad Greenway was fined $15k earlier this year for a face mask that wasn’t called against the Saints, the first time I’d ever heard of such a fine).

My problem with this fine is that replays seemed to show (rather clearly, in my eyes) that Evans didn’t even grab the face mask on the play.  It appeared that Evans merely tackled Smith by the shoulder pads–essentially grabbing him by the front collar and pulling him down in a way that maybe appeared to be the result of a face mask, but on replay did not look like it.

So now it appears that Evans was penalized AND fined unfairly for the play.  Fortunately, unlike the Saints, who lost to the Vikings when Greenway’s penalty wasn’t called (on a play that may have impacted the outcome of the game), the Vikings didn’t lose to the 0-12 Lions last week.

I still have to wonder, though–with all of the poor officiating going on this year–are any moves being made to make NFL referees full time?  And hold them accoutable with something other than losing out on the opportunity to work playoff games?

Congressman proposes bill ending BCS

by | Dec 10, 2008 | Business of Football, College Football

Rep. Joe Barton, R-Texas, believes the Bowl Championship Series “consistently misfires” and plans to do something about it, according to the Associated Press.

Barton, the ranking Republican on the House Energy and Commerce Committee, plans to produce legislation that would force college football to adopt a playoff system to determine its national champion.

The bill, which amazingly has co-sponsors in Rep. Bobby Rush, D-Ill. and Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Texas, “will prohibit the marketing, promotion and advertising of a postseason game as a ‘national championship’ football game, unless it is the result of a playoff system,” according to the AP.

Do we have two wars going on? Is the country deeply in debt? Are we trying to discover alternative fuels and restore some resepect in the world?

Granted, President-elect Barack Obama went on 60 Minutes and announced that he would add a National Championship playoff if given the opportunity to run college football.

And also granted, I’d love to see a college football playoff replace the hopelessly flawed BCS system. But enough to watch elected officials propose bills and push legislation?

Please tell me these people have more important things to do.

NFL Drug Policy is a Fraud Too

by | Dec 10, 2008 | Business of Football, NFL News

In addition to the policy on levying fines for every offense from using the ball as a prop to committing a 15-yard facemask penalty that wasn’t called a penalty being a crock, and the suspension appeals process being a crock (albeit a crock that the players allowed themselves to be thrown into), it appears now that the drug policy in general might be a crock too.

Case in point: Jacksonville Jaguars WR Matt Jones.

Jones, a first round pick in 2005, was arrested this past off-season when a police officer saw him cutting lines of cocaine with a credit card in a parked car.  Jones plead not guilty to the charges, but later agreed to enter a drug treatment program to reduce or drop the charges against him.

The resuling suspension for Jones?  Three games, which was upheld by the wonderful appeals process this week.

So, according to the NFL, use a diuretic that is laced with a banned substance that is not on the label–reportedly to cut some weight to make sure you’re a) allowed to practice, and b) not fined–you get a four game suspension.  Get caught with a hardcore recreational drug, and enter drug rehab as a result–three games.

Jury awards former football stars $28.1 million

by | Nov 10, 2008 | Business of Football, NFL Breaking News

Jurors in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California Monday awarded more than 2,000 former professional football players a $28.1 million verdict against the NFL Players Association and its licensing and marketing division, after determining that the union and its subsidiary, Players Inc., failed to market retired players’ marketing rights under a group licensing authorization contract.

The contract was supposed to cover licensing of electronic games, collectables, and other merchandise. The jury award included more than $7 million in actual damages and $21 million in punitive damages for the claim, which was originally filed by Herb Adderley.

Adderley wept following the announcement and told the Associated Press “I won three Super Bowls and this feels better than all of them combined.” NFLPA Acting Executive Director Richard Berthelsen told the AP the union planned to ask U.S. District Court Judge William Alsup to toss out the verdict. If that fails, the union intends to appeal.

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Unpredictability of the NFL shines again

by | Sep 21, 2008 | Business of Football, NFL Random Thoughts

I never did get around to posting season-ending predictions for the 2008 season which might be good because if things hold up I’d be about 75 percent wrong.

Never would I have suspected that Indianapolis and Jacksonville would both be 1-2, staring up by two games at Tennessee, which has been brought alive by Chris Johnson’s running, Kerry Collins’ steady passing presence and a fun, solid defense.

Nor would I have guessed that Baltimore would be undefeated (albeit with one of their games canceled) or that San Francisco would be tied for first place.

The Miami blowout this afternoon of New England, even sans Tom Brady, was the season’s biggest shocker of the season so far for me. It’s the great thing about the NFL – and the reason I cringe when I see the owners opting out of their labor agreement, bringing the potential of one or more seasons without a salary cap.

Anyone can compete in any given year – many teams don’t, but it’s generally bad signings, bad coaching or bad ownership that keeps teams in the doldrums for any long period of time. The NFL is the best professional sports league out there and it isn’t close.

Chiappone working to ban personal seat licenses

by | Aug 29, 2008 | Business of Football

New Jersey Assemblyman Anthony Chiappone, D-Hudson, is fighting for New York Giants and Jets fans, sponsoring legislation that would ban the sale of personal seat licenses at all state sports facilities.

He urged the New York Giants to rethink their plan to sell PSLs for every seat in the under construction Meadowlands football stadium and applauded the New York Jets for allowing 27,000 fans in the upper deck to buy tickets without paying the one-time license fee, according to media reports.

The Giants, who declined comment for the linked Associated Press story, plan to sell seat licenses for as low as $1,000 to fans who want upper deck seats. Those desiring better seats could pay as much as $20,000. The Jets PSLs range from between $4,000 and $25,000.

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