May as well start the new thread with the schedule to be announced tonight. I have no sympathy for these idiots, but this was a good article from Rick Riley on ESPN.com:
You might be thinking: I'm on the owners' side in this lockout mess because NFL players are all spoiled, hat-backward millionaires who will no more miss a year's salary than they'll miss their eighth Lexus.
OK, but maybe you should meet …
… Brian Schaefering, Cleveland Browns defensive lineman.
He has a wife, three kids -- all 8 and under -- and a rented house. He doesn't have a shoe deal or a Lloyd's of London policy or a super agent willing to float him till this is over.
Yeah, he's got a safety net -- himself.
"I'll do anything," says Schaefering, 27. "If I have to work for UPS, I will. I got a family to feed. I've paved roads, fixed roofs, done landscaping. I'm not better'n anybody else. I don't want any handouts. I'd be happy with $12 an hour if I could get it."
You hear anything about Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones wanting to run a road paver lately?
"The problem is," Schaefering says, "who wants to hire a guy who may have to pack up and leave [for the NFL] a month or two into it?"
So Schaefering and his wife are cutting back. They slashed their cable and cell phone bills and chopped their weekly date nights considerably. They used to get a babysitter, then catch dinner and a movie. "Now, it's put the kids to bed and slap in a DVD."
You might be thinking: What the hell has he done with his money he has made so far in the NFL?
Well, he went undrafted in 2008, barely made the practice squad in '09 and finally started nine games for the Browns last season, making $395,000. He says he netted just over $200,000 after taxes. And he had plenty of bills to pay going into last year.
"I hear people joking around about this thing, but it's no joke," he says. "If this goes into the season, my wife might start panicking a little."
You might be thinking: What about these $60,000 checks that went out this week to the players from the NFLPA's lockout war chest? That should pay for a few babysitters, right?
True, but maybe you should meet …
… former Air Force star Chad Hall, Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver.
Hall, 24, isn't getting any $60,000. Since transforming himself from an F-16 mechanic into a modern-day "Invincible" with the Eagles, 5-foot-8 Hall hasn't exactly hit the Lotto. He was on the team for only 11 games, so he got the minimum salary, prorated. The most he'll get from the lockout fund is "about $10,000," he says.
Now, he's training friends' kids for whatever they want to pay him -- "I don't really charge a set fee" -- and trying to open a wings restaurant in Atlanta with his sister's boyfriend, Detroit Lions QB Matthew Stafford.
You think Seattle Seahawks owner Paul Allen will be asking "BBQ or teriyaki?" anytime soon?
"If we don't have a season, I'll be waiting tables and bartending there," he says. "Plus, my uncle says he has a plumbing job for me. Pays $15 an hour, so that's not bad."
You think Seattle Seahawks owner Paul Allen will be asking "BBQ or teriyaki?" anytime soon?
You might be thinking: I'm supposed to feel sorry for these guys? At least they had a year of making $400,000. Try making $40,000!"
I guess so, but maybe you should meet …
… University of Wisconsin All-American lineman John Moffitt.
Moffitt is a projected early- to middle-round draft choice, a can't-miss NFL starter who "will make plenty of Pro Bowls once he's signed," says his agent, Mike George.
The problem is, what if he never gets signed?
"I saw some Girl Scouts selling cookies the other day," Moffitt says. "Maybe I could try that?"
Moffitt's got no job and no endorsement deals -- "Nobody wants to see my face on anything," he says -- and "my parents stopped sending my allowance." So George is paying for training and living expenses until something breaks.
After that?
"Well, my dad paints houses in Guilford, Conn.," he says. "I think he'd maybe take me on doing that. But it's kind of hard right now. I hope it doesn't come to that."
You hear anything about Washington Redskins owner Dan Snyder hitting up his dad lately?
Plus, staying in top physical shape is a full-time job. "It's not like they can do that and work at Macy's at the same time," George says.
They might have to. Eagles lineman Winston Justice has opened a coffee shop. Teammate Owen Schmitt might student teach. Browns backup WR Rod Windsor is playing for the Arizona Rattlers of the Arena Football League, where some players are making as little as $400 per game. That barely covers the Advil.
And then there's this: ThePostGame.com recently reported that an estimated 180 NFL players might have signed for "lockout loans," at rates that can climb over 30 percent upon default, to make ends meet.
Not just dumb, desperate.
You might be thinking: So throw these guys a freaking telethon! I don't care. Tell them to stop bitching. The rest of us have real jobs!
I guess. But remember, the players aren't the ones bitching. Among the four big pro sports in this country, these guys picked the one that pays the least money, lasts the fewest years and wrecks the most bodies. They're fine with that.
It's the owners who have taken the football and gone home. It's the owners who want a billion dollars back from the deal they have now. It's the owners who want two more games from the players for nothing. And not a single owner is contemplating roofing at $12 an hour.
So, if you're still thinking you're on the owners' side in this?
Then you're not thinking at all.
_________________ "We have a great bunch of outside shooters. Unfortunately, all our games are played indoors."—College Basketball player Weldon Drew
I'm still wondering if a)the Bengals will have a quarterback or b)if said QB will have any proven wideout to throw to. What a messed up situation in Cincy, even without the lockout business. Sadly, it should come as no surprise to anyone who's followed the organization for any length of time.
As far as whose side I'd be on (if I cared enough to spend much time thinking about it), it's the players, absolutely, for the reasons given above in the quoted article.
Well, at least there will be real football on the NFL Network next week. I love the CFL so I'm pleased, but I do believe the knuckleheads in the NFL will get this thing settled and we'll have the best football on as well. I hope so, but if they do screw up this season I'll find something else to do, or my wife will find it for me!
Anyway...
TORONTO – Two Canadian Football League games per week will be broadcasted on NFL Network in the United States this season, the Canadian Football League and NFL Network announced today.
NFL Network’s telecast of 2011 CFL regular season games is part of a new agreement with the CFL. The network also has the option to show additional games in the regular season, the CFL Playoffs and the Grey Cup championship game.
“This is very positive news for our CFL fans living in the United States,” said Michael Copeland, Chief Operating Officer of the CFL. “And it’s a very positive development for our football operations as it will continue to expose our product to prospects across the U.S.”
Last season, NFL Network carried 14 CFL games featuring the fast-paced, wide open Canadian game which included numerous players familiar to Americans who follow U.S. college football. Additionally, the CFL continues to lay the foundation for some of the NFL’s current standouts.
Miami Dolphins LB Cameron Wake, a former BC Lions standout in 2007 and 2008, ranked 3rd in the NFL in sacks and was named to his first Pro Bowl in 2010.
“We are pleased to offer more football to our fans with more CFL action this year,” said Lawrence Randall, NFL Network’s Director of Programming. “Delivering live games from all levels of football is part of our commitment to our passionate viewers who want football 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year.”
The games will be produced by TSN, the leading sports broadcaster in Canada. NFL Network subscribers in Canada will get alternate programming due to TSN’s exclusivity.
This year’s CFL season kicks off June 30th when the British Columbia Lions, quarterbacked by former Montana State star Travis Lulay, visit the defending Grey Cup Champion Montreal Alouettes and their head coach Marc Trestman, whose extensive coaching resume includes successful stints as an NFL offensive coordinator in Cleveland, San Francisco, Arizona and Oakland.
The 99th Grey Cup game will be played in Vancouver on November 27th. Canadian football has a history spanning more than a century.
The Grey Cup is annually one of the most watched television events north of the border. Home to eight teams, all in Canadian cities, the league features three downs instead of four, 12 men aside instead of 11, unlimited motion before the snap of the ball, and a bigger playing field that measures 65 yards wide and 110 yards long, with end zones 20 yards deep.
Some of its most recognizable alumni include former NFL quarterbacks Warren Moon, Doug Flutie, Joe Theismann, Jeff Garcia and Joe Kapp and legendary coach Bud Grant. Moon and Grant have the unique honour of belonging to both the Canadian Football Hall of Fame in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada and the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio.
The first five weeks of CFL matchups featured on NFL Network are listed below. Additional matchups on NFL Network will be announced at a later date.
Air Date Teams Time Week 1 Thursday, June 30 British Columbia @ Montreal 7:30 PM ET Saturday, July 2 Toronto @Calgary 8:00 PM ET Week 2 Saturday, July 9 Montreal @ Saskatchewan 4:00 PM ET Saturday, July 9 Hamilton @ Edmonton 7:00 PM ET Week 3 Saturday, July 16 Saskatchewan @ Hamilton 4:00 PM ET Saturday, July 16 British Columbia @ Edmonton 7:00 PM ET Week 4 Saturday, July 23 Edmonton @ Calgary 7:00 PM ET Sunday, July 24 Saskatchewan @ Montreal 7:00 PM ET Week 5 Thursday, July 28 British Columbia @ Winnipeg 8:00 PM ET Saturday, July 30 Calgary @ Saskatchewan 9:30 PM ET
_________________ "We have a great bunch of outside shooters. Unfortunately, all our games are played indoors."—College Basketball player Weldon Drew
I'm keeping an eye on this.....going to New Orleans the 3rd week of September, and would like to go to the Saints game, but not using Stubhub unless/until it's settled.
Very cool news, Pete! I used to love watching the CFL back in the early days of ESPN -- Warren Moon in Edmonton, Dieter Brock in Winnepeg, Condredge Holloway in Toronto, Tom Clements in Hamilton, Roy DeWalt in B.C., etc.
Very cool news, Pete! I used to love watching the CFL back in the early days of ESPN -- Warren Moon in Edmonton, Dieter Brock in Winnepeg, Condredge Holloway in Toronto, Tom Clements in Hamilton, Roy DeWalt in B.C., etc.
Jay: I knew you were a man of taste and knowledge! I just got done mowing the lawn and with grim news about the lockout today I am watching Montreal and BC in the CFL opener right now. Real football even if they have a 1 minute warning, rogues and a 55 yard line!
_________________ "We have a great bunch of outside shooters. Unfortunately, all our games are played indoors."—College Basketball player Weldon Drew
Real football even if they have a 1 minute warning, rogues and a 55 yard line!
Like there are no rogues in the NFL...
Not worth 1 point they're aren't! I meant rouges of course-d'oh! I've ben drifting in and out but it's been a good game with Montreal up 27-20 in the 4th qtr-a guy named Tim Brown on BC returned a kick 98 yards for a TD-a relative perhaps?
_________________ "We have a great bunch of outside shooters. Unfortunately, all our games are played indoors."—College Basketball player Weldon Drew
Cincinnati Bengals cornerback Adam "Pacman" Jones was arrested at a bar late Saturday night for disorderly conduct while intoxicated and resisting arrest.
Four months after settling a case that punctuated a slew of off-the-field trouble for the 27-year-old NFL veteran, he was taken into custody on the misdemeanors after being repeatedly asked to leave a Cincinnati bar for rowdy behavior, WKRC-TV has reported, citing court documents.
Pacman Jones, booked into jail late Saturday night, has been recovering from a herniated disk in his neck suffered in Week 7 last fall that required surgery, but he was expecting to play this season.
Jones was jailed around 3 a.m. Sunday and released later in the morning.
Two police officers were forced to physically restrain Jones to apply handcuffs as he fought to pull away, the TV report says. Jones had been yelling profanities and waving his arms violently, according to WKRC-TV.
Jones, who wears a neck brace as a result of an injury suffered last season, denied the allegations in an interview with WCPO-TV after leaving jail.
"I just had surgery, so why would I be resisting arrest?" Jones said.
He said he hadn't been drinking and was out with his wife to celebrate her birthday.
"It's ridiculous, man," Jones told the TV station. "I keep on going through the same thing, and it don't make no sense."
He also apologized to his fans and said he loves Cincinnati.
"Only thing I can do is be me and do what I'm supposed to do, but I was not yelling at the police. I did not yell profanity at the police. And at the end of the day ... I'm the bad guy," he said.
A Bengals spokesman said the team had no comment when contacted by The Associated Press. The team is prohibited from having contact with Jones because of the NFL lockout.
Jones has been recovering from a herniated disk in his neck suffered in Week 7 last fall that required surgery, but he was expecting to play this season.
Jones played five games last year for the Bengals before the injury, notching 11 tackles and an interception.
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell has stated that players will still be subject to review and discipline under the personal-conduct policy for potential violations during the lockout.
In late February, Jones was sentenced in Las Vegas to probation and 200 hours of community service under a plea deal for his role in a 2007 strip club melee.
Jones received a suspended sentence and was also ordered to receive anger management counseling. The sentence required Jones to undergo random drug testing.
Jones was Tennessee's first-round pick in 2005. Six arrests and a dozen instances involving police intervention scuttled his career. He was suspended for the 2007 season with Tennessee. The Cowboys signed him, but he was suspended for six games in 2008 for an alcohol-related scuffle with a bodyguard provided by the team.
He sat out for a year before signing a two-year deal with Cincinnati in May 2010. Police there questioned him last fall after he drove his vehicle over a downtown curb to avoid an obstacle and then apologized to him, saying it was a mistake and he'd done nothing wrong.
_________________ "We have a great bunch of outside shooters. Unfortunately, all our games are played indoors."—College Basketball player Weldon Drew
I'm keeping an eye on this.....going to New Orleans the 3rd week of September, and would like to go to the Saints game, but not using Stubhub unless/until it's settled.
I took a chance and bought a ticket. It's looking like the season will happen, and decided to risk buying now as sellers will probably raise prices once the lockout is officially over.
Per Stubhub, I'll get a refund if the game is cancelled. I would only get screwed if the start of the season is delayed and they decide to move week 2 to a different date.....but I doubt that will happen.
Rumors are heating up about Favre coming to the Eagles. Vick said he's OK with it but what else would he say? There's the obvious Andy Reid connection and when the Eagles trade Kolb (most likely to Arizona) they will need a veteran QB (Kafka is their only backup and he's never thrown a regular season pass), but this isn't going to happen. I think.
_________________ "We have a great bunch of outside shooters. Unfortunately, all our games are played indoors."—College Basketball player Weldon Drew
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