Tag: NFL

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NFL General

Woman wins $444,186 on a $5 football bet



Our new picks system

A 21-year-old bartender named Sarah Mabee won the Ontario (that’s Canada) Pro Picks Pools lottery game by picking all 13 games correctly last weekend. Mabee knows nothing about the NFL and it was only her second time playing the lottery game.

So basically what this tells you is that no matter the amount of research you do, it doesn’t beat just throwing a dart at the wall or picking the team with the prettier uniforms/hotter cheerleaders/cooler mascot. Or picking the Oakland Raiders over the Arizona Cardinals because it was her grandfather’s favorite team.

Mabee won enough money to quit her job and we’re still trying to figure out how we picked the Cardinals to beat the Raiders. That’s it, from now on, we’re going with the team with the hotter cheerleaders. That means Pittsburgh and Green Bay will lose every game.

Finally, why isn’t a Pro Picks lottery game available in the US? Isn’t it safer for us to go to the store and put this bet down instead of finding the shady fat guy at the end of the bar?

Links:
[Toronto Star]: Bartender’s NFL picks net $444,186 prize

Categories
San Diego Chargers

Shawne Merriman is too good


Anyone who saw Shawne Merriman in the Monday night game against the Oakland Raiders thought he was insanely good. He was going to be the next Lawrence Taylor with his speed, hitting, and that whole Muay Thai kickboxing business. Well, it turns out that Merriman is a freak of nature because of steroids.

A source with knowledge of the test (whatever that means) said that the 4 game suspension expected to be handed out by the NFL is “definitely for steroids . . . not one of those supplement deals.” Merriman is expected to appeal the results. Merriman is the fourth Charger to get in trouble this season but the first of those not to be arrested.

Links:
[SignOnSanDiego]: S.D. linebacker failed drug test

Categories
NFL General

Stadium threats "non-credible" but you should probably stay away from Oakland anyway

The FBI has deemed the threat against seven NFL stadiums non-credible and is interviewing a “young adult” in Milwaukee who is suspected of posting the message on an internet site called “The Friend Society”. The message said that trucks would deliver radiological dirty bombs on Sunday (it’s the last day of Ramadan) to New York, Miami, Atlanta, Seattle, Houston, Oakland and Clevelend. Perhaps the tip off to the feds was that the Jets actually play in New Jersey. As for the young adult, he’s currently shitting his pants as he awaits his “Code F’ed in the A” in Gitmo.

The poster, handle of “javness”, wrote:

The death toll will approach 100,000 from the initial blasts and countless other fatalities will later occur as result from radioactive fallout.

Later, through al-Jazeera, Osama bin Laden will issue a video message claiming responsibility for what he dubbed ‘America’s Hiroshima.’

Well, since it’s going to happen at NFL games, wouldn’t the message be relayed through the al-Jazeera for athletes, ESPN?

The FBI warned the NFL and stadium security teams but since the threat is not credible, no increase in security is expected this weekend. So. as always, expect to get your ass kicked a the Oakland Colliseum if you’re in Cardinals colors this weekend.

Links:
[USA Today]: FBI interviewing ‘young adult’ over NFL ‘dirty bomb’ threat

Categories
Arizona Cardinals

Denny Green makes no sense

Now that you’ve seen the video of his press conference, can we ask what exactly Denny Green is saying?


We played them in the preseason. Who the hell plays the third game in the preseason like it’s bull—-? Bull—-! We played them in the third game. Everybody played three quarters.

If anyone can explain this quote to us, please let us know. Who the hell gives a press conference like it’s bullshit! bullshit! This will go into the record books as one of the best post game pressers of all time. It gets funnier with every viewing.

Instead of talking about the Bears being who they thought they were and crowning them, can someone tell Denny Green that he should perhaps concentrate on the Arizona Cardinals who don’t deserve to be an NFL franchise. Can we ship em up north to Canada? Better yet, can we create a broomball league with the Cardinals, the Texans, the Royals, the Devil Rays, and the Raptors and watch hilarity ensue?

Links:
[AZ Central]: Monday Meltdown

[AZ Central]: FanBoy’s game blog (oh the humanity)
[4th and Inches]: Ladies and Gentlemen, the Arizona Cardinals

Categories
Dallas Cowboys

Odds and Ends: TO powderkeg temporarily defused



Dude, I had the curry!

Like they say, winning is the best defuser. (Or was that deodorant?) In any case, a weekend that had the potential for being the one in which Owens blew up quickly turned into a lovefest as the Cowboys got to take on the Texans at home. It was coming folks. After a report that TO got into a verbal altercation with his wide receivers coach Todd Haley because he was late to practice with stomach problems, an upset by the Texans would have sent everyone over the edge. Jerry Jones was quoted as saying that Haley would be disciplined for his part in the argument. TO said the relationship was ruined. Drew Bledsoe stinks on ice. Three ingredients for a meltdown. Instead, a 3 TD performance by the player resulted in hugs for the wide receiver coach, TO being a good teammate and now the Cowboys are denying any discipline for Haley. So for those of you in the Terrell Owens Meltdown Pool, week 6 wasn’t it. It’s coming though. It’s coming.

In other news…

[TwinCities.com]: Stephen Jackson says he was only defending teammates

[BBC Sport]: Baseball’s steroids problem so rampant, it’s now affecting cricket

[STLToday]: Hell, even chess players are cheating now

[People]: Thank goodness, what would we do without more shots of Eva Longoria in the stands

[The Hater Nation]: Ed Hocholi makes Scott Linehan look foolish

[Phillies Nation]: A-Rod to the Phillies is a recipe for suicide watch

[The Pink Seats]: Bet the over on # of athletes bagged by Paris Hilton

Categories
Baltimore Orioles

Sep 27 in Sports History: Robbie Alomar spits on an ump


In 1996: Roberto Alomar of the Orioles proved that yes, most professional baseball players are out-of-touch douche bags when he spit in the face of umpire John Hirschbeck following an argument over balls and strikes in Toronto. If that wasn’t bad enough, Alomar remarked after the game, “I used to respect him a lot. He had problems with his family when his son died (of a rare brain disease) — I know that’s something real tough in life — but after that he just changed. He became real bitter.” When hearing Alomar’s words the next day, Hirschbeck charged into the Orioles’ clubhouse and confronted Alomar, but was restrained. More controversy was created when acting commissioner Bud Selig allowed Alomar to play in the postseason and not have to serve a paltry five-game suspension until the beginning of the 1997 season. (baseball library.com)

In 1999: The Detroit Tigers played their final game at Tiger Stadium (also referred to as Griffin Stadium in the early days) with each player wearing the number of a retired great from Detroit. Gabe Kaplar represented Ty Cobb in centerfield and wore no number. The Tigers defeated the Royals 8-2. The stadium opened in 1912 in downtown Detroit and some great moments included the feats of Ty Cobb, Hank Greenberg, Denny McClain’s 31 pitching wins in 1968 and World Series titles in 1935, 1945, 1968 and 1984. (baseballlibrary.com)

In 1984: Jon Facenda, the legendary voice of NFL Films, died at the age of 72. Facenda, who also worked as a Philadelphia anchor, was there at the beginning, narrating the first NFL Films feature “They Call It Pro Football.” His deep, rich voice — revered as “the Voice of God” by football fans — was often mimicked by the likes of Chris Berman (who actually made up “the frozen tundra” — Facenda never said it). He was replaced by Harry Kalas. (wnbc.com)

Categories
NFL General

Sep 22 in Sports History: The Replacements


In 1987: Almost five years to the day of the previous work stoppage, the NFL players went on strike against the owners. Guess what was the heart of the issue again? After Week 3 was cancelled, the owners decided they didn’t want to take the financial hit of several lost games like they did in 1982. They hired replacement players to fill the rosters, and the Scabs took the field for three weeks, much to the dismay of coaches and fans. A few of the players actually stuck with NFL squads for years, like John Fourcade in New Orleans and Steve Bono in Pittsburgh (and later Kansas City). The players eventually caved; many crossed the picket lines early and the rest agreed to go back to work without a new CBA.

In 1991 Don Shula of the Miami Dolphins won his 300th career game with a 16-13 victory over Green Bay at Joe Robbie Stadium. Shula is the all-time winningest coach in NFL history, with 328 victories from 1963-1995. (The ESPN Pro Football Encyclopedia)

Categories
NFL General

Sep 21 in Sports History: Monday Night Football debuts


In 1970: An experimental prime time TV show called Monday Night Football made its debut on ABC television (although games were played on Monday nights occasionally in the 1960s). The first “episode” featured a struggling Joe Namath and the Jets losing to the Browns in Cleveland 31-21. It was a sloppy game which featured a Monday Night record 161 penalty yards that still stands today. The game presentation, which featured the first three-man booth (Keith Jackson, Howard Cosell and Don Meredith), was also the first to use multiple camera angles, instant replays and graphics of statistics that we’re used to today. The experiment was an instant success, with 35 percent of the American viewing audience tuning in. MNF lasted for 35 years on ABC until it switched to ESPN for the 2006 season.

In 1982: Following a Monday Night game between the Packers and Giants, the NFL Players Association began a 57-day strike. The main issue was revenue sharing between the players and owners. The season was reduced to nine games and a different playoff format was used. Instead of traditional division play, the top eight teams in the conference standings qualified for the playoffs, with 1-8 seeding. The 8-1 Redskins won the Super Bowl over the 7-2 Dolphins.

(Courtesy of the 2006 ESPN Pro Football Encyclopedia)

Categories
NFL General

Who are the best fans in the NFL?


The question of who has the the best fans has been debated 4,983,823,422 times and counting now on various message boards  across the internet and at bars.  Well, American City Business Journals attempts to answer that question using a formula for fan loyalty.  They ranked all 32 teams based on seven categories from 1996-2006; the first three concentrate on support and the other four are based on the difficulty of supporting that team:

  • Average attendance
  • Percent of capacity
  • Attendance fluctuation
  • Winning %
  • Market population
  • Per capita income
  • December temperature

The winner?  Cleveland, followed by Kansas City and Philly.

Here’s the entire list:

  1. Cleveland Browns
  2. Kansas City Chiefs
  3. Philadelphia Eagles
  4. Green Bay Packers
  5. Dallas Cowboys
  6. Buffalo Bills
  7. Houston Texans
  8. Denver Broncos
  9. Baltimore Ravens
  10. Washington Redskins
  11. New York Giants
  12. Carolina Panthers
  13. Miami Dolphins
  14. St. Louis Rams
  15. New England Patriots
  16. Detroit Lions
  17. San Francisco 49ers
  18. New York Jets
  19. Minnesota Vikings
  20. Cincinnati Bengals
  21. Pittsburgh Steelers
  22. San Diego Chargers
  23. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
  24. New Orleans Saints
  25. Indianapolis Colts
  26. Jacksonville Jaguars
  27. Chicago Bears
  28. Tennessee Titans
  29. Seattle Seahawks
  30. Arizona Cardinals
  31. Atlanta Falcons
  32. Oakland Raiders

Links:
[MSNBC]: Cleveland is No. 1 in rankings of NFL fan loyalty
[Biz Journals.com]: All 32 teams ranked

Categories
NFL General

Sep 7 in Sports History: Pro Football Hall of Hame Opens in Canton


In 1963: The Pro Football Hall of Fame was dedicated in Canton, OH., where pro football originated. The original class had 17 members, including Red Grange, George Halas, Bronko Nagurski, Jim Thorpe and Sammy Baugh. There are now 235 members enshrined. A new class is selected each year the day before the Super Bowl, and is inducted in August.

In 1979: Although some thought the idea was ludicrous (Ron Burgundy included), The Entertainment and Sports Programming Network (ESPN) made its debut on cable television. ESPN started as a small operation showing off-the-wall sports like Aussie Rules football and strongest man competitions, but is now a global empire that includes MLB, NBA and NFL telecasts. It’s available in over 80 million homes and has dozens of networks, including ESPN2, ESPN Classic and channels on each continent.