NFL 2014 Season

[Nepenthe]

S'yeah, both defences barely showed up for NO-ATL. Lots of good on the offense, all of our RBs really showed up in strength and excelled at their individual specialties. Brandin Cooks was also pretty awesome and the O was mostly downright surgical. Apart from that red zone pick, which looked like me in Madden.

 

This is the only thing I've seen from the other NFCS game so far: http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-cant-miss-plays/0ap3000000391011/Wk-1-Can-t-Miss-Play-McCown-s-double-trouble but I already feel for ya, Guard dog, brah.

 

Also, sports broadcasts have reached the point where I need a bigger tv.

[Nepenthe]

Ray Rice has been cut by the Ravens and suspended indefinitely by the league in response to new video material of the previous domestic violence case...

[Gfted1]

I find the public and NFL reaction to this video to be disingenuous. How did they think she got knocked out when the first video aired? By tender kisses on her cheek? But now seeing the blow land makes everyone freak out?

[Nepenthe]

I find his detachment, apparent in the video, to be the more disturbing aspect. Mostly agree with you, it's not a question if what you do, but what you get filmed doing...

[Keyrock]

I find the public and NFL reaction to this video to be disingenuous. How did they think she got knocked out when the first video aired? By tender kisses on her cheek? But now seeing the blow land makes everyone freak out?

It was really heroic of Goodell to suspend him indefinitely after the Ravens had already cut him and it was clear no other team was going to sign him.  Well done taking a tough stance and adding a penalty that effectively means nothing, Roger.  Bravo, sir.  Bravo.

[Gfted1]

The whole "second bite of the apple" really aggravates me too. Goodell dropped the ball on the initial punishment and was roundly derided, so now he sees another opportunity and goes way overboard. I agree that two games was too little punishment but hes got to live with those decisions. I wouldn't be at all surprised to see Rice sue the league.

[Keyrock]

Yeah, this whole thing was completely and utterly mismanaged by Goodell (this seems to be a running theme with his regime) and he sees this as an opportunity to save face.  Kind of meaningless at this point, though.  I mean, is there a single person left out there that doesn't think Goodell is a scumbag?

[Enoch]

Yeah, this whole thing was completely and utterly mismanaged by Goodell (this seems to be a running theme with his regime) and he sees this as an opportunity to save face.  Kind of meaningless at this point, though.  I mean, is there a single person left out there that doesn't think Goodell is a scumbag?

 

Goodell's job is to do the unpopular things that team owners want done, but don't want to blamed for by the fans.  Of course everybody thinks he's a jerk.

 

 

The initial suspension for Rice was reasonalby congruent with previous League actions under the Personal Conduct policy dealing with domestic violence.  What they didn't account for was how much an incriminating video can do for public perception.  The normal course of business made them look pretty terrible.  (Which is appropriate, as the normal course of business is to give players a mild punishment and quietly consider this part-and-parcel of being in the business of employing violent men to do violent things.) 

 

Sure, I'd rather see them be inconsistent and eventually do the right thing than stick to their guns on the initial call, but this does bring into pretty sharp contrast the arbitrary nature of the Personal Conduct policy in the CBA.  They may salvage some dignity if there really was a material change in the information they have available now versus what they had when they gave Rice 2 weeks off.  (For example, if Rice himself lied to the Ravens/NFL when he met with them and explained how it went down, it makes sense that the video could make them feel like chumps and throw the book at him.)  But we folks on the outside don't have the information to make that kind of judgment just yet.  

 

 

On an entirely different note, the NYG@DET game tonight is going to be weird.  I have no earthly idea what to expect from either of those teams. 

[Volourn]

Yes, but the union/Rice could make a LOT of trouble for the NFL becaude of the 'doubld ipping suspension'. I seriously doubt that's allowed either legally or by the the elague-union contract. And, if the union actually allows it it is another reason why the NFLPA is horrible at doing their job protecting the players who PAY them.

 

Of coruse, none of that changes that fact that Rice is a douchebag of epic proportio0ns. Then again, his now wife frogave him. WTH

[Keyrock]

Not that this is a surprise, but, good gawd the NFC East is terrible.  I figure the Eagles will win it by default simply because they can't possibly be as bad as the Boys, the G-Men, or the Racial Slurs.

[Volourn]

The Racial Slurs. L0L

 

Also, back on the Rice issue, no wonder hsi wife forgave him - she's just as abusive as he is except just physically weaker. She should have been charged with spousal abuse and fired from her job as well.

 

Match made in hell. It won't last and I see one of them (most likely him) in prison in a few years.

 

 

As for the Giants.  No offensive line,  and Cromartie is garbage.

Edited September 9, 2014 by Volourn

[Nepenthe]

I doubt the suspension has no practical importance for his ability to find employment, as the video will be brought up every time Rice tries to sign somewhere. A guy from the Ravens camp (their radio play-by-play commentator) described the situation as a "career-ending injury" (the injury to his wife ending his career), which I thought was hilariously astute but nobody else seemed to pick up on.

 

Now, looking at Rice's contract details, he has a 15 mil signing bonus spread over 5 years, which seems to be also the sum of his guaranteed money. I have no idea if the suspension has a further impact on the Ravens ability to recover the 9 mil dead money they have in some way.

 

Edit: My bad, looks like he has a 7 mil option bonus from last year spread over the rest of the contract and 3 mil per year guaranteed _in addition_ to the signing bonus. So looks like it could be a total of 25 mil on the table here?

 

Sure, I'd rather see them be inconsistent and eventually do the right thing than stick to their guns on the initial call, but this does bring into pretty sharp contrast the arbitrary nature of the Personal Conduct policy in the CBA.  They may salvage some dignity if there really was a material change in the information they have available now versus what they had when they gave Rice 2 weeks off.  (For example, if Rice himself lied to the Ravens/NFL when he met with them and explained how it went down, it makes sense that the video could make them feel like chumps and throw the book at him.)  But we folks on the outside don't have the information to make that kind of judgment just yet. 

 

That was the early spin from the Ravens camp spread via the NFL Network yesterday afternoon.
 

Edited September 9, 2014 by Nepenthe

[Nepenthe]

Also, wow, the Lions really are Saints North. Happy day, they've been my backup team due to Michigan family connections before, too

[ManifestedISO]

Rice is getting updated out of Madden NFL 15, too. Ray Rice erased.

[Keyrock]

I want to think the Lions are good (I picked them to win their division), but I highly suspect the Giants are just really awful, making it hard to get to excited about that win.  We'll get a better idea this coming Sunday when they play the Panthers who are, at the very least, not awful.

[Nepenthe]

Rice is getting updated out of Madden NFL 15, too. Ray Rice erased.

Ravens are also running a jersey exchange campaign. Talk about damnatio memoriae.

[ManifestedISO]

Jimmeny Christmas, 1-1 never felt so satisfying. 120° on the field at Qualcomm, Seattle melts in the heat wave. Can't believe it. It is really effin hot, though ... no AC as I type this. 

[Keyrock]

The Cowboys looked shockingly good today.  I'm going to write it off as them playing against a weaksauce Titans team, but, man, their running game looked terrific (it looked pretty good in last week's hilarious derpfest too) and they actually stuck with it.  When he's not fumbling, and when his body is not shattering into a billion pieces, DeMarco Murray is a damn good running back.  Also, the O-Line is run blocking really well.  As a double bonus, the G-Men lost in hilarious fashion while the Cowboys were winning.  It's been a pretty great Sunday all around for me.

Edited September 15, 2014 by Keyrock

[Keyrock]

Man, Kaepernick and the Niners' second half meltdown was Romo-esque. 

[Nepenthe]

... Saints first quarter was shades of Denver in the last Superbowl. Something's critically wrong with the team right now on both the O and D, and cutting Bailey's looking like a huge mistake (the team essentially has one cornerback and two liabilities starting right now).

 

I can't even make a joke about "at least it's not the Redskins", because Cousins is IMO a definite upgrade over Robert Glasscannon the Third.

[Nepenthe]

... Saints first quarter was shades of Denver in the last Superbowl. Something's critically wrong with the team right now on both the O and D, and cutting Bailey's looking like a huge mistake (the team essentially has one cornerback and two liabilities starting right now).

 

I can't even make a joke about "at least it's not the Redskins", because Cousins is IMO a definite upgrade over Robert Glasscannon the Third.

 

And just by semi-making that joke, it turns out Ingram, the only bright spot of the season so far, broke his hand yesterday and is out for at least a month.

 

Here's a recap of the first two games:

Edited September 15, 2014 by Nepenthe

[Keyrock]

And just by semi-making that joke, it turns out Ingram, the only bright spot of the season so far, broke his hand yesterday and is out for at least a month.

 

It's because they were every "expert's" sexy pick to make the superbowl going into the season.  They were cursed by the media.

[Nepenthe]

 

And just by semi-making that joke, it turns out Ingram, the only bright spot of the season so far, broke his hand yesterday and is out for at least a month.

 

It's because they were every "expert's" sexy pick to make the superbowl going into the season.  They were cursed by the media.

 

I dunno, I kept hearing just about the 9ers and the Shehawks. Though I guess neither of them is doing that well, either :D

Edited September 16, 2014 by Nepenthe

[ManifestedISO]

Jeepers, I hope GD is not a Bucs fan. 

[Keyrock]

This Thursday night game...  Holy freakin' beatdown!  It's gone way past comical to just plain sad at this point.