Official NFL Thread: 2014-2015 Season

[notahomer]

I'm glad Rice got FIRED today (okay contract terminated). Sends a message to all, NOT ACCEPTABLE.

Does he get a second chance? Well, maybe in time, IMO. His now wife obviously has given him that chance. Maybe she'll change her mind after seeing the video too?

I think part of what is troubling is that much is being made that Rice wasn't 'honest enough'. There already was video showing him dragging his then fiancee down the hallway unconcious. Some how that wasn't enough and it was the visual evidence of this video that turns out to be the straw that broke the camel's back.

Our society seems to be built upon second chances so in due time, I think Rice gets his. Michael Vick got his and lots of animal rights activists are still disgusted he did. Time and true effort on Rice's part will probably get him his second chance. Sure is a disgusting video, IMO......

[Robbie]

Teams can win World Series titles, Stanley Cups, NBA Championships and World NFL CHampionships without winning their division but if it is a division winner just hang the championship, IMO!

I remember in NHL playoffs pre-1994, there was ambiguity as to what is considered a division winner, i.e. the team that finished first in the division after the regular season, or the team that won the second round of playoffs that involved division team playoffs. In the end, the league said both teams can hang banners so that's why the Canucks put on Smythe Division champion banners in 1992 and 1993 even though they didn't get passed the second round against the Oilers/Kings who also put such banners. But in other leagues, by simply finishing first in their division gives them the right to claim that they are the division champions.

Kinda split on the division championships banner. After all a team can have a great year, win the division and miss/lose the Grey Cup. I think ONE Banner listing ALL makes the most sense, even though I just finished saying only championships matter

Well, in the CFL there's no conferences and the divisions essentially are the champions. And I'm glad that they use the playoff method to determine that division champions, i.e. it's not the team that finished first in the division after the regular season but rather, the team that wins the division final to advance to the Grey Cup is the team that are the division champions.

As far as recognizing a CFL division champions, it will look very embarrassing for certain teams that have won lots of divisions but very few GC champions. The best example would be the Saskatchewan Roughriders - the team has won 19 division champions, but only 4 Grey Cup wins for a ~21% winning percentage . I'm sure that something the team would rather not remember and recognize. It's good that the Lions have a winning percentage of 60% in 6 wins in 10 appearances.

[Robbie]

I'm glad Rice got FIRED today (okay contract terminated). Sends a message to all, NOT ACCEPTABLE.

I wonder if this will set a precendence with other sports leagues with regards to players who get into trouble with issues that are are NOT directly related to the sport and the league.

When Pete Rose received a lifetime banishment from the MLB, a FAQ page put things in perspective on why his offence was considered far more serious than that others may have done.

6) Why is betting on baseball a bad thing? Guys who take drugs or beat their wives don't get such harsh punishment. Lots of them are in the Hall of Fame.
Gambling is the worst thing a ballplayer can do, because it undermines the integrity of the game. Since the goals of the gambler are different than the normal goals of a baseball team, fan's trust in the game is shaken.

The use of drugs or other offenses are sometimes punished by baseball. While these may be crimes against society, they are not necessarily crimes against baseball.

Consider a student who passes a final exam under the influence of illegal drugs. The professor might be inclined to call the police, but there's no reason why the student shouldn't get the grade he earned. Then consider another student who cheats on the same exam. No crime has been committed, but as a student that's the worst possible behavior, and deserves the harshest penalty.

That was 25 years ago but it looks like with political correctness, things have changed as well in that a sports league can punish their members even though their wrongdoing is a private issue that's not directly related to the league.

The NHL certainly did not issue a ban to Dany Heatley for his fatal traffic accident. The CFL certainly did not issue a ban to Eric Tillman for his sexual assault to a minor. With this NFL ruling, will other leagues follow suit with harsher penalties to those who commit non-related wrongdoings?

[notahomer]

Missed the MNF opener. Guess the Giants new fangled offence is just that fangled.

Caught most of the MNF nightcap. Really looked like Rivers and the Chargers would win but Palmer and the Cardinals came back from an 11 point hole to win. Chargers get to face the Seahawks in SanDiego's home opener. Here's hoping they get off to another seasonal slow start

[South Pender]

Missed the MNF opener. Guess the Giants new fangled offence is just that fangled.

Here's the recap, nota. I caught the game, and the Giants just looked putrid. No run game; weak passing attack; lousy pass defense. It was an embarrassing beat-down. Golden Tate looked very good. Stafford looked great, with a passer rating of 125.3 for the game. Eli Manning, on the other hand, went 18 for 33 (55%) with 2 interceptions and a passer rating of 53.0.

http://www.nfl.com/gamecenter/201409080 ... &tab=recap

[South Pender]

Week 2 NFL Odds:

http://www.footballlocks.com/nfl_odds.shtml

One real head-scratcher: Giants favored by 1 over the Cardinals (in NY). Must have been set before last night's action.
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More on the Ray Rice story:

Ray Rice most likely is done in the NFL
Posted by Mike Florio on September 9, 2014, 9:37 AM EDT

America loves a good redemption story. The NFL loves one, too.

But Ray Rice most likely won’t be getting one.

At a time when the term “distraction” somehow has become a bad word in the NFL, Rice presents a distraction that no coach will want to tolerate. It won’t take many players in any given locker room to create a critical mass that makes it impossible to welcome Rice to the team, and few if any teams ever will have few enough dissenters to justify giving Rice a job.

Rice’s shot at redemption becomes undermined in three ways. First, Rice apparently lied to the team and the league about what happened in the elevator, creating the apparent impression with the Ravens that a punch wasn’t even thrown. Second, the video becomes indelible and undeniable; if video had existed of Mike Vick drowning or electrocuting dogs, for example, it would have been hard for the NFL to give Vick a second chance.

Third, and most importantly from a football standpoint, Rice plays a position that has more supply than demand. With six years of wear and tear and signs of diminishing skill, teams will opt in all cases for a guy who doesn’t carry a big, nasty pile of baggage into the building.

For Rice, the best and only hope could be the Patriots, given the whole Rutgers/Schiano connection. But even if Bill Belichick wants to give Rice another chance, owner Bob Kraft — who once abruptly rescinded the rights to fifth-round draft pick Christian Peter based on his record of violence against women — probably would block it from happening.

So it’s likely over in the NFL for Ray Rice.
________________________________________________________________

And this....

Ravens announce Ray Rice jersey exchange plan
Posted by Mike Wilkening on September 9, 2014, 10:45 AM EDT

The Ravens announced Tuesday they will allow fans to exchange Ray Rice jerseys at the club’s stadium stores.

The club said it would release more specifics on the plan, but it appears akin to the Patriots’ decision to offer fans a chance to trade in their Aaron Hernandez jerseys for other jerseys last season. More than 2,500 Hernandez jerseys were eventually turned in to the Patriots.

The Ravens released Rice on Monday after a longer-length video emerged of him hitting his now-wife in an Atlantic City elevator in February. The organization’s support of Rice after the assault drew widespread criticism, as did the tone of the Ravens’ support at times.

But the Ravens have now moved on from Rice. And Tuesday’s jersey exchange announcement suggests they anticipate some of their fans would like to do the same.
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Stick a fork in him; he's done....

[South Pender]

A few (post) Week 1 Power Rankings:

1. Pro Football Talk: http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/20 ... ankings-5/

2. ESPN: http://espn.go.com/nfl/powerrankings

3. Bleacher Report: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2191 ... -standings

4. CBS (Pete Prisco): http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/powerrankings

5. NFL.com (Elliot Harrison): http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap300000 ... ts-plummet

6. SB Nation: http://www.sbnation.com/2014/9/9/612237 ... ncos-49ers

7. Fox Sports: http://www.foxsports.com/nfl/power-rankings

8. Washington Post: http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/fanc ... er-week-1/

[notahomer]

Well I thought Vick had no chance of a second chance but he's worked it out well.

Rice? Makes sense, its a different position, different situation etc.... I won't be surprised either way......
And I think its great the Ravens are doing their jersey exchange......
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Going to miss the Steelers/Ravens matchup Thursday (work). May catch some of the fourth quarter. Is the kinda NFL game I like to take in. Do not like the Steelers, not that big on the Ravens either but think their games are worth watching. And when I say I do NOT like the teams, I certainly do RESPECT them both....
My pick? Steelers.

[South Pender]

Looks as if the Ray Rice story has legs. Now Roger Goodell (and the league) are scrambling to avoid accusations of dishonesty or, at the very least, incompetence.

The problem stems from the fact that Goodell and the league had to know that Rice knocked his lady out in the elevator. They didn't need the just-recently released video to know this, since the much-earlier video showed Rice hauling an unconscious woman out of the elevator. So it now looks as if Goodell has punished Rice twice for the same offense, all the while trying to claim that he hadn't seen the in-elevator video, and seeing it just yesterday made a big difference.

There's also now some real doubt about Goodell's claim that he hadn't seen the in-elevator video much earlier. As many have pointed out, it would have been normal for that video to be made available long ago, and, if Goodell didn't see it, why didn't he? Was this a case of "I don't want to know" (and not wanting to have the video) in order to sweep all of this under the rug and to help out the Ravens? So the choice seems to be dishonesty on Goodell's part or incompetence. Interestingly, the US Congress is now asking for answers. Here are some short articles from today:

NFL needs to launch external investigaton, now
Posted by Mike Florio on September 10, 2014, 6:28 PM EDT

The statement from the NFL in response to the Associated Press report that the league had the Ray Rice video several months ago concludes with the sentence, “We will look into it.”

Indeed they should. But not by themselves. Too many people are running for cover. It’s time for an outsider with full power to gather evidence to investigate the situation and report to the NFL’s owners regarding who knew what, when they knew it, and how the league office got this situation so badly wrong.

It’s impossible to know who should be accountable without knowing exactly what did and didn’t happen. The only way to get to the facts will be to hire an outsider — especially since the current insiders have demonstrated via the Rice case that investigations aren’t exactly their forte.
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Roger Goodell cancels appearance at banquet for Jerry Richardson
Posted by Darin Gantt on September 10, 2014, 5:44 PM EDT

With the stuff that is brown hitting the fan this afternoon, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell has decided to keep his friends from getting splattered with it.

Amid reports that law enforcement officials did provide the Ray Rice video to the league in April — which was followed by a “did not” from the league — Goodell is taking the opportunity to stay out of the spotlight.

According to Michelle Boudin of WCNC in Charlotte, Goodell will not attend a banquet tonight where he was scheduled to present Panthers owner Jerry Richardson with a humanitarian award.

Ironically or coincidentally (depending on your perception) the award Richardson is receiving tonight is from a group dedicated to “human dignity, justice and moral courage.”

Pragmatically, Goodell needs to be making sure his house is in order, and finding out why he didn’t see the thing the cops are now saying he had every reason to see.

But at least he’s not going to allow his presence to be a distraction on a night when one of his biggest supporters is being honored.
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Report: Law enforcement sent Rice video to NFL exec months ago
Posted by Michael David Smith on September 10, 2014, 5:04 PM EDT

A new report is calling into question NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell’s claim that no one in the NFL had seen the infamous Ray Rice video until it was published on Monday.

The Associated Press is reporting that a law enforcement source sent the security camera footage to an NFL executive months ago.

That law enforcement source also played a voicemail from an NFL office number for the Associated Press. In the voicemail, a female voice confirms receiving the video, expresses thanks for sending it, and says, “You’re right. It’s terrible.”

There is one discrepancy in the Associated Press report: Although the AP says the video was sent three months ago, the same report says the voicemail was dated April 9, which is five months ago.

The NFL has come in for harsh criticism over the last three days after TMZ published the video showing Rice brutally assaulting his wife in a casino elevator. Goodell has insisted that neither he nor anyone else in the league office saw the video.

The Associated Press is not publishing the name of either the law enforcement source or the NFL official who received the video from that source.

Shortly after the Associated Press report was published, the NFL released a statement saying the league will look into it.
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Goodell outlines Rice investigation for owners, says league didn’t “directly” ask hotel for video
Posted by Mike Wilkening on September 10, 2014, 3:30 PM EDT

In a memorandum sent to NFL owners on Wednesday, commissioner Roger Goodell said the league did not “directly” request surveillance footage from the Atlantic City hotel in which ex-Ravens tailback Ray Rice struck his now-wife in an elevator in February.

In the memo, which was posted on NFL.com on Wednesday, Goodell said the league’s “understanding of New Jersey law is that the casino is prohibited from turning over material to a third party during a law enforcement proceeding, and that doing so would have subjected individuals to prosecution for interference with a criminal investigation.”

Goodell continued: “Moreover, our longstanding policy in matters like this — where there is a criminal investigation being directed by law enforcement and prosecutors – is to cooperate with law enforcement and take no action to interfere with the criminal justice system. In addition, in the context of an ongoing criminal investigation, information obtained outside of law enforcement that has not been tested by prosecutors or by the court system is not necessarily a reliable basis for imposing league discipline.”

Goodell’s admission that the league did not reach out to the now-closed Revel Casino Hotel seems to validate a Tuesday TMZ report citing unnamed Revel-connected sources that claimed the hotel never received an inquiry from the NFL on getting video footage of Rice’s altercation with Janay Palmer. It also answers one of the unanswered questions from Goodell’s Tuesday interview with CBS, as well as one with USA Today.

In the memo, Goodell again said the league did not see the video of Rice striking Palmer in the elevator until Monday, when it was released by TMZ. Goodell also said the league “asked the proper law enforcement authorities to share with us all relevant information, including any video of the incident.”

Goodell concluded the memo by telling owners the league was changing for the better with regard to its policies on discipline for sexual assault and domestic violence.

“I believe that we took a significant step forward with the enhanced policies on domestic violence and sexual assault that were announced last month,” Goodell wrote. “I also know that we will be judged on our actions going forward. I am confident that those actions will demonstrate our commitment to address this issue seriously and effectively, and will reflect well on the NFL, all member clubs, and everyone who is a part of our league.”
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Rice’s wife: “How could you do this to me? I’m the mother of your kid”
Posted by Darin Gantt on September 10, 2014, 6:33 PM EDT

Even as much of the current anger about the handling of the Ray Rice situation centers on NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, the reality is that it all started when a man punched a woman in the face.
And new details reported today by ESPN’s Outside the Lines reveal a situation even uglier than the silent video heard round the world.
Three current or former security staffers of the now-bankrupt casino in Atlantic City described a grisly scene, with Rice spitting on his then-fiancee Janay Palmer twice.
One staffer who was at the scene said Rice’s first reaction when the elevator doors opened was to tell employees she was drunk.
“The first thing he [Rice] said is, ‘She’s intoxicated. She drank too much. I’m just trying to get her to the room,'” one said. “When she regained consciousness she said, ‘How could you do this to me? I’m the mother of your kid,'”
While she was coming to, Rice reportedly called someone on his cell phone and said “I’m getting arrested tonight.”
The report states that security footage was given to Atlantic City police within an hour of the incident. All of the staffers interviewed say they were not contacted by anyone from the NFL or the Ravens.
Much in the same way we didn’t need to see the video to know something bad happened, the latest details don’t change the basic facts in the case.
But they do go to reinforce the fact that Goodell should not be the only one under fire right now.
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Members of Congress ask for more transparency from NFL about handling of Rice case
Posted by Josh Alper on September 10, 2014, 2:44 PM EDT
Roger Goodell

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell’s message in interviews about the league’s handling of the Ray Rice case has centered on the argument that the league did all it could to get a copy of the tape from inside the elevator where Rice struck his wife with a left hand to the jaw, but 12 members of the House Judiciary Committee want to hear more from Goodell about their attempts to view the tape.

In a letter signed by ranking Democrat John Conyers and 11 of his colleagues, the Congressmen commend Goodell for changing the league’s policy in regard to domestic violence cases and suggest other leagues take note. They also suggest the other leagues up their level of transparency in such cases while taking Goodell to task for not having “the highest level of transparency” about their review of Rice’s misconduct.

“Thus for example, while we understand that you have stated in an interview yesterday on behalf of the NFL that, “We assumed that there was a video, we asked for the video, we asked for anything that was pertinent, but we were never granted that opportunity,” to our knowledge the public has not been informed as to specifically how and in what context the request was made, and specifically how relevant law enforcement responded,” the letter reads, via USA Today. “Nor has there been a full explanation as to whether the video was requested of others, such as Mr. Rice’s attorney or the casino where the incident occurred (and if not, why not), or whether any employees, agents, or consultants of the league or any of its teams outside of your office had access to the video prior to September 8. We therefore urge greater transparency and explanations of these matters.”

In his interview with CBS, Goodell said the evidence presented to the league was “ambiguous” but failed to elaborate on what ambiguity existed in a case where Rice was charged with knocking his wife unconscious and video was seen that showed Rice dragging her limp body out of the elevator. The totality of Goodell’s response has been in sharp contrast to Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti’s letter on Tuesday, in which Bisciotti said he and the team did not do enough to get all of the facts before proceeding with disciplinary action.

A similar request for transparency from the New Jersey authorities who saw the tape and granted Rice’s request to be admitted to a pre-trial diversion program was not made in a letter stating that “this issue requires strengthened and sustained efforts by individuals, organizations, and government.” That’s a pretty big oversight, although it isn’t one that will lessen the pressure for more complete answers from Goodell.

[notahomer]

As the victim she can say things like this but Janay Rice (Rice's wife) sounds very upset at the feedback by many and the steps taken by the Ravens/NFL in terms of punishing her husband.

Weird simply because many of us (I certainly am) are disgusted by what we see on the video but Janay almost seems to think its a private matter thats been resolved between her and her husband.

IMO, Rice needs to give some kinda presser at some point and just offer a mea culpa (I think thats the term). I don't know if it would help to have his wife there in support or not. He kinda did this once already but that one is worthless due to the contradictions stated and the video released Monday.

[KnowItAll]

As the victim she can say things like this but Janay Rice (Rice's wife) sounds very upset at the feedback by many and the steps taken by the Ravens/NFL in terms of punishing her husband.

Weird simply because many of us (I certainly am) are disgusted by what we see on the video but Janay almost seems to think its a private matter thats been resolved between her and her husband.

IMO, Rice needs to give some kinda presser at some point and just offer a mea culpa (I think thats the term). I don't know if it would help to have his wife there in support or not. He kinda did this once already but that one is worthless due to the contradictions stated and the video released Monday.

many females from certain cultures brought up in certain environments do not feel as strong against physical abuse by the men they love as does the core of our society. Low self esteem is also a possibility. In any case, society cannot let this kind of thing go unpunished just because the victim wants it to.

[TheLionKing]

The Ray Rice incident has become a publicity nightmare for Roger Goodell and the NFL. Only time will tell whether the NFL tried to cover up the incident.

[notahomer]

As the victim she can say things like this but Janay Rice (Rice's wife) sounds very upset at the feedback by many and the steps taken by the Ravens/NFL in terms of punishing her husband.

Weird simply because many of us (I certainly am) are disgusted by what we see on the video but Janay almost seems to think its a private matter thats been resolved between her and her husband.

IMO, Rice needs to give some kinda presser at some point and just offer a mea culpa (I think thats the term). I don't know if it would help to have his wife there in support or not. He kinda did this once already but that one is worthless due to the contradictions stated and the video released Monday.

many females from certain cultures brought up in certain environments do not feel as strong against physical abuse by the men they love as does the core of our society. Low self esteem is also a possibility. In any case, society cannot let this kind of thing go unpunished just because the victim wants it to.

No question it can't go unpunished. I think San Fran 49er Ray McDonald might be next on the list. He played last Sunday in spite of being charged for a felony domestic violence. I'm surprised he's still playing and I get it, people are due their day in court but .....

[TheLionKing]

A former director of the FBI has been brought in to do an independent investigation.

[Tighthead]

A former director of the FBI has been brought in to do an independent investigation.

"Independent" - overseen by two pro-Goodell owners who have a huge pecuniary interest in the findings.

Two old standards in situations like this - the cover up is worse than the crime, and "what did you know and when did you know it?".

Best outcome for Goodell is at this point some mid level NFL exec takes the fall. Worst outcome is a few influential owners turn on him and the best business decision becomes to fire him.

I assume that this is the most public grief a member of Augusta National has ever experienced. Hootie, Billy Payne and the like will not be pleased.