The 2014 Running Football Thread (College & Pro)

[mirth]

I wish we had seen this level of consensus moral outrage when Ray Rice was punching out his wife and AP was whipping his 4-year old.

http://www.bloomberg.com/politics/articles/2015-01-22/why-deflategate-says-more-about-the-nfl-than-it-does-about-the-patriots

Are you serious? The level and consistency of the outrage was pretty much universal, as it should have been.

Totally serious:

makes you wonder why the wife stuck with him...

There's volumes on the subject of domestic violence and how the victims blame themselves or defend the sicko wife beaters who attacked them....frankly, it's not uncommon.

As for Rice, I'm for a lifetime ban. I never want to see him on a football field again. And I'm sickened by the number of Ravens fans who, if no longer actively defending him quite as vigorously, clearly want to minimize what this animal has done. On a talk radio show today, one of these intellectual giants went after the media for wanting to "crucify" Rice. Yeah. Taking up for a wife beater....classy.

Really? Do you know something about Ray Rice that no one else knows?

Do you think every person who does this should be made into a monster, lose the ability to work in their profession forever and be made to where a label on their clothes the rest of their life calling them a serial wife beater when it may have just been something so out of character that what they did is unexplainable?

And this gem:

http://ftw.usatoday.com/2014/09/charles-barkley-adrian-peterson-video-ray-rice-cbs-nfl-today

[bayonetbrant]

much better NFL article here:

the league is being sued...







by an inmate...




(you can't make this up)





for $88 billion - yes, with a "B"...




over the Dez Bryant (non-)catch
http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nfl-shutdown-corner/prisoner-sues-nfl-for--88-billion-over-dez-bryant-s-overturned-catch-154343589.html

erry Hendrix, an inmate in a Colorado correctional facility, has filed an $88 billion — that's billion with a "B" — lawsuit against the NFL over the reversal. The total figure is $88,987,654,321.88, with both 88s presumably a reference to Bryant's uniform number.
In his handwritten petition, Hendrix, a prisoner at Fremont Correctional Center in Cañon City, Colorado, seeks the money for reasons including but not limited to "for but not limited to: negligence, breach of fiduciary duty, and also wreckless [sic] disregard."

Bryant, as you may recall, appeared to catch the ball just outside the Packers' end zone late in the fourth quarter, setting Dallas up for what would have been a go-ahead score. Instead, the referees overturned the catch on the Packers' challenge, saying Bryant did not have control of the ball and did not make a football move before going to the ground. The Packers ended up winning and advanced to the NFC Championship, where they lost to the Seattle Seahawks.

Hendrix named NFL Vice President of Officiating Dean Blandino, game referee Gene Steratore and NFL commissioner Roger Goodell in the suit. He filed "on behalf of Dez Bryan #88, all Dallas Cowboys fans, and all people in or and [sic] from the sovereign republic of Texas," claiming that the plaintiffs "did suffer a true injury in fact when the respondent(s) did commit a fraud," referring to the "video reversal" of an "outstanding thirty one (31) yard pass reception by Dez Bryant #88."

Hendrix further states that the suit will prove "the simple fact that Dean Blandino, Gene Steratore, and Roger Goodell are wrong, and have stolen a victory from the plaintiffs, because the Cowboys offense would have perfectly created an "Autobahn" for for [sic] DeMarco Murray to drive into the end zone for the score and victory."

[Marty Ward]

[

Really? Do you know something about Ray Rice that no one else knows?

Do you think every person who does this should be made into a monster, lose the ability to work in their profession forever and be made to where a label on their clothes the rest of their life calling them a serial wife beater when it may have just been something so out of character that what they did is unexplainable?

Where do I excuse his behavior in this?  I defended Rice against being called a wife beater or a serial abuser but I never excused his actions or the punishment.

[mirth]

[

Really? Do you know something about Ray Rice that no one else knows?

Do you think every person who does this should be made into a monster, lose the ability to work in their profession forever and be made to where a label on their clothes the rest of their life calling them a serial wife beater when it may have just been something so out of character that what they did is unexplainable?

Where do I excuse his behavior in this?  I defended Rice against being called a wife beater or a serial abuser but I never excused his actions or the punishment.

Did I say you excused his behavior? I quoted your defense of him to underscore the fact that while public and media are falling over themselves to condemn the Patriots, Bill Belichick, and Tom Brady, plenty of people were willing to defend Ray Rice and AP.

And Ray Rice is the definition of a wife beater. The man punched his wife in the head and knocked her out.

[Marty Ward]

Did I say you excused his behavior? I quoted your defense of him to underscore the fact that while public and media are falling over themselves to condemn the Patriots, Bill Belichick, and Tom Brady, plenty of people were willing to defend Ray Rice and AP.

I don't think anyone defended Rices actions and I don't think there should be anything implied on the Patriots about Ballgate except for the actual issue, that 11 out of 12 of their game balls were someone out of spec after the game but none of the Colts balls were so how did that happen.
I believe Brady and Belichek when they say they don't know who would have done anything to the balls. They were in the middle of the game and would not have done anything. I could see someone overhearing Brady saying that the balls were getting slick or that it was hard to control because the weather just sucked and them deciding to 'do something' about it.
I don't think Brady should be suspended or the game forfeited or anything like that. Fine the organization and move on. What I don't like is that no one in the Pat's organization is willing to just come out and say the Pats accept responsibility for what happened.

[Con]

I like what coldhardfootballfacts ahs to say about this

"Basically, what we've learned over the last 24 hours, is that the NFL ran an undercover sting operation on the Patriots, live on national TV, during the second biggest game of the year.
Short version: NFL hiring investigators, video forensics experts, and more. And, once again, the NFL and commissioner Roger Goodell have mishandled their internal dirt, creating a giant unnecessary cluster-f*ck in the proceess. Look for everyone involved, not just on the Patriots but on other teams, too, to be lawyering up soon."

Con

[MetalDog]

A couple of things I have heard on the radio in the past week about this ball issue:

1) Peyton Manning lobbied several years ago, successfully, to have the footballs provided by each team.  The old way was, the NFL provided them and the referees were the only ones to handle them before, during and after the game.

2) 'Twas the Ravens who ratted the Patriots out.

[bbmike]

A couple of things I have heard on the radio in the past week about this ball issue:

1) Peyton Manning lobbied several years ago, successfully, to have the footballs provided by each team.  The old way was, the NFL provided them and the referees were the only ones to handle them before, during and after the game.

2) 'Twas the Ravens who ratted the Patriots out.

RE #1, wasn't the old way the best way? 

[MetalDog]

My honest opinion is that Belichick and Co. ruffle enough feathers that there will always be people who are looking to stick it to them.  It's the same with anyone who is successful and doesn't care how they are perceived.  And the funny thing is, this just gives Bill the opportunity to round up his team and preach the same mantra he always does, "See, gentleman?  They don't want us to win and they are doing everything they can to discredit us."  Thereby rallying the team and making it even more of an, "Us versus Them," thing.  I really like Con's idea about the Pats not showing up and forfeiting the game to Seattle.  I think that would be the ultimate!

[GDS_Starfury]

[MetalDog]

To the surprise of noone, many in the Browns organization and around the league think that Johnny Manziel is not a good football player.


http://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/nfl/report-johnny-manziel-nothing-but-trouble-during-rookie-season/ar-AA8wkEF?ocid=mailsignout

[OJsDad]

[Steelgrave]

^Hilarious! Especially the Tony Romo ones  ;D

[OJsDad]

I don't think that the Pats doctoring their game balls made a difference in this game, but how long has it been going on and did it make a difference in a game.  And game winning drives that the Pat's receivers starting catching a high percentage of passes than the rest of the game.  Add in the Pats history of breaking the rules, and it becomes a bigger issue.

As for the NFL having too many rules, the owners are the NFL.  They decide on the rules.

This issue is only getting the press that it is because there is a two week down time with no football.

[Con]

I am beginning to get the sense that the wheels are spinning off at the nfl. There is more and more reports coming out that the nfl are maybe the ones with their hand in the cookie jar here

Bellichecks flat out F U to the nfl saying we did nothing wrong so prove cheating is the ballsiest bluff ever if the pats did do something. No way that ball boys past and present and or other players/team employees involved wouldn't crack under this level of scrutiny. So I am inclined to believe bill here

Also rumors are floating around that the jets were involved (real bad blood between these teams and coming out right after the pats filed tampering charges against the jets).

The nfl has not provided anything close to any information on the balls and pressure and now some reports are saying the balls were only 1 psi below

The nfl has also been very inconsistent of how this happened due to the interception then contradicted by the intercepting colts player

Lastly headstart labs has done at least one study on this already and the results seem to indicate that this is all a bunch of hot air. Leading me to believe now that maybe the pats have aright to be paranoid about the nfl and their impartiality