THIS AND THAT..........THURSDAY
The NFL's competition committee has recommended that the proposed "Hochuli Rule" be considered at the Owner's meetings scheduled to start Saturday in Dana's Point, California. If you can remember the San Diego/Denver game last September, you'll know what this rule is intended to correct. Referee Ed Hochuli blew a call on a fumble by Denver QB Jay Cutler inside the San Diego 5-yard line with just seconds left in the game. Hochuli ruled an incomplete pass & blew the whistle a split second before the Chargers recovered the fumble. He told Charger head coach, Norv Turner, he "blew the call", but couldn't change it & the play was not review able. Cutler threw a touchdown pass on the next play & then threw a 2-point conversion to win it. The proposed rule change will allow the referee to use video replay to determine whether a similar play is a fumble or an incomplete pass. I think it should be approved.
Has anyone seen the ticket prices for some of the college games scheduled to be played at Jerry Jones' new football palace? The Red River Shootout between Texas & Oklahoma, always a highlight on the college football schedule, has experienced a slight price increase moving to the 'new' Texas Stadium. Tickets to last years game at the Cotton Bowl were $95, that ticket will cost you $250 this October. Let's not forget the parking........$40, double last season's parking price. The first non-exhibition game that really counts in this stadium, Texas A&M vs Arkansas, goes for $300 a chair for you to be present at the new stadium's debut. I wonder how many children will ever see the inside of this stadium at these prices? For $300 a seat you get to see two teams that didn't even play in a bowl game last year. What a deal. Jones has had little success selling the stadium's naming rights & he has sunk hundreds of millions of his own money into this place. Don't even get me started on how badly the Cowboy season ticket holders are being squeezed, it's really offensive. With a capacity of over 92,000, I wonder, given the state of our economy, just how many sell-outs Jones can count on in '09.
The long awaited Matt Stafford on campus workout happened this morning before representatives of all 32 teams, more than 50 GM's, coaches & scouts. Stafford stood on all of his combine workout numbers, all he did was throw. And throw he did, 50 passes in all, showcasing his cannon arm. Apparently it was even more impressive than those NFL-types were expecting. According to one scout, "he threw 47 passes right on the money, the deep outs were as good as I've ever seen". I'll watch some of the workout later tonight, but I'm not surprised, he has a gun. Sometimes his footwork isn't the best & he'll make a bad decision occasionally, but overall he's a solid #1 pick. I still don't like him as well as Matt Ryan last year, but he's the best in this year's QB crop.
The Jay Cutler mess in Denver is going to come to a head pretty quickly. I believe there are 6-8 teams that might put together an offer for Cutler. There's so much rumor & speculation, it's hard to separate fact from fiction. I won't even try, except to say I think he'll be playing for someone else come training camp.
On the bad news front, Browns receiver, Donte Stallworth, who struck & killed a pedestrian with his Bentley around 7 AM last Saturday on a Miami street, apparently was over the .08 legal limit. A CBS affiliate in Miami reported it this afternoon & speculation is growing he'll be charged with DUI manslaughter, which carries a maximum 15-year sentence. A tragedy for the victim's family & Stallworth's life will be changed forever.
Bad New II. University of Pittsburgh wide receiver, T.J. Porter was arrested last weekend for his second DUI in less than a year. He was also charged with careless driving, failure to obey traffic signals & a misdemeanor, minor in possession of alcohol.
Bad News III. Former 1st round draft pick, WR Matt Jones, of the Jacksonville Jaguars, was released after violating his probation. The 2005 pick out of Arkansas was on probation from a cocaine conviction in 2007. He was stopped last week & though not over the legal limit, it was determined he had been drinking, thereby violating the judges order for his probation. The Jags have been as bad as Detroit in wasting pick after pick in the first round on receivers. They let another 1st rounder, Reggie Williams, go in free agency & honestly, they have no NFL caliber talent at the position.
Bad News IV(possibly). Buffalo running back, Marshawn Lynch said yesterday that after his meeting with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, he expects to be suspended. Lynch was charged with possession of a handgun that wasn't registered. I really like this kid, but like the other stories above, it's about bad decisions. I hope he'll turn it around & walk the straight & narrow as Goodell has shown very little compassion for repeat offenders.
Finally something kind of fun. FOXSports in conjunction with College Football News has released their third annual Hoops & Helmets poll for 2009. The poll ranks both basketball & football success at the college level. Nothing really dramatic about it, just thought I'd pass it on.
1. Oklahoma (played in the BCS Championship & a #2 seed in March Madness)
2. Utah (undefeated Sugar Bowl Champs & a #5 seed in hoops)
3. Pitt (Sun Bowl winner & #1 seed in the East Regional)
4. Missouri (Big-12 North Champs, won Alamo Bowl & #3 seed in the West)
5. Michigan State (9-game winner in football & #2 seed in NCAA Tourney)
6. N. Carolina
7. Texas
8. Southern Cal
9. Florida State
10.UConn
11.Kansas
12.West Virginia
13.Ohio State
14.Oklahoma State
15.Brigham Young
Has anyone seen the ticket prices for some of the college games scheduled to be played at Jerry Jones' new football palace? The Red River Shootout between Texas & Oklahoma, always a highlight on the college football schedule, has experienced a slight price increase moving to the 'new' Texas Stadium. Tickets to last years game at the Cotton Bowl were $95, that ticket will cost you $250 this October. Let's not forget the parking........$40, double last season's parking price. The first non-exhibition game that really counts in this stadium, Texas A&M vs Arkansas, goes for $300 a chair for you to be present at the new stadium's debut. I wonder how many children will ever see the inside of this stadium at these prices? For $300 a seat you get to see two teams that didn't even play in a bowl game last year. What a deal. Jones has had little success selling the stadium's naming rights & he has sunk hundreds of millions of his own money into this place. Don't even get me started on how badly the Cowboy season ticket holders are being squeezed, it's really offensive. With a capacity of over 92,000, I wonder, given the state of our economy, just how many sell-outs Jones can count on in '09.
The long awaited Matt Stafford on campus workout happened this morning before representatives of all 32 teams, more than 50 GM's, coaches & scouts. Stafford stood on all of his combine workout numbers, all he did was throw. And throw he did, 50 passes in all, showcasing his cannon arm. Apparently it was even more impressive than those NFL-types were expecting. According to one scout, "he threw 47 passes right on the money, the deep outs were as good as I've ever seen". I'll watch some of the workout later tonight, but I'm not surprised, he has a gun. Sometimes his footwork isn't the best & he'll make a bad decision occasionally, but overall he's a solid #1 pick. I still don't like him as well as Matt Ryan last year, but he's the best in this year's QB crop.
The Jay Cutler mess in Denver is going to come to a head pretty quickly. I believe there are 6-8 teams that might put together an offer for Cutler. There's so much rumor & speculation, it's hard to separate fact from fiction. I won't even try, except to say I think he'll be playing for someone else come training camp.
On the bad news front, Browns receiver, Donte Stallworth, who struck & killed a pedestrian with his Bentley around 7 AM last Saturday on a Miami street, apparently was over the .08 legal limit. A CBS affiliate in Miami reported it this afternoon & speculation is growing he'll be charged with DUI manslaughter, which carries a maximum 15-year sentence. A tragedy for the victim's family & Stallworth's life will be changed forever.
Bad New II. University of Pittsburgh wide receiver, T.J. Porter was arrested last weekend for his second DUI in less than a year. He was also charged with careless driving, failure to obey traffic signals & a misdemeanor, minor in possession of alcohol.
Bad News III. Former 1st round draft pick, WR Matt Jones, of the Jacksonville Jaguars, was released after violating his probation. The 2005 pick out of Arkansas was on probation from a cocaine conviction in 2007. He was stopped last week & though not over the legal limit, it was determined he had been drinking, thereby violating the judges order for his probation. The Jags have been as bad as Detroit in wasting pick after pick in the first round on receivers. They let another 1st rounder, Reggie Williams, go in free agency & honestly, they have no NFL caliber talent at the position.
Bad News IV(possibly). Buffalo running back, Marshawn Lynch said yesterday that after his meeting with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, he expects to be suspended. Lynch was charged with possession of a handgun that wasn't registered. I really like this kid, but like the other stories above, it's about bad decisions. I hope he'll turn it around & walk the straight & narrow as Goodell has shown very little compassion for repeat offenders.
Finally something kind of fun. FOXSports in conjunction with College Football News has released their third annual Hoops & Helmets poll for 2009. The poll ranks both basketball & football success at the college level. Nothing really dramatic about it, just thought I'd pass it on.
1. Oklahoma (played in the BCS Championship & a #2 seed in March Madness)
2. Utah (undefeated Sugar Bowl Champs & a #5 seed in hoops)
3. Pitt (Sun Bowl winner & #1 seed in the East Regional)
4. Missouri (Big-12 North Champs, won Alamo Bowl & #3 seed in the West)
5. Michigan State (9-game winner in football & #2 seed in NCAA Tourney)
6. N. Carolina
7. Texas
8. Southern Cal
9. Florida State
10.UConn
11.Kansas
12.West Virginia
13.Ohio State
14.Oklahoma State
15.Brigham Young
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