Good thing I don’t do this for a living. In the intervening weeks between my snarky Cedric Benson – Eric Steinbach Boating While Intoxicated post, all kinds of bloggable football stories came out, as well as some stuff from before that I didn’t get around to blogging. If I were serious about this, I’d blog it in nearly real-time, but really, this is just an excuse to keep my writing skills busy for my own enjoyment.
NFL
The Patriots Spygate came and went. Former team video assistant Matt Walsh met with NFL Commisioner Robert Goodell and turned over his videos of various other team’s signals. The Boston Herald retracted its’ earlier story with the insinuations that there was footage of the Rams pre-Super Bowl XXXVI walk-through. Goodell declared that the NFL done enough and would levy no further penalties on the Patriots. The Patriots insisted they got no extra benefit from the illegal footage. Walsh, interviewed by the New York Times and HBO: Real Sports insists the team did get an advantage from the footage. Senator Arlen Spector (PA) wants an independent investigation. I hope nobody’s taxpayer dollars go into that.
Adam “Pac-Man” Jones got traded from the Titans to the Cowboys and a number of pointless stories, including idle speculation about letting him play some WR emerges.
The NFL owners opted out of the current labor agreement with the NFLPA, opening the possibility of 2010 being an salary-cap free year or a lockout year if no new deal is inked. Details here.
The various mini-camps and (Not That) Optional Team Activities are in process. A variety of guys miss part or all of these to protest various contract and job related things. Most amusingly, Redskins rookie TE Fred Davis oversleeps and misses the Sunday portion of mini-camp.
Former Panthers LB Dan Morgan retired. Former Bucs’ RB Michael Pittman signs with the Broncos for a shot at being the 2008 1K Bronco RB. Overhyped Boston College QB Matt Ryan signs bizarrely early for the top QB and number three overall pick with the Falcons.
Saints DE Charles Grant is indicted for involuntary manslaughter after a February bar fight. Grant was stabbed in the neck during the fight. The Bengals released long-time knucklehead LB Odell Thurman. It seems a bit unfair, supposedly he missed mini-camp to be at his grandmother’s funeral, but he should be able to find work elsewhere.
The Dolphins and Jason Taylor are surly with each other. Taylor finishes, I think second, on Dancing with the Stars. The Redskins trade a conditional seventh round pick to the Vikings for DE Erasmus James.
Former Bucs OL Tom McHale, who last played with them in 1992, the year I arbitrarily chose Tampa Bay as my ‘B’ team, dies after using Xanax and cocaine. Steelers rookie RB Rashard Mendenhall gets mugged in Chicago.
Indianapolis gets the Super Bowl XLVI (46).
College
The BCS quietly passed on a limited playoff system. Yawn.
Clemson gives Terry Bowden a new contract good through 2014.
The West Virginia – Rich Rodriguez legal war goes to mediation. Should that fail, the case returns to the judge on November 10.
The NCAA approved applications for two badly needed bowl games to take up late December air-time on ESPNU. They take place in the homes (but not stadiums) of my two favorite NFL teams: The St. Petersburg Bowl (Big East vs. C-USA) at Tropicana Field, home of MLB’s Rays and the Congressional Bowl (Navy vs. ACC), at either RFK Stadium or Nationals Park.
I didn’t think such a thing was possible, but the NCAA actually rejected an application for a bowl in Salt Lake City.
CFL
Marcus Allen’s younger brother, QB Damon Allen, who had been playing in the CFL for like 800 years, announced his retirement. Much like Steve DeBerg in the NFL, I think Allen played for most teams in the CFL and probably a couple that have gone out of business.
Arena
Huey Lewis and the News are your Saturday Night entertainment for the Arena Bowl XXII. The league used pink-striped footballs on Mother’s Day, I guess like MLB used pink bats to raise funds and awareness for breast cancer research.
In an odd game I actually watched back on like May 1, Philadelphia Soul DB Eddie Moten intercepted Dallas Desperadoes QB/OC Clint Dolezel three times. Moten’s previous three INT game was also against Dolezel, back in 2006. IIRC the broadcasters said Moten has eight career INTs against Dolezel. Dallas should try to trade for Moten.
The Chicago Rush have filmed a This is SportsCenter commercial for their “parent” company, ESPN. There have actually been a lot of ads featuring Arena League players, only shown during AFL games of course. It’s like all the African-American only cast ads I see when I watch the Bayou Classic.
af2
Somehow the af2’s National Conference, Southwest Division has become a pool of mediocrity. That or the teams are really good and killing each other in division play. The Corpus Christi Sharks (had some 400 lbs. OL on the roster) and Rio Grande Valley Dorados are tied for first place at 4-4, trailed by the Bossier-Shreveport Battlewings (best af2 team name) and Austin Wranglers (which I think used to be an AFL franchise) both at 3-5. Dreadfully bringing up the rear of the division are the Texas Copperheads at 1-8. Good work at having played one more game than the rest of the division and losing it anyway.
Posted by Stilwell 
Posted by Stilwell 