Football (North America: NFL, CFL, Arena Football, minor leagues)

[LM117]

https://dailycaller.com/2020/04/10/xfl-operations-suspended-terminated-laid-off-employees/

And, as predicted, the XFL is no more.

WFL-USFL-XFL1-WLAF/NFLE-CFL USA-UFL-XFL2 

People say they want more football.  Until given more football.

Oliver Luck has filed a lawsuit against Vince McMahon.

https://www.espn.com/xfl/story/_/id/29077565/ex-xfl-commissioner-oliver-luck-sues-owner-vince-mcmahon-wrongful-termination

[Hot Rod Hootenanny]

Going back to the draft, I find it humorous that Roger Goodell is taunting TV screens to boo him.

[oscar]

As we head into the last day of the NFL draft ... is it better for a player to be one of the last taken in the seventh round, or rather become an undrafted free agent? Being drafted gives you a little more security, since some team thought to spend a draft pick on you. OTOH, going undrafted gives you more freedom to avoid a bad team.

Does it make a difference whether you become "Mr. Irrelevant" (last pick in the draft), which comes with a little fame and quirky perks like a parade in Newport Beach, California (maybe not this year), rather than the next-to-last pick?

[Roadgeekteen]

Eagles pulling a Packer by drafting a qb too early

[jeffandnicole]

Going back to the draft, I find it humorous that Roger Goodell is taunting TV screens to boo him.

I'm thinking all those TV screens are pre-recorded. I swear I've seen the same video on the 2nd day that I saw the first day.

[nexus73]

As we head into the last day of the NFL draft ... is it better for a player to be one of the last taken in the seventh round, or rather become an undrafted free agent? Being drafted gives you a little more security, since some team thought to spend a draft pick on you. OTOH, going undrafted gives you more freedom to avoid a bad team.

Does it make a difference whether you become "Mr. Irrelevant" (last pick in the draft), which comes with a little fame and quirky perks like a parade in Newport Beach, California (maybe not this year), rather than the next-to-last pick?

North Bend HS had a large DT who also punted.  He wound up going to BYU and was the largest punter in college football.  His name: Brad Hunter.  After graduating he went to the Ray Guy punting camp and was named the best of the bunch.  Punters do not get drafted often in the NFL so he was a free agent.  He could have gone to the Niners, who were in dynasty mode at the time but had the weakest punting game in the pros.  Instead he went to Houston when the Oilers were still there and challenged the best punter, Greg Montgomery, for a roster spot. 

That attempt failed and Brad Hunter never did make it to Sunday play.  If a player does not pick the right spot to get a coveted slot, their career is doomed. 

Rick

[Max Rockatansky]

Regarding the NFL draft I had a hard time watching much past the Lions first round pick.  I haven't been a fan of draft coverage for years but the constant reminder of virus-this-or-that got to be a grind.  I didn't think that I would find it that depressing going in and it kind of got me wondering how watching broadcasts with no fans of games would be.  The constant virus oriented commercials don't help either and has turned me off from watching much TV this week at all.

[Roadgeekteen]

Regarding the NFL draft I had a hard time watching much past the Lions first round pick.  I haven't been a fan of draft coverage for years but the constant reminder of virus-this-or-that got to be a grind.  I didn't think that I would find it that depressing going in and it kind of got me wondering how watching broadcasts with no fans of games would be.  The constant virus oriented commercials don't help either and has turned me off from watching much TV this week at all.

All the depressing stories kinda loosens the impact of them also.

[NWI_Irish96]

Punter and kicker are both tremendously important positions.  That said, the difference between the best and 16th best quarterback is far greater than that between the best and 16th best punter or kicker.

[mgk920]

As we head into the last day of the NFL draft ... is it better for a player to be one of the last taken in the seventh round, or rather become an undrafted free agent? Being drafted gives you a little more security, since some team thought to spend a draft pick on you. OTOH, going undrafted gives you more freedom to avoid a bad team.

Does it make a difference whether you become "Mr. Irrelevant" (last pick in the draft), which comes with a little fame and quirky perks like a parade in Newport Beach, California (maybe not this year), rather than the next-to-last pick?

North Bend HS had a large DT who also punted.  He wound up going to BYU and was the largest punter in college football.  His name: Brad Hunter.  After graduating he went to the Ray Guy punting camp and was named the best of the bunch.  Punters do not get drafted often in the NFL so he was a free agent.  He could have gone to the Niners, who were in dynasty mode at the time but had the weakest punting game in the pros.  Instead he went to Houston when the Oilers were still there and challenged the best punter, Greg Montgomery, for a roster spot. 

That attempt failed and Brad Hunter never did make it to Sunday play.  If a player does not pick the right spot to get a coveted slot, their career is doomed. 

Rick

Sad, because I consider punter to be a grossly under-rated job on a football team.  A good punter will get your team out of serious trouble in one HELLUVA hurry!

Mike

[oscar]

Sad, because I consider punter to be a seriously under-rated job on a football team.  A good punter will get your team out of serious trouble in one HELLUVA hurry!

Not the same (kickers, unlike punters, directly score points for their teams, so it's easier for them to get the credit they deserve), but kicker Ryan Succop did get drafted last the year he was drafted. He perhaps is the most successful "Mr. Irrelevant" ever, with a ten-year-long (so far) kicking career with the Chiefs and Titans before the Titans waived him last month.

[Henry]

Apparently, all the pressure will be on current No. 1 pick Joe Burrow to succeed, because if he doesn't, then the Bengals might replace the Chargers in San Diego:

https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/sports/chargers-rams/story/2020-04-28/nfl-bengals-chargers-paul-brown-don-coryell

[SP Cook]

The Bengals have two issues.

First, Cincinnati is not THAT big a place, it is the 37th largest media market with about three quarters of one percent of the national populations.  And unlike the Reds which still, and much more in the past, have a vast region "Reds Country" where they are as much the home team as they are in Cincinnati, ranging over parts of at least six states, and including many metro areas of similar size to Cincinnati itself.  The Bengals' relationship with the Cincinnati hinterland has been far more spotty, pretty much surviving on just metro Cincinnati and Dayton alone. 

Second is its unique ownership.  Leaving out the special case of Green Bay, the NFL owners are mostly rich guys with ego issues.  Paul Brown was a HOF coach, but he was not a rich man.  He was given an AFL franchise to legitimate the AFL prior to merger.  That was 50 years ago and he is long gone.  His sons decided to use the team to get rich.  They took for a very long time, and still today to a degree take, the huge NFL revenue (which is almost 100% shared equally between the teams) and pocket it.  And, while in no way near to most guys in the club (most of the family's net worth is their equity in the team) the family has gotten 1% rich.  They are just cheap and the team is never going to be successful.  Because the Browns look at the team as a way to make money which many, perhaps most, owners use their team as a way to be noticed. 

But as to moving, St. Louis looks like moving from one declining fringe rust belt baseball centric market to another; San Diego is just jumping into the mess that California has made for itself which means a 50 year old stadium with no chance of a new one unless you want to pay for it yourself, and Mike Brown neither can nor would he if he could.  IMHO, the next reasonable NFL market considering population growth, wealth, and geography (leaving out Canada or whatever) is Salt Lake City.

[Henry]

At the end of the article, it drops hints of a possible Chargers return, although they're now tenants of the Rams:

If San Diego leaders were to seek an NFL team, and the NFL were to seek a return to San Diego, the choice of team would be obvious.

For sure, it wouldn't be the Bengals. You go with the one that played in San Diego for 56 years. One more hint: It's the team that went 12-4 in 2018, yet played before hostile home crowds last year in Carson.

This is the original Cincinnati Enquirer article that was referenced:

https://www.cincinnati.com/story/sports/columnists/paul-daugherty/2020/04/22/nfl-draft-last-chance-bengals-cincinnati-column/3004157001/

[oscar]

At the end of the article, it drops hints of a possible Chargers return, although they're now tenants of the Rams:

If San Diego leaders were to seek an NFL team, and the NFL were to seek a return to San Diego, the choice of team would be obvious.

For sure, it wouldn't be the Bengals. You go with the one that played in San Diego for 56 years. One more hint: It's the team that went 12-4 in 2018, yet played before hostile home crowds last year in Carson.

This is the original Cincinnati Enquirer article that was referenced:

https://www.cincinnati.com/story/sports/columnists/paul-daugherty/2020/04/22/nfl-draft-last-chance-bengals-cincinnati-column/3004157001/

Not freaking likely. They're the Los Angeles Chargers because San Diegans weren't interested in paying for the tax-funded new stadium the team demanded. (Good for them.)

The Chargers' poor leadership (remember, they're the team that Eli Manning didn't want to play for, and forced a trade to send him to the Giants; also, their nickle-and-diming Joey Bosa) didn't help. But the Bungles' ownership isn't much better.

[SP Cook]

As I understand it, the Chargers pay $1/year rent, although they are on the hook for a $200M loan payable over 30 years to the other NFL owners.  The entire rest of the stadium costs and upkeep are on the Rams' owner, and the stadium is now well over double the original estimate. 

Since the NFL shares almost all its revenue equally, the Chargers cannot help but make money, no matter how few people come to the games.  They won't leave a deal like that.

[Roadgeekteen]

As I understand it, the Chargers pay $1/year rent, although they are on the hook for a $200M loan payable over 30 years to the other NFL owners.  The entire rest of the stadium costs and upkeep are on the Rams' owner, and the stadium is now well over double the original estimate. 

Since the NFL shares almost all its revenue equally, the Chargers cannot help but make money, no matter how few people come to the games.  They won't leave a deal like that.

The Chargers shouldn't be in LA.

[nexus73]

The Bengals have two issues.

First, Cincinnati is not THAT big a place, it is the 37th largest media market with about three quarters of one percent of the national populations.  And unlike the Reds which still, and much more in the past, have a vast region "Reds Country" where they are as much the home team as they are in Cincinnati, ranging over parts of at least six states, and including many metro areas of similar size to Cincinnati itself.  The Bengals' relationship with the Cincinnati hinterland has been far more spotty, pretty much surviving on just metro Cincinnati and Dayton alone. 

Second is its unique ownership.  Leaving out the special case of Green Bay, the NFL owners are mostly rich guys with ego issues.  Paul Brown was a HOF coach, but he was not a rich man.  He was given an AFL franchise to legitimate the AFL prior to merger.  That was 50 years ago and he is long gone.  His sons decided to use the team to get rich.  They took for a very long time, and still today to a degree take, the huge NFL revenue (which is almost 100% shared equally between the teams) and pocket it.  And, while in no way near to most guys in the club (most of the family's net worth is their equity in the team) the family has gotten 1% rich.  They are just cheap and the team is never going to be successful.  Because the Browns look at the team as a way to make money which many, perhaps most, owners use their team as a way to be noticed. 

But as to moving, St. Louis looks like moving from one declining fringe rust belt baseball centric market to another; San Diego is just jumping into the mess that California has made for itself which means a 50 year old stadium with no chance of a new one unless you want to pay for it yourself, and Mike Brown neither can nor would he if he could.  IMHO, the next reasonable NFL market considering population growth, wealth, and geography (leaving out Canada or whatever) is Salt Lake City.

San Antonio is also a good prospect since they have the Alamodome.  SLC just has Rice-Eccles Stadium, which is fine for college football but it is not a pro facility.  At least land is available to build one there.  PDX, which should be in the mix, blew it back in 1965 when voters turned down the Delta Dome.  Imagine that, a domed stadium in the PNW being in PDX before Seattle had theirs.  In an alternate timeline, PDX is the long time NFL team while Seattle is still looking.

Rick

[Roadgeekteen]

The Bengals have two issues.

First, Cincinnati is not THAT big a place, it is the 37th largest media market with about three quarters of one percent of the national populations.  And unlike the Reds which still, and much more in the past, have a vast region "Reds Country" where they are as much the home team as they are in Cincinnati, ranging over parts of at least six states, and including many metro areas of similar size to Cincinnati itself.  The Bengals' relationship with the Cincinnati hinterland has been far more spotty, pretty much surviving on just metro Cincinnati and Dayton alone. 

Second is its unique ownership.  Leaving out the special case of Green Bay, the NFL owners are mostly rich guys with ego issues.  Paul Brown was a HOF coach, but he was not a rich man.  He was given an AFL franchise to legitimate the AFL prior to merger.  That was 50 years ago and he is long gone.  His sons decided to use the team to get rich.  They took for a very long time, and still today to a degree take, the huge NFL revenue (which is almost 100% shared equally between the teams) and pocket it.  And, while in no way near to most guys in the club (most of the family's net worth is their equity in the team) the family has gotten 1% rich.  They are just cheap and the team is never going to be successful.  Because the Browns look at the team as a way to make money which many, perhaps most, owners use their team as a way to be noticed. 

But as to moving, St. Louis looks like moving from one declining fringe rust belt baseball centric market to another; San Diego is just jumping into the mess that California has made for itself which means a 50 year old stadium with no chance of a new one unless you want to pay for it yourself, and Mike Brown neither can nor would he if he could.  IMHO, the next reasonable NFL market considering population growth, wealth, and geography (leaving out Canada or whatever) is Salt Lake City.

San Antonio is also a good prospect since they have the Alamodome.  SLC just has Rice-Eccles Stadium, which is fine for college football but it is not a pro facility.  At least land is available to build one there.  PDX, which should be in the mix, blew it back in 1965 when voters turned down the Delta Dome.  Imagine that, a domed stadium in the PNW being in PDX before Seattle had theirs.  In an alternate timeline, PDX is the long time NFL team while Seattle is still looking.

Rick

Maybe a team like the Oilers or Browns would move to Seattle instead as it's a bigger market than Portland.

[nexus73]

The Bengals have two issues.

First, Cincinnati is not THAT big a place, it is the 37th largest media market with about three quarters of one percent of the national populations.  And unlike the Reds which still, and much more in the past, have a vast region "Reds Country" where they are as much the home team as they are in Cincinnati, ranging over parts of at least six states, and including many metro areas of similar size to Cincinnati itself.  The Bengals' relationship with the Cincinnati hinterland has been far more spotty, pretty much surviving on just metro Cincinnati and Dayton alone. 

Second is its unique ownership.  Leaving out the special case of Green Bay, the NFL owners are mostly rich guys with ego issues.  Paul Brown was a HOF coach, but he was not a rich man.  He was given an AFL franchise to legitimate the AFL prior to merger.  That was 50 years ago and he is long gone.  His sons decided to use the team to get rich.  They took for a very long time, and still today to a degree take, the huge NFL revenue (which is almost 100% shared equally between the teams) and pocket it.  And, while in no way near to most guys in the club (most of the family's net worth is their equity in the team) the family has gotten 1% rich.  They are just cheap and the team is never going to be successful.  Because the Browns look at the team as a way to make money which many, perhaps most, owners use their team as a way to be noticed. 

But as to moving, St. Louis looks like moving from one declining fringe rust belt baseball centric market to another; San Diego is just jumping into the mess that California has made for itself which means a 50 year old stadium with no chance of a new one unless you want to pay for it yourself, and Mike Brown neither can nor would he if he could.  IMHO, the next reasonable NFL market considering population growth, wealth, and geography (leaving out Canada or whatever) is Salt Lake City.

San Antonio is also a good prospect since they have the Alamodome.  SLC just has Rice-Eccles Stadium, which is fine for college football but it is not a pro facility.  At least land is available to build one there.  PDX, which should be in the mix, blew it back in 1965 when voters turned down the Delta Dome.  Imagine that, a domed stadium in the PNW being in PDX before Seattle had theirs.  In an alternate timeline, PDX is the long time NFL team while Seattle is still looking.

Rick

Maybe a team like the Oilers or Browns would move to Seattle instead as it's a bigger market than Portland.

Maybe so but PDX is nothing to sneeze at.  The last time I looked, the Rose City was ranked #31 for metro area size.  That is larger than some current NFL teams are in.  The lack of a stadium kills off PDX's chances.  Oh what could have been!

Rick

[Henry]

The NFL schedule was released last night, and here's what you can expect from all 32 teams:

https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/29108110/2020-nfl-schedule-record-predictions-analysis-all-32-teams

[Roadgeekteen]

The NFL schedule was released last night, and here's what you can expect from all 32 teams:

https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/29108110/2020-nfl-schedule-record-predictions-analysis-all-32-teams

Bucs Saints primtime should be one I check. I fact I'll try to watch lots of Bucs games this year.

[SEWIGuy]

My take:  The Bucs are going to be OK, maybe even a wild card team, but largely disappointing.  I thought it was pretty obvious that Brady's arm strength was down compared to before.  He is older than when Montana went to the Chiefs and Favre to the Vikings and got to conference championship games.

[NWI_Irish96]

The NFL schedule was released last night, and here's what you can expect from all 32 teams:

https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/29108110/2020-nfl-schedule-record-predictions-analysis-all-32-teams

If the Bears don't start 3-0 there's no point in playing the rest of the season.

[Roadgeekteen]

The NFL schedule was released last night, and here's what you can expect from all 32 teams:

https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/29108110/2020-nfl-schedule-record-predictions-analysis-all-32-teams

If the Bears don't start 3-0 there's no point in playing the rest of the season.

I dunno Falcons could be scary.