NFL 2014

[Paelos]

I lost all three of my bets today in fucking hilarious fashion.

The Broncos were up by 21 in the 4th quarter, and managed to blow it by the hook on a 7.5

The Jags had a 17 point lead on a +10.5, and tipped that over with a fumble in the last two minutes in their own half.

And the Falcons managed to come back and beat the Saints after the Saints had a three point lead by kicking a FG to take it to OT, then the Saints fumbling the ball in OT in their own end.

And that's why I'm not betting the NFL for a few weeks, because lulz.

[HaemishM]

So apparently the Colts really are just Andrew Luck and a bunch of fucking scrubs. T.Y. Hilton was completely underwhelming, Reggie Wayne is still playing better than his age should indicate but how long can that last? Without Robert Mathis their defense is just terrible. And yet somehow, the Broncos let them get 24 points in the second half without any sort of running game. Just on the evidence of week 1, I can totally see a repeat of last year's Super Bowl. The Broncos may be better than they were, but they ain't better than the Seahawks. Also, fuck you Andrew Luck. You throwing to Reggie Wayne AND scoring that last TD cost me my fantasy game in the f13 league.

[Malakili]

Jesus christ, have people seen the Ray Rice video?

http://www.tmz.com/2014/09/08/ray-rice-elevator-knockout-fiancee-takes-crushing-punch-video/

[MrHat]

So apparently the Colts really are just Andrew Luck and a bunch of fucking scrubs. T.Y. Hilton was completely underwhelming, Reggie Wayne is still playing better than his age should indicate but how long can that last? Without Robert Mathis their defense is just terrible. And yet somehow, the Broncos let them get 24 points in the second half without any sort of running game. Just on the evidence of week 1, I can totally see a repeat of last year's Super Bowl. The Broncos may be better than they were, but they ain't better than the Seahawks. Also, fuck you Andrew Luck. You throwing to Reggie Wayne AND scoring that last TD cost me my fantasy game in the f13 league.

Never bet against Luck.  The fucking Colts will beat all the good teams this year and still end up 8-8.  Broncos also looked like they weren't really happy to be playing.  I hope its just off season cob webs, but no one blocked for Ball and Demaryius was the Drop King.

Also, fuck the NFL, fuck the Ravens, and fuck Ray Rice.

[Paelos]

Jesus christ, have people seen the Ray Rice video?

http://www.tmz.com/2014/09/08/ray-rice-elevator-knockout-fiancee-takes-crushing-punch-video/

Two games. The NFL is a bunch of hypocrites. How you can look at that as the commish and still give him a two-game suspension? I hope that rots in Goodell's money-grubbing soul.

[HaemishM]

Jesus christ, have people seen the Ray Rice video?

http://www.tmz.com/2014/09/08/ray-rice-elevator-knockout-fiancee-takes-crushing-punch-video/

I watched it. Fuck Ray Rice. What a piece of shit. It wasn't his slap that knocked her out, it was the force of that slap driving her goddamn head into the elevator wall and railing. Lucky she didn't get hurt worse. Fuck the Ravens, and fuck any of the Ravens fans that gave him a cheer when he played in the pre-season. That shit is beyond the pale.

[Rasix]

I like the "we never saw the video" line coming out of the NFL and the Ravens.  Well, what the fuck do you think happened?  Did she knock herself out?

NFLs hands might be tied in suspending him additional games, but at the very least the Ravens should sit him another 4 if not straight up release him. 

[Paelos]

The Ravens saw the video now. They have the information and are well within their rights to release him.

They won't, because they are shitbags. Bear in mind they have zero shot of making the playoffs even with Ray Rice because Flacco stuffed his face with the salary cap. Shitbags.

They have the chance to do the right thing. But as usual they will let money get in the way, and they'll make excuses.

[Trippy]

They are shitbags for making Janay Palmer apologize.

[Paelos]

They are shitbags for making Janay Palmer apologize.

Ugh, so true. That makes it all so much worse.

EDIT: Here's a take from Adam Schefter, which he gets pretty angry about that Ravens handling of the situation.

http://ftw.usatoday.com/2014/09/adam-schefter-ray-rice-espn-sportscenter-roger-goodell-suspension

[Merusk]

<facefoot.gif>

He straight up Mortal Kombat'd him. I assume a fine/suspension is incoming.

When the .gif showed up on reddit's front page one of the first comments was something like, "the refs had to stop the game to figure out if there was even a penalty here."

So probably no fine, no.  It's not as completely blatant as it looks at first glance.  It seems the runner was going to try and jump but the punter didn't go as low as the runner thought he was going to. As brutal as it looks, the runner appears to be trying to high step/ hop over the punter, not full on facekick him. And I say that as someone who'd be happy if the Steelers went the way of the Oilers.

[Paelos]

Hey for once I'm happy to be wrong.

Ian Rappaport is reporting the Ravens just cut Ray Rice.

[Trippy]

https://twitter.com/Ravens/status/509043216977371136

[Rasix]

Not a bad football choice either.  He's already well into his decline. 

[01101010]

When the .gif showed up on reddit's front page one of the first comments was something like, "the refs had to stop the game to figure out if there was even a penalty here."

So probably no fine, no.  It's not as completely blatant as it looks at first glance.  It seems the runner was going to try and jump but the punter didn't go as low as the runner thought he was going to. As brutal as it looks, the runner appears to be trying to high step/ hop over the punter, not full on facekick him. And I say that as someone who'd be happy if the Steelers went the way of the Oilers.

The flag came into the screen as soon as the punter's back hit the ground, so they didn't stop the game to decide if there was a penalty but if it was for unnecessary roughness or unsportsman like conduct and where to spot the ball.

And I agree... he tried to hurdle him and wasn't going to get the elevation needed as the punter didn't go low for the tackle (which I can't say is surprising...it's the punter ffs). Just unfortunate the foot connected with the helmet rather than the shoulder pad. Of course, the entire scenario is just a fuckstupid mistake on Brown given he had the touchdown if he would have cut to his left instead of trying to make the highlight reel by hurdling or blowing up the punter. Steelers should fine him for being dumb... NFL shouldn't fine him for the result.

[HaemishM]

NFLs hands might be tied in suspending him additional games, but at the very least the Ravens should sit him another 4 if not straight up release him.  

According to Mike & Mike this morning, the Ravens can't SUSPEND him because the NFL already handed down a punishment. They can make him inactive, but he still gets a check for those games. I don't know if that's true or not, but either way, not shit is going to happen to that son of a bitch.

EDIT: Oh holy shit, I didn't read a few steps down in the thread. They released him? GOOD FOR THEM.

[Paelos]

His wife better leave him. Or she's in real danger now.

[Malakili]

His wife better leave him. Or she's in real danger now.

I haven't really been paying real close attention to this story until today and I kept hearing this morning various people say "his then fiancee" and naturally assumed that she left him after having been punched in the face.  Ugh.

[Trippy]

Also suspended indefinitely by Goodell:

http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/eye-on-football/24701282/ray-rice-suspended-indefinitely-by-roger-goodell

Edit: tweet by Greg Aiello, head of NFL PR:

https://twitter.com/gregaiello/status/509048887617654785

[WayAbvPar]

God he is such a twat. You fucking know good and well he saw that video months ago.

[01101010]

God he is such a twat. You fucking know good and well he saw that video months ago.

And when that comes out... 

[Mithas]

NFL is claiming that they hadn't seen the video. I guess I'm not sure why they even had to. He knocked her out and dragged her out of an elevator unconscious. What kind of punch do you think he threw to accomplish that? Suddenly now there is video evidence and now they realize how bad it was? This is another PR move. Fuck the NFL.

[Paelos]

I'm boycotting this week. It's a small thing, but fuck them. I have better things to do with my time on Sundays, Thursdays, and Mondays than watch this product for a week.

[Phildo]

According to this, the Ravens cut Rice entirely.

http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nfl-shutdown-corner/after-domestic-violence-video-is-released--ravens-cut-running-back-ray-rice-183053516.html

[Rasix]

We've known that for like 10 posts now.  Try to keep up, Phil.

[HaemishM]

Oh I had never seen this quote.

John Harbaugh, head coach, in March: "He will be part of our team. He's a person of character. The thing that's really important is to be able to support the person without condoning the action. He makes a mistake. There's no justifying what happened. When you drink too much in public, those kind of things happen."

You know, I've drank too much in public a lot in my younger life. I mean, a shitload. I've been drunk enough to be yakking in the bushes. I never once hit a woman. The worst I ever had happen was getting a guy in a full nelson before the bouncers threw that guy out with me on his back.

[Hoax]

NFL is claiming that they hadn't seen the video. I guess I'm not sure why they even had to. He knocked her out and dragged her out of an elevator unconscious. What kind of punch do you think he threw to accomplish that? Suddenly now there is video evidence and now they realize how bad it was? This is another PR move. Fuck the NFL.

For me its not the actual slap, its the fact that he never shows a single ounce of concern when she is out cold. There's no "oh shit what have I done" moment in the entire thing. Its hard to watch.

I could forgive the slap. Its reprehensible and dangerous (her head bapped into a metal handrail in the elevator) but drinking + fighting + hot head = some people do some reprehensible shit. But he doesn't seem like he gives a flying fuck about it. The way he drags her limp body around like she's such an inconvenience or even worse how he's nudging at her with the tip of his shoe while she's still totally out is just ugly ugly business.

I have seen people posting links and images that claim even if the NFL didn't see the video, what happened on it was described to them in detail long ago.

[Phildo]

We've known that for like 10 posts now.  Try to keep up, Phil.

Sorry, I was trying to troubleshoot a fax machine.  It's been a weird day.

[Draegan]

I don't see anyone raising a stink about the few  people in the NFL the have killed people while drunk.

Where is your outrage then and now?

[HaemishM]

Let me know when they have a video of said incidents. And yes, the video does bring this shit home just a little bit more than the vague notion that some kind did something somewhere.

[MediumHigh]

His wife better leave him. Or she's in real danger now.

I haven't really been paying real close attention to this story until today and I kept hearing this morning various people say "his then fiancee" and naturally assumed that she left him after having been punched in the face.  Ugh.

His wife better leave him. Or she's in real danger now.

Actually his wife didn't leave him, she married him. This story was like 7 months ago and your only seeing a gif (most of the video is him not trying to hit her apparently). Hell he didn't even get arrested. Normally I'd be pissed at ray rice for hitting a girl but I'm registering a giant meh at a combination of A. whatever he did to her still didn't convince the victim in question that picking drunken fights with a 300 pound guy isn't a good idea and/or said guy is willing to punch her in the face (hence a very logical reason not to marry the man) and B. the cops didn't put him in jail (which considering video evidence and the victims swollen face probably would have guaranteed a very public court date).

[Abagadro]

Uh, he was arrested.  He went into an intervention program which is something courts have set up for domestic violence prevention. It's basically pleading guilty.  Completely separate from your idiotic victim-blaming, you are just factually way off-base.

[WayAbvPar]

And this surprises you why? 

[shiznitz]

I am late to this thread but that is all the fault of the kicking dummy.  It looks like he went down on his knees to give Brown a BJ or something.  Who goes down on their knees in front of a NFL WR with the ball?

[Nevermore]

Aren't punters taught to just go for the legs if they have to try to make a tackle?