Sports

[teganslaw]

The NFL is starting off the 2019 season with the Packers-Bears in Soldier Field on Thursday, Sept. 5. That's a change from their usual schedule of starting with the Superbowl winner. There was no reason given for the change, but wondering if it had to do with the Kraft situation.

Tony Romo apparently wants 10 million to stay with CBS. His contract will be up after 2019; he currently makes 4 million annually. If he doesn't get the required amount, he might leave the network and try other things. CBS wouldn't want that, as Romo is popular with the viewers. Stay tuned as to what happens.

[gardenman]

Demarcus Lawrence is using a creative negotiating tactic with the Cowboys. He needs offseason shoulder surgery that has a recovery time of three to four months, but won't get the surgery until he has a new deal in place. That forces the Cowboys to pick up the pace of negotiating if they want him for the early part of the season. He still wants $20+ million and the Cowboys are refusing, despite him getting $20+ million this year with the tag. He's kind of got JJ by the nether region and won't let go. I still think the right move for the Cowboys was to make their last/best offer to him before free agency, if he signed, great. If not, let him test free agency. They gave him way, way too much power and he's using it.

[Spurt]

I saw some recent photos on Twitter with Colt McCoy on crutches....When he came to our city back on Feb 27th there were no crutches....The mystery is solved....Colt McCoy needed another "minor procedure" on his right leg recently in part because not everything was corrected the first time around. He broke his leg in December. Redskins coach Jay Gruden said he should return for phase two of offseason workouts, but that he should be fine when the organized team activities begin in late May. "When he had the injury we were aggressive trying to get him back on the field so fast, we didn't give it time enough to heal the right way. They went back in and did a small procedure to make sure that thing is on track to be full strength by the season." The Redskins have one healthy quarterback on the roster in Case Keenum. They might add another one, whether through the draft or another low-level signing. Josh Johnson remains a possibility; he's still recovering from ankle surgery. 

In looking at Domonique Rodgers-Cromartie's contract , he's clearly no lock to make the final roster. There's no guaranteed money, which means the Redskins could cut him with no penalty. He won't make a dime unless he makes the 53-man roster.

In Kipers latest draft he gives the Redskins Florida State OLB Brian Burns. The Redskins lost Preston Smithin in free agency, and have been looking for a big playmaker to put across from Kerrigan for years. Burns fills a huge need and is one of the top defensive prospects in this draft.

[gardenman]

"Fine" in May. "Full strength" for the start of the season. I'm guessing from that he'll be off the crutches and walking in May, but not ready for contact until September. We may not see much of Colt in the preseason if I'm reading that right. The Redskins will need to sign at least one, probably two, camp arms, or they'll wear out Keenum. The "minor procedure" was likely a bone graft to speed up the healing process which my ortho doc says is effective 65% of the time. It could have been to remove a plate or screw, but unless they're causing trouble you just leave them in place. OTA's start in April, so the Redskins will need a few more bodies in the QB room. 

Speaking of QB's, speculation had been strong that the Eagles would sign a vet to backup/push Nate Sudfeld, but now a drafted kid looks more likely. If there's a kid they love, they could grab one earlier than expected, as early as the second round, but I suspect a later round pick. Doug Pederson at his presser yesterday talked about getting a kid and keeping him on the practice squad for a year or two. I think they're pretty happy with where Sudfeld is and feel he's superior to the remaining vets out there. (The top QB remaining is generally listed as Sam Bradford, which gives you an idea of how slim the pickings are right now.)

Mock drafts have the Eagles picking pretty much everyone with no clear favorite. I don't see them taking a DB (corner or safety) with all of the kids we've already got there. Other than runningback (and even that's debatable) there's no real hole that needs to be filled. They may end up just taking the highest rated guy on their board. 

The new OPI/DPI review rule might prove awkward. There's some level of pass interference, both offensive and defensive, on nearly every pass play. Handfighting down the field with defenders grabbing and receivers pushing off is the norm. Unless they limit it to blatant missed calls, and ignore the typical stuff, nearly every passing play could be overturned.

[teganslaw]

It will be interesting to see how often OPI and DPI calls are reviewed. That could help where blatant calls are missed (like the Rams-Saints Championship game) but could also lengthen the games, which already last about 3 hours.

Jay Ajayi had a good meeting with the Colts, according to an article, but still remains in contact with the Eagles. I don't think that he will end up with the Colts; it most likely would have already happened. The Eagles haven't signed a RB, so it wouldn't be surprising to see Ajayi stay with them for another year.

[gardenman]

Poor Eli Manning! Eagles fans are mean to him when he plays in Philly! Well, duh! If he thinks it was bad before, just wait til this year, now that he's told them it upsets him. It'll be ten times worse for him. 

The way to stop Philly fans from harassing you isn't by telling them how much it upsets you, but by telling them how much it motivates you. Tell them you love their passion and how it jacks you up to play in Philly and brings out your best. Tell them you wish every stadium was like Philly. Honor their intensity and use it to motivate you to excel.

Whining and crying that they're mean to you, only motivates the fans to ramp things up. He's trying to use gasoline to put out a fire by saying how much he hates playing in Philly. As bad as it was before, it'll be worse now. I think sometimes that Eli's equipment should include a pacifier instead of a mouthguard to keep him from crying. "Those mean old Eagle fans say bad things about me! Wah!!!"

[teganslaw]

It sounds like Eli needs a "safe space." He should be used to Eagles fans by now. Complaining will only make things worse for him.

The AAF might be discontinued after this weekend. The league wants to sign players from NFL practice squads, but the NFLPA isn't cooperating. A representative from the Player's Association said that it might violate the collective bargaining agreement between the NFL and NFLPA unless modifications can be made for player safety. If the AAF can't get the players they need, funding could be pulled. Another source could come up with the money, and if not, the AAF would just be discontinued.

Why wouldn't these rules be checked before the AAF started? The founders should have known about the agreement between the NFL and NFLPA ahead of time. They might have been able to work something out before the AAF was even established.

[Spurt]

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@gardenman wrote:

Poor Eli Manning! Eagles fans are mean to him when he plays in Philly! Well, duh! If he thinks it was bad before, just wait til this year, now that he's told them it upsets him. It'll be ten times worse for him. 

The way to stop Philly fans from harassing you isn't by telling them how much it upsets you, but by telling them how much it motivates you. Tell them you love their passion and how it jacks you up to play in Philly and brings out your best. Tell them you wish every stadium was like Philly. Honor their intensity and use it to motivate you to excel.

Whining and crying that they're mean to you, only motivates the fans to ramp things up. He's trying to use gasoline to put out a fire by saying how much he hates playing in Philly. As bad as it was before, it'll be worse now. I think sometimes that Eli's equipment should include a pacifier instead of a mouthguard to keep him from crying. "Those mean old Eagle fans say bad things about me! Wah!!!"

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@teganslaw 

.Eli is a wimp and he's gonna hear it from the Eagle fans LOL!!  

Yep,your right TEGAN....quiet the Philly fans by complimenting them  ....Of course there was an exception for even the usually complimentary Joe Gibbs .Instead what Philly did was fire up the Redskins and Redskin Head Coach Joe Gibbs to play their  best..and beat the Eagles!..

I'm sure @gardenman  remembers these two games---

In their Monday night game eight weeks earlier, the Redskins got physically crushed by the Philadelphia Eagles in the "Body Bag" game 28-14. That was bad enough, but the Eagles chose to rub it in their faces, taunting and trash talking by fans and players until the final gun on the field and in the locker room afterwards.

Sometimes, things just fall into place. Washington qualified for the playoffs as a wild card entry, and the seedings called for the Redskins to return to the scene of the crime, Veterans Stadium, for a first-round playoff contest. They would have their shot at revenge.

When facing the press in the days prior to a game, Gibbs was usually overly gracious in his comments about the opposition, making an even  2-10 team sound like the '60's Packers and their coach the second coming of St. Vincent. Not this week, though. When asked about Ryan, Gibbs stood stone-faced and talked about the challenges ahead.

One reporter caught Gibbs in an unguarded moment. It was January 3, the day before the game. Snow had fallen on New Year's Eve and the journalist noted that the snow still covered Gibbs' car in the parking lot at Redskins Park. In the hallway, the more Gibbs talked about Buddy, the madder he got. "I live to play a game like this one. I live to play this guy," Gibbs said, turning red-faced with rage. While this was hardly headline material or Eagle bulletin board fodder, it was very telling of the mood of the coach and team. They were clearly on a mission as they entered the Vet for the game.

The Redskins won 20-6. The win knocked the Eagles out of the playoffs which left some Eagle fans in shock, and  some of the Eagles fans booing at their own team....Revenge is sweet....

During a players-only meeting in the week before the game, the team had made a pact that they would not sink to the level of Philly and deliver "I told you so's" to the classless Eagles after the game. But the message was delivered to Buddy and his losing team after the game with a certain degree of subtlety. Clark said, "You'd better not question someone's character unless you're sure of the character you're talking about. This team has character, and hopefully this is just one step."

What a memory!  And a game that adds to the rivalry.  

[Spurt]

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@teganslaw wrote:

It sounds like Eli needs a "safe space." He should be used to Eagles fans by now. Complaining will only make things worse for him.

The AAF might be discontinued after this weekend. The league wants to sign players from NFL practice squads, but the NFLPA isn't cooperating. A representative from the Player's Association said that it might violate the collective bargaining agreement between the NFL and NFLPA unless modifications can be made for player safety. If the AAF can't get the players they need, funding could be pulled. Another source could come up with the money, and if not, the AAF would just be discontinued.

Why wouldn't these rules be checked before the AAF started? The founders should have known about the agreement between the NFL and NFLPA ahead of time. They might have been able to work something out before the AAF was even established.

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@teganslaw 

This is how it works with these minor leagues, that's why I didnt go to any games, even though my city's team was best in the west, and had the best crowds....As Emily Latella character on Saturday Night Live said....IT'S ALWAYS SOMETHING!!!.....This league seemed to be working well with the NFL, but apparently not the NFLPA...Polian should've known better....

[gardenman]

There's something goofy with the AAF funding. They almost shut down a week or two into the season and needed to be rescued. Salaries are manageable. They've got a TV contract. They've had decent attendance at the games. Something's a bit screwy there.