Sports

[Spurt]

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@gardenman wrote:

The insurance on a moat around a stadium would be insane! The potential liability claims could be in the hundreds of millions. You'd need lifeguards all around pretty much 24/7. If I was betting, I'd bet that never happens.

Kirk Cousins likely won't sign a fair market offer as he doesn't have to. The Redskins will pay him $34 million next year if they tag him again. Why sign for $20 million if you'll get $34 million if you don't sign?

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@gardenman

That design for the stadium is just CRAZY!!! A moat....PUHLEASE!!!! Gotta compete with Jerrah's Palace and that new stadium in LA I guess.............

I really like the Texan's stadium....very nice good site lines for viewing, comfortable seats, nice snack bar and lounge areas, has the big screen with all the stats and scores of other games....even a retractable roof...............No sci fi looking weird design, no moat, and no art work!!!!!!   If he wanted a moat he shouldve made it like the Romanian soccer club wanted to do....put the moat inside and fill it with real crocodiles to prevent rowdy fans from coming onto the field...........

[gardenman]

The moat is a no go. The costs of that would be insane. Just the insurance costs alone would be in the tens of millions each year. The filtration costs, cleaning costs, liability costs, are all more than a little crazy. The number of gallons of water a moat of that size would consume would likely be in the hundreds of thousands of gallons and likely millions of gallons of water. Treating, filtering, and maintaining that much water would be expensive.

If you see how much trash accumulates at the end of a game and assume that some of that ends up in the moat, maintaining the moat would be a nightmare. Keeping it algae free would be nearly impossible. About the only way to truly waterproof such a moat would be to use the polyurea coating on it and that's expensive.

People would get thrown into the moat. People would jump into the moat. People would use the moat as a giant urinal. Trash would pile up by the ton in the moat. Just leaves blowing into the moat in the fall would be a challenge to deal with. Unless you put a clear acrylic cover over the whole moat, it would be a nightmare to maintain.

I'm wondering if they devised the moat to trap whatever fans showed up and keep them in the stadium? The last couple of years has seen attendance at Redskins' games go down quite a bit, so maybe they've decided to contain the fans who do show up and keep them until the new stadium is filled. "Every seat is filled!" 

The Eagles start their first full team workouts today. That will give us the first hint at the depth chart and a chance to see how the new guys blend in. Center and left guard are the iffy positions for the Eagles right now. We don't really know who will fill those roles. We've got our returning guys and some new guys all competing for those spots. The media will be watching to see who lines up with the starters and then the subs. The rest of the offense is pretty much set for now. 

The defense is pretty much set. We just don't know who will be the starting corners. Jalen Mills will likely line up as a starter and then Patrick Robinson on the other side, but we'll see what happens there. With ninety players on the roster there will be lots of shuffling going on for a while. We have a linebacker and defensive end who were going to make the team last year coming out of camp only to tear their ACL's and end up on the IR list. They could be big pieces this year.

The OTA's always end up with the media raving about a few guys who they didn't expect much from, and then panning a few vets who know nothing that happens now really matters all that much and will turn it on come training camp. By the time these next few weeks end the media will have an unheralded rookie or two going into the Pro Football Hall of Fame and several veterans likely getting cut. Then when training camp ends and the roster is finalized, some of those sure thing Hall of Famers will get cut and the vets who were in danger of getting cut will be the starters.

[Spurt]

@gardenman

Well attendance started to go down after Redskin fans just got fed up with Snyder and it all culminated when fans showed their displeasure with the Monday Night Football "protest game" with signs and such voicing their displeasure. with Snyder and state of the team. .....that's why Snyder's name hasnt really come up in the conversation lately.....athough the fiasco involving Bruce Allen & Scot took them back to team drama status......But still the team had a decent draft and if they can sign Cousins to a long term deal would go a way to bringing fans back by fielding a competitive team...

I think Snyder was looking to show off with that moat and make it truly unique but if there is any thinking about ACTUAL REALITY it REALLY be nixed for the reasons you state and more...LOL!!!.....And using it as a urinal would be logical.....just ask Houston and their downtown fountains....the #1 Restroom choice of the homeless....but that's H Town for you......LOL!!!  

The Redskins D will be more aggressive, more attacking, more blitzing, and "beating the qwap out of people"..............

On offense Cousins will have to adjust with different and taller WRs and it looks like last year's first round draft pick, Doctson is ready to go..............And like you said @gardenman  coaches and the media will be ready to declare some players ready for the "hall of fame" the way they will be talking it up....LOL...Should be interesting............

[Spurt]

@teganslaw

It looks like shaving off from the Overtime by 5 minutes is a done deal....and they do cite player safety as you mention......I guess they think cutting it by 5 minutes will cut down on the number of plays and possible injuries.....Some were saying why not do away with OT altogether during the regular season and go with a tie....but wouldnt that complicate possible playoff berths.....who knows!!!  

[teganslaw]

I've been trying to think of the reasoning behind a moat around the stadium, but can't come up with any. Originally, a moat was built around a castle as a defense aganst enemies. Maybe the moat would be Washington's new type of defense against opposing teams. Seriously, I don't think it will happen.

I've been watching the show "All or Nothing: a Season with the 2015 AZ Cardinals." It's on NFL Network and streaming on Amazon. I've seen three episodes, and highly recommend it. I didn't see the series when it was televised last year, and am getting caught up. It doesn't matter who one's favorite team is; the film is for any football fan.

[gardenman]

@teganslaw

"All or Nothing" is fantastic! I watched it last year and again this year on Amazon Prime. It's funny watching the ups and downs of a season. In the first episode the Cards were convinced they were getting the kid running back they coveted, only to have a team jump ahead of them to get him.  They then "settled" for David Johnson who's better than the kid they wanted. Towards the end of the series when they're playing the Packers it's fun to watch the coaches preparing the team for Aaron Rodgers' hail Mary passes only to have him hit one on them despite all the coaching.

[teganslaw]

Grigson has a new job: Senior Personnel Executive with the Browns. He didn't do a good job for the Colts, why does Cleveland think he'll do well with them?  Maybe it will work out, but I don't see things changing for Cleveland anytime soon unless their draft picks do an outstanding job this season.

[gardenman]

Grigson was originally with the Eagles and did a good job, that's how he got the GM job with the Colts. Things didn't go so well with the Colts however. Was it all Grigson's fault, or a combination? I suspect it was a combination of factors. Sometimes a GM can just be unlucky and draft someone who everyone loves, only to have the guy flop. Sometimes you need a player or two at a position that's not deep in the draft and you've got to reach for a guy. Sometimes the coaches change their mind about the type of player they want. More often than not free agent signings disappoint.

You would have liked to see Grigson do for Andrew Luck what the Eagles are doing for Carson Wentz this year, and that's surround him with talent. I think we have twelve offensive linemen on the roster right now who have started games in the NFL, plus some talented rookies and second year guys. Carson Wentz will have a solid o-line this year. We just signed Blount, we had Sproles, and some fast kids at running back. We added a bunch of new receivers.

Andrew Luck never really had that level of support. Part of that is because the Colts defense was fairly abysmal and lots of resources had to go to patch that up. Part of that was just missing on guys. When you miss on a free agent or draft pick, it creates a new hole that has to be filled and you've only got so many options available. Grigson was kind of trying to juggle three things with just two hands and every now and then a fourth ball would come along. Pretty much every year the Colts were competitive enough to stay out of the top of the draft where they'd be most likely to get a 'sure thing' player, but not good enough to compete for the Super Bowl. Being in that middle of the pack can complicate the life of a GM.

[Spurt]

Well although Redskin CB Josh Norman had said he was surprised at all the animosity between fans and players between the teams in the NFC East, looks like he's adding fuel to the fire with there was going to be bad blood this year with his battles with the Giant's Odell Beckham Jr and the Cowboys Dez Bryant.   And saying if you thought the NFC East didnt like each other before, watch this year---there's going to be a lot of fines and maybe some suspensions.....it's going to get ugly!!!  One of the differences he said will be because he actually has a safety with an attitude on the team with him this year. (DJ Swearinger)...and even if things go south, Norman is going to let all heck break loose........So it sounds like the battles between teams in the NFC East will be VERY INTERESTING.....my only question, @gardenman  why didnt Norman mention any of the Eagle's WRs..............

The Redskins have now signed all their draft picks.....all but one had been signed earlier in May except for CB Fabian Moreau who just got signed today.........hmmm with no GM who did all that signing?????????

@teganslaw

I saw that the Colts have been impressed with the 4th round pick, Marlon Mack---good vision, quickness and explosiveness...........

They said the Colt's punter, Pat McAfee didnt like Grigson either and tweeted a couple of words out on Twitter...LOL!!!  ......gotta love a punter like that!!! ..

Current GM Ballard said Grigson did deserve credit for one thing, he added offensive line talent in 2016, Ballard said it helped him because this years OL draft class was weak?  What do you think??????

The Browns have a baseball analytic guy on board....so who knows what that team saw to pick up Grigson.........The Browns are one strange team...........

[gardenman]

@Spurt

On the Bleeding Green Nation website they have a story about Josh Norman and his showdowns with Alshon Jeffery over the last couple of years and suffice to say, Alshon has gotten the better of those by a wide margin, so I think that's why Josh was unusually subdued talking about Alshon. Alshon is a big, bad dude on the football field and you're better off not provoking him.

I saw an interview with Kirk Cousins the other day where he said he was upbeat about the direction negotiations were going, but he'd have to see where they stood in July when the deadline comes along. I get the impression he's not signing unless they knock his socks off.

Reports out of Eagles camp is that the new kids are looking good. Derek Barnett has been working on his spin move and surprised watchers who thought it was a bit blah in college. He's stepped it up substantially and if he can combine his speed rush with the spin move, he could be quite a force.