Does anybody else find it curious that as soon as the Hartmann lawsuit was settled the Texans org switched to field turf?
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The #Titans have waived QB Zach Mettenberger, who was the primary backup last year. Should find out his destination tomorrow.
Does anybody else find it curious that as soon as the Hartmann lawsuit was settled the Texans org switched to field turf?
Blank stressed that the prices are not short-term, a gimmick to celebrate the opening of the stadium; they are part of a "core philosophy" to say thank you to fans for their loyalty.
- $2 – Non-alcoholic beverage products with unlimited free refills
- $2 – Dasani bottled water; hot dogs; pretzels; popcorn
- $3 – Peanuts; pizza; nachos; waffle fries
- $5 – 12 oz. domestic beer
Falcons announce fan-friendly concessions pricing for new stadium
Just a gimmick regardless of what Blank said? Could this catch on elsewhere? Will the Texans be the best teammates they can be and give it a go?
It'll be offset by ticket prices... or parking or both. Owners not gonna give away money
Volume. I'd buy stuff at those prices. As is, I sneak in a bag of M&Ms & a fifth of whiskey
You know, I always thought that more people would probably buy more if prices weren't so stupid, but then I walk by the concessions and see that the lines are a mile long. I hear people complain all the time about concession prices, $10 beer, $7 nachos, $5 bag of peanuts, but I don't see the lines any shorter.
Source: NFL to investigate Ravens for using full pads with rookies
5:31 PM ET
- Jamison HensleyESPN Staff Writer
The Baltimore Ravens will be investigated for using full pads at a recent rookie minicamp, which is a violation of the collective bargaining agreement, a league source said.
A Ravens official said the team is unaware of any investigation but explained there was a five-minute period on May 6 when rookies and first-year players suited up in pads during a non-contact punt protection drill. The team believed rookie minicamp didn't fall under the same rules as the organized team activities and immediately pulled players off the field once it received clarification from players' union representative Benjamin Watson, according to a Ravens official.
Teams are not allowed to suit up in full pads until training camp. Offseason rules have become more strict since 2011, when the latest CBA was passed.
For an investigation to begin, a player has to report a violation to the union or league. A Ravens official said everything can be verified because all practices were taped.
In 2010, the Ravens were disciplined by the NFL after six players complained to the players' union about late meetings and two others reported being held too long on the field after practice. Baltimore had to cancel the final week of offseason workouts.
Seth Walder @SethWalderNYDN 22h22 hours ago
Chan Gailey at David Harris' golf event. Said Hackenberg retained a lot from pro-style offense with O'Brien.
From PFT:
****************
Report: NFL believes Ravens knew rules banning use of pads
Posted by Josh Alper on May 18, 2016, 3:42 PM EDT
Earlier this week, a report surfaced that the NFL would investigate the Ravens for using full pads during a portion of a practice during their recent rookie minicamp.
The Ravens responded to the report by saying that players were in the pads for five minutes because the team was unaware that CBA rules barred their use during rookie minicamps and that players were pulled from the field to remove them when they were made aware.
Adam Schefter of ESPN reports that the NFL isn’t convinced by the team’s explanation. Per Schefter, the league believes the team was aware of the rules and moved forward anyway.
As anyone who followed Deflategate is surely aware, the phrase “generally aware” played a big role in the eventual punishment handed down to Patriots quarterback Tom Brady. Schefter reports that the NFL’s belief that the Ravens were more than generally aware “will factor into potential discipline.”
The potential punishments include fines, lost practice time, and forfeited draft picks, although the loss of draft picks is called for only after multiple violations in the same year.
***********************
Then how were a 3rd and a 6th taken away from the Chiefs for tampering with Jeremy Maclin last year?
Jaguars Ramsey injured:
http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/15612641/jalen-ramsey-jacksonville-jaguars
Things depend on which meniscus was torn (medial vs. lateral) and where on the meniscus the tear is located, and if the nature of the tear with the blood supply carries an option of repair vs. excision. If he's smart, he will have his meniscus repaired if that option is viable. But if he wants to think short-term and be prepared to play sometime this season, he will probably chose the simple procedure. Taking that approach can set him up though for a Clowney experience, especially if this "small" tear is synonymous with the typical "minor" we initially hear so often.alright CnnD. What's the prognosis?
Heh-heh-heh.
From PFT:
Jaguars hopeful Jalen Ramsey “will play a lot of football for us this year”
Posted by Darin Gantt on May 23, 2016, 5:44 AM EDT
The next few days will be nervous ones for Jaguars coaches, as they await further word on the status of their latest first-round pick to injure himself in the spring.
According to Peter King of TheMMQB.com, Jaguars cornerback Jalen Ramsey is getting a second opinion on his torn meniscus from Dr. James Andrews either today or tomorrow, though the team is still hoping to hear good news.
“Jalen will play a lot of football for us this year,” Jaguars General Manager Dave Caldwell said. “It’s not anywhere near as severe as Dante’s.”
Dante, of course, is 2015 first-round pick Dante Fowler, who tore his ACL last May in minicamp and was lost for the season.
The Jaguars are also expected to dispute the reports Ramsey had a previous microfracture surgery, which only bolsters their confidence that the injury may not be as drastic as the one which cost Fowler to miss his entire first season.
***********************************
Disputing history of previous microfracture surgery? After it has been so well-documented in personal interviews of Jalen and his father?
Being that we're several years post surgery... wouldn't that be a good sign for the microfracture surgery being a success? I mean he played at a high level the past three years right?
To me he looks like the dude in the middleHe should be QB of the Bucs. He seriously looks like their old logo.
To me he looks like the dude in the middle
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oooooooooooooo oooooooooooooooooooooo
Yet another Jacksonville Jaguar is dealing with an injury.
This time it’s center Luke Bowanko, who has a torn labrum in his right hip and will need surgery. The Jaguars have announced that Bowanko will be placed on the Physically Unable to Perform list.
another Jacksonville Jaguar is dealing with an injury.
Jaguars rookie CB Jalen Ramsey has surgery to repair torn meniscus
12:28 PM ET
Mike DiRoccoESPN Staff Writer
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- Jacksonville Jaguars rookie cornerback Jalen Ramsey underwent surgery Tuesday morning to repair a torn meniscus in his right knee but the team expects him to return in time for the start of training camp in late July.
"That's great news," coach Gus Bradley said after the team's second day of OTAs. "That's what we had hoped for. We knew all the scenarios.
"... It sounds like come training camp he should be ready to go. Full go.
The reporting must be incorrect. If he is expected back by the start of TC, he didn't have a repair.......he must have opted for the excision.
(Cary Edmondson, USA TODAY Sports)
Cincinnati Bengals TE Tyler Eifert (ankle) will undergo a ‘minimal procedure’ on his left ankle soon, and he is expected to need three months to recover, according to multiple sources. Eifert initially injured the ankle in the Pro Bowl and initial estimates for his recovery were promising, but his ankle hasn’t since responded.
New replay rule has a significant potential loophole
Posted by Mike Florio on May 25, 2016, 10:37 AM EDT
As mentioned on Tuesday (but thereafter forgotten by me), the NFL’s new replay rule has one specific facet that merits closer attention. The twist in question resulted either from shoddy rule-drafting — or from a subtle but nevertheless deliberate effort to make a potentially dramatic change to the rules.
Here’s the key portion of the provision, which expands last year’s practice for the postseason to all games: “The Replay Official and designated members of the Officiating Department at the League office may consult with the on-field officials to provide information on the correct application of playing rules, including appropriate assessment of penalty yardage, proper down, and status of the game clock.”
As written, it’s not entirely clear whether “appropriate assessment of penalty yardage, proper down, and status of the game clock” represent the only circumstances in which consultation is permitted. While that’s likely the intent, the rule as written arguably allows consultation with on-field officials “to provide information on the correct application of playing rules” generally, with the list following the term “including” being only examples of what is permitted.
On one hand, if the new procedure were intended to have broader relevance, the word “including” would have been followed by “but not limited to.” On the other hand, if the rule were intended to be restricted solely to the “appropriate assessment of penalty yardage, proper down, and status of the game clock,” it should have been written more clearly.
For example: “The Replay Official and designated members of the Officiating Department at the League office may consult with the on-field officials to provide information regarding the appropriate assessment of penalty yardage, proper down, and status of the game clock.”
Or: “The Replay Official and designated members of the Officiating Department at the League office may consult with the on-field officials to provide information on the correct application of playing rules relating to the appropriate assessment of penalty yardage, proper down, and status of the game clock.”
Or: “The Replay Official and designated members of the Officiating Department at the League office may consult with the on-field officials to provide information on the correct application of playing rules, including appropriate assessment of penalty yardage, proper down, status of the game clock, and nothing more.”
So either someone did a subpar job of writing this fairly important sentence or someone knew exactly what he or she was doing, with the goal of allowing the league office to provide real-time assistance to on-field officials on any and all matters relating to “the correct application of playing rules.”
On one hand, I was reluctant to point this out, because I fully support the unlimited use of the communication system between the league office and the officiating crew in each and every stadium, in an effort to get every call right. On the other hand, if that power is going to be woven into the rules, it needs to be done in a way that is clear to everyone — including the 32 folks who voted on the new rule.
Again, there’s a chance the someone simply didn’t write the rule as well as it could have been written. Either way, it’s a situation the cries out for clarification at some point before the 2016 football season commences.
NFL fines John Harbaugh, cancels a week of Ravens’ OTAs
Posted by Michael David Smith on May 26, 2016, 2:05 PM EDT
The Ravens and head coach John Harbaugh have been punished by the NFL for breaking the rule requiring rookie minicamp to consist only of non-contact practices without pads.
“We made a mistake and we are sorry for that. We accept the NFL discipline,” the Ravens said in a statement.
That discipline will consist of a fine for both Harbaugh individually and the Ravens as a team, as well as forfeiting their OTAs which had been scheduled to take place June 1-3.
The Ravens used the word “mistake” in their statement, but the NFL reportedly believes that the Ravens knew the rule against full-pad practices at rookie minicamp and violated it anyway. That’s not a mistake, it’s a conscious effort to break a rule that all teams must abide by.
The decision to fine the Ravens and dock them some practices is consistent with language in the Collective Bargaining Agreement that says more stringent penalties — including losing draft picks — will only be imposed if a team breaks the rule multiple times in a year. But in a league where there’s a widespread belief that the rules are enforced inconsistently, fans of other teams will surely say the Ravens are getting off easy.
Star WR Mike Evans spreads the light after dark past
Evans to give back to Galveston after shining at A&M, NFL
By Aaron Wilson
May 25, 2016 Updated: May 26, 2016 10:30am
Growing up in Galveston, Mike Evans endured a lot of dark, stormy times.
When Evans, a former football star at Texas A&M, was 9, his father Mickey was murdered by a family member.
Sam Kilgore, Evans' uncle, stabbed and shot Mickey Evans after becoming enraged by the domestic violence his sister, Heather Kilgore, had been subjected to by Evans' dad.
Evans visited his uncle in prison, eventually forgiving the man who killed his childhood hero. Evans later learned of the shocking revelation that set off his uncle. Kilgore, who was originally sentenced to 38 years, is serving a life sentence for killing his cellmate a decade ago.
"It's pretty horrific, but my mom and I stayed strong," Evans said. "Things happen in life that you can't explain and have to go through. I'm lucky to be blessed to have a lot of people that made it easier for me to grow up and transition to the young man I've become. I had mentors. I had a lot of great friends and people in my life. It helps. You've got to live on."
Now and during his difficult childhood, the towering Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver always embraces the light.
Getting the ball rolling
"I just like seeing other people happy," said Evans, who's holding his first youth football camp July 2 at Ball High School in Galveston. "When I was younger, Casey Hampton always came back and did his football camp in Galveston, and that resonated with me. I want to do this annually as long as I'm in the league and even when I'm out of the league.
"I want them to get to have the experience of being around an NFL player that I enjoyed with Casey Hampton (a Pro Bowl nose tackle with the Pittsburgh Steelers). I want to show them that anything is possible being from Galveston.
"Most kids dream of playing sports, but I want to tell them to stay level-headed, stay in school and be coachable. I've been through a lot and I've never let adversity stop me from living out my dreams."
Growing up in Galveston, Evans, 22, lived through Hurricane Ike when he was 15 and avoided trouble in the area's housing projects.
"It's tough," Evans said. "You've got to worry every year about hurricanes. … People don't think about that. They think it's just a beach. It's more of a tourist town now, but when I was growing up there, it was a lot of projects.
"I grew up in the projects and we eventually moved to a decent house, but you're always around stuff. … A lot of my friends live in the projects. It's not that bad of a place, but I wouldn't want my kid living there. It helps mold you."
Striving to be the best
Today, Evans has emerged as one of the top wide receivers in the game.
Drafted seventh overall out of A&M, the 6-5, 231-pound former consensus All-American has 142 receptions for 2,257 receiving yards in his first two NFL seasons to rank 12th in receiving yardage during that span. He has 15 touchdowns.
As a rookie, Evans set a franchise record with 12 TD catches as he finished with 68 catches for 1,051 yards. Last season, Evans was even more productive with 74 catches for 1,206 yards and three scores.
"I'm never going to settle for second best," said Evans, who's entering the third year of a four-year rookie contract worth $14.6 million. "I think I can be the best receiver in the league. That's my goal, year in and year out. I want to play in this league for a real long time. I want to dominate and help my team win. I just have to stay injury-free. I'm healthy. I feel really good."
'I've come a long way'
Sports have always been a natural fit for Evans. He averaged 18.3 points and 8.4 rebounds in basketball at Ball, where he was an all-district selection as a senior in his lone season playing football, catching 25 passes for 648 yards and seven touchdowns. He doubled as a track standout as a sprinter, triple jumper and long jumper.
As a redshirt freshman at A&M, Evans caught 82 passes for 1,105 yards and five touchdowns
He declared early for the draft after a final season in College Station in which he caught 69 passes for 1,394 yards and 12 touchdowns as the primary wide receiver for star-crossed quarterback Johnny Manziel.
"I've come a long way," said Evans, who's looking forward to a second season catching passes from the Buccaneers' top overall pick Jameis Winston. "We're going to have better chemistry. We're hanging out more, doing everything necessary to make sure it's a great year for both of us. Jameis is one of the hardest workers I've ever been around. We're going to do a lot of great things together."
Hometown hoopla
Evans' football camp is being held through a partnership with the Galveston Regional Chamber of Commerce (registration available at galvestonchamber.com) and is intended for children ages 8 to 14. The camp will include football drills and stress the importance of teamwork and education. Former A&M wide receivers Ryan Swope and Travis Labhart are scheduled to attend.
"I've always wanted to have a camp in Galveston," said Evans, who will give T-shirts and meals to all the campers along with prizes for the winners of drills and races. "I'm really happy to do a free camp in my hometown.
"I'm going to be really hands-on, and it'll be a lot of fun."
Evans married Ashli Dotson in Houston in February. Evans' wife is pregnant and the couple are in the process of moving into a new home in Tampa, Fla.
Evans' mother plans to attend his football camp.
"She sets a great example," Evans said. "She gives me a lot of guidance."
When the Jets leaked word that they’re offering free agent quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick a contract that would pay him $12 million this year, the clear implication was that it’s a good offer. The reality is that, for a starting quarterback in today’s NFL, it’s not a good offer.
As for the Panthers saying that they intend to return to the Super Bowl this year, it is interesting to note that no Super Bowl loser has been back the next season in 23 years.
“Mario Williams, yeah, but he is making $17 million dollars [in Miami]. Guess what, it wasn’t going to happen. Now look, with some of the comments [he made], do I wish him well? Not really. But, he’s on Miami. If he would have gone somewhere else, maybe. He’s a good kid, but I am used to some mean motherf—ers that play out there. The Terrell Suggs, Jarrett Johnsons of the world. I screwed them, too; I had them drop [into coverage], too. Not one of them bitched. Von Miller [dropped into coverage] in the Super Bowl. Why? Because that’s what’s asked of him; that’s what his job is. Your job is to play. Coaches spend a hell of a lot more time studying tape and everything else. They are trying to put the team in the best position to be successful, not an individual.”