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NFL Random Thought of the Day

TheRealJoker V2 said:
Agree to disagree on Fields. I don’t think he’s a world beater but I think if he had the coaches LJ had throughout his career he’d be a solid starter with flashes for more. But I don’t think you can go deep in the playoffs with him.

Sure Lawrence would fetch a bounty on the open market. But that doesn’t mean a team can go deep in the playoffs with him. WD40 fetched a bounty on the trade market and there were plenty of people then who had reservations about his ability to go deep in the playoffs… definitely more now. Lawrence is in the Dak tier imo. Teams will invest because that’s an above average starting QB. But imo that’s not a “get to the conference championship/Super Bowl” QB.
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You're not just disagreeing with my opinion, you're disagreeing with the NFL on Fields. His value, to at least one team, was a 6th round pick. Fields has a chance to turn the narrative around in Pittsburgh, but that doesn't change the fact that to this point he has not been a good NFL QB.

I hate bring Watson into a conversation because it always goes off the rails. But he had a career 104 passer rating in Houston. Led the league in passing yards and yards/completion in his last season. That's why despite the thunderous black clouds hanging over his head, the Texans still received a bounty of picks.

Lawrence would receive the same, if not more. Former 1st overall pick, won a playoff game in comeback fashion, and is still considered one of the more talented QBs in the league. Lawrence is not one of the top QBs, yet. But a team that doesn't have a QB of Lawrence's ability would gladly pay him. Which is why the Jags did. TBD if that will work out for them. Still, every other NFL team would do the same.
 
CloakNNNdagger said:
The average fan cannot afford the all-or-nothing deal of the Sunday Ticket. NFL Sunday Ticket is for 4 non-cancellable payments of $112.25/mo or $202449/yr. Monthly payment plans are not available in many locations. And in addition, it requires at least a YouTube TV Base plan for an additional $57.99/mo for your first 3 months (save $45) and $72.99/mo for the last 2 months of the season thereafter. All discounts go away next week.

That's a total outlay of ~$768. There are no mini packages for fans to follow their favorite out of town teams or divisions.F
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We have all heard of this thing called supply and demand. If there is not enough demand at the price for Sunday Ticket, the price will lower or the package will go away. Let the market decide.

When I lived outside of Houston in the 90's, I would find a restaurant or bar that had the Texans on a TV. There are options in finding a game not in your area. I just don't see how the NFL, the Sunday Ticket carrier, or anyone else has conspired to defraud the NFL fan. All NFL fans have options.
 
Lucky said:
You're not just disagreeing with my opinion, you're disagreeing with the NFL on Fields. His value, to at least one team, was a 6th round pick. Fields has a chance to turn the narrative around in Pittsburgh, but that doesn't change the fact that to this point he has not been a good NFL QB.

I hate bring Watson into a conversation because it always goes off the rails. But he had a career 104 passer rating in Houston. Led the league in passing yards and yards/completion in his last season. That's why despite the thunderous black clouds hanging over his head, the Texans still received a bounty of picks.

Lawrence would receive the same, if not more. Former 1st overall pick, won a playoff game in comeback fashion, and is still considered one of the more talented QBs in the league. Lawrence is not one of the top QBs, yet. But a team that doesn't have a QB of Lawrence's ability would gladly pay him. Which is why the Jags did. TBD if that will work out for them. Still, every other NFL team would do the same.
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I agree with you that i’m in the minority on Fields. If any coach can get him turned around it’ll be Tomlin. Him and Wilson for that matter. More of a game manager type role, lean on the defense. I think very highly of Tomlin, he did an incredible job last season with the roster he had. But I think it’s generally accepted Tomlin is a top 5 coach.

I also think the QB market is bonkers. And I think that is generally accepted. It’s ridiculous what a QB that most likely wont get you to a Super Bowl will command. Teams are desperate for that guy though. But there’s not a single metric I see where Lawrence should be paid anywhere near Joe Burrow.
 
The Chiefs are beginning to become a criminal holding tank.............

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Chiefs DT Isaiah Buggs faces another criminal charge
Published June 16, 2024 12:28 PM

The Chiefs’ unusual offseason continues.

PFT has confirmed that defensive lineman Isaiah Buggs has been arrested, again. This time, he’s charged with domestic violence/burglary. (Ryan Phillips of Tuscaloosa Patch had it first, as best we can tell.)

Court records show a $5,000 bond. It’s not clear whether he has been released from custody.

Buggs was charged last month with a pair of misdemeanors in an animal cruelty case. His lawyer argued that the prior charges were part of an ongoing “subversive campaign” to force the closure of a hookah lounge Buggs that owns in Tuscaloosa.

The 27-year-old Buggs was a sixth-round pick of the Steelers in 2019. He has spent time with the Raiders and Lions. He joined the Kansas City practice squad in January, and has since been signed to the 90-man roster.
 
1718570010084.png

Myles Garrett yesterday was wearing a full compression sleeve on left leg at his youth camp after tweaking hamstring in minicamp. He left minicamp 2 days ago. He says he's OK. It is never good to have any hamstring problem going into a season as it remains a risk for re-injury for a long time.
 
TheRealJoker V2 said:
Agree to disagree on Fields. I don’t think he’s a world beater but I think if he had the coaches LJ had throughout his career he’d be a solid starter with flashes for more. But I don’t think you can go deep in the playoffs with him.

Sure Lawrence would fetch a bounty on the open market. But that doesn’t mean a team can go deep in the playoffs with him. WD40 fetched a bounty on the trade market and there were plenty of people then who had reservations about his ability to go deep in the playoffs… definitely more now. Lawrence is in the Dak tier imo. Teams will invest because that’s an above average starting QB. But imo that’s not a “get to the conference championship/Super Bowl” QB.
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I certainly would let Lawrence walk. No need to ruin you're cap for a slightly above avg QB.
 
Lucky said:
You're not just disagreeing with my opinion, you're disagreeing with the NFL on Fields. His value, to at least one team, was a 6th round pick. Fields has a chance to turn the narrative around in Pittsburgh, but that doesn't change the fact that to this point he has not been a good NFL QB.

I hate bring Watson into a conversation because it always goes off the rails. But he had a career 104 passer rating in Houston. Led the league in passing yards and yards/completion in his last season. That's why despite the thunderous black clouds hanging over his head, the Texans still received a bounty of picks.

Lawrence would receive the same, if not more. Former 1st overall pick, won a playoff game in comeback fashion, and is still considered one of the more talented QBs in the league. Lawrence is not one of the top QBs, yet. But a team that doesn't have a QB of Lawrence's ability would gladly pay him. Which is why the Jags did. TBD if that will work out for them. Still, every other NFL team would do the same.
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But BOB sucked as his HC.

Truth is the Pervert and Lawrence aren't winning a SB. Move on, however I understand for marketing purposes they had to extend Lawrence and as an org that's a terrible place to be in.
 
CloakNNNdagger said:
The Browns had red zone seven-on-seven sessions on both of Watson’s minicamp throwing days. Though Watson was reported to seemingly having have normal velocity and an above-average completion rate in the standard seven-on-seven sessions, he went 0-for-8 between Tuesday and Thursday in the red zone. The last of Watson’s five red zone throws Thursday was intercepted by linebacker Tony Fields II.
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Shouldn’t this be posted in the NFL section and not the Texans section?
 
badboy said:
I would not want to be the Dolphins either after they extend Tua.
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Tua is in a different situation. He still carries injury concerns, despite playing in every 2023 game. Also, questions regarding how much of Tua's success is from the system he plays and the talent that surrounds him. I don't see Tua getting the $250+ million deal.
 
Lucky said:
Tua is in a different situation. He still carries injury concerns, despite playing in every 2023 game. Also, questions regarding how much of Tua's success is from the system he plays and the talent that surrounds him. I don't see Tua getting the $250+ million deal.
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What's different? They're both slightly above avg QB's that are going to get paid.
 
Roger Goodell, Jerry Jones will both testify as soon as today in Sunday Ticket trial
By Mike Florio

Published June 17, 2024 10:52 AM

As the multi-billion-dollar ticket Sunday Ticket trial against the NFL resumes, the man in charge of the multi-billion-dollar business — along with the multi-billionaire who ones one of the 32 franchises — are poised to take the stand.

On Monday, Commissioner Roger Goodell is scheduled testify, according to Sports Business Journal. Cowboys owner Jerry Jones is also slated to testify this week, “possibly as soon as today.”

That would be unlikely. An economic expert called by the NFL was still on the stand when the trial broke for the week. That will eat into part of the day. And Goodell’s testimony likely won’t be short; his cross-examination will surely be aggressive and robust.

Based on the way he testified at deposition two years ago in the case involving the question of whether the league will be eligible for insurance coverage in connection with the concussion settlement, he might be inclined to engage in swordplay with the lawyer who questions him — which won’t make for a short session on the witness stand.

Goodell might take a different approach when testifying in front of a judge and a jury. In a deposition, it’s just the lawyers and a court reporter; the witness can be tempted to try to take over. In open court, acting that way can lead to a very bad outcome.

Similar concerns apply to Jones, who at times seems to believe he can sweet talk and wink his way out of any jam. The more the witness says, the more fodder the lawyer has for follow-up questions.

The biggest challenge for both men will be to submit to the authority of the court. Goodell and Jones are very much accustomed to having others submit to them.

The case focuses on the allegation that the NFL requires the Sunday Ticket provider to charge a premium price, so that consumers would be more likely to watch the over-the-air offerings from their local CBS and Fox affiliates. Evidence introduced to date supports the notion that the league preferred fewer subscribers at a high price, and that the league did not want (for example) ESPN to offer the package for $70 per year or to make a per-team option available.

The verdict could be enormous. Its implications could revolutionize the way fans consume NFL content on Sunday afternoons.
 
ESPN wanted to provide Sunday Ticket for $70 yearly, making it more affordable for millions than now.

I'd personally do it at $70. That's affordable for me. It would have also unbundled it from having to subscribe to DTV and more recently YouTube TV - another expense on top of the almost $400 yearly subscription.

I don't know why it would harm Fox and CBS - those games would still be broadcast on those channels. They would just be available to more out of markey viewers. Those commercials would still run. If you're a fan of the Eagles and you live in Chicago...you might not watch any games at all if you're limited to Chicago TV. Some people are really only fans of one team and largely ignore other games. By allowing that guy the ability to pay $70, he can watch all the Eagles games from Chicago while watching all the same commercials he would be doing if he were living in Philly.

So, how is the idea that you're charging more, thus keeping the Sub count down, somehow helping CBS and Fox? I don't get it.
 
Porky said:
ESPN wanted to provide Sunday Ticket for $70 yearly, making it more affordable for millions than now.
I'd personally do it at $70. That's affordable for me. It would have also unbundled it from having to subscribe to DTV and more recently YouTube TV - another expense on top of the almost $400 yearly subscription.

I don't know why it would harm Fox and CBS - those games would still be broadcast on those channels. They would just be available to more out of markey viewers. Those commercials would still run. If you're a fan of the Eagles and you live in Chicago...you might not watch any games at all if you're limited to Chicago TV. Some people are really only fans of one team and largely ignore other games. By allowing that guy the ability to pay $70, he can watch all the Eagles games from Chicago while watching all the same commercials he would be doing if he were living in Philly.

So, how is the idea that you're charging more, thus keeping the Sub count down, somehow helping CBS and Fox? I don't get it.
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When Fox and CBS signed their multibillion agreement with the NFL, it for them having exclusive rights for those games..................$.2.2 B for Fox and $2.1 B for CBS.

Additionally, the NFL Sunday Ticket may technically have all the games, but they are subject to blackout rules. So if a game is on a local channel for where you are located then it must be watched there because that channel has the rights to the game.
 
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CloakNNNdagger said:
The average fan cannot afford the all-or-nothing deal of the Sunday Ticket. NFL Sunday Ticket is for 4 non-cancellable payments of $112.25/mo or $202449/yr. Monthly payment plans are not available in many locations. And in addition, it requires at least a YouTube TV Base plan for an additional $57.99/mo for your first 3 months (save $45) and $72.99/mo for the last 2 months of the season thereafter. All discounts go away next week.

That's a total outlay of ~$768. There are no mini packages for fans to follow their favorite out of town teams or divisions.F

NFL Sunday Ticket does not include preseason games.
Thursday Night Football on Amazon Prime is not available on YouTube TV.
Postseason games are not included.



YouTube has admitted that the NFL Sunday Ticket advertising revenues are expected to account for a drop in the bucket compared to the NFL Sunday Ticket subscription revenues.

Soooooooooooooooo...................where do you think that the make up will come from in subsequent years?

It should be interesting to follow the pending class action lawsuit by NFL Sunday Ticket subscribers vs the NFL and Direct TV................and how it may affect the NFL and the new YouTube deal.

Why 2.4 million NFL Sunday Ticket subscribers could become eligible for over $6 billion payout​

How will the NFL resolve this potentially expensive dispute?
Christopher Smith
May 30, 2024 at 2:00 PM ET
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I paid $389 total for Sunday Ticket plus the Red Zone this year, 4 x $97.25 to watch my team. No YT TV or any of that crap. I don't want it so I just do the ST and RZ. In years past, after a 2 year agreement I'd call DTV and threaten to cancel if they didn't give me Sunday Ticket for free, new remotes, equipment etc. and it worked so I've paid for it about half the time. I've worked my ass off so its my treat to me and my wife knows what to expect come the NFL season.......
 
Berry has been elated that Watson's arm has not fallen off. :tiphat:

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Andrew Berry: Deshaun Watson “really actually ahead of schedule” in shoulder rehab
By Charean Williams
Published June 17, 2024 06:14 PM

Deshaun Watson called his right shoulder injury “a big scare,” but the Browns quarterback said last week he was “in a very comfortable spot” in his rehab.

The Browns have taken a deliberate approach to Watson’s return from Nov. 21 surgery to repair a displaced fracture to the glenoid in his shoulder.

He took mental reps and install reps for much of the offseason program, not throwing in the team periods during organized team activities, before finishing the minicamp by working up to 7-on-7 work.

Browns General Manager Andrew Berry addressed Watson’s rehab plan during an appearance on NFL Media on Monday.

“First and foremost, Deshaun has really worked his tail off during the rehabilitation process over the last several months,” Berry said. “He’s really actually ahead of schedule. He’s really champing at the bit to take the governor off so to speak, but really, he’s had a really nice spring. He’s thrown the ball well. Did a really nice job during our 7-on-7 and team periods during this veteran minicamp. So, we’re excited as he gets into training camp and gets the pads on.

“He’s making excellent progress. Honestly if you didn’t know he got hurt last year, you really wouldn’t be able to tell the difference. We’re very excited once camp starts.”

Watson should be ready to graduate to team drills in training camp, which is the next checkpoint in his return.

Watson has played only 12 games the past three seasons, missing all of 2021, serving an 11-game suspension in 2022 and missing 11 games with his injury last season.
 
Texazan said:
I paid $389 total for Sunday Ticket plus the Red Zone this year, 4 x $97.25 to watch my team. No YT TV or any of that crap. I don't want it so I just do the ST and RZ. In years past, after a 2 year agreement I'd call DTV and threaten to cancel if they didn't give me Sunday Ticket for free, new remotes, equipment etc. and it worked so I've paid for it about half the time. I've worked my ass off so its my treat to me and my wife knows what to expect come the NFL season.......
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There's a reason you were able to threaten DirectTV with cancellation. DirecTV was losing $ hand over foot and was spun off into an joint venture 30% owned by private equity firm TPG in August 2021. The deal, which valued the business at about $16 billion, came six years after AT&T bought the service for $49 billion.
 
CloakNNNdagger said:
There's a reason you were able to threaten DirectTV with cancellation. DirecTV was losing $ hand over foot and was spun off into an joint venture 30% owned by private equity firm TPG in August 2021. The deal, which valued the business at about $16 billion, came six years after AT&T bought the service for $49 billion.
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As a long time Direct TV subscriber this is easy to believe. AT&T ruined Direct TV. The service sucked under AT&T.
 
In Sunday Ticket trial, Roger Goodell defends Sunday Ticket as “premium product”
By Mike Florio
Published June 17, 2024 09:56 PM

There’s nothing like Commissioner Roger Goodell being called to the witness stand in open court to get people to finally pay attention to a trial that previously had been largely ignored.

Goodell testified on Monday as a witness for the league he runs in a landmark case that could cost the league billions — and that could revolutionize the way games are made available to consumers.

He defended, as expected, the league’s 30-year-old Sunday Ticket package as a premium offering, which necessarily carries a premium price.

“We have been clear throughout that it is a premium product,” Goodell said, via the Associated Press. “Not just on pricing but quality. Fans make that choice whether they wanted it or not. I’m sure there were fans who said it was too costly.”

The argument from the plaintiffs in the nationwide class action is that the league deliberately made it too costly, in order to protect over-the-air broadcasts made available in all markets by Fox and CBS.

“We sing it from the mountaintops,” Goodell said. “We want to reach the broadest possible audience on free television. I think we are very pro-consumer. Our partners have found ways to build our fan base.”

Of course, there was a time when reaching the broadest possible audience on free television took a back seat to ticket sales. The league quietly suspended and abandoned the longstanding blackout policy several years ago, ensuring that all games will be televised in the local markets — even if games are being played in local stadiums that are empty. So, to the extent that the league is now claiming that it’s committed to making games available on free TV, there was a time when a significant caveat applied. (At one point, the league blacked out home games in local markets even if they were sold out.)

Regardless of Goodell’s testimony, other evidence shows that the league wanted to keep CBS and Fox happy by ensuring that the price for Sunday Ticket was too high to spark widespread purchase of out-of-market games. For example, former CBS Sports chairman Sean McManus said in a memo to the NFL that CBS believed the “concept has always been that these packages are sold at a premium, thereby limiting distribution.”

There seems to be no way anyone from the league can effectively word-salad their way around the reality that the NFL picked a price point that would minimize the number of people who won’t watch whichever games are televised by their local affiliates, even if they’d rather have the ability to watch other games happening at the same time.

If the NFL is going to win this one, it won’t be on the facts. It will be on the law. And the league surely will not surrender unless all legal avenues have been exhausted, all the way to the United States Supreme Court.

Thus, regardless of the eventual verdict against the NFL (if there is one), the case will continue its nine-year slog through the legal process until the NFL has tried everything it can to do what it’s long accustomed to doing — getting its way.
 
steelbtexan said:
As a long time Direct TV subscriber this is easy to believe. AT&T ruined Direct TV. The service sucked under AT&T.
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DirecTV sucked under ATT for many reasons. To remain viable, DirecTV costs to subscribers went up to trying to meet escalating company costs, not least of which was the fees paid to the networks. With so many subscribers complaining of their fees, they had to try to save money by cutting back their own costs by decreasing the numbers of their maintenance employees and outsourcing their support...............and offering heavy promotions that further unbalanced their books..................resulting in even poorer maintenance and custumer support.

Since ATT spun off DirecTV to a private equity firm, things have only gotten worse, especially with all the streaming services. In 2023 alone, DirecTV has lost 1.8 billion additional subscribers. Financial analysts have predicted their bankruptcy risk over the next 2 years at 80%.
 
www.espn.com

Aiyuk tells Daniels: 49ers 'don't want me back'

Brandon Aiyuk added more intrigue to his contract stalemate with the 49ers with a post to TikTok on Monday.
www.espn.com www.espn.com
It is unclear whether Aiyuk was implying the 49ers don't want him back for this season or is saying the 49ers don't want him beyond this season because they are unwilling to meet his demands on what would be a lucrative contract extension.

ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reported this weekend that talks between the 49ers and Aiyuk "have stalled a bit."
 
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CloakNNNdagger said:
The average fan cannot afford the all-or-nothing deal of the Sunday Ticket. NFL Sunday Ticket is for 4 non-cancellable payments of $112.25/mo or $202449/yr. Monthly payment plans are not available in many locations. And in addition, it requires at least a YouTube TV Base plan for an additional $57.99/mo for your first 3 months (save $45) and $72.99/mo for the last 2 months of the season thereafter. All discounts go away next week.

That's a total outlay of ~$768. There are no mini packages for fans to follow their favorite out of town teams or divisions.F

NFL Sunday Ticket does not include preseason games.
Thursday Night Football on Amazon Prime is not available on YouTube TV.
Postseason games are not included.



YouTube has admitted that the NFL Sunday Ticket advertising revenues are expected to account for a drop in the bucket compared to the NFL Sunday Ticket subscription revenues.

Soooooooooooooooo...................where do you think that the make up will come from in subsequent years?

It should be interesting to follow the pending class action lawsuit by NFL Sunday Ticket subscribers vs the NFL and Direct TV................and how it may affect the NFL and the new YouTube deal.

Why 2.4 million NFL Sunday Ticket subscribers could become eligible for over $6 billion payout​

How will the NFL resolve this potentially expensive dispute?
Christopher Smith
May 30, 2024 at 2:00 PM ET
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You do not have to have a YouTubeTV package to get Sunday Ticket. You can buy it standalone for 4 payments of 112.25 or 449 a season. At least that is one benefit over DirectTV. Everyone can buy it now instead if just DirectTV customers.
 
Xopher said:
You do not have to have a YouTubeTV package to get Sunday Ticket. You can buy it standalone for 4 payments of 112.25 or 449 a season. At least that is one benefit over DirectTV. Everyone can buy it now instead if just DirectTV customers.
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I saw that just a little while ago....................groing via the YouTube Prime Channels.

Here's something else that students may be able to greatly benefit from:

YouTube TV offers a student discount. Through YouTube Primetime Channels, qualified students can get NFL Sunday Ticket for $199 per season, or $209 if you want to add the NFL RedZone Channel (which is what we’d recommend for only $10 more).

To sign up for the NFL Sunday Ticket Student Plan, visit the NFL YouTube channel and select Get NFL Sunday Ticket. You’ll see a link towards the bottom to opt into the student plan.
 
Presiding judge threatens to dismiss Sunday Ticket case, again
By Mike Florio

Published June 18, 2024 08:42 PM

The Sunday Ticket class action was dismissed after it was filed. It might be dismissed again.

As explained by Joe Reedy of the Associated Press, Tuesday’s proceedings included an open-court exchange (without the jury present) between the judge and the lawyers regarding the manner in which the case has been tried.

And Judge Phillip Gutierrez isn’t a fan of the way the plaintiffs’ lawyers are going about their business.

“The way you have tried this case is far from simple,” Gutierrez told the lawyer representing the plaintiffs. “This case has turned into 25 hours of depositions and gobbledygook. . . . This case has gone in a direction it shouldn’t have gone.” [Editor’s note: For the first time in PFT history, the streak of days with articles using the term “gobbledygook” has reached two.]

The exchange happened Tuesday morning, before Cowboys owner and G.M. Jerry Jones resumed his testimony.

“I’m struggling with the plaintiffs’ case,” Judge Gutierrez said.

He wasn’t struggling with it earlier this year. In January, he denied the NFL’s motion for summary judgment, which means he decided there were genuine issues of material fact that need to be resolved by a jury, preventing the case from being determined without a trial.

Gutierrez is now threatening to grant judgment as a matter of law for the NFL. This would mean that (in the judge’s opinion) the plaintiffs failed to introduce enough evidence to support a jury verdict in their favor.

Appointed by President George W. Bush in 2007, Gutierrez earned the assignment by having a reputation for promoting conservative causes, which includes having a natural pro-business lean. It’s therefore no surprise that he’s not feeling warm and fuzzy about the plaintiffs’ case.

That said, judges rarely scrap the efforts of a jury this deep into the trial. Judge Gutierrez might have been simply trying to get the lawyers representing the plaintiffs to move things along more quickly than they have.

Also, if the jury finds in favor of the NFL, the judge won’t need to intercede. If the plaintiffs win, the judge could still grant judgment as a matter of law in favor of the NFL after the trial concludes.

Maybe, based on his comments from Tuesday, he will.
 
Kansas House passes proposal to fund Chiefs, Royals stadiums
Published June 18, 2024 08:12 PM

In the fresh border battle of Missouri vs. Kansas, the Chiefs win. The Royals, too.

With Jackson County, Missouri voters refusing to extend a sales tax that would have funded a renovation of Arrowhead Stadium for the Chiefs and a new facility for the Royals, Kansas is seizing the opportunity to steal both teams.

Via USA Today, the Kansas House passed by a wide margin (84-38) a bill to fund new stadiums for both teams with so-called STAR (sales tax and revenue) bonds. The measure now moves to the Kansas Senate.

The House moved fast. The bill was passed on the first day of a special session of the Kansas legislature.

The Chiefs have a lease that runs through 2030. They can still strike a deal to move to Kansas, if they want.
Or the effort can wake up Missouri.

Either way, the Chiefs win. The Royals, too.
 
CloakNNNdagger said:
Kansas House passes proposal to fund Chiefs, Royals stadiums
Published June 18, 2024 08:12 PM

In the fresh border battle of Missouri vs. Kansas, the Chiefs win. The Royals, too.

With Jackson County, Missouri voters refusing to extend a sales tax that would have funded a renovation of Arrowhead Stadium for the Chiefs and a new facility for the Royals, Kansas is seizing the opportunity to steal both teams.

Via USA Today, the Kansas House passed by a wide margin (84-38) a bill to fund new stadiums for both teams with so-called STAR (sales tax and revenue) bonds. The measure now moves to the Kansas Senate.

The House moved fast. The bill was passed on the first day of a special session of the Kansas legislature.

The Chiefs have a lease that runs through 2030. They can still strike a deal to move to Kansas, if they want.
Or the effort can wake up Missouri.

Either way, the Chiefs win. The Royals, too.
Click to expand...
OK it's on now - the dueling Kansas Cities !
Anyway the Chiefs now have some real leverage if their desire is to stay on the Missouri side of KC metro but who knows they may prefer to live in Kansas because afterall the best residential area is probably on the Kansas side and most of the Hunt families buddies likely live in Kansas as Kansas has always been a darker shade of red than Missouri.
 
Isaiah Buggs allegedly dragged the mother of his child down a flight of stairs
Published June 18, 2024 09:24 PM

More details are emerging about the recent arrest of Chiefs defensive tackle Isaiah Buggs. And they are troubling.

Via Lukas Weese of TheAthletic.com, Buggs allegedly dragged the mother of his child down the stairs of her apartment on Sunday.

Buggs allegedly broke into the apartment with a tire iron before dragging her down the stairs.

He’s charged with second-degree domestic violence and second-degree burglary.
 
IDEXAN said:
OK it's on now - the dueling Kansas Cities !
Anyway the Chiefs now have some real leverage if their desire is to stay on the Missouri side of KC metro but who knows they may prefer to live in Kansas because afterall the best residential area is probably on the Kansas side and most of the Hunt families buddies likely live in Kansas as Kansas has always been a darker shade of red than Missouri.
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The Chiefs will have to take into account the fact that accross the board, Kansas taxes are higher than Missouri taxes....................sales, property and income.
 
IDEXAN said:
OK it's on now - the dueling Kansas Cities !
Anyway the Chiefs now have some real leverage if their desire is to stay on the Missouri side of KC metro but who knows they may prefer to live in Kansas because afterall the best residential area is probably on the Kansas side and most of the Hunt families buddies likely live in Kansas as Kansas has always been a darker shade of red than Missouri.
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What does the bolded have to do with anything?
 
Sean McManus denies knowledge of Sunday Ticket price-gouging, side deal with NFL to effect it
By Mike Florio

Published June 19, 2024 09:15 AM

As the presiding judge ponders whether to dump the Sunday Ticket class action based on his belief that the plaintiffs’ lawyers are screwing the pooch (it’s an industry term), plenty of facts point to the notion that the NFL deliberately rigged the price of the out-of-market Sunday Ticket package to protect the CBS and Fox in-market packages.

Plenty don’t.

Former CBS Sports chairman Sean McManus supplied some facts for the “don’t” category on Tuesday, in two significant respects. Via Craig Clough of Law360.com, McManus flatly denied the fundamental questions of whether he knew that the NFL controlled the price charged for Sunday Ticket or whether CBS had a side deal with the NFL to ensure that the price would be kept high enough to prompt plenty of fans to instead watch games on their local CBS and Fox affiliates.

As is the case in many civil actions that require one side to pierce through the that’s-our-story-and-we’re-sticking-to-it proclamations from the defense perspective (I addressed that dynamic during Tuesday’s #PFTPM, regarding the Jim Trotter lawsuit), the witnesses shout “no, no, no” while other evidence potentially whispers “yes, yes, yes.”

For example, in 2011, McManus sent an email to NFL executives explaining that CBS “need clarification” on Sunday Ticket pricing, because the “concept” of the package was for it to be “sold at a premium” and to “limit distribution.”

In a pre-Orwellian world where inconvenient facts aren’t routinely ignored, this would be a smoking gun, a “gotcha” document that undercuts the predictable denials on the most obvious yes-or-no questions of whether the pricing fix was in.

McManus also agreed that he would have preferred Sunday Ticket not exist at all, because it impacted the CBS ratings for free, over-the-air TV. (McManus testified, via Joe Flint of the Wall Street Journal, that CBS used to be compensated for the use of their feeds on Sunday Ticket, but that this no longer is the case. That’s another reason to not like the Sunday Ticket product.)

The official response to the McManus email is that the league never specifically promised that Sunday Ticket will carry a certain price, in order to guarantee limited distribution. This points to the possibility of a side deal, or at a minimum a gentleman’s understanding, that the league would indeed keep the price high enough to suppress Sunday Ticket subscribers, thereby boosting the value of the CBS and Fox packages.

That makes it even more important for everyone on the NFL-CBS-Fox-DirecTV side to stick to the official story. It’s not perjury in the classic sense, if there was indeed a side deal. It’s institutional lying, baked into the not-uncommon practice of people having conversations that never happened.

Once the parties agree a conversation never happened, they often feel inclined to put that oath over telling the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth — if it ever comes to that.

There’s also a chance that there was no side deal, because everyone was smart enough to know what needed to be done without it. Why else would the NFL have not at least experimented at some point over the last 30 years with the possibility of giving fans more choices and greater flexibility by (for example) accepting ESPN’s offer to make the full package available for $70 per year and to create a one-team-at-a-time option?

The judge has chided the plaintiffs’ lawyers for overcomplicating the case. The case is complicated due in part to the fact that the NFL has tightly circled the wagons, offering up bottom-line positions that defy common sense and that force the plaintiffs’ lawyers to constantly chase the truth by reminding witnesses of things said in writing, and by getting jurors to focus on the core questions.

As we see it, this is what really matters:

Why has the price for Sunday Ticket always been so high?

Why has a single-team option never been available, even though the NFL markets Sunday Ticket specifically to displaced fans who can’t see their favorite teams’ games?

Why wouldn’t the NFL simply take the biggest check it can get for Sunday Ticket and let DirecTV (now YouTubeTV) charge whatever they want for it?

Nothing happens spontaneously or accidentally for the NFL. The truth is, and has been, hiding in plain sight for 30 years. The NFL wants to ensure that plenty of people will say, “Too rich for my blood” and just watch the games available on their local Sunday afternoon affiliates.
In her opening statement, NFL lawyer Beth Wilkinson said, “The case is about choice.” She then said, “We want as many people as possible to watch the free broadcasts.”

Both can’t be true. If it’s about choice, Sunday Ticket would be cheap. If it’s about maximizing the audience for the free broadcasts, Sunday Ticket would be expensive.

Since it’s expensive, common sense says that boosting the CBS and Fox ratings are the driving force. Which points directly to an express or implied agreement with CBS and Fox and DirecTV to rig the price in order to enhance the ratings for the free broadcasts.

Maybe that’s why the judge is getting upset. This really is a simple case. But the biggest challenge for lawyers who are doing battle with no-stone-unturned, $1,500-an-hour-or-more defense counsel is to not take the over-lawyer-the-case cheese.

It currently looks like the lawyers representing the class that’s attacking Sunday Ticket are munching on a block of cheese the size of a car battery.
 
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