NFL thread 2014 v. Frankford Yellow Jackets Lay the Pipe on the Dayton Triangles

[ReaPsTA]

I have nothing against Ray Rice.  I just don't understand why it isn't a foregone conclusion that Rice will be punished as severely as possible given what he did.

[KevShmev]

Even though Josh Gordon is a total idiot for repeatedly getting high and possibly costing himself millions of dollars, it won't be good for PR for the NFL if they suspend a guy a year for getting high, while giving a slap on the wrist to a guy who beat the hell out of his girlfriend.  And to me, anything less than half a season suspension IS a slap on the wrist.

[Destiny Of Chaos]

I don't know if they'll give Rice a year long suspension for his first offense, even if knocking out your girlfriend is exponentially worse than getting high.

The rumblings that I've heard here are that he'll get slapped with a 2 game suspension. I think it should be much more severe, but I anticipate the NFL spinning it as it was a legal matter having nothing to do with football (where getting high at least affects the body).  A bit hypocritical, but par to the course with the NFL and how it's handled things in the past.

[ReaPsTA]

The NFL can't handle its business this way though.

It's become almost self-evident that public figures now are put under a microscope and expected to act a certain way.  Look at how the NBA handled Sterling.  Look at how it gave Kobe a 100k fine for calling a referee a f-----.  While the NBA still doesn't have the NFL's popularity, it's making far smarter long term moves in terms of how it interfaces with culture at large.  Its stars are the most marketable in the world in part because they are expected to take care of their public image.

If Rice is only given a 2 game suspension, it will be a PR fiasco.  It will blow over in the short term, but it will be yet another weight that hangs over the league as it tries to get new fans.  How many teenagers and college students, trying to figure out how they identify themselves, are going to look at Football as barbaric and not bother?

In anything, the expectation is that, when things are getting bad, the signs will be so obvious and undeniable that you have to act on them and you'll be able to turn things around in time.  In practice, problems build and build without being noticed.  By the time you can't deny them, it's too late.

The NFL's setting itself up for a situation where, a couple decades down the road, it will be hemorrhaging fans.  And its image will be so bad that it can't turn it around.

[Destiny Of Chaos]

 Kaepernick got paid today.

[El Barto]

$128 over six years with 61 guaranteed. Silly thing to do, honestly.

[orcus116]

Paying him like someone he isn't.

[bosk1]

$110M according to ESPN.  That is a little over $18M per year.  Given the Cutler contract, I figured he would get about that much per year.  But the length of the contract surprises me. 

Bill Williamson doesn't wow me with his football accumen (or his writing, for that matter), but I completely agree with this:

If you don’t think Kaepernick has arrived, please think again. He is 21-8 in his NFL starts and has already won three road playoff games. He has been to the NFC Championship Game three times -- starting two -- and to the Super Bowl.
 
He is entering just his second full season as a starter, and he’s that accomplished. For those who might argue that he hasn't reached his potential, I offer this: How is that a bad thing?
 
He is only going to improve. Yes, Kaepernick does need to work on his pocket presence and yes, he's not as far along with his read progressions as the team would like.
 
But he will master those areas.

What quarterback was fully polished after 29 starts? He’s going to get better like all good quarterbacks do. In two years, I expect this deal to look like a bargain for the 49ers.

[ReaPsTA]

The Kaep contract might be a bit high, but not by much.  If he hit the open market, that's about what someone else would pay him.

I know that QBs are important, but are we sure they aren't being a bit overpaid?

[pogoowner]

I think we'll find that, as more details emerge, this is a much more salary cap-friendly deal than it first appears. But also, what is the alternative? This is what QBs get paid these days. There really isn't a "second-tier" when it comes to QB salaries, and the salary cap is expected to increase a great deal next season. We're about to see a number of other QBs get huge deals as well, and some of them will likely make even more. Russell Wilson, Andy Dalton, Cam Newton, and Andrew Luck will all be getting new contracts soon.

[bosk1]

Exactly.  Unless the NFL were to set a per-position cap (which it will never do), I do not see how it can ever possibly change.

[El Barto]

The Kaep contract might be a bit high, but not by much.  If he hit the open market, that's about what someone else would pay him.

So why not wait until then? He had one year left cheap. If he continues to improve then pay him what he's worth. If he doesn't, of if he wants to bail for an extra .9mil/yr, let him. He might turn out to be worth it, but at this point he isn't and assuming he will is wishful thinking.

[pogoowner]

Per Rotoworld:

Essentially, the Niners can cut Kaepernick before April 1 of each year without owing any more money -- so the actual guarantee is just $13 million ($12.3M signing bonus, $645K '14 base salary, $100K '14 workout bonus). There is also a de-escalator in the contract that can only be halted if Kaepernick takes the team to the Super Bowl or he is named first- or second-team All-Pro. A source tells Pro Football Talk that San Francisco is "thrilled" with the pact.

[El Barto]

That's actually a very good deal for them. Hell, I'd have taken that deal and I don't even think he's particularly good.

[Super Dude]

Already posted in Funny Stuff thread: https://kissingsuzykolber.uproxx.com/2014/06/nfl-teams-anime.html

NFL logos if they were anime style.

[Jamesman42]

From the comments:

[Cable]

"Hall of Famer Chuck Noll dies at 82"

https://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/11080732/legendary-piitsburgh-steelers-coach-chuck-noll-dies-82

I wasn't alive during his reign, and wasn't into gridiron during his final years. But I always held him up as one of the best due to him coaching the most successful gridiron dynasty IMO.

[black_biff_stadler]

Easily Seattle's best coach ever. RIP.

[jammindude]

Easily Seattle's best coach ever. RIP.

That was Knox.... 

Chuck Noll was the Steelers coach from their glory years..

I will forgive this one instance of confusing Seahawk history with Steeler history.   

EDIT:   

[black_biff_stadler]

Wrong. He coached that Christian dude who went from stocking shelves to leading Ground Chuck..

[jammindude]

oh.....you.... 

[black_biff_stadler]

Nice to see you finally caught on.

[black_biff_stadler]

"Hall of Famer Chuck Noll dies at 82"

https://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/11080732/legendary-piitsburgh-steelers-coach-chuck-noll-dies-82

I wasn't alive during his reign, and wasn't into gridiron during his final years. But I always held him up as one of the best due to him coaching the most successful gridiron dynasty IMO.

I think the Lombardi 5-outta-7 from '61-'67 trumps their dynasty but they are easily next best.

[jammindude]

"Hall of Famer Chuck Noll dies at 82"

https://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/11080732/legendary-piitsburgh-steelers-coach-chuck-noll-dies-82

I wasn't alive during his reign, and wasn't into gridiron during his final years. But I always held him up as one of the best due to him coaching the most successful gridiron dynasty IMO.

I think the Lombardi 5-outta-7 from '61-'67 trumps their dynasty but they are easily next best.

So much this.

I grew up a football fan.   And when I was younger, I found myself getting caught up in the "no football before Super Bowl I" mentality.  But that is a huge mistake. 


After all.   Without the ancient history of the NFL....where would the Browns be?   

[black_biff_stadler]

Or the Frankford Yellow Jackets.

[bosk1]

Already posted in Funny Stuff thread: https://kissingsuzykolber.uproxx.com/2014/06/nfl-teams-anime.html

NFL logos if they were anime style.

It started off pretty strong with the Panthers, but fizzled out pretty quickly after that.

[hefdaddy42]

Sounds like last season.

[black_biff_stadler]

You have it backwards (despite the one and done postseason.) 1-3 start followed by 11-1 finish.

[hefdaddy42]

I know, but that wasn't as funny.  So I went with what I wrote.

[Jamesman42]

hefdaddy logic supersedes human logic

[jingle.boy]

hefdaddy logic supersedes human logic

ergo hefdaddy supersedes human

Sounds about right.

[hefdaddy42]

lol  #stillgotit

[Dark Castle]

https://thinkprogress.org/default/20...cancels-trademark-for-redskins-football-team/


This is pretty rad news.

[black_biff_stadler]

I'm leaning toward the Redskins' side. I know the name is unpopular but it's a RAGING pile of steaming hypocritical shit that a team using a term that was, as far as I know, of ambiguous intent at the time of its selection (in the 1920s or 1930s, "redskin" was probably a word used by outsiders to refer to their people in a manner of general speaking, not a hate-mongering slur since there are many far worse words that have been used) and an image respectfully depicting a native American is the subject of a PC witch hunt while the Cleveland Indians have a team named after what Columbus (a well publicized massacrer of their people) erroneously referred to them as accompanied by a county fair-caliber sketch artist caricature hasn't had one tenth of the uproar pertaining to it that there has been toward the Redskins.

[jingle.boy]

I'm leaning toward the Redskins' side. I know the name is unpopular but it's a RAGING pile of steaming hypocritical shit that a team using a term that was, as far as I know, of ambiguous intent at the time of its selection (in the 1920s or 1930s, "redskin" was probably a word used by outsiders to refer to their people in a manner of general speaking, not a hate-mongering slur since there are many far worse words that have been used) and an image respectfully depicting a native American is the subject of a PC witch hunt while the Cleveland Indians have a team named after what Columbus (a well publicized massacrer of their people) erroneously referred to them as accompanied by a county fair-caliber sketch artist caricature hasn't had one tenth of the uproar pertaining to it that there has been toward the Redskins.

Not to mention a handful of other borderline team names/logos - Braves and Blackhawks come to mind

I agree 100% with you Floydo, but I'm going to take the stance of