Last night’s game between the N.Y. Giants and Dallas Cowboys at the new $1.1 billion Cowboys Stadium set an NFL regular-season attendance record with a crowd of 105,121. It broke the previous record of 103,467 set back in 2005 in Mexico City for a game between the Arizona Cardinals and San Francisco 49ers. If you’re wondering how the Cowboys managed this with only 75,000 seats, check both ends of the stadium—there are standing room only “party plazas” where 30,000 people milled around. Unfortunately for the Cowboys and owner/host Jerry Jones, the Giants won on a walk-off, 37-yard Lawrence Tynes field …read more

Plaxico Burress is not under contract to an NFL team. In light of his plea today, Commissioner Roger Goodell has suspended Burress and informed him that he is ineligible to sign with any team until he completes his jail term. Commissioner Goodell said Burress will be reinstated and eligible to sign with an NFL team upon the completion of his sentence. Burress was notified on June 26 that Commissioner Goodell had initiated a review of the matter for potential discipline under the NFL’s Personal Conduct and Weapons policies. Commissioner Goodell and members of his staff conducted a hearing with Burress …read more

N.Y. Giants quarterback Eli Manning signed a six-year, $97 million contract today, thus making him the National Football League’s new highest paid player. The deal includes $35 million in guaranteed money and is worth a whopping $41 million over the first two years.
First of all, no NFL player is worth that kind of money. But if I had to give it to someone, I wouldn’t give it to Eli Manning. I don’t think he’s the NFL’s best player (assuming the best player should make the most money). Sure, he led the Giants to a Super Bowl win two seasons ago …read more

The N.Y. Giants released oft-troubled receiver Plaxico Burress yesterday. And it’s really no wonder. It was the only sensible course of action they could take considering his behavior during the four years he was in New York.

Giants GM Jerry Reese made the following statement announcing the decision:
“I am an optimist, and I believe most situations can be worked out. We hung in there as long as we could in hopes that there could be a resolution to this situation other than the decision we made today to release Plaxico. It wasn’t to be, so now we have to move on. …read more

National Football League Blogcast, NFL Blogcast
The opponents for all 2009 regular-season games have been determined and a complete list of each team’s home and away matchups was issued yesterday by the NFL. The scheduling formula implemented in 2002 with realignment guarantees that all teams play each other on a regular, rotating basis. Under the formula, every team within a division plays 16 games as follows:

Home and away against its three division opponents (6 games)
The four teams from another division within its conference on a rotating three-year cycle (4 games)
The four teams from a division in the other conference on a …read more

National Football League Blogcast, NFL Blogcast
How many professional sports leagues can pinpoint the exact spot, the exact day, even the exact time they “arrived?” The National Football League can: Yankee Stadium, December 28, 1958, 4:51 PM. Fifty years ago this December 28 — the final day of the 2008 NFL regular season — what would become known as “The Greatest Game Ever Played” took place — the 1958 NFL Championship Game between the Baltimore Colts and New York Giants at Yankee Stadium in New York City. And when Colts fullback Alan Ameche burst through a hole for a one-yard touchdown …read more

National Football League Blogcast, NFL Blogcast
We already know that N.Y. Giants linebacker Antonio Pierce was with Plaxico Burress when Plax accidentally shot himself in the leg at a New York City nightclub last week. But what exactly was his involvement? That’s what police are trying to find out in an ongoing investigation.
I wonder where Antonio was while it took Plaxico roughly 90 minutes to get treatment. Obviously a cover-up was the plan because Antonio eventually drove Plaxico to the hospital after it was finally decided where “discreet” treatment could be obtained. And the doctor (Dr. Josyann Abisaab) that finally …read more

National Football League Blogcast, NFL Blogcast
N.Y. Giants receiver Plaxico Burress was suspended for the rest of the 2008 season today. The Giants fined and suspended Plaxico four games for conduct detrimental to the team for multiple and repeated violations of club rules. He was placed on the non-football injury list, officially ending his season. Plaxico accidentally shot himself in the right thigh over the weekend at a Manhattan nightclub. He was arrested and released on $100,000 bail yesterday. Giants president John Mara said:
“As we have said since Saturday morning, our concern is for Plaxico’s health and well-being. This is an …read more

National Football League Blogcast, NFL Blogcast
N.Y. Giants receiver Plaxico Burress was taken to court in handcuffs, then posted $100,000 bail on weapons possession charges today after accidentally shooting himself in the leg at a nightclub last week. He was charged with two counts of second-degree criminal possession of a weapon, which could result in a sentence of at least 3.5 years in prison. As Plaxico awaits his next court date March 31, the Giants aren’t sure what action they will take against him. The NFL said it was monitoring developments. And NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg said it would be an …read more

National Football League Blogcast, NFL Blogcast
In an update to yesterday’s post, N.Y. Giants receiver Plaxico Burress plans to turn himself in to police tomorrow morning in New York City and plead not guilty to criminal possession of a weapon after accidentally shooting himself in the leg Friday night. The law supposedly calls for a mandatory minimum sentence of 3.5 years for illegal possession of a handgun in New York City.
Source: Yahoo! Sports