Blogging the National Football League, Blogging the NFL
New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick was named the National Football League’s 2007 Coach-of-the-Year yesterday. It made sense. His team was the first-ever to finish an NFL regular season at 16-0. But I think the award should have gone to someone else for one simple reason. Coach Belichick was caught cheating. It’s really as simple as that. He broke the rules of the NFL. He was fined and his team was punished. Then he’s rewarded with the Coach-of-the-Year honor? It doesn’t make any sense.
In the strategic sense, Coach Belichick is the best …read more

Blogging the National Football League, Blogging the NFL
The time is here. The New England Patriots have rolled up 15 wins with no losses. And they will lay it on the line tonight as they go for a perfect 16-0 regular season against the N.Y. Giants in what is anticipated to be one of the most-watched National Football League games in recent memory. It almost has a Super Bowl feel to it with the week-long hype and pregame festivities.
I was just staring at that number next to the Patriots’ listing in the AFC East. 15-0. It’s just an unbelievable accomplishment when …read more

Blogging the National Football League, Blogging the NFL
Four Baltimore Ravens players have been fined for violating league rules prohibiting the abuse of game officials, the NFL announced today. Linebacker Bart Scott was fined $25,000 for verbally abusing game officials and throwing an official’s flag into the stands during last Monday night’s Baltimore-New England game. Cornerbacks Samari Rolle and Chris McAlister, and wide receiver Derrick Mason were fined $15,000 each for publicly questioning the integrity of the officiating in last Monday night’s game against the New England Patriots. The Ravens lost the game 27-24. NFL Executive Vice President of Football Operations …read more

Blogging the National Football League, Blogging the NFL
The excitement is building for Football Night in America on Sunday evening at Ralph Wilson Stadium in Orchard Park, NY as the Buffalo Bills host the unbeaten New England Patriots. And if there was any question as to who the Bills would be starting at quarterback, they were answered in a statement released today by Bills head coach Dick Jauron. Despite struggling in a 13-10 win over the Miami Dolphins two days ago (12 of 23 for 157 yards, no TDs and one INT), J.P. Losman will retain his starting role. The statement …read more

Blogging the National Football League, Blogging the NFL
I knew the ratings were going to be good. This past Sunday’s game between the New England Patriots and Indianapolis Colts was viewed by 33.8 million fans, ranking as the most-watched regular-season game on an NFL Sunday since at least 1987 (Nielsen Media Research viewership numbers unavailable prior to that date). The New England/Indy game topped the week’s second-most watched show by 12.4 million viewers (”Dancing with the Stars” had 21.4 million viewers) and is the most-watched show on TV since the Academy Awards on February 25, 2007 (40.4 million viewers).
If you …read more

Blogging the National Football League, Blogging the NFL
If you were making plans to watch Super Bowl XLII on February 3, you should adjust your schedule because the game has been moved to one week from today, November 4, when Peyton Manning and the undefeated Indianapolis Colts (31-7 over Carolina today) host Tom Brady and the undefeated New England Patriots (52-7 over Washington). I’ll go on and on about this game all week, but this is the Super Bowl, my friends. There will be no game bigger or better than this one — unless, of course, these two teams should meet …read more

Blogging the National Football League, Blogging the NFL
New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick issued a one-paragraph statement yesterday apologizing to his team and confirming that he has spoken to NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell about an “interpretation” of league rules that bans videotaping of the opposing sideline:
“Earlier this week I spoke with Commissioner Goodell about a videotaping procedure during last Sunday’s game and my interpretation of the rules. At this point, we have not been notified of the league’s ruling. Although it remains a league matter, I want to apologize to everyone who has been affected, most of all ownership, …read more

Blogging the National Football League, Blogging the NFL
I thought I had heard it all until this report came in. I was absolutely floored to learn that NFL commissioner Roger Goodell has determined that the New England Patriots violated league rules this past Sunday when they videotaped defensive signals by the New York Jets’ coaches. NFL security officials confiscated a camera and videotape from Patriots video assistant Matt Estrella on the New England sidelines when it was suspected he was recording the Jets’ defensive signals. The visual evidence confirmed the suspicion. Commissioner Goodell is considering severe sanctions, including the possibility of …read more

Blogging the National Football League, Blogging the NFL
Ok, I won’t say “I told you so” — I know, it’s only one game, the first game of the season on this 2007 NFL Kickoff Weekend — but I picked the New England Patriots to win Super Bowl 42 and they’re off to a great start, dominating the way I thought they would in beating the New York Jets 38-14.
Cornerback Ellis Hobbs returned the second-half kickoff 108 yards for a touchdown –- tying the NFL record for the longest play ever. And Randy Moss is still alive! After disappearing into the …read more

Blogging the National Football League, Blogging the NFL
One of the NFL’s best cornerbacks, New England Patriots DB Asante Samuel, returned to his team yesterday, ending a month-long holdout. The Patriots applied the franchise tag to Asante in February, guaranteeing him a one-year, $7.79 million contract. But it prevented him from becoming an unrestricted free agent. He missed much of training camp when he and the Pats failed to agree on a long-term contract by the July 17 deadline. After that date, he could only re-sign with the Patriots for one year. And while the ink is not dry on this …read more