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

Blogging the National Football League, Blogging the NFL
Today’s action at the NFL Combine started with a coin flip to decide the final order for the first round of the 2008 NFL Draft. The Atlanta Falcons won the coin flip with the Oakland Raiders. They will select third in the first round, Oakland fourth and the Kansas City Chiefs fifth. The three clubs had the same strength of schedule at the end of the season, thus necessitating today’s coin toss. Kansas City finished third in the AFC West Division and the Raiders fourth (based on record in common games), so Oakland …read more

Blogging the National Football League, Blogging the NFL
Mike Mayock watches college football’s best players. All year. That’s all he does. I only pick up on who’s good in college football from time-to-time, becoming especially attentive around Combine time, of course. Mike and I joked about his job a couple years ago during an interview because he thought it was “pretty sad” to be so devoted to this cause. Well, it’s turned into a nice career for the NFL Network Draft guru. He now rivals ESPN’s Mel Kiper as the foremost authority on the NFL Draft. Anyway, Mike released his Top …read more

Blogging the National Football League, Blogging the NFL
Bill Parcells has been busy cleaning house. Not his South Beach abode, but the Miami Dolphins’ front office. The Dolphins’ new executive vice president of football operations fired general manager Randy Mueller and two other members of the player personnel staff yesterday. He’ll catch his breath and meet with head coach Cam Cameron tomorrow to discuss the team’s future — and maybe Coach Cameron’s job?
While the Dolphins can look forward to a lot of change this offseason, they can also look forward to making the first choice of the 2008 National Football …read more

I’ve been lauding the offseason moves of the New England Patriots for several months now, already crowning them as my early Super Bowl favorite in a number of posts.
Patriots Sign Adalius Thomas
Patriots Add Donte Stallworth
Patriots Continue WR Overhaul
Today, they just cemented themselves in that top slot as far as I’m concerned with the addition of WR Randy Moss. The details of the transaction are surprisingly simple. The Patriots gave up their fourth round pick in exchange for one of the best receivers in the game. And I thought the Vikings got ripped off when they let Moss go a …read more

As the first round comes to a close here at Radio City Music Hall, my first thought is to applaud the Cleveland Browns for not only grabbing Joe Thomas, the best offensive lineman in this Draft, with the third overall pick, but also for getting their future quarterback, Brady Quinn, all the way down at #22. It was a lot like the Aaron Rodgers situation of two years ago when Aaron could easily have been the #1 choice but fell to Green Bay at #24. It’s all about team needs and a lot of teams didn’t feel they needed a …read more

Photos by David Kindervater
I just got back from NFL Draft Fan Central (presented by Burger King) which is across the street on 51st Street between 6th and 7th Avenues. It’s a beautiful spring day here in midtown Manhattan. When I left Buffalo early this morning (and I emphasize early), it was raining and about 40º. I reluctantly brought a jacket with me, but as it turns out I certainly didn’t need it. It feels like it’s about 65º here.
Anyway, NFL Draft Fan Central is based on the same interactive environment typically seen at NFL Experience events during Super Bowl …read more

Photos by David Kindervater
I arrived safely in New York City (JFK Airport) this morning around 7:05 and shuttled (as in SuperShuttled) my way to Radio City Music Hall for today’s 2007 NFL Draft. I’ve been up since 2:30 a.m. Booking a 5:50 a.m. flight when you live an hour and a half from the airport is not a good idea. Naturally, I was running late and had to rush to even make the plane. Of course, as is typical for me, I found enough to do yesterday that I was up until 11 p.m., so I’ve only had a few …read more