I guess the National Football League felt last year’s Super Bowl halftime show (Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band) was good enough for two seasons because they made a completely ridiculous choice this year. Ancient Classic rockers The Who (Roger Daltrey, John Entwistle, Keith Moon, Pete Townshend started in 1964) will apparently headline this year’s show.
Gawd. Are they serious? The Who? Anyone under the age of 50 will be saying, “Who?” I exaggerate only slightly. Can you name one of their songs? “Baba O’Riley”, “Won’t Get Fooled Again”, “Who Are You”, “The Seeker”—I guess those are some of their …read more

The National Football League will honor veterans and active duty members of the military during November, with teams designating home games as special Veterans Recognition Games throughout the month. The NFL has a long history of supporting America’s armed services, including a 44-year partnership with the USO that includes overseas visits to troops and trips to military hospitals nationwide.
The NFL will continue to offer its Game Pass HD service free of charge at USO Centers for military members stationed in Afghanistan, Iraq, Kuwait, Germany, Italy, Korea and Japan. At the USO facility in each of these locations, servicemembers …read more

To follow-up my NFL Supports Breast Cancer Awareness Month post from yesterday, here is a photo sent to me by the Minnesota Vikings. Linebacker Chad Greenway is the team’s breast cancer spokesperson. And during the month of October—along with teammates Antoine Winfield, Brett Favre and Chester Taylor—Chad will be donning these pink cleats (along with other pink-themed equipment) in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Chad’s wife Jenni is also getting involved. She will be one of many volunteers handing out pink ribbons and towels Monday night at the Metrodome when the Vikes host the Green Bay Packers.
Chad was …read more

The National Football League and its players will support October’s National Breast Cancer Awareness Month with its largest on-field presence and a national screening-reminder campaign. In collaboration with the American Cancer Society, the initiative, called “A Crucial Catch: Annual Screening Saves Lives,” encourages annual mammograms for women over 40.
Beginning on October 4 and continuing throughout the month, NFL Breast Cancer Awareness games will feature:

Players wearing pink cleats, wristbands, gloves, sideline caps, helmet decals, captains’ patches, sideline towels and quarterback towels
Pink sideline caps for coaches and sideline personnel and pink ribbon pins for coaches and team executives
On-field pink ribbon stencils and …read more

One of my favorite breakfast restaurants, IHOP (aka International House of Pancakes), has partnered with the NFL. Their “All-Pro” lineup includes AFC/NFC Stuffed French Toast, Blitz Pancakes and Quarterback Scrambles. Arizona Cardinals receiver Larry Fitzgerald and Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb are working the commercials:

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

Former N.Y. Giants receiver Plaxico Burress testified today before the grand jury that is investigating a felony gun possession charge against him. Afterward, he told reporters outside the courthouse he was sorry for his actions. As you will recall, Plax shot himself in the leg at a Manhattan nightclub last November. He was charged with weapon possession and faces up to 3.5 years in prison. He pleaded not guilty to that charge and is free on $100,000 bail.
“I was truthful, I was honest and I am truly remorseful for what I’ve done, what happened and what I did. I just …read more

Commissioner Roger Goodell notified Michael Vick today that he has been reinstated to the NFL on a conditional basis and will be considered for full reinstatement and to play in regular-season games by Week 6 (October 18-19) based on the progress he makes in his transition plan.
Under the conditions of the reinstatement, Michael may participate without delay in preseason practices, workouts, meetings, and he may play in his club’s final two preseason games. Once the regular season begins, Michael may participate in all team activities other than games, subject to specific guidelines developed by the NFL Player Personnel Department that …read more

Michael Vick no longer has to wear the electronic monitor he had on while under home confinement for the past two months. His 23-month federal dogfighting sentence ended today, meaning Michael is a free man and is now eligible to resume working as a professional football player—if anyone wants him. And someone does want him, you can be sure of that.
I’m not ready to say a hopefully repentant Michael Vick will be employed by any of the 32 teams in the National Football League in 2009 (in fact, I think he deserves a lifetime ban for slaughtering innocent dogs), but …read more

Nashville Police officially announced a murder-suicide today as former NFL quarterback Steve McNair was shot and killed by his 20-year-old girlfriend, Sahel Kazemi, four days ago. Investigators believe Steve was sleeping on the sofa in the couple’s downtown Nashville condo when Ms. Kazemi shot him in the right temple, twice in the chest and then in the left temple from inches away. Then, Ms. Kazemi shot herself in the right temple and died.
This is just an incredibly sad and gruesome account of a situation gone terribly wrong. Interviews with friends revealed that a distraught Ms. Kazemi was making payments on …read more