The Weird, Wacky and Awesome World of the NFL - General Banter thread

kmart6

Messed up....


AP
Cowboys linebacker Jerry Brown has died in an early morning car crash, and Cowboys nose tackle Josh Brent has been charged with intoxication manslaughter in Brown’s death.

The police department in Irving, Texas, has confirmed that Brown died in a crash early this morning and Brent (whose legal name is Josh Price-Brent) was charged.

“Officers at the scene believed alcohol was a contributing factor in the crash; therefore, Price-Brent was asked to perform field sobriety tests,” a statement from the Irving Police Department said. “Based on the results of the tests, along with the officer’s observations and conversations with Price-Brent, he was arrested for driving while intoxicated. He was transported to an area hospital for a mandatory blood draw. Once it was learned that the passenger of his vehicle had died as a result of the crash, Price-Brent was booked into the Irving City Jail on one count of Intoxication Manslaughter.”

Brown and Brent were friends and teammates at Illinois before becoming teammates again with the Cowboys. Brown was 25.

Masked Man

NFL teams offer a free car service for all their players. All it would've taken to avoid this was a phone call.

davyjose

Masked Man wrote: »

NFL teams offer a free car service for all their players. All it would've taken to avoid this was a phone call.

Probably didnt want to get caught out drinking 2 nights before a game.

Masked Man

davyjose wrote: »

Probably didnt want to get caught out drinking 2 nights before a game.

It's actually the NFL which provides the car service. I'm guessing the point of which is to avoid things like this, it'd make sense for a certain amount of confidentiality to be attached to it. All just guessing on my part though.

He also had a prior for drink-driving.

Masked Man

The Player Transportation Link (PTL) is a confidential transportation service available to members of the NFLPA. Active and Former Players are covered. PTL is serviced by Corporate Security Solutions, Inc. (CSSI)

The purpose of the service is to prevent members from driving while impaired. Stickers with the 24/7 1-800 number are placed on the back of all NFLPA member IDs. Call center is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Two available services:
1) Pre-arranged transport service: Members schedule pick up in advance. Driver will remain with player until he arrives at his final destination

2) Emergency response: Immediate dispatch of a vehicle to the player's location - anywhere in the US or Canada, including Hawaii & Alaska. CSSI will monitor the driver's status and maintain cell/text communication with the player until the driver arrives. Response time varies by player location, but in most cases, especially in metropolitan areas, the driver will arrive in under an hour.

The NFLPA provides PTL membership to players, but the player is responsible for payment. However, players receive significantly discounted rate for CSSI services through PTL.

CSSI have executed confidentiality agreements with the NFLPA and covered members, making the service 100% confidential.

And Jerry Brown has/had a baby on the way.

That_Guy

Really sad to hear what happened in Dallas. The fact that it was so easily avoidable with a phone call for a car service is just.. ugh, frustrating.

Also said on NFL Gameday Morning that he had a kid on the way.

spiralism

says it all about how bad things have got there that he's probably right


As for the Jerry Brown thing above...shocking. God rest him. Should be absolutely no tolerance on this issue league wide, Goodell has taken zero tolerance stances on things before, why not on drink driving? Minimum 8 game ban for DUI and massive fine, they either use the confidential service or pay the price.

Trippie

It's engrained in Texan culture to drink drive though, not like the tolerence levels we have in Ireland. Been here a a while now and people never cease to amaze me just how bad they are yet drive home. Taxi´s are more expensive than london which isn´t a factor for nfl players I know but for normal folk it´s a major issue.

kmart6

Eh 8 game ban are you crazy?! That wouldn't stand up on any legal grounds and would not be allowed the NFLPA!

I found the level of drink driving in New York and Massachusetts far exceeds what goes on here!

Syferus

It's as much a symptom of us being able to target drink driving effectively, we have a very low crime/death rate in the grand scheme of things and we can afford to use so much of our resources towards road policing and awareness.

It's not like consumption isn't a huge issue here, if anything it's worse than it is in the States. We've just managed, for the most part, to make it a taboo to drink and drive.

spiralism

kmart6 wrote: »

Eh 8 game ban are you crazy?! That wouldn't stand up on any legal grounds and would not be allowed the NFLPA!

I found the level of drink driving in New York and Massachusetts far exceeds what goes on here!

It's drink driving. Putting lives at risk and obviously illegal. I do seem to get that there is more of a drink driving culture in America and it's frightening to be honest but this is inexcusable with an NFL subsidised taxi service, the NFLPA would be ridiculous to go mad over something like that

kmart6

Have to take into account the amount of lost earnings involved in 8 games, that's why they wouldn't agree to such punishments!

It's a great idea having the car service, but as has been said all over the place, it can take an hour for a car to arrive, which realistically these guys are not going to wait around for! They'll take the chance, and I do not agree with it, but these guys are thinking differently! Realistically the two of them should not had been out boozing when they had a team flight to catch in 12 hours or whatever it was!

I think it was one of the 30 for 30 documentaries where a few ex-players said they didn't trust the car service as you don't know who is collecting you and what stories could be spread!

Itssoeasy

Former NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue has wiped all the saints players suspensions.

Paully D

ESPN's 30 for 30 series - The Marinovich Project. About Todd Marinovich and the relationship with his father.

Really want to see this one lads but can't see to find it knocking around anywhere on the internet. Anyone point me in the right direction?

Cheers.

redsky7

Paully D wrote: »

ESPN's 30 for 30 series - The Marinovich Project. About Todd Marinovich and the relationship with his father.

Really want to see this one lads but can't see to find it knocking around anywhere on the internet. Anyone point me in the right direction?

Cheers.

have ya got netflix? if so it's on the american netflix site (*cough* which you can access from ireland *cough*)

it's a good docu.

Arawn

speaking of which, whats that doc, undefeated or something was out last year i think, I've eh tried all the local places that are completely legal and can't find it, anyone able to help?

redsky7

Arawn wrote: »

speaking of which, whats that doc, undefeated or something was out last year i think, I've eh tried all the local places that are completely legal and can't find it, anyone able to help?

i've looked and can't find it online but if you really wanna watch it, it is out on dvd on amazon.co.uk and only 9 pound, if you use parcel motel free shipping too.

adrian522

16 team playoff? Really? Why not just go whole hog and make it a 32 team playoff.

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap1000000110396/article/roger-goodell-nfl-considering-expanding-playoffs

bruschi

jeez, Randy Moss pretty much turned into the stereotypical Patriot way and seems to not have lost it!

http://espn.go.com/blog/boston/new-england-patriots/post/_/id/4736351/catching-up-with-randy-moss

Hopefully we have a good game coming out Sunday night. I look forward to the game, and I hope the fans do too.

Comparing the 49ers and Patriots. "I don't really want to get into all that, because whatever I say is going to be the wrong thing to say. So basically I'll leave it at [that] I still have love and respect for the New England Patriots and everything that we did as a team up there, but now I'm a 49er and hopefully we go up there Sunday night and give it a good game.

We're just coming in, working each and every day, and I look forward to the matchup Sunday night

hopefully we come prepared and ready to play a good game

from the man who mooned Lambeau field to being the bland intervieew after going through Boston!

2smiggy

adrian522 wrote: »

16 team playoff? Really? Why not just go whole hog and make it a 32 team playoff.

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap1000000110396/article/roger-goodell-nfl-considering-expanding-playoffs

silly idea, it's fine the way it is !! Diluting the competition for the more TV money will only be bad in the long run.

even looking at the backdoor system in the GAA , maybe more crowds in total , but less crowds per game and less interest per game by both the teams and the fans.

i'd imagine NFL teams taking the foot off the gas for the last couple of games if they are through. You can argue that they can do this now as well, but it's alot harder to do with the 12 teams qualifying.

Realt Dearg Sec

2smiggy wrote: »

silly idea, it's fine the way it is !! Diluting the competition for the more TV money will only be bad in the long run.

even looking at the backdoor system in the GAA , maybe more crowds in total , but less crowds per game and less interest per game by both the teams and the fans.

i'd imagine NFL teams taking the foot off the gas for the last couple of games if they are through. You can argue that they can do this now as well, but it's alot harder to do with the 12 teams qualifying.

Also while some teams can ease up a little at the end of the season, there are enough incentives within a smaller playoff to keep it interesting (a bye, home field advantage). The bigger it gets the less incentive. They would have to go a long way before they would arrive at a system as poorly thought through as the GAA backdoor system though. That more or less guarantees that you will get at most 7 competitive games in the whole season, in hurling at least. Usually a lot less. NFL would do well to remember why it is that their current season is so addictive.

Paully D

Good read on 2012 rookie QB class:

http://www.coldhardfootballfacts.com/content/the-2012-nfl-rookie-quarterbacks-are-the-best-rookie-class-ever/20136/

Copper_pipe

My uncle lectured Aaron Rodgers in college Still a Tom Brady fan

spiralism

Anyone else hear about this ridiculous **** that happened with Rob Parker at ESPN? He criticised Griffin for being "black but not a brother" or some bull**** like that and has been suspended for it.

“My question is, and it’s just a straight, honest question: Is he a brother, or is he a cornball brother,” Parker said. “He’s not really. He’s black, he does his thing, but he’s not really down with the cause. He’s not one of us. He’s kind of black, but he’s not really like the kind of guy you really want to hang out with.”

“I want to find about him,” Parker said. “I don’t know because I keep hearing these things. We all know he has a white fiancee. Then there was all this talk about he’s a Republican, which there’s no information at all. I’m just trying to dig deeper into why he has an issue. Because we did find out with Tiger Woods, Tiger Woods was like, ‘I’ve got black skin, but don’t call me black.’ So people wondered about Tiger Woods.”

I mean, for ****s sake. Ridiculous ****e

On a hilarious note though, Arian Foster chipped in on it yesterday:

Arian Foster ‏@ArianFoster
I'm going to work on my blackness today.

Arian Foster ‏@ArianFoster
My mom is Mexican, so I can only optimize 50% of my blackness.

:pac:

D3PO

spiralism wrote: »

Anyone else hear about this ridiculous **** that happened with Rob Parker at ESPN? He criticised Griffin for being "black but not a brother" or some bull**** like that and has been suspended for it.





I mean, for ****s sake. Ridiculous ****e

On a hilarious note though, Arian Foster chipped in on it yesterday:

Arian Foster ‏@ArianFoster
I'm going to work on my blackness today.

Arian Foster ‏@ArianFoster
My mom is Mexican, so I can only optimize 50% of my blackness.

:pac:

how is it ridiculous ? Any media personality that brings race into a discussion is treading a very fine line. Rob Parker is an idiot and was correclty suspended.

Plenty of plebs in the US media circuit. Apparantly some journo took a pop at Kaepernick because he has tattoos ffs.

WTF has that got to do with anything.

spiralism

D3PO wrote: »

how is it ridiculous ? Any media personality that brings race into a discussion is treading a very fine line. Rob Parker is an idiot and was correclty suspended.

Plenty of plebs in the US media circuit. Apparantly some journo took a pop at Kaepernick because he has tattoos ffs.

WTF has that got to do with anything.

I'm saying that it was ridiculous that Parker brought up that discussion,probably should have made that clearer. My comment was after the quote, i cannot comprehend an analyst bringing up something as stupid. First Take is a caricature at this stage

kmart6

Hold on a minute, First Take is a programme that will have all the topics pre-planned before it airs, the producers know exactly how it's going to go and in this case what was going to be said, FFS they were showing it all day long, ESPN is all about ratings and they got what they wanted, now he's being scapegoated! Yeah it wasn't exactly the right thing for him to say, but RG3 did kind of make it a topic by saying he didn't want to be defined as a black QB, why make that comment in the first place IMO!

Masked Man

Yeah it wasn't exactly the right thing for him to say, but RG3 did kind of make it a topic by saying he didn't want to be defined as a black QB, why make that comment in the first place IMO!

Are you serious?

davyjose

kmart6 wrote: »

Hold on a minute, First Take is a programme that will have all the topics pre-planned before it airs, the producers know exactly how it's going to go and in this case what was going to be said, FFS they were showing it all day long, ESPN is all about ratings and they got what they wanted, now he's being scapegoated! Yeah it wasn't exactly the right thing for him to say, but RG3 did kind of make it a topic by saying he didn't want to be defined as a black QB, why make that comment in the first place IMO!

Because why should being a "black QB" be a definition? I've yet to hear Peyton Manning or Tom Brady be referred to as a "white QB"? The fact is, being a black QB has connotations of being athletic and big-armed, but not quite having the tactical nous of a white QB.

I sincerely doubt RG3 said this with no context. Presumably this was posed to him in a question, and he simply gave a reasonable answer. The African-American community then went ballistic. Not for the first time either. But reacting to mild statements like these does nothing but undermine the social standing of black people in America. Most of whom go about their daily lives with no real allusion to race, just as regular folk.

Masked Man

"prodded by an ESPN reporter, veered away from the in-depth discussion about his injured right knee and made some of his most extensive public comments to date about the issue of race."

“For me, you don’t ever want to be defined by the color of your skin,” Griffin said. “You want to be defined by your work ethic, the person that you are, your character, your personality. That’s what I strive [for]. I am an African American, in America, and that will never change. But I don’t have to be defined by that.”

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/football-insider/wp/2012/12/12/robert-griffin-iii-talks-about-race/

http://www.csnwashington.com/video_content_type/rg3-i-dont-want-be-best-black-qb-i-want-be-best-qb

This guy just ****ing gets it. He was born to be a franchise QB.

Other people bring up the fact that he's black. It's reporters and other players who make it an issue.