Leave It To The No Fun League

Following a belated booth review Peyton Manning may lose the single season passing yardage record he seemed to have claimed in the first half of the Bronco's season finale:

(CBS) When the dust settled in the NFL landscape on Sunday, Peyton Manning appeared to have eclipsed Drew Brees’ 2011 passing record.

Manning completed 25-of-28 passes for 266 yards, good for 5,477 yards on the season – one more than Brees’ record. But the NFL is now reviewing a 7-yard completion to Eric Decker with just over a minute remaining in the first quarter.

According to a report from ESPN, one camera angle implies the pass to Decker is a lateral, which would make it a running play. Another angle, however, shows Decker catching the ball at the Broncos’ 48-yard line, with Manning slightly deeper than that.

If the play stands, Manning keeps his record. If the NFL determines the play was in fact a lateral, Manning would finish with 5,470 yards, which would be the second-highest season total in league history.

Left unmentioned: Manning was benched for the second half (along with other starters); I strongly suspect that he would have been on the field if the coaches thought the record was not in the bag. After all, that sort of record is a team achievement and fun for the fans to talk about.

That said, if Manning gets his second Super Bowl ring the passing record will be but a speck of icing on the cake. And if the Broncos don't win the Super Bowl after the season they had, well, that passing record won't mean anything. I guess we could ask Tom Brady of the 2007 18-1 Patriots about that, since the Broncos just broke their scoring and TD passes marks.

Comments

[Frau Steingehirn]

Erste, zweite?

[Danube on iPad]

I hope they have the good sense to rule the play a pass regardless of what the fil shows. The team clearly relied on the officials' ruling when they sent Manning to the bench.

But nothing would surprise me.

[Danube on iPad]

On second thought, I guess there wasn't any officials' ruling.

[Captain Hate on the iPhone]

This is so Goodell. Rozelle must be redlining in his coffin.

[boatbuilder]

If Brady and the Pats beat Manning and the Broncos in the AFC championship (or vice versa) neither one will care about the TD or the yardage record. Marino's 48 under the old rules which allowed much more defensive contact is much more impressive than either in any event.

[Sandy TuzeDaze]

Well, the en-eff-el is being overtaken with all sorts of -ims

homophopia-ism

race-ism

bully-ism

whatever-ism

and is becoming a caricature of what it once meant to be a true sport. The injuries, concussions, lawsuits, institutes for the study of various football-induced pathologies and "-isms" will only accelerate the demise.

I think it is time for an eneffel paradigm shift.

Were I commish, I would allow the game to continue much as it is today, in terms of rules, etc, but I would reduce the allowable uniform equipment to something akin to what is worn in rugby. That is, I'd ban helmets and most pads.

I think players would be much more discerning in how they played the game, I think the athleticism would be given a boost, I think the game/league might have a chance of survival.

my two cents

[JIB]

Trey Griffey, Ken Griffey, Jr.'s son, just caught a TD for Arizona. What's amazing about that is that I can't believe Ken Griffey, Jr. has a kid that old.

No, that's not it. I am too old and this just proved it:)

[JIB]

Sandy,

If you're going to do then you have to outlaw huddles:) No timeouts, continuous play until the last whistle. I will decrease the overall line weight and provide fitter players.

Actually, my buddy the NFL HOFer suggests soft helmets.

They won't really change until someone is killed and even that only result in a rule tweak. Like the number of defensive players on one side of the line during a kicking play.

[MarkO]

Australian Rules Football. That's the ticket.

[NK(withnewsoftware)]

The NFL's rules are now puzzle palace. The game officials don't even know them. Joke.

[NK(withnewsoftware)]

JiB/Sandy-- Pop Warner, and HS football will go that way sooner than later. When BCS college and NFL follow is harder to say because of the $$$.

[Sandy TuzeDaze]

eneffel rules <==> obamacare rules

[MarkO]

Secret Benghazi Report Comix.

http://directorblue.blogspot.com/2013/12/new-york-times-we-had-reporter-embedded.html

[MarkO]

It will take only one winning class action suit against a school district, for injury due to concussion, for high school football to end.

Concussion litigation is the new tobacco litigation.

[JIB]

Now this is funny: Secret Benghazi Reporter Comix

[NK(withnewsoftware)]

MarkO-- yep, that's the way I see it... well... HS football as it's currently played, hard helmets, head/shoulder tackles etc. The trial lawyers and NannyNazis will end that.

[Old Lurker]

Had dinner with a friend who is on a Board I used to be on. My friend is a neuroscientist, mother of teenage boys. She told me the Board had finally approved a project from back in my day to spend $25,000,000 on new athletic fields for the boys' prep school which she thought ironic since she was not at all sure it would be used for football (as we have known it) when it is finally completed in a few years. She expressed similar concerns about girls' sports which involved bouncing balls off heads.

[boatbuilder]

One of the best suggestions I have heard is to simply go back to the old rule which allowed defensive contact with receivers within 10 yards rather than just 5. This gives the defenders some means of defending other than launching themselves at receivers running free over the middle, holding or committing pass interference, which appear to be the current options. (The irony is that the current rule is the "Ty Law Rule," which was put into place because of Belichek; he now takes full advantage on the other side of the ball). Doesn't address concussions to linemen and running backs, of course, but I don't think leather helmets are going to prevent concussions from head slaps.

[A.S.]

So... A meaningless record that will surely be broken in the next 2 or 3 years, the NFL will go back and review the tape like the Zapruder film to change the call.

But a clear penalty that AFFECTED WHICH TEAM MADE THE PLAYOFFS? Sorry, too late!

[Little Mike]

@ 2:17 - Doesn't take much to amuse you, does it, dimwit?

[NK(withnewsoftware)]

OL-- we are that close? I shouldn't be surprised.

[JIB]

Hello, Anne. When are visiting hours?

[Danube on iPad]

" I will decrease the overall line weight and provide fitter players."

Playing both ways had that effect. Ask Trigger Joe.

[Old Lurker]

NK, the key words in my story was my friend is a mom, but we are talking about a macho boys' school with a long history. While she will prove right in the long run, I suspect there will be blood in a lot of bedrooms, and a lot of men sleeping on couches before it happens.

[Danube on iPad]

"It will take only one winning class action suit against a school district"

Who would be the members of that class?

[Sandy TuzeDaze]

For some reason, this seemed appropriate to the thread...

You can’t handle the truth! Son, we live in a world that has walls, and those walls have to be guarded by men with guns. Who’s gonna do it? You? You, Lieutenant Weinberg? I have a greater responsibility than you can possibly fathom. You weep for Santiago, and you curse the Marines. You have that luxury. You have the luxury of not knowing what I know — that Santiago’s , while tragic, probably saved lives; and my existence, while grotesque and incomprehensible to you, saves lives. You don’t want the truth because deep down in places you don’t talk about at parties, you want me on that wall — you need me on that wall.

We use words like “honor,” “code,” “loyalty.” We use these words as the backbone of a life spent defending something. You use them as a punch line. I have neither the time nor the inclination to explain myself to a man who rises and sleeps under the blanket of the very freedom that I provide and then questions the manner in which I provide it.

I would rather that you just said “thank you” and went on your way. Otherwise, I suggest you pick up a weapon and stand the post. Either way, I don’t give a DAMN what you think you’re entitled to!

[NK(withnewsoftware)]

DoT-- HS boys who didn't get the SAT grades they wanted, or into the college they wanted, or into the military... the sob stories will be endless.

[rich@gmu]

thought that participation in football has been on a steady decline for a number of years now anyway. There was a reason the NFL ordered stress tests on the financials of all NFL teams assuming a 50% drop in attendance (and of course I can't find a link with "stress" meaning financial).

[JIB]

DoT,

1965 - the retun of unlimited substituion. I'll never forget Neyland at Tennessee calling it "chickenshit football":)

[JIB]

NK,

I think what DoT means is that if its one player with a concussion how does that relate to a "class"? I can see a lawsuit but a "class action"? Isn't that usually taken to be a big number?

[NK(withnewsoftware)]

ALL the players who didn't get what they wanted out of life could claim class membership. Federal Rules could make this difficult, but a lot of state court rules certify classes without much oversight.

[JIB]

OL,

GP?

[Miss Marple]

Well, I want to form a class action lawsuit because I didn't get to be a prima ballerina or a princess.

Life is so unfair.

[Old Lurker]

No comment, Jib.

I live here!

[Captain Hate]

End penalties for offensive holding. It's very poorly called as obvious ones get overlooked and ticky-tack ones are called based on what a zebra thought he saw. It would lead to more offense, which the league usually tries to stimulate by making dumbass rule changes which make the game harder to officiate. This would make it easier.

[JIB]

Irony:

"1879 - Thomas Edison gives the first public demonstration of his incandescent lightbulbs by lighting up a street in Menlo Park, New Jersey.

And soon there will be no more incandescant bulbs on the shelves."

[JIB]

...Today in 1879...

[Old Lurker]

JiB I emailed you the answer.

[Old Lurker]

"And soon there will be no more incandescant bulbs on the shelves."

Except on the shelves of DoT's and my utility rooms where I stockpiled enough 60s, 75' & 100s to see me off into the great beyond.

[Danube on iPad]

"HS boys who didn't get the SAT grades they wanted, or into the college they wanted,..."

I think you'd have a real problem with causation.

Is it St. Albans, OL?

[Old Lurker]

Same no comment DoT!

[Old Lurker]

DoT I emailed you the answer too.

[JIB]

OL,

Same here. In fact, I had to ship half of them to Southampton.

[Old Lurker]

JiB, and half of mine are on Nantucket but I had to lock them up lest my caretaker will spread them around to his lib clients.

[JIB]

OL,

Shit. I didn't think about that.:)

[Tom Maguire]

I think the N Effin L ought to reduce roster size and bring back the sixty-minute men. The suggested rule change (from some sage years ago) simply limits a team to no more than two substitutions on any play, including change of possession. Enough to run off (or on) a kicker and a QB, but everyone else stays out there.

Plenty of these linebackers would be frightening running backs. DBs and WRs simply switch assignments and continue chasing each other around. Offensive linemen would probably slim down a bit.

But the players union would howl. I wonder if college presidents would be OK with cutting football to a mere 45 scholarships?

[Comanche Voter]

There's a freshman linebacker at UCLA who also doubles as a running back on occasion. He's good at both roles.

[dublindave]

Spokesperson at the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ Marilyn Tavenner released some numbers today on ACA enrollment:

"The most recent data indicate that more than 2.1 million people have enrolled in a private health insurance plan through the Federal and State-based Marketplaces since October 1. […]

Additionally, 3.9 million Americans learned they’re eligible for coverage through Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) in October and November. These numbers include new eligibility determinations and some Medicaid and CHIP renewals.

We are encouraged that over 6 million people have been enrolled in Marketplace or Medicaid coverage since October 1, and will work to give millions more Americans the peace of mind that comes with health security in the months ahead."

Dang....6 million people who previously didn't have health coverage now protected because of the efforts of President Obama and the Democratic party. This is why i'm a Democrat...to make the world a better place.Scoff if you will but my party just made it possible for 6 million people to have health insurance.

So what have you guys got planned if you take the Presidency in 2016?

[Frau Steingehirn]

Identity of NYT reporter among Benghazi attackers revealed:

[JIB]

TM,

Not as long as you have car dealer boosters:) The college game, especially is screwed for ever. Get rid of the booster community and the college can act indepednently.

[Old Lurker]

No, that huge budget I mentioned is not just for a football field; there is something in the project for everybody including nerds and guys who don't butt heads. I only mentioned it to illustrate how boards are seriously debating the long term health of students of some sports. When I was active there, our great worry was the effect of astroturf on the knees of teenage girls playing soccer, and the data on that was scary too. Then we built some basketball gyms and discovered how much the technology for engineering the floors to minimize injuries had gotten complicated. Just when we thought we had seen it all, we got sucked back into the science when we resurfaced a track.

Chicken that I am, I checked on the E&O coverage we had for Trustees just to make sure we were OK if we picked wrong!

[Frau Steingehirn]

Soon the *entire* world will sign up for ACA and what a glorious world this will be.
All due to Pres. Leading from Behind (pbuh).

[JIB]

OL,

I am the president of our school board and we just did a new field but didn't have the moolah to do the track correctly. So, we laid down a coquina base and "wacker packed" it. Now we have half the money to do a poly composite topping but have decided to forego and save the money to do some more important infrastructrure correcrtions to the school.

Its always a tradeoff on athletics vs. curriculum vs. infrastructure. But in the end its about doing what's right for the betterment of the education of the pupil. Plus we have a challenging demographic income wise here versus other schools in the diocese and our decisions are very much made on that basis.

[Captain Hate]

Did I have Arizona in the earlier BoD bowl? Nice performance, BC; no Bojangles for you.

[Janet - the districts lie fallow, while the Capitol gorges itself]

Hah!, Frau!

[Account Deleted]

"what a glorious world this will be"

Not so fast, Frau. The best the 3.9 million condemned to ProleCull can expect is to break even.

Conclusions

This randomized, controlled study showed that Medicaid coverage generated no significant improvements in measured physical health outcomes in the first 2 years, but it did increase use of health care services, raise rates of diabetes detection and management, lower rates of depression, and reduce financial strain.

Of course, that's just the New England Journal of Medicine. They probably don't have access to the type of brainpower required to determine 2 million signups to be "better" than five million cancellations.

[Steve]

2014 IS HERE! New Years Eve Fireworks Celebrations in Sydney, Australia and Dubai (Video)

http://commoncts.blogspot.com/2013/12/2014-is-here-watch-complete-new-years.html

[MarkO]

Class?

Well, it would be those who played football, who have suffered brain injury, and who were either not warned or protected by the school district. That's the current theory of those watching the NFL and the colleges.

So seriously are some districts and states taking this possibility (or even a suit with only 10 plaintiffs or 1), that there are efforts in some states to change the tort liability laws.

There are no CBA's for high school kids. While damages might be limited by governmental immunity, one successful case would be devastating.

[Ignatz]

--Playing both ways had that effect. Ask Trigger Joe.--

Ask BoE's exes.

[Old Lurker]

All true, JiB. But it is also true that high schools, like colleges, can raise a million for sports in the time it takes to raise $100k for academics. And that 10:1 ratio is probably 100:1 for engineering infrastructure.

[JIB]

MarkO,

How is that possible. Let's say the concussion kid is from Ohio playing under their rules. How does the kids from Texas, Florida, Michigan and New York claim the same thing if their state athletic rules are different regarding protection, penalties, etc.??

[Jane-Rebel Alliance1]

Mark F asked me to post a New Year's greeting to everyone because he can't get in.

So Happy New Year.

[Extraneus]

Ask dublindave.

[Jane-Rebel Alliance1]

Re: The class action: I was referring to the lawyers, not the victims, because they will get very very rich.

[Danube on iPad]

"it would be those who played football, who have suffered brain injury, and who were either not warned or protected by the school district."

How many of those would there be in a school district? I have no doubt there will continue to be lawsuits, and authorities should anticipate them. But for a class to be certified is has to be "so numerous that joinder of all members is impracticable."

Remember, the NFL guys have been going at it for a long time - high school, college and pro - and the damage is apparently cumulative.

[Danube on iPad]

Steph, if UCLA hangs on I go to 7-3.

[Dave (in MA)]

Typepad sucks.

[Old Lurker]

I really do hate liberals.

There. I said it.

NRO "Central Park’s horse-drawn carriages will soon be a thing of the past (even more so) under the de Blasio administration. The incoming New York City mayor has already announced he will begin phasing out the nostalgic rides and ban them when he takes office, which starts tomorrow.

“It’s over,” de Blasio said, calling the practice inhumane. ”We are going to quickly and aggressively move to make horse carriages no longer a part of the landscape in New York City.”

Supporters of de Blasio’s efforts, such as an official with ASPCA’s Anti-Cruelty group, described the horse-drawn carriages as ”unnatural, unnecessary, and an undeniable strain on the horses’ quality of life.”

The New York Daily News reports that the horse-drawn carriages could be replaced with “antique-style electric cars.” One longtime horse-carriage driver criticized the decision.

“You can’t create tradition. You can’t create kids coming with smiles on their faces to pet the horses,” said Steven Malone, who has driven his carriage since 1987. “You’re not getting that with an electric car. . . . Kids can’t pet fenders.”

[rich@gmu]

my picks sucked. Go Duke!

>>>Obama pollster asks reporters to stop covering polls in 2014... <<<

there is no bad news.

[Dave (in MA)]

I can post "typepad sucks" but not a link. Typepad must be a moonbat.

[jimmyk]

Supporters of de Blasio’s efforts, such as an official with ASPCA’s Anti-Cruelty group, described the horse-drawn carriages as ”unnatural, unnecessary, and an undeniable strain on the horses’ quality of life.”

And those horses are headed straight to the glue factory once the carriages are banned. No concerns about quality of life after that.

[narciso]

That's unpossible, rich, possibly crimethink;

http://hotair.com/headlines/archives/2013/12/31/is-john-kerry-on-the-cusp-of-an-israel-palestine-peace-talks-breakthrough/

[Ignatz]

Prediction;
DeBlasio will be fairly universally hated by New Yorkers long before he is done and will cause nostalgia for Dinkins' level of competency and PR.

[JIB]

I have never taken a horse and carriage ride in NYC but I cannot even imagine them not being part of the fabric of life around Central Park.

This guy De Blasio is Dinkins redux but without the horses. Setting the table for another kind of Guilani if you ask me. Won't be safe there for the next 4 years.

Bring back the squeegie men. [And muggers, grafitti artists, jaywalkers and purse snatchers].

[NKonIPad]

Causation-- in many states the threshold to state a cause of action and certify a class is low, and surviving a motion to dismiss is easy - peasy. Then discovery starts and all of those seminars attended by school officials --or not attended-- regarding neuro injury and developmental problems become part of the record. Then the plaintiffs recruit neuro exoerts who swear out affds in opposition to summary judgment by raising issues of fact regarding causation, and the case goes to trial. The thing becomes a huge expensive mess, with huge liability risks. It settles with dropping football and paying off the lawyers. Actual and legal causation is never proven. That s our sad legal system.

[Danube on iPad]

"And those horses are headed straight to the glue factory once the carriages are banned."

Don't be silly, jimmyk. Lots of nice people will take them in and house and feed them and keep them healthy even though they will no longer generate any revenue.
De Blasio is also immediately banning the stop-and-frisk policy, even though doing so will certainly result in an increase in firearms deaths.

The mind of the gooey liberal is a wondrous thing to behold.

[Dave (in MA)]

A pioneer of the American inconvenient baby-grinding industry has kicked,

http://www.universalhub.com/2013/kenneth-edelin-boston-doctor-center-abortion

[henry]

The mind of the gooey liberal is a wondrous thing to behold.

Especially so if you are nowhere near their coastal habitats.

[Extraneus]

I took a nice ride some years ago, but I've stood and watched the horses in Manhattan since then, and they do look pretty sad.

[NKonIPad]

I ll try to avoid matters de Blasio, I don t like swearing like that.

JiB start checking Accuweather, the models are shifting the snowfall to include the East End. Could be a big dump.

[jimmyk]

they do look pretty sad.

I can't really tell if a horse is sad or not. Compared to what? Are zoo animals sad? I suspect they have a pretty good life, and they will most certainly be slaughtered.

[JIB]

Just opened a bottle of Billecart-Salmon Rose. Its on.

Happy New Year!

[James D.]

Just saying it early - Happy New Year, everyone!

[JIB]

NK,

My east end is the east end of Florida and the only dump we are getting is a cold wind out of the northeast:)

[Threadkiller]

All sides agree that the slaughter of more than 100,0000 U.S. horses continues annually after the animals are exported to Mexico and Canada. Various factors, including a major drought, high feed prices, the “Great Recession,” and, quite possibility, the end of domestic slaughter options, have contributed to record horse abandonment and starvation in recent years

http://www.foodsafetynews.com/2013/12/10th-circuit-lifts-injunction-horse-slaughter-can-legally-resume-in-u-s/

Equine-'n'-Dine

[JIB]

Ladies and Gentleman of JOM.

May I present to you James DiBenedetto, one of the most popular authors of the year.

Congrats, JamesD. Proficiat

[Soylent Seabiscuit]

Horsemeat creep; like they think you won't notice.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-21631961

"Four beef products sold by Bird's Eye, Taco Bell and catering supplier Brakes have been found to contain horse DNA, the Food Standards Agency says.

This is the third wave of test results received by the FSA, which has now received a total of 5,430 test results.

Meanwhile, new tests conducted on beef retail products revealed no new cases of horsemeat adulteration, the British Retail Consortium (BRC) has said.

This latest round of tests saw 1,797 products being examined.

The FSA has asked retailers to test beef products for the presence of more than 1% of horsemeat, with anything above that figure considered to be a sign of adulteration.

Its latest results have found that more than 99% of tests show no horse DNA at or above the level of 1%."

[henry]

NK, your dump is here now... But hitting Chicago more than us.

Excellent way to roll into next year JamesD!

[Ignatz]

--A pioneer of the American inconvenient baby-grinding industry has kicked.--

That's OK. Like those inconvenient babies, he probably didn't really want to live anyway.
Shoot, he probably would have appreciated somebody dismembering him years ago.

[Ignatz]

Congrats, JamesD.

[Extraneus]

Congratulations, James!

[MarkO]

It is always good to read the musings of a defense lawyer, which, of course, I, too, have been for my career.

I did not mean to set forth a claim for relief, merely to suggest in common terms that successful suits against school districts for concussion injury would be the end of high school football.

Causation is the defense du jour of the NFL and there are dueling experts. Were there to be such cases against districts, I would be on the defense table.

But, I suffer no delusion as to the exposure or the enormity of a bad outcome.

[Raging Christian Hypocrite]

Of course baby-grinding occurs AFTER birth, since previously they were fetuses.

after exiting the womb, they're on their own, but that's not a problem since abortion was aborted. After their birthiness, they have personal responsibility for avoiding the pitfalls of childhood. We can't help them.

[Extraneus]

You Anglos had us going at Christmas time, and my wife is one of y'all (as she might say), so it's prime rib and Yorkshire pudding this year. ThermaProbe has it at 86 so far.

Congratulations, James!

[Extraneus]

(Hoppin' John tomorrow, of course.)

[JIB]

Shrimp and grits, Ex. My puddings were small souffles. Beat that:)

Where the hell can you find collard greens anymore? Publix has the black eye peas but not the greens.

General Sherman is smiling:)

[narciso]

Congrats James D. we had a stir fry meal, instead of the 'other white meat' as the main course.

[Danube on iPad]

"Causation is the defense du jour of the NFL and there are dueling experts.

I believe they setlled it.

[Danube on iPad]

"after exiting the womb, they're on their own"

Right. Not like the good old days when they actually had mothers. And, in some cases, even fathers.

Dolt.

[Danube on iPad]

Congats, JamesD!