Good afternoon fellow football fans. It's Friday, it's Week 2 of the preseason and we have just nineteen days until the Giants and Cowboys kick off the regular season. We still have replacement refs, Jonathan Vilma is still suing the NFL, and the Giants are probably leading the league in injuries. Let's see what is going on....
Olympic silver medalist Jeff Demps to sign with New England Patriots - sources - ESPN Boston
London Olympics silver medalist Jeff Demps is expected to sign a contract Friday afternoon with the New England Patriots, according to multiple sources. More From ESPN.com Already featuring a bevy of offensive weapons, the Patriots will be even more dangerous with the addition of Olympic silver medalist Jeff Demps, writes James Walker.
If Al Davis was alive....that's all I've got to say!
No end in sight to NFL referee dispute
Less than three weeks before the season kicks off, the National Football League and the NFL Referees Association are no closer to an agreement to end the lockout of the officials. As replacement officials work pre-season games — and generally get criticized for their performances — the league and officials Thursday disputed such issues as full-time employees and adding officiating crews.
Wow, the thought of the opener having scabs is a bit, oh, frightening.
NFL Reaches Agreement With Cablevision for NFL Network, RedZone - Businessweek
The National Football League reached an agreement with Cablevision Systems Corp. (CVC) to carry the league- owned NFL Network and RedZone channel. The deal between the most-watched U.S. sports league and the New York-area cable television operator leaves Time Warner Cable Inc. as the only major cable provider without the NFL Network.
NFL teams up with pop stars for hometown anthems | Detroit Free Press | freep.com
The 2002 American Idol winner is one of four platinum pop stars drafted by Pepsi and the National Football League to craft anthems for their hometown teams. The Pepsi NFL Anthems campaign launches today with the release of Clarkson's Get Up (A Cowboys Anthem), a free download at PepsiAnthems.com. Coming up are Ice Cube's not-yet-titled ode to the Oakland Raiders and Kid Rock's In Detroit for the Detroit Lions. Starting today, Travie McCoy's All In, a New York Giants anthem, will be offered exclusively through download redemption codes on specially marked 24-pack Pepsi products at Wal-Mart. After Sept. 3, it's a free download without the code. The songs will be available on the site until Feb. 28.
Ehhhh, sometimes I just wanna say....play the freaking games and stop all the other marketing crap! There, I just said it.
NFL looks for new team to play in London after Rams scrap plans | SI Tracking Blog – Tracking MLB, NBA, NFL, NHL, and NCAA On Twitter
The National Football League is looking for another team to play a regular season game in London over the next few years after the St. Louis Rams announced on Monday that they have scrapped plans to play one regular season game in the U.K. in 2013 and 2014. NFL vice president of international business Chris Parsons told SBNation on Monday that the league will find another team to play in London in 2013 and that the decision would come in the next few months:
Send 'em back to Los Angeles!
Reid's focus on football, not contract | Courier-Post | courierpostonline.com
If there’s a battle brewing between Andy Reid’s agent and the owner of the Eagles, Reid is doing his best to avoid picking sides. On Sunday, less than 24 hours after an uncomfortable public exchange between Reid’s agent, Bob LaMonte, and team chairman Jeffrey Lurie that centered on the longtime head coach’s job security, Reid said his contract and future with the Eagles couldn’t be further from his thinking.
Tony Sparano, New York Jets offensive coordinator, says passing game won’t be overlooked in 2012 - NYPOST.com
Coach Rex Ryan repeatedly has said he wants the team to return to its "Ground and Pound" roots, which has been interpreted as the Jets turning the football clock back to three-yards-and-a-cloud-of-dust. Sparano laughed at the notion when it was presented him last week at Jets training camp. "I don’t think the Jets are going to be a wing-T team, OK?" Sparano said with a smile. "But we’re going to be able to run the football, and we’re going to throw the ball well with efficiency."
Yeah, Sanchez and Tebow....those guys just scream "passing efficiency."
Philbin can bring it in 'Hard Knocks' - JSOnline
Philbin is anything but a flamboyant or charismatic presence. He's unadorned and intense at practice. The show observes that Philbin does not look like an NFL head coach. That's true. He looks like a pharmacist. Or Bob Newhart's nephew. But he's not vacant and humorless. At one point he leaves a quarterbacks meeting by saying, "I gotta leave on a high note, like George Costanza." Who knew Joe Philbin was a "Seinfeld" fan? Coaches in the NFL are famous for their utter disconnection with popular culture.
Karlos Dansby wishes the Dolphins would’ve ‘stood behind’ Chad Johnson | Shutdown Corner - Yahoo! Sports
The Miami Dolphins showed very little hesitation or pause in ridding themselves of Chad Johnson after his arrest for allegedly head-butting his wife. He was arrested, and less than 24 hours later, he was unemployed. Karlos Dansby, one of the team's veteran leaders on defense, wishes the Dolphins would've had a little more patience with Chad.
The N.F.L. Markets to Fashion Fans - NYTimes.com
The National Football League is hoping to appeal to fans of both fashion and pro football with its revamped women’s apparel line. A robust ad campaign, styled by Tiina Laakkonen, a regular contributor to T Magazine and Vogue Japan, and photographed by Daniel Jackson, who has shot for Teen Vogue and i-D Magazine, will accompany the new platform
Again, play the games! And make sure the refs are signed. I can't believe I just said that. Yeah, even you, Jerome Bogar and Jeff Triplette. Well, maybe not you two.
Tailgating Rules for the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field - Yahoo! Sports
Lambeau Field, the home stadium of the National Football League's Green Bay Packers in Wisconsin, is the scene of giant tailgating parties throughout the fall and winter football season. The team lays down certain rules and guidelines to ensure the safety and good behavior of fans outside the stadium.
Do they have two rules -- make sure you have enough beer and make sure you have enough brats?
R-J compiling NFL bar list again - Living - ReviewJournal.com
There's a nip in the air, the leaves are subtly changing hue, and everywhere there is the unmistakable feeling that autumn is on its way. Ha! Had you going there, right? Fact is, it's not going to feel even remotely like fall for another two months or so, and when it finally arrives, it'll arrive quickly and be over just as fast. At least we can share a classic autumn ritual with everybody else in this great, sports-obsessed land: the unofficial end of summer and the return of the National Football League. And with the impending arrival of the NFL's 2012 season, the Review-Journal is again compiling its list of hometown NFL bars.
Now that's what I'm talking about! Have a great weekend, fellas....