Vedic Perspective: Recent Episodes
Vedic Perspective
James 5 New International Version (NIV)
Patience in Suffering
7 Be patient, then, brothers and sisters, until the Lord’s coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop, patiently waiting for the autumn and spring rains. 8 You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord’s coming is near. 9 Don’t grumble against one another, brothers and sisters, or you will be judged. The Judge is standing at the door!
10 Brothers and sisters, as an example of patience in the face of suffering, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. 11 As you know, we count as blessed those who have persevered. You have heard of Job’s perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy.
12 Above all, my brothers and sisters, do not swear—not by heaven or by earth or by anything else. All you need to say is a simple “Yes” or “No.” Otherwise you will be condemned.
Mets walk off on Nats with Amazin' rally in 9th
Conforto, Frazier the heroes as club has won 7 straight and 14 of 15
By Sarah Langs @SlangsOnSports
Somehow, some way, the Mets did it again, extending their recent stretch to 14 wins in 15 games with a 7-6 walk-off victory over the Nationals at Citi Field on Friday night, evoking that line from Todd Frazier. They trailed, 6-3, entering the bottom of the ninth but rallied off Nationals closer Sean Doolittle.
It was the team’s first win this season when trailing after eight innings, improving to 1-44 in such games. The Mets hadn’t won a game in which they trailed by three or more runs in the ninth inning or later since Sept. 13, 2015, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. They were 0-187 in such games since that date.
But Frazier hit a game-tying three-run homer to knot the game up at 6, and the comeback was on. It was Frazier’s second career game-tying home run in the ninth inning or later. Michael Conforto knocked an RBI single with two outs for the walk-off hit, giving the Mets their seventh consecutive win.
It was Conforto’s first career walk-off hit, and as the players rushed the field, Pete Alonso ripped Conforto’s jersey off.
The atmosphere was practically all anyone could talk about after the game.
“Today was probably the most fun I’ve had up here in the big leagues. What a game,” Conforto said. “To go down twice, to come back, to answer right back, it was special. The stadium was packed, it felt like the playoffs. The atmosphere … we fed off of that, we fed off each other, and I just happened to be the guy who was up last. I have faith that if any other guy in this clubhouse was up there, they were going to get the job done, too.”
Top 10 Reasons The Dark Ages Were Not Dark JAMIE FRATER
I believe that we can safely say that the period of man’s history from 476 AD to 1000 AD is the most maligned of all. This period, known to historians as the Early Middle Ages, is still referred to by most laymen as the Dark Ages. In fact the term “dark ages” is almost as ancient as the period itself – it was coined in the 1330s by Petrarch, the Italian scholar, to refer to the decline of Latin literature. It was later taken by the protestant reformers (16th century) and then the members of the Englightenment (18th century) as a derogatory term with much broader implications, because they saw their own “enlightenment” as absent from the earlier period. Hardly a fair judgement on the past. Fortunately for modern students of history, the term is now officially known as the Early Middle Ages – a name which has no connotations at all. So, having given you the background on the terms, here are ten reasons that the dark ages were, in fact, a period of great progress and light
Universities Are Born
Scientific Foundations Laid
Carolingian Renaissance
Byzantine Golden Age
Religious Unity
Algebra Arrived
Art and Architecture
Fantastic Weather
Law Becomes Fair
Agricultural Boom
Report: NFL owners pitch 18-game schedule, but with players restricted to 16 games
Eric Edholm Yahoo Sports Jul 12, 2019, 2:11 PM
NFL team owners have pushed for an 18-game regular-season schedule for years. NFL players have resisted the idea for fears of the added physical toll that would incur.
Is it possible in the league’s the next labor agreement that both sides can find common ground on this issue?
One wild idea that’s resurfacing — as reported by the Wall Street Journal — is for the owners to get their 18-game schedule, which would raise revenue immensely, but for the players to be limited to 16 of those games.
The owners’ proposal during early negotiations is one that radically would reshape roster and game strategy. Here’s a starting point to consider how radical the idea is: Every team would need its backup quarterback(s) to start a minimum of two games each season.
Could something this wild happen?
The current CBA (Collective Bargaining Agreement) is set to expire following the 2020 NFL season, in March of 2021. A decade ago, labor negotiations were tense and drawn out. An owner lockout lasted well into the summer and wreaked havoc on the timing and planning of the 2011 NFL season, even though it was salvaged with a new agreement that July.
That time around, the owners initially made a strong push for an 18-game schedule, and you could understand their justification. According to WSJ, adding two games to each team’s slate could result in an additional $2.5 billion in revenue.
Extrapolate that, and it could lead to an estimated $15 million added to the salary cap for each team the first year. Spread out over 32 teams, the additional revenue could lead to approximately half a billion dollars going to roughly 2,000 players each year.
Report: NFL owners pitch 18-game schedule, but with players restricted to 16 games
Eric Edholm Jul 12, 2019
NFL team owners have pushed for an 18-game regular-season schedule for years. NFL players have resisted the idea for fears of the added physical toll that would incur.
Is it possible in the league’s the next labor agreement that both sides can find common ground on this issue?
One wild idea that’s resurfacing — as reported by the Wall Street Journal — is for the owners to get their 18-game schedule, which would raise revenue immensely, but for the players to be limited to 16 of those games.
The owners’ proposal during early negotiations is one that radically would reshape roster and game strategy. Here’s a starting point to consider how radical the idea is: Every team would need its backup quarterback(s) to start a minimum of two games each season.
Alternative Sports
Many sports can be considered alternatives to dominant sport forms, but the term alternative sport has generally been used in sociology to refer to a group of activities that meet a particular set of organizational criteria. Alternative sports initially existed outside of formal sports organizations and participants were primarily young people who, for one reason or another, did not fit into the world of traditional youth sports such as baseball and football. Though they differ greatly from one another, Robert Rinehart (2000) suggests that alternative sports can be loosely defined as: (1) participant controlled and directed, rather than organized through a governing body or other official organization; (2) individually focused, emphasizing personal achievements; (3) focused less on competition than traditional sports; and (4) generally possessing an insider requirement. That is, they are more likely than traditional sports to encompass their own subculture – one that stands in opposition to the dominant culture. In other words, skateboarders, for example, are not just people who happen to ride skateboards, but are ‘‘skaters,’’ expected to participate in a lifestyle associated with involvement in the sport.
Some alternative sports were originally titled ‘‘extreme.’’ This appears to have meant that they involved risk taking that more mainstream sports did not (like BASE jumping or cliff diving). The term was appropriated by the media and applied to any sport that was not generally considered a sports staple on television in the 1990s, and the label has by and large been abandoned by participants and, to some degree, by the media. Increasingly, mass media narratives refer to alternative sports as ‘‘action sports.’’
Mike Florio thinks 49ers could move on from Jimmy Garoppolo after 2019
Josh Schrock
NBC Sports BayArea•July 5, 2019
Mike Florio thinks 49ers could move on from Jimmy Garoppolo after 2019 originally appeared on nbcsportsbayarea.com
The 49ers haven't gotten to see a lot of Jimmy Garoppolo since he arrived in 2017, but they've loved the little they have witnessed.
Garoppolo came to the 49ers in a midseason trade in 2017. He started the last five games of the 2017 campaign, winning all five and doing enough for San Francisco to reward him with a five-year, $137.5 million contract. Garoppolo only played in two-plus games in 2018, tearing his ACL during a Week 3 game against the Kansas City Chiefs.
Jimmy G is on track to be fully healthy to begin the 2019 season, but could this be his last campaign by The Bay?
Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio previously has suggested the 49ers could move on from Garoppolo -- perhaps for Kirk Cousins -- after the season if the 27-year-old doesn't perform well in his first full season as the 49ers' starter. He brought the theory back up during a "Pro Football Talk Live" segment Thursday, postulating that this season could be make or break time for Garoppolo.
"After this year, that's when it becomes much more easy for the 49ers to move on if they want to," Florio said. "A total cap charge of $4.2 million if they would decide to cut or trade him following the completion of the 2019 season. The way the 49ers structure their contracts, they build in until April 1 to make a decision before the injury guarantee becomes full guarantee.
NFL'S ALL-DECADE TEAMS
1970s
OFFENSE
WR – Lynn Swann, Drew Pearson, Harold Carmichael, Paul Warfield
TE – Dave Casper, Charlie Sanders
T – Art Shell, Ron Yary, Dan Dierdorf, Rayfield Wright
G – Larry Little, Joe DeLamielleure, John Hannah, Gene Upshaw
C – Jim Langer, Mike Webster
QB – Terry Bradshaw, Roger Staubach, Ken Stabler
RB – O.J. Simpson, Walter Payton, Earl Campbell, Franco Harris
DEFENSE
DE – Jack Youngblood, Carl Eller, L.C. Greenwood, Harvey Martin
DT – Joe Greene, Bob Lilly, Alan Page, Merlin Olsen
MLB – Dick Butkus, Jack Lambert
OLB – Jack Ham, Ted Hendricks, Robert Brazile, Bobby Bell
CB – Willie Brown, Jimmy Johnson, Louis Wright, Roger Wehrli
S – Ken Houston, Cliff Harris, Larry Wilson, Dick Anderson
SPECIAL TEAMS
K – Garo Yepremian, Jim Bakken
P – Ray Guy, Jerrel Wilson
KR – Rick Upchurch, Billy "White Shoes" Johnson
COACHES
Don Shula, Chuck Noll
With Judge & Co. back, do the Yankees have the deepest lineup ever?
David Schoenfield
ESPN Senior Writer
Aaron Judge is off the injured list and back in the Yankees' lineup. Along with the return of Giancarlo Stanton this week and the recent trade for Edwin Encarnacion, the team's regular lineup should look something like this:
3B DJ LeMahieu
RF Judge
1B Luke Voit
C Gary Sanchez
LF Stanton
DH Encarnacion
SS Didi Gregorius
2B Gleyber Torres
CF Aaron Hicks
Yes, that's an imposing nine. The Yankees are already averaging 5.52 runs per game, fourth in the majors, but that's with Judge, Stanton, Encarnacion and Gregorius playing just a combined 43 games so far. It's not unreasonable to believe this team could score six runs a game the rest of the season.
The last team to do that over a full season was the 2000 White Sox, which I never would have guessed. I would have thrown out the 2009 Yankees or some other Yankees or Red Sox team from the 2000s, or maybe the late '90s Indians or Mariners. The 2000 White Sox? They only had two regulars -- Frank Thomas and Magglio Ordonez -- who slugged .500. They were fifth in the American League in home runs with 216 and third with a .286 average. They hit .300 with RISP, however, and .301 with men on, so they were pretty clutch. Still, not a team remembered as an offensive powerhouse.
Anyway, what makes this Yankees lineup so scary is that all nine regulars are potentially league average hitters or better. Here is each player's OPS+ over the 2018-2019 seasons:
LeMahieu: 97
Judge: 148
Voit: 154
Sanchez: 111
Stanton: 128
Encarnacion: 123
Gregorius: 121
Torres: 123
Hicks: 117
Who can trigger a review on pass interference? Why NFL coaches are worried
Kevin Seifert
NFL Nation
As spring turns into summer, a fierce debate is raging among NFL decision-makers: Who should stop the game to review a potential pass interference penalty, and when?
The question might seem minor, but it pushes to the core of whether expanded replay can be effective at the NFL level. And for the second consecutive year, the league's competition committee is attempting to reverse-engineer a major rule change.
The new process for reviewing pass interference, approved by owners in March, followed the structure of the existing system. Coaches would challenge calls until the two-minute warning of either half, after which responsibility would be shifted to the on-site replay official. While coaches would be checked by the existing two-challenge limit -- plus a third if the first two were right -- the replay official could initiate reviews whenever necessary during the final two minutes and overtime.
Since then, however, concern has grown about the number of stoppages replay officials might feel compelled to make, especially with the addition of no-calls to the list of reviewable plays. Owners granted the competition committee authority last month to tweak the system, if needed, to extend the coaches' challenge for pass interference into the final two minutes and overtime.
But as it turns out, some coaches don't want that responsibility. During conference calls last week, according to multiple sources, some of them pushed back, in part because of the impact on timeout and challenge strategy. (A coach can't challenge if he's out of timeouts.) This response mirrors the proposal most coaches advocated in March -- to convert the replay official into a "sky judge" who would alert the on-field referee whenever an egregious mistake was made.
NFL 2019: Where is Super Bowl LIV and 99 other things to know for the NFL's 100th season
by Jared Dubin 11-20
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Not back this year: Jaguars linebacker Telvin Smith, who decided to take the 2019 season off to deal with health and family issues.
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Larry Fitzgerald needs 23 receptions to pass Tony Gonzalez for second all time.
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In addition to Fitzgerald, the Cardinals have surrounded No. 1 overall pick Kyler Murray with a whole bunch of young wide receivers: second-year man Christian Kirk and rookies Andy Isabella, Hakeem Butler, and KeeSean Johnson.
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The 2020 NFL Draft is taking place in Las Vegas. The 2021 draft will be in Cleveland and the 2023 draft is headed to Kansas City.
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A whole bunch of players who had spent their entire career in one place are with new teams this year, including Joe Flacco (Broncos), Terrell Suggs (Cardinals), Antonio Brown (Raiders), Le'Veon Bell (Jets), Earl Thomas (Ravens), Odell Beckham Jr. (Browns), and Justin Houston (Colts).
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Super Bowl LII MVP Nick Foles signed a monster contract with the Jaguars, where he'll reunite with former Eagles quarterbacks coach John DeFilippo, who is now the offensive coordinator in Jacksonville.
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Buffalo Bills running back Frank Gore is back for his 15th NFL season, and he needs only 523 rushing yards to pass Barry Sanders for third all time.
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There's a Bosa brother playing in Southern California (Chargers defensive end Joey Bosa) and Northern California (49ers defensive end Nick Bosa).
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We still don't know who will be on this year's edition of HBO's "Hard Knocks." It won't be the 49ers, which leaves just four candidates.
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This year's Thanksgiving slate: Bears at Lions, Bills at Cowboys, and Saints at Falcons.
NFL 2019: 100 things to know 100 days out from the start of the 100th season
The Bears and Packers will kick off the NFL's 100th season; that plus 99 other things to know
by Jared Dubin
top ten
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The 2019 season kicks off on Thursday, Sept. 5, at 8:20 p.m. ET, with the Chicago Bears hosting the Green Bay Packers.
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The defending Super Bowl champion New England Patriots will not play the first game of the season, as Super Bowl winners have in recent years, but will instead debut on "Sunday Night Football," where they'll take on the Pittsburgh Steelers.
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The Patriots will not have Rob Gronkowski on their side, as Gronk retired after nine NFL seasons.
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Drew Brees is 20 touchdown passes away from breaking Peyton Manning's all-time record.
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Tom Brady is 23 touchdown passes away from breaking the same record.
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After spending the past five seasons with Washington and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, DeSean Jackson is back with the Philadelphia Eagles.
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The three non-Patriots teams in the AFC East (Jets, Bills, Dolphins) all have quarterbacks (Sam Darnold, Josh Allen, Josh Rosen) who were selected in the top 10 of the 2018 NFL Draft.
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The Jets (Adam Gase) and Dolphins (Brian Flores) are also among the eight teams that have first-year head coaches. The others are the Cardinals (Kliff Kingsbury), Bengals (Zac Taylor), Browns (Freddie Kitchens), Broncos (Vic Fangio), Packers (Matt LaFleur), and Buccaneers (Bruce Arians).
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Speaking of which ... Bruce Arians is back! Arians retired last offseason and spent the 2018 campaign broadcasting games, but now he's back in the league with Tampa Bay.
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Also returning after just a single year in the broadcast booth: Cowboys tight end Jason Witten, who un-retired and will play his 16th season with Dallas.
Judge suppresses video in Kraft solicitation case
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. -- Prosecutors cannot use secretly recorded video allegedly showing New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft engaging in massage parlor sex, a judge ruled Monday, striking a serious blow to the case charging him with soliciting prostitutes.
In his 10-page ruling, Judge Leonard Hanser wrote that Jupiter police detectives and the judge who issued the search warrant allowing the secret installation of cameras at the Orchids of Asia Day Spa in Jupiter did not do enough to minimize the invasion of privacy of other customers, some of whom received only legal massages.
A status hearing has been set for Friday to consider a motion by Kraft's attorneys to dismiss the case based on lack of evidence. Kraft will not be there. Prosecutors have the options of appealing the decision, dismissing the charges or going ahead to trial without the only evidence they've presented.
Kraft, 77, pleaded not guilty, but he has not denied the accusation that he received sexual acts for money at the spa. In his lawyers' arguments against the charges, Kraft has essentially admitted that he was caught on video receiving such services.
During a hearing to consider the motion to suppress two weeks ago, defense attorneys hit hard on the idea that Jupiter police had not minimized the amount of surveillance they conducted with the video cameras, as required by law. That meant that people who were not violating the law were also caught on camera while disrobed. The lead detective on the case, Andrew Sharp, testified that he told officers to avoid looking at video when it was clear the client was not receiving sexual services. But he also testified that they never stopped recording, and other detectives said during cross-examination that they were never given instructions on how to minimize their surveillance.
The NFL's pass-interference problem: What makes replay review so tricky
Kevin Seifert NFL Nation
A replay remedy is now available if an NFL official misses a defensive back plowing into a receiver two seconds before the ball arrives. That's the easy part of adding pass interference calls (and no-calls) to the league's replay system on a one-year trial basis.
The hard part, of course, is navigating the dozens of other plays per game that involve clear contact but fall short of the mauling we saw at the end of the NFC Championship Game. What will the NFL do about those plays? How will it define a "clear and obvious" restriction on playing the ball, one that will guide its resolve to overturn decisions on the field?
The league is racing against time to establish that standard, a task that represents one of the most difficult hurdles in the history of league officiating. During the next few months, league executives must nail down an objective dividing line for a subjective judgment, a tightrope that would allow them to correct obvious mistakes while not disrupting the rest of the game. The process has begun with a series of team visits by senior vice president of officiating Al Riveron this spring and will ramp up next week when referees and their crews meet for their first offseason clinic.
These offseason efforts largely will dictate whether the NFL's replay expansion will survive its experimental first season or be crushed by skeptical coaches, players and fans.
"We're trying so hard to get every call right," Oakland Raiders coach Jon Gruden said recently. "But I think the harder we try, the more we might make this very difficult."
Saints coach Payton reacts to new replay rules: I think we got it right
Omnisport OmnisportMar 26, 2019, 10:49 PM
Saints coach Payton reacts to new replay rules: I think we got it right
Sean Payton praised the NFL's decision to make changes to its review policy.
More
New Orleans Saints coach Sean Payton can breathe a sigh of relief after his efforts to change the NFL's review policy paid off.
The league announced on Tuesday all offensive and defensive pass interference calls, including no-calls, can now be challenged.
Payton, who championed one of the many changes approved by the NFL at its annual meeting, said: "I think we got it right."
"I think it's more about the football element [than a personal victory]," Payton continued, via ProFootballTalk.
"I think it's more of that 'owe it to the game' that we have responsibility, and really, I mean that. This isn't going to be perfect always, and we know that. The mere shape of the ball tells you it's not going to bounce the same way. But these are fouls that the analysts are able to point and say, 'Hey, they're the most impactful fouls.' I think we got it right."
Payton has been vocal about his frustration with the NFL after the Saints' controversial loss to the Los Angeles Rams in the NFC championship game.
He said on Monday if the league did not amend its instant replay system "then ownership is saying they're comfortable with what happened a year ago".
Now, officials "will be able to correct clear errors" regardless of whether a flag was thrown on the play.
New NFL rules likely coming, but not replay for penalties
ARNIE STAPLETON (AP Pro Football Writer)
The Associated Press Mar 19, 2019, 12:23 PM
DENVER (AP) -- In no sport but the NFL do players, fans, coaches and general managers annually debate the rules of the game, advocating ways to make pro football better, safer, fairer.
Officiating is especially a hot topic around the league after a blown call late in the NFC championship game pretty much cost the New Orleans Saints a trip to the Super Bowl.
That capped a season which began with the long-awaited clarification of what constitutes a catch and then was marred by widespread confusion over what exactly is a legal takedown of the quarterback. While defenders learned new ways to tackle to avoid flags for even glancing blows to the helmet, they complained about O-linemen illegally blocking too far downfield in the run-pass option craze that has successfully seeped in from the college game.
Giants owner John Mara hears the cries to change the NFL's replay review system after officials failed to flag the blatant pass interference penalty and a helmet-first hit by the Rams' Nickell Robey-Coleman deep in Los Angeles territory in the NFC championship match. The non-calls helped Los Angeles force overtime and eventually win the game to reach the Super Bowl, leading to widespread displeasure with the current system regarding coaches' challenges.
Mara said last month at the NFL combine that the powerful competition committee isn't in a rush to change the replay system.
The Round Table is King Arthur's famed table in the Arthurian legend, around which he and his knights congregate. As its name suggests, it has no head, implying that everyone who sits there has equal status. The table was first described in 1155 by Wace, who relied on previous depictions of Arthur's fabulous retinue. The symbolism of the Round Table developed over time; by the close of the 12th century it had come to represent the chivalric order associated with Arthur's court, the Knights of the Round Table.
2019 NFL CLUB PLAYING RULES PROPOSALS
By Kansas City; to amend Rule 16 to (1) allow both teams the opportunity to possess the ball at least one time in overtime, even if the first team to possess the ball in overtime scores a touchdown; (2) eliminate overtime for preseason; and (3) eliminate overtime coin toss so that winner of initial coin toss to begin game may choose whether to kick or receive, or which goal to defend.
By Denver; to amend Rule 6, Section 1, Article 1 to provide an alternative to the onside kick that would allow a team who is trailing in the game an opportunity to maintain possession of the ball after scoring.
By Washington; to amend Rule 15, Section 2 to subject all plays that occur during a game to coaches’ challenge by teams or review by the Officiating department in the instant replay system.
By Washington; to amend Rule 15, Section 2, Article 5 to add review of personal fouls as reviewable plays in the instant replay system.
By Kansas City; to amend Rule 15, Section 2, to add review of personal fouls (called or not called on the field) as plays subject to coaches’ challenge in the instant replay system.
By Carolina, Los Angeles Rams, Philadelphia and Seattle; to amend Rule 15, Section 2, to add review of designated player safety-related fouls (called or not called on the field) as plays subject to coaches’ challenge in the instant replay system.
By Philadelphia; to amend Rule 15, Section 2, to add scoring plays and turnovers negated by a foul to be subject to automatic review in the instant replay system.
By Denver; to amend Rule 15, Section 2, to add all fourth down plays that are spotted short of the line to gain or goal line to be subject to automatic review in the instant replay system.
By Denver; to amend Rule 15, Section 2, to add all Try attempts (Extra point or Two-point conversion) to be subject to automatic review in the instant replay system.
'No Allegations of Human Trafficking' and 'Women Could've Walked Out' In Florida Massage-Parlor Prostitution Stings
Authorities are walking back big claims about an international human-trafficking ring involving Patriots owner Robert Kraft.
Elizabeth Nolan Brown|Feb. 25, 2019 6:30 pm
It's been nearly a week since Florida police started bragging about their big "human trafficking" bust, an operation that pulled in professional football owner Robert Kraft, more than 150 other men, and several Chinese immigrant women associated with Asian spas in Palm Beach County. Police say the spas were fronts for prostitution, that the workers there were victims of sex trafficking, and that their six-month long investigation was time well spent.
Six months is a long time, however, and it's hard to reconcile the cops' timeline with their heroic rhetoric. If the women employed at these businesses were really the victims of "modern slavery," why did police take six months to get them out of that situation? Why did it require repeat intimate undercover visits and building misdemeanor prostitution charges against all sorts of random men before these "heroes" decided to intervene?
It's one of many elements that don't add up with what prosecutors are saying in public and what's actually happened in the case.
At a press conference (partially aired on CNN) today, Palm Beach District Attorney Dave Aronberg spent most of his time talking about the theoretical horrors that could occur in situations like this. "Modern day slavery," as Aronberg called it, "can happen anywhere, including in the peaceful community of Jupiter."
How former ref Tim Donaghy conspired to fix NBA games
Feb 19, 2019
Scott Eden http://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/25980368/how-former-ref-tim-donaghy-conspired-fix-nba-games
excerpt from article :
A PROFESSIONAL GAMBLER once confronted Donaghy about the scandal. This was a few years after Donaghy's release from prison. A close observer of basketball, the gambler had become acutely curious after suffering losses on Donaghy-reffed games during that season.
The gambler described the conversation with Donaghy to me on the condition that I not use his name in the story. To the gambler's enduring surprise, Donaghy acknowledged that, yes, he deliberately called more fouls against the side he'd bet against. He told the gambler about other tactics as well.
"He said he liked to call an illegal defense call, right away, in the first minute." That way, the gambler said, Donaghy could force the side he'd picked against to play a little less aggressively on defense. "He said he'd pick on the big center, or the most valuable player of each team, and he'd try to get them in foul trouble."
The gambler added, "He also told me they were betting millions and he was an idiot not to ask for more."
A new football league kicks off on CBS — and no one is talking about it
Daniel RobertsSenior Writer,Yahoo Finance•February 9, 2019
American professional football on TV doesn’t have to end with the Super Bowl.
That was the thinking behind the Alliance of American Football (AAF), a new league co-founded by NFL Hall of Famer Bill Polian and TV producer Charlie Ebersol, son of NBC executive Dick Ebersol.
The league has big football names involved (Troy Polamalu, Hines Ward, Dean Blandino, Mike Pereira), big financial backing (Keith Rabois, Peter Thiel, Chernin Group, and MGM), and big television partners. It kicks off on CBS on Saturday night, and from there its games go to CBS Sports Network, NFL Network, and TNT.
But the average NFL fan is completely unaware of it.
Luckily, Ebersol tells Yahoo Finance, “Our business model doesn’t require Day 1 success.”
Not trying to compete with the NFL
Super Bowl 53 was the lowest-rated Super Bowl since 2009, with around 98 million viewers. But a disappointment for the NFL is a ratings bonanza for any other live television event. 98 million people is a massive number. And Ebersol has a stat he likes to cite in every single media appearance he does: an estimated 80 million people stop watching live sports on TV entirely after the Super Bowl.
If the AAF can get even a small piece of that pie, it’s a start. Ebersol talks like he’d rather the numbers not be massive right off the bat. CBS announcers have given brief verbal promos for the AAF during NFL broadcasts in the playoffs, but otherwise the AAF has not done aggressive marketing of any kind.
Robey-Coleman says he was told infamous pass was tipped, but it clearly wasn't
By: Cameron DaSilva | January 27, 2019 10:46 am ET
We’re exactly a week away from Super Bowl LIII, but despite the big game being so close, there’s still plenty of talk about the game last weekend. The controversial ending to the NFC championship has been discussed at great length, centering around Nickell Robey-Coleman’s clear pass interference that went uncalled.
Robey-Coleman, himself, admitted he got there early and said it was pass interference and didn’t argue against the $26,739 fine he was handed for hitting Tommylee Lewis in the helmet. However, he maintains that someone on the field told him the pass was tipped at the line, which would’ve negated any interference penalty.
Here’s the angle that shows it may have been tipped, which Robey-Coleman retweeted.
https://theramswire.usatoday.com/2019/01/27/nfl-rams-nickell-robey-coleman-interference-saints/
Looks close, right? According to that angle, there’s at least a chance the pass was tipped. It’s certainly not definitive, but that camera angle shows it could have been.
Well, unfortunately, it wasn’t close to being tipped by Michael Brockers.
Let’s put this to rest for it being exactly what it is: clear pass interference and a blown call by the officials.
Brian6 days ago
Inexplicable to miss that pass interference call in the Saints game
LG5 days ago
I wonder if it would have been called on one of Roger's pet teams? We all know he doesn't like the Saints!
photog5 days ago
Done with sports. Those two games were rigged. Just like pro wrestling the in the 1960s.
Shawn Abel3 days ago
I agree. Only a rigged league would let Payton coach after paying people to injure opponents.
Inconceivable3 days ago
100% CORRECT!!!
Joshua5 days ago
Refs flagged Saints player for roughing the kicker when the replay clearing showed the Rams player throwing the Saints player into the kicker. Multiple obvious holds not being called. Then the blatant pass interference near the end of the game was wasn't called. The refs in the Pats-Chiefs game were equally inept with the mysterious roughing the passer flag when Brady wasn't even touched.
Chris6 days ago
This Rams trip to the Super Bowl brought to you by the refs...also by Hollywood. Thank you, sponsors.
Vernon6 days ago REFS WIN!!!!
Magic5 days ago
It’s Sad to See a Great Game End On Bad Call!
EdStark6 days ago
Rams vs Patriots 17 years to the day that the Brady Patriots won their first SB. And now Brady will get his 6th.
Brian6 days ago
Games were rigged
truth6 days ago
Saints should sue the NFL for bad call
Fidel I6 days ago
The New England pricks against the rams that were given the game by the refs I will not be watching the super bowl. The nfl hit the exact two teams they wanted. I’m sickof lady Brady n his bulldog coach every year.
DDTER2 days ago
I would like to watch that Super Bowl Matchup, but I have ANYTHING to do that evening.
EvlJedi223 days ago
Where are the pictures of the refs. They had some of the best plays!!!!
New England at Kansas City
When: 6:40 PM ET, Sunday, January 20, 2019
Where: Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri
By Gracenote
The Kansas City Chiefs are right where many observers expected them to be, although Andy Reid's team is in uncharted territory. The New England Patriots, conversely, are on familiar turf even in Kansas City's backyard. The top-seeded Chiefs seek to advance to their first Super Bowl in 49 years when they host the No. 2 seed Patriots in Sunday's AFC Championship Game.
Kansas City, led by second-year quarterback and league Most Valuable Player front-runner Patrick Mahomes, is in the conference title game for the first time since 1994. Mahomes and the high-scoring Chiefs shredded Indianapolis in the divisional round and will be looking to avenge a 43-40 road loss to Tom Brady and New England in Week 6 and hoist the Lamar Hunt Trophy -- named for the late founder of the franchise. The Patriots, despite posting their worst record since 2009, are making their eighth straight conference title game appearance and vying to become the third team in history to advance to three consecutive Super Bowls. “We see our quarterback is too old, we’re not good enough on defense, the skill players aren’t good," New England safety Devin McCourty said of his team's underdog status. "We see it. But it doesn’t affect how we prepare.”
Philadelphia at New Orleans
When: 4:40 PM ET, Sunday, January 13, 2019 Where: Mercedes-Benz Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana
By Gracenote
The lowest point in the Philadelphia Eagles' season also provided the inspiration to turn it around. After their postseason plans were put in peril following a lopsided loss in New Orleans, the defending Super Bowl champion Eagles look to exact revenge against the host Saints on Sunday and become the first No. 6 seed to reach the conference championship since 2010.
"That game has helped us become the team we are today," Philadelphia quarterback Nick Foles said of the 48-7 shellacking in Week 11. "Going through that, that's not easy as a team to lose like that. But there was never a pointing of the finger. It actually brought us closer." The Eagles won five of their last six games to squeeze into the playoffs, and Foles helped lead the team to its fourth straight victory overall by throwing for 266 yards and two touchdowns in a 16-15 decision at Chicago on Sunday. While Philadelphia's advanced to the divisional round after former Eagles kicker Cody Parkey misfired on his bid for a game-winning kick, New Orleans' starters have been well-rested for quite some time. Pro Bowl quarterback Drew Brees, who shattered his own NFL record for completion percentage in a season (74.4), finished close to that number on Nov. 18 after completing 22 of 30 passes for 363 yards with four touchdowns against the Eagles.
Making its eighth Super Bowl appearance in 17 seasons behind the most successful coach-quarterback combination in NFL history, New England has won five championships in that span, including last season's dramatic 34-28 overtime victory over Atlanta that featured the greatest comeback on the NFL's grandest stage. “It’s just been an unbelievable run and I think everyone should be really proud of what we’ve accomplished," said four-time Super Bowl MVP Brady, who is hoping star tight end Rob Gronkowski will be available. "I’m proud of our team. It’s been a great year and it would be really great if we can take care of business in the next game.” Top-seeded Philadelphia is on quite a run of its own, embracing its underdog status following a season-ending injury to starting quarterback Carson Wentz and rallying behind backup Nick Foles to stomp No. 2 seed Minnesota 38-7 and earn its first trip to the Super Bowl since that 24-21 loss to the Patriots. "We know what we’re faced against, we know the opponent we’re going against,” Eagles second-year coach Doug Pederson said. "Lot of respect for them obviously and what they’ve done and what they’ve accomplished. It’s about what we do. How our players handle this week and eliminate distractions and eliminate the noise and how well they prepare and get themselves ready to go.”
After completing his promise to run the table, Aaron Rodgers led the Packers to the brink of a fourth NFC championship but was eventually out-dueled by Matt Ryan and the high-octane Falcons for the right to lose to the Patriots in the Super Bowl. An impressive offseason, though, has fueled the hype for the green and gold and Bovada has tabbed them as the massive +400 favorites to come out of the NFC for the first time since 2010.
Behind the faves it’s the Seahawks (+500), Falcons (+600) and Cowboys (+650). If you’re in the camp that justifiably thinks the Packers are overpriced, you can’t go wrong with any of those three teams.
The Falcons flew through the NFC in the 2016 playoffs and they did it without Desmond Trufant, their best defensive player. On top of that, the Dirty Birds didn’t lose anyone significant from their historically good offense – other than Kyle Shanahan. Expect a fierce title defense from Atlanta with quarterback Matt Ryan following up an MVP season.
As for the Cowboys, it’s hard not to like them – in the betting sense – on the heels of a 13-3 regular season. Dak Prescott’s brilliance last year might have been a flash in the pan but the Boys are the most well-rounded team in the conference so they should be fine if the sophomore has a bit of a slump. The suspension of Ezekiel Elliott is going to have a huge impact on the team in the early going, but if the Cowboys can tread water without him, they’ll be tough to stop when he returns to the team.
The Falcons are 6-2 SU and 7-1 ATS in their last eight games as an underdog.
The Falcons are 6-2 SU and ATS in their last eight games against teams with winning records.
The Falcons are 0-5 SU and ATS in their last five games in the playoffs as an underdog.
The Patriots are 9-0 SU in their last nine games as favorite.
The Patriots are 7-2 SU in their last nine games against NFC teams.
The Patriots are 6-1 SU in their last seven games in the playoffs as favorite.
Matt Ryan last six games — 18 TDs, 0 INTs.
Tom Brady career numbers vs Falcons — nine TDs, one INT, 115.7 QB rating.
The Vedic civilization's destination is to go back to Godhead, back home, where there is no birth, no death, no old age and no disease. The Vedas direct everyone not to remain in the darkness of the material world but to go towards the light of the spiritual kingdom far beyond the material sky.
The Vedic civilization's destination is to go back to Godhead, back home, where there is no birth, no death, no old age and no disease. The Vedas direct everyone not to remain in the darkness of the material world but to go towards the light of the spiritual kingdom far beyond the material sky.
The Vedic civilization's destination is to go back to Godhead, back home, where there is no birth, no death, no old age and no disease. The Vedas direct everyone not to remain in the darkness of the material world but to go towards the light of the spiritual kingdom far beyond the material sky.
The Vedic civilization's destination is to go back to Godhead, back home, where there is no birth, no death, no old age and no disease. The Vedas direct everyone not to remain in the darkness of the material world but to go towards the light of the spiritual kingdom far beyond the material sky.
VEDIC PERSPECTIVE on Brittany,Glee,Miley and mind control. Programming your children to sexual perversion, pedophilia, and rape is now "normal and natural" in brain-dead mind-controlled Amerika. We search for answers in ancient knowledge. http://www.blogtalkradio.com/vedic-perspective/blog/2010/10/23/brittany-glee-miley-and-mind-control
VEDIC PERSPECTIVE ON COW PROTECTION AND ANCIENT SCRIPTURE. The protection of the lives of both the human beings and the animals is the first and foremost duty of a government. A government must not discriminate in such principles. It is simply horrible for a pure-hearted soul to see organized animal-killing by the state in this age of Kali. Maharaja Pariksit was lamenting for the tears in the eyes of the bull, and he was astonished to see such an unprecedented thing in his good kingdom. Men and animals were equally protected as far as life was concerned. That is the way in God's kingdom.
This is some really rare and ancient Vedic music. It is meant for contemplation and meditation. I will also present the meaning behind the music. Most songs will be sung by Bhaktivedanta Swami, the most current link in the chain stretching back to the ancient rsis and sages of the vedantic line. Enjoy!