Tag: NFL

The AAF Has Officially Folded. We Hardly Knew Ye

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SI – The Alliance of American Football will suspend football operations on Tuesday, reports ProFootballTalk. The league is just eight weeks into its inaugural season.

SI’s Albert Breer reported AAF team officials have a conference call with the league office at 1 p.m. ET. Breer reported there’s a perception inside the league that AAF majority owner Tom Dundon bought a bought a stake in the league for the gambling app being developed with one source saying, “Dundon got the technology he wanted and he’s now minus one rather large headache.” SI’s Conor Orr reported league heads were stunned and still working on a solution.

According to ProFootballTalk, the league is not folding yet but it is heading that way.

The writing has been on the wall for a while now as I’ve already written a few blogs over the past month about the AAF nearly going out of business and it’s barely Month 3 of the league’s lifespan. Welp, that’ll do it for the AAF apparently, who is heading the way of the dinosaur.

I won’t rehash the same things I said in my last blog on this, but here’s what I had to say on a league not having a plan to make it through even one season:

“Who is running these leagues? Obviously we’ve seen football leagues come and go over the past 20 years as the NFL has maintained its stranglehold on consumers’ attention without even lifting a finger. Most of these leagues fail because its just morons running the business side of things it would seem.

In marketing they say the average person needs to see an ad or a brand message seven times before it sticks. Now apply that to the AAF. How many AAF games do you think the average sports fan has watched? One? Maybe two? The AAF *had* to be prepared for slow adoption, otherwise it was a stupid business venture.”

But then there’s that tidbit from Bert Breer’s report that Tom Dundon, the Carolina Hurricanes owner that invested $250M to save the league last month, has basically sold the league not for its football but for it’s technological IP.

If thats true that is wild and I can imagine the other owners are bullshit. Those other owners probably feel swindled for paying to build up this football league only to have an investor come in and sell the whole thing for parts. But hey thats what happens when you sell majority ownership to a billionaire; you give up control. It’s fascinating just because I’ve never heard of anything like it. For all of its failings, the AAF was at least trying out innovative things, like the makings of a gambling app apparently.

Then on the other side of the Football Leagues Competing With the NFL coin is Vince McMahon who smells blood in the water now.

“Vince McMahon, who plans to give the XFL another shot next year, has sold $272 million worth of WWE stock, and company filings say that money will primarily go toward the XFL..McMahon has said he’s ready to spend $500 million over the first three years of the XFL to get the league off the ground, suggesting that even if the league struggles to gain traction at first, he’ll stick with it rather than pulling the plug after one season”

Vince seems to be pretty confident, cocky some would say, that he has fixed the issues that plagued the XFL the first time around. Despite the fact that a very similar concept just failed spectacularly, Vince has doubled down and is apparently ready to pour $500 million into the XFL.

Who knows if the XFL will be any more successful than the AAF, but I’ll tell you one thing, Vince will not fail because of a lack of marketing and promotion. Thats his bread and butter so don’t be surprised to see mass media promotions and gigantic billboards featuring Johnny Football, maybe Colin Kaepernick and whatever other fringe NFL players with a big name that they can find. Either way, this whole 2-3 year drama of new football leagues popping up and dying off will be a fascinating case study of monopolies in American business as the NFL crushes these competitors without even lifting a finger.

Speaking of Manziel, he’s the voice of reason and restraint here today, which was refreshing to see. My man is once again a free agent and as I’ve said before, it’s probably XFL or bust for his football career at this point.

The AAF is Once Again in Danger of Going Out of Business

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Update: They finally did go out of business. 

 

ESPN – The majority owner of the Alliance of American Football told USA Today Sports that league is in danger of folding without help from the National Football League Players Association. Tom Dundon, who became the AAF’s chairman last month, told USA Today Sports in a recent interview that the NFLPA is not cooperating with the AAF by refusing to allow the first-year league to use young NFL players.

“If the players union is not going to give us young players, we can’t be a development league,” Dundon told USA Today Sports. “We are looking at our options, one of which is discontinuing the league.”

Dundon said he expects to make a decision about the league’s future over the next two days…The eight-team AAF, billed as a development league, kicked off the weekend following the Super Bowl. The league is seven games into its 10-game regular season.

What kind of business model pumps its own tires as much as the AAF did prior to launching only to make it barely 2 months before nearly going out of business TWICE? In case you forgot, they almost couldn’t make payroll in Week 2 of the first season. Who is running these leagues? Obviously we’ve seen football leagues come and go over the past 20 years as the NFL has maintained its stranglehold on consumers’ attention without even lifting a finger. Most of these leagues fail because its just morons running the business side of things it would seem.

In marketing they say the average person needs to see an ad or a brand message seven times before it sticks. Now apply that to the AAF. How many AAF games do you think the average sports fan has watched? One? Maybe two? The AAF *had* to be prepared for slow adoption, otherwise it was a stupid business venture.

First off, if the AAF’s thinly veiled expectation was for the NFL to welcome them with open arms and create yet another item on their budget sheet then they were sorely mistaken. Sure the NFL needs a minor league system….but they already have one.

It’s college College Football.

Does College Football’s love of wishbone offenses, pistol offenses, air raid offenses, shotgun only offenses, and run pass option offenses prepare players for the NFL? Well five years ago I would have said no, but now…um yea it kind of does. So many coaches are taking College Football offensive plays, concepts, and entire schemes and running them as is in the NFL now. Belichick does it, so does Andy Reid, Matt Nagy, Doug Pederson and Sean Payton.

So if the AAF was hoping to be a way of preparing young players for the standard operating procedure in the NFL, well then they’re fucked because the market has shifted.

To just expect this league full of no name players would be a mega hit from Day 1 is so shortsighted it’s almost funny. Did anyone in that league go to business school? Isn’t Bill Polian supposed to be one of the smartest football execs ever? Yet somehow they don’t have a plan to make it through even one full season without fears of going out of business?

I was texting back and forth with Mattes about this story and he summarized his opinion succinctly, if not spitefully, after getting roasted by AAF Reddit for somehow not believing in this league:

“As Dashboard Confessional once said: I AM VINDICATED.” – Mattes

Real talk though, this is not a good turn of events for my guy Johnny Manziel. After flaming out in two different football leagues, it would be some shit luck for the third one to just straight go out of business. Looks like it’s XFL or bust baby.

 

Jerod Mayo Coming Back to New England as Patriots Linebackers Coach

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I love everything about this.

On Tuesday, former Patriots stud linebacker Jerod Mayo announced, via Instagram, that he would be joining Bill Belichick’s defensive staff, serving as linebackers coach under new defensive coordinator Greg Schiano.

This one kind of came out of nowhere. I hadn’t heard any rumors connecting the former All-Pro to the Pats before this, but to be honest it almost makes too much sense. Mayo was the consummate pro during his eight seasons with the team. Not only did he serve as one of the league’s better defenders – for at least the first half of his career before injuries took a toll – but he was also just a selfless, brilliant leader, both on the field and off.

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After being selected with the 10th overall pick in the 2008 NFL draft, Mayo burst onto the scene as one of the league’s top all-around linebackers, averaging over 130 tackles per year through his first five seasons. In fact, he was absolutely incredible in 2010, when he registered 175 total tackles (with two sacks and three fumble recoveries to boot), earning First-Team All-Pro honors. And though the team lost the only Super Bowl he was able to play in (2011), he still was one of the main reasons they were even there in the first place. Mayo was finally able to get his ring in 2014, after the team beat the Seahawks, even though he could not play in the actual Super Bowl due to the fact he was on I.R. at the time.

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He really was one of the game’s best for a couple years.

Sadly, such injuries began to really take their toll in the latter half of his career, and he was only able to play in 28 out of a total 51 games over his last three campaigns. He ultimately decided to retire after the 2015 season, at only 29 years old.

So while he may not have had the longest career in the world, there are very few players who have garnered more respect and adoration during their time in a Patriots uniform than Mayo. Everyone from former players to sportswriters to Belichick himself have shown no reservation in their praise for him and the type of person he was during his time in Foxborough. There’s no doubt that he’ll be an asset to this staff.

Especially during an offseason where we’ve seen such turnover, in terms of both players and coaches alike, this is a very refreshing piece of news. (And who knows? Maybe he can actually teach our linebackers how to cover someone!)

Congrats, Jerod! Welcome back!

With Ryan Fitzpatrick Joining His Third AFC East Team, I Have Found the Perfect Group Halloween Costume

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I remember seeing this idea a few years back when Jaromir Jagr was playing for the Bruins en route to finishing his NHL career having played for 9 teams over 24 years.

Well I would say we’ve officially reached that point with Ryan Fitzpatrick. Everyone’s favorite gigantic bearded, wedding ring wearing, smart as hell, bridge quarterback will join his 8th NFL team in Miami this season. It also will mark him playing for 3/4ths of the AFC East. So who knows, maybe if he kicks around for a couple of more years he could complete the rounds and be a veteran backup QB to the next great Patriots signal caller? We can only hope.

So if 7 of my other friends want to create the greatest Halloween costume of the season, the Ryan Fitzpatrick group costume is the way to go boys.

Will the Patriots Draft Bran Stark errr Hunter Renfrow After His Prophetic Vision?

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I loved Renfrow in college. While he might not be a household name, if you’re even somewhat of a college football fan you’ve seen him make huge plays for Clemson in national championship after national championship.

Renfrow gets in and out of his cuts and through traffic in a way Patriots fans have become so accustomed to over the past 12 years with Julian Edelman and Wes Welker. Plus he’s got the scrappy attitude that Bill Belichick loves as a walk on at Clemson who was a 5th year senior that became a team captain. The guy might not have the pure God given talent like other receivers that’ll get drafted before him do, but hey Chad Jackson was a physical specimen and he flamed out pretty quick. Our best receiver was a goddamn quarterback at Kent State so if anyone will take a flyer on him its the Pats. Doesn’t hurt that they currently only have two wide receivers with any real experience on the roster too.

Roll the tape!

Johnny Manziel May Start This Weekend and Officially Launch My AAF Fandom

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Yahoo – Johnny Manziel is in contention to make his gridiron return after signing for the Alliance of American Football’s Memphis Express.

The 26-year-old quarterback has been given a chance at redemption following ill-fated spells with the Cleveland Browns in the National Football League and for the Montreal Alouettes in the Canadian Football League.

Having signed on Saturday, Manziel practised with his new team-mates on Monday ahead of the upcoming clash with Birmingham Iron.

An opening for Manziel may have emerged following an ankle injury to starter Zach Mettenberger, with head coach Mike Singletary having turned to third-string option Brandon Silvers rather than returning to the dropped Christian Hackenberg.

Oooooooooooohhhhhhh.

It was actually a lot more difficult to find CFL games streaming than I had originally anticipated, but it didn’t matter in the end as Johnny Manziel didn’t really play much and then got injured and then got booted from the league. Is it mildly concerning that Manziel has now flamed out in two consecutive football leagues? Mildly. But as the saying goes: third times a charm.

Before I get any further into this though, how about Christian Hackenberg? The former SECOND ROUND DRAFT PICK of the NY Jets couldn’t even beat out that stiff from LSU Zach Mettenberger, let alone the infamous Brandon Silvers who I’m not convinced is an actual person.

After a rocky first season for the AAF in which Mattes dumped all over the league, and then shortly thereafter got roasted by AAF Reddit (it’s a thing)

and of course the story of how the league almost went bankrupt in Week 2. All that combined with a lack of any real juice I just have not been able to get into it. Hell I was watching the start of a game last weekend and the announcer literally said the name of the league wrong in the introduction. I will say it is perfect Saturday day drinking background fodder at the bar though.

But now? My man Johnny Football may be making his debut right where he belongs back in the good old US of A? Who cares that he literally signed with the team less than a week ago. The AAF defenses cannot be that complex. Just get Johnny out there and let him do his thing. This is exactly what I needed to launch my AAF fandom and dare I say it purchase an AAF jersey. Do they actually sell AAF jerseys? Well if they do I can tell you that a Manziel #2 Memphis jersey is v high on my wish list

One Way or Another It Seems Mr. Kraft is Going To Walk

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Wall Street Journal – Florida prosecutors have offered to drop charges against New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft and a number of other men charged with soliciting prostitution, according to a person familiar with the matter, but there is a catch. The proposed agreement calls for the men to admit they would have been proven guilty at trial.

So I kind of feel like this is the beginning of the end for the per/prosecution of Robert Kraft. There seems to be two end games here and they both end with him walking away from this with nothing but some embarrassing headlines to his name.

In scenario number one, Kraft takes this deal, officially says ya you had me, and walks away. No conviction, no penalty, just a pat on this tasks force’s head for a job well done and that is it.

On the other hand he says “nah lol lets do this” and they take this to trial. By now it’s reported, on the record in fact that Mr. Kraft was a client of two licensed masseuses, one the owner and the other the manager of the spa he was visiting. Cash was indeed exchanged but it seems a mighty large leap to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that that cash was intended specifically for sex when there wasn’t any audio. Therefore, it is going to be quite the longshot to get a conviction on this. Things aren’t looking good for the prosecutors.

So without getting into the dirt too much or trying to show any bias, I just can’t see Robert Kraft facing much more scrutiny for this little episode. He was indeed being a dirty old man but that seems to be that. We’re onto Super Bowl 7.

-Joey B.

Hey Guys, Josh Gordon Isn’t Done Quite Yet

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Hopefully your eyes didn’t roll too far back into your head after reading the headline.

But seriously, while many in Pats Nation are ready to write off the oft-troubled 27-year-old after his de-railed comeback attempt with the Patriots last season, both the team and the wide receiver himself are not ready to do so.

First, we received this little nugget from one of the NFL’s leading talking heads, Ian Rapoport, back on Super Bowl Sunday:

Then, last week, the Patriots decided to tender Josh Gordon, a restricted free agent, at a second-round level. Basically, this means the team will be able to retain his rights, and anyone that tries to sign him away this offseason would need to give the Pats a second-round pick. (I promise you that nobody is going to do that, so he will be back in New England if he plays next season.)

And finally, we were treated to a couple of Instagram posts from his trainer this past weekend in an effort to let the people know his client isn’t ready to hang ’em up just yet. (Check the clips out here and here.)

OK, he looks great and all, but my fear with him was never about whether or not he could still get it done as a player. By all accounts, he was fantastic for the team in his brief time on the field last season; in 11 games with the Pats in 2018, Gordon caught 40 of his 70 total targets for 720 yards with four TDs. For the season, he finished with an average of 17.98 yards per grab; over his past six games with the Pats, he averaged an even more impressive 19.5 YPC.

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Point of the story: the guy can obviously still ball.

It’s all that “other stuff” that we need to be concerned about, as the guy just can’t seem to shake all of those off-field demons. Furthermore, we still don’t even know exactly when the NFL will allow Gordon to return to action. As mentioned in the Rapoport tweet above, he “may” be back by training camp, but there has been nothing concrete reported pertaining to when Flash might be able to play again. It’s anybody’s guess at this point.

But as Lloyd Christmas once famously said:

Here’s to hoping the young fella finally pulls it together, once and for all, and gives the Pats a weapon they so desperately need in 2019.

Keep those fingers crossed, Pats Nation.

Apparently Gronk is Training in Miami With Some Hot Yoga Classes

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I don’t know what this means. I don’t know if Gronk’s doing Yoga to limber himself up for the upcoming season (isn’t that what TB12 was for?) or if he’s fading off into the sunset to study yoga and open the first Bro Yoga (Broga) studio in retirement?

Yoga is quickly becoming one of the go to workouts for athletes as recovery becomes just as important as working out itself. I mean we’ve heard about receivers taking ballroom dancing lessons just to improve their footwork so hot yoga classes are pretty normal. I’ve done yoga a couple times and it’s definitely a great way to stretch out and keep your spine from crumbling into dust after staring at a screen and sitting in a chair for 40 goddamn hours a week. Even Nike is getting in on it as they just launched a new Yoga-centric line of workout clothes, whatever the hell that means. Either way, yoga is hot in the streets right now. What that means for the future of one Rob Gronkowski, Tight End of the New England Patriots, remains to be seen but it would be nice if Gronk clued us all in sooner than later.

BREAKING: Patriots Cutting Adrian Clayborn After Just One Season

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Ya boy is on fire right now! ONE day after I suggested that cutting Adrian Clayborn would help the Patriots fix their messy financial situation, lo and behold, the 30-year-old free-agent bust is on his way out the door.

Apparently, Clayborn “asked” for his release and is “ready for the next chapter,” per a tweet he posted just 20 minutes ago:

While I am not trying to tear the guy down – again, he was solid during stretches in 2018 – it’s just a bit frustrating that the team waited until now to cut him loose. That extra $4 million could have gone a long way toward bringing in a guy like Adam Humphries or Golden Tate, both of whom we chased and apparently lost out on over some minor change.

With most of the big-name free agents off the board, and after the flurry of under-the-radar signings the team announced yesterday afternoon (which included two wide receivers), we are unlikely to see the team focus much more on the open market. Sure, guys like Randall Cobb, Michael Crabtree, Mike Wallace, and a few others are still without a team, but I think that ship has sailed.

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Don’t get your hopes up that this guy is still coming to Foxborough.

Hopefully, the money freed up by the Clayborn move can open up some space to sign Jules or Brady to an extension. Or maybe it’ll just give them some more capital to sign what is likely to be a big rookie class in 2019.

Either way, it was a good move for the team.