Archive for the ‘NFL’ Category

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It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas… (part IV)

Saturday, December 23rd, 2017

Well, I got an early Christmas present this year. And it sits at the odd intersection of musical theater, law, politics, Christmas…and Rhode Island.

The folks at the Crimetown podcast did a partial reconstruction of “Buddy Cianci: The Musical”.

“There was this whole bunch of possibility. You could write a musical about pee and then you’d be on Broadway. We thought, you know what’s better than pee…is Buddy Cianci.”

—Jonathan Van Gieson

The musical had seven performances at the New York Fringe Festival in 2003. It has not been performed since, and there was no original cast recording.

This made me tear up a little: Jacksonville Jaguars fans decided to send trash cans to Houston Texans defensive end Jadeveon Clowney after he called their quarterback “trash”.

Jadeveon Clowney’s response? Fill the trash cans and a van full of toys and give them to needy children. Like Lawrence, I’m still mostly checked out of the NFL, but this is a good story.

Posted in Christmas, Law, NFL, Rhode Island, Sports, Theatre | Comments Closed

TMQ Watch: December 19, 2017.

Tuesday, December 19th, 2017

Before we jump into this week’s column, we did want to make note of the not-technically-a-firing-but resignation of ESPN president John Skipper. We think it is appropriate to note this here because this is sportsfirings.com, and for reasons we will get into shortly.

We really don’t have much to say about this: we don’t care much for ESPN, or the way Skipper’s been running it. But substance abuse of any sort sucks, and we wish the man all the luck in the world.

After the jump, this week’s TMQ…

(more…)

Posted in Books, Christmas, Firings, Movies, NFL, Sports, TMQ watch | 1 Comment »

Your loser update: week 15, 2017.

Monday, December 18th, 2017

NFL teams that still have a chance to go 0-16:

Cleveland

This isn’t working out too too badly. The Browns lost. The New York Football Giants lost again, and sit at 2-12. San Francisco won, and is now 4-10.

Cleveland’s next game is on the road at Chicago. da Bears are also 4-10: I’m concerned about this game, but Chicago will be playing at home, with an extra day of rest (they played Saturday) and has something to play for. Even a moral victory is still a victory.

And let us not forget the Colts, who are at 3-11, but don’t play Cleveland or New York or SF the rest of this season, so who cares? (Their last two games are Baltimore on the road and Houston at home.)

In “not exactly a firing, but…” news: Jerry Richardson is selling the Carolina Panthers.

“Why?” you may ask.

The announcement came just hours after a Sports Illustrated report outlined allegations of sexual and racial misconduct by Richardson toward former Panthers employees.
The team announced an investigation into the alleged misconduct on Friday evening. The NFL said Sunday that it would take over the investigation.

This is still a developing story. Does Richardson selling the team cut off the NFL investigation? Could the Panthers move if they were sold? If so, where? And should I ask for a Magic 8-Ball for Christmas?

Posted in Firings, Loser, NFL, Sports | 3 Comments »

TMQ Watch: December 12, 2017.

Tuesday, December 12th, 2017

Two weeks in a row, we have a column title that tells you everything you need to know. In this case, it tells you that Gregg Easterbrook is a low, mean, and contemptible person.

After the jump, this week’s TMQ…

(more…)

Posted in NFL, Sports, TMQ watch | Comments Closed

Your loser update: week 14, 2017.

Sunday, December 10th, 2017

On the road, more later, but:

Hundley, you magnificent bastard, I READ YOUR BOOK!

NFL teams that still have a chance of going 0-16:

Cleveland

Edited to add 12/11: Man, that was a squeaker, wasn’t it?

I was actually in the middle of a Bass Pro Shop in San Antonio with Mike the Musicologist and RoadRich when I pulled out my phone to check the game status…and saw Green Bay was down by 7 points with 47 seconds left to go.

“Oh, heck,” I say. Then I look at the game details and see that Green Bay is in scoring position…and get a little happier. By the time we’ve checked out and left, the game is in overtime and I’m watching the updates on the Entertainment and Sports Programming Network’s webpage as we head down the freeway to our next stop…

…so that was my Sunday. How was yours?

San Francisco won, and is now 3-10. I’ll have more to say about that in a minute. The New York Football Giants lost, and are now 2-11 and nicely positioned for a good draft pick. Might I suggest Baker Mayfield?

And Cleveland’s next three games are:
* Baltimore in Cleveland, which I think is a win.
* Chicago in Chicago, which worries me: as I’ve said, da Bears are da Bad. But they did beat Cincinnati, which is more than can be said for the Browns, and they will be playing at home.
* Pittsburgh in Pittsburgh. I think this is also a win unless Pittsburgh has everything locked up at this point, and decides to play their second and third teams.

ETA2: Oh, yeah. About that SF game. What the hell, Houston?

Posted in Loser, Neuroscience, NFL, Sports | 1 Comment »

Shocked, shocked I am!

Thursday, December 7th, 2017

Really!

We have a firing. In the Cleveland Browns organization.

But not head coach Hue Jackson.

Sashi Brown, the “Executive Vice President of Football Operations” was fired earlier today.

But wait, it gets better! The Browns are bringing back Jackson as head coach next year!

“We have great appreciation and gratitude for Sashi’s commitment and leadership to our organization but believe transitioning to someone with strong experience and success in drafting and building consistently winning football teams is critical to the future of the Cleveland Browns,” team owner Jimmy Haslam said in a statement.

Noted:

Brown’s signature move was trading the No. 2 pick in the 2016 draft to the Philadelphia Eagles for a boatload of picks. The Eagles drafted Wentz, and are now 10-2. They’re Super Bowl contenders, and the Browns are trying to avoid becoming the second team in NFL history to go 0-16.
With picks acquired in that trade, Brown selected receiver Corey Coleman, right tackle Shon Coleman, quarterback Cody Kessler, receiver Ricardo Louis, safety Derrick Kindred, receiver Jordan Payton, offensive lineman Spencer Drango, Jabrill Peppers and DeShone Kizer.

Posted in Firings, NFL, Sports | Comments Closed

TMQ Watch: In Defense of Eli.

Thursday, December 7th, 2017

(Guest post from Infidel de Manahatta, as promised.)

Was he as good as Peyton? No but that’s not really a fair comparison. But Eli still belongs in the HOF.

Posted in Guest, NFL, Sports | 1 Comment »

TMQ Watch: December 5, 2017.

Wednesday, December 6th, 2017

The headline tells you all you need to know, in this week’s TMQ…

(more…)

Posted in Art, Christmas, Explosives, Food, Gehry, History, NFL, Sports, TMQ watch | 3 Comments »

We have a firing!

Monday, December 4th, 2017

Actually, two: New York Football Giants head coach Ben McAdoo and general manager Jerry Reese.

From what I’ve read (somebody please correct me if I’m wrong), it wasn’t just the 2-10 record, though that was a big part of it. The team had previously said they weren’t going to fire McAdoo before the end of the season.

But then the whole Eli Manning thing blew up. Rumor has it that the Giants ownership are big, big Eli Manning fans, and they were not pleased with the benching and how it was handled.

McAdoo also wasn’t especially well-received by fans as the public face of the franchise, beginning with the oversized suit on the day he was hired to his appearance on the sideline and at news conferences.

I think we have a photo of that:

In other news, ESPN has their predictions for every bowl game up. I don’t care that much about the predictions, but this is a handy list of every bowl game (as far as I know): it’s fun to go down the list and pick out the silly ones.

For example, the “Cheribundi Tart Cherry Boca Raton Bowl”? The what? (“Cheribundi” is apparently some sort of bottled tart cherry drink that the makers are trying to position as a Muscle Milk/Gatorade competitor.)

And there’s the “Bad Boy Mowers Gasparilla Bowl”, which, it turns out, is actually the reincarnation of the old Beef ‘O’ Brady’s Bowl, which in turn became the Bitcoin St. Petersburg Bowl for one year (and I guess hasn’t had a sponsor between 2015 and now).

I was thinking the list of bowl sponsors is awfully heavy on chicken: I still do, but research tells me that Popeye’s stopped sponsoring the Bahamas Bowl this year. Darn shame, that: we need to get them back into the bowl game swing. And I still want my Beef O’Brady’s Bowl, too.

At least I have the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl on the 22nd.

Posted in Firings, NFL, Safety, Sports | 2 Comments »

Your loser update: week 13, 2017.

Monday, December 4th, 2017

NFL teams that still have a chance to go 0-16:

Cleveland.

I said last week that this was the game I was most worried about. As much as I hate the Chargers (and I do hate the Chargers) I’m glad they pulled out the win here.

The final four games are:
Packers in Cleveland.
Ravens in Cleveland.
Bears in Chicago.
Steelers in Pittsburgh.

Of those, I figure the Steelers and Ravens are near locks. The Packers: who knows? It looks like Rodgers won’t be playing until the week after this one, but they are 6-6 and beat Tampa Bay (granted, in overtime).

And the Bears are…bad. They just lost to San Francisco, for crying out loud (granted it was a close loss). But they will be playing at home.

Speaking of bad teams, San Francisco won…and the New York Football Giants lost, putting both teams at 2-10 and in line for second worst record this season (and the draft pick that comes with it). However, Indianapolis, Denver, and Chicago are all within striking distance.

And we may have a firing later today. Watch this space for updates.

Posted in Loser, NFL, Sports | 1 Comment »

TMQ Watch: November 28, 2017.

Tuesday, November 28th, 2017

Before we jump into this week’s column, we wanted to link to an article on the Entertainment and Sports Programming Network’s website: “Projected 2018 NFL draft order: Browns inch closer to top pick“.

It shouldn’t come as any great shock that the Browns are in pole position, but who comes in second? And third? Hint: one of our regular readers isn’t going to like where their team falls.

Also, this amuses us, but we are simple people:

Sam Darnold denied a rumor that he might stay at USC for his junior season if the Cleveland Browns end up with the first pick in the 2018 NFL draft.

Of course, there’s no reason for him to stay at USC. All he has to do is tell Cleveland, “No, I won’t play for you if you draft me.” (This is also known as the Eli Manning gambit.)

Anyway. After the jump, this week’s TMQ…

(more…)

Posted in NFL, Sports, TMQ watch | Comments Closed

Your loser update (plus bonus firings): week 12, 2017.

Sunday, November 26th, 2017

NFL teams that still have a chance to go 0-16:

Cleveland.

I remain cautiously optimistic. The Browns play the woeful Chargers next Sunday, and the Chargers are the team that ruined Cleveland’s shot at a perfect season last year. But: the Browns are playing in LA, those Chargers are 5-6, and they just beat Dallas at home (on Thanksgiving, yet, so those Chargers will have a few extra days to get ready and healthy).

Firings watch: in a move that was speculated on before Thanksgiving, Texas A&M fired Kevin Sumlin. He was 51-26 over six seasons, and the team is 7-5 (4-4 in conference).

Sumlin was 16-20 where it counts most – in the SEC West – and the A&M program will go more than three years without a division win at home, headed into next season. The Aggies last won at home against an SEC West opponent in October 2015, and won’t play host to another division foe until November 2018.

As one of the articles I read put it: they were paying Sumlin %5 million a year, and just finished renovations to Kyle Field. They want and expect better than 7-5.

“Our expectations at A&M are very high,” A&M athletic director Scott Woodward said. “We believe that we should compete for SEC championships on an annual basis and, at times, national championships. I believe that we need a new coach to take us there.”

And Todd Graham, also 7-5 this season (and 6-3 in conference) is out at Arizona State, also after six seasons.

As much as I dislike linking ESPN, here’s a handy chart of coach firings for you.

Posted in Firings, Loser, NFL, Sports | Comments Closed

Random Black Friday notes: November 24, 2017.

Friday, November 24th, 2017

Officer Damon Allen of the Texas Department of Public Safety was killed yesterday.

Texas DPS said via Twitter that the trooper stopped a Chevrolet Malibu on Interstate 45 in Freestone County, east of Waco, around 3:45 p.m. After Allen talked to the driver, the driver fired at him with a rifle, and the trooper died at the scene.

The suspect is in custody. What makes this even more awful is that this is the second DPS line of duty death this month: officer Thomas Nipper was killed on November 4th, after a vehicle crashed into the back of his car during a traffic stop.

Headline of the day:

There’s a dog head possibly infected with rabies lost in TX mail

Posted in Cops, Law, NFL, Sports | Comments Closed

TMQ Watch: November 21, 2017.

Wednesday, November 22nd, 2017

Happy Thanksgiving. Yes, we’re late again. Frankly, we had trouble working up the motivation to deal with this week’s TMQ.

On the plus side, though, if we hadn’t waited, we wouldn’t have been able to link this article: please go read it now, before or after you have your turkey, it doesn’t matter which.

I don’t just remember where I was ten years ago today. I can feel it. I can close my eyes and be there again, instantly. It was my first day in Iraq. The first real day of my deployment. It was also Thanksgiving.

(Thanks to Ken “Popehat” White for the tip.)

After the jump, this week’s TMQ…

(more…)

Posted in NFL, Sports, TMQ watch | Comments Closed

Your loser update (plus bonus firings): week 11, 2017.

Monday, November 20th, 2017

NFL teams that still have a chance to go 0-16:

Cleveland

San Francisco had a bye this week, so they remain at 1-9. And shockingly, the New York Football Giants actually won another game. (Against Kansas City, in overtime, 12-9. That must have been another titanic offensive struggle.)

I think that’s going to mess up their shot at a high first-round draft choice. Sorry, Infidel.

Firings: Jim Mora fired as head coach at UCLA. After six seasons. On his birthday. “Happy birthday. Here’s your present: it’s a pink slip.”

But don’t cry too hard:

UCLA announced it would honor the terms of Mora’s contract, which included four more seasons and a buyout of roughly $12 million, using exclusively athletic department-generated funds. That money, secured in part from lucrative television deals and the recent mega-apparel contract with Under Armour, will preclude boosters from having to write a large check.

…

Mora compiled a 46-30 record at UCLA, including four bowl appearances, a Pac-12 South Division title in 2012 and 10-win seasons in 2013 and 2014. But his teams have gone 10-17 since late in the 2015 season.

Marcus Satterfield out at Tennessee Tech. 6-16 over two seasons.

Edited to add: This seems to be official now: Denver fired offensive coordinator Mike McCoy. The team is 3-7 and has lost six games in a row.

Posted in Firings, Loser, NFL, Sports | 1 Comment »

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