[NFL] American football season 2009 #2: DRAFT

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The New Orleans Saints have held internal discussions about pursuing free-agent RB Edgerrin James, but they most likely will wait until after this weekend’s minicamp before re-visiting those conversations, general manager Mickey Loomis told NFL.com.

“There’s been talk about Edgerrin James, and we’ve spent some time evaluating that prospect,” Loomis said. “We’ll continue to do that. We haven’t made any decision or closed any doors on acquiring another running back if we feel that’s something we need to do. We do feel a lot better about what we have in-house than people do outside of our building.”

Pierre Thomas and Reggie Bush are the top returning running backs for the Saints, who released Deuce McAllister after last season. New Orleans considered drafting a running back last month but used its four selections on three defenders and punter Thomas Morstead.

James, who has 12,121 career rushing yards, was cut by the Arizona Cardinals last week. His agent, Drew Rosenhaus, said James plans to continue playing and that teams were interested in the 10-year NFL veteran.

James was demoted for nine games last season before being re-inserted as the starter for the playoffs, where he played well as the Cardinals made a run to the Super Bowl. James, who had a career-low 10 carries per game and 514 yards in 2008, requested to be released or traded by the Cardinals at various points of last season.

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CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- After seeing fans jam London's Wembley Stadium to watch the NFL the past two years, the league is considering adding a second regular-season game overseas in time for the 2010 season.

Commissioner Roger Goodell said Tuesday the second game could also be played in London or another location in the United Kingdom. The issue will be discussed at next week's league meetings and could be included in a larger plan to add up to two regular-season games to the NFL schedule.

"The fan reaction we've had in London has been extraordinary. We would like to feed that passion," Goodell said after speaking at the Charlotte Touchdown Club. "We have a great fan base in the UK. There have been discussions of taking the second game and playing it in another market in the UK. That's something that we'll evaluate."

The NFL first staged a regular-season game in London in 2007, when the New York Giants beat the Miami Dolphins 13-10. Last year, the New Orleans Saints beat the San Diego Chargers 37-32.

Both games were sellouts, and fans quickly gobbled up tickets for this season's game between the New England Patriots and Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Oct. 25.

While Goodell reiterated there are no plans to move the Super Bowl to London, he said a second regular-season game is drawing support from league owners.

"I think the teams have had a great experience that have gone over," Goodell said. "We've been able to build on that and I think teams recognize it's an honor and a privilege to go over and play there. And it can be done without impacting the team negatively."

However, some players have been critical of the overseas game because of the extensive travel involved in the middle of the season. One team also loses a home game in the arrangement, a potential competitive disadvantage.

Saints coach Sean Payton was critical of the "sloppy" field conditions at Wembley Stadium last season and the logistics involved in playing a "home" game in London.

The league did give the Saints and Chargers byes the week after the game. The Patriots and Buccaneers will also have a week off after this year's London game, which counts as a home game for Tampa Bay.

NFL Players Association chief DeMaurice Smith could not immediately be reached for comment on the prospects of a second game overseas.

"The negative is taking the home game away from the fans," Goodell said. "It's another reason why potentially restructuring the season and changing two preseason into regular-season can be something that we find is beneficial to the fans."

Goodell spent about an hour before Tuesday's luncheon visiting with Carolina Panthers owner Jerry Richardson, who is recovering from a heart transplant he received on Super Bowl Sunday. Goodell said "the Big Cat will be roaring pretty quick" and indicated they discussed issues on the agenda for the league meetings, which Richardson will not attend.

Goodell said he won't make a recommendation on adding an extra game or two to the schedule at the expense of preseason games and doesn't expect owners to vote on the issue next week.

The collective bargaining agreement will also be discussed, and Goodell said he expects talks with Smith will heat up in early June. The current deal expires after the 2010 season.

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Boston College linebacker Mark Herzlich, the ACC's Defensive Player of the Year, revealed Thursday that he is battling cancer.

Herzlich, a senior, was diagnosed with Ewing's Sarcoma, a cancer most often found in bone or soft tissue.

"Obviously, I was shocked. I had been extremely focused on preparing for my senior season at Boston College and for life beyond that. Now, I must channel all that energy into facing my toughest opponent yet, and that is exactly what I will do," Herzlich said in a statement released by the school.

Herzlich has returned to his native Pennsylvania to be near his family and undergo tests to determine a course of treatment.

Herzlich was a finalist for the Butkus Award, given to the nation's top linebacker, last season. He led the Eagles with 110 tackles, six interceptions, two forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries.

"When people think of Mark Herzlich, they think of a fearless individual who is always ready to take on a tough opponent. His integrity, determination and focus are unmatched. I know he will face this challenge with that same attitude," Boston College coach Frank Spaziani said.

Herzlich said he was unsure what his illness meant for his football future.

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'Hard Knocks' set to chronicle training camp with Bengals


HBO Sports, NFL Films and the Cincinnati Bengals will team up for an all-access look at what it takes to make it in the National Football League when Hard Knocks: Training camp with the Cincinnati Bengals debuts in August.

The first sports-based reality series -- and one of the fastest-turnaround reality series -- kicks off its fifth season Wednesday, Aug. 12 (10 p.m. ET/PT), exclusively on HBO and presented in HD. New hour-long episodes air subsequent Wednesdays at the same time, culminating in the Sept. 9 season finale, with regular encore plays on Thursdays.

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Op maandag 23 maart 2009 16:19 schreef kidkash19 het volgende:
goede streams zoeken ik heb namelijk 2 seizoenen lang de Florida Gators elke game gevolgd

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NEW YORK -- NFL teams will have nearly $12 million more under the salary cap this season, the final year with one in place unless the league and its players' union can reach a new collective bargaining agreement.

The cap was due to increase $7 million to $123 million this season, but additional adjustments stipulated in the current CBA will increase the total amount that teams can spend on player compensation to about $128 million. The $12 million increase is the largest in three years.

The league informed teams Wednesday that a "cash-adjustment mechanism" from final accounting figures in May will give clubs $947,000 of additional salary cap room, NFL spokesman Greg Aiello said in an e-mail to The Associated Press on Friday.

About $4 million in cap room had already been added earlier this year. The adjustments were triggered after spending on players fell below 59.5 percent of the league's total revenue in 2008.

The adjustments, first reported by FoxSports.com, do not affect the minimum team salary of $107,748,000.

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When the Pittsburgh Steelers visit the White House next week, they’ll do it without one of the men primarily responsible for their sixth Super Bowl title: Linebacker James Harrison.

“This is how I feel — if you want to see the Pittsburgh Steelers, invite us when we don’t win the Super Bowl,” Harrison said. “As far as I’m concerned, [Obama] would’ve invited Arizona if they had won.”

Um.

Um.

Um.

James, are you OK? Have you suffered any recent blunt trauma to the brain box?

It’s a ritual in this country that the major-league teams winning championships are invited to the White House for a visit.

So, yeah, the invitation applies only to the Super Bowl champs. It’s one of the things that make the accomplishment special.

And, no, the President doesn’t have the time or the desire to invite the 31 teams that didn’t win the Super Bowl to conduct seven-on-sevens in the Rose Garden. (After all, that might cut into the time he has allotted to work on his NCAA brackets.)

But, hey, at least we now have a better understanding of how the Steelers got Harrison to sign a long-term deal worth only $51 million.

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Jon Gruden intends to coach again, but until that day, the man known throughout the NFL as "Chucky" will get to sharpen his teeth in ESPN's "Monday Night Football" booth.

Gruden will join play-by-play man Mike Tirico and analyst Ron Jaworski in September, replacing Tony Kornheiser.

"This is a tremendous opportunity and I am very excited to be associated with ESPN and Monday Night Football," Gruden said in a statement released by ESPN. "I grew up a fan of Monday Night Football, and whether I've coached on Monday night or watched, I've hardly missed a game all these years.

"To join Mike and Jaws in the booth and to work alongside this top-notch team is going to be a real thrill."

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Op dinsdag 19 mei 2009 00:03 schreef zjroentje het volgende:
Ik vond Gruden wel ok bij de draft.


What's up met TYT?

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NFL owners voted Tuesday to play the 2013 Super Bowl in New Orleans, the first time the championship will be played there since Hurricane Katrina shredded parts of the Louisiana Superdome. The hurricane caused 1,600 deaths and devastated the Gulf Coast four years ago.
New Orleans beat out Miami, which sought a record 11th Super Bowl, and 2008 host Glendale, Ariz. This is the 10th time New Orleans will be the Super Bowl site.

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The old Yankee Stadium hosted some of college football's greatest moments. The new Yankee Stadium might also host college football -- and the Fighting Irish are interested in writing the first chapter in its gridiron history, the school's athletic director said, according to The New York Times.

While stressing that no dates have been discussed, Notre Dame AD Jack Swarbrick said the Yankees are open to college football at the new stadium. The school has been in touch with the Yankees to express its interest in being one of the first two teams to play there, according to the report.

"We've been in contact with Yankee Stadium and asked and inquired," Swarbrick said, according to the Times. "We will be discussing games with them, but we haven't entered into any substantive discussions."

Ideally, Swarbrick said, Notre Dame would love to play Army at the stadium in 2013 to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the 1913 game, according to the report. In that landmark game, the Irish utilized the forward pass to great success to beat the Black Knights, popularizing what had been, up to that point, a little-used strategy. The results influenced other teams to adopt the forward pass, in effect changing the game.

If there's football at the new stadium before 2013, Notre Dame would still like to be involved, Swarbrick said. But playing the 100th anniversary of the 1913 game in New York would have great meaning for the Irish, he added, according to the report.

"It would be of great historical significance for us if it would be Army," Swarbrick said, according to the report. "We would love that. Some of the most significant games in the history of college football involve those two schools and Yankee Stadium."

The Yankees and Army did not immediately return calls seeking comment, the Times reported.

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Op vrijdag 22 mei 2009 14:12 schreef zjroentje het volgende:
In NY heb je Rutgers en Hofstra. Iets ten noorden van New York speelt ook nog Army. Voor Phillie kan je naar Temple, Boston heeft Boston College en Washington heeft de University of Maryland en iets ten westen ligt Navy.

Dat zijn zo'n beetje de major college's volgens mij, al heb je nog genoeg kleinere college's liggen (qua football dan). Het zijn iig niet de meest aansprekende namen. Komt ook omdat de conference's in die regio ook niet echt aansprekend zijn (ACC, Big East, MAC)

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Op vrijdag 22 mei 2009 14:43 schreef StrikerZeljko het volgende:

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Thanks man!
Welke zijn aan te bevelen? Temple bijvoorbeeld?

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Op vrijdag 22 mei 2009 16:30 schreef StrikerZeljko het volgende:
Ik ga in september, ben daar als het Giants vs Redskins is.. 2 weken, dus als ik dan een beetje een goed bezochte college match kan bezoeken laat ik het niet na natuurlijk!
Maar het moet wel een beetje in mn schedule passen!

NFL is een MUST en college is een WANT

Is er trouwens al een speelschema bekend?

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Op vrijdag 22 mei 2009 17:05 schreef Terreros85 het volgende:

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Ik weet niet of NFL een must is. Sfeer schijnt vaak tegen te vallen en de kaartjes zijn enorm duur. MLB trekt mij meer om heen te gaan dan NFL.

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Op vrijdag 22 mei 2009 17:09 schreef StrikerZeljko het volgende:

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Voor mij wel, maarja ik ben dan ook zwaar Giants fan... ik moet daar gewoon 1x in mijn leven op zn minst naar toe zijn geweest...
Wel jammer dat het nieuwe stadion nog niet af is... maar nu kan ik tenminste nog naar het oude

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Op vrijdag 22 mei 2009 17:12 schreef Guard het volgende:

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Als je zo zwaar Giants fan bent, dan mag je hier wat vaker komen tijdens het seizoen

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Op vrijdag 22 mei 2009 20:36 schreef ScienceFriction het volgende:
Giants