MetaFilter posts tagged with NFL

Macaroni and Boom

GatorDavid — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 17:59:41 -0800

Kraft Macaroni & Cheese will be the official sponsor of A Cheddar Explosion: The Demolition of Texas Stadium.

Extra! Extra! Football causes brain damage!

reenum — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 10:49:22 -0800

Malcolm Gladwell did an article about this in the New Yorker, but this GQ article shows the opposition the researchers who discovered CTE faced from the NFL.

Who's got the ball?

starman — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 09:38:42 -0800

(American) Football trick play video roundup: the Statue of Liberty, Fumblerooski (2), the Puntarooski, the Hook and Lateral (2), the Flea Flicker (2), the End Around (2), the Double Pass, the Fake Punt (2) (3), the Fake Field Goal (2) (3), Fake Field Goal/Fake Punt, the Swinging Gate, and the Bouquet Toss. A helpful guide. Wikipedia's take.

Re-Meet Ricky Williams

Lacking Subtlety — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 16:17:39 -0800

In case you haven't, please meet Ricky Williams. He has had one of the most fascinating careers of any professional athlete: he was a high school phenom in Football, Baseball, Track, and Wrestling. He played FOUR YEARS of minor league baseball with the Philadelphia Phillies organization. He was a two time all American at Texas and winner of the Heisman Trophy. He translated that success into a great early start in the NFL. He also grew up in an abusive home. He has tested extremely high in both IQ and diagnostic tests. He is incredibly shy and has been diagnosed social anxiety disorder. Hating the effects of medications, he opted for Marijuana claiming that it had a much better effect. A string of positive drug tests forced him to leave the NFL. He wasn't broken up about it. He joined in the CFL. He suffered a string of debilitating injuries. One of his best friends is a homeless guy named Mystic steve. They hiked the Himalayas together. He rejoined the dolphins in 2008 as a complimentary player and he grew an awesome beard. With his teammate Ronnie Brown, Ricky and the Dolphins have developed an entirely new and popular offense for the NFL called the Wildcat, which helped turn a 1-15 team around and have great success the last two years. Why mention this all today? With an injury to Ronnie Brown, last night the 32 year old running surprised just about everyone by rushing for 119 yards and 3 TDs in a great 24-17 win over the Carolina Panthers, a remarkable achievement for someone who was considered a washed up, crazy pothead. A remarkable career indeed.

The Cincinnati Bengals' Car Wash

cashman — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 09:03:56 -0800

At the insistence of Cincinnati Bengals owner Mike Brown, the FAA is apparently targeting a pilot who was hired this month by disgruntled fans to fly messages like "Hire a GM!" over the team's training camp. A "Mike Brown Step Down" banner was flown over games last season. Brown's futility (1 winning season in 18 years) in Cincinnati has spurred fans to pay thousands for billboards and distribute urinal cakes, while HBO's Hard Knocks series has recently shown insight into his cluelessness. Former Bengal player Boomer Esiason today criticized Mike Brown's handling of the team. While Brown gives himself a bonus each year and the team is still benefiting from taxes on the surrounding county, this year the recession seems to be aiding fan efforts to bankrupt Brown - games are beginning to not sell out. But since the organization is littered with Brown's family members (including the Blackburns), things may not be looking up.

Take THAT, Cheese Heads!

jadayne — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 06:10:19 -0800

After ending the 2007 season for Green Bay with pretty much every passing record in the NFL and a Super Bowl win under his belt, Brett Favre announced his retirement in a tearful press conference. He later rescinded his retirement to play for the Jets in 2008. Citing an aging body unable to stand up to the rigors of another season, he retired again after last season. Despite rumors of moving to the Minnesota, he was still officially retired as late as July. Well, not anymore. He’s back, and playing for the rival Vikings. Needless to say, the move has made him an arch- villain in the town that built him into a legend. I’m wondering if anyone else shares the opinion that this is some sort of deep insecurity of not being able to face up to a life of not being the ‘star quarterback’ anymore. At 39, with all of those records, a Super Bowl win, and a guaranteed spot in the hall of fame, what else could he be playing for?

Not everyone is Magic Johnson

ThePinkSuperhero — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 10:42:26 -0800

How (and Why) Athletes Go Broke By the time they have been retired for two years, 78% of former NFL players have gone bankrupt or are under financial stress because of joblessness or divorce.

"Keep breathing, Crewser, c'mon, keep breathing!"

IvoShandor — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 13:01:10 -0800

The Ripples From Little Lake Nellie — "Four months after Cleveland Indian pitchers Tim Crews and Steve Olin died in a boating accident, their families and friends are coming to grips with the grief that still washes over them" Gary Smith's moving July 1993 piece is all the more poignant after what happened to Marquis Cooper, Corey Smith, and their friends near Tampa, Florida. A boating accident killed Olin and Crews during baseball's 1993 Spring Training. For Smith and Cooper, Some are still holding out hope for their safe recovery, but the U.S. Coast Guard has called off the search for the professional (American) football players. (Stats: Crews, Olin)

A Distant Replay

octothorpe — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 20:43:56 -0800

The game as it was played in 1958 “is still an entertaining sport to watch, but it’s just not near as complicated,” Reid said. Writer Mark Bowden watches the 1958 NFL Championship game between the Baltimore Colts and the New York Giants with Eagle's coach to find how he thinks the game has evolved. They find a game that is at times barely recognizable as being in the same sport. (Via)

Scientific Progress Goes "Wonk"

SportsFan — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 17:00:20 -0800

I was watching Back to the Future Part II today, and realized that their idea of the world in 2015 doesn't really seem all that feasible now. While I was watching, I happened to come across this interesting piece in the now-free Sports Illustrated archives: a feature, written in 1979, on how the NFL would look in the year 2000. The full article is pretty long, but if you want the highlights, they're right here.

Taking aim at ESPN

mediareport — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 21:46:36 -0800

Sports Business Journal has a detailed look behind the buzz over "The Emperor’s New Clothes: How ESPN’s Multi-Platform Strategy Hasn’t Improved Ratings," a sharply critical PowerPoint presentation making the rounds of sports league offices and advertising buyers in recent months. A good read for folks interested in the business of sports, decreasing TV ratings for many leagues, the blurriness of the ad/news line and the difficulty of measuring eyeballs across media. [via Romenesko]

Tight on the Spiral

Horace Rumpole — Sun, 03 Feb 2008 19:39:27 -0800

Now that Super Bowl XLII is over, all that remains is for NFL Flims to tell the tale. Documenting the greatest moments of the game since 1962, NFL Films is known for its distinctive style, its stirring music, and, until his death in 1983, the "Voice of God" narration of John Facenda.

Football's Ironman. (Sorry, Cal.)

absalom — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 14:50:49 -0800

Through alcohol and vicodin addicition, trauma, grief, and loss, Brett Favre has thrown the ball for the largest muncipally-owned professional sports team in the United States. After reinventing himself several times over, and leading his team to an improbable string of wins and accomplishments a year after almost retiring, he is Sport's Illustrated's sportsman of the year.

Diskothi-Q: The Football Albums

escabeche — Mon, 29 Oct 2007 18:14:34 -0800

The Football Albums. Music and football. Surely there's something better than "Hail to the Redskins" and "The Superbowl Shuffle?" One man believed there could be. That man was Peter Hughes, Inland Empire indie rock mini-star, sometime member of Nothing Painted Blue and the Mountain Goats, baseball diarist, and leader of the now-defunct band Diskothi-Q. In 1999, Diskothi-Q released The Football Albums: a double CD of 32 songs, one for each team in the NFL. All are now freely downloadable as .mp3s: AFC and NFC. (.mp3 links follow) Get ready for the big game this weekend by pitting "Colts" against "Patriots." Revel in the untamed savagery of "Eagles" or sympathize with the touching lament, "(Nobody Cares about the St. Louis) Rams."

NFL great Max McGee dead at 75

Bonzai — Sun, 21 Oct 2007 00:52:53 -0800

Max McGee was not expected to play in Superbowl I. He ended up catching 7 catches for 138 yard and two touchdowns including the first ever in Superbowl history. After retiring he became one of the most popular broadcasters the team ever had. He also was one of the founders of Chi-chi's restaurant. He died from a fall on Saturday. He was 75.

The Final Cut.

bijou — Sun, 09 Sep 2007 15:56:36 -0800

The Final Cut. "I never thought the end would come like this -- with me holding the end of my life's passion in one hand and a foot-long Italian sub on wheat in the other." The side of the NFL you rarely see: former Redskins lineman Ross Tucker tells his story.

Live NFL Video

East Manitoba Regional Junior Kabaddi Champion '94 — Sat, 08 Sep 2007 09:00:51 -0800

Streaming NFL Games This was on the front page of Digg last November, so I don't feel I'm allowing any cats out of any bags here.

Michael Vick, explained

mathowie — Mon, 20 Aug 2007 19:33:58 -0800

You probably heard the news today and saw earlier threads about Michael Vick, but ESPN has done an amazing job wrapping up the entire case into a handy one-page FAQ. Written by a sports lawyer, it explains all the interesting aspects of the case: what happened, when did it happen, and what results we'll likely see.

Stop lying to the public about their fair use rights

grobstein — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 11:43:18 -0800

Tech industry to FTC: stop studios from giving consumers scary, inaccurate copyright warnings.

Goldmining in the hereafter...

allkindsoftime — Tue, 31 Jul 2007 08:49:11 -0800

Bill Walsh, 11/30/1931-7/30/2007. Walsh, former coach of the San Francisco 49er's (cool tribute up on their site, currently), lost his fight with Leukemia yesterday. His career included an impressive 6 division titles and 3 super bowl wins, and his inventions included many tactics and devices still being used by many teams today, including the West Coast Offense and those laminated play cards you see many coaches using. He was also the creator of the Minority Coaching Fellowship program, helping minority coaches get a foothold in a previously white-dominated profession. RIP, Bill.

Michael Vick in the dog house

psmealey — Thu, 19 Jul 2007 17:07:59 -0800

NFL Superstar implicated in dog fighting ring, has sponsorship suspended. Meet NFL quarterback, Michael Vick. Virginia Tech Alum, Heisman Trophy candidate, Vick has been indicted for taking part in a dog fighting ring. In defense of public relations (if not his employee), here is what his boss had to say on the matter at hand.

What is dog fighting? Why is it bad? Here is an FAQ on What dog fighting from the Humane Society of the US. Also, here's if you need to be further dissuaded, here is an ugly page on the blood sport, with some gruesome pics.

Arizona Cardinals stadium roll out grass field

jaimev — Fri, 08 Sep 2006 16:30:56 -0800

One of the stars of the new NFL season will make its debut this Sunday. It's not a player - it's Arizona Cardinal's stadium. It's got a retractable roof, and a movable grass field that can roll out of the facility where it will reside most of the year and get its nourishment, maintenance and grooming. First of its kind in North America. NPR audio piece.

Football is war.

goodnewsfortheinsane — Sat, 03 Jun 2006 09:36:43 -0800

Please, do mention the war. Really, it's hard not to. After all, in a sense football is war, as the General famously joked. Sometimes it's peace. Same goes for that other football, by the way.

Texans Reject Bush

b_thinky — Sat, 29 Apr 2006 00:24:34 -0800

Texans reject Bush

Not since the Portland Trailblazers selected Sam Bowie over Michael Jordan has such a draft day blunder occurred. In today's 2006 NFL Draft, the Houston Texans are set to make NC State defensive end Mario Williams - not USC running back Reggie Bush - the top overall pick. Yes, we're talking about this Reggie Bush (YouTube).

Texans fans, prepare for 10 more seasons like the one you just had.

There are plenty of times when knowledge gets in the way of judgement...

togdon — Fri, 03 Mar 2006 11:45:30 -0800

There's an excellent two part dialog between Bill Simmons and Malcolm Gladwell on ESPN's Page 2 this week. The two cover a wide variety of topics such as writing, how a kid with no TV from the middle of nowhere in Canada can be a sports fan, the NFL, the economics of sports, and everyone's favorite NBA GM Isiah Thomas.