Archive for the Football Team News Category
Posted on May 29, 2011 by James W
The NFL lockout specifically prevents anyone on an NFL team and the staff members from contacting each other. However, there are certain things that warrant having various coaching staff members and NFL players try and work around the lockout and block in communication. One of those events is the birth of a player’s child.
San Francisco 49ers quarterback Alex Smith was welcoming his first child into the world. Due to the lockout coaching staff were not allowed to be present at the hospital or visit the San Francisco 49ers wife in the hospital. Luckily, there is always a way around certain rules and regulations.
The NFL team asked for special permission from the league to allow the coaching staff and several other members to visit with Alex Smith and his wife, Elizabeth. The NFL league okayed the visit to the hospital stating that it would only be a social visit and there was no chance that official football talk would occur during that time.
The NFL lockout prevents any official discussion from happening between team owners, coaching staff and players. However, if the visit and meeting is officially petitioned and deemed a social visit it can occur.
At the moment, Alex Smith’s contract with the San Francisco 49ers expired but due to the lockout no talks have been allowed to happen between the quarterback and the team. However, Alex Smith has stated that he plans on rejoining the San Francisco 49ers when the lockout is over and talks can resume again.
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Technorati Tags: Alex Smith’s, NFL league, San Francisco
Posted on May 27, 2011 by James W
As with any organization when the NFL comes to a standstill because of a lockout with labor negotiations it could put hundreds of jobs at risk. The lockout prevents the NFL from having any type of minicamp, workouts during the offseason and any other activity that is remotely related to football. While many teams are requiring their staff members to stop working or take a huge pay cut to make up for the down time, the Oakland Raiders have come up with their own solution to the problem.
The Oakland Raiders have allowed their employees to keep their salary as long as they sell a certain number of season tickets. That might not sound as easy as it looks. Each employee is responsible for selling enough season-tickets that equal 10% of their salary. With ticket prices ranging from $260 to $989 this could be easy or a tough task depending upon how the employee approaches the ticket sales.
While this approach during the lockout might seem unusual it isn’t surprising. The Oakland Raiders were the last in the league when it came to attendance numbers. On average there were only 46,430 people at a game and only had a sold out game one time the whole season. Team officials believe this incentive to sell tickets might encourage people to purchase tickets and make an effort as a whole group to help improve the Oakland Raiders.
However, with the United States in a recession these season tickets are going to be a tough sell for a league that is in a lockout that has no end in sight.
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Technorati Tags: NFL, Oakland Raiders, sports
Posted on May 25, 2011 by James W
The lockout of the NFL is hitting teams and football employees hard. This past week the Florida based newspaper, Miami Herald and Palm Beach Post reported that the Miami Dolphins would have to make pay cuts. These pay cuts applied to any employee that was employed under the Miami Dolphins and are not the first to happen as a result of the extensive NFL lockout. Buffalo, Oakland and the New York Jets have all made similar cuts to their payroll in an effort to preserve a team’s money during the lockout.
The extent of the pay cut that is reported varies depending upon which paper was reporting. Some reported pay cuts of 10% and only for lower ranking employees for the team, while others stated that it was upwards to 20% and included everyone from general managers and coaches.
On condition of anonymity a worker for the Miami Dolphins stated that should the lockout go past June 1 many high ranking individuals in the Dolphin franchise will see pay cuts. These include general manager Jeff Ireland, all assistant coaches and head coach Tony Sparano.
The salary of each individual that is up for a pay cut varies. It is reported that Tony Sparano is making around $2.8 million, while the others have a reported salary of anywhere from $200,000 to $1 million dollars.
All Miami Dolphins employees will continue to show up for work as the team needs to be ready to go the moment the lockout is over, but it will come with a hefty price tag.
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Technorati Tags: Miami Dolphins, NFL, Payroll Cuts
Posted on May 23, 2011 by James W
It’s a rare day when all sports agree on something and it appears that the NFL lockout has caused the various sports unions to unite on one front. This week all unions for the NHL, NBA and MLB helped the NFL players by filing a motion in court that backs up the player’s association and their claims that the lockout is harming them and the union.
On Friday, all the players unions filed a brief in the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. The briefs stated that professional athletes have a short career and the lockout prevents them from being able to develop their career. These briefs also outlined that the lockout hurts the players professionally and personally because it limits their careers.
The NFL Players Association also filed a brief that outlined why the lockout should be lifted. They outlined that in football there is no offseason so the lockout should not be in place as it is still part of the football year.
The NFL lockout has been in place since March and prevents all 32 NFL leagues from meeting, signing contracts and having the players workout. On April 25, a Minnesota judge in the federal court ruled that the lockout must be lifted. However, the NFL league quickly appealed it and had it reversed four days later.
This past Monday the U.S. District Judge ruled that the lockout can stay in place and there is no date for ending the season. This is because the league and the players association have the right to have a court hear and investigate all appeals before ruling whether or not the lockout can stay in place and the season must end or whether or not the lockout is lifted and players can meet.
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Technorati Tags: NFL players, sports, Sports Unions
Posted on May 19, 2011 by James W
There is a lot of talk about NFL teams having impromptu offseason workouts and the Denver Broncos are no exception to that. This past Thursday 12 Denver Bronco players held an unofficial offseason workout and had a very unusual guest.
Tim Tebow decided to show up to workout with fellow teammates. Tebow is in his second year as a NFL pro and plays as a quarterback for the Denver Broncos. He was seen on field warming up and conditioning with fellow players like wide receiver Britt Davis.
In the past few weeks the media and football experts have blasted Tim Tebow for choosing to workout on his own and not go to practices with fellow teammates. However, when asked Tebow stated that he would just rather workout and work on his skills and it doesn’t matter if he was on his own, in front of cameras or with his teammates.
Tebow showed experts wrong by working closely with Britt Davis and never missing a beat. Workouts picked up right where they left off and neither player was bitter about the other working out on their own.
Due to the NFL lockout, NFL teams are not allowed to hold official offseason workouts in any NFL setting. The 12 Denver Broncos met up at the South Suburban Sports Dome where they warmed up, ran some sprints, worked on conditioning and just enjoyed each other’s company.
Many NFL players have reported missing the friendship and atmosphere that comes along with offseason workouts. This unofficial workout was organized by Brian Dawkins, a safety for the Denver Broncos.
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Technorati Tags: Denver Broncos, NFL players, South Suburban Sports
Posted on May 19, 2011 by James W
Another former NFL player is in trouble with the law. The former safety for the New England Patriots Willie Andrews was placed under arrest Friday after Texas authorities launched a major investigation that involved drugs and Willie Andrews.
Texas police launched a state wide investigation into a drug trafficking ring which led to Willie Andrews and 12 other people’s arrest. The former safety is being charged with creating a conspiracy that involved the intent to sell and distribute the drug hydrocodone. He is also facing a charge of owning and holding a firearm while committing the crime of drug trafficking.
Each defended, including Willie Andrews faces a maximum of 10 years in a federal prison if found guilty. He could also face up to life if charged with the firearm violation.
This is not the first time that the New England Patriots former safety is in trouble with the law in regards to drugs. Just days after football’s biggest event, the Super Bowl, he was charged with possession of marijuana. According to reports Willie Andrews hid over a half pound of marijuana in his pants as well as stashing a few ounces in his car seat.
This drug charge led the New England patriots to cut him from the team. Other criminal charges that Willie Andrews has faced include criminal mischief and pulling a handgun on a police officer during a traffic stop which he only served ten of the sentenced thirty days.
Willie Andrews and the other 12 involved in the drug trafficking ring a week trial in a federal Texas court. The court date has yet to be set.
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Technorati Tags: Drug Trafficking Ring, New England Patriot, Willie Andrews
Posted on May 11, 2011 by James W
With the NFL lockout nearing its tenth week, the football world is being flooded with stories of how the players are reacting. Some are staging their own offseason workouts with other teammates, while others are working out on their own. However, nothing is as heartwarming as the new Carolina Panther’s potential quarterback, Cam Newton’s ritual.
Cam Newton has told reporters that to help ease the NFL lockout blues he has stuck to sleeping with his playbook. It is believed that by sleeping with his playbook it helps him become one with the rules and procedures that the Panther’s use during the season.
Due to the NFL lockout, Cam Newton has not been able to show the Panthers what he’s got. Cam Newton was the number one draft pick and will go up against existing quarterback, Jimmy Clausen for starting position this year when the lockout is finally lifted.
The lockout prevents Cam Newton from talking to or communicating with his brand new coaches and other staff members. While this might not be a problem for existing NFL players, this is tough on incoming players. They do not know the playbook, how coaches coach or what to expect with the other players on the team. Usually the offseason is used to warm them up to the other players and help them adjust to playing in the pros. However, that won’t be the case this year.
All Carolina Panthers and Cam Newton can do now is to hope that by sleeping with the Carolina playbook by his side every night, Newton will adjust quickly and understand what is needed of him on the new team so he stands a shot of starting in the 2011 season when it eventually starts.
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Technorati Tags: Cam Newton, NFL, sports
Posted on May 7, 2011 by James W
The Nevada Supreme Court, which is made up of seven members, has turned down O.J. Simpson’s plea for an appeal on his case. O.J Simpson’s lawyer went before the court on Tuesday asking that the court consider hearing his appeal case.
In an order released Tuesday it stated that the Nevada Supreme Court unanimously voted to not hear the appeal of Simposon’s conviction. Simpson is currently serving a sentence of nine to 33 years in the Nevada State Jail for a 2007 armed robbery conviction. This is the third panel to deny O.J. Simpson’s appeal.
In a statement released Thursday O.J. Simpson’s lawyer conveyed his displeasure in the Nevada Supreme Court. He stated that it was I’m there to not allow Simpson to present his appeal before a board and hear oral arguments as to why the case should be appealed. Simpson’s lawyer maintains that Simpson did not go to the Las Vegas casino with the intent to commit a crime but only to retrieve goods Simpson believed were stolen from him.
In 2007, Simpson along with another co-defendant, Steward went to a Las Vegas casino with a fully loaded handgun in order to retrieve goods that were believed to have been stolen. The co-defended in the case as well as Simpson was charged with kidnapping and armed robbery. However, Steward took a plea deal presented by the courts that only resulted in three years probation and nine months of house arrest.
O.J. Simpson’s lawyer stated that he would be working to present Simpson’s appeal to the Supreme Court again in a few months.
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Technorati Tags: Denies Simpson's Plea, Nevada Supreme Court, O.J. Simpson’s
Posted on May 3, 2011 by James W
The NFL lockout prevents players from holding and attending official off-season training sessions. However, the New Orleans Saints have turned their unofficial player workout and training sessions into a chance for them to help local charities.
Drew Brees and Jonathan Vilma of the New Orleans Saints are holding a charity auction for a chance for four people to train with the Saints in one of the unofficial workout sessions the team is holding. The charity auction is officially titled “Be a Professional Football Player for a Day” and all proceeds will go directly to various Louisiana charities.
The four winners of the raffle will be able to train with the New Orleans Saints on May 25. They will be treated to a breakfast with Drew Brees and Jonathan Vilma and then allowed to actually take part in the off-season workout session with the team. The offseason workout session will be held at the Tulane University which is where the team has been training while the NFL lockout is in place.
This charity auction is a great way for NFL players to do some good while the lockout is in place and help local charities in the meantime. While the whole team will not be present for the workout the majority of the team has been gathering at Tulane University to train while the club headquarters to the New Orleans Saints remains off limits during the lockout. Winners of the charity auction will be drawn on Friday, May 20th at 1 pm eastern standard time.
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Technorati Tags: Chairty Auction, New Orleans, NFL
Posted on May 1, 2011 by James W
Two years ago North Carolina Panthers linebacker Jon Beason was accused of going crazy and Charlotte North Carolina strip club and fighting another customer. Gregory Frye was attending the strip club when he claims that Beason went crazy on him and broke his nasal cavity in a fight that was instigated by Beason.
After the fight, Frye had Beason arrested while the police continued to investigate the case. Along with criminal charges, Beason was also slapped with a $10,000 lawsuit for damages for medical care related to the fight. The criminal charges were quickly dropped when prosecutors could not find enough evidence to press forward with the case. However, the civil suit for damages and medicals bills still remained despite the fact that there were no criminal charges present.
On May 19, 2011 the civil suit for damages was brought before a court of law. A jury of four men and eight women heard the case against Beason and ruled that lack of evidence and conflicting stories proved that Beason didn’t attack Gregory Frye nearly two years ago. They believed that Frye was just looking to bank off of the Carolina Panthers linebacker. The jury, after deliberating for almost two days, also awarded Beason a dollar in damages as a result of a slander suit that Beason had against Frye.
After the ruling, Beason was quoted as saying that this has been a long time coming and that he hopes that it will allow him to move forward and concentrate on football.
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Technorati Tags: Carolina Panthers, Gregory Frye, Jon Beason
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