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Countdown to Super Bowl XLVI - Social Media Help Drive Super Bowl Pricing - Ingles

2012-01-30T11:39:00.001-03:00

If Apple’s “1984” spot is credited with demonstrating just how much Super Bowl spots can become cultural icons, an NBCUniversal executive might deserve similar recognition for upending the big game’s ad sales process this year. Seth Winter seems to have taken some of the gentleman’s agreements and pre-set pricing out, while introducing a model rooted more in what the market will bear.

If that’s being a bit generous to Winter and exaggerated – executives at other networks would probably say yes -- he does seem to have pinpointed how much social media can be a chip in helping a network command a big price jump.

If networks traditionally began Super Bowl negotiations with the previous year’s pricing as a base, Winter -- who heads sports sales at NBCU -- believes the discussions should not be tethered to history and made a point to drop that for 2012.

Along the way, he’s overseen a process said to be bringing NBC about $3.5 million per 30 seconds for the Feb. 5 game, 17% higher than what Fox got a year ago.

“There had been an expected protocol of an incremental increase of $100,000 per year," Winter told “Freakonomics” co-author Stephen J. Dubner in an NFL.com interview. "And much to the disdain of everyone -- and even my own staff -- I said, ‘Well, to hell with protocol, let’s see what this is really worth?’”

TNS figures show increases from $2.3 million to $2.4 million to $2.5 million from 2004-06. Greater year-over-year jumps came from 2007 to 2008 to 2009, but none were as high as NBC’s 17% bump this year.

And, NBC's increase may actually be higher versus Fox a year ago.

“My intelligence tells me ($3 million is) probably on the upper end of what they got per unit,” Winter said.

NBC should pull in $250 million in sales on Super Bowl Sunday, Winter said. In the years ahead, if his heck-with-protocol strategy pushes the gameday number to climb exponentially, that's good news for networks considering their rights fees for the NFL have soared.

While he is in the sales business and NBC will have the Super Bowl again in three years, Winter believes advertisers are getting a bargain. Getting ready for next year, CBS wouldn’t argue.

Speaking with Dubner, CNBC business reporter Darren Rovell suggested networks conduct an auction for the spots, which might have brought NBC even more than $3.5 million. Google surely would be happy to set up an online system. Who knows what a CEO might bid on a whim while sitting on the couch at home?

“I don’t know that we’ve ever really tested the exact boundaries of what the Super Bowl is worth," Winter said on NFL.com "I think technology and social media have taken that value and grown exponentially the value to the advertiser."

At least for the next few years as Facebook, Twitter and YouTube continue to grow, price increases might be correlated. As people watch the game with a smartphone in hand, immediate endorsements via social media for Eminem pumping Chrysler or the ETrade baby should only further convince advertisers the money is well-spent. Couple that with heavy replay viewing on YouTube and they should be further gratified. A decade ago, they may have simply counted the number of times an ad was replayed on newscasts to determine added value.

Dubner's "The Hidden Side of Super Bowl Ads" piece was the latest in his exceedingly interesting “Football Freakonomics” short-form series on NFL.com. (Using data and other factors, he's offered up that icing the kicker doesn’t work, momentum is a myth and Tim Tebow’s faith actually gives him an advantage.)

Winter told him that NBC tracks a slew of factors to determine the worth of a Super Bowl spot. Besides using firms that track traffic and opinions on social media, the impact on a company's sales and stock price after the game are gauged.

Take it for what it’s worth, but spots from Anheuser-Busch, PepsiCo (Doritos) and Volkswagen were the three most popular last year, according to the USA Today Ad Metter. Each advertisers' share price closed slightly higher the day after the game.

(source Media Post)

Countdown to Super Bowl XLVI - AdAge Super Bowl Ad Chart - Ingles

2012-01-30T11:29:00.002-03:00

With packages including 30-second spots in the Super Bowl XLVI going for as much as $3.5 million -- although not everyone is paying that price -- and the marketer-approved match-up between the New York Giants and the New England Patriots set, all eyes are focused on NBC's coming broadcast of the event, scheduled to take place in Indianapolis on Feb. 5.

Volkswagen has deployed a chorus of dogs barking out Darth Vader's theme to tease its sequel to last year's "The Force." Kia is taking its 60-second commercial, featuring an "extreme dream sequence" including model Adriana Lima and Motley Crue, to movie theaters and YouTube before the game. Advertising Age is monitoring all the comings and goings, ad debuts, offbeat strategies and new ad techniques around Super Bowl XLVI.

Here's our rundown of known 2012 Super Bowl sponsors. Check back often as we update the list heading into the game.

2nd Story Software
Buy: One 30-second ad slated to air in the fourth quarter of the game.
Creative: As tax time nears, company will promote its TaxACT tax-preparation software that allows them to prepare their federal taxes for free
Agency: J.W. Morton and Associates, with production duties handled by Mechaniks

American Honda Motor
Buy: One ad to air in the fourth quarter of the game
Creative: The ad will introduce the redesigned CR-V. The company has teased a teaser video featuring Matthew Broderick reprising his famous movie character Ferris Bueller.
Agency: Independent RPA

American Honda's Acura
Buy: To be determined
Creative: To be determined
Agency: To be determined

Anheuser-Busch InBev
Buy: A-B InBev has purchased four and a half minutes of ad time in this year's game, and run six ads in total. A-B InBev is perhaps the Super Bowl's largest ongoing sponsor and typically buys up to between three and four minutes' worth of ad inventory.
Creative: Two 30-second ads in the first quarter will tout Bud Light Platinum; One 30-second spot just before halftime and one 60-second spot in the fourth quarter for Bud Light; and two 60-second spots (one in the second quarter and one in the third quarter) for flagship Budweiser.
Agency: Translation, led by Steve Stoute and Jay-Z among other, is doing the Bud Light Platinum ads. Bud Light is handled by McGarry Bowen(the 60-second ad) and Cannonball (The 30-second ad). The Budweiser ads come from Anomaly.

Audi of America
Buy: One 60-second spot
Creative: Audi's commercial, its fifth consecutive entry in the Super Bowl, suggests its cars' bright headlights could kill vampires.
Agency: Independent Venables , Bell & Partners

Best Buy
Buy: One 30-second spot
Creative: Expected to focus on a new product or service launch. Justin Bieber and Ozzy Osbourne held forth in the retailer's 2011 Super Bowl effort, its debut in the big game.
Agency: Crispin Porter & Bogusky is handling creative.

Bridgestone Americas
Buy: Two 30-second spots, one slated to air in the first spot in the break at the end of the first half and the second slated to run in the final pod of the third quarter.
Creative: Look for sports celebrities including Troy Aikman to lend a hand in ads that explore fictional scenarios in which Bridgestone Ecopia tires help change the world of sports.
Agency: Independent Richards Group is handling creative.

CareerBuilder
Buy: One 30-second spot
Creative: Not yet determined. All eyes will be on CareerBuilder to see if its next Super Bowl ad makes use of chimpanzees, a practice that has come under scrutiny in recent years.
Agency: Work is being done in-house.

Cars.com
Buy: One 30-second spot in the third quarter
Creative: A car shopper's confidence, enabled by Cars.com research, emerges in the form of a second head that sings. Viewers who use Shazam (the smartphone app that can identify songs' titles and artists) to tag the commercial will earn $1 for one of seven children's charities.
Agency: Omnicom Group's DDB Chicago

Century 21
Buy: One 30-second spot in the third quarter
Creative: The realtor is making its debut in the Super Bowl. Donald Trump, Deion Sanders and Apolo Ohno will appear in the spot. Century 21 will also sponsor half an hour of NBC's pre-game festivities.
Agency: Independent shop Red Tettemer & Partners of Philadelphia

Chrysler
Buy: One 60-second spot
Creative: Despite making a huge splash with last year's whopping two-minute ad touting vehicles that were "Imported from Detroit" over an Eminem song, Chrysler will not be attempting to one-up itself. Expect an ad focused on its vehicles, not a broader story
Agency: To be determined

Coca-Cola
Buy: At least one spot. Coca-Cola has become one of the Super Bowl's major sponsors in recent years after staying away from the event for a long while.
Creative: In what appears to be a first, Coca-Cola has prepared two versions of a minute-long commercial to run during the second quarter and won't choose which runs until it sees how the game is unfolding. The ad, "Catch," shows two polar bears watching the Super Bowl, each wearing a scarf in his team's colors: red and white for the Giants and blue and white for the Patriots. The bear whose team is losing will step outside the cave, see a group of other bears lounging and drinking Coke, and catch -- with difficulty -- a bottle of Coke they throw him. The ad with two versions is part of an integrated campaign featuring the two bears watching the game live and sharing their reactions to plays, the halftime show and commercials at www.cokepolarbowl.com.
Agency: Independent Wieden & Kennedy

Dannon Yogurt
Buy: One 30-second spot, set to air in the third quarter
Creative: Actor John Stamos will tout Dannon Oikos Greek yogurt, a reaction, perhaps, to the growing popularity of the Greek yogurt category.
Agency: Poptent, with help from WPP's Young & Rubicam , which is agency of record.

E-Trade
Buy: One 30-second spot, placement of which is still being worked out
Creative: The E-Trade baby is back for a fifth consecutive Super Bowl appearance, with a new focus on more mature matters such as changes in family. The commercial, which E-Trade says is first in a series of new ads planned for 2012, shows the campaign's baby "interacting with people facing special life events that trigger a need to consider financial planning."
Agency: WPP's Grey

General Motors
Buy: Five spots
Creative: The company will air three ads for Chevrolet and one ad for Cadillac in the game. Of the Chevy ads, one spot will feature the Camaro, another will highlight the Silverado and a third will spotilght the Sonic. Chevy is also offering a Super Bowl app for smartphones and tablets in a bid to wring extra value from its buy through digital and social media.
Agency: Omnicom Group's Goodby , Silverstein and Partners is lead U.S. agency for Chevrolet.

GoDaddy.com
Buy: Two 30-second spots, one in each half of the game
Creative: One 30-second spot will feature veteran "GoDaddy Girl" and race-car driver Danica Patrick and a reformed version of the Pussycat Dolls, and will focus on the company's 'cloud'-based services. The other ad will feature Ms. Patrick as well as fitness guru Jillian Michaels, and will highlight the company's '.CO' domain-name extension.
Agency: Handled in-house

H&M
Buy: One 30-second spot slated to air in the second quarter of the game
Creative: The fashion retailer, entering the Super Bowl ad roster for the first time, will launch its David Beckham Bodywear collection, prompting thoughts that its ad might feature the celebrity soccer player moving around in his skivvies.
Agency: Handled in-house

History Channel
Buy: One 30-second spot
Creative: The ad will depict "another day at the office" for the people of the swamp depicted in the cable outlet's series "Swamp People"
Agency: Handled in-house

Hyundai
Buy: Two 30-second spots, one in first quarter and one in fourth quarter
Creative: Automaker is expected to be less serious than in earlier, establishing Super Bowl spots and focus more on sparking an emotional connection with consumers.
Agency: Innocean, Hyundai's internal agency

Kia Motor
Buy: One 60-second spot in the fourth quarter
Creative: An "extreme dream sequence" ensues after the Sandman accidentally spills a whole bag of magic dust on a sleeping husband. The dreamscape -- promoting the Kia Optima Limited -- includes celebrities and quasi-celebrities including Motley Crue, model Adriana Lima, MMA fighter Chuck Liddell and champion bull rider Judd Lefew. Kia is premiering the commercial starting Feb. 2 on YouTube and in movie theaters using National CineMedia's FirstLook pre-movie program. Short teaser clips will appear on TV and in movie theaters.
Agency: Independent David + Goliath, in its third consecutive Super Bowl appearance for Kia

Mars Inc's M&M's
Buy: One 30-second spot in the first quarter
Creative: M&M's returns to the Super Bowl for the first time since 1998, marking its second appearance in the event. In the interim, Mars has put most of its emphasis in the game on its Snickers candy bar. M&M's will be introducing a new character in its line of animated spokescandies: Ms. Brown.
Agency: Omnicom Group's BBDO

Met Life
Buy: To be determined
Creative: To be determined
Agency: MDC Partners' Crispin Porter + Bogusky

Paramount Pictures
Buy: To be determined
Creative: Trailers. One movie that could get a spotlight is "G.I. Joe: Retaliation" .
Agency: In-house

PepsiCo 's Doritos
Buy: At least two 30-second spots
Creative: Pepsi 's Frito-Lay unit is running its usual "Crash the Super Bowl" contest that asks amateur ad-makers to crate their own 30-second ad, with the winner's creation being shown during the Super Bowl. Popular comedy team The Lonely Island will also create a 30-second spot.
Agency: Omnicom Group's Goodby Silverstein and Partners is assisting.

PepsiCo Beverages
Buy: Pepsi will run two 30-second commercials during the Super Bowl, though the marketer is said to be considering a 45-second spot for PepsiMax.
Creative: One spot will feature the winner of Fox's "X Factor," into which Pepsi has sunk $60 million as lead sponsor.
Agency: Omnicom Group's TBWA /Chiat/Day is lead agency for the company's best-known drink.

Relativity Media
Buy: One spot to air in fourth quarter of the game
Creative: Trailer for "Act of Valor," an action movie that features real Navy SEALs.
Agency: In-house

Samsung Electronics
Buy: To be determined
Creative: Samsung is reportedly running the latest version of its "Next Big Thing" mocking Apple fans to promote the Galaxy S II smartphone.
Agency: To be determined

Skechers
Buy: One spot to run just before the two-minute warning in the first half of the game.
Creative: Entrepreneur Mark Cuban will star along with a bulldog named "Mr. Quigley" in a commercial promoting the Skechers' GoRun shoe line.
Agency: To be determined

Teleflora
Buy: To be determined
Creative: To be determined
Agency: To be determined

Toyota
Buy: To be determined
Creative: The campaign is expected to focus on the Camry.
Agency: Publicis Groupe's Saatchi & Saatchi has handled duties for Toyota in the past.

Toyota's Lexus
Buy: One 30-second spot, set to air in the first half of the game. This is the first appearance of Lexus on the Super Bowl ad roster.
Creative: The campaign is expected to focus on the Lexus 2013 GS, with hints that more new models are waiting in the wings.
Agency: Team One is the automaker's agency of record. Attik worked on the creative.

Universal Pictures
Buy: To be determined
Creative: Trailers likely. One film that could get the spotlight is the coming release "Battleship." Universal is part of NBC Universal, which is broadcasting the event.
Agency: In-house

Volkswagen
Buy: One 60-second spot to air in the second quarter
Creative: Expected to focus on the Beetle. VW made one of the biggest splashes in the 2011 Super Bowl, thanks to an early release of an ad featuring a kid in a Darth Vader uniform and his attempt to use the Force on one of the automaker's vehicles. A minute-long teaser for its 2012 entry features dogs in "Star Wars" accessories barking the movie's "Imperial March."
Agency: Interpublic Group's Deutsch LA

Walt Disney Pictures
Buy: To be determined
Creative: Trailers. One film likely to get a spotlight is "John Carter," an action-filled epic centered in outer space.
Agency: In-house

Countdown to Super Bowl XLVI - Coca-Cola Preps Two Versions of Super Bowl Ad - Ingles

2012-01-30T11:28:00.002-03:00

In a twist on Super Bowl marketing, Coca-Cola has prepared two versions of a 60-second spot slated to run during the second quarter. It won't decide which to actually run until it sees whether the New York Giants or New England Patriots have the upper hand.

It appears to be a first-of-its-kind endeavor, requiring the beverage giant to have execs on site at NBC during the game. They will be in the traffic room to decide which spot runs when the game goes to a commercial break, said Pio Schunker, senior-VP integrated marketing at Coca-Cola.

The ad, "Catch," shows two polar bears watching the Super Bowl, each wearing a scarf in his team's colors: red and white for the Giants and blue and white for the Patriots.

During a commercial break, one bear steps outside the arctic cave and sees a group of polar bears lounging and drinking Coke. When the bears toss him a Coke and he fumbles the bottle, an acrobatic series ensues until he slides to a halt with the bottle finally secured. The bear whose team is losing will be the one to step outside the cave.

If the teams are tied, the decision will be made based on the most-recent plays and which is deemed most in need of a Coke.

"Sure, it's probably not something [NBC] wants to set a precedent on, but the idea was appealing to them because of the buzz factor," said Mr. Schunker. "It's certainly [tough] to do, but we managed to talk them into it for those reasons."

Coca-Cola will also have execs on hand at ESPN to manage another ad, "Argh!" In that ad, the bear whose team loses takes a walk to vent his frustration.

The ads are part of an integrated Super Bowl campaign featuring two polar bears that are fans of opposing teams. The bears will be watching the game live, sharing their reactions to plays, the halftime show and commercials at www.cokepolarbowl.com.

The team at Coca-Cola agency Wieden & Kennedy has been practicing for three months, watching old footage of games to prepare for a variety of game-day scenarios, Mr. Schunker said.

360i and the Coca-Cola team have been working to develop a "voice" for the bears on Facebook and Twitter that's both "charming" and "cheeky." It's the first time the polar bears will have "voices," said Mr. Schunker, although they still won't speak in the commercials.

In addition to having execs on site at NBC and ESPN to manage different versions of the broadcast ads, Mr. Schunker said the company will have a command center in New York, where his team and key execs from Wieden will manage the live stream and animation of the bears. They'll be located in a control room at Major League Baseball's Advanced Media group.

Meanwhile, Katie Bayne, president-general manager of sparkling beverages, Coca-Cola North America, and Alison Lewis, chief marketing officer, Coca-Cola North America, will be at the Super Bowl in Indianapolis sending feedback to the team in New York. They plan to have at least three screens each, Ms. Bayne said.

(source Ad Age)

Countdown to Super Bowl XLVI - Live from the Arctic: Coca-Cola Animated Polar Bears to "Catch" the SB - Ingles

2012-01-30T11:26:00.001-03:00

The iconic animated Coca-Cola polar bears are back. And, just in time for the Super Bowl XLVI broadcast, they now have a TV, computer, smart phone and tablet device. That's right, just like 100 million other football fans from around the world, the Coca-Cola polar bears will tune in to watch the big game as they open happiness with an ice-cold Coke and chill on their "snowfa" in the Arctic.

Coca-Cola is capitalizing on the growing trend of second screen media consumption to extend its connection with fans beyond the television screen to the computer screen and the social media universe. Coca-Cola is launching a unique viewing experience for fans that merges a live digital stream and social media with traditional television advertising. The stars of the campaign are two Coca-Cola polar bears who will be watching the big game live and sharing a Coke from the comforts of their Arctic ice cave.

Fans can join in on the fun and watch the game with the polar bears "in the Arctic" by visiting www.CokePolarBowl.com. The digital platform uses proprietary technology to bring the computer-generated polar bears to life through live animation -- a technological first for the big game or any media event. The live stream will showcase the animated polar bears' reactions to all the plays on the field, the halftime show and highly anticipated commercials.

In a first for Coca-Cola, the polar bears will be "taking over" the official @CocaCola Twitter account on game day. On February 5, the profile photo for Coca-Cola will change from the current Coca-Cola logo to an image of the two polar bears. Using the hashtag #GameDayPolarBears, the polar bears will be sharing their unique perspectives on the game and engaging directly with consumers. Fans will be able to exchange tweets with the bears and share select moments from the live stream with friends via social media. For example, Twitter followers may see this post from a Coca-Cola polar bear: "If you tweet us photos of your own game day party we'll feature them in our live stream. That is, if the penguin deems them worthy."

While the two polar bears are both football fans, they are rooting for opposing teams, adding to the fun of watching their expressions of delight or frustration as the game unfolds. Throughout the live stream a variety of ancillary characters, including penguins and a young polar bear stop by the bears' snow cave to share a Coke and enjoy the festivities.

"Coca-Cola is part of the fun when friends and family gather to celebrate major events like the Super Bowl. This year, we're offering fans even more ways to connect over a Coke and be entertained by our well-loved iconic polar bears," said Katie Bayne, president and general manager of sparkling beverages, Coca-Cola North America. "Our bears will come to life on television, digital and mobile screens, as they invite people everywhere to join them watching the big game live from the arctic."

Two new polar bear television ads will air during the first and second quarter of the Super Bowl broadcast. The ads are part of the Coca-Cola "Open Happiness" campaign and reflect the digital content from the live stream at www.CokePolarBowl.com.

 "Superstition," an animated :30, features one of the polar bears showing his superstitious side by watching the game with his fingers, toes, arms, legs and even his scarf crossed. When the other polar bear hands him an ice-cold Coke, he struggles mightily in an attempt to drink it without uncrossing anything -- ultimately failing to get it to his mouth. His friend, watching this hopeless display, finally comes to the rescue by placing a straw in the bottle. The superstitious polar bear smiles and takes a big sip as he kicks back to watch the game with his ice-cold Coke -- everything still crossed.

 "Catch," an animated :60, opens in real time with the polar bears watching the big game from their snow cave. During the commercial break, one polar bear steps outside the cave to take a breather. The bear spots a group of polar bears hanging out and drinking ice-cold bottles of Coca-Cola. They toss him a Coke. As the polar bear tries to catch the bottle, he bobbles it, loses his balance and begins to slide on the ice. As he slips and fumbles with the bottle of Coke -- and the other polar bears attempt to help him and save the day -- his stumbling turns into unintentional, but impressive, football-like movements. He finally comes to a sliding halt while clutching his precious Coke. Inside the snow cave, the other polar bear acknowledges the unbelievable scene by giving a little "golf clap" raising a bottle of Coke in a toast.

Two versions of "Catch" will be ready to deploy -- depending on what is happening in the game and which polar bear is most in need of a Coke based on his favorite team's performance. Both of the spots conclude with a call for consumers to join the polar bears live at www.CokePolarBowl.com.

"Our digital experience and our new animated polar bear ads highlight the connections and incredible experiences that are created by sharing a Coke," said Alison Lewis, chief marketing officer, Coca-Cola North America. "We offer fans a light-hearted look at how Coca-Cola can bring everybody -- whether human or animated polar bears -- together to celebrate moments of happiness and connection even when they are cheering for opposing teams."

After the game, fans can send a Coke and a little digital happiness to fellow friends and followers from Coca-Cola's "AHHH Giver" and "ARGH Reliever" app on Facebook. Fans of the winning team can share the cheering "Ahhh" Coca-Cola polar bear and fans of the losing team can send the "Argh" polar bear. Both images will send a coupon for a Coke and a little happiness from the Arctic.

Animators will control the bears and their environment during the game using a combination of traditional video gaming controllers and a proprietary PC-based interface. The animators will be stationed in New York City, in a control room located at Major League Baseball's Advanced Media group, which is a leader in the delivery of streaming content.

This is the sixth consecutive year that Coca-Cola commercials will appear during the Super Bowl broadcast. Coca-Cola worked with Wieden + Kennedy in Portland, Ore., to create and produce the CokePolarBowl.com experience and corresponding TV spots. They collaborated with both Animal Logic in Sydney, Australia and Framestore in New York and to develop the animations and digital technology.

Countdown to Super Bowl XLVI - Plenty Of Ads Still Unsold For First Streamed Super Bowl - Ingles

2012-01-30T11:25:00.000-03:00

The ultimate “big game” will get its first live video presentation on personal computers, tablets and mobile phones when NBC airs the Super Bowl Feb. 5. But while some brands, including General Motors, have bought into digital packages generally ranging from $300,000 to $600,000, advertisers have so far not shown the same enthusiasm for the live stream as they have the sold-out TV broadcast. One takeaway: big, engaged television audiences don’t necessarily translate to huge digital video viewership for the same content.

“The question that remains to us is: what’s the actual value of the Super Bowl in comparison to other things that are streamed?” said a sports media buyer for a top agency, speaking on the condition of anonymity because he’s involved in negotiations for NBC’s live stream. “What are the usual viewing tendencies for the audience? Streaming is probably something less significant for the Super Bowl than it might be for other sports or other properties.”

NBC has taken in an average of around $3.5 million for a 30-second spot for the traditional television broadcast of the Super Bowl, typically the year’s highest rated TV event. Last year’s game averaged 111 million viewers in the U.S. alone. NBC, which had been streaming its Sunday night regular season and post-season NFL games since 2008, notified a half-dozen of the league’s premiere sponsors before the playoffs that it would stream the Super Bowl for the first time this year, too.

These advertisers – which include Nike, Visa and Anheuser-Busch—were offered the ability to purchase digital packages that include impressions not only in the big game, but in NBC’s Wild Card playoff and Pro Bowl coverage as well. In fact, the majority of the impressions are actually served in post-season football coverage other than the live Super Bowl stream.

With 11 days to go before the big game, there’s still lots of digital inventory left for the Super Bowl, buyers tell paidContent. (NBC wouldn’t comment on the status of its digital sales effort for the Super Bowl, but a source close to the network insisted its sales were “at capacity.”) So with ad time for the traditional Super Bowl telecast in typically short supply, why are media buyers insisting there’s plenty of digital inventory left?

Despite the huge popularity of the game, media buyers don’t believe NBC’s Super Bowl stream will draw a digital audience that much greater than the 200,000 to 300,000 unique viewers that NBC says typically watch its regular season contests online or through mobile devices. Buyers theorize that the typical NFL fan might not interrupt his Sunday activities for, say, an early-January Wild Card matchup between the New York Giants and Atlanta Falcons, and will catch up on the game on a tablet or smart phone while he’s out and about.

However, the Super Bowl is, in the words of one media buyer, “destination viewing in its highest form,” with viewers striving to watch the game with friends and family in front of large high-definition TV screens. The same dynamic applies to CBS’ and Turner Networks’ digital sales of the NCAA’s “March Madness” men’s basketball tournament: Even though the championship game draws the biggest TV ratings, it’s the early-round playoff games that show the highest spikes in internet and mobile usage.

NBC will stream the match-up between the Giants and the New England Patriots on NBCSports.com and NFL.com, offering HD resolution, DVR-style controls, multiple camera angles, in-game highlights, and live statistics and interactive features. This stream will be accessible through PCs and tablet devices; Verizon Wireless (NYSE: VZ), which has an exclusive mobile deal with the NFL, will broadcast NBC’s live stream to its Android-equipped subscribers, just as it does for regular-season Sunday night games.

So how many football fans will watch the live stream of the Super Bowl? Neither NBC or media buyers seem exactly sure – it’s not easy to gauge based on previous NFL live streams, because the Super Bowl tends to attract a much broader viewership. There is a feeling among all parties, however, that rather than cannibalizing the game’s TV audience, the digital broadcast will actually enhance it.

“What we found with March Madness is that it didn’t take away from the broadcast ratings – in fact, it increased them by creating more engaged viewers,” the sports media buyer said.

“We’re still shaking out the monetization of this, but I don’t see it diluting the broadcast in any way,” added Neal Pilson, a former CBS (NYSE: CBS) Sports president who now serves as a sports broadcast consultant.

As for NBC’s asking price for its digital packages, Pilson noted, “That’s a lot to ask for.”

(source Paidcontent.org)

U likely to allow alcohol for Vikes at TCF stadium - Ingles

2012-01-30T11:24:00.001-03:00

The University of Minnesota's president said Friday that alcohol sales at the U's TCF Bank stadium would probably be allowed should the Minnesota Vikings play there temporarily. The ban on sales at college games would be unchanged.

President Eric Kaler said that the university was considering the issue, with the final decision on enacting separate alcohol policies for pro and college games likely headed to the Board of Regents. The Vikings and the university are in stepped-up negotiations to have the team play at TCF for three years should a new Vikings stadium be built at the site of the Metrodome, the team's home for the past 30 years.

"If we're going to let the Vikings use TCF Stadium, that's going to have to be part of the deal," said Kaler, who said the U is now talking to the team regularly. Kaler, who became president in July, said the regents would have to consider approving alcohol sales "as part of the overall agreement to let the Vikings use" TCF Bank Stadium.

Meanwhile, talk emerged Friday of another possible site option that would make discussions about moving to TCF moot. Vikings vice president of stadium development Lester Bagley and Metropolitan Sports Facilities Commission chairman Ted Mondale said they've been looking at acreage just southeast of the Dome, between 11th Avenue S. and Interstate 35W. Bagley said that the location would be ideal but that buildings on the site might be difficult to relocate.

"We've not yet seen a viable plan that would accomplish that," he said.

The alcohol issue is but one more complication as Gov. Mark Dayton, legislators, Minneapolis officials and the team race to stitch together a Metrodome stadium plan in time to be considered this year by the Legislature. The session began Tuesday amid indications lawmakers want to adjourn relatively quickly.

Over the past week, Dayton accelerated the stadium debate by declaring that only a new $918 million stadium at the Metrodome site in downtown Minneapolis had a chance of winning legislative approval this year. The Vikings, whose preference has been for a stadium in Ramsey County's Arden Hills but who have renewed their interest in the Metrodome site, said there would be nearly $50 million in lost revenue and added costs for them to play for three years at the U's smaller stadium.

Clyde Allen Jr., one of the university's 12 regents, said he did not think it would be hypocritical for the school to ban the sale of alcohol at college games but allow it -- often just a day later -- for the Vikings. "I do think there's a difference between the college games and the pro games," Allen said. "I think we have different facts ... and different situations to deal with."

The university currently bans alcohol sales at all on-campus athletic facilities. But an influential alumni group, largely with the school's backing, has pushed for legislative approval for alcohol sales in the premium seats at TCF Stadium during college games.

Legislators have opposed the plan, and at one point were joined by then-Gov. Tim Pawlenty in arguing that the school should sell alcohol throughout the stadium or not at all. Rep. Tom Rukavina, DFL-Virginia, called the premium seating-only alcohol plan "rather elitist."

Bagley stopped short Friday of saying the team would insist on alcohol sales at the stadium, and a National Football League spokesman said the decision would be left to the team.

The Vikings played a game at TCF in December 2010 after the Metrodome roof collapsed during a snowstorm. No alcohol sales were allowed then.

"Beer sales are pretty much a standard in all NFL stadiums. It's a revenue stream. It's important for the fan experience," Bagley said. While he acknowledged that the Vikings did play the one game at the U without alcohol sales, he said that "it was not a make-or-break issue at that time."

"If we're talking about three seasons at TCF Bank Stadium, this is an issue that's going to have to be sorted through," he said.

Mondale said he was not directly involved in the negotiations between the school and the team, but added that "I would think that's something they're going to insist on. [The Vikings] make a lot of money on beer, right?"

James Erickson, a lobbyist for Friends of Gopher Sports, an alumni group pushing for alcohol sales in premium seats for college football games, said he was not sure how the Vikings situation would affect the group's efforts. "I don't know if it would make it easier or harder," he said.

Venora Hung, another U regent, said she was unsure what the school might do. "I'm sure people are interested" in what might happen, she said. "It's a serious thing, so we would have to think about it very conscientiously."

(source Minneapolis Star Tribune)

Is it worth keeping the Rams? - Ingles

2012-01-30T11:21:00.000-03:00

With only two days to go before the first critical deadline approaches that could secure the Rams' future in St. Louis, a lot of people need to answer a few important questions. Whatever the St. Louis Convention and Visitors Commission comes up with Wednesday as it outlines plans to upgrade the Edward Jones Dome to a "first tier" venue, isn't it time that someone take an accurate pulse of this region to determine just how badly we want or need an NFL franchise to call our own?

Isn't that what it comes down to?

Ask yourself the simple question: What's it worth to the St. Louis region to be one of the only 32 municipalities in America that has an NFL franchise?

I'm not looking for answers from the irrational windbags who lead with raw knee-jerk emotions, or the snide citizens who look down at pro sports as if they were eying cancerous growths rather than valued civic commodities.

This is not a time or place for "Occupy Rams Park" manifestos, either. This matter requires some deep thought and intelligent conversation. I make no apologies for where I stand. For all the obvious reasons (and quite a few not so obvious ones), I am and always have been "pro" pro sports business. I want the commission and state and local officials to do whatever they can within reason to prevent Rams owner Stan Kroenke from breaking the lease at the Dome and relocating the franchise to Los Angeles, London, Toronto or Timbuktu.

I don't know what "within reason" means just yet. But if we can get a true temperature of the region and a consensus of intelligent people agree that there is legitimate value in having an NFL franchise in St. Louis, then the commission negotiators must get creative enough to entice Kroenke to stay put.

The debates are just getting started, and I understand all the arguments for and against. These are tough economic times for financially strapped municipalities, and here we have a billionaire owner with enough discretionary income to consider spending some of his riches on another pro franchise (LA Dodgers. Asking price? $2 billion). Why can't he spend some of that cash building his own new stadium?

The simple answer is maybe he will. But that doesn't mean Kroenke won't use every bit of leverage he can to extract the best possible deal out of St. Louis when all is said and done. And that's why this can't be one of those defiant negotiations where the commission walks into the room arrogantly pretending to hold all the trump cards because, plain and simple, the commission has little leverage. Kroenke is the one holding the easily breakable lease. He's the one who has London in the East as a potential relocation option and Los Angeles in the West as another option. He's the one who has skillfully played this thing out by floating rumors that he's contemplating buying the Dodgers ("Ohhh my gosh, he's going to have the Dodgers and Rams in LA!!!"). He's the one who sported the very unpopular poker face in his most recent public appearance.

"All these things are creating doubt and a little fear," said Patrick Rishe, Webster University sports economist and Forbes magazine columnist. "From a pure business perspective, I'd say this is good business for him to play his cards the way he's playing his cards. I'd say 'job well done.' Someone asked me the other day if he had a moral obligation to St. Louis football fans. I said absolutely not. His moral obligation is to do what is best for the best financial return of the owners. And if I was him, I can't say I wouldn't be doing the same things he's doing."

Everyone knows that barring construction of a new, publicly financed stadium (which won't happen), there isn't much the commission can do to insure that the Dome is upgraded to the point where it can remain a "top-tier" venue. But that doesn't mean the commission can't be creative and come up with any number of incentives that would keep Kroenke interested in staying here.

Giving him land to build his own stadium or parking structure might do the trick. Giving him sizable amounts of cash might be just as nice in the interim. Thinking outside of the box is what it's going to take to pull this off, and it would be great if a few outside forces created a little helping hand, too.

"There's no question that they can't (improve the dome to top tier levels)," Rishe said. "(The negotiations) may ultimately depend on what they have to do, not want to do. It may depend on if another team beats (Kroenke) to Los Angeles. If another (franchise) like Jacksonville, Buffalo, Minnesota, Oakland or San Diego decides to move and beats the Rams to Los Angeles, then that puts (St. Louis) in a better negotiating position.

"(But) until another team makes that move, Kroenke will be able to push for greater concessions (from the commission)," Rishe said. "His negotiators might be able to squeeze out money from the city in the $30 million to $60 million range in terms of revenues that are currently going to the CVC that could go into the pockets of the Rams as a concession for the fact that we can't get into that top tier. At least that money is cheaper than the $200 million to $300 million in public money that would be required to (renovate the Dome) to even approach that first-tier status."

So that brings us back to the start of this conversation. What's it worth to St. Louis to have an NFL franchise to call its own?

Rishe says there are no clear-cut studies that prove or disprove the value of a city having an NFL franchise within its borders. The research is all over the place and is subjective stuff. But too many academics and civic snobs pretend that this question doesn't go beyond economics.

Being a pro sports town has "a psychological effect on a community's psyche," Rishe said. "'We are now a big-time city because we have a pro sports franchise.' Oklahoma City is a great example. More people look at that city as a place to go check out because it is more visible and talked about because it has an NBA franchise, and more to the point a winning NBA franchise. With the Rams and football here in our city, we've already taken one blow to the gut when the Bidwills moved the (Cardinals) franchise in the '80s. So the real concern is what sort of image or stigma might be associated with the city psychologically to outsiders if we lose a second NFL franchise?"

(source St. Louis Post Dispatch)

NFL could block Vikings' stay at TCF Bank Stadium - Ingles

2012-01-30T11:18:00.001-03:00

The NFL is annoyed with the idea of the Minnesota Vikings playing up to three seasons at TCF Bank Stadium. There is the $67 million financial hit, not to mention potential logistical nightmares while waiting for Metrodome 2.0.

And league owners still would have to sign off on this concept before the Vikings play a single down at the University of Minnesota.

"I can tell you there won't be a lot of happy campers among the membership (owners)," said a person close to the situation who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of stadium negotiations. "TCF is a gem, but it's not an NFL stadium."

The experiment worked for one game in December 2010. The Vikings excavated TCF Bank Stadium from the snowstorm that collapsed the Metrodome roof to host the Chicago Bears. The game was even celebrated as the franchise's return to outdoor football, and more game day snow helped limit attendance and quell possible brouhahas over general admission seating.

One novelty act, however, does not compare to two or three years of operating losses for the team. It is a tall order to make a smaller college facility conducive to fans used to certain privileges - such as premium seating, parking and booze - or NFL owners accustomed to cost certainty.

"Capacity is way reduced," the person close to the situation said. "It's a different atmosphere for visiting teams, not as much of a home-field advantage for the Vikings. Nobody has figured out how the team will fill
that loss of revenue hole. There's still a lot of wood to chop."

Other teams have had to move to temporary housing. As recently as 2002, the Bears had to migrate south to the University of Illinois while Soldier Field underwent a makeover. But that was just one season. No team has ever played three seasons at an alternative venue since the Super Bowl era began in 1966.

The NFL has final authority to relocate games. Owners also control a subsidized loan program from which Vikings owner Zygi Wilf wants to borrow up to $200 million to help fund a new stadium, yet another agenda for negotiators to consider as they navigate the crosscurrents of stadium politics in Minnesota.

The Metrodome figured to be the Vikings' way station if they got their wish - a new facility in Arden Hills. The Dome might be viable this season if engineers can do ancillary work around the building before blowing it up. But until a bill is passed by the Legislature, there is no construction timeline.

And with no Metrodome in 2013 and beyond, there is no alternative in the area outside of TCF for the Vikings.

"We understand the challenges that we face there," Wilf said this week about rebuilding on the Metrodome site. "We're still in the process of doing our due diligence. Lot of aspects involved, including how we address the seasons we play at TCF. But we're making progress on getting to know the site much better."

TCF Bank Stadium seats about 51,000. There are an additional 3,000 designated standing-room spots in the plaza behind the west end zone. The Metrodome holds slightly more than 63,000. The Gophers' 38 suite owners have the right of first refusal to access their enclosed boxes, which theoretically would leave any leftovers to Vikings suite holders.

The Vikings could be in the awkward position of shoehorning fans into their temporary home at the same time they are ramping up marketing on the state-of-the-art stadium for which they spent a decade lobbying.

"Do you do a lottery or hope for volunteers? And do it for three years?" said the person close to the situation. "You're downsizing your fan base by 25 percent in anticipation of opening a bigger stadium. That doesn't make good business sense."

State law and NCAA regulations ban alcohol at Gophers games. The university has a liquor license to sell booze on an all-or-nothing basis in the stadium but only to NCAA events. Moreover, the stadium was built to host events only into late November, and concourses are not equipped for kegs to be tapped or fountain drinks to be served in freezing temperatures.

Vikings President Mark Wilf has said the team would lose $37 million playing at TCF Bank Stadium for three seasons and would have to spend an additional $30 million to make it NFL compliant, including providing 2,500 parking spaces for premium-seat holders and installing heating coils to prevent the turf from freezing.

University of Minnesota chief financial officer Richard Pfutzenreuter said there have been no formal talks with the Vikings about using TCF Bank Stadium. But he is confident an agreement could be reached to satisfy the needs of the team and the NFL, using the December 2010 contract as a template.

The Vikings wound up reimbursing the university $1.8 million for reopening the stadium after it had been shuttered for the winter.

"From an operational standpoint, and game day issues, there are some things we can draw upon. Neither of us is coming into this blind," Pfutzenreuter said. "When you start talking about two or three years, things like traffic, the neighborhood, alcohol, transitioning from Saturday Gophers games to Sunday Vikings games - clearly there are going to be disruptions. But I don't think they're insurmountable issues."

Under the Illinois agreement, the state passed litigation to allow beer sales only. The Bears split concession and parking revenue with the university. They also paid 10 percent rent on ticket prices. Memorial Stadium in Champaign, 135 miles south of Chicago, actually had 4,000 more seats than Soldier Field before renovation.

The Illinois athletics department used the windfall to refurbish the locker rooms and replace the turf.

"It was a wonderful collaboration," associate athletics director Dana Brenner said. "The Bears picked up a lot of season-ticket holders here (that) they brought back and it was successful financially for us."

(source St. Paul Pioneer Press)

Roger Goodell – on 60 Minutes - Ingles

2012-01-30T11:13:00.002-03:00

The ultimate Monday morning quarterback has got to be NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, who gathers his senior staff and officials on Monday to review the weekend's games - including controversial plays and calls. For the first time ever, cameras were allowed in this NFL meeting, and "60 Minutes" was there as they dissected and discussed some incidents in the first round of the playoffs. In this profile of Goodell, Steve Kroft examines the NFL's unusual business structure: 32 member teams whose players compete on the field, but whose owners cooperate in the business of keeping America's favorite pastime profitable. Wildly profitable. It's a $10 billion-a-year business, with soaring revenues and television ratings through the roof.

The following script is from "The Commissioner" which aired on Jan. 29, 2012. Scott Pelley is the correspondent. Draggan Mihailovich and Frank Devine, producers.

There are only two institutions in this country with the power to create almost limitless amounts of money. One is the Federal Reserve. The other is the National Football League. The Fed is run by Ben Bernanke, the NFL by Commissioner Roger Goodell. And Goodell is having a much better season. In the midst of an economic slump that has seen most American businesses struggle, the NFL's revenues are soaring and its television ratings are through the roof.

By a number of measures it is the most successful entertainment enterprise in the country. And with all due respect to the Ringling Brothers, right now the NFL is the "Greatest Show on Earth," and Commissioner Roger Goodell is the ringmaster.

A day in the life of NFL Commissioner Goodell
Kroft's team lives out a fan's dream: Going behind-the-scenes with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell

Roger Goodell: When we bring people into our stadium, or if they're watching on television, we want them to say, "That was the greatest entertainment I've ever seen."

It is the American adaptation of the Roman Coliseum, a spectacle that manages to package all the primal instincts. Sex...violence...tribalism...courage...joy...and disappointment. There are agile 300-pound gladiators, spear throwers, and acrobats. The best ones are multimillionaires often in the employ of billionaires, fortunate enough to own one of the NFL's 32 franchises. They pay Commissioner Roger Goodell to manage their $10 billion-a-year business, resolve their disputes and protect their most valuable asset: the game.

Steve Kroft: Now how much power do you have?

Goodell: I don't look at it in those terms. I have to make a lot of decisions that aren't in the best interests of individuals, whether they be owners, club executives, players. But I have to make sure the integrity of the game is protected at all times.

Kroft: And who decides what the integrity of the game is?

Goodell: That's my job.

He is CEO, negotiator, arbitrator, disciplinarian, enforcer, cheerleader and custodian of a national pastime and no one's errand boy. He is paid $10 million-a-year, to tell the owners who hired him - some of the richest, smartest, most competitive people in the country - what's best for them, or that he has to suspend one of their top players, or even fine them, for some infraction.

Kroft: You have to take action against your bosses from time to time...

Goodell: That's one way to look at it.

Kroft: And how do they like it?

Goodell: They don't like it, but they also understand my responsibilities. I don't expect to try to get people to like everything I do. I want them to respect what I do.

[Goodell: You know where you are when you walk into this stadium...]
On a trip to Baltimore for a playoff game week before last, the commissioner acknowledged the challenge and said it required a certain amount of political acumen.

Goodell: You have 32 teams and most of our big decisions have to be made on the basis of 24 votes. So a lot of what I have to do is go and convince at least 24 owners that we have a good solution. It's a lot like being speaker of the House 'cause you have to go out and get those votes.

And after nearly six years on the job Goodell seems to have won the complete trust of his bosses, who this past week extended his contract to the year 2019. Steve Bisciotti owns the Baltimore Ravens.

Steve Bisciotti: I lose a lot of my arguments to Roger, but I never hold it against him because I know, he, you know, it's like kids fighting. You know, I might go and complain, but he's usually stickin' up for another son, and that other son's usually right. So it doesn't stop me from complaining. But I get my, I win my fair share.

Robert Kraft: I wish we could get people in Washington to lead the way Roger leads.

Robert Kraft owns the New England Patriots.

Kraft: His job is impossible because dealing, it's not like a normal board of directors. It's 32 members of the board of directors who each think they know how to run the league better than he does. So it requires a good sense of balance.

And there is plenty for the owners and the players to be happy about. Last July, after months of contentious negotiations, Goodell and DeMaurice Smith of the NFL Players Association signed an unprecedented collective bargaining agreement that will bring a decade of labor peace and prosperity for both sides.

DeMaurice Smith: Sometimes you have to butt heads a little bit in order to make sure things work out.

Kroft: But in the end you were happy?

Smith: Look, if I wasn't happy I wouldn't have signed it.

Kroft: Why do you think the league's been so successful?

Smith: You know who's gonna win this game? Neither do I. And you know what? It's fantastic.

And it all got a lot more fantastic last month when Goodell and the league signed a record shattering nine-year deal with the television networks, including CBS, in which the owners and the players will split nearly $6 billion-a-year in revenue, following a season in which virtually all of the top rated TV shows were NFL games. Goodell managed to wring more money out of the deal than most people thought possible.

Kroft: I hear you're a pretty tough customer. I hear that you can be cold and confrontational if necessary.

Goodell: I think you have to be in this job from time to time. I take my responsibilities very seriously. And I wanna make the league better. And to do that, you can't make everybody happy.

At age 52, he has spent his entire career working at the NFL, starting out as an intern who once drove NFL Commissioner Pete Rozelle. And this is the only job he ever wanted, like most fans his age his love of the game is shaped by its history and by his early memories.

He grew up in Washington, rooting for the Baltimore Colts and Johnny Unitas. And he has never forgotten it. When we were in Baltimore, he stopped to pay tribute at the statue of Unitas that now stands outside Baltimore's stadium.

Kroft: Aren't you supposed to touch his shoe or something?

Goodell: Oh, I'd love to. I'd love to.

Goodell: He was a great one.

Kroft: He's your hero?

Goodell: Yeah, he was special. What a player.

He used to go to the Colt games with his father, the late congressman and U.S. Senator Charles Goodell. He was one of the first Republicans to speak out against the Vietnam War in a speech before Congress, and a copy of it hangs on the wall of the commissioner's office. It earned his dad a place on Richard Nixon's enemies list and cost him the next election.

Goodell: That demonstrated to me courage, not be afraid of taking a principled stand regardless of the consequences. My father taught that to us by example. And that has stayed with me since I was a child.

Goodell used to campaign with his father, so he's not so shy about mingling with the fans and listening to their opinions about the game.

Kroft: This is a completely different experience than sitting at home and watching it on TV.

Goodell: Yes, it is. But that's part of our biggest challenge going forward is how do we get people to come to our stadiums and experience stadiums. 'Cause the experience is so great at home.

He is a regular visitor to tailgating parties around the league and will occasionally sneak into the cheap seats to see what the fans' experience is like from there. A quarter of the league's revenues - about $2.5 billion, still come from ticket sales with another $2.5 billion coming from licensing fees on everything from footballs and league apparel to shot glasses and ice scrapers.

Bud Light is reportedly spending a billion dollars over six years to be the official beer of the NFL, but the real key to the league's success is its unorthodox business model. Under league rules the teams are required to share most of their revenue with each other. Which is always a sticking point with some of the most successful franchises and the more politically conservative owners.

Kroft: I mean that's socialism, isn't it?

Goodell: It is a form of socialism. And it's worked quite well for us. So we try to combine socialism and capitalism. How can we socialize by sharing our revenue in a way that will allow every team the ability to compete?

It's not just socialism. The NFL is essentially a cartel, albeit a legal one, thanks to a limited exemption from anti-trust laws granted by Congress more than 50 years ago.

Kroft: You've got 32 competing teams, but they share 80 percent of the revenues. You operate a draft for new players. There are salary caps. You depend on public tax money to help fund your stadiums.

Goodell: Well, we look at it as trying to create the most competitive league we can. One of the things we want every fan to feel in the country is hope when the season starts that their team can end up holding that Super Bowl trophy. And one of the stats we're most proud of in the last nine years we've had at least one team go from last to first.

The result is a financially engineered equality that allows a small town team in Green Bay, Wisconsin, to compete with a metropolis like New York. It produces lots of close games and those unscripted dramas that are essential to the NFL's appeal. Every Monday morning, in the league's New York Command Center, Commissioner Goodell and top officials conduct the ultimate Monday morning quarterback session, dissecting and discussing the weekend's most controversial plays.

[Carl Johnson: So what we're gonna have here is an inadvertent whistle...]

This was the first time cameras have ever been allowed into the meeting. On this Monday morning following the first round of the playoffs, two blown calls that were irreversible because of early whistles from the referees drew the attention of Goodell and Vice President of Officiating Carl Johnson...

Johnson: We gave the ball to Detroit. It should have gone back to the fumbling team...

Goodell: Do we know who blew the whistle?

Johnson: Yes, the line judge blew the whistle. The line judge blew inadvertently. He thought it was a forward pass. Should not have and...

Goodell: From a mechanics standpoint, he shouldn't have been blowing that whistle though...

Johnson: From a mechanics standpoint, he shouldn't have blown the whistle.

Afterwards, we spoke to Goodell, Carl Johnson and Head of Operations Ray Anderson.

Kroft: What's the point of these meetings?

Goodell: To understand where we've made mistakes, where we can improve.

Kroft: If you make a mistake, what do you do? Call, do you have to call the owner?

Johnson: Normally, they, they call me.

Kroft: They call you...

Goodell: You don't have to wait to hear from 'em...

Ray Anderson: You don't have to wait very long Steve believe me...

The commissioner hears about a lot of things from owners, coaches and players, often about his tough policies on personal conduct in-and-out of uniform: everything from penalties for excessive touchdown celebrations, to multi-game suspensions for unsportsmanlike conduct, and illegal helmet-to-helmet tackles.

Kroft: You not only control their lives off the field. Now you're controlling their lives on the field, the way they play the game, the way they tackle, the way they hit. Is...

Goodell: Well, it's some...

Kroft:...all of that necessary?

Goodell: I think it is. Being associated with the NFL is a privilege. It is not a right. And when you're here, you have to meet that bar.

Concussions have always been a part of the NFL. This used to be called getting your bell rung, now it's treated as a serious brain injury and doctors, not coaches or players, decide if someone is fit to return to the game...as long as someone catches it.

Johnson: Okay, commissioner, now this game, we had a concussed player that we didn't know about. And this guy didn't tell anybody.

It's the man making the tackle on this play. Number 42 Amari Spievey suffered a concussion here and should have gone to the sidelines, but the officials missed it and he decided not to tell anyone about his symptoms so he could stay on the field.

Kroft: Is that common?

Goodell: Unfortunately, it is. Far too common.

Kroft: Why is it do you think people don't report it?

Goodell: Some of it's warrior mentality. Some of it's wanting to be out there, to contribute, but that's part of our education is to make sure the players understand the seriousness of the issue and that they have to report these injuries.

The league and the players have committed a $100 million to fund concussion research, following some bad publicity and several lawsuits. And they will finally provide more than a billion dollars in additional funds to improve pensions, as well as medical and disability benefits for retired players.

[Goodell: Hey crew...]

With no game this Sunday, Goodell and his staff began final preparations for next Sunday's Super Bowl in Indianapolis.

[Goodell: Are these streets going to be closed...

Goodell: You didn't tell me what the weather is going to be like...

Woman: The halftime show as we all know will be Madonna...

Goodell: Has anyone seen that yet? (laughter)

Woman: Seen what? (laughter)]

The game is a much-anticipated rematch of the 2008 Super Bowl between the New York Giants and the New England Patriots. And if the current trend holds, it will attract the largest American television audience ever, somewhere north of 163 million people. When it's over, there will be no more football until next summer, leaving fans exactly where the NFL wants them...wanting more.

Countdown to Super Bowl XLVI - Patriots get a nice sendoff - Ingles

2012-01-30T11:10:00.001-03:00

Several thousand Patriots fans poured into Gillette Stadium today to see the team off before they headed to Indianapolis this afternoon to prepare for the Super Bowl.

Patriots players wore suits as they walked onto the field to address the crowd, and several of them spoke to the seriousness of the trip they were about to undertake.

“We’re going down here on a business trip, and hopefully we’re bringing back a championship,” said linebacker Jerod Mayo.

Patriots coach Bill Belichick addressed the crowd very briefly, and he stressed to his players beforehand to keep their speeches short as well.

“We’re really excited about the trip,” Belichick said. “Appreciate the support. I’m sure we’ll see some of you out in Indy. Go Pats.”

The event was hosted by Patriots radio play-by-play announcer Gil Santos. About half a dozen players addressed the crowd, as did Patriots chairman Robert Kraft and team president Jonathan Kraft. The event was particularly poignant for the Kraft family after Myra Kraft passed away last year following a long battle with cancer.

“I’m a very spiritual person,” said Robert Kraft. “I know that a lot of you, just like our family, have lost dear ones recently. I want you to know that they are ardent Patriots fans. And they’ve all been smiling down on us over this past year. But especially this past game at this stadium, I saw one smiling face along with your dear ones, smiling down on us to make sure the end of the game went the way we wanted.”

The Patriots have dedicated their season to Kraft and to her life of service. As a tribute to her work, the team selected 10 New England residents from service industries across New England to go to the Super Bowl.

Kevin Faulk, Vince Wilfork, Wes Welker, Deoin Branch, and Tom Brady also addressed the crowd.

“It’s been a long, exciting, tough year,” said Wilfork. “Hopefully we go down to Indy and have one more win in us.”

Brady -- who is quarterbacking the Patriots to his fifth Super Bowl in 11 seasons -- said, “We’re going down there for one reason. We’re going to give it our best. Hopefully we have a lot more people at our party next weekend.”

The Patriots arrived in Indianapolis Sunday. Their opponents, the New York Giants, are scheduled to arrive Monday.

(source Boston Globe)

Countdown to Super Bowl XLVI - Indy is ready - Ingles

2012-01-30T11:09:00.002-03:00

Journalists are trained skeptics who often are criticized for being, well, too critical.

It goes against our nature to look at the glass half full, to see the beauty without noting the blemishes, to appreciate the roses without warning about the thorns.

So in sizing up a city that's about to have the eyes of the world turned upon it, that is about to put decades of its civic credibility on the line, that is about to be tested in ways it's never been tested before, the temptation is to reserve judgment -- to hedge your bets on whether we can actually pull it off.

But after spending the past few months kicking the tires of this city, after listening to the humility and attention to detail of the key people leading the charge, after watching a Downtown that was already a source of pride blossom into a place with a surprise around every corner, there seems to be no other conclusion.

Indianapolis is ready to host this Super Bowl.

How does one know?

With what is quite possibly the most important week in the city's history just beginning, maybe we can't know. At least, not for certain. But in the smallest details, there are encouraging signs.

Consider that on Wednesday, I tweeted that the V on the giant XLVI display on Monument Circle looked like it had been beaten up, that it had fallen off the truck somewhere along the way. Within 24 hours, the V had been given a makeover. The blemishes were gone. All that was left was the cool. Connection to my tweet? That might be a tad presumptuous. But somebody noticed the issue. And somebody took care of it.

Consider, too, that about a block away in a studio office three floors above South Meridian Street, there's a bank of computers -- about 20 in all -- staffed by a geek squad whose sole purpose will be to monitor Super Bowl-related social media. If trends erupt on Twitter or Facebook that there are traffic tie-ups, ticket problems or whatever, these folks will sound the alarms. The idea is to put out the small fires before they get out of control.

Then there are the more visible signs -- the things that have been transformed around town in the past couple of years in anticipation of this event.

It's hard from this vantage point to remember that a short time ago we had a much smaller Indiana Convention Center that couldn't have handled what's before us now. But there it is, hosting an NFL Experience that already has broken the record for presold tickets.

And remember the western skyline before the JW Marriott carved out its big blue niche along West Street? That wasn't so long ago. But now the city has a slick bookend to its Downtown, a new 1,000-room hotel and a jazzy place to paste a 30-story image of the Lombardi Trophy.

Remember how Georgia Street looked a year ago?

It was a wide river of concrete with beaten-up parking meters that was about as inviting to pedestrians as a strip-mall parking lot. Yes, the lengthy makeover hurt businesses there. But now the place is a real destination and a focal point for this week's events. How special is it? Cascading snowflakes of light and color will be dancing on the sides of the buildings that line the street, giving the place a magic that it never had when it was more dismal than Disney.

There are other things, too, less sparkly, but things that are important to visitors.

Wider, more pedestrian-friendly sidewalks. An expansion of the network of indoor walkways between hotels. Signs to guide drivers around town. And handy tools -- an iPhone app with a 3-D interactive map, easy-to-fold 2-D paper maps -- to help visitors find their way.

It's that kind of preparation that has the city's leaders already walking with a swagger and a pride that we're not always comfortable putting on display.

"I think we're going to put on the kind of show that will show the world that this is a great place to have the Super Bowl," said Al Kite, owner of the Conrad Indianapolis and someone who knows a thing or two about hospitality.

That sort of confidence permeates the city right now.

"I expect us to absolutely nail this thing," Mayor Greg Ballard said last week.

We have confidence where it matters most -- such as with Super Bowl Host Committee President Allison Melangton. It's a confidence seasoned with a humility recognizing that the unforeseen could bite us, a recognition that there's still much work to do.

At the beginning of last week, Melangton confessed to having a to-do list that was still 105 items long. By Friday, it was down to 52. She said she and her staff are putting in 20-hour days. And she was sober enough in judgment to acknowledge that stuff happens, and it's possible that some pages in the playbook could be stronger.

What's our weakest link? Our most important stress point?

Probably transportation.

The huge question to be answered is whether our chief asset -- a compact Downtown -- will be so overwhelmed and so strangled that we're left with gridlock. Will the city's calculation hold true that our eminently walkable Downtown, fleets of corporate shuttles and a mere 700 taxicabs will be enough to get 150,000 visitors everywhere they want to go?

"I think it is impossible for us to predict if it is going to be adequate or not," Melangton said. "What I do know is that we have spent a lot of time in extensively training cabdrivers in sharing Super Bowl information. So with the cabs that we do have, I think they are going to be prepared and ready."

And what about the weather?

Right now, long-range forecasts for next weekend are looking about as good as we could hope -- above-average temperatures, below-average precipitation, according to the National Weather Service in Indianapolis. But you never know.

What if, in this quirky La Niña winter, we get hit with an ice storm that coats the city in a frozen glaze?

Our labyrinth of indoor walkways will help. But people staying in hotels along I-465, or in the doughnut counties, will still have to find a way into town. It will present a great challenge. But unlike Dallas, which hosted the Super Bowl in an ice storm last year, we know what a salt truck is. And the host committee seems to have accounted for every other kind of weather this side of locusts.

"When we have a problem, we tackle it," Melangton said.

"No one is freaking out about anything. I just don't think that's going to happen with the temperaments we have around here."

That sense of embracing who we are -- a cold-weather city in the Midwest -- is an important choice, according to sportscaster Dan Patrick, who has covered Super Bowls for 30 years and will present the Super Bowl trophy to the winners during NBC's broadcast next week.

Dallas wasn't prepared for what came its way last year, he said. Minneapolis, which hosted the game in 1992, was ready. And Patrick, a native of Ohio, considers Minneapolis one of his favorite host cities. "They didn't make any apologies that it was a cold-weather city and there was snow," he said. "But I thought it was really well done, that they prepared for everything."

Patrick said he thinks Indianapolis, with its Midwestern friendliness, will do well. But he warns that the city's success in hosting Final Fours isn't a guarantee of Super Bowl success. "I think you have to understand the magnitude of it and just be yourself," he said. "That's for sure."

The stakes, of course, are enormous.

Fall on your face like Dallas, and you're fodder for late-night comedic ridicule. But even Dallas, with its place in football lore and its behemoth sports palace, is likely to see another Super Bowl someday. Same goes for obvious tourist destinations such as Miami and New Orleans. Fail in Indianapolis and, even Melangton agrees, you may never get a second chance. It's hard to say, too, how it might hurt the city's reputation.

Succeed and the possibilities are endless.

Some, like Patrick, say a Super Bowl may not come back to Indianapolis anyway -- that this game is just our reward for building a new stadium. But others, such as the Conrad's Kite, suggest that a strong showing this week could land Indianapolis another game relatively soon.

More realistically, Ballard says a successful Super Bowl week could mean more convention business, more corporations willing to consider expansions here, even more families willing to relocate here.

In other words, there's a lot riding on this.

Ballard and others like to cite the city's experience in hosting the Indianapolis 500 -- an event with even more in-the-flesh spectators than the Super Bowl -- as evidence of our readiness for this big moment. But an event that's been held in the same location for 100 years -- with many fans driving the same route, using the same parking and the same seats for decades -- somehow seems an inadequate comparison.

Certainly, there's no comparing the media scrutiny Indianapolis will face this week. It will be far, far bigger than the 500, bigger than all the Final Fours.

"It is the biggest challenge we've ever had and the biggest opportunity we've ever had," said P.E. MacAllister, a businessman and civic leader who was among the city fathers who laid the groundwork for this game in the 1960s, '70s and '80s.

MacAllister says one of the secrets to the city's success now is what it has been for decades: an army of volunteers, people who care enough about their city to come out of the woodwork and give their time and energy to successfully pulling off a big event. There are more than 8,000 involved in the Super Bowl XLVI production.

Those masses, along with city leaders who had the vision to nurture our Downtown into the jewel it is presently, are the reason Indianapolis landed a Super Bowl -- and did so even before cities such as New York, Boston, Philadelphia or Chicago.

"We work together," MacAllister said. "I think people are going to see that when they come here and appreciate the fact that it is just a little different community. It's a relatively small town to be hosting something like this."

So when will we know if we pulled it off?

We'll get an early sense of our fate in the next couple of days, based on what's said about Indianapolis from Radio Row, and what's written and aired in the national media.

For some, the final verdict will be delivered by NBC announcer Al Michaels, or perhaps studio host Bob Costas, when they utter the words every Super Bowl town yearns to hear -- what a great host city this has been.

For Melangton, president of the host committee, the job won't be done then. She will wait another 24 hours before she celebrates -- after the last visitor has boarded a flight out of town. And, hopefully, thinking happy thoughts about a Super week in Indianapolis.

(source Indianapolis Star)

Countdown to Super Bowl XLVI - Scotty's Brewhouse hopes its hard work pays off - Ingles

2012-01-30T11:07:00.002-03:00

This is how Scotty's Brewhouse Downtown donned its game face for Super Bowl week:

Stocked up on $10,000 worth of extra dishes, utensils and other tableware, plus three new microwave ovens.

Doubled server ranks to 56 and kitchen staff to 45.

Hired five to 15 security staffers per shift. They're armed with hand-held clickers to count customers coming and going, to prevent overcrowding.

Leased 75 parking spots for staff in a lot a mile north of the restaurant at 1 Virginia Ave. Cost: another 10 grand, which includes a van to shuttle staff from 96th Street on Sunday, when the lot won't be used because the game-day price doubles to $100 a spot.

Pitched a leased, German-made structural tent on the plaza outside its front door, expanding customer capacity by 60 percent. One hitch: The tent hides the lighted Scotty's Brewhouse lettering on its building, and the city won't allow a temporary Scotty's sign on the tent.

And finally settled the question of whether to serve Coke or Pepsi.

Late one day last week, owner and founder Scott Wise tracked Super Bowl preparations from a laptop in his Northeastside office. Things were hectic.

Wise's normal slightly unshaven look had grown to a several-day stubble. His unread emails stood at 671 and counting. Staffers popped into his office with questions, and he kept muttering and typing himself reminder notes.

On his desk lay a promotional flyer for Scotty's catering business that will be inserted in all Scotty's menus this week.

For Wise, who's always thinking ahead, the flyer is part of a Super Bowl strategy that goes beyond a one-week grab for extra profits.

Wise and his partners see the game as a chance to promote their eight-restaurant chain to the elite crowd of business executives, journalists, big-name current and ex-athletes, and others who'll stop in at Scotty's for a beer or burger.

"There could be people here who'll approach me and say, 'What's it going to take to get one of your restaurants in my city?' "

To that end, Wise summoned the 150 servers, cooks, bartenders and others who'll be working at the Downtown Scotty's during Super Bowl week to a two-hour pep rally last weekend at a Downtown hotel. He plied them with doughnuts from Concannon's Pastry Shop (his favorite doughnut place in Muncie, where he went to college and opened his first restaurant) and revved them up with the story of the restaurant's founding and what's at stake during the biggest week in the chain's 15-year history.

His presence also reminded them, in case they didn't realize, that there is a Scotty who runs Scotty's.

"Our team got a lot out of it. It infused these kids with so much information they are not going to be surprised when it hits," said Dave Hornak, manager of the Downtown Scotty's.

As his boss plotted over-arching strategies from his office one day last week, Hornak met with his staff in a private dining room of the Downtown restaurant to review the nitty-gritty side of their Super Bowl plans. They include tweeting and writing Facebook posts about Scotty's and creating an hourly schedule of all 878 shifts that servers, bartenders and other front-of-the-house staff will fill this week.

Hornak, an ex-microbrewery manager, walked outside the room after the meeting broke up and confided he has one fear for the week: rain. "Rain's going to be the worst thing that could happen to us. It would keep people from walking around."

His staff -- mostly in their 20s, many college students -- are definitely jazzed about the big game and the 150,000 visitors who've already started trickling into town.

"You might get some famous people in here. I hope Tom Brady's girlfriend comes in," said Kevin Vlink, a server who's studying math at IUPUI.

Vlink hope the week brings super tips as well. "I'm hoping to make a grand for the week," said Vlink, who normally pulls down less than half that for a week on the job.

The Super Bowl already has brought some unanticipated benefits to Scotty's in the form of a new five-year soft drink contract.

PepsiCo, a perennial Super Bowl TV advertiser whose Pepsi Max brand is the official soft drink of the NFL, this month became the official soft drink supplier to Scotty's eight restaurants -- just in time for the big game.

Leveraging its Super Bowl marketing muscle, Pepsi dangled an offer to Scotty's that was too good to refuse. Pepsi made its products available at an effective price 10 percent under what Scotty's had been paying to stock rival Coca-Cola's lineup of soft drinks, Wise said. Since its founding, Scotty's had sold Coke products exclusively.

To clinch the deal, Wise asked Pepsi for tickets to the Super Bowl for himself and his wife, his parents and his COO, Eric Schamp.

Pepsi said yes, and Wise has this to say: "I hope they don't mind that I may be having a few beers at the game. But my wife is due in May with our fourth child, so she can enjoy some ice-cold Pepsi."

(source Indianapolis Star)

Countdown to Super Bowl XLVI - Indy have fun - Ingles

2012-01-30T11:06:00.002-03:00

Let's just enjoy it.

For one week, let's accept the craziness and embrace the spectacle. Let's soak in the wild scene and the jolt of energy and glitz that will envelop Indianapolis as our midmarket town becomes the epicenter of sports and pop culture, and as we briefly become a city that never sleeps.

Yes, traffic may become a headache to rival the worst migraine, and intense security could make life Downtown a challenge. Getting a dinner reservation will be as hard as deciphering one of Jim Irsay's tweets.

And, yes, we in the local news media will be in a frantic Super Bowl overdrive as New Yorkers and Bostonians, and likely a few Kardashians and even more Jersey Shorians, overrun the Circle City.

The next seven days around here truly will be all Super Bowl, all the time.

Then it will be over, leaving us with memories of Ice Cube strolling through Broad Ripple or Madonna rushing into a club Downtown. And while another Super Bowl in Indy is possible, getting a second big game would appear to be even more unlikely than us getting this one.

You know the drill: These games by nature are meant to be played in Miami and New Orleans, near oceans and famed party zones, not in the chilly air of bundled-up Indianapolis.

So relax and enjoy the game while it's here -- even during those temporary moments of inconvenience.

I make this plea after hearing complaints from those who spout things such as: "I'm sick of hearing about the Super Bowl." "Why can't the city get this excited about fixing schools?" "Why don't we focus this much on how the city looks all the time?" "Locals can't afford to go, anyway." "I hate Bill Belichick."

I understand the complaints. (I really understand that last one.) But there's something to be said for sitting back and enjoying life for a while. If nothing else, this week's festivities will give us the type of midwinter distraction that every other city in the country would love to have. It also might help take our minds off the political madness over at the Statehouse.

One of the things I love most about Indianapolis is that it is large enough to attract big events but small enough to have its vibe completely altered even by midsized events. I love the unique feel of Downtown, for instance, when the Gen Con gamers take over the city or when 2,500 firefighters descend upon it. Relatively small union protests or tea party rallies can transform the Mile Square into a political hotbed. Final Fours, Big Ten tournaments and, of course, the Indy 500 turn the city into sports central.

But we've never seen anything like this.

Not to go all TMZ on you, but celebrities who would be the stars of the show at the Indy 500 wouldn't get past the bouncers at some of this week's big parties. Then, of course, there will be the unique sights: Downtown zip lines, the spectacular Super Bowl Village and probably the best people-watching opportunities this city has ever seen.

Some of the more curmudgeonly Hoosiers among us are intent on noting that all of the city's problems will remain after Jimmy Fallon and Alec Baldwin leave. Yep, they will. Just as they would have without a Super Bowl. Expecting more is expecting too much.

I've been a critic of outsized public spending on professional sports stadiums and what it says about our priorities. And I'd trade this Super Bowl for a city full of super schools without blinking.

But it's not as simple as either/or. There's no doubt about the benefits that sports bring to this city, and the benefits of this particular game are obvious. The Eastside legacy project and the economic boost for local businesses are but two examples. Perhaps most important is the reminder that it sends to the city about the benefits of thinking big. This city has become what it is -- and it's something to be proud of -- after decades of thinking bigger than our weight class.

As I wrote this column at a Starbucks in Butler-Tarkington, a woman sitting next to me spoke to a friend about the excitement about to hit the city. She spoke of plans to go to the NFL Experience and said her grandson was looking forward to taking part in the festivities.

The woman, Patti Ryg, lives near Atlanta but was in town to visit her family. She and her husband have fallen for the city and plan to move here within a few years. She likes the city's ability to think big.

"It's so fun to be here right now with everything that is going on Downtown," she said. "If the vision they have put out there for the Super Bowl (week) is what really transpires, and I think it will, it's just going to be amazing."

The spectacle that's about to take over Indianapolis won't solve our problems and, yes, there will be headaches in the coming days. But this will be a week unlike any the city has ever seen. Do yourself a favor. Enjoy it.

(source Indianapolis Star)

Countdown to Super Bowl XLVI - Soon-to-be ex-Hampton to leave Bud Light on for you - Ingles

2012-01-30T11:03:00.002-03:00

Meridian Street's Hampton Inn was bustling Saturday.

Located in the thick of pre-Super Bowl activity at 105 S. Meridian St., guests were in and out, checking out the sights.

But the 180-room, nine-floor hotel will get busier this week when it's rebranded the Bud Light Hotel, becoming the host site for four major Super Bowl XLVI events.

A Playboy Party -- featuring 16 Playmates and a carnival theme -- is scheduled there on Friday. A concert featuring rappers 50 Cent, Lil' Jon and Pitbull is set for Saturday, and the rock band Barenaked Ladies will perform for a tailgate party on Super Bowl Sunday. Thursday, the hotel will be the site of the EA Sports Madden Bowl XVIII.

"It really is a unique experience," said Mike Sundet, senior director of Bud Light marketing. "The hotel is all themed out."

No kidding.

When the Hampton Inn opens as the Bud Light Hotel on Wednesday, its nine floors will be filled with Bud Light blue. Its roughly 360 guests -- most of whom earned their rooms through contests run by the brand -- will use Bud Light everything, from pillows, towels and shampoo to key cards. There will be lots of cold beer, too, and Bud Light mints to freshen guests' breath.

The hotel will even have its own reporter, who will update its Facebook page with party photos and news.

"It's a very unique way of approaching Super Bowl . . . and marketing around Super Bowl," Sundet said. "We're excited to do it."

The brand's concept was created for the 2010 Miami Super Bowl, when the New Orleans Saints defeated the Indianapolis Colts.

But this is the first year that the brand -- which has been the official beer sponsor of the NFL since spring 2011 -- has been an official partner with the league, allowing the hotel to be in the thick of Indy Super Bowl activity.

"In Miami (2010) and Dallas (2011), we couldn't hold the hotel within the confines of NFL activities," Sundet said. "In Indy, we are going to be right across from the stadium."

Currently, a couple of white tents surround the Hampton Inn's Meridian Street property. But, starting Tuesday night, the rebranding to the Bud Light Hotel will be in full swing, and guests will begin showing up Wednesday, according to Sundet.
It amounts to quite a lot

The change involves approximately 3,000 man-hours and affixing the Bud Light brand to:

225 pillows.

1,250 bottles of shampoo.

500 towels.

26,400 square feet of tent space for events, with an upper mezzanine level of 5,635 square feet.

(source Indianapolis Star)

The Minnesota Vikings may be true to your school - INGLES

2012-01-30T11:01:00.001-03:00

The NFL team had decided it was time for a new stadium to replace its outmoded downtown domed arena, and agreed to a public-private deal to build on the dome's footprint. In the meantime, it proposed to play at the stadium of the large university nearby. The school agreed, and a deal was struck.

A future scenario for the Vikings and the University of Minnesota? Maybe. But it actually happened to the Seattle Seahawks and the University of Washington in 1999, when the Pac-10 school let the Seahawks move to Husky Stadium for two seasons in a deal that both sides said worked out well.

With the Metrodome site picking up momentum as the potential location for their next home, Vikings officials are figuring out how and where the team could play during the two to three years it will take to build a new stadium.

One idea is to build next door to the Dome, which would allow the Vikings to play there until the new stadium was ready. The team says Star Tribune property adjoining the Dome is too narrow to build on, but it hasn't ruled out an area southeast of the Dome that contains an office building and Xcel Energy substation.

For now, team officials assume they would build where the Dome stands. Which is why they and U officials are talking about how to turn cozy, collegiate TCF Bank Stadium into an NFL arena.

The Vikings estimate that moving to the U for three seasons will cost $48 million. The biggest problem is that TCF has 14,000 fewer seats than the Dome, which would squeeze out thousands of season-ticket holders. The university stadium would need to be winterized for the frigid months when the Gophers don't play but the Vikings do.

Even worse, the university prohibits beer sales there.

Asked whether the NFL was reluctant to have the team play at TCF, Vikings vice president of stadium development Lester Bagley said: "It's not ideal for anyone, including the NFL, fans, the Vikings, visiting teams, the university."

NFL spokesman Greg Aiello said Friday that reports that the league wasn't eager to have the Vikings play at the U didn't come from his office, but he declined to comment further. Three-fourths of NFL team owners would have to approve the temporary move.

Seating could be issue

Challenges aside, the U and the team believe they can reach an agreement. They worked together on short notice in December 2010 to move the Vikings to campus for a game against the Chicago Bears after a blizzard ripped open the Dome's fiberglass roof.

Since 1995, five NFL teams have played a season or two at college stadiums while their home facilities were being built or remodeled.

TCF Bank's seating capacity could be a sticking point. The college stadiums where Seattle and Chicago played seated about as many or more than their own stadiums.

Mark Rotenberg, the University of Minnesota's top lawyer and lead negotiator in talks with the Vikings, said the U is willing to consider temporary seating but opposes permanent seating expansion. "We love the stadium, and we want to keep it the same size," he said.

Rotenberg said the U would probably install the heating coils the Vikings want below the playing field, and he said it likely would accommodate the team's desire to sell alcohol during games, an opinion echoed Friday by U President Eric Kaler.

Bagley cautioned that the stadium site question isn't settled and reiterated that the team's choice is Arden Hills. But if financing and political pressures lead to the Dome site, he said, the Vikings need to be ready to take up temporary quarters at TCF. "We knew it was always a possibility we would have to do this again for more than one game," he said.

Perhaps the best parallel to what could become the Vikings' future is the Seahawks' past. The team played the 2000 and 2001 seasons at Husky Stadium while a $430 million stadium was going up where the Kingdome stood 4 miles away in downtown Seattle.

The Seahawks and da Bears

Microsoft billionaire Paul Allen bought the Seahawks in the late 1990s with the expectation of getting a new stadium. After Washington voters narrowly approved public funding, the team began wooing the University of Washington as a temporary home. The Seahawks immediately pledged to keep Husky Stadium dry, avoid playing on the same weekends as UW and meet with university neighbors to discuss traffic concerns.

In May 1999, the Seahawks agreed to a deal that included an $800,000 transportation plan with shuttles and trash cleanup, no weekday and night games, and a community planner for local issues.

The Seahawks paid the university $6.1 million for 20 games over two seasons. The team covered game-day expenses and controlled campus parking spaces, while the school took care of the field. The team also spent $1.1 million to cover the university's field and practice area with FieldTurf.

By then, UW officials were grinning ear to ear. "We genuinely enjoy these people," then-Athletic Director Barbara Hedges told a Seattle columnist.

For the 2002 season, the Bears agreed to pay the University of Illinois 10 percent of gross ticket revenues as rent, and split the concessions 50-50. Legislators at first refused to allow beer to be sold during Bears games, but then approved a subsequent bill allowing beer on Cook County golf courses as well as in the Champaign stadium.

Neither the Seahawks nor the Bears said how much revenue they lost in the seasons they spent away from home.

Two seasons - or three?

The Vikings say that three seasons at TCF will cost the team $36.9 million in operating losses and $11 million to refurbish the U stadium to NFL standards. The Vikings paid $1.7 million to the U to play there against the Bears in December 2010.

Bagley said that stadium construction might require only two seasons, but that the team wants to plan for the worse-case scenario. If a deal is reached soon, he said, preliminary structural work could begin this fall at the Dome to allow the Vikings to continue to play there.

How long it takes "depends on when the bill is passed and how quickly we could get an architectural team going," said Ted Mondale, chairman of the Metropolitan Sports Facilities Commission.

Mondale said they're seeing whether a stadium might work southeast of the Dome on property occupied by the 511 Building, a former Control Data center that houses telecommunications firms, and Xcel's Elliot Park substation.

Bagley said the Vikings were told that the substation can't be relocated and that the 511 Building carried long-term leases. "That would be the ideal situation, but we've not yet seen a viable plan that would accomplish that," he said.

(source Minneapolis Star Tribune)

Colts moved on from Peyton Manning weeks ago - Ingles

2012-01-30T10:58:00.001-03:00

Peyton Manning's public frustration over recent Colts personnel moves produced a rebuke from team owner Jim Irsay this week.

Then the two issued a joint statement, an effort to quash the perception that there is beef between a QB recovering from season-erasing neck surgeries and an owner searching for answers after a 2-14 season.

But NFL Network's Jason La Canfora says the decision to move on from the Manning era was a done deal.

"According to sources who were involved in the Colts' GM search, the organization was planning to move on from Manning weeks ago, well before this public squabble between the quarterback and his owner," La Canfora said Friday on NFL Total Access.

The waters in Indy are muddied by the $28 million roster bonus Manning is owed, but La Canfora says the team will most likely make a move before the scouting combine, a prelude to Indy's expected selection of Andrew Luck with the NFL draft's top pick.

This article was written by Robert Klemko and appeared in USA Today.

Super Bowl future uncertain for South Florida; so is Broward's role - Ingles

2012-01-30T10:56:00.002-03:00

Broward County was a focal point for the most recent Super Bowl in South Florida, in 2010. It could be a fringe player in the next bid to bring it back.

The Dolphins will join with the South Florida Super Bowl Host Committee in the 50th anniversary championship game in 2016. Mike Dee, CEO of the Dolphins and Sun Life Stadium, said this week that it has yet to be determined if the bid will be a regional effort, as in 2010, or a Miami-Dade initiative.

“That doesn’t mean Broward and Palm Beach counties don’t benefit from people who are coming here for the game. But in terms of NFL-sanctioned events and functions and where teams stay and where the epicenter of the event is, should that be Miami-Dade or should it be as it was in 2010. We’ve got to figure that out,” Dee said.

Though economic impact estimates of hosting the Super Bowl is hotly debated, it was documented that the 2010 game generated more direct spending in Broward than in Miami-Dade and Palm Beach counties combined.

It was the first of the 10 Super Bowls in South Florida that Broward was host for the NFL headquarters and Super Bowl media center. One of the team hotels was in a Fort Lauderdale, as were several media hotels.

Despite South Florida hosting more Super Bowls than any other region (New Orleans will host its 10th in 2013), there is much uncertainty about when the game will return. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell has made it clear that improvements are needed to ensure Sun Life Stadium remains a viable site.

Last year the Dolphins sought hotel tax revenue from Broward and Miami-Dade via state legislation to help fund about $200 million in stadium renovations. Broward County Commissioners, who would have had to grant approval, expressed vehement opposition, using terms like “vile” and “shameful.” The measure failed.

The 2016 game also coincides with the Dolphins’ 50th anniversary, which gives the Dolphins extra motivation for hosting it.

“This is not your ordinary Super Bowl. It’s going to be a commemorative edition with a lot of special events and nostalgia,” Dee said. “We have a reputation. We have the history and tradition and know-how to put on big-time events. What we have to make sure is we don’t have a facility that falls below the minimum standard that is required to continue to host them.”

The Dolphins are revising their master plan of needs for upgrading the stadium, not only to keep it in the rotation for Super Bowls and BCS Championship games but to meet the needs of the Dolphins for the next generation. They are not currently seeking public money for renovations, but it will come.

Dee said that the team is at the debt limit allowed by the NFL due to stadium improvements in 2007.

“Super Bowls are awarded to communities, not to teams or franchises,” Dee said. “We’ll make the decision as a community as to whether or not we believe that Super Bowls and BCS Championships are important.

“If the community decides it’s important, we would love to partner with the community to make sure we have a best-in-class facility that enables us to compete over the long haul to get those events. If the community decides it’s not important, we’ll do our best with what we have to continue to get them.”

(source South Florida Sun Sentinel)

Dolphins no to ticket price hike - Ingles

2012-01-30T10:55:00.002-03:00

Dolphins president Mike Dee said Friday the team will not increase any ticket prices and might lower some. Dee declined to detail what seats will be cheaper but said plans would be announced soon.

The Dolphins sold just under 44,000 season tickets in 2011 – their lowest since 1984 and down from 61,000 in 2006.

“The research suggests it’s the most complex metropolitan market in the United States,” Dee said during a visit to The Miami Herald. “If you draw a 75-mile line from Pinecrest to Jupiter, it’s three different communities within one community. Miami-Dade is 67 percent Hispanic.

“A lot of those folks who have moved here in recent years, unlike prior generations, don’t have really an affinity for American football. They’re soccer first in their thinking. We’ve got to convert a lot of people.”

Conversely, Dee noted Palm Beach County is 19 percent Hispanic. “A totally different way of marketing from south and north,” he said.

“We’ve got to have a playbook for every market that we do business with – every ethnic group in this marketplace we do business with. We’ve got to attack this market differently. This is not 1972.”

One challenge, Dee said, is “the other competition has never been more fierce” – including the Marlins in their new stadium. “There’s a finite amount of entertainment dollars in the marketplace and we’re still in challenging economic times,” he said.

“We’ve got to get performance on the field heading in the right direction. I’m confident.”

The Dolphins’ 2012 home schedule -- in addition to annual visits by New England, the Jets and Buffalo -- also includes non-division games against Jacksonville, Tennessee, Oakland, St. Louis and Seattle.

In recent years, the Dolphins have marketed the team in several ways unrelated to football, including an orange carpet entrance for celebrities and opening a Club LIV. “You’re going to see us take steps around the Dolphins experience that will be more football oriented,” Dee said.

(source Miami Herald)

246 fans from Dallas seating snafu coming to Indianapolis - Ingles

2012-01-30T10:53:00.001-03:00

Of the approximately 3,200 fans whose Super Bowl XLV experience was marred by a temporary seating fiasco last year in Dallas, 246 of them took the NFL up on their offer and are heading to Indianapolis for this year's big game, NFL Vice President of Communications Brian McCarthy said Friday.

A year ago a group of unlucky fans were told at the gate that their temporary seats at Cowboys Stadium hadn't met the mandatory safety requirements. Some were delayed in gaining pre-game access to their seats, some were relocated to a different seat (some in a standing-room-only bar area). Others weren't allowed in the game at all.

To remedy the situation, the NFL offered fans that were relocated at the stadium an offer of face value for their XLV ticket or one ticket to any future Super Bowl.

For those turned away at the gate, the NFL offered them three times the face value ($2,400) of their Super Bowl XLV ticket, plus a ticket to Super Bowl XLVI in Indy; one game ticket to any future Super Bowl plus airfare and four nights in a hotel; a check for $5,000 or a check for more than $5,000 if their expenses merited it.

Capacity for this year's big game – held Feb. 5 – will be approximately 68,000, according to McCarthy. Only 254 temporary seats were added to Lucas Oil Stadium, and all have been approved by necessary safety crews.

This article was written by Zak Keefer and appeared in USA Today.

Countdown to Super Bowl XLVI - making sure you have a ticket - Ingles

2012-01-30T10:50:00.001-03:00

The troublesome temporary seats that left the NFL with a black eye at last year's Super Bowl in North Texas should be a non-issue when the game is played at Lucas Oil Stadium on Feb. 5.

That's because there will be only 254 of them.

Frank Supovitz, the league's senior vice president for events, says the decision was made in March to dramatically scale back initial plans that included several thousand temporary seats.

"One of the things we determined was that the temporary seating plan for Lucas Oil Stadium was aggressive and unproven," Supovitz said. "We determined that we should go with things that were more easy to control and things that were either installed before or considered before."

Last year's Super Bowl at Cowboys Stadium was infamous for a seating snafu that displaced 1,250 ticketholders because railings, seats and risers had not been installed. The fans either were relocated or had to watch on TV monitors, prompting some to reject the NFL's offer of various forms of compensation to instead enter into litigation that is pending.

Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones had aimed to set a record by attracting 105,000 fans. The attendance of 103,219 fell 766 short of the mark set when the championship game was played at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif., to close the 1980 season.

Lucas Oil Stadium, with a regular capacity of about 63,000, was supposed to seat 70,000 for the Super Bowl.

But the league says it will be closer to 68,000, with most of the additional tickets being standing-room only.

"It wasn't a question of revenue vs. safety," Supovitz said. "It was a question of, 'What is the best fan experience?' "

Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay could not help but be mindful of last year's Texas-sized problem as he planned for the smaller venue.

But he said of the seating configuration that was ultimately approved by the league, "Dallas didn't really affect us as much as our wanting to get it right.

"We weren't just trying to shoot for a bigger number, so to speak.

"We wanted to be sure that with any of the temporary seating that we had a comfort level. They would be there installed, they would be good seats, that sort of thing."

(source USA Today)

Countdown to Super Bowl XLVI – a look back - Ingles

2012-01-30T10:46:00.002-03:00

The first Super Bowl held in January 1967 at the Los Angeles Coliseum didn’t sell out. Tickets for the game were priced at $5 and $10 each. Super Bowl XLVI is set for Indianapolis’ Lucas Oil Field Sunday. The face value for tickets -- $1,000. Most of the 75,000 who will consider themselves blessed to be at the game will be paying more than $2,000 for the “privilege” of seeing the New England Patriots meet the New York Giants. More than 100 million people will watch the game on NBC, making it the most watched television program of the year. The evolution of the Super Bowl, like the NFL, what billion dollar dreams are made of.

Born in 1960 the American Football League proved to be much more of a competitive league than National Football League owners imagined forcing a merger, at the start of the 1970 season. The two leagues agreed to hold a championship game between the two leagues after the 1966, 1967 and 1968 seasons. The Green Bay Packers won Super Bowl I and II.

On his flight from Los Angeles to New York City the day after Super Bowl I, the late NFL commissioner Pete Rozelle turned to his cohorts, suggested in no uncertain terms Super Bowl I would be the last Super Bowl that would not be sold out.

Super Bowl II and III were held at Miami’s Orange Bowl (which hosted five Super Bowl games). Working closely with the automotive industry the NFL created a series of sweepstakes opportunities. The sales driven incentives offered local dealerships a chance to “win a week in Miami”, get a little golfing in and see a football game. Those sweepstakes opportunities became the hallmark of the Super Bowl’s success. The NFL offered Super Bowl ticket packages to their sponsors, including those packages in the NFL advertising packages companies purchased from the NFL.

Vince Lombardi and the Green Bay Packers dominated Super Bowl I and II. With the NFL, AFL merger still off in the distance the Baltimore Colts were a 21 point favorite over New York Jets at Super Bowl III. Jets quarterback Joe Namath guaranteed the Jets would win the game, and backed up that guarantee leading the Jets to a stunning 16-7 win over the Colts. The first famous Super Bowl commercial was for Noxzema; Namath was a part of their 1973 Super Bowl commercial.

A year later in the final NFL-AFL Championship game the AFL's Kansas City Chiefs defeated the NFL's Minnesota Vikings 23–7 in Super Bowl IV in New Orleans.

The NFL realigned into two conferences after Super Bowl IV; the former AFL teams plus three NFL teams (the Colts, Pittsburgh Steelers, and Cleveland Browns) became the American Football Conference (AFC), while the remaining NFL clubs formed the National Football Conference (NFC). The champions of the two conferences would play each other in the Super Bowl.

Lamar Hunt, owner of the AFL's Kansas City Chiefs, first used the term "Super Bowl" to refer to this game in the merger meetings. Hunt would later say the name was likely in his head because his children had been playing with a Super Ball toy (a vintage example of the ball is on display at the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio). In a July 25, 1966, letter to NFL commissioner Pete Rozelle, Hunt wrote, "I have kiddingly called it the 'Super Bowl,' which obviously can be improved upon." Although the leagues' owners decided on the name "AFL-NFL Championship Game," the media immediately picked up on Hunt's "Super Bowl" name, which would become official beginning with the third annual game.

NBC has sold 58 30 second spots for Sunday’s game at a cost of $3.5 million per spot, $100,000 per second, or $203 million in advertising revenue from the game.

A 30 second spot at Super Bowl I cost $37,500. At Super Bowl X a 30 second spot cost $110,000. Super Bowl XX $525,000. Finally at Super Bowl XXX a 30 second spot surpassed $1 million, $1.15 million for a 30 second spot at the 1995 game. The 1999 Super Bowl saw 30 spots selling for $1.6 million. A year later at the 2000 game the average spot sold for $1.1 million. A year later the infamous .com Super Bowl saw the average 30 second spot sell for $2.1 million. 19 .com’s (most spending their entire advertising budgets on the Super Bowl) promoted their businesses on the Super Bowl broadcast, many going bankrupt as a result.

Close to 100 million people watch the Super Bowl, making the Super Bowl annually the most watched television program. The Super Bowl is the one event that families gather together to watch.

2006-9 Data is Live+Same Day, all other years are Live viewing.

The Super Bowl has evolved from a football game (a championship game) to an unofficial American holiday. The Super Bowl is much more than a football game – it’s an American institution and its very big business.

Giants have chance to join New York's most beloved teams - Ingles

2012-01-30T10:34:00.003-03:00

New York is a tough town that demands tough teams. Teams that get knocked down, get back up, and stand tall as a tower again. But we’re romantics, too. We can fall head over heels for the long shot that came out of nowhere against all odds. Teams that believed, when no one else believed in them. They can capture our imaginations and steal our hearts too.

My message for these Giants is this: Win this last game. Beat Tom Brady and Bill Belichick in Super Bowl XLVI and leave one of those forever footprints on the soul of this city.

Because there is no better place to win than New York.

And no worse place to lose. No one remembers the loser. Ask the Super Bowl XXXV Giants about that.

UPDATES FROM OUR GIANTS BLOG

COMPLETE GIANTS COVERAGE

VIDEO: GIANTS ARE SUPER BOWL BOUND

This is the game that gets you a parade up the Canyon of Heroes. This is the game that gets you that precious Super Bowl ring. This is the game that changes lives.

Your chance to make history. Don’t blow it. Seize the moment. Let New York embrace you as only New York can, and has. Of the 55 New York teams that have won championships, some stand above the rest:

1955 BROOKLYN DODGERS

Johnny Podres shuts out Yankees in Game 7, and it’s no more “wait till next” year for Dem Bums.

1968 JETS

Broadway Joe Namath guaranteed the monumental upset that changed his life, and the course of pro football. The AFL joined the NFL establishment. Men immediately began growing Fu Manchus, or rushed out to purchase fur coats and were no longer afraid to wear white shoes, even in the dead of winter. If you were a Jets fan on Jan. 12, 1969, you don’t have to be reminded that you still are waiting for your second championship.

1969-70 KNICKS

The Team of Teams, offering a clinic on the right way to play the game. Share the ball. Hit the open man. An inspirational Willis Reed hobbling onto the court and the Garden rising as one and Goliath Wilt Chamberlain sagging. Clyde Frazier seizing the inspiration and dominating Game 7.

1969 METS

Cubs fans, and Ron Santo, were certain this was going to be the year. The Amazin’s had other ideas. Only seven years after Casey Stengel kept asking, “Can’t anyone here play this game?” the Mets became lovable for something other than the misadventures of Marvelous Marv Throneberry. The Franchise, Tom Seaver ... Tommie Agee’s Game 3 World Series catches against the Orioles ... Ron Swoboda’s Game 4 catch ... Cleon Jones catching Davey Johnson’s flyball in left field and kneeling with the championship in his glove.

1977 YANKEES

The Bronx Zoo ... Reggie Jackson vs. Thurman Munson ... Billy Martin vs. Reggie Jackson ... George Steinbrenner, aka The Boss, opened his checkbook and hired — and fired and hired and fired — Martin as his manager, and The Bronx was rewarded with its first championship in 15 years, when Mr. October bashed three home runs on three successive pitches in Game 6 of the Series against the Dodgers, and another the following season, when The Bronx was burning with both excellence and turmoil.

1980-83 ISLANDERS

Dynasty.

1986 METS

You had to hide the women and children when this wild bunch came to town. They were our Bad Boys, reeking of arrogance and alcohol and in more than a few celebrated cases, cocaine. They didn’t try to beat opponents, they tried to humiliate them. Dwight Gooden’s fastball. Darryl Strawberry’s longball. Mookie Wilson’s groundball, gets by Buckner, gets by Buckner!

1986 GIANTS

Joe Montana’s worst nightmare. Joe Gibbs’ worst nightmare. Force of nature Lawrence Taylor ... Bill Parcells ... Harry Carson ... Mark Bavaro ... Phil Simms in Pasadena.

1990 GIANTS

Montana’s second-worst nightmare. Matt Bahr in the NFC Championship game at Candlestick. Jeff Hostetler and Ottis Anderson in Tampa. Scott Norwood, wide right.

1993-94 RANGERS

“Matteau, Matteau, Matteau!” ... Mark Messier’s guarantee. Messier giddy as he hoists the Stanley Cup at a euphoric Garden. ... No more taunting choruses of “1940, 1940 ...”

1996 YANKEES

Joe Torre and Derek Jeter end the 18-year championship drought. Remember Charlie Hayes catching that foul pop and jumping for joy?

1998 YANKEES

A 125-win machine. One of the all-time great teams.

2007 GIANTS

The Road Warriors ... who conquered the hated Cowboys ... leapt past Brett Favre and the Packers at Lambeau ... and crowned their Cinderella run by spoiling the Patriots’ perfect season with the greatest Super Bowl upset since Namath’s Jets.

2011 GIANTS

It’s Eli Manning, no longer The Other Manning, greatest quarterback in Giants history. It’s Tom Coughlin making Wellington Mara shed tears of joy up in Big Blue heaven for the second time in four years. It’s Victor Cruz, coming out of Paterson, N.J., coming out of nowhere, really, to teach us the salsa. It’s Osi Umenyiora, coming out of the summer of his discontent, flying around the corner again in a way that maybe only LT could back in the day. It’s Hakeem Nicks, who speaks softly and carries a big game. It’s Antrel Rolle, who doesn’t take no for an answer. It’s Jason Pierre-Paul, whose arms are not too short to box with God, or to torment offensive tackles, or to ring quarterbacks’ necks. It’s Justin Tuck remembering how to be Justin Tuck again.

Your time. Your turn.

This article was written by Steve Serby and appeared in the New York Post.

SUPER BOWL BYE WEEK INJURY REPORT – THURSDAY - Ingles

2012-01-27T13:19:00.002-03:00

NEW YORK GIANTS at NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS

NEW YORK GIANTS
(New York did not practice on Wednesday. The Wednesday practice report is an estimation.)

Practice Report

DID NOT PARTICIPATE IN PRACTICE

Wednesday
RB Ahmad Bradshaw (foot), WR Hakeem Nicks (shoulder), S Tyler Sash (concussion)

Thursday
C David Baas (abdomen, neck), LB Chase Blackburn (calf), CB Will Blackmon (knee), RB Ahmad Bradshaw (foot), WR Hakeem Nicks (shoulder), CB Corey Webster (hamstring), LB Jacquian Williams (foot)

LIMITED PARTICIPATION IN PRACTICE

Wednesday
DE Osi Umenyiora (ankle, knee)

Thursday
DE Osi Umenyiora (ankle, knee)

FULL PARTICIPATION IN PRACTICE

Thursday
S Tyler Sash (concussion)

NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS

Practice Report

DID NOT PARTICIPATE IN PRACTICE

Wednesday
TE Rob Gronkowski (ankle)

Thursday
TE Rob Gronkowski (ankle)

LIMITED PARTICIPATION IN PRACTICE

Wednesday
WR Deion Branch (knee), T Marcus Cannon (ankle), S Patrick Chung (knee), LB Dane Fletcher (thumb), S James Ihedigbo (shoulder), DT Kyle Love (ankle), G Logan Mankins (knee), LB Rob Ninkovich (hip), LB Brandon Spikes (knee), T Sebastian Vollmer (back, foot), WR Wes Welker (knee), LB Tracy White (abdomen)

Thursday
WR Deion Branch (knee), T Marcus Cannon (ankle), S Patrick Chung (knee), LB Dane Fletcher (thumb), S James Ihedigbo (shoulder), DT Kyle Love (ankle), G Logan Mankins (knee), LB Rob Ninkovich (hip), LB Brandon Spikes (knee), T Sebastian Vollmer (back, foot), WR Wes Welker (knee), LB Tracy White (abdomen)

FULL PARTICIPATION IN PRACTICE

Wednesday
G Dan Connolly (groin), WR Matt Slater (shoulder)

Thursday
G Dan Connolly (groin), WR Matt Slater (shoulder)

Football is America's Favorite Sport as Lead Over Baseball Continues to Grow - Ingles

2012-01-27T11:28:00.007-03:00

For two months every year, sports fans have to make a decision - watch football or baseball on Sundays? Based on the numbers of Americans who say it's their favorite sport, one would have to assume that football wins hands down. Over one-third of adults who follow at least one sport (36%) say professional football is their favorite sport while just 13% say baseball is their favorite. The gap between the two sports has widened in the past year - last year 31% said pro football was their favorite while 17% said baseball was their favorite sport.

These are some of the results of The Harris Poll of 2,237 adults surveyed online between December 5 and 12, 2011 by Harris Interactive.

Looking at how other sports fared, just over one in ten sports fans (13%) say college football is their favorite sport while 8% say it is auto racing, 5% each say men's professional basketball, men's college basketball and hockey. All other sports are favorites for 2% or less of sports fans.

There are some fluctuations in favorites over time. Since this question was first asked in 1985, professional football has gone up 12 points from 24% of sports fans saying it was their favorite sport then to 36% saying so now. Baseball, on the other hand, has gone down 10 points from 23% in 1985 to 13% today. College football, auto racing and hockey have all gone up 3 points while men's tennis has gone down 3 points

Who likes football and baseball… and who really doesn't

When it comes to the top sports, different groups are more likely to cite them as favorites. African Americans (48%), those aged 30-39 years (46%), and those with some college (42%) are more likely to say professional football is their favorite sport while those with a post-graduate education (28%), Born-again Christians (30%), and those aged 65 and older (30%) are less likely to do so. When it comes to baseball, those aged 50 - 64 (21%), Hispanics (19%), and Easterners (17%) are more likely to cite it as their favorite sport. African Americans (6%), those aged 30-39 (6%) and households with children (9%) are least likely to say baseball is their favorite. Looking at college football, those with a post-graduate degree (22%), college graduates (19%) and Midwesterners (18%) are more likely to say it's their favorite sport while Easterners (4%), those with a household income of under $35,000 (8%) and those aged 50-64 (8%) are least likely to say so.

So What?

As we got closer to the beginning of the football season there was a sense of gloom that it might not start. However, the talks succeeded and the season began on time. This scare did not seem to drive fans away from the sport, but rather, moved more people to it as the gap between football and baseball is now the largest it's ever been at 23 points. The question is why? Is it that football is doing everything right and baseball is doing something wrong? Or, is the draw of one sport just that much larger than the other. Next year, it is possible that college football could overtake baseball and what would that say about America's pastime?

TABLE 1
FAVORITE SPORT
"If you had to choose, which ONE of these sports would you say is your favorite?"
Base: All adults who follow one or more sport

Note 1: NA = Not asked in that year. Men and women's sports were not always distinguished
Note 2: Percentages may not add up to 100% due to rounding.
Note 3: "*" indicates less than 0.5%

TABLE 1 (continued)
FAVORITE SPORT
"If you had to choose, which ONE of these sports would you say is your favorite?"
Base: All adults who follow one or more sport

Note 1: NA = Not asked in that year. Men and women's sports were not always distinguished
Note 2: Percentages may not add up to 100% due to rounding.
Note 3: "*" indicates less than 0.5%

TABLE 2
DEMOGRAPHIC VARIATIONS IN FAVORITE SPORTS
" If you had to choose, which ONE of these sports would you say is your favorite?"
Base: All adults who follow more than one sport

Methodology
This Harris Poll was conducted online within the United States between December 5 to 12, 2011 among 2,237 adults (aged 18 and over), 1,466 of whom say they follow at least one sport. Figures for age, sex, race/ethnicity, education, region and household income were weighted where necessary to bring them into line with their actual proportions in the population. Propensity score weighting was also used to adjust for respondents' propensity to be online.

All sample surveys and polls, whether or not they use probability sampling, are subject to multiple sources of error which are most often not possible to quantify or estimate, including sampling error, coverage error, error associated with nonresponse, error associated with question wording and response options, and post-survey weighting and adjustments. Therefore, Harris Interactive avoids the words "margin of error" as they are misleading. All that can be calculated are different possible sampling errors with different probabilities for pure, unweighted, random samples with 100% response rates. These are only theoretical because no published polls come close to this ideal.
Respondents for this survey were selected from among those who have agreed to participate in Harris Interactive surveys. The data have been weighted to reflect the composition of the adult population. Because the sample is based on those who agreed to participate in the Harris Interactive panel, no estimates of theoretical sampling error can be calculated.

NFL buzz, as viewed on Twitter and Facebook - Ingles

2012-01-27T11:21:00.002-03:00

I was an old soul at age 7, had my first midlife crisis at 12.

As such, I distrust any "hot new thing" down to an almost molecular level. Social media? I tend to prefer antisocial media.

Sure, I regularly send Twitter notes, hoping that a democracy of public thought is mostly a good and entertaining thing, though as John Adams noted: "There never was a democracy yet that did not commit suicide."

But a new development in this frantic sphere is interesting even to a devoted cyber-agnostic like me. Using the latest tools, analysts are combing our Facebook and Twitter messages to decipher what American sports fans are buzzing about.

Much of it won't surprise you, but some of it will. And there is no telling what it portends for fans, players and the often predatory world of sports marketing.

Folks, meet the new A.C. Nielsens of buzz, data companies that are determining what's hot, what's not, who's popular, who's the goat.

For instance, one of those companies, General Sentiment, discovered that interest in the New York Giants had climbed this week, while interest in the New England Patriots waned.

General Sentiment uses something called natural language processing, fancy talk for software that rakes through huge volumes of text for names or terms. The company is not alone in this field. Firms such as Radian6 and Crimson Hexagon also monitor social media for trends.

Not only can these companies measure number of mentions, analysts such as General Sentiment's Steve Kwon can filter messages for positive and negative tone, providing a real-time snapshot of public sentiment.

Nobody is spying your personal missives — the data collectors look only at Twitter and Facebook feeds that are set to "public." Yet, using these new digital toys, General Sentiment discovered the Baltimore Ravens were the most discussed team over the past weekend, and many of the messages carried the word "hate," indicating they were often referenced in a negative light.

"Hate also described feelings for Ravens kicker Billy Cundiff, and if not towards him, the manner in which the Ravens lost," Kwon said.

In the case of Kyle Williams of the San Francisco 49ers, social media took an ominous turn. After he fumbled a punt in overtime to hand the New York Giants a victory in the NFC championship game, Williams received hate mail and even death threats over Twitter.com. Such instant, often acrimonious feedback could give head coaches and team execs fits. No doubt, the phenomenon will make Sunday sermons for what it says about our need to win. Or our need to share. Or our tendency to form colonies of like-minded fools.

It is even revealing of the sports fans' age-old inclination to argue till we're blue in the face. Like it or not, this is what passes for barroom debate these days.

There is useful and interesting information to be had as well. For example, the Detroit Lions were the most mentioned team of this NFL season, Kwon said, followed by the New Orleans Saints and Green Bay Packers.

No surprise, Tim Tebow was the most mentioned player, followed by Tom Brady and (perhaps a surprise) Cam Newton.

Just how popular was Tebow as a topic this season? From Jan. 14-16, around the time of the divisional playoffs, he received 1.5 million mentions, which was more than Brady (745,000), Eli Manning (341,000) and Drew Brees (278,000) combined.

Noting Newton's high numbers as well, General Sentiment analyst John Stillwell said: "Not only do [Tebow and Newton] represent a new era of quarterbacks, they're a new breed in quarterback in how they run and play. We think that factors in to their popularity."

As for the upcoming Super Bowl, Kwon sees support growing for New York.

"I pulled updated data for the Pats and Giants and found some interesting things," he said. "While the Giants and Pats generated similar ... volume on Sunday, the Giants' volume continued to rise on Monday while buzz about the Patriots significantly decreased. "

Kwon also scrubbed the messages for what he calls "sentiment words," and found:

• On Monday, "win" was attributed to the Giants 98,721 times while "lose" described the Giants 24,141 times.

• "Better" described the Giants 28,019 times. On Twitter, the majority of people who discussed the Giants on Monday seemed to think that the Giants were a better team than the Patriots.

• The top negative sentiment word for Patriots on Twitter was "hate."

The Patriots have been one of the more disliked teams in recent NFL history, said analysts from General Sentiment, which was founded in 2008.

L.A. fans might be interested to know that in nationwide measures of Twitter and other social media traffic, Kobe Bryant and Chris Paul are the two most mentioned players in the NBA, and the Lakers and the Clippers are the top two teams in the league.

One more thing for them to compete over. One more measure of our madness.

This article was written by Chris Erskine and appeared in the Los Angeles Times.

Concussion claims don't belong in courts - Ingles

2012-01-27T11:18:00.002-03:00

Former NFL players should not be permitted to sue for damages over concussions they suffered because player safety issues have long been governed by the league's collective bargaining agreements, an NFL attorney said Thursday.

"You don't get to come to court," league lawyer Beth Wilkinson said. "They should go through the process that's laid out in the agreement."

Wilkinson spoke following a hearing before the U.S. Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation, which is considering whether to consolidate 21 player lawsuits filed in six states before a single judge for pretrial matters. At least 300 former football players, plus an equal number of wives and other family members, are plaintiffs in the cases.

They include Hall of Famers Tony Dorsett, Lem Barney and Joe DeLamielleure and other stars such as Ottis Anderson, Mark Duper, Jim McMahon, Paul Krause and Marvin Jones. The vast majority, however, are players who toiled more obscurely in the game's trenches and often bounced from team to team. Some are suffering from degenerative brain diseases, depression and other mental ailments.

The six-judge panel made no immediate decision. Still, there was a clear consensus between player attorneys and the league to bring the cases to U.S. District Judge Anita Brody, who sits in Philadelphia where the first player lawsuits were filed.

"We can't go wrong there," said attorney Michael McGlamry of Atlanta.

The players accuse the NFL of negligence and misconduct for the way it responded to players' concussions and complaints of dizziness, headaches and related problems. The lawsuits also contend the NFL deliberately downplayed the dangers of head injuries despite knowing the risks.

The lawsuits seek unspecified damages and some want the NFL to pay for medical monitoring of former players to watch for future problems such as dementia and memory loss.

Wilkinson said the league will argue in court that the lawsuits should be dismissed because of the labor agreements, which typically called for mediation or arbitration in player safety disputes. She said the agreements have differed some over the years and the venue would be determined by the years each player was active.

"It's player by player and specific injuries," she said.

The cases are gaining national attention just as the NFL gears up for its annual showcase, the Feb. 5 Super Bowl in Indianapolis between the New England Patriots and the New York Giants.

League spokesman Greg Aiello said in an email that the NFL "has long made player safety a priority and continues to do so. Any allegation that the NFL intentionally sought to mislead players has no merit."

One ex-player who attended the hearing, safety Rich Miano, said he sees the lawsuits as potentially key to changing the culture of the NFL so that safety becomes paramount.

Miano, who played for the Jets, Eagles and Falcons from 1985 to 1995, said in his day "concussion wasn't a word in the forefront. It was more 'getting your bell rung.' 'Getting a stinger.' There was no sitting out a game."

"It was just 'Get back out there.' It was your job," he added.

Some lawsuits also name as a defendant helmet maker Riddell Sports Inc., claiming that it and the NFL essentially colluded to downplay the dangers of head injury. Player attorney Thomas Girardi said claims against Riddell should be included in the consolidation of cases.

"They were hand-in-hand with the NFL. We think we should all be in the same courtroom," Girardi said.

Riddell attorney Paul Cereghini said the company has pending motions to dismiss the lawsuits in California and that the lawsuits against it are different because they involve product liability claims, not negligence.

"We don't want to get caught in the crossfire, and we shouldn't get caught in the crossfire," he said.

This article was written by Curt Anderson and appeared in the Sacramento Bee.

Las Vegas fearing a Giants win - Ingles

2012-01-27T11:12:00.002-03:00

The New York Giants are currently raising the blood pressure in Las Vegas, more than a week and a half ahead of Super Bowl XLVI.

A victory by the Giants over the New England Patriots could cost some Vegas sports books a pretty penny as futures betting comes back to haunt them. A number of sports books in Nevada took significant bets on the Giants to win the Super Bowl at long odds earlier this season — some as high as 80 to 1 — putting some in a very precarious position if the Giants should knock off the Patriots in the Super Bowl again.

Futures wagering is active during the entire NFL season, and teams' odds to win the championship can fluctuate from week to week. When the Giants endured a four-game losing streak in November and December, their odds to win it all shot way up. The future payoff is based on whatever the odds were when a person makes a bet. So if the Giants had 80-1 odds to win it all and a bettor wages $100, the bettor would receive an $8,000 payout if the Giants claim the Lombardi Trophy.

Jay Kornegay, the director of the sports book at the Las Vegas Hilton told the New York Times:

I remember we opened them at about 20 to 1 last February, right after last year's Super Bowl. But when they hit that losing streak, it went up. I mean, they lost to Vince Young and the Eagles! We were lucky the bets didn't come our way, but there are some tickets out there. ... Even at the start of the playoffs we had them at 30 to 1 to win the Super Bowl. They had a very hard road."

Only a few months ago, Vegas sports books faced a similar scenario with baseball's St. Louis Cardinals. When the Cardinals were 10 1/2 games out of the playoffs with 32 games remaining in the regular season, their futures odds were extremely steep. Kornegay told the Times that he listed the Cardinals at 250 to 1 to win the World Series and 100 to 1 to win the National League pennant. "And we had action on both," he said.

For the actual Super Bowl game itself, most sports books have the Patriots as favorites with a spread of about 3 points, a markedly smaller line from the 12-point spread the Giants faced in the 2008 title game against New England.

This article was written by Ellen J Horrow and appeared in USA Today.

SUPER BOWL XLVI – INDIANAPOLIS – FACTS & FIGURES - Ingles

2012-01-26T12:23:00.002-03:00

SITE
Lucas Oil Stadium

DATE
February 5, 2012

TIME
6:00 PM (ET)

SUPER BOWL HOST CITIES (I – XLVI):

South Florida (10)
New Orleans (9)
Los Angeles (7)
Tampa Bay (4)
San Diego (3)
Arizona (2)
Atlanta (2)
Detroit (2)
Houston (2)
Indianapolis (1)
Jacksonville (1)
Minneapolis (1)
North Texas (1)
Stanford (1)

FUTURE SUPER BOWL SITES:
Super Bowl XLVII - New Orleans - February 3, 2013*
Super Bowl XLVIII - New York/New Jersey - February 2, 2014*

*Tentative date

SUPER BOWL XLVI TICKET BREAKDOWN:

League office: 25.2%
AFC Champion: 17.5%
NFC Champion: 17.5%
Other 29 clubs: 34.8% (1.2% each)
Host team: 5 %

TELEVISION NETWORK:
NBC (17th Super Bowl)

Super Bowls I, III, V, VII, IX, XI, XIII, XV, XVII, XX, XXIII, XXVII, XXVIII, XXX, XXXII, XLIII, XLVI

RADIO NETWORK:
Westwood One Radio Sports (English), Univision Radio (Spanish)

TELEVISION AUDIENCE FOR SUPER BOWL XLV:
Last year’s game was the most watched program in television history, with 162.9 million viewers in the United States. The Packers-Steelers championship game topped by 9.5 million the previous record of 153.4 million total viewers set last year (Colts-Saints in Super Bowl XLIV) and marks the fourth consecutive record-setting total audience for the Super Bowl. The game was broadcast to 180 countries and territories in over 30 different languages. Broadcasters from 13 countries called the game live from Cowboys Stadium. In addition, military personnel in 132 countries viewed the game on American Forces Network.

MEDIA ACCREDITATION FOR SUPER BOWL XLIV:
A record 5,082 journalists were accredited to cover Super Bowl XLV and related events, the most in Super Bowl history.

POSTSEASON SHARES – 2011 SEASON:
Wild Card Game
(Div. Winner) $22,000 ($21,000 in 2010)
(Other) $20,000 ($19,000 in 2010)
Divisional Playoff Game
$22,000 ($21,000 in 2010)
Conference Championship Game
$40,000 ($38,000 in 2010)
Super Bowl
(Winning Team) $88,000 ($83,000 in 2010)
(Losing Team) $44,000 ($42,000 in 2010)
Pro Bowl
(Winning Team) $50,000 ($45,000 in 2010)
(Losing Team) $25,000 ($22,500 in 2010)

* NOTE: A player on a division winner participating in the Wild Card round and winning the Super Bowl will receive a total of $172,000. A player on a Wild Card team which wins the Super Bowl will receive a total of $170,000.

HOME TEAM:
The AFC CHAMPION will wear its choice of jerseys.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:
Cost of the Vince Lombardi Trophy: $25,000

Maker of the Vince Lombardi Trophy:
Tiffany & Co. of New York

Cost of Super Bowl Rings:
The NFL pays for up to 150 rings at $5,000 per ring (plus adjustments for increases in gold and diamonds). The league also pays for 150 pieces of jewelry for the losing team which may not cost more than one-half the price set for the Super Bowl ring.

WHAT TO LOOK FOR – 2012 PRO BOWL - Ingles

2012-01-26T12:02:00.002-03:00

HIGH SCORE: It has been a banner year for offenses across the National Football League, thanks in part to high-flying passing attacks led by some of the game’s best quarterbacks. The 2012 NFC Pro Bowl roster will feature two record-setting QBs – Green Bay’s AARON RODGERS led the NFL with a 122.5 passer rating, a single-season NFL best, while New Orleans’ DREW BREES’ 5,476 passing yards surpassed Pro Football Hall of Famer DAN MARINO’s record for passing yards in a season.

The 2012 Pro Bowl will also be the first in series history to feature two rookie quarterbacks, CAM NEWTON of Carolina (NFC) and ANDY DALTON of Cincinnati (AFC).

Other quarterbacks taking part in the game include BEN ROETHLISBERGER of Pittsburgh, who will get the starting nod for the AFC, and PHILIP RIVERS of San Diego, who became the third quarterback in NFL history to pass for 4,000+ yards in four consecutive seasons (Brees, PEYTON MANNING).

High scores have been a recent trend at the Pro Bowl. In fact, the eight highest combined scores in Pro Bowl history have all occurred since 2000, including 96 points last year, the second-highest in Pro Bowl history.

The highest combined scores in Pro Bowl history:

YEAR-WINNER (PTS.)-LOSER (PTS.)-TOTAL POINTS

2004, NFC (55), AFC (52), 107
2011, NFC (55), AFC (41), 6
2000, NFC (51), AFC (31), 82
2010, AFC (41), NFC (34), 75
2008, NFC (42), AFC (30), 72
2002, AFC (38), NFC (30), 68
2003, AFC (45), NFC (20), 65
2005, AFC (38), NFC (27), 65

NFL NETWORK'S LIVE COVERAGE FEATURES PRO BOWL RECORD-HOLDER: Seven-time Pro Bowler and Pro Football Hall of Famer MARSHALL FAULK is joined by FRAN CHARLES and TOM WADDLE on-location in Hawaii for NFL Network's live coverage of AFC and NFC practices on Thursday from 2:30-5:30 PM ET and Saturday from 1:30-3:30 PM ET. Practice coverage includes interviews with All-Star players and coaches.

The trio returns on Sunday at 4:00 PM ET for the live three-hour NFL Total Access: Pro Bowl Pregame which leads up to the 7:00 PM ET game time on NBC. Faulk earned 1995 Pro Bowl MVP honors as a Colts rookie when he set still-standing records for rushing yards (180), longest run from scrimmage (49 yards) and yards per carry (13.9, min. 10 attempts).

ELDER STATESMAN: Two of the most frequent participants in Pro Bowl history have made the trip to Honolulu once again in 2012: Atlanta tight end TONY GONZALEZ and Denver cornerback CHAMP BAILEY are each poised to play in their 11th career Pro Bowl, which will tie for the third-most in since 1970.

Only Pro Football Hall of Famer RANDALL MC DANIEL and longtime Kansas City guard WILL SHIELDS, who both played in 12 Pro Bowls apiece, have more All-Star appearances during that span.

Gonzalez is also the all-time career Pro Bowl leader in the following categories: total touchdowns (six), receptions (42) and receiving yards (632). Bailey’s four career Pro Bowl interceptions are tied with Pro Football Hall of Famer DEION SANDERS and EVERSON WALLS for the most in the game’s history.

The players with the most Pro Bowl games played since 1971:

PLAYER-YEARS-PRO BOWLS

Randall McDaniel, Minnesota, 1990-2000; Tampa Bay, 2001, 12
Will Shields, Kansas City, 1996-2007, 12
Champ Bailey, Washington, 2001-04; Denver, 2005-08, 2010-12, 11
Tony Gonzalez*, Kansas City, 2000-01, 2003-09; Atlanta, 2011-12, 11
Reggie White**, Philadelphia, 1987-93; Green Bay, 1994, 1996-97, 1999, 11
Junior Seau*, San Diego, 1992-2002, 11
Rod Woodson, Pittsburgh, 1990-95, 1997; Baltimore, 2000-02; Oakland, 2003, 11
Lawrence Taylor, N.Y. Giants, 1982-1991, 10
Ronnie Lott, San Francisco, 1982-85, 1987-91; L.A. Raiders 1992, 10
Mike Singletary, Chicago, 1984-1993, 10
Bruce Matthews****, Houston, 1989-95, 1997; Tennessee, 2000, 2002, 10
Jerry Rice***, San Francisco, 1987-88, 1990-94,1996, 1999; Oakland, 2003, 10
Peyton Manning*, Indianapolis, 2000-01, 2003-09, 2011, 10

*Also selected, but did not play, in one additional game
**Also selected, but did not play, in two additional games
***Also selected but did not play, in three additional games
****Also selected, but did not play in four additional games

ALL HAIL THE “U”: Seven players named to the 2012 Pro Bowl roster played collegiately at the University of Miami (FL), more than any other college program.

Below is a breakdown of schools with at least four players named to the 2012 Pro Bowl squads:

COLLEGE-2012 PRO BOWL PLAYERS-NO.

Miami
RB Frank Gore, TE Jimmy Graham, RB Willis McGahee, C Chris Myers, LB Ray Lewis, DT Vince Wilfork, S Ed Reed
7

Auburn
QB Cam Newton, G Ben Grubbs, DT Jay Ratliff, CB Carlos Rogers
4

Georgia
WR A.J. Green, CB Champ Bailey, DT Richard Seymour, DT Geno Atkins
4

Pittsburgh
CB Darrelle Revis, WR Larry Fitzgerald, P Andy Lee, RB LeSean McCoy
4

20 PLAYERS SELECTED TO TAKE PART IN FIRST-EVER “NFL BUSINESS OF MUSIC BOOT CAMP” AT NYU’S CLIVE DAVIS INSTITUTE OF RECORDED MUSIC - Ingles

2012-01-26T11:46:00.002-03:00

Program for current & former players runs Feb 27-March 1 in New York.

Twenty current and former NFL players including seven-time Pro Bowl wide receiver and NFL Network analyst TORRY HOLT and two-time All-Star defensive backs ANTOINE BETHEA and AL HARRIS will take part in the first-ever NFL Business of Music Boot Camp at New York University’s Clive Davis Institute of Recorded Music in New York, it was announced today.

The program, which runs from February 27-March 1, is being directed by NFL Player Engagement and the Clive Davis Institute in NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts and offers professional training for creative entrepreneurs in the music industry.

Following are the current and former NFL players enrolled in the NFL Business of Music Boot Camp:

Player - Current team (Former teams)

Marvin Austin - NYG
Antoine Bethea - IND
Keary Colbert - Former (CAR, DEN, SEA, DET, KC)
Justin Fargas - Former (OAK)
Al Harris - STL
Torry Holt - Former (STL, JAX)
Darren Howard - Former (NO, PHL)
Chris Kluwe - MIN
James Lee - TB
Brandon Lloyd - STL
Dustin Lyman - Former (CHI)
David Macklin - Former (IND, ARZ, WASH, KC)
Bryant McKinnie - BALT
Ryan McNeil - Former (DET, STL, CLE)
Chukky Okobi - Former (PIT, AZ)
Chris Pressley - CIN
Bryan Scott - BUF
L.J. Shelton - Former (AZ, CLE, MIA, SD)
Craig Terrill - Former (SEA)
Ashton Youboty - JAX

The Business of Music Boot Camp is part of an ongoing NFL Player Engagement initiative to assist players in preparing for their post-playing careers. Since 2005, more than 700 NFL players have participated in the NFL Business Management and Entrepreneurial Program. More than one-third of the 106 players who have taken part in the five NFL Broadcast Boot Camps have earned broadcasting jobs as a result of their participation in the program. In addition, each offseason more than 100 NFL players enroll in college courses as they work towards Master’s or Bachelor’s degrees while more than 120 pursue career internships.

Player enrollment criteria include previous participation in NFL Player Engagement programs, prior music experience, essays, and NFL playing experience. All costs other than travel are covered by the NFL.

Faculty members at the Business of Music Boot Camp will include:

CLIVE DAVIS, chief creative officer of Sony BMG, who has developed top performers including Janis Joplin, Blood, Sweat and Tears, Santana, Aretha Franklin, Billy Joel, Bruce Springsteen, Pink Floyd, Aerosmith, Whitney Houston, and Alicia Keys. He won a Grammy Trustee Award in 2000 and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2001.

DANNY STRICK, co-president of Sony/ATV Music Publishing. From pitching the Motown catalogue to rock acts with Jobete Music early in his career to becoming senior vice president and GM of BMG Music, Strick has held a number of influential positions in the publishing industry throughout his career.

JONATHAN DANIEL, a founder and partner at Crush Management, an artist management company that represents acts including Gym Class Heroes, Panic! At the Disco, Train, and Cobra Starship.

SAM HOLLANDER, a songwriter and producer whose work has often appeared in the Top 40 Pop Hits. He has written or produced for artists including Gym Class Heroes, Cobra Starship, Train, and Chiddy Bang.

AL BRANCH, the general manager at Hip Hop Since 1978, a management and production company whose roster boasts major figures Drake, Kanye West, Lil Wayne, and Young Jeezy.

MICHAEL “BLUE” WILLIAMS, the CEO of Family Tree Entertainment, which recently merged with Primary Wave Music to create Family Tree Primary Wave. His client roster includes Cee Lo Green, Cody Simpson, and Eric Benet, and previous clients include OutKast, Monica and Big Sean.

MICHAEL SOLOMON, co-founder of Musicians on Call--a non-profit organization that brings music to the bedsides of patients in healthcare facilities--as well as the co-founder of Brick Wall Management, whose past and present roster includes artists John Mayer, Citizen Cope, and William Fitzsimmons.

LAS ESTRELLAS DE LA NFL ENTRAN EN ESCENA EN EL PRO BOWL 2012

2012-01-26T11:15:00.002-03:00

Lo mejor de la NFL estará en primera plana el domingo 29 de enero (7:00 PM, hora de New York, NBC), cuando el Pro Bowl 2012 dé inicio a la semana del Super Bowl.

El juego de los Todo-Estrella de la NFL tendrá lugar una vez más en el Aloha Stadium de Honolulu, Hawai, y y será el evento que confirme el arranque de la semana que llevará al Super Bowl XLVI, a disputarse entre los New England Patriots y los New York Giants en Indianapolis (domingo 5 de febrero, NBC).

“Ser seleccionado para representar al equipo de la NFC en el Pro Bowl es tremendo honor”, se enorgullece el ala cerrada de los New Orleans Saints JIMMY GRAHAM. “Creo que cualquier sujeto que sea nombrado al Pro Bowl se puede dar cuenta de que es un halago de aquellos y estoy agradecido por ello.”

Por tercer año consecutivo, el Pro Bowl será disputado la semana previa al Super Bowl. El Pro Bowl 2011 fue visto, a través de FOX, por un promedio de 13.4 millones de televidentes, la mayor cantidad para un Pro Bowl desde 1997 (13.5 millones), convirtiéndose en el juego Todo-Estrella más visto de cualquier deporte desde 2009.

El año pasado, la NFC igualó la mayor cantidad de puntos anotadas en un solo juego de este tipo al derrotar a la AFC 55-41 (la NFC también anotó 55 puntos en 2004). El esquinero de los Washington Redskins DE ANGELO HALL fue nombrado el Jugador Más Valioso (MVP, por sus siglas en inglés) del Pro Bowl 2011, registrando una intercepción, regresando un balón suelto 34 yardas hasta la anotación y acumulando seis tacleadas en solitario. El juego de 2012 es el 42º entre los Todo-Estrellas de la AFC y de la NFC, siendo el equipo de la Conferencia Nacional el que tiene una leve ventaja en la serie histórica: 21-20.

Los equipos de 43 jugadores están compuestos por 21 ofensivos y 17 defensivos, además de cinco especialistas, incluyendo un sacador en largo. El equipo Todo-Estrella de la AFC será encabezado por GARY KUBIAK y los entrenadores de los Houston Texans, mientras que MIKE MC CARTHY y el cuerpo de entrenadores de los Green Bay Packers estará al mando de la escuadra de la NFC.

Los San Francisco 49ers encabezan la NFL con nueve jugadores seleccionados al Pro Bowl 2012 –el pateador DAVID AKERS, el profundo DASHON GOLDSON, el corredor FRANK GORE, el despejador ANDY LEE, el sacador en largo BRIAN JENNINGS, el esquinero CARLOS ROGERS, el ala defensiva JUSTIN SMITH, el tackle JOE STALEY y el apoyador PATRICK WILLIS.

La NFL es la única liga deportiva profesional que combina la votación de aficionados, entrenadores y jugadores para determinar sus equipos Todo-Estrella. El voto consensuado de cada grupo cuenta un tercio del total. Cada equipo emite dos sufragios –uno por parte de los entrenadores y otro por los jugadores, estando no permitido votar por un jugador de su propio equipo. Este año, más de 100 millones de votos de aficionados fueron efectuados a través de NFL.com y dispositivos móviles.

Bajo los términos del Convenio Colectivo de Trabajo, cada jugador del equipo ganador del Pro Bowl recibe 50,000 dólares, mientras que a cada uno de la escuadra perdedora se le otorgan 25,000 dólares.

El Pro Bowl fue celebrado consecutivamente entre 1980 y 2009 en el Aloha Stadium de Honolulu, se mudó al Sun Life Stadium en el Sur de la Florida en 2010 y luego regresó a Hawaii en 2011.

Los aficionados puede adquirir boletos para el Pro Bowl 2012 en www.NFL.com/probowl o www.ticketmaster.com.

The Film Archivist of Legendary Football Preps for Game Day - Ingles

2012-01-26T11:11:00.001-03:00

When N.F.L. Films put a microphone on the Denver Broncos’ surprise star Tim Tebow during a game against the Chicago Bears last month, it knew that every one of its television partners would want a piece of the audio and video of the quarterback.

So each was given a piece, stoking the country’s interest in Mr. Tebow. ESPN’s “N.F.L. Matchup” show replayed his technical conversations in the huddle. Showtime’s “Inside the N.F.L.” shared his singing — “our God is an awesome God” — during warm-ups. Parts of the “wire,” as the N.F.L. calls the player and coach microphones, also were played on NBC Sports Network’s “N.F.L. Turning Point,” on ESPN’s “Sunday N.F.L. Countdown” and on NFL.com. For the N.F.L. Network, the audio was even turned into an hourlong special.

There’s only so much that happens on any given Sunday of the football season, but there is a seemingly insatiable appetite for it on television. So the assignment for N.F.L. Films is “to take the same material and make it entertaining in different ways for different shows, for different styles of fans,” said Ross Ketover, who along with Pat Kelleher is a senior coordinating producer and oversees the 65 producers who slice and dice games for the division. They said they created a thousand hours of new programming last year.

While television networks focus on the live events each week, their division films the games — yes, much is still on actual 16-millimeter film — for an array of future purposes. They are simultaneously documenting the history of the sport, promoting the National Football League and providing an important revenue source.

“I’ve always felt that a camera is an instrument of realism — and a creator of myth,” said Steve Sabol, whose father, Ed, founded what became N.F.L. Films in 1962. All together, the decades of films have given football a mythology that no other American sport has matched.

Some of N.F.L. Films’ footage is woven into films, commercials, and future installments of “Football Follies,” the blooper reels that Johnny Carson helped make famous on “The Tonight Show.” But much of it — like that of Mr. Tebow on Dec. 11 — is turned around much more quickly so it can be shown on TV before next week’s games. The unit has special couriers who rush raw film from stadiums to its building in Mount Laurel, N.J., near Philadelphia, where it is processed.

In essence, the shows keep fans entertained on the days when games are not played.

When Comcast was preparing last year to turn its Versus channel into the NBC Sports Network, executives who were searching for new programming immediately thought of N.F.L. Films, said Jon Miller, the network’s president for programming. “They share a similar storytelling philosophy as we do,” Mr. Miller said.

Around the same time, when Discovery was turning HD Theater into Velocity, a channel for affluent men, executives bought two N.F.L. Films history shows and found that it helped get attention from advertisers. “A relationship with the world’s most powerful sports brand lent us instant credibility right out of the gate,” said Bob Scanlon, the senior vice president of Velocity.

N.F.L. Films has a total of nine television partners now, including with one of its siblings, the N.F.L. Network, which was founded by the league eight years ago but is still not available on several major cable systems. N.F.L. Films is responsible for about a quarter of the network’s taped schedule; shows like “Sound FX” double as weekly advertisements for the network.

The unit is part of the nonprofit N.F.L.’s profit-making N.F.L. Media division, which also runs the N.F.L. Network, N.F.L. RedZone channel and other properties. Revenues are not disclosed, but N.F.L. Media accounted for about 50 percent of the league’s $9 billion take in 2011. Most of N.F.L. Media’s revenue comes from live TV rights, but N.F.L. Films represents something more enduring — the footage can be used and reused in perpetuity.

Mr. Sabol is being treated for a brain tumor and has difficulty speaking, but said he comes into work each day. “I’m in the game, but I only have about eight players on my team,” he said with a laugh on the phone last week. He expressed pride in the many innovations of N.F.L. Films — microphones on players, super-slow-motion shots, reverse angle replays, montage editing.

In some ways the N.F.L. was far ahead of others in its recognition that it was in the media business, and should create its own content accordingly, bypassing the usual media makers.

The films unit frequently conceives and pitches shows to networks, and also churns out DVDs with titles like “Two Minutes to Glory,” looking back at past games and legendary players. Lately it has increased its amount of films for television, like “A Football Life,” which followed the New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick for the 2009-10 season and appeared on the N.F.L. Network last fall, and “Namath,” about the quarterback Joe Namath, which will be shown on HBO this week.

“They embrace and approach every project like it is the only production on the N.F.L. Films calendar,” said Rick Bernstein, the executive producer of HBO Sports, which has been a partner of N.F.L. Films since 1977.

The N.F.L. Films producers say they collaborate with the networks but have control over what is and isn’t seen, which is why their programs are sometimes criticized as propagandistic. Mr. Ketover responded, “We are trying to promote the game, no doubt, but we are doing it by being objective documentarians.”

The most popular content is often from the wire, like the one Mr. Tebow was wearing. N.F.L. Films wires about 100 players and coaches each season, up from about 25 a decade ago. “Our viewers, they want to see the game, but they also want to hear the game,” Mr. Kelleher said.

Already his producers are busy preparing for the most important football day of the year, the Super Bowl, which will be played on Feb. 5. Because they try to release a DVD about the winning team within weeks, they were simultaneously preparing four films about the four semifinalists last week, assuming that each might be the winner. (After Sunday’s games, they stopped production on two of the films.)

And they’ll have a production truck on site for something that they produce even faster: the commercial that has a player proclaim, “I’m going to Disney World!” Yes, N.F.L. Films even produces that.

(source New York Times)

Giants deny targeting concussed Williams - Ingles

2012-01-26T11:04:00.002-03:00

Two days after two Giants players made an opponent with a history of concussions a target, the team did its best to back away from the notion and the N.F.L. said it would not impose discipline.

In comments to reporters after the Giants’ victory over the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday, Jacquian Williams, a rookie linebacker, said the Giants were aware that 49ers punt returner Kyle Williams had sustained head injuries and tried to capitalize on that information. Kyle Williams muffed one punt return, and lost a fumble on another one in overtime that set up the Giants’ winning field goal.

“The thing is, we knew he had four concussions, so that was our biggest thing, to take him out of the game,” Jacquian Williams said of Kyle Williams, who had replaced the injured Ted Ginn Jr. as San Francisco’s punt returner.

Devin Thomas, a wide receiver and special-teams player who recovered the ball both times, said: “He’s had a lot of concussions. We were just like, ‘We’ve got to put a hit on that guy.’ ”

Neither Williams nor Thomas was made available to reporters Tuesday, but defensive end Justin Tuck dismissed the suggestion that the Giants would focus on a player’s head.

“Obviously, we consider ourselves to be a physical group and we want to hit everybody,” Tuck said. “But I don’t think we’ve ever talked about knocking anybody out with concussions or anything like that. We kind of stay away from that.”

Tuck added: “It’s not like we weren’t trying to hit him. We were definitely trying to get a lot of hats on him because he might not have been as comfortable back there as say a Ted Ginn, who had been there all year. But as far as trying to knock him out of the football game? No.”

When linebacker Michael Boley was asked about the issue, he said flatly: “We didn’t talk about it. Concussions are a big deal. Obviously, we don’t want to hurt anybody. We’re a fraternity of brothers all across the league. We don’t want to see anybody get hurt.”

Greg Aiello, a spokesman for the league, wrote in an e-mail that the Giants would not face any penalties for their comments.

“Players are held accountable for their actions on the field,” Aiello said. “There were no illegal hits to the head or neck area against Kyle Williams on Sunday. There was no conduct by the Giants of any kind that would suggest an effort to injure Kyle Williams in any way.”

This article was written by Sam Borden and appeared in the New York Times.

Peyton Manning opens up on Colts, health, and Rob Lowe - Ingles

2012-01-26T11:00:00.001-03:00

Sorry Rob Lowe.

Peyton Manning is not retiring, at least not any time soon.

"I never thought 'Sodapop Curtis' would announce my retirement," Manning said, laughing, referring to Lowe's character in the 1983 movie The Outsiders. "I always thought I would be the one to announce it. I'm a huge fan of the movie, but that caught me way off guard. I can't explain it. I know he (Lowe) is a friend of Jim's (Irsay), and Jim sounded surprised."

So no, Manning isn't on the cusp of retirement. In a wide-ranging, exclusive interview with The Star on Monday night, the Colts' future Hall of Fame quarterback addressed a number of pressing topics, including his health, his sadness over the firings of several coaches, his minimal relationship with new general manager Ryan Grigson and the future.

For the record, Manning and Grigson finally met, briefly, last week when the two ran across each other in the facility.

"One thing he (Grigson) kind-of, sort-of told me, without really wanting to tell me, was that Irsay will be the guy I'm going to sit down and talk with," Manning said. "That's going to happen at some point, but we haven't had that conversation yet because we really don't need to have that conversation yet."

Aside from Eli Manning's victory in the NFC title game in San Francisco, where Peyton was present to celebrate with his brother, this has been a rough week for Peyton — and for a lot of the people who've made this one of the most successful organizations in sports over the years. Change is never easy.

"I'm not in a very good place for healing, let's say that," he said, referring to the practice facility. "It's not a real good environment down there right now, to say the least. Everybody's walking around on eggshells. I don't recognize our building right now. There's such complete and total change."

Manning didn't express anger about the firing of Jim Caldwell and so many assistant coaches as much as he expressed sadness, wistfulness even.

He was working out with strength and conditioning coach Jon Torine last week when word came down that Torine had been relieved of his duties. One day later, after Torine had cleaned out his office, he ran Manning one more time, for old time's sake.

"It was tough," Manning said. "Very emotional."

It's been difficult with all the coaches, many of whom have been with Manning since the beginning, or at least close to it. This franchise has been a model of stability and continuity; now it's all about change. When Manning hasn't been rehabilitating, he's been calling other franchises and offering recommendations on behalf of the departed coaches.

"One of the things about football is, it's a relationship business," Manning said. "Sometimes guys get fired, it goes across the ticker, 'Jim Caldwell got fired' and that's that. But when it's every day in a relationship business … with Bill (Polian), with Marvin (Harrison), Edge (James), guys who retire, get cut, traded or fired, it's just really hard. I don't think I have an emotion for it.

"The new (management) team doesn't have a relationship with these guys like I do, and I know a lot of players feel that way about them (the departing coaches), too."

He continued:

"I mean, it's 20 degrees, it's snowing, the building is absolutely empty except when you see coaches cleaning out their offices," he said. "I guess it's the reality of the football world, just not something I've had to deal with very often. But I'm in there every day, so I have to sit there and see it. Everybody's being evaluated and I'm no different. It's not the best environment.

"I just want to pay tribute to all those guys. It's unfortunate because so many of them have been such a big part of so many big wins here, and this is so … sudden. Their keys didn't work the next day. There's no other way to do it? I don't know. That's hard to see, all these people leaving.

"And I may be behind them. Who knows?"

The question was posed: Given all the changes, the fact the Colts appear to be in a rebuilding mode, does Manning even want to come back to Indianapolis?

"I don't want to get into some kind of fan campaign with the owner, but I think it's well documented that I want to play in the same place my whole career," Manning said. "It's been a privilege to play here. I love the fans, the city, the transformation of the fans, how our place has become the toughest stadium to play in, the fact our fans wear more jerseys to games than anybody else. It's been fun to be a part of that.

"But I understand how it works. I understand tough decisions have to be made. There's personal and there's business and that's where we've got to separate the two. I've seen other guys leave places and it was personal. I've invested too much into this city for that to happen. We live here, we've given lots of time and money to the community and our church, and that's never going to change Nothing changes that.

"Whatever happens, happens. I can't give you a prediction because Jim (Irsay) and I will sit down at some point and he'll get a feel for where I am and I'll get a sense of what direction he wants to go. Right now, I have no idea."

As for Manning's health, he's not all the way back yet, but he's not going to put any kinds of percentages on his recovery, nor will he predict whether he'll be at full strength by early March, when the $28 million option bonus is due. At this point, he just doesn't know.

"You've been around me: You know I don't like to say something like, 'There's no way I can play Sunday,' then come out and play Sunday and everybody in the media is writing 'I can't believe he's playing,'" Manning said. "I'm not into the drama. And I'm not into saying, 'Well, this is it, I sure have enjoyed it.' I'm not into saying goodbye. All I know is I'm still under contract to the Colts. I'm still the quarterback of the Colts That's why I'm in the building every day trying to get healthy."

Manning continues to work out daily and throw to his beloved and overworked equipment guys, but this past Sunday, he got out of the facility. After watching the first two Giants' playoff games from the workout room, Peyton decided to surprise Eli and show up Sunday in San Francisco.

I asked if he told Eli it was his job to protect his Lucas Oil Stadium turf from the hated Patriots.

He laughed.

"Well, I've already gone to work for him, getting all my teammates, trying to get their two-ticket allotments," Manning said. "That's what he did for me two years ago and I did that for him four years ago. And I'm helping any way I can, getting him restaurant reservations around town for him and his teammates. Jim (Irsay) called after the game and offered any kind of help he could give, which was generous.

"As far as helping him with the Patriots, really, he doesn't need to talk to me. He played them seven weeks ago. We'll talk about things they do when you face them a second time in the same year, but he knows them better than I do right now.

"It was fun Sunday, we talked about third and long situations, the defense San Francisco likes to play. They've got (former Colts defensive coordinator) Vic Fangio, and we were saying, 'In this situation, they run this particular coverage, three rushing and eight in coverage, and there are only certain places you can throw it.' I didn't tell him to throw that post route on the touchdown, but that was the kind of defense he was seeing. So it's kind of fun to talk about that stuff.'"

Now, then, Manning will try to enjoy the Super Bowl madness, will continue to work out at the facility (until the team is kicked out to make way for the, gag, Patriots) and wait to see what unfolds in the front office. If and when the Colts are ready to talk — likely in February — Manning will be easy to find.

"I'm in the facility every day," he said. "I'm right there. They know where to find me."

When it's time to make an announcement one way or the other, Manning hopes he can do it on his own terms.

"Hopefully, Sodapop Curtis doesn't tweet it before I can say anything," he said.

This article was written by Bob Kravitz and appeared in USA Today.

NFL's Most Popular Players & Merchandise - Ingles

2012-01-26T10:56:00.002-03:00

As the NFL season draws to a close, Nextag.com, the largest online comparison shopping site with over 500M annual users, provides insight on the most popular players this season.

Jersey sales, among other football merchandise, are often seen as a proxy for the most admired players. Nextag.com can gauge a player’s popularity by extracting data on how people vote with their wallets. So, who has the most popular jersey in the NFL and what does Nextag offer die-hard football fans? See below for information from the week ending 1/20/12.

·Despite the Denver Broncos loss, Tebow’s jersey continues to be the most sought-after merchandise, followed by the New England Patriots’ - Tom Brady and Wes Walker.
·Patriot fans can further gear up for Superbowl XLVI with thousands of Patriot items, including plaques, recliners, sofas, lawn signs, ear warmers, tote bags and golf gift sets to sate the need that fills every Patriot fan’s heart.
·From Patrick Willis Jerseys to flashlights, Nextag has savings on everything you need to see and dress like the players on the field, as they engage in their special brand of lights-out football.
·Pittsburgh Steelers and other eliminated teams can pick up the Terrible Towel, which is not only great for cheering, but handy for weeping into when your team disappoints.
·Baltimore has a saying, “Money ain’t got no owners, just spenders.” But, doesn’t it still feel good to snag a bargain on Ravens jerseys and collectibles? Oh, indeed.

Estamos de vuelta y como no volver con el SUPER BOWL

2012-01-26T10:43:00.002-03:00

Disculpas a nuestros lectores de tanto tiempo de silencio, cuestiones de salud, trabajo y otros problemas que mejor no contar estamos volviendo para cubrir el Super Bowl XLVI como todos los años.
En algunos minutos estaremos poniendo notas de actualidad de la NFL y el camino al Lucas Oil Stadium en Indianapolis.

Saludos a todos.
NMF

Goodell envisions an NFL franchise in London - Ingles

2011-10-25T13:14:00.001-03:00

The NFL is considering a plan to have a few teams play regularly in Britain to build an overseas following -- part of the league's evaluation about whether a franchise could be permanently based in London.

Commissioner Roger Goodell said Saturday the league is looking into whether such a scenario would "advance our cause here by growing the fan base quicker." He is talking to several teams about becoming regulars in the British capital, a development he thinks would be "very powerful and lead us to what we ultimately would like to do -- have a franchise here in London."

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are making their second trip in three years to Wembley to play the Chicago Bears on Sunday. It is the fifth regular-season game held in London since 2007.

The league decided this month to keep playing in London through at least 2016, with an aim to play at least two games a year.

Goodell said multiple games in Britain could happen as early as next year, and he hopes more teams will agree to make regular trips.

"We want as many teams to come over. We want to see the more popular teams come over," Goodell said at a question-and-answer session with international fans. "Should we focus on just a couple of teams as consistently coming back here to build a fan base around those teams? The Bucs are coming back now for a second time in a five-year period of time. And the idea is, will that allow them to build a fan base quicker?"

Goodell praised the Glazer family, which owns both the Bucs and Premier League team Manchester United, for taking a leading role in promoting the game overseas. He said the Bucs are one of several teams the league has been in discussions with over more London visits.

"Obviously, the Glazer family has an interest over here with Man U," Goodell said. "And I think they want to see the Bucs become a global franchise. And I think that's a great thing for Tampa. I think it's a great thing for the NFL."

The league's ambitions haven't been dampened by a decrease in ticket sales this year. Sunday's game is the first of the five regular-season games at Wembley that is not expected to be a sellout. Organizers say an estimated 75,000 tickets have been sold, with the stadium's capacity about 82,000.

Goodell echoed organizers' claims that the lower sales were caused by the lockout, which meant tickets didn't go on sale until September -- several months later than usual.

"We started late," Goodell said. "But we're thrilled with our ticket sales. We obviously love to sell as many as we have, and we're still selling."

He said the NFL has no plans to play in other European countries in the near future, looking to establish as big a presence as possible in Britain first.

"We want to bring our game to continental Europe. The issue is, we want to make a success out of it in the U.K.," he said. "We think this (London) has got all of the basics that we need to be successful. It's got an advanced fan base, a strong media market, a great stadium. We have a long history here. So all those things contribute, let's make it work. And if we can be successful here, then we can take that model, potentially, to continentalhttp://cms.lixar.net/sbn/index.php?fuseaction=news_items.add Europe."

Goodell was joined by Jerome Bettis, the former Pittsburgh Steelers running back who is one of several NFL stars who have flown to London to promote the game. "The Bus" was given a warm reception by a knowledgeable group of about 100 fans, but said he's had to tweak his nickname this week to fit in.

"I'm a double-decker now," he said.This article was written by Mattias Karen and appeared in The Cleveland Plain Dealer.

Goodell: Bucs interested in playing a home game in London every year - Ingles

2011-10-25T13:12:00.002-03:00

The Bucs have expressed an interest in playing a home game in London every year, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said Saturday. This article was written by Rick Stroud and appeared in the St. Petersburg Times.

Speaking at a fan forum in London at the Landmark Hotel, Goodell said the league's owners have agreed to play two regular season games in London starting next year.

Goodell said the Bucs, who will play their second game in two years at Wembley Stadium Sunday, are among several teams that have expressed an interest in playing a game in London annually.

"They've shown an interest just by being here two out of three years,'' Goodell said. "I think we want to try to get as many teams back here but teams are interested in coming back consistently or more frequently, we're going to continue to look at that.

"We've talked to several teams about it and Tampa is one of them.''

The Bucs have had 16 of their past 17 games at Raymond James Stadium subject to local television blackouts because they failed to sell out 72 hours prior to kickoff. Goodell said he is sensitive to the reaction of Bucs fans possibly losing a home game each year. But he said that in some ways, it will continue to reduce the price of season tickets and increase demand.

"Sure. I mean, we've had to deal with this in Buffalo, too, where they're playing a game in Toronto,'' Goodell said. "In fact, in some ways, it helped strengthen the team in Buffalo because it makes less tickets available, it's less of a charge for season ticket holders in Buffalo or Tampa, if that was the case. And that's a positive in some ways. So we continue to look at how we do it balancing the interest of the clubs, obviously.''

Goodell said NFL owners decided within the past two weeks to play multiple games at Wembley Stadium and the only question is to determine whether to play those games in consecutive weeks or space them apart.

"That's a debate we're having internally about what the best structure is,'' Goodell said.

"I would expect multiple games here as early as next year.

"We are very focused on having multiple games here and we think we can be successful. Our audience has grown dramatically. I think it's doubled since we started a regular game series here in the U.K., and that's based on ratings around the U.K...We want to bring our game to continental Europe. The issue is we want to make a success out of the U.K. We think this has all the basics we need to be successful. It's got a great fan base, an advanced media market and a great stadium. We have a long history here. So with all of those things...let's make it work, and if we can be successful here, we can take that model potentially to continental Europe.''

The Glazer family, which owns both the Bucs and the Manchester United soccer club, has been at the forefront of wanting to brand their NFL franchise globally.

"One of the things that's changed over the last five years when we changed our strategy to bring regular season games here is the amount of interest of teams to come here,'' Goodell said. "They want to come here to play. We're actually now in a position where we're telling a lot of teams 'sorry, maybe next year.' That's a good thing for fans I think because we'll see more teams coming over here and exposing their teams to the marketplace.

"The Buccaneers have taken a real interest in it. Obviously, the Glazer family has an interest over here with Man U and I think they recognize that the growth of the league is important and they've been leaders in this area so they've stepped up in that position. And I think they want the Bucs to become a global franchise and I think it's a great thing for Tampa and I think it's a great thing for the NFL.''

Earlier this week, Bucs general manager Mark Dominik said he had not had any discussions with the Glazers about playing a regular season game in London every year. But he certainly didn't sound opposed to it.

He noted that the travel was only 1 1/2 hours longer than a trip to the west coast. This year, the Bucs arrived in London on Monday, gave the players their normal Tuesday off to tour the city and then began practicing 45 minutes away at their hotel in Bagshot, England. The arrangement allowed players to bond and adjust to the time zone easier than in 2009, when the team arrived in London on Friday. This article was written by Rick Stroud and appeared in the St. Petersburg Times.

Redskins and Al Davis - Ingles

2011-10-25T13:10:00.001-03:00

1. In 1988, the Redskins traded quarterback Jay Schroeder to the Raiders for offensive tackle Jim Lachey – one of Bobby Beathard’s brainier moves. The Redskins also received two ’89 draft picks in the swap, a No. 4 and a No. 5.

When the ’89 draft rolled around, the Raiders were sitting with the 11th pick of the fourth round (95th overall) and the 10th pick of the fifth (122nd). So Davis called Beathard and reminded him he owed the Redskins a pick in the fourth and fifth rounds, according to the terms of the deal, but not necessarily the Raiders’ pick.

“If you want my picks,” he said, “you have to give me something in return. Otherwise, I’ll trade down in those rounds as far as I can, and those are the picks you’ll get.

Bobby just laughed and said, “Go ahead, Al. Trade away.”

Davis started dialing. When he was done, he’d traded down in the fourth round, from 95 to 110, and picked up a six-rounder (165). He’d also traded down in the fifth, from 122 to 139, and picked up an eighth-rounder (223).

He then packaged the No. 6 and No. 8 to move up in the sixth round and draft a running back out of North Dakota State named Doug Lloyd. Lloyd played exactly one game in the NFL, in 1991, and neither carried the ball nor caught any passes. That’s what Al got for all his maneuvering: 60 minutes of special teams duty, presumably, by a guy who never suited up in the league again. (Now you know why Beathard laughed.)

But, hey: waste not, want not.

2. It’s several hours after the Raiders’ rout of the Redskins in Super Bowl XVIII – around midnight, maybe a little past. The Washington Times sports staff is hunkered down in a Denny’s near the Tampa airport, getting some much-needed sustenance. Suddenly, there’s a stir over by the entrance. Heads raise. Necks crane.

Al Davis has just walked through the door with movie star James Garner – a Raiders fan of the stand-on-the-sideline type – and a few other members of his entourage. Davis might be a three-time Super Bowl winner but, populist that he is, he’s grabbing a bite in an all-night diner (owned – who knew? – by future Panthers owner Jerry Richardson) instead of clinking champagne glasses in a penthouse overlooking the city.

There’s a smattering of applause as Davis’ group makes its way to its table. Plenty of females – waitresses and customers both – have their picture taken with Garner, and he and Al scribble a couple of autographs. Finally, things settle down and the Raiders owner orders some food.

A short time later, Tom Jackson, then one of the Times’ columnists, utters the immortal words:

“Al just put ketchup on his pasta.”
This article was written by Al Davis and appeared in the Washington Times.

Land around Miami Dolphins stadium eyed for casinos - Ingles

2011-10-25T13:08:00.003-03:00

The Miami Dolphins may want the land surrounding their football stadium to be considered for a casino license, and have dispatched a lobbyist to preserve that option should Florida lawmakers approve a landmark expansion of gambling.

Also on Friday, the Miami Beach Convention Center emerged as a potential casino site. City and county officials said developers looking for ways to snag coveted gambling licenses have floated the idea of razing the complex and remaking it as a modern convention center combined with a casino resort.

“That has been talked about. People have said maybe this is a place to put” a casino, Miami Beach Mayor Matti Bower said. “To me, this is a distraction from the real job of getting a new convention center.”

Both sites bring extensive complications. The National Football League prohibits any ties to gambling, while Miami Beach, which owns the convention center, has a policy opposing gambling. For years, the city has been exploring a major overhaul of the convention center that would include a hotel.

Despite the obstacles, the addition of two new potential casino locations — joining land near the Donald Trump hotels and condo towers in Sunny Isles Beach, Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Miami Herald headquarters in Miami and an area in Miami’s Park West neighborhood — shows just how quickly the notion of gambling has scrambled South Florida’s real estate ambitions.

The Dolphins team itself couldn’t own or operate a casino because of the NFL rules. But holding companies tied to the team and its majority owner, Stephen Ross, own large tracts of land around the stadium, just south of the Broward-Dade line. Ross has always envisioned the area as an entertainment destination beyond sports, and last year announced plans for a 20-acre water park across from Sun Life Stadium.

Should the Dolphins succeed in making its land eligible for a casino license, Ross could sell or lease the land and enjoy the profits as well as spillover traffic and spending from gamblers traveling to a casino owned by someone else.

State Rep. Erik Fresen, the Miami legislator drafting a bill that would grant South Florida licenses for three casino resorts, said he has met with Dolphins lobbyist Ron Book on the matter. He described the Dolphins as “interested” in casinos and wanting to protect the team’s interest in case Florida approves large gambling resorts.

“I think they may have some interest, and may be petitioning for a license,’’ he said in an interview Friday at a Coral Gables luncheon of the Beacon Council, Miami-Dade’s economic development agency.

In a statement, the Dolphins emphasized the team itself would not pursue a casino. But the team also suggested it wanted to preserve its site as a player in the gambling debate.

The three-paragraph statement stated: “NFL regulations prohibit any direct involvement by the team and/or its owners in the operation of a gaming facility so neither Steve Ross or the Dolphins have any plans to enter the casino business.

“As it pertains to the pending legislation on this matter in Tallahassee, we support all measures that add value and job growth to our local and state economy.

“We have engaged our lobbyist, Ron Book, to represent our interest in Tallahassee on this matter to ensure that — should the legislation be passed and opportunities arise — Miami Gardens is positioned to compete for casino operators who may have an interest in a North Dade location, an area that is certainly in dire need of pursuing new economic development opportunities.”

Book said Friday that the more than 100 acres around the stadium are “ready to go” for a casino resort, and that gambling companies would be interested in operating there. He said it was his responsibility to protect the Dolphins’ interest in the real estate the team owns, even if the team itself couldn’t open a casino.

“Ron Book, who works for the Dolphins, is trying to make sure that if a bill does pass, my client has a property that is available for some sort of destination facility,” Book said. The gambling industry refers to large casino hotels as “destination resorts.”

Book added: “There are lot of people in the casino business that will see the value of a property that is ready to go. Those same people in the casino industry will see the value in the entertainment possibilities that stadium offers.”

It’s not known if a developer or casino company is focusing on the Miami Beach site. The idea of a casino there was first floated in April by mayoral candidate Steve Berke, a comedian and former reality star.

Though barely a notion at the start of 2011, casino gambling rocketed to the top of the state legislative agenda in May when Southeast Asia’s largest casino operator, Genting Group, paid $236 million for The Miami Herald site on the Miami waterfront. It later announced plans to build what could be the largest casino in the world, promising tens of thousands of jobs and a tourist attraction like nothing South Florida has ever seen.

Critics see the push as a dangerous turning point for Miami at a time when the city’s urban core is emerging as a popular dining and arts district. They warn a Genting casino and one Sands from Las Vegas wants in nearby Park West would bring a long list of woes, from sucking customers from existing businesses to paralyzing traffic.

But as hinted in the Dolphins’ statement, supporters point to new employment for a beleaguered economy.

In his remarks at the Beacon Council lunch, Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez touted casinos’ ability to bring “viable job creation” to a county where unemployment sits at above 11 percent.

Dolphins CEO Mike Dee declined to be interviewed on the casino matter. His office released the statement Friday after Fresen made his comments.

Fresen said he did not know if the Dolphins would pursue a casino, and that the team mostly wanted to monitor the legislation. He said he expected to file his much-anticipated bill as early as Monday. This article was written by Douglas Hanks and appeared in The Palm Beach Post.

Goodell: some teams could be London regulars - Ingles

2011-10-25T13:06:00.001-03:00

The NFL is considering a plan to have a few teams play regularly in Britain to build an overseas following -- part of the league's evaluation about whether a franchise could be permanently based in London.

Commissioner Roger Goodell said Saturday the league is looking into whether such a scenario would "advance our cause here by growing the fan base quicker." He is talking to several teams about becoming regulars in the British capital, a development he thinks would be "very powerful and lead us to what we ultimately would like to do -- have a franchise here in London."

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are making their second trip in three years to Wembley to play the Chicago Bears on Sunday. It is the fifth regular-season game held in London since 2007.

The league decided this month to keep playing in London through at least 2016, with an aim to play at least two games a year.

Goodell said multiple games in Britain could happen as early as next year, and he hopes more teams will agree to make regular trips.

"We want as many teams to come over. We want to see the more popular teams come over," Goodell said at a question-and-answer session with international fans. "Should we focus on just a couple of teams as consistently coming back here to build a fan base around those teams? The Bucs are coming back now for a second time in a five-year period of time. And the idea is, will that allow them to build a fan base quicker?"

Goodell praised the Glazer family, which owns both the Bucs and Premier League team Manchester United, for taking a leading role in promoting the game overseas. He said the Bucs are one of several teams the league has been in discussions with over more London visits.

"Obviously, the Glazer family has an interest over here with Man U," Goodell said. "And I think they want to see the Bucs become a global franchise. And I think that's a great thing for Tampa. I think it's a great thing for the NFL."

The league's ambitions haven't been dampened by a decrease in ticket sales this year. Sunday's game is the first of the five regular-season games at Wembley that is not expected to be a sellout. Organizers say an estimated 75,000 tickets have been sold, with the stadium's capacity about 82,000.

Goodell echoed organizers' claims that the lower sales were caused by the lockout, which meant tickets didn't go on sale until September -- several months later than usual.

"We started late," Goodell said. "But we're thrilled with our ticket sales. We obviously love to sell as many as we have, and we're still selling."

He said the NFL has no plans to play in other European countries in the near future, looking to establish as big a presence as possible in Britain first.

"We want to bring our game to continental Europe. The issue is, we want to make a success out of it in the U.K.," he said. "We think this (London) has got all of the basics that we need to be successful. It's got an advanced fan base, a strong media market, a great stadium. We have a long history here. So all those things contribute, let's make it work. And if we can be successful here, then we can take that model, potentially, to continental Europe."

Goodell was joined by Jerome Bettis, the former Pittsburgh Steelers running back who is one of several NFL stars who have flown to London to promote the game. "The Bus" was given a warm reception by a knowledgeable group of about 100 fans, but said he's had to tweak his nickname this week to fit in.

"I'm a double-decker now," he said. This article was written by Mattias Karen and appeared in The Detroit Free Press.

Vikings not interested in proposal to give them the Metrodome - Ingles

2011-10-25T13:04:00.001-03:00

It's not a new concept, it's being dismissed by the Vikings, and it's coming at the 11th hour, but two lawmakers Friday proposed a plan they say will restore "fiscal sanity" to the debate over a new stadium: Give the Vikings the Metrodome in return for a 25-year contract to play in Minnesota.

"The Vikings could retrofit this facility in any way they see fit," said state Rep. Linda Runbeck, R-Circle Pines, chairwoman of the property and local tax subcommittee.

She pitched the plan at a Capitol news conference with state Sen. John Marty of Roseville, the ranking DFLer on the Senate Taxes Committee.

It wasn't the only Minneapolis stadium plan being promoted Friday. Landowners at the downtown Farmers' Market site said they're nearing agreement on land assembly as well.

The emergence of both proposals was a sign that Gov. Mark Dayton's deadline for plans by the end of next week is spurring some with stadium ideas to show their hands.

The Dome idea wouldn't require public money, its sponsors said, and it would allow taxpayers to recoup the value of the Metrodome site from property taxes paid by the team.

The Vikings would keep all revenue from events at the stadium and would pay the operating costs, estimated at $12 million per year.

But the team said the plan a "nonstarter."

"This isn't the first time the idea has been discussed, but even stadium opponents understand the facility no longer works for the team, our fans or the state," the Vikings said.

"These unrealistic ideas prevent serious discussion about the only viable stadium plan in Arden Hills."
Dayton said Wednesday that he hadn't heard the plan was being presented again.

But, he said, "at this point, I would say that's not going to really change the financial equation."

John Stiles, spokesman for Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak, said the mayor is open to all ideas but hadn't seen the Dome proposal and couldn't comment. Rybak is scheduled to meet with Dayton on Monday.

Marty said he and Runbeck knew initial reaction to their idea would be negative but that people will come to see the deal is fair.

"People change their minds," Marty said. "Nonstarter? Last week, Christian Ponder was a nonstarter."

He said the offer to the Vikings is comparable to what they would get at either of the Los Angeles sites being talked about as potential locations for the team.

The Vikings are pursuing a $1.1 billion stadium on 430 acres in Arden Hills. It would be financed with $350 million from Ramsey County, $300 million from the state and at least $420 million from the team.

Marty said he opposes using public money for a stadium and would object to an idea being floated around the Capitol to use Legacy Amendment funds - from a statewide sales tax that voters approved in 2008.

Dayton has said he wants final stadium proposals in writing by the end of next week so he can prepare his own recommendations by Nov. 7, with a special session potentially to follow Nov. 21-23.

Marty questioned the need for the rush, particularly when he said public opinion is running strongly against using public money for a stadium and the $650 million-plus contribution in Minnesota "would be the largest taxpayer subsidy of any sports team in history, period."

Jeff Anderson, the Vikings' director of corporate communications, said he couldn't verify that claim.

It's "probably accurate" that it's the largest public contribution for an NFL stadium, he said, but the Vikings' owners also are putting up the third-largest private contribution for an NFL stadium.

Runbeck said she doesn't think the Arden Hills plan has enough support in the Legislature to be passed.

"I don't think anyone wants a special session, frankly, before Thanksgiving....We don't even know then what the deficit might be," she said. The next state economic forecast is expected in early December.

"We don't want to take up a stadium," Runbeck said. "I think I speak for 90 percent of the Legislature. We don't think this merits the kind of urgency that would put it on top of everything else. I mean, this is the entertainment industry.

"Why are we considering $650 million to help the entertainment industry? Please."

Meanwhile, Chuck Leer, a Minneapolis real estate developer who represents landowners of the 34-acre Farmers' Market site in Minneapolis, said, "We think we've got critical mass to make land assembly work."

Leer said he represents 10 owners who have 14 of the 21 parcels at the site near Target Field.

He doesn't have commitments from the owners of five parcels, but he said no one has opposed his efforts and expects he'd be able to get buy-in from everyone within a few months.

The Farmers' Market plan has been around for months, but the landowners are coming forward again because of the deadline announced by Dayton, Leer said.

"There's this urgency now," he said, and the landowners believe there needs to be a downtown site in the mix and that the Farmers' Market plan offers the greatest public benefit.

None of it makes any difference to the Vikings, however.

"There's one viable proposal; it's Arden Hills," team vice president Lester Bagley said Friday.This article was written by Doug Belden and appeared in the St. Paul Pioneer-Press.

FOOTBALL TOUR 2011 PASA AL 2012

2011-10-25T12:10:00.000-03:00

Debido al paro patronal de la NFL hemos decidido pasar el FOOTBALL TOUR para el 2012, muchos han sido los problemas para lograr sincronizar entre pasajes, hoteles, estadías y tickets para conseguir realizar un paquete acorde al nivel que pretendemos para organizarlo y para ofrecerles un buen nivel de servicios.
En el 2012 ya no tendremos paros de jugadores y NFL, así que estaremos viendo las fechas para el FOOTBALL TOUR 2012.
Pedimos disculpas y estarán sabiendo del tour aproximadamente en Abril del 2012.

Saludos
NMF

A new push for Vikings stadium in downtown Minneapolis - Ingles

2011-10-25T11:47:00.001-03:00

With decision time rapidly approaching for the Minnesota Vikings' Arden Hills stadium plan, a longtime Minneapolis developer says that the Farmers Market site near the Twins ballpark is more viable than ever as an alternative home for a new stadium.

Chuck Leer said that nine of 15 property owners in the Farmers Market area are interested in selling. The remaining owners are discussing sales prospects so that a 34-acre stadium site could be assembled between Interstate 94 and Target Field in the North Loop neighborhood.

"We're hoping that people will see again that this is an excellent site. With this back on the table, maybe we can figure out a way to make this happen," Leer said.

The goal is to consolidate a land sale and make the site an attractive option, said Leer, who is representing the owners in the matter. The site has been vigorously promoted since spring by investor Bruce Lambrecht and planner David Albersman, whose slide presentation has been seen by several business and political leaders.

Leer is being assisted by former Minneapolis City Council president Jackie Cherryhomes, who also represents the interests of some of the owners. "We have an opportunity to do something outstanding. Shame on us if we don't," she said.

The Vikings' vice president of stadium development, Lester Bagley, declined an invitation to meet with Leer and reiterated Friday that the team considers the Ramsey County proposal "the only viable plan on the table. ... We are 100 percent focused on the Arden Hills site."

The team and Ramsey County have agreed to build a $1.1 billion stadium on the 260-acre former Army ammunition plant site, a deal that would be the focus of a special legislative session that Gov. Mark Dayton plans before Thanksgiving.

"Minneapolis has been pretty clear that they're not going to harpoon Arden Hills, but if Arden Hills shouldn't work they'll have a proposal ready to go," said Ted Mondale, chair of the Metropolitan Sports Facilities Commission.

Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak and City Council President Barbara Johnson will discuss stadium prospects Monday with Dayton, who has kept the door open to Minneapolis even while working with the Vikings on Arden Hills.

Rybak and Johnson prefer an $895 million stadium at the Metrodome, but in the last few weeks have said they're open to the Farmers Market site.

Johnson said that Leer is "trying to mitigate the potential downside of that site, which is multiple owners and unpredictability about the cost of acquiring all those folks. That's a positive step."

Leer said the Farmers Market site makes more sense than Arden Hills in terms of the amenities already there -- transit, parking, bars and restaurants. The Farmers Market, a popular draw, would be incorporated into the stadium complex. But the plan wouldn't touch Sharing and Caring Hands, the charity for the poor and homeless run by Mary Jo Copeland.

The interested owners hold 19 acres, Leer said. If you add 5.3 acres owned by Minneapolis and 2.7 acres of right-of-way, 27 of the 34 acres on the site are available, he said.

Leer is chairman of 2020 Partners, a downtown stakeholders group that recently called on the Vikings to build in Minneapolis. He said 2020 is not involved in his Farmers Market effort.

Scott Barriball, who owns the Farmers Market Annex across the street from the city market, said a new stadium on the site is "an exciting opportunity that ties this part of town together with the ballpark. ... If you have a vision of what a Vikings stadium would look like, with the Farmers Market and light rail, that's a real progressive big-city kind of thing."

The bipartisan legislative duo of liberal John Marty and conservative Linda Runbeck offered another Vikings stadium idea Friday, proposing to give the Metrodome to the team to do with it as it will -- play in it, renovate it or sell it and build a new one on another metro site.

The idea of turning over the Dome to the Vikings is not a new one, and team officials instantly called it "a nonstarter."

Marty, referring to the Vikings rookie just named the starting quarterback Sunday against Green Bay, quipped: "Last week, Christian Ponder was a nonstarter."

Under the proposal, the Vikings would get the Dome for free and sign a 25-year contract to run it. The stadium's assessed value is just under $42 million, but that money would be returned to the public in the form of annual taxes that the team would pay on the property.

The Vikings would replace the Metropolitan Sports Facilities Commission as the Dome's manager, assuming all operating costs but also keeping revenues from concessions and other non-NFL events.

Marty is a DFL state senator from Roseville and Runbeck is a Republican state representative from Circle Pines. Both represent constituents in Ramsey County, which under the Arden Hills plan would impose a half-percent sales tax on residents.

"Why should taxpayers be asked to support a duplicate [stadium]?" Runbeck said. "We want the Vikings to stay here, but a more modest proposal will be better all the way around." This article was written by Kevin Duchschere and appeared in the Minneapolis Star-Tribune.

Former NFL'er and his suing game - Ingles

2011-10-05T11:08:00.002-03:00

Former Buffalo Bills great Joe DeLamielleure, who has ripped the NFL and the Players Association for neglecting needy retired players, alleges in a federal lawsuit filed last week that the league and its union have conspired to keep his officially licensed jersey out of the marketplace.
DeLamielleure, the Hall of Fame guard who was O.J. Simpson's lead blocker in the early 1970s, says in the suit filed in Manhattan on Thursday that the defendants are trying to keep him from collecting royalty payments resulting from the sale of his official jersey.

The suit, which seeks more than $75,000 in damages and legal fees, also names NFL licensee Reebok and Players, Inc., the union's licensing arm, as defendants.

Delamielleure, a six-time Pro Bowler, says in the lawsuit that Reebok sent him a contract to create a Bills jersey with his name on the back, but would manufacture the item only after he sent the company a "large up-front fee" for production.

"Other retired players who had much less noteworthy NFL careers did not have to pay Reebok a large up-front fee to have their jerseys produced and sold," the lawsuit alleges.

Delamielleure's attorney, Justin Parafinczuk, declined comment when asked if he thought the conspiracy alleged in the suit was sparked by his client's criticism of the NFL and its union.

Gene Upshaw, the former Players Association chief, threatened to break Delamielleure's neck after the retired Bills' star criticized the union for neglecting indigent retirees.

This article was written by Michael O'Keeffe and appeared in New York Daily News.

NFL blasts MLB playoff ratings - Ingles

2011-10-05T11:04:00.001-03:00

In case you're wondering, don't: NFL TV ratings tower over the MLB playoffs.

An example: Fox's NFL pregame show Sunday got a bigger overnight rating than any of TBS' MLB playoff games so far.

Even in cities with MLB playoff teams, NFL teams dominate. While the Green Bay Packers' one-sided win over the Denver Broncos drew 44.1% of Milwaukee households, the Brewers' playoff game against Arizona Sunday drew just 20.3%. And in Phoenix , that Sunday Diamondbacks-Brewers game drew 5.7% of households — while the Giants-Cardinals NFL game drew 21.5% of local households.

After being hit by bad luck with Tigers-Yankees being rained out Friday, a night when MLB faced little competition from football, TBS MLB playoff games are averaging 1.9% of U.S. households — down 27% from the first three days of last year's playoffs.

In the NFL, Fox's single-game NFL Sunday regionalized coverage, led by Detroit-Dallas, drew a 14.9 overnight — up 25% from last year's comparable action.

That overnight, translating to 14.9% of TV households in the 56 urban markets measured for overnights, topped weekend sports ratings. CBS drew a 13.8 overnight for regionalized coverage led by Broncos-Packers — down 14% from last year — while NBC's Jets-Ravens game got a 12.7 overnight — down 11% from a Bears-Giants game last year.

One rating point equals 1% of the USA 's 77 million overnight TV homes in Nielsen Media Research's 56 selected major markets. Cable rating converted to broadcast equivalent.

Sources: CBS, ESPN NBC, ABC, Nielsen Media Research
Event
Day, time (p.m. ET)
Rating (households)
Outlet

NFL main game: Detroit Lions vs. Dallas Cowboys
Sunday, 1
14.9 (11.5 million)
Fox

Comparison: Up 25% from comparable coverage last year.

Spin on the spin: Fox also lucks out because this year it has the Lions' Thanksgiving home game, which is alternated annually between Fox and CBS—and has a Lions team, playing the Packers that day, that should be a national attraction.

NFL main game: Denver Broncos vs. Green Bay Packers
Sunday, 4:15
13.6 (10.5 million)
CBS

Comparison: Down 15% from regional coverage last year featuring the Washington Redskins vs. the Philadelphia Eagles.

Spin on the spin: The Packers are a big TV draw, but the Broncos could not keep the game very close.

NFL: New York Jets vs. Baltimore Ravens
Sunday, 8:30
12.7 (9.8 million)
NBC

Comparison: Down 11% from a Chicago Bears-New York Giants game last year.

Spin on the spin: Down from last year, but it still won the night in prime-time TV.

College football: Alabama vs. Florida
Saturday, 8
4.7 (3.6 million)
CBS

Comparison: Down 8% from a game between the same teams last year.

Spin on the spin: A blowout 38-10 victory vs. the Gators was good for the Crimson Tide's national title chances but bad for the ratings.

Event
Day, time (p.m. ET)
Rating (households)
Outlet

NFL main game: Detroit Lions vs. Dallas Cowboys
Sunday, 1
14.9 (11.5 million)
Fox

Comparison: Up 25% from comparable coverage last year.

Spin on the spin: Fox also lucks out because this year it has the Lions' Thanksgiving home game, which is alternated annually between Fox and CBS—and has a Lions team, playing the Packers that day, that should be a national attraction.

NFL main game: Denver Broncos vs. Green Bay Packers
Sunday, 4:15
13.6 (10.5 million)
CBS

Comparison: Down 15% from regional coverage last year featuring the Washington Redskins vs. the Philadelphia Eagles.

Spin on the spin: The Packers are a big TV draw, but the Broncos could not keep the game very close.

NFL: New York Jets vs. Baltimore Ravens
Sunday, 8:30
12.7 (9.8 million)
NBC

Comparison: Down 11% from a Chicago Bears-New York Giants game last year.

Spin on the spin: Down from last year, but it still won the night in prime-time TV.

College football: Alabama vs. Florida
Saturday, 8
4.7 (3.6 million)
CBS

Comparison: Down 8% from a game between the same teams last year.

Spin on the spin: A blowout 38-10 victory vs. the Gators was good for the Crimson Tide's national title chances but bad for the ratings.

Event
Day, time (p.m. ET)
Rating (households)
Outlet

NFL main game: Detroit Lions vs. Dallas Cowboys
Sunday, 1
14.9 (11.5 million)
Fox

Comparison: Up 25% from comparable coverage last year.

Spin on the spin: Fox also lucks out because this year it has the Lions' Thanksgiving home game, which is alternated annually between Fox and CBS—and has a Lions team, playing the Packers that day, that should be a national attraction.

NFL main game: Denver Broncos vs. Green Bay Packers
Sunday, 4:15
13.6 (10.5 million)
CBS

Comparison: Down 15% from regional coverage last year featuring the Washington Redskins vs. the Philadelphia Eagles.

Spin on the spin: The Packers are a big TV draw, but the Broncos could not keep the game very close.

NFL: New York Jets vs. Baltimore Ravens
Sunday, 8:30
12.7 (9.8 million)
NBC

Comparison: Down 11% from a Chicago Bears-New York Giants game last year.

Spin on the spin: Down from last year, but it still won the night in prime-time TV.

College football: Alabama vs. Florida
Saturday, 8
4.7 (3.6 million)
CBS

Comparison: Down 8% from a game between the same teams last year.

Spin on the spin: A blowout 38-10 victory vs. the Gators was good for the Crimson Tide's national title chances but bad for the ratings.
Sources ( USA Today’s Michael Hiestand)

Stand and Deliver NFL ratings on NBC - Ingles

2011-10-05T11:00:00.002-03:00

Despite the 34-17 blowout that saw the Baltimore Ravens defeat the New York Jets, Sunday Night Football was the most-watched program on Sunday night for the fourth straight week and the No. 1 show of the week in the key advertising demographic of Adults 18-49, according to official national data released today by The Nielsen Company.

The game drew 18.9 million viewers, 10 percent lower than last year’s Week 4 game (Bears-Giants, 20.9 million), but up three percent from the 2009 Week 4 game (Chargers-Steelers, 18.4 million). Jets-Ravens marked the second most-watched Week 4 game in the six-year history of SNF.

The household rating for Jets-Ravens of 11.5/18 is down eight percent from last year’s Week 4 game (12.5/20) but up five percent from the 2009 Week 4 game (11.0/18).

The Adult 18-49 rating of 7.7 ranked Sunday Night Football as the No. 1 primetime program of the week in the key advertiser demographic.

SUNDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL VIEWERSHIP FOR WEEK 4 GAMES:

2011 Jets-Ravens 18.9 million
2010 Bears-Giants 20.9 million
2009 Chargers-Steelers 18.4 million
2008 Eagles-Bears 17.3 million
2007 Eagles-Giants 15.0 million
2006 Seahawks-Bears 16.9 million

SNF STARTS STRONG: Through the first four weeks of the NFL season (four Sunday’s and one Thursday), Sunday Night Football is averaging 23.2 million viewers, the most through this point in the season in the six-year history of SNF.

The four-week average household rating of 13.9/22 is one percent higher than last year’s 13.7/23 and 10 percent ahead of 2009 (12.6/21) through the same point in the season.

· The critically acclaimed Football Night in America is averaging 9.5 million viewers and a household rating of 5.8/10 (7:30-8:15 p.m. ET) through the first four weeks, up 10 percent and nine percent, respectively, from last year’s first four weeks.

SNF IS NO. 1 SHOW OF SUNDAY NIGHT AGAIN: The Jets-Ravens broadcast was the No. 1 show of Sunday night in households, total viewers and all key adult and male demographics (excluding NFL overruns).

· Sunday Night Football powered NBC to a Sunday night primetime win, averaging 16.6 million viewers from 7:30-11 p.m., 19 percent ahead of second-place CBS (13.9 million), which benefited from an NFL overrun.

SNF 5-FOR-5: With 18.9 million viewers for Jets-Ravens, Sunday Night Football starts the season five-for-five versus its competition. This continues a trend for SNF dominating Sunday nights. Last season, “Sunday Night Football” was the No. 1 show all 18 nights (100 percent) vs. its competition (16 Sundays, one Tuesday and one Thursday).

2011 – 5 of 5 (Four Sundays, one Thursday – 100 percent)
2010 – 18 of 18 (16 Sundays, one Tuesday and one Thursday – 100 percent)
2009 - 15 of 16 Sundays (94 percent)
2008 - 13 of 16 Sundays (81 percent)
2007 - 11 of 16 Sundays (69 percent)
2006 - nine of 16 Sundays (56 percent)

TOP 10 METERED MARKETS FOR RAVENS-JETS:

1. Baltimore , 38.8/56
2. New Orleans , 18.8/26
3. Las Vegas , 18.3/29
4. Richmond , 18.2/28
5. San Diego , 16.9/29
T6. Washington D.C. , 15.9/26
T6. Indianapolis , 15.9/25
T6. Albuquerque , 15.9/23
9. Dayton , 15.8/23
10. Nashville , 15.7/23

* New York placed 11th among metered markets with a 15.4/24

Mercedes-Benz comes marching in (to the Superdome) - Ingles

2011-10-05T10:54:00.001-03:00

Tuesday, Governor Bobby Jindal joined Saints Owner Tom Benson and Ernst Leib, President and CEO of Mercedes-Benz USA to announce a 10-year agreement reached between the NFL Saints and Mercedes-Benz USA to name the recently renovated Louisiana Superdome, the “Mercedes-Benz Superdome.”

Governor Jindal said, “This announcement today means we are gaining the partnership of a world-class company while generating savings for Louisiana taxpayers. This partnership agreement is estimated to significantly reduce or eliminate taxpayer funding currently spent to support the Saints. From a place of last refuge in Hurricane Katrina, to a facility where we recently invested $85 million for improvements to help attract corporate sponsorship from world-renown Mercedes-Benz USA, the Superdome is a symbol of our State’s success in not only rebuilding, but building back better than ever. Louisiana is making a comeback and the nation is taking notice.”

New Orleans Saints Owner Tom Benson said, “I am thrilled to be able to announce a winning and long-term partnership between the Saints and Mercedes-Benz. The Mercedes-Benz brand represents the very best in its industry and we believe that it is a perfect fit for this stadium, one of the world’s greatest sporting venues. We felt strongly it was essential that if we were to offer the name of our building to a company, it would be one that all of our fans and the state of Louisiana would be proud of. The investment being made by a premier international brand who believes in ‘the best or nothing,’ is a tremendous compliment to all of those who worked so hard to make the stadium what it is today.”

The new Mercedes-Benz Superdome name marks the first time the legendary New Orleans sports and exhibition stadium has been linked with a naming rights sponsor. The Mercedes-Benz Superdome, known internationally for its rich tradition of hosting some of the world’s largest sporting and entertainment events, including six Super Bowls, four NCAA Final Fours, three BCS National Championship games and numerous legendary Sugar Bowls, recently completed a six-year, $336 million renovation project that has positioned the stadium as a premier destination for major events for decades to come. The Mercedes-Benz Superdome is poised to add to its great legacy as host to the 2012 BCS National Championship Game, the 2012 NCAA Final Four and the 2013 Super Bowl.

Saints Owner/Executive Vice President Rita Benson LeBlanc said, “The entire Saints organization is excited to be forging this partnership between such iconic brands. We believe Mercedes-Benz, the New Orleans Saints and the Superdome are all the absolute best in our respective classes. The innovation, attention to detail and quality exemplified by Mercedes-Benz were also the guiding principles in the State’s renovation of our stadium. This agreement will allow us to build an even stronger legacy for the Mercedes-Benz Superdome and it illustrates that the brand of the Saints, New Orleans and Louisiana have never been stronger. We look forward to sharing the passion of our great fans, visitors and viewers from all over the world with Mercedes-Benz.”

President and CEO of Mercedes-Benz USA Ernst Lieb said, “The joining of the Mercedes-Benz brand with the world-class Saints organization and the Superdome, an iconic destination which has undergone an incredible transformation over the past six years, is a significant moment for us along with the City of New Orleans and the State of Louisiana. Our commitment over the next decade is to the Saints fans, team, and this famous community as it flourishes beyond anyone’s expectations.”

The New Orleans Saints were granted the right to market the naming rights of the Louisiana Superdome as part of their recent 15-year lease extension with the state of Louisiana, the Louisiana Stadium and Exposition District (LSED) and SMG. The team put the search to secure naming rights on a fast track during the 2011 off-season and came together very quickly in the last two weeks. The Saints’ new naming rights agreement with Mercedes-Benz is expected to significantly reduce or eliminate state inducements to the Saints.

Madonna at the Super Bowl - Ingles

2011-10-05T10:47:00.002-03:00

Madonna will perform during the Super Bowl XLVI halftime show at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis on February 5, sources close to the event told SBNation.com on Monday. A spokesperson for the NFL declined to comment.

As you'd expect for an artist with her mass appeal, this isn't the first time Madonna's been approached about performing at the Super Bowl. In 1998, it was heavily rumored that Madonna would perform at Super Bowl XXXIII in Miami, only to have the plans fall apart before a deal could be reached. Likewise, Madonna was reportedly to headline the halftime show for Super Bowl XXXV, two years later, but but backed out at the last minute.
None of which is to say that she's a stranger to the Super Bowl spotlight. As recently as 2008, Madonna's music was used in a commercial for SunSilk hair products, for which the singer was paid $10 million, according to Rolling Stone. So where does Madonna fit in the lineage of Super Bowl halftime performers?

Let's take a look at the past 10 years.

2002 - U2
2003 - Shania Twain, No Doubt, Sting
2004 - Janet Jackson, Justin Timberlake
2005 - Paul McCartney
2006 - The Rolling Stones
2007 - Prince
2008 - Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers
2009 - Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band
2010 - The Who
2011 - The Black Eyed Peas, Usher, and Slash
Now we can add Madonna to that list. For the moment, the biggest question is how much freedom she gets from the NFL. Madonna of the '80s and '90s would've been a pretty interesting experiment at the Super Bowl, as no female artist this side of Janet Jackson would've been more likely to push the envelope as far as costumes, themes, and stageplay is concerned.

After the debacle with Janet Jackson in 2004, old school Madonna would've been far too risky for the NFL. But today's Madonna is a mom more famous for charity than lack of chastity, and a natural fit for the NFL's biggest stage, especially considering the direction the NFL's taken in the years since 2004's controversy.

She may not match Prince, but she's better than Paul McCartney, and certainly an upgrade over 2011's apocalyptic amalgam of the Black Eyed Peas, a half-dead Slash, and Usher. So, if we can accept that the NFL's not going to give us any relevant new music (like, say, Jay-Z and Kanye West), then fans could certainly do worse than Madonna, right?

The Super Bowl and its halftime show will be televised live on NBC on February 5th, 2012. Stay tuned for further comments from Madonna and/or the NFL as the news emerges.

This article was written by Andrew Sharp and appeared in Sports Blogs Nation.

Packers apologize for security waits - Ingles

2011-10-05T10:45:00.001-03:00

Doug Collins, the Green Bay Packers' director of security, apologized Monday for the long lines fans had to endure to get into Lambeau Field on Sunday. He said the team and the Green Bay Police Department would study a range of options to get it right for the next home game.

"I apologize for the process we had," Collins said. "But we will learn from it."

On Sunday, thousands of fans were unable to get into the stadium in time for the 3:15 p.m. kickoff. This season, the National Football League ordered teams to enhance security. The Packers and police elected to use hand-held metal-detecting wands on fans entering the stadium instead of a full pat-down search.

Sunday's game marked the first time the wands were used. An inadequate number of security personnel, particularly at the time many fans tried to get in, and the fact the game was for Milwaukee season-seat holders who may have arrived late exacerbated the problem.

Team spokesman Aaron Popkey said all gates were clear with 9:30 left in the first quarter.

Popkey said officials stopped using the hand-held detectors at 2:45 p.m., one-half hour before kickoff. Instead, fans were patted down, Popkey said.

Collins said the Packers and police still were committed to using the wands this season. However, he said some security personnel might have taken more time than needed to "wand" each fan coming in. That will be reviewed, he said.

In addition, there may not have been enough security on hand when fans started to show up at the gates, he said. Security will be better deployed next time, he said.

Also, Collins said it was possible more staff will be added to move more people through the stadium gates.

"We will be looking for a marked improvement in efficiency," he said.

Collins said the Packers would continue to encourage fans to enter the stadium as early as possible. Stadium gates open two hours before kickoff. Fans should enter the stadium 15 to 30 minutes sooner than they normally do, he said.

This article was written by Don Walker and appeared in the Journal Sentinel.

Dolphins owner Steve Ross voices support for Tony Sparano - Ingles

2011-10-05T10:44:00.002-03:00

Miami Dolphins owner Steve Ross just appeared on South Florida radio Monday night and gave embattled coach Tony Sparano a vote of confidence.This article was written by Mike Berardino and appeared in The Sun Sentinel.

"I'm very disappointed, to put it mildly, I guess," Ross said during his appearance on The Finsiders, a team-run program on 940-AM. "Everybody involved with this team — the players, the coaches — are disappointed being 0-4. You can't be any other way.

"I think we have to stay together and really get behind our coach. I believe that Tony is the right coach. All the games we've played have been very close, could have gone either way. I think when you see the team practicing and playing as hard as they can, I think that's a good sign. Certainly we have to see better results."

Program host Jesse Agler asked Ross if he is confident the Dolphins can turn things around after their third 0-4 start in the past eight seasons.

"Certainly I'm hopeful," Ross said. "I think that everybody -- you read the press and everybody talks about changes and that would change things around. I really believe any football team, if you look at the winning teams, they're consistent and they stay the course. You go through rough periods.
"I think we have a lot of talent, but I think most importantly, the players really believe in Tony. As long as the players believe in Tony and they're playing hard for him, with the talent we have, we're going to win our share of ballgames. Certainly coming back from 0-4, hey, remember in the first season [2008] when Chad Pennington joined us, we started out, maybe not 0-4 but pretty similar and we rebounded and I think we won around nine or 10 straight games [actually nine of 10 after a 2-4 start]. I don't know if that's going to happen but I think we have a lot of talent. We'll find out about that as the season goes on."

Ross, who had not spoken publicly about the Dolphins or Sparano since two days before their Week 2 home loss to the Texans, said several times the team has "talent," which could be construed as support of the job General Manager Jeff Ireland has done.

Ross cast his vote for patience, which might not fire up the fan base but is significant because, well, his is the only vote that truly counts here.

"We're committed to winning," Ross said. "This organization is committed to winning. We'll [commit] whatever resources it takes to win. As long as the team is really behind its coach and it has talent, it has a good shot of winning. Like anything else, you have to be optimistic. I think you stay the course, we'll get there."

Ross ended his appearance with a message to Dolphins fans, who have grown increasingly frustrated with the direction of the franchise.

"I really appreciate your fan support," Ross said. "I feel as frustrated you do. When you hurt, I'm hurting. And I'm dedicated to making sure we turn this around as fast as possible."

Your thoughts on the owner's de facto State of the Dolphins address this evening?

This article was written by Mike Berardino and appeared in The Sun Sentinel.

N.F.L. Plans Broader Concussion Research - Ingles

2011-10-05T10:40:00.001-03:00

The N.F.L’s first attempt at a long-range study on the effects of concussions was riddled with problems from the manner in which data was collected to conflicts of interest for those overseeing it. After criticism from outside experts and even members of Congress, the study was shut down by the league in late 2009.
Nearly two years later, however, the N.F.L.’s committee on concussion research is planning a considerably broader study — an effort that could begin gathering data as soon as next season, according to one of the doctors involved.

The doctor, Mitchel S. Berger, the chairman of the neurological surgery department at the University of California San Francisco, said Monday that he and the N.F.L.’s subcommittee on former players and long-term effects of brain and spine injury had been holding conference calls regarding the study every two weeks with representatives from the players’ union. He added that he hoped to make a final presentation to the union and Commissioner Roger Goodell “in the near future.”

Berger said he was aware of the issues surrounding the previous study, and said the latest model was completely different.

“There was no science in that,” Berger said in reference to the study coordinated by Dr. Ira Casson, who was also the league’s primary voice in discrediting outside research on concussions. Asked if he might use any of the data from Casson’s work, Berger shook his head.

“We’re really moving on from that data,” he said. “There’s really nothing we can do with that data in terms of how it was collected and assessed.”

Berger said earlier studies failed to properly assess the effect of previous injuries on a subject. The new model, he said, is a “prospective longitudinal study,” which does not just evaluate a subject, but tracks it for an extended period.

Specifically, Berger said, the study will include about 1,400 people, aged 45 to 59, and divided into three groups. The first group will be retired N.F.L. players; the second will be people who played college football but never professionally; and the third will be a control group of nonathletes who have some medical commonalities with the first two (a heightened prevalence of diabetes, for example).

What tests will be conducted is still being determined, but Berger said the workups would be comprehensive. A baseline test for each subject will be performed, and subsequent examinations will be given every three years. A similar study, with three groups featuring the same characteristics but for people aged 60 to 75, will also be conducted, involving about 400 subjects, Berger said.

“Because the prevalence of serious problems in that younger age group is less common and obvious,” he said, “you have to look at so many more individuals.”

Berger explained the study at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center here, where moments earlier, Goodell had spoken at the 2011 Congress of Neurological Surgeons. In his remarks, Goodell seemed to summarize the increasing focus the N.F.L. has had on head, neck and spine injuries in recent years.

When Casson was doing his study, its point was to find out if there was a link between repeated football head trauma and degenerative cognitive function. With a consensus having formed that the link does exist, it appears that the goal now is to find out how strong it is, whom it affects most and what preventative steps can be taken by the league to minimize potential damage to its players.

“There is nothing more important to the N.F.L. than the safety of our players, and there is no issue of greater importance when it comes to player safety than the effective prevention, diagnosis and treatment of concussions,” Goodell told the convention crowd.

He added: “The more we can learn about the brain, the better for all. And we can be the leaders.”

Robert E. Harbaugh, the chairman of neurosurgery at Penn State, said his subcommittee for the development and management of a prospective database for N.F.L. players was pursuing a more thorough examination of active players in hopes of identifying potential genetic conditions that might make a player predisposed to cognitive issues later in life. Goodell also spoke about the effects of current rule changes designed to increase player safety, and the possibility of other changes.

Goodell would not rule out instituting rules regarding the three-point stance, which linemen use on nearly every play before launching themselves, often headfirst, into opposing players. “We’re going to consider everything,” he told reporters. This article was written by Sam Borden and appeared in The New York Times.

The 2014 Frozen Super Bowl - Ingles

2011-09-28T18:46:00.001-03:00

Roger Goodell noticed the snowflake in icy blue-and-white, centered before the George Washington Bridge , during the debut of the host committee's logo for the 2014 Super Bowl.

"I think that's great," the NFL commissioner said Tuesday. "A little snow would be great for us. But whatever comes our way, we're going to be prepared for it."

The game at MetLife Stadium will be the first outdoor Super Bowl in a cold-weather venue. Although the lowest Super Bowl kickoff temperature has been 39 degrees, average February temperatures at East Rutherford, N.J., are 24 to 40 degrees.

"It's football like it was meant to be played - in the open, exposed to whatever winter throws our way," the new print advertising campaign for the game states.

Goodell is hoping for light snow and maintained the organizers will be prepared for foul weather.

"We're coming and playing in the winter, and I think that would be great," he said. "Some of our most memorable games were played in unusual weather circumstances. Winter and cold are part of football, and snow is also."

Given the venue, it figures to be a unique Super Bowl. The logo and advertising were unveiled at an 8 a.m. "power breakfast" news conference at The Modern, a restaurant in the Museum of Modern Art .

The print campaign starting Wednesday and a broadcast advertisement that debuts Sunday are brash, with a deep voice proclaiming: "A game so important, an event so monumental, a Super Bowl so historic it takes two states to host it." The campaign and logos were designed by Source Communications in New Jersey .

Both New Jersey and New York are featured. The TV ad includes the Statue of Liberty with shoulder pads, and yard lines on a field on the GW Bridge. The logo has an "NY" and "NJ" flanking the flake at the span's base.

"We thought it would be both fun and direct to put the snowflake right into our major symbol," said Al Kelly, the former American Express president hired in April as chief executive officer of the host committee.

The NFL said an additional game logo will be released in the year before the event.

Kelly said fans should expect ticket prices above the $600 and $1,200 charged for this year's game at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington , Texas .

"I expect our ticket prices will probably be the most expensive ticket prices of any Super Bowl that's been held," he said, "but I think that's a decision that sits with the NFL, and it's a decision that hasn't been made yet."

NFL owners awarded the game to the $1.6 billion venue in May 2010, just as the stadium was opening.

Kelly said 22 businesses had signed up as sponsors and will pay a minimum $1 million each. Among the co-chairs representing the sponsors are Lloyd Blankfein of Goldman Sachs & Co.; Janet Robinson of The New York Times; Massimo d'Amore of PepsiCo Beverages Americas; Gerald Hassell of BNY Mellon; Robert Kapito of BlackRock; and Michael Kowalski of Tiffany & Co.

"The world will be waiting for us to probably screw up on this because this is the first cold-weather Super Bowl," New York Jets owner Woody Johnson said. "It was very courageous of our commissioner, Roger Goodell and our fellow owners to vote yes on this - albeit on the fourth or fifth ballot."

On other subjects, Goodell said management still is pushing to start testing for human growth hormone. NFLPA executive director DeMaurice Smith has said his members question the safety and reliability of the blood test.

"It's our intention to do it as soon as possible," Goodell said. "We're waiting to hear back from the union."

Goodell wouldn't state an opinion on whether Philadelphia quarterback Michael Vick should have continued playing last weekend despite an injured hand.

"I think that's for the doctors. Doctors make those decisions," he said.

Goodell also said the NFL would not consider a Super Bowl outside the United States for now, such as London 's Wembley, preferring to concentrate on the stadiums of teams in the league.

Having reached a labor agreement with players during the summer that ended a four-month lockout, Goodell said he hasn't given any recommendations to NBA Commissioner David Stern, in the midst of his own lockout.

"I talked to David yesterday. I don't give him any advice," Goodell said. "He's the dean. He gives us advice." (source New York Post)

NUMEROS DE LA SEMANA 2 DE LA NFL

2011-09-15T11:42:00.007-03:00

¡ES BUENO ESTAR DE REGRESO!
El football americano de la NFL regresó en gran forma en la Semana 1, con marcas e hitos siendo logrados en casi cualquier momento. Marcas de NFL para una sola semana en mayor cantidad total de yardas aéreas (7,842), pasadores de 300 yardas (14) y anotaciones mediante retornos de patadas combinados (ocho) fueron establecidos esta semana, para nombrar sólo algunas.

QUE NO CUNDA EL PÁNICO.
Al final de la Semana 2, no más de 12 equipos serán capaces de clamar una marca perfecta de 2-0, dejando al menos a 20 clubes en 1-1 o 0-2.

Desde el realineación en 2002, 62 de los 108 equipos clasificados a la postemporada (57.4 por ciento) comenzaron el año con registro de 1-1 o 0-2.

Un vistazo a cómo los clubes que alcanzaron la postemporada en 2009 y 2010 comenzaron sus campañas:

HOGAR DULCE HOGAR.
Tanto New England como Pittsburgh regresan a casa en la Semana 2 tras haber arrancado la temporada 2011 fuera de casa. Los Patriots, que recibirán a San Diego, tienen marca de 60-12 (.833) en el Gillette Stadium desde que fue inaugurado en 2002, el mejor porcentaje ganador de cualquier equipo en un estadio desde 1970 (mínimo de 25 juegos). Los Patriots ganaron 14 de los últimos 16 arranques en casa, incluyendo una marca perfecta de 9-0 marca en el Gillette.

Pittsburgh está 58-21-1 (.731) en el Heinz Field desde su apertura en 2001, lo que lo ubica cuarto desde 1970. Los Steelers, que recibirán a Seattle el domingo, ganaron ocho aperturas en casa consecutivas, la segunda racha activa más larga en la liga (New England, nueve).

Los equipos con los porcentajes ganadores más altos en un estadio desde 1970 (mínimo de 25 juegos):

EQUIPO - ESTADIO - G-P-E - PORCENTAJE DE TRIUNFOS

New England Patriots
Gillette Stadium
60-12-0
.833

Miami Dolphins
Orange Bowl
101-22-1
.819

Minnesota Vikings
Metropolitan Stadium
64-23-1
.733

Pittsburgh Steelers
Heinz Field
58-21-1
.731

L.A. Rams
LA Memorial Coliseum
53-20-2
.726

Nota: Marcas anteriores a 1972 no cuentan en el porcentaje de triunfos.

LA NFL CELEBRA EL MES DE LA HERENCIA HISPANA
La NFL, la Fundación de la Herencia Hispana (HHF, por su siglas en inglés de Hispanic Heritage Foundation) y Bud Light se asociaron para lanzar los “Premios del liderazgo de la Herencia Hispana de la NFL presentados por Bud Light” durante la celebración 2011 del Mes de la Herencia Hispana (Hispanic Heritage Month), en el período septiembre 15-octubre 15. Los premios reconocen la contribución de líderes hispanos en cada mercado de la NFL.

Cada premio será entregado en el estadio en un juego de la Herencia Hispana en su mercado local. Esta semana, siete clubes –Broncos, Lions, Dolphins, Patriots, Giants, Jets y Redskins– harán sus entregas honoríficas.

Con el apoyo de Bud Light, cada homenajeado elegirá una organización de su preferencia que sirva en la comunidad hispana local para recibir una donación de 2,000 dólares.

LOS PATRIOTS PROCURAN EXTENDER SU RACHA.
Los New England Patriots ganaron nueve juegos consecutivos de temporada regular, retrotrayéndose a la campaña pasada, la racha más larga activa en la NFL.

Con una victoria el domingo contra San Diego, BILL BELICHICK se convertiría en el segundo entrenador en jefe en la historia de la NFL con tres rachas ganadoras separadas de 10 juegos, sumándose al miembro del Salón de la Fama DON SHULA.

Los Patriots de Belichick ganaron 21 juegos consecutivos en el período 2006-08 y 18 juegos consecutivos en el lapso 2003-04.

Shula encabezó a los Baltimore Colts a 11 victorias seguidas en 1964 y registró dos rachas ganadoras de 10 juegos con los Miami Dolphins (16 en 1971-73; 10 en 1973; 16 en 1983-84).

GONZO ASCIENDE.
El ala cerrada de los Atlanta Falcons TONY GONZÁLEZ necesita cinco recepciones contra los Philadelphia Eagles el domingo en la noche para superar al receptor TERRELL OWENS en el quinto lugar en la lista histórica.

En 15 temporadas, González ostenta 1,074 recepciones, la mayor cantidad por un ala cerrada en la historia de la NFL.

Los jugadores con la mayor cantidad de recepciones en la historia de la NFL:

JUGADOR - RECEPCIONES
Jerry Rice, 1,549
Marvin Harrison, 1,102
Cris Carter, 1,101
Tim Brown, 1,094
Terrell Owens, 1,078
Tony González, 1,074*
* Activo

FABULOSO EN SUS 50.
El mariscal de campo de Baltimore JOE FLACCO realizará la 50ª titularidad de su carrera para los Ravens este domingo contra Tennessee. Con una victoria contra los Titans, Flacco (33 victorias) empataría a PHILIP RIVERS (34) en la cuarta mayor cantidad de victorias de cualquier mariscal de campo activo a lo largo de sus primeras 50 titularidades.

El de Atlanta MATT RYAN (33 victorias en 47 titularidades en su carrera), está también empatado con Flacco. Realizará su 50º inicio en la Semana 4, contra Seattle.

Los mariscales de campo activos en la NFL con la mayor cantidad de victorias en sus primeras 50 titularidades:

MARISCAL DE CAMPO - TRIUNFOS
Tom Brady, 38
Ben Roethlisberger, 36
Tony Romo, 35
Philip Rivers, 34
Donovan McNabb, 31
Michael Vick, 31
Joe Flacco *, 33
Matt Ryan **, 33
* 49 titularidades; ** 47 titularidades

¡OTRA, OTRA!
En la victoria de New England 38-24 sobre Miami el lunes en la noche, el mariscal de campo de los Patriots TOM BRADY lanzó 517 yardas, la quinta mayor cantidad en un juego en la historia de la NFL.

Brady es uno de 11 mariscales de campo en lanzar 500 yardas. De esos 11, DREW BREES lanzó la mayor cantidad de yardas (349) en el juego siguiente a su desempeño de 500 yardas. Brady necesita 350 yardas aéreas contra San Diego en la Semana 2 para superar la marca de Brees.

Los mariscales de campo que lanzaron 500 yardas en un solo juego y cómo les fue la semana siguiente:

MOMENTUM: NFL ROARS BACK! - Ingles

2011-09-15T09:11:00.005-03:00

RECORD 107.4 MILLION FANS TUNE IN
ON KICKOFF WEEKEND

Kickoff Weekend Games 3 Most-Watched Sporting Events
Since Super Bowl XLV

Cowboys-Jets on NBC Most-Watched Sunday Night Football Game Ever

NFL Games Top Ratings in All 30 NFL Markets

NFL.com & Digital Media Properties Post Opening Weekend Records

Beginning with the Thursday night NFL season opener, viewers across the country got back to football and tuned into NFL games and visited NFL digital media properties in record numbers.

A record 107.4 million fans tuned into Kickoff Weekend games (Sept. 8-12) on CBS, ESPN, FOX and NBC to rank as the most-viewed opening weekend ever.

Three Kickoff Weekend games topped 25 million average viewers -- NBC Thursday night opener (Saints-Packers, 27.2 million), FOX national game telecast (mostly Giants-Redskins, 25.8 million) and the NBC Sunday night game (Cowboys-Jets, 25.8 million) – to rank as the three most-watched sporting events since Super Bowl XLV. These three telecasts rank among the seven most-watched shows among all television programs since Super Bowl Sunday including awards shows, such as the Academy Awards, and season finales

In addition, Kickoff Weekend games averaged 19.0 million viewers – which coupled with last year’s average of 19.5 million marks the first time in a quarter century that NFL opening-weekend games averaged at least 19 million viewers in consecutive seasons (1986-1987).

Below are some additional records and highlights from Kickoff Weekend.

NATIONAL
· NBC’s Sunday Night Football opener is the most-watched SNF game ever (Cowboys-Jets, 25.8 million viewers). NBC’s two games averaged 26.5 million viewers, marking the highest Thursday-Sunday primetime average for NBC since the current Kickoff Weekend schedule was implemented in 2002. With Cowboys-Jets marking the first meeting in five years between starting quarterbacks of Hispanic heritage, NBC drew an SNF record 2.74 million Hispanic viewers.

LOCAL
· NFL games ranked first in all 30 NFL markets for the third consecutive Kickoff Weekend. NFL games also topped the ratings in 53 of Nielsen’s 56 metered markets -- up from 48 of 56 metered markets in 2010.
· Three teams delivered record-setting ratings for season-openers in their home markets led by the Super Bowl XLV champion Green Bay Packers (53.1 rating) followed by New England (33.9) and the New York Jets (19.7).
· Five clubs (Denver, Green Bay, Miami, N.Y. Jets, and Oakland) posted local ratings increases of more than 20 percent for Week 1.

DIGITAL
· NFL digital media properties, including NFL Mobile only from Verizon, had its best opening weekend ever with 46 percent more people visiting than last year.
· On Sunday, fans watched 75 percent more video compared to Kickoff Sunday in 2010.
· Fans spent 48 percent more time on NFL digital media properties than last year.
· Visits to the expanded array of NFL mobile offerings were up nearly 500 percent from 2010.

Following is the list of all 30 NFL markets where football was the top-rated program for the week of Sept. 5 - 11:

Source: NFL & The Nielsen Company

PACKERS QB AARON RODGERS, BEARS LB BRIAN URLACHER & 49ERS KR-PR TED GINN JR. NAMED NFC PLAYERS OF WEEK 1 - Ingles

2011-09-15T09:05:00.002-03:00

Quarterback AARON RODGERS of the Green Bay Packers, linebacker BRIAN URLACHER of the Chicago Bears and kick returner-punt returner TED GINN JR. of the San Francisco 49ers are the NFC Offensive, Defensive and Special Teams Players of the Week for games played on Kickoff Weekend 2011 (September 8, 11-12), the NFL announced today.

OFFENSE: QB AARON RODGERS, GREEN BAY PACKERS
Rodgers completed 27 of 35 passes (77.1 percent) for 312 yards with three touchdowns and no interceptions for a 132.1 passer rating in the Packers’ 42-34 win over New Orleans.
In the first quarter, Rodgers completed 14 of 15 passes (93.3 percent) for 188 yards with three touchdowns and no interceptions for a 158.3 passer rating – the highest mark attainable.
He became just the second player in NFL history to throw three touchdown passes in the first quarter of a season opener (JACK KEMP, Buffalo, September 13, 1964).
Rodgers led the Packers to 42 points, the second-most in a season opener in franchise history, trailing only the 53 points scored in 1919 against Menominee North End A.C.
In his seventh season from California, this is Rodgers’ third career Player of the Week Award. He was honored twice last season (Weeks 13 and 16).
Rodgers and BRETT FAVRE (12) are the only quarterbacks in team history to win the award at least three times.

DEFENSE: LB BRIAN URLACHER, CHICAGO BEARS
Urlacher had a 12-yard fumble-return touchdown, an interception and a team-high 10 tackles in the Bears’ 30-12 win over Atlanta.
His interception was the 19th of his career and he surpassed Pro Football Hall of Famer BILL GEORGE for the third most by a linebacker in team history. Urlacher has now recorded an interception in nine of his 12 seasons.
Urlacher’s touchdown was the fourth of his career and his first since December 23, 2007 (85-yard interception-return touchdown vs. Green Bay).
He led a defense that did not allow an offensive touchdown in Week 1, the only team in the NFL to do so.
In his 12th year from New Mexico, this is Urlacher’s sixth career Player of the Week Award and first since Week 8, 2004.
Urlacher’s six Defensive Player of the Week Awards are tied for the most in franchise history with Pro Football Hall of Fame defensive end RICHARD DENT.

SPECIAL TEAMS: KR-PR TED GINN JR., SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS
In the 49ers’ 33-17 win over Seattle, Ginn became the 12th player in NFL history – and the first on Kickoff Weekend – to return a kickoff (102 yards) and a punt (55 yards) for a touchdown in a game. He accomplished the feat just 59 seconds apart, the fastest of the 12 players to do so.
Ginn finished with a franchise-record 268 total yards (176 kickoff, 92 punt).
His returns marked the first time in team history that the 49ers had a kickoff-return touchdown and punt-return touchdown in the same game.
· In his fifth season from Ohio State, this is Ginn’s second career Player of the Week Award (Week 8, 2009 with Miami).
· Ginn is the first 49ers returner to be honored since 2003 (CEDRICK WILSON, Week 9).

2011 NFC PLAYERS OF THE WEEK 1

Offense
QB Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay

Defense
LB Brian Urlacher, Chicago

Special Teams
KR-PR Ted Ginn Jr., San Francisco

Other nominees for NFC Offensive Player of Week 1:
· Chicago running back MATT FORTÉ, who had 158 scrimmage yards (90 receiving, 68 rushing) and a touchdown.
· Washington quarterback REX GROSSMAN, who completed 21 of 34 passes (61.8 percent) for 305 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions for a 110.5 passer rating in the Redskins’ 28-14 win over the New York Giants.
· Arizona quarterback KEVIN KOLB, who completed 18 of 27 passes (66.7 percent) for 309 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions for a 130.0 passer rating in the Cardinals’ 28-21 win over Carolina.
· Philadelphia running back LE SEAN MC COY, who rushed for 122 yards and scored two touchdowns (one rushing, one receiving) in the Eagles’ 31-13 win at St. Louis.
· Carolina rookie quarterback CAM NEWTON, who passed for 422 yards, the most by a player in his NFL debut.
· Carolina wide receiver STEVE SMITH, who had eight catches for 178 yards and two touchdowns.
· Detroit quarterback MATTHEW STAFFORD, who completed 24 of 33 passes (72.7 percent) for 305 yards with three touchdowns and one interception for a 118.9 passer rating in the Lions’ 27-20 win at Tampa Bay.

Other nominees for NFC Defensive Player of Week 1:
· Philadelphia defensive end JASON BABIN, who had two sacks.
· San Francisco linebacker PARYS HARALSON, who had four tackles, two sacks and two forced fumbles.
· Washington rookie linebacker RYAN KERRIGAN, who had a nine-yard interception-return touchdown and five tackles.
· Dallas linebacker SEAN LEE, who had 15 tackles and a 37-yard interception return in the Cowboys’ 27-24 loss at the New York Jets.
· Philadelphia defensive end JUQUA PARKER, who had a 56-yard fumble-return touchdown.
· New York Giants defensive end JASON PIERRE-PAUL, who had six tackles, two sacks and a forced fumble.
· Washington rookie defensive tackle CHRIS NEILD, who had four tackles and two sacks.
· Tampa Bay cornerback AQIB TALIB, who had a 28-yard interception-return touchdown, four tackles and three passes defensed in the Buccaneers’ 27-20 loss to Detroit.
· Green Bay linebacker ERIK WALDEN, who had six tackles and a sack.
· Minnesota cornerback ANTOINE WINFIELD, who had 10 tackles, an interception and a forced fumble in the Vikings’ 24-17 loss at San Diego.

Other nominees for NFC Special Teams Player of Week 1:
· Green Bay rookie kick returner-wide receiver RANDALL COBB, who tied an NFL record with a 108-yard kickoff-return touchdown. Cobb added a 32-yard touchdown reception, becoming just the second rookie in NFL history with a kick-return touchdown and touchdown catch in his first game.
· Minnesota kick returner PERCY HARVIN, who had a 103-yard kick-return touchdown.
· Arizona rookie punt returner PATRICK PETERSON, who had an 89-yard punt-return touchdown.

PATRIOTS QB TOM BRADY, RAVENS LB TERRELL SUGGS & RAIDERS K SEBASTIAN JANIKOWSKI NAMED AFC PLAYERS OF WEEK 1 - Ingles

2011-09-15T08:57:00.002-03:00

Quarterback TOM BRADY of the New England Patriots, linebacker TERRELL SUGGS of the Baltimore Ravens and kicker SEBASTIAN JANIKOWSKI of the Oakland Raiders are the AFC Offensive, Defensive and Special Teams Players of the Week for games played on NFL Kickoff 2011 Weekend (September 8, 11-12), the NFL announced today.

OFFENSE: QB TOM BRADY, NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS
Brady completed 32 of 48 passes (66.7 percent) for a franchise-record 517 passing yards with four touchdowns and a 121.6 passer rating in a 38-24 win over the Miami Dolphins on Monday Night Football.
· Brady became the 11th quarterback in NFL history to pass for 500 yards. His 517 passing yards are the fifth-highest in league history.
Registered his 35th game with at least 300 passing yards, which ranks third among active NFL quarterbacks (PEYTON MANNING, 63; DREW BREES, 45).
In the fourth quarter, Brady connected with wide receiver WES WELKER for the 12th 99-yard touchdown pass in NFL history.
Brady (35,261) became the 18th quarterback ever to reach 35,000 career passing yards.
In his 12th season from Michigan, Brady earned Player of the Week honors for the 18th time, tying Pro Football Hall of Famer DAN MARINO (18) for the second-most Player of the Week awards of any player since the accolade was instituted in 1984 (PEYTON MANNING, 21).

DEFENSE: LB TERRELL SUGGS, BALTIMORE RAVENS
· Suggs tied career-highs with three sacks and two forced fumbles in the Ravens’ 35-7 win against the Steelers on Kickoff Weekend.
· Suggs, who now has 71.5 career sacks, surpassed PETER BOULWARE (70.0) for the most sacks in franchise history.
· Helped Ravens register a franchise-record seven takeaways (four fumble recoveries, three interceptions).
· In the first quarter, Suggs sacked Steelers quarterback BEN ROETHLISBERGER, forcing a fumble that was recovered by Baltimore defensive tackle HALOTI NGATA on Pittsburgh’s 37-yard line.
· In the fourth quarter, Suggs stripped Roethlisberger at the Steelers’ nine-yard line, leading to a recovery by Ravens defensive end CORY REDDING.
· Suggs’ three sacks were an NFL-best in Week 1.
· In his ninth year from Arizona State, this is Suggs’ third career Defensive Player of the Week Award. He most recently won the award in 2008 (Week 7).

SPECIAL TEAMS: K SEBASTIAN JANIKOWSKI, OAKLAND RAIDERS
· Center stage on Monday Night Football, Janikowski connected on a 63-yard field goal, tying the record for the longest field goal in NFL history, in a 23-20 win at Denver.
· He joined kickers TOM DEMPSEY and JASON ELAM in accomplishing the feat.
· Became the first player in NFL history with two 60-yard field goals (61-yard field goal on December 27, 2009).
· Janikowski’s three field goals (37, 21, 63) tied for an AFC-best in Week 1.
· In his 12th season from Florida State, this is Janikowski’s fourth career Special Teams Player of the Week Award. He most recently won the award in 2008 (Week 7).

2011 AFC PLAYERS OF THE WEEK 1

Offense
QB Tom Brady, New England

Defense
LB Terrell Suggs, Baltimore

Special Teams
K Sebastian Janikowski, Oakland

Other nominees for AFC Offensive Player of Week 1:
· Cincinnati running back CEDRIC BENSON, who gained 121 yards on 25 attempts (4.8 average) with one touchdown in a 27-17 win over Cleveland.
· Tennessee wide receiver KENNY BRITT, who had five receptions for 136 receiving yards (27.2 average) with two touchdowns in a 16-14 loss to Jacksonville.
· Buffalo quarterback RYAN FITZPATRICK, who completed 17 of 25 passes (68.0 percentage) for 208 yards with four touchdowns versus zero interceptions and a 133.0 passer rating in a 41-7 win at Kansas City.
· Baltimore quarterback JOE FLACCO, who completed 17 of 29 passes (58.6 percent) for 224 yards with three touchdowns versus zero interceptions and a 117.6 passer rating.
· Oakland running back DARREN MC FADDEN, who gained 150 rushing yards on 22 attempts (6.8 average).
· New York Jets quarterback MARK SANCHEZ, who completed 26 of 44 passes (59.1 percent) for 335 yards with two touchdowns versus one interception and 88.7 passer rating in a 27-24 win over Dallas.
· San Diego running back MIKE TOLBERT, who had three touchdowns (two receiving, one rushing) in a 24-17 win against Minnesota.
· Indianapolis wide receiver REGGIE WAYNE, who had seven receptions for 106 yards (15.1 average) with one touchdown.
· New England wide receiver WES WELKER, who totaled eight receptions for 160 receiving yards (20.0 average), including a record-tying 99-yard touchdown catch. Welker also tied a career-high with two touchdown receptions.

Other nominees for AFC Defensive Player of Week 1:
· New England safety PATRICK CHUNG, who had nine tackles and one sack.
· Cleveland cornerback JOE HADEN, who had three tackles and a career-high five passes defensed in a 27-17 loss to Cincinnati.
· Baltimore safety ED REED, who registered six tackles and two interceptions.
· New York Jets cornerback DARRELLE REVIS, who recorded six tackles and an interception.

Other nominees for AFC Special Teams Player of Week 1:
Denver punt returner-wide receiver ERIC DECKER, who registered a 90-yard punt return-touchdown in a 23-20 loss to Oakland.
· Houston punt returner-wide receiver JACOBY JONES, who had a 79-yard punt return-touchdown in a 34-7 win against Indianapolis.
· Baltimore punter SAM KOCH, who punted five times for 236 yards (47.2 average). Koch also rushed for a successful two-point conversion attempt.
· New York Jets running back JOE MC KNIGHT, who blocked a punt, that was recovered by Jets cornerback ISAIAH TRUFANT for an 18-yard touchdown return.
· San Diego punter MIKE SCIFRES, who was successful on a 40-yard field goal after replacing injured kicker NATE KAEDING.
· Jacksonville kicker JOSH SCOBEE, who connected on all three field goals (48, 21, 45) in a 16-14 win over Tennessee.

LUNES EN LA NOCHE – 19 DE SEPTIEMBRE DE 2011

2011-09-14T18:43:00.002-03:00

ST. LOUIS RAMS (0-1) EN NEW YORK GIANTS (0-1)

LÍDER DE LA SERIE
RAMS
GIANTS 25-13

RACHAS
RAMS
GIANTS Ultimos 4

EEJ CONTRA OPONENTE
RAMS Spagnuolo: 0-0
GIANTS Coughlin: 2-1

SEMANA PASADA
RAMS Perdió 31-13 contra los Eagles
GIANTS Perdió 28-14 de visita a los Redskins

ÚLTIMO JUEGO
14/09/08: Giants 41 en Rams 13.
El mariscal de New York Eli Manning completa 20 de 29 pases intentados para 260 yardas y tres anotaciones al tiempo que los Giants definen el juego con 21 puntos en el último período.

ÚLTIMO JUEGO EN LA SEDE
02/10/05: Giants 44, Rams 24.
Manning lanza 296 yardas y cuatro anotaciones para que los Giants derroten a St. Louis. El receptor Plaxico Burress registra 10 recepciones para 204 yardas y dos anotaciones.

TRANSMISIÓN
ESPN Deportes en los EEUU, ESPN en América Latina a las 8:30 PM, hora de New York: Álvaro Martín (relator), Raúl Allegre (analista), John Sutcliffe (periodista desde el terreno).

ESTADÍSTICAS

PASANDO
RAMS Bradford: 17-30-188-0-0-75.4
GIANTS Manning: 18-32-268-0-1-70.8

ACARREANDO
RAMS C. Williams: 19-91-4.8-0
GIANTS Bradshaw: 13-44-3.4-1 (1ºE en NFL)

RECIBIENDO
RAMS C. Williams (corredor): 5-49-9.8-0
GIANTS Nicks: 7-122 (2º en NFC)-17.4-0

OFENSIVA
RAMS 335.0
GIANTS 315.0

INTERCAMBIO DE ERRORES
RAMS 0
GIANTS 0

DEFENSIVA
RAMS 403.0
GIANTS 332.0

CAPTURAS
RAMS Tres empatados: 1
GIANTS Pierre-Paul: 2 (1ºE en NFC)

INTERCEPCIONES
RAMS 0
GIANTS 0

DESPEJES
RAMS Jones: 42.3
GIANTS Weatherford: 45.2

PATADAS DE UBICACIÓN
RAMS Jo. Brown: 7 (1/1 en puntos extra; 2/3 en goles de campo)
GIANTS Tynes: 2 (2/2 en puntos extra; 0/1 en goles de campo)

NOTAS

RAMS
El entrenador en jefe STEVE SPAGNUOLO fue coordinador defensivo de los Giants (2007-08), incluyendo al equipo campeón del Super Bowl XLII. EL MARISCAL DE CAMPO SAM BRADFORD necesita 300 yardas (3,700) para alcanzar 4,000 en su carrera. EL CORREDOR STEVEN JACKSON tuvo una anotación terrestre de 47 yardas la semana pasada en su primer acarreo de la temporada. Desde 2006, promedia 117.3 yardas desde la línea de golpeo por juego (8,446 yardas, 72 juegos), la mayor cantidad en la NFL (mínimo de 50 juegos). Tiene 414 yardas desde la línea de golpeo (138 por juego; 317 por tierra, 97 recibiendo) y cuatro anotaciones (tres terrestres, una recibiendo) en los últimos tres juegos de Lunes en la noche (MNF, por la siglas en inglés de Monday Night Football). Busca su 4º juego de Lunes en la noche en línea con un acarreo anotador.

EL CORREDOR CADILLAC WILLIAMS tuvo 91 yardas por tierra en su primer juego con St. Louis. También la semana pasada igualó el liderazgo del equipo con cinco recepciones para 49 yardas. EL RECEPTOR BRANDON GIBSON tuvo 50 yardas recibiendo la semana pasada (tres recepciones, 16.7 de promedio), la mejor producción del equipo.

EL ALA DEFENSIVA JAMES HALL tiene una captura y un balón suelto forzado en dos de los últimos tres encuentros. EL ALA DEFENSIVA CHRIS LONG tuvo una captura en el único juego contra los Giants. EL PROFUNDO QUINTIN MIKELL tuvo una intercepción en el último juego contra los Giants (19/12/10 con Philadelphia). Tuvo una captura y forzó un balón suelto en la Semana 1.

GIANTS
En su carrera, EL MARISCAL DE CAMPO ELI MANNING está 2-0 contra St. Louis, completando 39 de 64 (60.9 por ciento) para 556 yardas con siete anotaciones contra ninguna intercepción y un índice de 125.5. Busca su 4º triunfo consecutivo en Lunes en la noche. En el único encuentro, EL CORREDOR AHMAD BRADSHAW tuvo un acarreo anotador de 31 yardas y una recepción anotadora de 18 yardas. En sus tres juegos de Lunes en la noche, acarreó 290 yardas (96.7 por juego) y tres anotaciones. EL CORREDOR BRANDON JACOBS busca su tercer juego en línea en Lunes en la noche con un acarreo anotador. Tuvo 116 yardas por tierra en el último duelo de Lunes en la noche.

EL RECEPTOR HAKEEM NICKS tuvo siete recepciones para 122 yardas (17.4 de promedio) la semana pasada. En los últimos dos juegos de Lunes en la noche, tiene 16 recepciones para 204 yardas (102 por juego) y dos anotaciones. EL RECEPTOR MARIO MANNINGHAM tiene una anotación de 25+ yardas en dos de los últimos tres en Lunes en la noche. Tiene 14 anotaciones en su carrera y 12 han sido de 20+ yardas. Promedia 36.4 yardas por recepción anotadora en su carrera (510 yardas).

EL ALA DEFENSIVA JUSTIN TUCK tuvo dos capturas y un retorno de intercepción anotador de 41 yardas en el último encuentro contra St. Louis. EL ALA DEFENSIVA JASON PIERRE-PAUL tuvo un pico de carrera con dos capturas la semana pasada. También forzó un balón suelto en la primera semana.

DOMINGO EN LA NOCHE, 18 DE SEPTIEMBRE DE 2011

2011-09-14T18:13:00.002-03:00

PHILADELPHIA EAGLES (1-0) EN ATLANTA FALCONS (0-1)

LÍDER DE LA SERIE
EAGLES 15-10-1
FALCONS

RACHAS
Ultimos cuatro y seis de los últimos siete en total

EEJ CONTRA OPONENTE
EAGLES Reid: 8-1
FALCONS Smith: 0-3

SEMANA PASADA
EAGLES Ganó 31-13 de visita a los Rams
FALCONS Perdió 30-12 de visita a los Bears

ÚLTIMO JUEGO
17/10/10: Falcons 17 en Eagles 31.
El receptor de Philadelphia DeSean Jackson anota dos veces en el primer período (acarreo de 31 yardas, recepción de 34 yardas) para que los Eagles disfruten de una tempranera ventaja 14-0 hacia una victoria.

ÚLTIMO JUEGO EN LA SEDE
06/12/09: Eagles 34, Falcons 7.
La defensiva de Philadelphia mantiene a Atlanta en cero hasta la última jugada del pleito. El mariscal de los Eagles Michael Vick se acredita dos anotaciones (acarreo de 5 yardas, pase de 5 yardas).

TRANSMISIÓN
NBC en los EEUU en español a través del segundo canal de audio (SAP) a partir de las 8:00 PM, hora de New York: René Giraldo (relator), Edgar López (analista); ESPN en América Latina a las 8:00 PM, hora de New York: Eduardo Varela (relator), Roberto Abramowitz (analista).

ESTADÍSTICAS

PASANDO
EAGLES Vick: 14-32-187-2-0-83.7
FALCONS Ryan: 31-47-319-0-1-76.5

ACARREANDO
EAGLES McCoy: 15-122 (1º en NFC)-8.1-1 (1ºE en NFL)
FALCONS Turner: 10-100 (2º en NFC)-10.0-0

RECIBIENDO
EAGLES D. Jackson: 6-102-17.0-1 (3ºE en NFC)
FALCONS White: 8 (1ºE en NFC)-61-7.6-0

OFENSIVA
EAGLES 403.0
FALCONS 386.0

INTERCAMBIO DE ERRORES
EAGLES 0
FALCONS -2

DEFENSIVA
EAGLES 335.0
FALCONS 377.0

CAPTURAS
EAGLES Babin: 2 (1ºE en NFC)
FALCONS Abraham: 2 (1ºE en NFC)

INTERCEPCIONES
EAGLES
FALCONS Bierman: 1 (1ºE en NFC)

DESPEJES
EAGLES Chas Henry: 36.3
FALCONS Bosher (novato): 38.4

PATADAS DE UBICACIÓN
EAGLES Henery: 7 (4/4 en puntos extra; 1/1 en goles de campo)
FALCONS Bryant: 6 (0/0 en puntos extra; 2/2 en goles de campo)

NOTAS

EAGLES
EL MARISCAL DE CAMPO MICHAEL VICK fue la selección Nº 1 de Atlanta en 2001. Jugó seis temporadas (2001-06) y fue seleccionado a tres Pro Bowls con los Falcons. Tuvo un pase anotador y una anotación terrestre en el único juego contra Atlanta. La semana pasada lanzó 187 yardas y dos anotaciones y acarreó 97 yardas.

EL CORREDOR LE SEAN MC COY acarreó 391 yardas (130.3 por juego) y cuatro anotaciones en los últimos tres juegos en estadios cerrados. Tuvo 122 yardas por tierra, y anotó por esa vía (49 yardas) y también recibiendo (7 yardas) la semana pasada. Desde el inicio de 2010, encabeza a los corredores de la NFL con 80 recepciones.

En el último encuentro, EL RECEPTOR-DEVOLVEDOR DE DESPEJES DE SEAN JACKSON tuvo un acarreo anotador de 31 yardas y una recepción anotadora de 34 yardas. Tiene 27 anotaciones (20 recibiendo, cuatro devolviendo despejes, tres acarreando) en su carrera y promedia 45.7 yardas por anotación (1,234 yardas). EL RECEPTOR JEREMY MACLIN tuvo siete recepciones para 159 yardas, un pico de carrera, y dos anotaciones (83 y 8 yardas) en el último encuentro. La anotación de 83 yardas es la más larga de su carrera.

EL ESQUINERO ASANTE SAMUEL tiene una intercepción en dos de los últimos tres encuentros. Ostenta 36 intercepciones desde 2006, la mayor cantidad en la NFL. EL ALA DEFENSIVA TRENT COLE tuvo dos capturas y un forzó un balón suelto en el último juego contra Atlanta. EL ALA DEFENSIVA JUQUA PARKER tuvo un retorno anotador de balón suelto recuperado de 56 yardas la semana pasada, la 2ª anotación de su carrera (retorno anotador de intercepción de 55 yardas).

FALCONS
EL MARISCAL DE CAMPO MATT RYAN está 20-2 (.909) en su carrera en casa con 32 anotaciones contra 12 intercepciones. En su carrera, registró un índice de 100+ 16 veces y los Falcons están 16-0. EL CORREDOR MICHAEL TURNER acarreó 2,048 yardas (97.5 por juego) y 24 anotaciones en los 21 juegos en casa desde haberse unido Atlanta en 2008. Sus 24 acarreos anotadores en casa significan la mayor cantidad en la NFL en ese lapso.

En los últimos cuatro encuentros, EL RECEPTOR RODDY WHITE tiene 27 recepciones para 390 yardas (97.5 por juego) y tres anotaciones. Desde el arranque de 2007, tiene 379 recepciones, la segunda mayor cantidad en la NFC. EL ALA CERRADA TONY GONZALEZ tuvo dos anotaciones en el último encuentro. Tiene 15 juegos en su carrera con 2+ anotaciones. EL RECEPTOR JULIO JONES, un novato, tuvo cinco recepciones para 71 yardas en su debut en la NFL.

EL ALA DEFENSIVA JOHN ABRAHAM tiene seis capturas en los últimos seis juegos en casa. Tuvo dos capturas la semana pasada. Tiene 104.5 capturas en su carrera, 2ª mayor cantidad en la NFL entre los jugadores activos. EL ALA DEFENSIVA KROY BIERMANN tuvo un retorno de intercepción anotador de 50 yardas la semana pasada, la 2ª anotación de su carrera (devolución de intercepción de 31 yardas).

TRAS UN HISTÓRICO FIN DE SEMANA DE APERTURA, AQUÍ LLEGA LA SEGUNDA SEMANA

2011-09-14T16:39:00.008-03:00

La NFL tuvo su “Vuelta al Football Americano” en gran forma, ya que el Fin de Semana de Apertura tuvo juego emocionante y desempeños para los libros de marcas. Entre los destacados de la primera semana:

Los 752 puntos anotados igualaron la novena mayor cantidad en una sola semana en la historia de la NFL y fue la segunda mayor cantidad en la historia en un Fin de Semana de Apertura.
Se anotaron 89 touchdowns, igualando la sexta mayor cantidad en una sola semana en la historia de la NFL y empatando la mayor cantidad en la historia en el Fin de Semana de Apertura (2002).
Los equipos de la NFL se combinaron para lanzar 7,842 yardas aéreas netas, el total más alto en cualquier semana en la historia de la NFL.

Hubieron cinco juegos en los que cada equipo tuvo un jugador que lanzó al menos 300 yardas, la mayor cantidad en ese tipo de juegos en una semana en la historia de la NFL.
Catorce mariscales de campo lanzaron al menos 300 yardas, la mayor cantidad en una sola semana en la historia de la NFL.
Hubieron ocho anotaciones mediante retorno de patadas combinadas (cinco de despeje, tres patadas iniciales), la mayor cantidad de anotaciones mediante retorno de patadas combinadas en una sola semana en la historia de la NFL.
Las tres anotaciones mediante retorno de patada inicial están igualadas en la mayor cantidad en un fin de semana de apertura en la historia de la NFL (1970, 1998).

Hubieron tres anotaciones mediante retorno de patada inicial de al menos 100 yardas –el de Green Bay RANDALL COBB (108 yardas, igualando una marca de NFL), el de Minnesota PERCY HARVIN (103) y el de San Francisco TED GINN JR. (102). Marcó apenas la segunda semana en la historia de la NFL con tres anotaciones mediante retorno de patada inicial de 100+ yardas (Semana 5, 1958).

El de San Francisco Ginn se convirtió en el 12º jugador en la historia de la NFL –y el primero en el Fin de Semana de Apertura– en devolver una patada inicial (102 yardas) y un despeje (55 yardas) para anotación en un solo juego. Ginn logró tal hazaña con apenas 59 segundos entre una y otra jugada, el más rápido de los 12 jugadores en hacerlo.
El mariscal de campo novato de Carolina CAM NEWTON tuvo 422 yardas aéreas, la mayor cantidad en la historia por un jugador en su debut en la NFL. La marca previa fue de 346 yardas por el miembro del Salón de la Fama OTTO GRAHAM en 1950. Las 422 yardas de Newton están igualadas en la mayor cantidad en un solo juego por un novato (MATTHEW STAFFORD, 22 de noviembre de 2009).

El receptor novato de Cincinnati A.J. GREEN se hizo de una recepción anotadora de 41 yardas que definió el pleito en el último período en el triunfo de los Bengals 27-17 sobre Cleveland. Fue la recepción anotadora de último período para definir un juego más larga en la historia de la NFL lograda por un novato en el primer partido de su equipo (22 yardas, COBB ROONEY, de los Duluth Kelleys, en 1924).

La apertura del jueves en la noche entre Green Bay (AARON RODGERS: 312 yardas, tres anotaciones) y New Orleans (DREW BREES: 419 yardas, tres anotaciones) fue la primera vez en la historia de la NFL que mariscales de campo enfrentados lanzaron ambos al menos 300 yardas y tres anotaciones sin intercepción alguna en las aperturas de temporada de sus equipos.
El duelo del lunes en la noche entre New England (TOM BRADY, 517) y Miami (CHAD HENNE, 416) fue el primer juego en la historia de la NFL con un pasador con 500 yardas y otro de 400. Las 906 yardas aéreas netas entre los dos equipos fue la mayor cantidad en un juego en la historia de la NFL.

¿Qué nos deparará esta semana? Aquí, un vistazo a unas cuantas historias breves al ingresar en la Semana 2:

CHICAGO BEARS (1-0) en NEW ORLEANS SAINTS (0-1)
(Domingo, FOX, 1:00 PM, hora de New York)

Los campeones defensores de la NFC Norte Chicago Bears buscan su segundo triunfo consecutivo sobre un equipo que alcanzó la postemporada en 2010, cuando viajen a New Orleans para enfrentarse a los Saints. En la primera semana, los Bears derrotaron a los Atlanta Falcons 30-12.

El mariscal de campo de Chicago JAY CUTLER lanzó 312 yardas en la apertura, su segunda titularidad en Fin de Semana de Apertura con al menos 300 yardas aéreas (372 yardas en 2010). Cutler es el único mariscal de campo de los Bears en lanzar al menos 300 yardas en el Fin de Semana de Apertura. El corredor de Chicago MATT FORTÉ agregó 158 yardas desde la línea de golpeo (90 recibiendo, 68 acarreando), incluyendo una recepción anotadora de 56 yardas.

Defensivamente, los Bears fueron encabezados por el apoyador BRIAN URLACHER, que tuvo una anotación mediante retorno de balón suelto recuperado de 12 yardas y una intercepción.

“Estamos empezando 1-0”, se alegra Urlacher. “Tenemos maneras de proseguir. Simplemente debemos seguir avanzando.”

Para seguir sobre ruedas, la defensiva de Chicago tratará detener a la ofensiva de New Orleans encabezada por el mariscal de campo DREW BREES, que lanzó 419 yardas y tres pases anotadores en el Fin de Semana de Apertura. El corredor DARREN SPROLES tuvo un debut dinámico por los Saints, al registrar 250 yardas totales (92 con devolución de despejes, 76 con retornos de patadas iniciales, 75 recibiendo, siete acarreando), incluyendo una anotación de 72 yardas mediante retorno de despeje.

“Cuando tiene un juego de casi 500 yardas (477) de ofensiva total contra uno de los mejores equipos en la liga fuera de casa”, expone Brees, “debes sentirte bien acerca de la dirección hacia la que estás yendo.”

SAN DIEGO CHARGERS (1-0) en NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS (1-0)
(Domingo, CBS, 4:15 PM, hora de New York)

El mariscal de campo de New England TOM BRADY lanzó 517 yardas, una marca de franquia y la quinta mejor producción en un solo juego en la historia de la NFL, y cuatro anotaciones en el triunfo de los Patriots 38-24 en la primera semana en Miami. New England produjo 622 yardas totales, el total más alto en un solo juego en la historia del equipo.

Entre las cuatro anotaciones de Brady estuvo un lanzamiento de 99 yardas al receptor WES WELKER, igualando la recepción anotadora más larga en la historia de la liga.

“Lo lancé sólo 25 yardas”, explica Brady. “Wes hizo todo el trabajo.”

Los Patriots se enfrentarán a una ofensiva fuerte esta semana, cuando los San Diego Chargers visiten el Gillette Stadium, estadio donde New England tiene marca perfecta de 9-0 en los primeros partidos de temporada en casa.

San Diego derrotó a los Minnesota Vikings 24-17 en el Fin de Semana de Apertura, en parte gracias al corredor MIKE TOLBERT, que anotó tres veces. Tolbert se convirtió en apenas el tercer miembro de los Chargers en registrar dos recepciones anotadoras y un acarreo anotador en el mismo juego (GARY W. ANDERSON, 19 de octubre de 1986; KEITH LINCOLN, 7 de noviembre de 1965).

“Supongo que estaba en el lugar correcto en el momento justo”, baja los decibeles Tolbert. “Algunas de esas jugadas fueron llamadas para mí, pero tuve un juego decente y siempre puedo hacerlo mejor.”

PHILADELPHIA EAGLES (1-0) en ATLANTA FALCONS (0-1)
(Domingo, NBC, 8:20 PM, hora de New York)

El mariscal de campo de Philadelphia MICHAEL VICK regresa a Atlanta, donde los Eagles enfrentarán a los Falcons el domingo en la noche. Vick fue la selección Nº 1 total de Atlanta en 2001 y jugó seis temporadas (2001-06) para los Falcons, acreditándose tres viajes al Pro Bowl durante ese lapso.

La semana pasada, Vick (187 yardas aéreas, dos anotaciones) encabezó a Philadelphia a una victoria 31-13 en St. Louis. Vick (97 yardas, 11 intentos) y el corredor LE SEAN MC COY (122 yardas, 15 intentos) encabezaron un juego terrestre que totalizó 236 yardas. Vick (8.8 de promedio) y McCoy (8.1) se convirtieron en la primera pareja de mariscal-corredor compañeros de equipo en la historia de la NFL en cada uno promediar al menos 8.0 yardas por acarreo en el mismo juego (mínimo de 10 acarreos cada uno).

“Encontramos las maneras de realizar jugadas”, explica Vick acerca del desempeño del equipo. “Lo más importante es que terminamos con el triunfo en el bolsillo. Lo hicimos realmente bien. Hay aún algunas cosas en las que debemos trabajar. Pero supimos cómo hacerlo.”

Los Falcons intentarán regresar de una derrota en el Fin de Semana de Apertura en Chicago y regresar a casa, donde el mariscal de campo MATT RYAN está 20-2 (.909) en su carrera.

“Estamos decepcionados con nuestro arranque”, se queja el entrenador en jefe de Atlanta MIKE SMITH. “Este es el inicio de la temporada de la NFL y no lo hicimos muy bien, pero lo sabemos. Será una temporada larga y corregiremos lo que haga falta.”

ST. LOUIS RAMS (0-1) en NEW YORK GIANTS (0-1)
(Lunes, ESPN, 8:30 PM, hora de New York)

Dos equipos con aspiraciones de llegar a la postemporada buscarán regresar tras haber arrancado la temporada con sendas derrotas. Bajo los focos del lunes en la noche estarán dos mariscales de campo seleccionados Nº 1 total, el de los Rams SAM BRADFORD (2010) y el de los Giants ELI MANNING (2004).

Bradford, que se espera que jugará a pesar de un magullón en el dedo índice derecho, viene de una destacada temporada como novato. El Novato ofensivo del año 2010 de AP llevó a St. Louis a siete victorias y estableció marcas de novato en la NFL con 590 intentos y 354 pases completos, mientras que se ubicó segundo en la historia entre novatos con 3,512 yardas.

Manning titularizó 104 juegos consecutivos como mariscal de campo –la racha actual más larga en la NFL en la posición– y es el único mariscal de campo en la historia de la franquicia con temporadas consecutivas de 4,000 yardas (2009-10). Está 2-0 en su carrera contra los Rams con siete anotaciones, ninguna intercepción y un índice de pasador de 125.5.

“Tenemos que alistarnos para jugar contra un gran equipo de los New York Giants”, acepta el entrenador en jefe de los Rams STEVE SPAGNUOLO, que estuvo dos años como coordinador defensivo de los Giants (2007-08), incluyendo la temporada en la que el equipo llegó y ganó el Super Bowl XLII.

LA NFL, LA HISPANIC HERITAGE FOUNDATION Y BUD LIGHT LANZAN LOS PREMIOS NFL HISPANIC HERITAGE LEADERSHIP AWARDS

2011-09-14T16:30:00.003-03:00

Presentado por Bud Light, 32 líderes hispanos serán reconocidos durante el mes de la herencia hispana en cada ciudad con un equipo de la NFL

La NFL y la Hispanic Heritage Foundation (HHF por sus siglas en inglés – Fundación de la herencia hispana) se unen para inaugurar el premio NFL Hispanic Heritage Leadership Awards presentados por Bud Light (Premios NFL a líderes de la herencia hispana presentados por Bud Light) durante la celebración del mes de la herencia hispana en el 2011. Los premios reconocen las contribuciones de líderes hispanos en cada área metropolitana que cuente con un equipo de la NFL.

Cada galardonado será reconocido en el estadio donde fue seleccionado durante un partido que se celebre en el mes de la herencia hispana.

Lillian Rodríguez López, presidente del Hispanic Federation, quien fue seleccionado por los New York Giants, será reconocida por la NFL y la HHF durante la vigésima quinta entrega de los prestigiosos premios Hispanic Heritage Awards (premios a la herencia hispana nacionales) en el Kennedy Center en Washington, D.C. el 15 de septiembre. Los premios Hispanic Heritage Awards honran a hispanos notables quienes se distinguen en varios campos e impactan a los Estados Unidos y al planeta. Los premios se consideran el máximo honor entre los hispanos para hispanos en los Estados Unidos y dan comienzo a las iniciativas anuales de liderato de la HHF. En el 2011, los premios Hispanic Heritage Awards celebran su 25 aniversario, el mismo aniversario que celebra el mes de la herencia hispana en los Estados Unidos. Bud Light es la cerveza oficial de los Hispanic Heritage Awards.

Con el apoyo de Bud Light, cada ganador del premio seleccionará a una organización que ofrezca servicios a la comunidad hispana local para que reciba un donativo de $2,000. Bud Light ha apoyado la comunidad hispana por décadas, contribuyendo más de $64 millones a organizaciones hispanas desde 1982.

“Junto a la Hispanic Heritage Foundation y a Bud Light, nos enorgullece reconocer un líder en cada una de las ciudades donde residen nuestros equipos de NFL durante el mes de la herencia hispana”, destaca Peter O’Reilly, vicepresidente de estrategia al aficionado y mercadeo de la NFL. “Nos entusiasma honrar individuos que inspiran a sus comunidades locales hispanas, así como darles una oportunidad de apoyar a una organización que ellos y ellas aprecien con un donativo”.

“Estamos muy entusiasmados de asociarnos con la NFL y con Bud Light para honrar a líderes hispanos quienes tienen un impacto notable en comunidades en todos los Estados Unidos”, declaró José Antonio Tijerino, Presidente y Primer ejecutivo de la HHF. “Es importante resaltar su liderazgo no sólo en las regiones del país con población hispana establecida, sino también en las áreas en que esta comunidad se afianza y crece. La NFL y Bud Light se aseguran que, más allá del reconocimiento, habrá una inversión en las comunidades a través de sus donativos. No hay una manera mejor de celebrar el Mes de la herencia hispana que hacer mella positivamente en la comunidad hispana”.

“Bud Light reconoce de esta manera a 32 líderes sobresalientes en cada una de las comunidades con equipos de NFL con este premio”, recalcó Margarita Flores, Vicepresidenta de asuntos comunitarios de Anheuser-Busch. “Aplaudimos a los ganadores por su esfuerzo y por contribuir a mejorar sus comunidades”.

La NFL celebrará el mes de la herencia hispana durante la tercera semana de la temporada 2011. El enfoque nacional de la celebración de la NFL será durante sus clásicos del domingo y lunes por la noche (Sunday Night Football y Monday Night Football). Los Pittsburgh Steelers enfrentan a los Indianapolis Colts el domingo, 25 de septiembre y los Washington Redskins enfrentan a los Dallas Cowboys el lunes, 26 de septiembre.

Los ganadores del premio NFL Hispanic Heritage Leadership Awards son los siguientes:

EQUIPO
GALARDONADO

Arizona Cardinals
Anthony Robles: campeón universitario de lucha libre en la NCAA de Arizona State University; nació con una sola pierna.

Atlanta Falcons
Rudy Beserra: Vicepresidente de asuntos hispanos, Coca Cola Company.

Baltimore Ravens
Luis Borunda: Fundador y Presidente, USHYEE.

Buffalo Bills
Ralph Hernández: Presidente y representante del West District de la Junta de educación de Buffalo.

Carolina Panthers
Andrea Bazán: una de las máximas activistas de causas hispanas en North Carolina.

Chicago Bears
Juan Rangel: Primer ejecutivo de United Neighborhood Organization.

Cincinnati Bengals
Fernando Aguirre: Director y Primer ejecutivo de Chiquita Brands International.

Cleveland Browns
Stephanie Mercado: Director ejecutivo del Northeast Ohio Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.

Dallas Cowboys
Adelfa Callejo: Socio en el bufete Callejo and Callejo. Primera hispana en graduarse de la escuela de leyes Dedman School of Law en Southern Methodist University.

Denver Broncos
Mario Carrera: un reconocido ejecutivo de ventas en medios prestigiosos de comunicación (televisión, radio y entidades en Internet).

Detroit Lions
Harvey Santana: Miembro de la Cámara de representantes de Michigan, representando el Décimo distrito en Detroit.

Green Bay Packers
Ricardo Díaz: Director ejecutivo del United Community Center.

Houston Texans
Benny Agosto: Socio del bufete Abraham, Watkins, Nichols, Sorrels, Agosto & Friend. Presidente del Hispanic National Bar Association.

Indianapolis Colts
Henry L. Fernández: Director ejecutivo de USA Funds.

Jacksonville Jaguars
Doctora Edith A. Pérez: Subdirectora del Mayo Clinic Cancer Center.

Kansas City Chiefs
Cici Rojas: Vicepresidente de compromiso con la comunidad del Truman Medical Center.

Miami Dolphins
Doctor Pedro José Greer: Fundador del Camillus Health Concern. Decano asistente de asuntos académicos en la escuela de medicina de Florida International University.

Minnesota Vikings
Ramón León: Presidente fundador y Primer ejecutivo de Latino Economic Development Center.

New England Patriots
Alejandra St. Guillén: Director ejecutivo de ¿Oiste? The Latino Civic Education Initiative.

New Orleans Saints
Anna Frachou: Interim Director ejecutivo interino de Puentes New Orleans.

New York Giants
Lillian Rodríguez López: Presidente de la Hispanic Federation.

New York Jets
Ricardo Fernández: Presidente de Lehman College.

Oakland Raiders
Michael Torres: Socio principal, Primer ejecutivo y director de carteras en Adelante Capital Management.

Philadelphia Eagles
Angel Cruz: Miembro de la Cámara de representantes de Pennsylvania, representando al Distrito 180 en Philadelphia.

Pittsburgh Steelers
Victor Diaz: Presidente de Videotek Construction y Primer ejecutivo del Pittsburgh Metropolitan Area Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.

St. Louis Rams
Coronel Jaime Torres, U.S. Air Force

San Diego Chargers
Rubén Barrales: Presidente y Primer ejecutivo de la Cámara de comercio regional de San Diego.

San Francisco 49ers
Oscar y Marco García: Cofundadores de Mesa de la Comunidad.

Seattle Seahawks
Roberto Maestas: Cofundador de El Centro de La Raza, fungiendo como su director por 36 años.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Francisco J. Sánchez: Subsecretario a cargo de comercio internacional en el Departamento del Comercio de los Estados Unidos.

Tennessee Titans
Renata Soto: Cofundador y Director ejecutivo de Conexión Américas.

Washington Redskins
Guillermo Enrique López: Director de patrocinios y eventos al consumidor de Verizon.

Coach Morris broke the rules - Ingles

2011-09-13T09:41:00.000-03:00

Tampa Bay Buccaneers coach Raheem Morris admitted he broke league rules by contacting players during the NFL lockout.

Morris acknowledged on Monday speaking to Bucs tight end Kellen Winslow and cornerback Aqib Talib despite knowing he was prohibited from having any contact with players during the recent lockout.

"I called Kellen to say congratulations on the new baby," Morris said. "I haven't heard any reports. I heard the rumors about the fine and all that type of stuff, but I haven't gotten anything from anybody."

Morris talked with Aqib after he was arrested in Texas in March, Morris said. Talib is charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, accused by police of firing shots at his sister's boyfriend and trying to hit him with a handgun.

"I called Aqib when he got to jail," Morris said. "I called Kellen when he had a baby."

Morris likely will be fined by the NFL if it determines he illegally contacted players. This article was written by Anwar S. Richardson and appeared in The Tampa Tribune.

NUMEROS DE LA SEMANA DE APERTURA DE LA NFL

2011-09-09T15:44:00.002-03:00

SEMANA 1

SUPER ARRANQUES.
La historia indica que la mejor manera de que un equipo inicie su marcha hacia un posible campeonato de Super Bowl es ganando en la Semana 1.

Los 45 ganadores del Super Bowl tienen una marca de 37-7-1 en los juegos del Fin de Semana de Apertura de sus campañas de campeonato.

Desde 1978, cuando la NFL adoptó el calendario de 16 juegos, y excluyendo la temporada abreviada de 1982, los equipos que resultaron victoriosos en el Fin de Semana de Apertura tienen más del doble de oportunidades de alcanzar la postemporada que los perdedores de esos juegos iniciales:

· De los 474 equipos que ganaron en sus aperturas…251 alcanzaron la postemporada.

· De los 474 equipos que perdieron en sus aperturas…111 alcanzaron la postemporada.

VUELVE EL FOOTBALL AMERICANO

GANADORES TEMPRANEROS.
La temporada 2011 arranca el jueves en la noche cuando los campeones del Super Bowl XLV, los GREEN BAY PACKERS, reciban a los ganadores del Super Bowl XLIV, los NEW ORLEANS SAINTS. La última vez que los dos últimos campeones del Super Bowl se encontraron en el Fin de Semana de Apertura fue en 2000, cuando los St. Louis Rams (campeones del Super Bowl XXXIV) derrotaron a los Denver Broncos (campeones del Super Bowl XXXIII).

Los Packers ganaron 51 juegos en un Fin de Semana de Apertura, igualando a los CHICAGO BEARS en mayor cantidad de triunfos en la historia en un Fin de Semana de Apertura. Chicago recibirá a los Atlanta Falcons el domingo.

Los equipos con la mayor cantidad de victoria en Fin de Semana de Apertura:

EQUIPO - VICTORIAS EN EL ARRANQUE

Chicago, 51
Green Bay, 51
New York Giants, 49
Detroit, 42
Pittsburgh, 40

STEELERS EN RACHA.
Los Pittsburgh Steelers ganaron ocho juegos consecutivos en un Fin de Semana de Apertura, la racha actual más larga en la NFL.

Con una victoria el domingo en Baltimore, Pittsburgh puede igualar a los Chicago Bears (1984-1992) en la cuarta mayor cantidad de triunfos consecutivos en la historia en Fin de Semana de Apertura.

La mayor cantidad de juegos ganados consecutivamente en la historia en arranques de temporada:

EQUIPO - AÑOS - RACHA

Dallas Cowboys, 1965-1981, 17
Miami Dolphins, 1992-2002, 11
Detroit Lions/ Portsmouth Spartans, 1930-1939, 10
Chicago Bears, 1984-1992, 9
Pittsburgh Steelers, 2003-presente, 8*

* Racha activa

TITULAR VELOZ.
El corredor de los Minnesota Vikings ADRIAN PETERSON acarreó 1,552 yardas en 14 los juegos de su carrera en septiembre. El corredor de quinto año promedia 110.9 yardas por tierra por juego en el mes, lo que marca el promedio más alto de tardas terrestres por juego en septiembre en la historia de la NFL (mínimo de 10 juegos).

El corredor de los Tennessee Titans CHRIS JOHNSON se ubica tercero en la lista con 98.9 yardas acarreadas por juego en septiembre.

Las mayores cantidades de yardas acarreadas por juego en una carrera en septiembre en la historia de la NFL (mínimo de 10 juegos):

JUGADOR - PROMEDIO DE YARDAS TERRESTRES POR JUEGO

Adrian Peterson*, 110.9
Jim Brown, 110.8
Chris Johnson*, 98.9
Barry Sanders, 97.0
Terrell Davis, 94.0

*Activo

BUSCANDO 70.
El mariscal de campo de los Pittsburgh Steelers BEN ROETHLISBERGER ostenta registro de 69-29 (.704) en su carrera como titular. Roethlisberger buscará la 70ª victoria contra los Baltimore Ravens en el Fin de Semana de Apertura. Con un triunfo, Roethlisberger registrará su 70º en la cuarta menor cantidad de titularidades (99) entre los mariscales de campo que comenzaron sus carreras en la era del Super Bowl.

Las menores cantidades de titularidades para alcanzar las 70 victorias en una carrera entre mariscales de campo que comenzaron sus carreras en la era del Super Bowl:

JUGADOR - TITULARIDADES PARA GANAR 70

Roger Staubach, 94
Tom Brady, 94
Ken Stabler, 98
Joe Montana, 102
Terry Bradshaw, 102

CENTRO DE ESCENA.
El entrenador en jefe de los Tennessee Titans MIKE MUNCHAK realizará su debut como entrenador en jefe el domingo. El ex lindero ofensivo es el 12º jugador miembro del Salón de la Fama en convertirse en entrenador en jefe desde 1970. Con un triunfo en Jacksonville, Munchak se convertiría en apenas el cuarto jugador ya exaltado en el Salón de la Fama desde 1970 en ganar su primer juego como entrenador en jefe.

Los jugadores miembros del Salón de la Fama que ganaron su primer juego como entrenador en jefe desde 1970:

ENTRENADOR EN JEFE - EQUIPO - AÑO

Raymond Berry, New England Patriots, 1984
Art Shell, Los Angeles Raiders, 1989
Larry Wilson, St. Louis Cardinals, 1979

BIENVENIDO DE REGRESO.
Seleccionado en primera vuelta (Nº 26 total) por los Chicago Bears en 1987, el entrenador en jefe de los San Francisco 49ers JIM HARBAUGH realizará su debut como entrenador en jefe de la NFL contra los Seattle Seahawks el domingo.

El ex mariscal de campo lanzó 26,288 yardas y 129 pases anotadores durante su carrera de 15 años en la NFL (1987-2001). Las 26,288 yardas aéreas de Harbaugh es la mayor cantidad en la historia por un mariscal de campo de la NFL se luego se convirtiera en entrenador en jefe de la liga.

MARISCAL DE CAMPO - YARDAS AÉREAS EN SU CARRERA

Jim Harbaugh, 26,288
Bart Starr*, 24,718
Norm Van Brocklin*, 23,611
Sammy Baugh*, 21,886
Jim Zorn, 21,115

*Miembro del Salón de la Fama

Delivered Just in Time for Kickoff - Ingles

2011-09-09T12:41:00.000-03:00

If professional football did not exist, Madison Avenue would probably try to invent it. The sport delivers large audiences for the important fall and Christmas shopping seasons. Those audiences almost all watch the games live, meaning there is no fast-forwarding through commercials during DVR playbacks. And each season culminates with a mid-winter event during which viewers are known to focus on the ads as much as the action.

So this year’s lengthy lockout, which raised speculation that there would be no 2011-12 National Football League season, filled marketers and agencies with dread. The settlement that meant the season would start on time brought loud sighs of relief, along with a rush by N.F.L. sponsors to put the finishing touches on big new advertising efforts.

A notable example is FedEx, which will introduce a campaign during the first game of the season, between the Green Bay Packers and the New Orleans Saints, which will be broadcast by NBC on Thursday. The campaign presents a new theme, “Solutions that matter,” which replaces a theme, “We understand,” that was introduced in 2009.

“We were sweating” the potential for a delay or disruption, said Steve Pacheco, director for advertising at FedEx in Memphis.

With the potential of disruption in the past, he added, FedEx put together “an aggressive plan to launch the campaign.”

In addition to the television commercials, elements of the campaign include ads online as well as commercials in movie theaters and on the FedEx channel on YouTube, at youtube.com/FedEx. Also, a section of the FedEx Web site will be devoted to the campaign, at fedex.com/solutionsthatmatter.

Although the previous theme “performed well,” Mr. Pacheco said, “we needed to do a better job telling all the cool things we do to help solve people’s problems,” whether it is delivering precious cargo, printing documents or shipping golf clubs.

“We’re too young to have an identity crisis,” he said of FedEx, which began express package deliveries in 1973, “but we want to make sure people know all the roles we play.”

The first four commercials in the campaign use humor to try to achieve that goal. One spot borrows Hollywood techniques, including special effects and dramatic music, to tell how FedEx can deliver a heart valve from Australia “in time for an operation” in Los Angeles.

A second spot is devoted to explaining to the owner of an auto repair shop, who is looking for “an edge,” how FedEx can ship parts “from factories around the world” and “clear them through customs.”

A third commercial describes how the services available at FedEx Office stores can even help an entrepreneur who is hidden in the witness protection program.

And in a fourth commercial, a FedEx employee delivers packages to a company that is trying to be “more environmentally aware.” When he is unexpectedly asked to talk about FedEx’s green steps, he mentions “more electric trucks and lower-emission planes” as well as reusable envelopes.

The campaign is being produced by the longtime creative agency for FedEx, BBDO New York, part of the BBDO North America unit of BBDO Worldwide, which is owned by the Omnicom Group.

“Once you change people’s perspectives of what FedEx can do, they can connect the dots fairly quickly,” said Mike Smith, executive creative director at BBDO New York.

Mr. Pacheco described the budget for the campaign as “healthy,” adding with a laugh, “We’ve saved up our nickels and dimes.”

According to the Kantar Media unit of WPP, FedEx spent $10.6 million to advertise in major media in the first quarter compared with $29.7 million in the same period of 2010.

Ad spending by FedEx totaled $121.1 million last year, Kantar Media reported, up from $103.4 million in 2009 and $117.1 million in 2008, but down from $162.1 million in 2007.

Another sign of the ardor among advertisers for the N.F.L. is the strong demand for commercial time in Super Bowl XLVI, to be broadcast by NBC on Feb. 5, 2012.

Of the estimated 63 30-second commercial slots during the game, all but five or six are already sold, at prices estimated to be as much as $3.5 million apiece.

Among those already identified as Super Bowl sponsors are Anheuser-Busch InBev, Century 21, Chevrolet, GoDaddy, Mercedes-Benz and Pepsi-Cola. FedEx had been a regular Super Bowl advertiser but skipped the game in 2009, 2010 and 2011.

“Officially, we don’t know yet” whether the company will return to the Super Bowl next year, Mr. Pacheco said. “The decision will be made very soon.”

Perhaps tipping his hand, he added, “I do believe there’ll be other opportunities, maybe outside the Super Bowl, for big impact” for the campaign.

The new football season will also usher in the annual spate of ads with popular N.F.L. players as the stars. Among them will be a campaign for the Ugg line of men’s shoes and boots sold by the Deckers Outdoor Corporation, featuring Tom Brady of the New England Patriots.

A commercial created by the Los Angeles office of M&C Saatchi, in which Mr. Brady wears Ugg footwear, is to run on Monday on ESPN during the first “Monday Night Football” game of the season. The spot is also appearing online on Web sites that include uggaustralia.com.

The campaign includes national print and outdoor ads created by House Design and Film in Los Angeles. (source New York Times)

ESPN is ready for a great deal more football - Ingles

2011-09-09T12:36:00.002-03:00

ESPN announced a new eight-year multimedia rights agreement with the National Football League Thursday. The deal features an expansion of ESPN’s already robust highlight rights, as well as rights to more than 500 new hours of NFL programming each year, the latter starting this season.

Beginning this week, ESPN is adding new NFL-branded shows and expanding several existing programs, including its signature Sunday NFL Countdown pregame – now three hours on NFL Sundays (10 a.m. – 1 p.m. ET), beginning this Sunday, Sept. 11. The significantly expanded ESPN studio programming lineup, combined with ESPN’s presentation of sports television’s signature series, Monday Night Football, will continue to provide fans with comprehensive year-round coverage of the NFL.

ESPN and ABC Sports President George Bodenheimer said: “With a multitude of shows, networks and platforms, ESPN will continue to cover the NFL like no other media company can.”

Notable additions to ESPN’s new NFL programming lineup include:

Sunday NFL Countdown … expands to three hours this weekend
ESPN’s award-winning Sunday morning preview show expands to three hours (previously two), beginning Sunday, Sept. 11, at 10 a.m. ET with longtime host Chris Berman and analysts Cris Carter, Mike Ditka, Tom Jackson, Keyshawn Johnson, Chris Mortensen and Adam Schefter. In addition, MNF sideline reporter Suzy Kolber will move to a studio-based role this fall where she will work alongside two-time Super Bowl champion coach Bill Parcells and analyst Merril Hoge on Countdown. The show will include even more analysis, news, discussion and features.

NFL Live … expands to one hour, starting today
ESPN’s year-round weekday NFL news and information show hosted by Trey Wingo will expand to one hour (previously 30 minutes), beginning at 4 p.m. this afternoon, the day the 2011-12 NFL season kicks off.

NFL 32 … new show debuts Tuesday
This new year-round one-hour daily weekday show at 6 p.m. on ESPN2, starting Tuesday, Sept. 13, will feature hosts Kolber and Senior Insider Mortensen and a rotating cast of ESPN NFL analysts and guests in a highly interactive, unscripted format, discussing the biggest topics of the day from all 32 NFL teams.

NFL Kickoff … new show debuts next Friday
This new one-hour weekly Friday night show at 7 p.m. on ESPN2 will help kick off football weekends at ESPN with a look at every NFL matchup. Berman will host the first two episodes (Sept. 16 and 23) before Wingo assumes the permanent host position, where he will be joined by Mark Schlereth and another ESPN NFL analyst each week as they cover the team news, strategies, injuries and fantasy information that NFL fans need to know.

Audibles … becomes weekly Thursday night show
The pro football-themed discussion show driven by fan-generated questions that was first introduced in a limited run last season becomes a part of ESPN’s weekly Thursday night fall lineup beginning tonight at 7 p.m. Originating from ESPN’s Los Angeles studios, the show features four analysts from a rotation that includes Pro Football Hall of Famers Jerry Rice and Steve Young, plus Keyshawn Johnson, Herm Edwards, and Trent Dilfer, among others, without a formal host. Fans control the content by submitting questions and conversation topics on ESPN’s Facebook and Twitter pages for the analysts to discuss and debate.

In addition to ESPN’s NFL-branded shows, at least 30 additional ESPN programs across multiple networks and platforms will utilize NFL highlights as part of the agreement, including SportsCenter, First Take, Around the Horn, Pardon The Interruption, Jim Rome is Burning, Mike & Mike In the Morning, Outside the Lines, SportsNation, The Sports Reporters, ESPN Deportes’ NFL Esta Noche, new ESPN2 shows Dan Le Batard is Highly Questionable and Numbers Never Lie, ESPN.com, Mobile ESPN and more.

Downloadable photos of NFL coverage on ESPN programs
For more information on ESPN’s NFL coverage, visit ESPN’s NFL press kit

ESPN’s 2011 NFL TV Program Lineup:

Sundays:
Time (ET) - Show
3 a.m., 7:30 a.m.
8:30 a.m. (ESPN2)
NFL Matchup
(30 minutes)

10 a.m.
Sunday NFL Countdown
(3 hours)

11:30 a.m.
(ESPN2)
Fantasy Football Now
(90 minutes)

7 p.m.
SportsCenter +

11 p.m.
“The Blitz” on SportsCenter ^

* All shows on ESPN unless noted
+ NFL highlights segments with Chris Berman, Tom Jackson, Trent Dilfer and John Saunders
^ NFL highlights segments with Berman and Jackson

Mondays on ESPN:
Time (ET) - Show
3 p.m.
NFL Primetime

4 p.m.
NFL Live

6 p.m.
SportsCenter Monday Kickoff

7 p.m.
Monday Night Countdown

8:30 p.m.
Monday Night Football

11:30 p.m.
SportsCenter ~

1 a.m.
NFL Primetime (updated)

* Around the Horn and Pardon the Interruption air between 5-6 p.m.
~ Includes significant MNF postgame coverage

Weekdays:
Time (ET) - Show
4 p.m., Mon.-Fri.
(ESPN)
NFL Live
(1 hour)

6 p.m., Mon.-Fri.
(ESPN2)
NFL 32
(1 hour)

7 p.m., Thurs.
(ESPN)
Audibles
(1 hour)

7 p.m., Fri.
(ESPN2)
NFL Kickoff
(1 hour)

NFL counting on big attendance numbers - Ingles

2011-09-09T12:31:00.002-03:00

So much for the long and bitter NFL lockout driving away pro football fans. The NFL projects paid attendance to rebound for its 2011 regular season and be even with last year after three consecutive seasons of falling live attendance from 2008-10, according to spokesman Brian McCarthy.

The solid outlook could signal more fans are willing to spend money on pro sports in the struggling U.S. economy. The NFL's three-year attendance drop coincided with the Great Recession that officially started in December, 2007.

The NFL's 32 clubs drew overall paid regular season attendance of 16,569,514 and average game attendance of 64,978 in 2010. Those numbers were down less than 0.5% from 2009 and off 1.7% from 2008. And down 4.5% from the league's record year of 2007, when the economy was clicking on all cylinders.

The NFL's average ticket prices rose 4.5% to $76.47 in 2010, according to Team Marketing Report. The New England Patriots charged the highest average ticket price at $117.84; the Cleveland Browns the cheapest at $54.51.

Across the board, 24 clubs are holding average ticket prices flat for the new season while eight are raising average prices, says McCarthy. Those increasing prices are mostly jacking up tickets in more expensive sections rather than those in cheaper upper bowls.

"Following a summer of uncertainty, fans have come back with even more passion and enthusiasm than before," says McCarthy. "We're not settling for back to normal, we're looking to accelerate everything we do."
The nation's most popular pro sports league is getting more positive news as it gets sets to kick off its new season Thursday night with the Super Bowl champion Green Bay Packers taking on the New Orleans Saints.

NFL clubs drew higher TV ratings for preseason games from Aug. 11 through Sept. 2. Teams averaged a 15.3 household rating across their home markets, up 4% from the same period last year and 9% from the 2009 preseason.

NBC is nearing an advertising sellout already for its broadcast of Super Bowl XLVI from Indianapolis on Feb. 5, 2012. The network has less than half a dozen 30-second ad slots left. It's seeking an average asking price of $3.5 million.

Corporate sponsors are back on board too. PepsiCo and the NFL renewed their sponsorship deal with a new long-term agreement that keeps Pepsi MAX as the "official" soft drink of the NFL and includes Gatorade, Frito-Lay, Tropicana and Quaker Oats. This week, the NFL also signed Marriott, Bose and USAA as new sponsors and renewed General Motors.

As more cash-strapped fans watched games for free from home last year, the NFL drew record viewership of 207.7 million in 2010. Game telecasts averaged 17.9 million viewers, the highest since 1989. (source USA Today)

NFL decides to make Fantasy football real at NFL games - Ingles

2011-09-09T12:27:00.002-03:00

A dream come true for fantasy football players attending live NFL games? Or a sell-out move that could tick off sports purists?

Starting with tonight's Green Bay Packers-New Orleans Saints season opener, the NFL is directing all 32 clubs to display real-time fantasy football stats at all home games for the new 2011 season, says league spokesman Brian McCarthy.

Previously, it was up to individual clubs to decide if they wanted to show player stats from out-of-town games on their scoreboards rather than focusing on their own. Not any more.

The NFL is reaching out to millions of fantasy players who feel somewhat cut off while attending live games. Many fantasy players already use mobile devices to keep in touch with how their players and teams are doing.

But the NFL wants fans at live games to feel as plugged in as they would be on their couch at home. So NFL headquarters will be shooting all teams' real-time fantasy stats -- and directing them to post on video boards for fans in the stands.

The reason is simple: In today's struggling economy, the NFL is worried fans will watch games for free at home where they have access to the NFL RedZone channel and the Internet rather shelling out cash for tickets, parking, food and beers at stadiums.

"We know we have to continue to do more to keep fans coming to our games," McCarthy says. "We're looking at ways to further replicate the at-home experience in the stadium." (source USA Today)

A fantasy sports dream - Jets & Giants stadium scoreboard to show player stats - Ingles

2011-09-09T12:23:00.000-03:00

The NFL scoreboard at the New Meadowlands is about to get just a little more crowded.

No, the Giants and Jets aren't selling more naming rights. But like the rest of the NFL, they are going to show more than mere scores during games this season.

In a move that allows the league to cater to fantasy football fanatics, NFL teams will show individual player statistics on stadium scoreboards. Fans at Thursday night's Packers-Saints game will be the first to experience the new setup.

According to NFL spokesperson Brian McCarthy, the move is not mandated by the NFL, as was originally reported, but the league has "strongly urged" teams to take advantage of the service, which will originate from the league office. According to McCarthy, nearly every NFL team is utilizing the service.

"We're doing our best to add value to the in-stadium experience," McCarthy told the Daily News. "In some ways, we're competing with ourselves."

Through television services such as the NFL Red Zone package, which allows viewers to watch key highlights from every game during commercial breaks, the league has created a well-rounded TV experience for NFL fans, McCarthy said. In part because of its sometimes-bloated price, the live experience has struggled to compete with that home experience. The league's regular-season paid attendance totals fell for the third straight season in 2010.

It's unlikely that a simple scoreboard alteration will change that, but it will give fantasy owners more incentive to come to games. For years, diehard fantasy players have sat in NFL stadiums and spent most of their time staring at their cell phone's fantasy tracking app.

They might as well stay at home and just watch the game on TV, right? Now, McCarthy says, they won't need to do that.

"We know that many fans sit at home and are watching more than one game and paying attention to many games and statistics," he said. This article was written by Ebenezer Samuel and appeared in The New York Daily News.

Big Bucks for football tickets in the Big Apple - Ingles

2011-09-09T12:18:00.002-03:00

Checking out a home opener this season is high on many people's to-do list, but more of those people want to see the Jets than the Giants.

Gang Green, which opens MetLife Stadium against the Dallas Cowboys Sunday night, commands an average ticket price of $237 on the secondary ticket market, according to SeatGeek.com's Ben Kessler. The secondary market, made up of websites like StubHub and eBay, is "always a real good indicator of fan sentiment," Kessler, the company's director of communications, says.

Tickets for the Giants' home opener in week 2 against the Rams are averaging $196 among ticket resellers.

But that doesn't mean New York has become the Jets' town just yet. Last season, when the Giants hosted the first game, they held the advantage, leading Kessler to believe that some fans just want to see the first home game of the year, regardless of which team is playing.

In addition, the Jets host a stronger opponent this season and are opening on the 10th anniversary of 9/11, both factors in their favor, Kessler says.

"I think it will be an emotional game for a lot of New Yorkers," he says.

The Giants actually hold a slight edge in average ticket prices for the whole season. That, Kessler noted, won't hold up should their performance dip (or the Jets go on a tear).

"A team's ticket prices go hand-in-hand with how the team is expected to do," he says.

The top-priced opening week game is the Steelers at the Ravens, where the average secondary market ticket price is $287.

Price movement as of late has been upward, says Kessler, as opening Sunday approaches, although prices now are not as high as they were when the lockout ended (source New York Daily News)

Forbes 2011 NFL Franchise Valuation - Ingles

2011-09-09T12:11:00.002-03:00

Source Forbes.com

Up, up and away - the value of NFL franchises - Ingles

2011-09-09T12:10:00.002-03:00

It will take more than a historic recession and a player lockout to sack the business of football.

The average National Football League team is now worth $1.04 billion, 1.4% more than last year. During the 2010 season average revenues for the league’s 32 teams rose 4% compared with the previous season, to $261 million. Although operating income (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization) fell 8.1%, to an average of $30.6 million per team due to higher costs for stadium operations, training facilities and marketing, the new collective bargaining agreement will give owners a bigger slice of overall revenue.

The biggest winners are high-revenue team owners who will see their revenue sharing payments to their low-revenue rivals drop. In part this explains why the value of the top 10 teams rose 4% on average.

“The new CBA provides owners with a level of certainty as well as greater profitability,” says Marc Ganis, president of consultancy SportsCorp. The 10-year deal, the result of a four and a half month lockout of its players, ensures labor peace for the next decade as neither side can opt of the agreement.

Owners will pay players 47% to 48% of total revenues under the new pact, down from 51% under the old CBA. We estimate the NFL’s 32 teams generated a total of $8.3 billion in revenue last year, which is a 4% gain from 2009 (our figures include the net proceeds the teams receive from sources like merchandise and NFL.com).

Under the new CBA, teams will receive around $250 million per year more at first based on the new revenue split. That figure will climb substantially as the league negotiates new television contacts over the next 12-months. The current deals with CBS, ESPN, FOX and NBC expire after the 2013 season and owners are expecting increases up to 60% on the current $3.1 billion average annual value of those deals (DirecTV brings in additional $1 billion each year). Given the league’s high television ratings and the lust males between the age of 18 and 45 have for watching football, such a boost is not inconceivable.

Led by maverick team owner Jerry Jones, the most valuable team for the fifth straight year is the Dallas Cowboys, worth $1.85 billion, up 2% from last year. Jones and his Cowboys continue to find ways to leverage their powerful brand. In 2008, they launched Legends Hospitality Management, a stadium-logistics business run in partnership with the New York Yankees and Goldman Sachs. The $1.2 billion Cowboys Stadium opened in 2009 with a splash thanks to its 160-foot wide scoreboard and seating for up to 100,000 for special events.

The latest venture is Silver Star Merchandising, a Cowboys-owned company, which signed a deal this year with the University of Southern California athletic department to make and distribute merchandise (excluding team jerseys and sideline apparel). The 10-year deal begins with the 2011 football season.

Cowboys Stadium continues to be a gold mine for Jones. The 320 suites and 15,000 club seats at JerryWorld generate $115 million in revenue annually. Sponsorship revenues are $50 million even with the Cowboys inability to ink a naming rights partner for the venue. The Cowboys earned $119 million in operating income last season, the most in the NFL for a second straight year.

The Giants (No. 4 at $1.3 billion) and Jets (No. 5 at $1.22 billion) saw their values rise 10% and 7% respectively as the new $1.4 billion stadium they share opened in 2010. The lousy economy hindered ticket sales and both teams failed to sell out their club seat inventory. The Jets in particular were forced to slash some personal seat licenses for season tickets by 50%.

It still represented a dramatic upgrade financially for both teams. The Giants saw premium seating revenue jump from $8 million to more than $50 million. The Jets doubled sponsorship revenues to $35 million annually. The fortunes of both teams got a further lift in August when MetLife agreed to spend more than $400 million over 25 years for the naming rights to the former New Meadowlands Stadium. It is the NFL’s richest naming rights deal ever.

There is a growing divide between the rich and poor NFL franchises (poor being a relative term as all 32 teams rank among the 50 most valuable sports teams in the world). Supplemental revenue sharing payments to low revenue teams under the old CBA were expected to rise to $220 million with high rolling teams like the Cowboys, Washington Redskins (No. 2, worth $1.55 billion) and New England Patriots (No. 3, worth $1.4 billion) supplying much of the welfare and on the hook for more than $10 million apiece.

Under the new CBA, the amount any big market teams will have to kick into the system is capped at $3.5 million. Low revenue teams will receive only $50 million to $100 million collectively in the early years of the deal according to NFL estimates. Leaguewide revenues are expected to increase to the point where supplemental revenue sharing almost disappears by the end of the new 10-year CBA.

The new CBA hurts teams at the bottom of the financial pyramid as well because beginning in 2013, teams must spend 89% of the salary cap in cash or be subject to penalties. Keeping a lid on player costs allowed the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to be football’s fourth most profitable teams over the past five years. The Bucs’ player costs were $35 million lower than any other team during that time and $150 million less than the Cowboys. The Chiefs, Bills and Bengals have also kept spending in check fattening up the bottom line. That is not an option anymore. While the value of the top teams is up, the bottom 10 stayed flat on average. (source Forbes -- Kurt Badenhausen)