NFL

National Football League

Cincinnati Bengals Discuss Kneeling with Eric Reid During Visit

Posted on by Bobby Broadway

Eric Reid is arguably one of the top-10 strong safeties in the NFL, and this offseason he is having a hard time finding a new home.

Reid is one of the most versatile safeties in the NFL and only 26-years old. So how is he still a free agent?

Well, Reid was one of the first players to openly support Colin Kaepernick (ex-teammate) in kneeling during the national anthem in protest of police brutality and social injustice. Reid continued his protest 2017 and watched how the league blacked-balled Kaepernick, while mediocre QBs like Scott Tolzien was signed.

Now that Reid is a free-agent he’s facing the backlash of kneeling during the national anthem. The Cincinnati Bengals of ALL teams, have decided that Reid’s protest is too much for them. During his visit with Cincy it has been reported that Bengals’ owner Mike Brown discussed with Reid that he has plans on prohibiting players from kneeling during the national anthem; with Brown asking Reid for his thoughts.

Reid could have easily said he will not protest, but he would not commit to not protesting at that time.

As the visit continued Bengals’ head coach Marvin Lewis gave Reid a chance to clarify his stance. Reid chose not to clarify or change what he said to Brown. At that point the visit ended with Reid leaving without a contract offer.

So the same Bengals that was willing to give running back Joe Mixon a chance even after pleading guilty to a misdemeanor assault charge, draw the line at a peaceful protest during the national anthem, OK!

Eric Reid is too good to pass up on, and the Bengals are a joke of an organization if they decide to go in another direction. As for Marvin Lewis he might want to look at himself as well and what he is willing to compromise as a leader of men.

 

As always….

If there is something to be said, “It’s On Broadway” to step up and say it!!

Source: Pro Football Talk

 

NFL Shows Consistency With Double Standard of Fining Odell Beckham Jr for Cleats

Posted on by Bobby Broadway

The NFL is always finding ways to make life for itself more difficult. For 15 weeks the NFL has made it clear it is the No Fun League with all the fines for players celebrations. So when Ezekiel Elliott jumped into a huge Salvation Army Kettle Sunday night to celebrate his touchdown, and the NFL announced it would not fine Elliott, the league once again showed its consistency to be inconsistent.

ezekiel-elliott-salvation-army

When Odell Beckham Jr tweeted about double standards, many called him a baby and a hater.

odell

Hater or not, Odell was right! According to OBJ the NFL fined him approximately $18K for his tribute to Craig Sager cleats.

 

Without a doubt Odell has brought attention to himself, good and bad. But you can’t deny he’s speaking some truth in this case. And with the Thursday Night stage, if Odell scores tonight I am sure we will see something special from OBJ.

As always….

If there is something to be said, “It’s On Broadway” to step up and say it!!

 

What’s Not Being Said About Tyler Sash Being Diagnosed with CTE…

Posted on by Bobby Broadway

When ex-NY Giant Tyler Sash died of an accidental overdose of pain medication in September 2015. His family donated his brain to Boston University and the Concussion Legacy Foundation for testing. The family was suspicious of the circumstances surrounding Sash death, as he suffered with memory loss and issues with his temper. They wanted to know if he suffered from a brain disease known as chronic traumatic encephalopathy, aka C.T.E.

On Tuesday Boston Univ and the Concussion Legacy Foundation announced that Sash tested positive for an advanced form of CTE. On a scale of 0 to 4, Sash was rated as a stage 2. In comparison Junior Seau who played 20-seasons in the NFL, committed suicide at the age of 43 was also diagnosed as a stage 2.

Sash’s brother confirmed that Tyler had 1 confirmed concussion in college and 2 concussions as a pro. And of course the focus has been on the NFL and their policies on concussions.

What’s missing from the conversation is what is NOT being done at the college level.

Since 2011, the NFL has taken steps to reduce the amount of contact in practice and in the offseason. Youth leagues have followed the NFL and reduced contact as well. The only organized football organization not to regulate contact is the NCAA; as they have decided to instead give out practice recommendations.

It’s time the NFL take the proper steps and stop just recommending and mandating the reduction of contact.

At the NFL level the players association pushed for reduce contact in practice, and with kids parents pushed for change. Unfortunately there’s no one looking out for college athletes. If the NCAA cannot look beyond the almighty dollar and change the rules, we may see more unfortunate situations like Tyler Sash.

 

As always….

If there is something to be said, “It’s On Broadway” to step up and say it!!

Credit: NY Times and Huffington Post

 

Am I Still Supposed to Feel Bad for Marshawn Lynch?

Posted on by Bobby Broadway

During media week before Super Bowl XLIX, Marshawn Lynch gained the support of many fans with his reluctance to contribute to media day. Fans sympathized with Lynch as the NFL and the media became the bad guys that were trying to bully someone who seemed like he was not comfortable in interviews. The week became a spectacle as the daily storyline of the Super Bowl was either ‘Deflate Gate’ or whether or not Lynch would be fined for not really speaking with the media.

As we all know by now, Lynch came up with an answer to fulfill his media obligations and hopefully annoy the league and the NFL.

So now, the shy Lynch has filed to trademark his infamous phrase, “I’m just here so I won’t get fined”….

I realize I’m in the minority on this, but it just rubs me the wrong way. As an NFL player it’s part of your responsibility to spend time with the media. Yes, the media can fuck you over if you’re not careful, but also it’s the same media that can elevate your profile.

I just wish everyone would stop acting like the media and the NFL are out to destroy Lynch. It’s the media and NFL that have Lynch’s highlights on continuous repeat….

So excuse me if I don’t feel sorry for Marshawn when the NFL is fining him, oh well. The shirts he will sell can help pay the fines!

 

As always….

If there is something to be said, “It’s On Broadway” to step up and say it!!

 

 

Floyd Mayweather Jr and his Unnecessary Comments on Ray Rice

Posted on by Bobby Broadway

Floyd Mayweather Jr believes the NFL should have stayed with the 2-game suspension on Ray Rice.

Not a complete shocker coming from someone who was sentenced to 90-days in jail for his own domestic abuse charges.

I’ll admit that I am a fan of Mayweather the boxer and business man, but that’s where it ends. Mayweather’s recent comments concerning the video of Rice knocking out his then fiancé Janay Palmer are disgusting and appalling.

A master of promotion and bringing attention to himself, Mayweather stepped over the line with his thoughts on domestic abuse…

“I think there’s a lot worse things that go on in other people’s households, also,”

“It’s just not caught on video, if that’s safe to say.”

Floyd then stated…

“Like I’ve said in the past, no bumps, no bruises, no nothing,” Mayweather said. “With O.J. and Nicole, you seen pictures. With Chris Brown and Rihanna, you seen pictures. With (Chad) Ochocinco and Evelyn, you seen pictures. You guys have yet to see any pictures of a battered woman, a woman who says she was kicked and beaten (by Mayweather). So I just live my life and try to stay positive, and try to become a better person each and every day.” – Floyd Mayweather Jr

Mayweather needs to just focus on boxing, this is not the type of attention he wants. I am guessing we will see some kind of apology for his comments soon.

 

As always….

If there is something to be said, “It’s On Broadway” to step up and say it!!

 

Source: ESPN

The NFL Players Association Teaming Up with Uber

Posted on by Bobby Broadway

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The NFL Players Association recently announced a partnership with the on-demand care service company, Uber.

By using Uber’s mobile app, users can request a car service (clean black car) for pickup. Uber uses GPS to locate the user and all the person has to do is press a button to request a ride. And no cash is necessary as your credit is billed automatically when your ride is completed. The fares can be 50-75%, but it’s worth the quality of service and convenience.

With this partnership the NFLPA is looking at what they can do to improve the safety of their members off the field (This is some good news in light of the recent settlement in the concussion lawsuit) as their has been an unfortunate rise in DUI incidents associated with NFL players.

“According to the New York Times, about 70 percent of NFL players arrested on charges of driving while intoxicated since 2006 were apprehended in the metropolitan area where they were based. The Times reported that since 2006, players were fined $2.4 million and lost close to $2.9 million in salary due to driving while under the influence.” – Forbes

Currently Uber is available in 17 of 31 cities where NFL teams are located. Markets like Houston and Miami have been tough for Uber to crack as they do not allow competition to taxis. With the NFLPA (and The Shield (NFL)) basically backing Uber I think it will be a matter of time before that changes.

But at the end of the day it comes down to the players taking advantage of what is available to them. Currently the NFLPA provides car services that players can use (nothing really like Uber). It will be up to the players (and their friends who party with them) to use better judgement.

What’s the old saying?

You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make it drink…

As always….

If there is something to be said, “It’s On Broadway” to step up and say it!!

Ex-players Reach Settlement with NFL in Concussion Lawsuit

Posted on by Bobby Broadway

NFL

Ex-Players (more than 4,500) have reached a potential settlement with the NFL in their concussion lawsuit against the league; it is being reported that the settlement will include a payout of $765 million dollars (pending judge approval).

Ummmm, that’s it!!!

There has to be something in the details, right?

Well, it is also being reported that the NFL will NOT have to admit ANY liability or disclose internal files about what they knew about concussions and links to brain damage.

Hmmm, wasn’t this whole lawsuit about the ex-players trying to get the NFL to admit that they DID know something?  This is without a doubt a HUGE win by the NFL and the timing is perfect for the league with the new season about to start next week.

But hey, who cares? The clock is ticking until opening night and football being back!  Unfortunately the clock is also ticking on the overall health of one of the more critical pieces to the success of the NFL….

THE PLAYERS!!!

As always….

If there is something to be said, “It’s On Broadway” to step up and say it!!

Takeover Thursdays – Lin, “Now I’m definitely relieved”

Posted on by Bobby Broadway

I’m trying to move on from all this Jeremy Lin craziness, but I was intrigued by Ian Begley’s interview with Lin the day after the Knicks decided not to match Houston’s offer.

What I expected was the usual talk when a beloved athlete leaves, “I love the fans” and “I wanted to play here for the rest of my career”…  Except, what I read made me look differently at what Lin might have been thinking as talks started to heated up.

One particular comment from Lin that caught my…

“Honestly, I preferred New York,” Lin told Sports Illustrated. “But my main goal in free agency was to go to a team that had plans for me and wanted me. I wanted to have fun playing basketball. … Now I’m definitely relieved.”

2 things stand out with what Lin said; “my main goal in free agency was to go to a team that had plans for me and wanted me”.

Lin told SI that he met with Mike Woodson in late June and said that Woodson talked about Lin being the starter and being a big part of the team.  Lin also stated that Dolan told him before Game 5 versus the Miami Heat,

“I have plans for you in the future,”

“This is a long-term investment. Don’t rush back (referring to Lin returning from knee injury).” – James Dolan

Now that to me sounds like the Knicks met Lin’s “main goal in free agency”

So what happened?

In my opinion the last sentence of Lin’s quote says it all…

“I wanted to have fun playing basketball. … Now I’m definitely relieved.”

All Lin talks about is how he loved the NY fans and that he preferred playing in NYC, so if you’re not playing in the preferred city you wanted to play in…  What exactly is he so relieved about?

After all the Linsanity and winning an Espy, could it be that Lin was feeling the pressure?  I mean at the end of the day this is still NYC, and the media here builds you up just so they can knock you down.  And with the Knicks fan base resting all their hopes and dreams on the shoulders of Lin, may be just may be basketball would not be as fun as he thought he could be.  Yes the Knicks have Amare and Melo, but it was Lin who had the Garden rocking like no other time during that EPIC 8 game winning streak.

There was no question Lin was going to sign with someone, so I just don’t get the relief he felt.  Of course I could be over analyzing this, smh.

How many more days until NFL Kickoff???

As always….

If there is something to be said, “It’s On Broadway” to step up and say it!!

Former NY Giant Antonio Pierce calls out injured ex-teammates

Posted on by Bobby Broadway

Brandon Jacobs (27) and Justin Tuck (91)

Being that I live in NYC I don’t get the chance to hear other cities sports talk/analysis on their respective teams wins and losses, but I can say that in NYC during the football season it’s the same BS day in and day out.  When the NY Giants win, fans can’t stop talking about how unstoppable this team is or what they would do differently to improve.  And when the Giants lose, it’s now a common thing for former Giants who are now in the media to lay down some harsh criticism on the team.  To be honest I don’t have a problem with former Giants critiquing the squad; at times they add a unique perspective as they have been there and done that.  Over the years Giants fans have watched Tiki Barber (not these days), Michael Strahan and now Antonio Pierce give their insight.  As we all know not just any former player can criticize their old team, Tiki Barber learned that the hard way.

For the most part Strahan and Pierce have been able to level some of the harshest criticism towards the Giants, and after losing to the Seahawks this past Sunday we all knew someone would have something to say.  This time around that someone was Pierce….

Antonio Pierce

“To me if you don’t have an injury that needs surgery, or that’s severe, you need to be out there,”

“I don’t really know and I don’t want to question guys but if you are one of the leaders on the team, which Brandon Jacobs and Justin Tuck are, and you say you know what, the Seattle Seahawks, maybe we don’t need to play this game and you miss out, that is what’s going to come back to bite you in the tail.” 

In my opinion Pierce is out of line in questioning the injuries of Justin Tuck and Brandon Jacobs; both players have played with injured in the past so I don’t see how you can challenge them.  Especially Tuck’s injury, Pierce should know better since a neck injury ended his career with the Giants.  I don’t mind questioning if the team was prepared or not, or even questioning effort… Injuries is a different story because you just don’t know, neither player has done anything in their careers where you should challenge how tough they are.

Then on top of that Pierce accuses Tuck and Jacobs of skipping on the Seahawks game because they overlooked Seattle; but hey it’s all good because Pierce states he really doesn’t know if that is true or not and that he doesn’t “question guys”.

GTFOH Pierce!!!!

If you gonna step up and call people out, go all the way with it!  Don’t speculate and pussy foot around it, that’s wack!  Give your former teammates the common courtesy and hit them up before trying to splash on sports talk radio!!

As always….

If there is something to be said, “It’s On Broadway” to step up and say it!!

Terrell Owens has a credit rating of 500-600??

Posted on by Bobby Broadway

So tonight we learned on ‘The T.O. Show’ that Terrell Owens apparently has a credit rating around 500-600….

WTF???

For those of y’all who don’t know to have a credit rating of 500-600 is considered having “Poor Credit”; basically you are considered a credit risk by the banks.

So how can a top-notch football player who has made something like $50-$70 million dollars (courtesy of @BlkSportsOnline) in his career have such a LOW credit rating?  I really don’t know, well I have an idea but it just doesn’t make any sense when you think about the amount of money Owens has potentially made in his career.  To start off with, your credit score is determined by 5 things:

  1. Payment History
  2. Amount Borrowed Compared to Available Credit – Big factor in credit score
  3. Length of Credit History
  4. Inquires and New Debt
  5. Types of Debt
We can only speculate on how T.O. could possibly have such a low credit rating; on the show Owens mentions how he has a problem getting in contact with what sounds like is his accountant or at least someone who is dealing with his money 1st hand.  Owens looked VERY concerned (started crying) when he talks about how there is no money coming in due to the NFL lockout (still no money being made with the start of the season and no new contract).  In light of poor credit rating and lack of income/team it’s no wonder Owens was so anxious to show he can recover and still play in this season.
Unfortunately we hear more and more stories about million dollar athletes being ripped off; It’s a sad state of affairs.  Hopefully T.O. can get this all resolved, you can have a boat load of money but if your credit rating sucks there are limits to what you can do.
I wonder how many athletes made a call to their financial advisers this morning after watching ‘The T.O. Show’ last night??
As always….

If there is something to be said, “It’s On Broadway” to step up and say it!!