Oscar Gamble Society

To what extent (if any) do new stadia represent an end-run by NFL owners around the players’ negotiated share of revenues? That is, by taking on lots of debt to build a new stadium, does an owner simultaneously a) generate big up-front costs, allowing him to cry poverty during collective bargaining, while b) generate a gusher of incremental revenue in categories that are excluded from the revenues in which players share?

My conjecture is that the answer is “A lot,” but I really have no idea. Does anyone else?

[Ed. note:  This is actually a Gonzo rant - but he’s too lazy to use this site, so I posted it here for him… he’s welcome.]

Who in their right mind on-side kicks there? Seriously? What a colossally bad decision. Of course, there was NO guarantee that even if Chargers got in FG range Kaeting was going to make it, given his fuck ups all day long. But how could Turner not try to put his team in the best possible field position by kicking off????

The only thing I can think of - and this is quite a stretch - was maybe he thought a kickoff and run back might bring it down to the 2 minute warning? If that happened, game was just about over, with SD only able to stop clock 1 more time and Jets would have had 3 plays. BUT, even if that was his thought process, then just go ahead and purposely kick the ball out of bounds - that preserves the clock and pushes Jets 20+ more yards down field.

What a fucking idiot..
Carl

Pac Man Jones is now a Blue Bomber.

I like the idea of banishing miscreants to Canada. Has a whiff of medievalism about it.

We won’t send you to prison, but instead cast you out, into the snowy blandness of America’s hat.
I’ve watched a few minutes of CFL games on the MSG network in recent weeks but I can’t really get into it. I think part of it is the team names; the Blue Bombers sounds like a Division III college team; the Rough Riders sounds very Brokeback Mountain; and WTF is an “Alouette?”

UPDATE: Looks like Pac Man’s Canadian adventure is over before it began, eh?

Since we’ve been weighing in on the various and sundry sentences for wayward NFL stars, I just figured I’d go on record here saying that Plaxico Burress a) is an idiot and b) has gotten hosed.

I don’t really have a problem with people carrying guns, but it is awfully reckless to carry one IN YOUR PANTS, WITH THE SAFETY OFF. That is worthy of some punishment, IMHO. But two years in prison seems utterly unreasonable to me. New York’s gun laws strike me as rather draconian, and in fact, quite possibly afoul of the Constitution, in light of the SCOTUS’ ruling in Heller. I don’t know the history of New York’s gun laws, but I wonder it is connected to the Rockefeller drug laws (which seem equally draconian).
Looking at the offenses and penalties of Vick, Stallworth and Burress, I simply can’t see any relationship between the severity of the offense (as measured by either actual damage or potential risk posed to others) and the severity of their respective sentences. I would like to think that the criminal justice system is guided by some reasonably consistent set of principles, but I just can’t divine any from the treatment of Burress either relative to his offense, or relative to the crimes and sentences of his colleagues.

Free Plaxico!

In short, Stallworth will spend 30 days in jail for killing a human being:

http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/news?slug=ap-stallworth-pedestriankilled&prov=ap&type=lgns

There are other aspects… two years house arrest, eight years probation, lifetime suspension of driver’s license (although he can apply to have that lifted in five years), and drug and alcohol counseling.

But we talked about this before… Mike Vick killed dogs and has this public outcry to prevent him from returning to the NFL, after he’s served his 3 years (actually, it was more like 2-1/2… wasn’t it)?  Obviously I’m not advocating dogfighting, and the associated torture and killing of dogs.  But as I’ve said all along, as bad as it is to kill dogs, it’s worse to kill a human being.  It just is.

And for killing a human being, Donte Stallworth will spend 30 *days* in jail.  So… how long should I wait for the same public furor to face Stallworth as we’ve seen face Vick?

Just curious.

A lifelong Celtics fan, before the playoffs, I resigned myself to the fact that the Celtics wouldn’t repeat.  Barring a miracle, I decided I’d like to see Lebron lead the Cavs to a title in the alternative.  But if Lebron can’t/doesn’t, then I’m left with… just not the Lakers please.  I suspect I’m not alone among Celtics fans - as the Lakers are a longtime rival and natural “enemy”.
 
Every NBA season, I have two desires, in this order:  (1) Celtics win the title, or at least (2) Lakers don’t win the title.
 
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Who plays in an NFL game first:  Dante Stallworth or Michael Vick?

 Who should play first…. Vick has served his time, but I think a lot of people will still believe what he did was worse than Mr. Stallworth…

http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/news?slug=ms-thegameface032709&prov=yhoo&type=lgns

Hasn’t thrown a pass in eight years - but is certain he can compete at the NFL level, (more…)

Did anybody hear about this?

http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/football/blog/dr_saturday/post/Headlinin-Can-Nate-Davis-reconsider-this-whole?urn=ncaaf,149836