Football – Page 47 – North Platte Post Archive

Refs Union Criticizes NFL Inconsistency on Calls

Posted on October 2, 2014

NEW YORK (AP) — The union representing NFL on-field officials criticized the league Thursday for inconsistencies in grading calls, including two high-profile penalties from recent games.

In a release, the NFL Referees Association says the NFL has “caused confusion for NFL officials as to what the league does and doesn’t want called.”

The union referred to penalties on Washington’s Chris Baker for a hit on Eagles quarterback Nick Foles on Sept. 21, and to Chiefs safety Husain Abdullah last Monday night for going to his knees to celebrate an interception return for a touchdown. Abdullah actually had gone to his knees to pray — an act exempted from celebration penalties.

The union says both calls were graded as correct even after NFL executives announced that they were incorrect. Baker got a 15-yard penalty and was ejected from the game at Philadelphia. Abdullah also received a 15-yard penalty.

Teen Football Player Dies After Injury during Game (Updated)

Posted on October 2, 2014October 2, 2014

ELWOOD, N.Y. (AP) — A high school football player has died after he collided with an opponent and collapsed during a game on Long Island.

Authorities say Tom Cutinella, a player for Shoreham-Wading River High School, died at a hospital Wednesday night after suffering a head injury during a game with John Glenn High School in Elwood.

A spokeswoman for the school districts tells Newsday (http://nwsdy.li/1rKBqSH ) that Cutinella had been in the intensive-care unit after undergoing surgery.

Suffolk County police say the collision happened about 6 p.m. Cutinella, a guard/linebacker, was injured during the third quarter of the varsity game.

Dozens of teammates, relatives and friends waited at the hospital for an update on his condition. As news of his death spread, two people fell to the floor weeping.

Update:

WADING RIVER, N.Y. (AP) — The superintendent of a New York high school district has called the death of a 16-year-old football player following an on-field collision a “freak accident.”

Steven Cohen says the death of Shoreham-Wading River High School junior Tom Cutinella is still under investigation, but it appears he died after a “freak football play.”

Cohen says Cutinella suffered a head injury after being hit Wednesday during the third quarter of the varsity game. He says Cutinella stood up but then collapsed. He was rushed to a hospital but died in the intensive-care unit after surgery.

The medical examiner, police and school officials are investigating.

Principal Dan Holtzman says counselors have been made available to students.

Nebraska’s Randy Gregory Keeps Opponents Guessing

Posted on October 1, 2014

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska’s defensive coaches have kept opponents guessing when it comes to how they use Randy Gregory.

The 6-foot-6, 245-pound Gregory has been a down lineman at left and right end, he’s blitzed as a linebacker, he’s lined up as a stand-up rush end on the left side, he’s dropped into pass coverage.

And he just might do something new Saturday night when the No. 19 Cornhuskers (5-0, 1-0 Big Ten) visit No. 10 Michigan State (3-1).

Gregory is back in top form after he tweaked an old knee injury in the season opener and had minor arthroscopic surgery Aug. 31. The 2013 Big Ten sack champion recorded two against Miami and 2 ½ last week against Illinois.

Ohio St. Student Who Ran on Turf Loses Scholarship

Posted on October 1, 2014

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — A student who ran onto the field during an Ohio State football game and was body-slammed by a coach is losing his scholarship amid his court case.

Defense attorney Mark Collins says officials on Tuesday started removing 21-year-old Anthony Wunder from the Evans Scholars program, which covers tuition and housing for former golf caddies.

The fourth-year engineering student is charged with misdemeanor criminal trespassing. His attorney entered a not-guilty plea in Franklin County Municipal Court.

Wunder was stopped and slammed down by an assistant strength and conditioning coach Saturday during Ohio State’s home victory over Cincinnati. The coach, Anthony Schlegel, is a former Buckeyes linebacker.

The hit has been a sensation on social media.

Coach Urban Meyer said he had a somewhat serious conversation with Schlegel about the hit.

Developmental League Hooks Up with ESPN

Posted on October 1, 2014

NEW YORK (AP) — The new FXFL developmental league has signed a deal with ESPN to have its games broadcast online and through the ESPN app.

The league begins play with four teams next Wednesday when Boston plays at Omaha. Commissioner Brian Woods calls having ESPN involved with its Game of the Week broadcasts “very exciting and important.”

Another teams is located in Brooklyn, and the fourth, called the Blacktips, will play all road games in 2014..

Woods already lined up regional television platforms for the prime-time games, most of which will be played on Wednesdays, but some on Fridays. Woods says that the league can reach more than 99 million homes through the affiliation with ESPN.

The Fall Experimental Football League is designed as a home for players who didn’t make it into the NFL, but are seeking another shot. Rosters will have less than 40 players on game days.

NU Defense Ready for Cook, Spartans

Posted on September 30, 2014

Lincoln, Neb. – The Nebraska football team continued its preparations for its Big Ten battle Saturday night with the Michigan State Spartans, as the Huskers conducted a 1-hour and 50-minute practice Tuesday afternoon in full pads inside of the Hawks Championship Center. Nebraska will travel to East Lansing for its first conference road game against the defending Big Ten champions.

Defensive coordinator John Papuchis met with media members after practice, noting the challenges of the Spartan offense including quarterback Connor Cook who has thrown for 837 yards, while completing 69 percent of his passes this season.

“He is actually a lot more athletic than people would give him credit for,” Papuchis said. “What he does a great job of is buying time for himself in the pocket. His mobility doesn’t always translate to rushing yards. But what he is able to do is give ground, avoid pass rush and feel the pocket and step up in it. That he does a really good job of.”

Papuchis added Cook has many great targets in receivers Tony Lippett, R.J. Shelton and tight end Josiah Price. He spoke of their different style, size and physical ability.

“They are big guys, really the same guys we have been playing for a couple years now. Our biggest thing is we have to get our hands on them. If we are physical with them and match their physicality then I think we have a chance. If we allow them to run free down the field and box us out all of the time, then we are going to have some issues,” Papuchis said. “We will have to be good in our technique we will have to execute our fundamentals and we will have a chance to be good.”

When asked what he thinks of the defensive line, Papuchis said they have grown tremendously in the first few weeks and will continue to do so in Big Ten play.

“I think the biggest measuring stick is how efficient we have been in terms of running between the tackles. We have gotten considerably better against the run, but I feel a big part of that is there has been very few successful runs in between the tackles. That is credit to Maliek, Vincent, Kevin Maurice and Kevin Williams,” Papuchis said.

The Huskers will hit the practice field again on Wednesday as the team moves closer to its second conference game of the season. NU will face Michigan State on Saturday at 7 p.m. CT. The game will be broadcast nationally on ABC. Check back here or at Huskers.com for updates.

Chiefs Place RB McKnight on Injured Reserve

Posted on September 30, 2014

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Kansas City Chiefs have created space on their roster for the return of right tackle Donald Stephenson by placing running back Joe McKnight on injured reserve.

McKnight became the third Chiefs player to tear his Achilles tendon when he was hurt in practice last week. He was coming off a two-touchdown game in a win in Miami.

Stephenson was suspended for the first four games of the regular season for violating the NFL’s policy on performance-enhancing substances. That suspension ended with Monday night’s 41-14 victory over the New England Patriots.

Chiefs coach Andy Reid said earlier Tuesday that he would wait to see Stephenson practice on Wednesday before he begins to decide whether he’ll go back in the starting lineup.

Big Ten West Teams Step Up

Posted on September 30, 2014

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — One of the prevailing notions heading into the season was that the Big Ten East could end up being a lot better than the West.

It didn’t look that way last weekend.

Northwestern buried Penn State as road underdogs.

Minnesota did the same to Michigan in Ann Arbor.

Nebraska continued its unbeaten start with a rout of Illinois, and Iowa won its second straight road game.

Though it was clearly a small sample size, Saturday’s performances were encouraging for a newly-created division fighting for respect.

Michigan St, Nebraska have Gaudy Offensive Numbers

Posted on September 30, 2014

EAST LANSING, Mich. (AP) — No. 10 Michigan State is off to a historic start on offense and faces another high-scoring team in No. 19 Nebraska to open Big Ten play on Saturday night.

Michigan State (3-1) has scored 201 points through four games, best in school history. The Cornhuskers (5-0, 1-0 Big Ten) are averaging 45.4 points per game.

It’s an interesting dynamic considering Spartans coach Mark Dantonio and Nebraska coach Bo Pelini are former defensive coordinators.

Dantonio said Tuesday that high-scoring games don’t seem unusual anymore in this day and age.

Penalty on Chiefs Player Ignites Social Media, NFL Says Flag Shouldn’t have been Thrown

Posted on September 30, 2014September 30, 2014

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Husain Abdullah knew before he even reached the end zone Monday night that he would drop to his knees in thankful prayer after intercepting Tom Brady in the fourth quarter of the Kansas City Chiefs’ 41-14 victory over New England.

He had no idea he would be penalized for it.

But after sliding to the grass in the end zone at Arrowhead Stadium, that’s exactly what happened. The devout Muslim, who stepped away from the game for a year to make a pilgrimage to Mecca, saw yellow flags flying from the game officials.

The unsportsmanlike conduct penalty touched off a firestorm of controversy on social media, with many wondering how it was different than players dropping to one knee in Christian prayer.

It turns out the referees were flagging Abdullah for the slide, not the prostration, and even Abdullah acknowledged that the NFL prohibits sliding to the knees in celebration.

UPDATE:

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The NFL says Kansas City Chiefs safety Husain Abdullah should not have been penalized for dropping to his knees in prayer in the end zone after an interception.

NFL spokesman Michael Signora writes in an email to The Associated Press on Tuesday that “the officiating mechanic in this situation is not to flag a player who goes to the ground as part of religious expression.

Signora says “there should have been no penalty on the play.”

The flag thrown in the fourth quarter of Kansas City’s 41-14 victory over New England on Monday night touched off a firestorm on social media, with many wondering how it was different from players dropping to one knee in Christian prayer.