NFL – Page 15 – North Platte Post Archive

Cleaning up Language Could be Part of NFL Changes

Posted on February 22, 2014February 26, 2014

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — The NFL competition committee may attempt to clean up the language on the field next season.

Baltimore Ravens general manager Ozzie Newsome, one of the committee members, told reporters Saturday the league is looking at ways to reduce the use of racial and gender-related slurs sometimes used during games. Newsome is in Indianapolis for the NFL’s scouting combine.

No votes will be held on any potential rules changes until next month’s owners meetings in Orlando, Fla.

Newsome noted the concerns of the Fritz Pollard Alliance, a group of minority coaches and front-office, scouting and game-day NFL officials. He also said game officials told the committee what they sometimes hear on the field and that microphones around the field often capture what is being said.

Locker Room Culture in Spotlight as Combine Begins

Posted on February 20, 2014

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — This could be as good a time as there has ever been for an openly gay player in the NFL.

The league will be watching.

The annual scouting combine opened Thursday in Indianapolis and decision-makers from teams around the league spoke of being on guard for the kind of bad behavior detailed last week in an NFL-ordered report on the bullying scandal in Miami.

Most said a culture of respect was already in place with their teams before Richie Incognito became an infamous name and there aren’t major signs of response to the scandal. Still, some tangible steps have emerged — in Miami and elsewhere.

NFL Unlikely to go to Centralized Replay in 2014

Posted on February 19, 2014

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — The NFL’s competition committee is unlikely to make major changes to the replay system or playoffs this year.

New York Giants owner John Mara told The Associated Press after Wednesday’s committee meeting that more discussion is needed about moving replay reviews to a centralized location. Bengals coach Marvin Lewis said there wasn’t enough support on the committee to change the system in time for the 2014 season.

Mara, a longtime critic of playoff expansion, acknowledged he was willing to listen to the option of adding one wild-card team in each conference but expressed concern about “watering down” the postseason.

No formal votes will be held during this week’s meetings in Indianapolis, where teams are convening for the start of the annual scouting combine.

Prepping for Combine is Well-Rounded Crash Course

Posted on February 19, 2014

MARTINSVILLE, N.J. (AP) — More than 300 NFL hopefuls will be poked, prodded and tested perhaps more than any other job applicant at the annual scouting combine in Indianapolis this week.

One result can make all the difference.

A slower-than-expected time in the 40-yard dash can see a prospect (Maurice Clarett, Tom Brady) tumble in the draft. An impressive all-around performance can help a player (Mike Mamula) rocket up the board.

Millions of dollars are at stake and even careers. Some players won’t get a call on draft day. Others will have to pursue their dream in the CFL or Arena League.

That’s why college players across the country spend weeks preparing for the combine at training centers such as TEST Parisi Football Academy.

Goodell Made $44.2 Million in 2012

Posted on February 14, 2014

NEW YORK (AP) — NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell made $44.2 million in 2012, according to tax returns the league has submitted.

Goodell earned $35.1 million in salary, bonus and pension compensation. Based on IRS reporting guidelines, his total 2012 compensation includes a $5 million incentive payment and a $4.1 million pension payment from the 2011 lockout year that was paid in 2012.

Atlanta Falcons owner Arthur Blank said the compensation to Goodell “reflects the value of his leadership and the success of the NFL at the highest levels.”

The league’s revenues have approached $10 billion.

Ratings: Another Record for Super Bowl

Posted on February 3, 2014

NEW YORK (AP) — Fox’s Super Bowl telecast of the Seahawks’ victory of the Broncos is the most-watched television event in U.S. history, drawing 111.5 million viewers on Sunday night.

The Nielsen company said Monday the telecast broke a viewership record set by the Super Bowl two years ago between the New York Giants and New England Patriots. It’s the fourth time in five years that a Super Bowl game has set a viewership record. Last year’s game, with 108.6 million viewers, was the exception.

The game kept up its appeal to viewers despite being relatively non-competitive.

Fox said an estimated 2.3 million people watched its online stream of the game, peaking at the end of the third quarter.

Manning Extends Record with 5th AP NFL MVP

Posted on February 1, 2014February 1, 2014

NEW YORK (AP) — Peyton Manning has won his fifth Associated Press NFL Most Valuable Player award in a landslide.

The Denver Broncos’ record-setting quarterback, who threw for 55 touchdowns and 5,477 yards in leading the Broncos to the AFC’s best record, earned 49 votes from a nationwide panel of 50 media members who regularly cover the league. New England quarterback Tom Brady got the other vote in balloting announced Saturday night.

Manning won his other MVPs with Indianapolis in 2003, ’04, ’08 and ’09. He also was the runner-up last season to Adrian Peterson.

No one else has won more than three NFL MVP awards.

Manning still trails several Hall of Famers for total MVPs in their sport. Wayne Gretzky won nine NHL MVPs, Barry Bonds owns seven in baseball, and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar won six in the NBA.

Manning has also won his second Associated Press NFL Offensive Player of the Year award.

The Denver quarterback shattered the league record by throwing for 55 touchdowns. He also set a mark with 5,477 yards passing in leading the Broncos to a 13-3 record, best in the AFC. They play Seattle on Sunday in the Super Bowl.

Broncos executive John Elway accepted the award on Manning’s behalf.

Manning received 33 votes from a nationwide panel of 50 media members who regularly cover the league in balloting announced Saturday night. He also won the award in 2004 and was runner-up last year to Adrian Peterson.

This time, running back LeSean McCoy of Philadelphia was second with 10 votes, followed by Kansas City running back Jamaal Charles with four.

NFL: 13 Percent Fewer Concussions in ’13 than ’12

Posted on January 30, 2014January 30, 2014

NEW YORK (AP) — The NFL says the number of concussions in practices and games in the preseason and regular season dropped 13 percent from 2012 to 2013.

Using information collected from team doctors, the league also says there was a 23 percent decrease over the past two seasons in the number of concussions caused by helmet-to-helmet contact.

Speaking at a pre-Super Bowl news conference Thursday, Jeff Miller, the league’s senior VP of health and safety policy, calls the data “positive trends.”

Some players have expressed concern that the NFL’s emphasis on decreasing hits to the head could lead to more low hits and more knee injuries. But Miller says there has not been an overall increase in damaged knee ligaments.

Tolbert Conversion Gives Rice 22-21 Pro Bowl Win

Posted on January 27, 2014January 27, 2014

HONOLULU (AP) — DeMarco Murray caught a 20-yard pass for a touchdown and Mike Tolbert plunged into the end zone for a 2-point conversion with less than 1 minute to give Jerry Rice a win over Deion Sanders in the first schoolyard-style Pro Bowl on Sunday.

Baltimore’s Justin Tucker missed a 67-yard field goal on the game’s final play after missing a 66-yarder earlier in the game.

The touchdown and conversion gave Rice a comeback after Philadelphia quarterback Nick Foles threw a 12-yard touchdown to Cleveland tight end Jordan Cameron with less than 5 minutes to play to give Sanders a 21-14 lead.

The Cameron and Murray touchdowns were the only scores of the second half in a game that had eight turnovers — including six interceptions — and nine sacks.

Super Bowl Again to be Streamed Live Online

Posted on January 22, 2014

NEW YORK (AP) — The Super Bowl will again be streamed live online.

Fox said Wednesday that it would offer free access to all users on computers and tablets through its app for the NFL championship on Feb. 2. For other playoff games this season, only subscribers to certain cable companies could watch through Fox Sports Go.

The last two Super Bowls on NBC and CBS were available online through Web browsers. This is the first time the game will be streamed through an app.

On smartphones, the game will be available through Verizon’s NFL Mobile app.