No Towel

The NFL does everything they can to maximize any possible sponsorship along the way. I was surprised today when I bought a bottle of TIDE detergent. Apparently, they are the official detergent of the NFL. I didn't know that.

They have partnered with the NFL to market themselves and give fans a rally towel for their team. I'm not sure of the size of the towel. I don't think it's very big.

I lost my eligibility for a "free" towel when I threw my receipt away earlier today. I can't believe I did that.

Business As Usual

The NFL continues to fine players for illegal hits. It doesn't seems to stop anyone.DT Ndamukong Su  of the Lions was fined $50,000 for kicking Houston QB Matt Schaub during their Thanksgiving Day game.

The networks always show the violent hits in the highlights. Rather than suspend players, the NFL just issues a fine and collects the money from the players. It becomes the cost of doing business for some of them.

The league wants to avoid suspensions which only end up hurting the product they put before the public.They don't want to turn the game into flag football. There is a fine line between what is legal and illegal. The speed of the game causes a big blur. Things happen very quickly.

I often wonder what the response will be when there is a real tragedy. What happens when we see the next Daryl Stingley?

The Ship Is Sinking

It could get very ugly at Met Life Stadium on Sunday when the New York Jets host the Arizona Cardinals. Both teams are 4-7 and one game away from missing the playoffs. Thousands of Jets fans are trying to dump their tickets to on-line brokers with the count is up to 7,000. Some are selling as low as $18. The Jets have failed to sell-out their games, but the team has bought up the unsold tickets to avoid a television blackout.

Maybe the team might be better off if they didn't broadcast their game. The season for Rex & Co. has gotten very ugly. It will get out of hand with another loss. I just don't see them running the table over the last five games.

Fans of the Pats can sit back and watch as the ship goes down in New York. Offensive Coordinator Tony Sparano will be the first to go. That might not be enough for Jet fans. Owner Woody Johnson might need to clean house, including Rex Ryan and GM Michael Tannenbaum.

The Problem With PED's

The NFL continues to catch players using Performance Enhancement Drugs. It results in a four game suspension. It happened to Brandon Bolden and now it's Jermaine Cunningham's turn. His bout with PED's will also cost him four games during the final stretch of the regular season.

Privacy laws prohibit the NFL from identifying the substance. This puts the players at a disadvantage. The list of banned substances is very long. Some were legal in the past and available over the counter. Others were prescribed for conditions like Attention Deficit Disorder.

It gives the perception that the player was taking steroids or human growth hormone. That is so unfair. What was legal in the past is now a punishable offense. I feel the NFL really needs to tweak their PED policy. I don't think it's working the way it was intended.

Ed Hangs It Up

The recent 49-19 loss by the Jets to the Pats on Thanksgiving night continues to have repercussions. The legendary "Fireman Ed" has decided to hang up his helmet and stop leading his J-E-T-S chant at home games.

This is a shocking development to fans who have watched Ed Anzalone do his thing since 1975. He has been involved with various team activities at times although he is not employed by them.

Ed claims he has been harassed at games by fans for wearing a Mark Sanchez game jersey. It has happened at his seat, in the parking lot and various places around the stadium. Apparently, the loss to the Pats was the final straw. He will continue to attend games, but will dress differently and change his seats.

It's too bad it had to end this way for Ed. He was very passionate about his cheering. The television cameras always put his mug on the screen at some point during a broadcast.

The Pro Bowl Farce

The Pro Bowl is becoming a complete joke. It starts with the game. I think they should vote players to the team, but they should stop playing the game. Football doesn't adapt itself to an all-star game. The rules are different to protect the players. As a result, there is little defense played. The score is right out of Arena Football, with both teams racing up and down the field.

Letting the fans vote if a bigger travesty. They vote for their own team or ones from their fantasy squad. Troy Polamalu leads the voting at strong safety, but he has only played in five quarters the entire season. How can you be voted to the Pro Bowl if you are injured for most of the season?

 Polamalu is one of the great players of his time, but the honor should go to someone who is playing at the highest level at their position in the current season.

The Rex Watch

The New York Jets were able to sneak into the 2009 playoffs with a 9-7 record. They went on to the AFC Championship game which they ultimately lost. With a current record of 4-7, they would need to win their remaining five games.

The face the Cardinals, Jaguars, Titans, Chargers and Bills. None of them have a wining record, but are fighting for a possible wild card spot. It certainly won't be easy with the way the Jets are playing.

To make matters worse, the New York tabloids have Coach Rex Ryan in their sights. One more loss will eliminate them from the playoffs. When that happens, the floodgates will open. Every mistake he makes will be magnified by the media.

I think the only was he can save his job is to get a show of support from owner Woody Johnson, but that hasn't happened. He might escape the axe if the Jets play competitive in their remaining games. It might not be good enough for their fans who are getting very restless. They are now looking at 45 years without a trip to the Super Bowl..

A Hit To Remember

WR Julian Edelman was having the game of his career last night against the Jets until he got blasted by safety LaRon Landy early in the second quarter. He suffered a crushing helmet to helmet hit and was on the ground for several moments. He left the game and never returned after suffering a head injury. The hit was considered to be legal.

Edeleman already had a 56 yard TD reception and scored another on a kickoff fumble by Joe McKnight. His status for the game against Miami is questionable, but if he ever has neurological problems later on in life, he can look back at this game as being a part of the cause.

Big Game Tonight

It's a huge game for the New York Jets tonight when they take on the Pats. Another loss will almost eliminate the Jets from playoff contention. A loss by the Pats would put them in a bad situation for getting a first round bye in the playoffs. They would most likely host a Wild card game.

The Pats travel to Miami next weekend and play them at home in the season finale. A loss in either game would also put them into the first round of the playoffs.

It should be a very competitive game. The Jets are fighting for their lives. A loss would be devastating for Coach Rex Ryan.

A Bunch of Characters

Whenever the Pats acquire a player with character issues, we hear the same discussion that the team has changed its direction about signing players with questionable backgrounds. The league is full of players with various issues.

The recent trade for CB Aqib Talib shows that the Pats are willing to do what it takes to win. They were able to scoop up CB Alfonso Dennard in the 7th round of the 2012 draft because he was previously arrested the week before. Many thought he would have been a 2nd or 3rd round selection. They said the same for Aaron Hernandez who slipped to the 4th round after testing positive for pot.

Ted Washington and Corey Dillon helped them win a Super Bowl. They took a shot with Albert Haynesworth and Chad Johnson, but it didn't work out for either one of them.

LB Brandon Spikes had some off-field issues. He is also considered by many to be a dirty players, but because he plays for our team, he is ok.

A Chance For Hoyer

Players around the NFL often make the roster because of injury to others. There are very opportunistic moments that players need to take advantage of. We are seeing that with former Pats QB Brian Hoyer who was signed by the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Backup QB Bryan Leftwich, who was playing in the place of Ben Roethlisberger, also sustained an injury to his ribs. The Steelers reached out to Hoyer who had been unemployed since he was cut by the Pats at the end of training camp.

This is a great chance for Hoyer who had only played in garbage time for the Pats. He might never be a starter, but he could continue to carve out a career similar to the one of Leftwich. Hoyer was undrafted unlike Leftwich who was the 7th player selected in the 2003 draft.

Leftwich has made a career of being a journeyman backup with several teams. Hoyer is back on a team. It's a chance to stay on a roster and be a backup. 

A Break For Gronk

The Pats took a big hit yesterday during their 59-24 win over the Colts when they lost Rob Gronkowski to a broken arm. He underwent surgery today and will miss 4-8 weeks. This is on top of the tenuous health of Aaron Hernandez. All of a sudden, the team is left without two of its most potent offensive weapons.

Rodney Harrison suffered a similar injury when he played for the Pats. He said it took him over six weeks to get back to normal. I doubt if we will see Gronk before the playoffs. The team rushed Hernandez back too soon. Hopefully, they don't do it with Gronk.

Some question why he was even on the field during the final PAT in a 35 point rout. He was hit in the arm by Sergio Brown who spent three seasons with the Pats. Gronk routinely plays on the point after. With 45 players dressed, teams use their starters on various special teams.Wes Welker was returning kicks late into the 4th quarter. The same thing could have happened to him.