Official NFL Thread

[kuro808]

I was surprised in all the replacements, well i think from the interviews, one conclusion

WE WANTED TO GO TO HAWAII!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[ACrum]

this super bowl is gonna be awesome. not sure whos gonna win but ill choose the saints

[kuro808]

CINCINNATI (AP)—Chad Ochocinco wants to show a Pro Bowl audience that he can kick it as well as catch it.

The Bengals receiver did some kickoffs Thursday during practice for the Pro Bowl in Miami, hoping to convince the coaches that he’s capable of going toe-to-toe in the all-star game.

Ochocinco told The Associated Press in a phone interview after practice that he’s planning to kick field goals during practice on Friday. He’s hoping to persuade AFC coaches that he could be more than a just receiver during the game on Sunday.

Ochocinco kicked an extra point and had a kickoff during a preseason game for the Bengals this season.

Chad "almost hachi-go" ochocinco, please stick to catching, but i do give him credit for kicking when the kicker was out

[ACrum]

CINCINNATI (AP)—Chad Ochocinco wants to show a Pro Bowl audience that he can kick it as well as catch it.

The Bengals receiver did some kickoffs Thursday during practice for the Pro Bowl in Miami, hoping to convince the coaches that he’s capable of going toe-to-toe in the all-star game.

Ochocinco told The Associated Press in a phone interview after practice that he’s planning to kick field goals during practice on Friday. He’s hoping to persuade AFC coaches that he could be more than a just receiver during the game on Sunday.

Ochocinco kicked an extra point and had a kickoff during a preseason game for the Bengals this season.

Chad "almost hachi-go" ochocinco, please stick to catching, but i do give him credit for kicking when the kicker was out

wtf i never knew he kicked 0_0 wtf lol. thats really funny

[kuro808]

^ I remembered that game because either the kicker was injured or he wanted to do it but he wasn't that bad, but it was just hilarious

[Sev]

Lol. I say let Ocho do it! On another note, hate to see so many players dropped from the pro bowl, but HELLO Gates as a starter, and welcome in Jackson. I'm excited, for sure!

[kuro808]

Warner brings end to stirring 12-year NFL career

By BOB BAUM, AP Sports Writer 23 minutes ago

TEMPE, Ariz. (AP)—Kurt Warner(notes) has called an end to one of the great storybook careers in NFL history.

The 38-year-old quarterback announced his retirement from the game on Friday after a dozen years in a league that at first rejected him, then revered him as he came from nowhere to lead the lowly St. Louis Rams to two Super Bowls, winning the first of them.

Written off as a has-been, he rose again to lead the long-suffering Arizona Cardinals to the Super Bowl a year ago.

“I’m excited about what’s next,” Warner said. “Before I was always excited about next season.”

Warner walked away with a year left on a two-year, $23 million contract, knowing he still had the skills to play at the highest level.

He had one of the greatest postseason performances ever in Arizona’s 51-45 overtime wild card victory over Green Bay on Jan. 10, but sustained a brutal hit in the Cardinals’ 45-14 divisional round loss at New Orleans six days later.

Warner leaves the game with a legacy that could land him in the Hall of Fame even though he didn’t start his first game until he was 28.

In a comparison with the 14 quarterbacks to make the Hall of Fame in the last 25 years, Warner has a better career completion percentage, yards per pass attempt and yards per game. Only Dan Marino had more career 300-yard passing games.

In 124 regular-season games, Warner completed 65.5 percent of his passes for 32,344 yards and 208 touchdowns. He and Fran Tarkenton are the only NFL quarterbacks to throw for 100 touchdowns and 14,000 yards for two teams.

Warner, who grew up in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and played collegiately at Northern Iowa, ranks among the career leaders in a variety of passing statistics.

He was also the fastest player in NFL history to 10,000 yards passing and tied Dan Marino as fastest to reach 30,000.

He has the top three passing performances in Super Bowl history. His 1,156 yards passing in the 2008 playoffs broke the NFL record of 1,063 he set with St. Louis in 1999.

Warner’s rise from obscurity seems the stuff of sports fiction.

He played three seasons in the Arena Football League and one in NFL Europe, mixed in with a sting stocking grocery shelves back in Iowa.

Warner made the Rams as a backup in 1998, then was thrust into the starting role in 1999 when Trent Green(notes) was injured.

What followed was a masterful and wholly unexpected season, when he led the Rams to a 13-3 regular-season record, then a Super Bowl triumph over Tennessee. He was named the league and Super Bowl MVP.

St. Louis was upset in the first round of the playoffs the following season, but Warner had them back in the big game in 2001, where “The Greatest Show on Turf” lost a squeaker to New England. The season earned him a second NFL MVP award.

But after an injury-plagued 2002 season, he was sacked six times and suffered a concussion in a 2003 season-opening loss to the New York Giants. He never started for St. Louis again.

He signed a free agent contract with the Giants for 2004, but was replaced by rookie Eli Manning(notes) after nine games. Warner came to the Cardinals in 2005 and was an off-and-on starter before replacing the injured Matt Leinart(notes) part way through the 2007 season.

Warner had to beat out Leinart the following spring, then led the Cardinals to the NFC West crown and playoff victories over Atlanta, Carolina and Philadelphia before the narrow loss to Pittsburgh in last year’s Super Bowl, where he threw for 377 yards.

Off the field, Warner has been just as impressive.

He and his wife operate the First Things First Christian charitable foundation. Last year, he was named the NFL’s Man of the Year for his off-field and onfield accomplishments.

Warner’s departure leaves Leinart the presumed replacement. The former Heisman Trophy winner has started 17 games for Arizona but only one in the last two years.

  good career and good person

[L1mpk1d78]

While I have never been a fan of Warner, except againt Tennessee in the Super Bowl,  I have to tip my hat to one of the best QB's of the last 10 years.

[RatBastich]

Reversal would've put Vikes in red zone

ESPN.com news services

It was the third-quarter hit during the NFC Championship Game that injured Brett Favre, a low blow the NFL is now acknowledging should have been called a penalty, reversing a subsequent interception.

"It's the type of hit that we don't want," NFL vice president of officiating Mike Pereira said, "... because clearly we're trying to protect the knees and we need to focus on this to make sure we don't miss [them]."

Appearing on the NFL Network and NFL.com this week, Pereira said the right call had not been made during the New Orleans Saints' 31-28 overtime victory Sunday.

With the score tied 21-21, Favre took a hit from Saints defensive end Bobby McCray. The quarterback's left ankle was injured during the play, and he got it treated on the sideline and remained in the game.

"Pretty much a direct shot into the back of [Favre's] legs," Pereira said of the hit.

The Vikings would have had a first down at the Saints' 19-yard line.

Instead, linebacker Jonathan Vilma's interception put the Saints at their own 31-yard line, though they failed to score on the resulting series.

[RatBastich]

McKinnie tossed for missing practice

ESPN.com news services

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. -- Minnesota Vikings offensive tackle Bryant McKinnie has been dismissed from the NFC Pro Bowl team for unexcused absences.

The NFL said McKinnie missed practice Friday and Saturday and is subject to a fine. His agent didn't respond to messages seeking comment.

McKinnie released a statement through his publicist Saturday evening, saying he withdrew from the game because of injury.

"I am extremely honored to have been selected for this year's Pro Bowl," McKinnie said in the statement. "However my ongoing injuries in my feet and left ankle that I have encountered during the last portion of the season has hindered me during this week's training and preparing myself both mentally and physically for this Sunday's Pro Bowl game.

"I am very knowledgeable and appreciative of all my loyal fans and supporters and would like to apologize if I may have disappointed you in any way, but getting back 100 percent healthy at this time is my number one concern to perform even better in the upcoming season."

This was the first Pro Bowl selection for McKinnie, whose Vikings lost to New Orleans in the NFC championship last Sunday.

Defensive end Julius Peppers also had an unexcused absence Friday, but was back at practice Saturday.

Since the rosters for Sunday's game in Miami were first announced, more than a dozen players have been scratched.

[ACrum]

sigh....thats y the probowl is a joke :/. more than a dozen players dropped out?? really...

[kuro808]

^ well the pro bowl was never meant to be for anything but they should always have it after the super bowl

[RatBastich]

Novacek's wife found dead

By Jeff Caplan
ESPNDallas.com

The wife of former Dallas Cowboys tight end Jay Novacek has died, a spokesperson with the Tarrant County medical examiner's office said on Monday afternoon.

LeAnne Novacek, 45, was found dead at 9:05 a.m., according to Linda Anderson, spokesperson for the Tarrant County coroner's office.

At 8:37 a.m., Burleson police and fire departments responded to "a report of a medical emergency, possible suicide" at a residence in Burleson, according to Burleson police department spokesperson Sally Ellertson. The body was found in the bedroom of the residence, according to the police report.

Ellertson said police on the scene called the Tarrant County coroner's office, detectives and a victim's assistance coordinator.

The Tarrant County coroner's office said an autopsy would be performed on Tuesday. The police investigation is ongoing.

Jay Novacek, 47, played six seasons for the Cowboys from 1990 to 1996. The five-time Pro Bowler, who ranks ninth in team history with 3,576 career receiving yards on 339 receptions, was a beloved member of teams that won three Super Bowls in four seasons. He was a sixth-round draft choice out of Wyoming in 1985 by the St. Louis Cardinals.

After a back injury forced him to miss the 1996 season, Novacek retired in 1997. He and LeAnne continued to live in the area after his retirement, and Novacek remained involved with team. He signed autographs at Cowboys Stadium earlier this season.

[kuro808]

wow that seems sudden, I send my condolences to his family

[daigong]

^ Whoa. Jay Novacek one of the all time greats. RIP to the wife.

how about Herschel Walker winning his MMA debut?? Dude is RIPPED!!


HURRY UP SUPER BOWL!! I got my money on.....................

[kuro808]

^ I was surprised how he won, now I hope he has a big time opponent next time

I am pulling for the Colts to win but on spread NO

[THUNDERDUCK]

EA's Madden Super Bowl Simulation expects NO-35, IN-31

[RatBastich]

2011 logo is first of NFL's standard look

By Calvin Watkins
ESPNDallas.com

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. -- The North Texas Super Bowl Committee and the NFL unveiled the logo for Super Bowl XLV on Thursday morning, displaying Cowboys Stadium in the background with the Vince Lombardi Trophy sitting on top of the roman numerals for the game.

There is a new logo for every Super Bowl, but starting with the 2011 Super Bowl the logo will basically remain the same. The only difference is that the stadium backdrop and the roman numerals for the game will change for every year thereafter.

NFL officials looked at eight different designs until finalizing it recently. The NFL didn't present it to North Texas officials until last week.

"It's a unique mixture of icons that represents what this whole thing is all about. It's well done," said Bill Lively, the President and CEO of the North Texas Super Bowl XLV Host committee. "We've approached our mission not just for 45 but for many, many [Super Bowl] games to come."

The NFL also announced it's changing its postseason logo system and trophies.

The AFC and NFC Championship Game trophies will change from a brown base with a 'A' or 'N' on top of it surrounded by a players layered on a wall, to silver trophies in the make of a football.

Playoff logos will also change to reflect the football as a trophy.

All the new logos and trophies will take effect starting with the 2010 season.

"We feel that 45 is a special year," said Mark Waller, chairman of marketing for the NFL. "It feels like its the perfect time to launch it."

[kuro808]

^ Wow it looks rather kool and I guess for wholesale changes, meh I don't look too much at it anyways.

I wonder for what they have in store for 50????????

[daigong]

man....after all the hYPE...I'm a lean towards WHO DAT