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The kid had the potential to have a great career in the NFL. What a waste.

  

Johnny Manziel's lawyer expresses doubt QB can stay clean

    DALLAS -- An attorney handling Johnny Manziel's domestic violence case expressed doubts about the Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback's ability to stay clean and said he was given a receipt that shows Manziel may have spent more than $1,000 at a drug paraphernalia store just 15 hours after he was involved in a hit-and-run crash, according to a lengthy text message accidentally sent to The Associated Press.

    Defense attorney Bob Hinton's text indicated Manziel's legal team was seeking a plea deal with prosecutors, but suggested that could be tricky.

    "Heaven help us if one of the conditions is to pee in a bottle," the attorney wrote.

    Hinton also wrote that he had been emailed a "heads up" receipt "which purports to reflect" that Manziel made a purchase of $1,018.77 at a Gas Pipe store at 12:03 p.m. on Tuesday, less than a day after his crash. A manager at a Gas Pipe location not far from where Manziel's crash was reported declined to discuss whether he bought anything there. A sign in the store says ID is required for purchases above $200.

    "I don't know if the receipt is legitimate or not," Hinton responded when asked about it by the AP. "I just know that it doesn't say Johnny's name on it anywhere that I can see. It's just that somebody in that store, I guess, circulated that to the other store managers and employees saying, 'Guess who was here today and spent this amount of money.' That's all I know."

    The errant text was sent Wednesday after the AP sought comment via text about Monday night's crash. When asked about the text, Hinton said he had meant to send it to co-counsel Jim Darnell and was unaware the AP had received it instead. He insisted the contents were protected by attorney-client privilege and threatened to sue if certain details were published.

    Manziel's spokeswoman, Denise Michaels, said in a statement to the AP that Hinton "has always only operated on the periphery of this case."

    "Lead counsel Jim Darnell has told me from the beginning that he would never have Johnny plead guilty in this and that position has not changed," Michaels said.

    The text shows that Manziel's attorneys are pushing for leniency, even as they grapple with indications he could still be struggling with substance abuse more than a year after his stay in a rehab center. The charges the former Cleveland Browns quarterback is facing come amid heightened scrutiny of legal cases involving professional athletes following domestic violence accusations against NFL players Ray Rice and Greg Hardy.

    The 23-year-old Manziel is accused of hitting and threatening former girlfriend Colleen Crowley during a night out in January. He faces a misdemeanor assault charge that carries a penalty of up to a year in jail and a $4,000 fine.

    As the case has played out, the 2012 Heisman winner at Texas A&M has been photographed partying from Hollywood to Las Vegas to New York in recent months, and his own family has expressed concern about his well-being after he was cut by the Browns this year after two underwhelming seasons.

    Hinton's text said the Gas Pipe receipt was sent to him by an attorney who is involved in a federal case accusing two people affiliated with the chain of making and selling synthetic marijuana. Michaels called the purchase "a rumor."

    "We don't know for sure whether the receipt does or doesn't represent a purchase he made since there are always unfounded stories flying around, but we all make it a policy to keep each other up to date on them," she said.

    It's unclear how close Manziel's domestic violence case is to being resolved. Similar cases usually result in deferred adjudication probation, meaning the charges are dismissed after one to two years, said David Finn, a Dallas attorney and former judge who is not associated with the Manziel case.

      

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    15 minutes ago, ckf said:

    The kid had the potential to have a great career in the NFL. What a waste.

     

     

    Yeah, a lot of these college QB superstars that are put on a pedestal and treated like gods just cannot seem to cope with the fact that they are just one of MANY talented players when the get to the big time...then, really hit the skids when they realize they just are not good enough.  It just completely destroys the massive ego and identity that has been fed to them since early high school playing years;  "You're a superstar."  When reality is, they were but only when playing against less gifted players.  I just don't think they can recover and get their head wrapped around having to actually learn to get better.  

    It's funny, most of the new "superstars" of any pro game were mostly unheard of back in their college or junior level days.  Sure, they were good, but I think the people around them did a great job of keeping them grounded in the realities of limitations.  Great parenting and coaching if you ask me.

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    9 minutes ago, ckf said:

    I don't think any QB fresh out of college should start during their first season in the NFL. The defenses are much to fast for them to deal with. 

    Agreed.  But the NFL has something that the rest don't really have or use much..the collegiate ranks.  So, that's kind of their train-up program.  However, what these boys learn quick is there is college level or "tier two/minor league" play, then the Pros.  The difference in speed and talent is not close.

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    RIP

    Former NFL coach Buddy Ryan dies at age 82

     

    Buddy Ryan, the architect of perhaps the greatest defense in NFL history, a doting father to a pair of current-day coaches who carry on his blustery style and legendary curmudgeon beloved by multiple fan bases passed away on Tuesday morning after a lengthy battle with cancer, his agent confirmed to NFL Media.

    He was 82 years old.

    Ryan, who created the 46 defense which propelled the Chicago Bears to a dominating victory in Super Bowl XX, was more than just a one hit wonder. His innovation as a blitz-crazed defensive line coach for the New York Jets lifted the team to its only Super Bowl victory in franchise history back in 1969 on the heels of such gems as the "Cheeseburger Blitz" and "Taco Bell Blitz." He was also one of the creative forces behind Minnesota's "Purple People Eaters" defenses back in the mid-1970s.

    Oklahoma born and bred, Ryan entered the coaching profession in 1961 with the University of Buffalo following his service in the Military. From there, a career as a defensive troubadour began, winding its way through New York, Minnesota, Chicago, Philadelphia, Houston and Arizona. "Without Buddy Ryan ... I'm just a guy," legendary Bears linebacker Mike Singletary said on an ESPN documentary about the 1985 Bears. "He's someone that you meet, and you think he's the toughest, meanest guy that you'll ever meet. But he loves you. He just doesn't know how to express it. But you know it when he looks at you."

    Added Mike Ditka, the head coach of the 1985 Bears, on Tuesday morning: "Buddy was such an integral part of the Chicago Bears and the '85 Bears, it was unbelievable. There's no way we win anything without that defense, without his coaching and I think everybody understands that. We won because of our defense, we can never forget that. That's just the way it was."

    Ryan turned conventional football wisdom on its head early on in his career. He never understood the coddling of NFL quarterbacks, and famously surmised that "a quarterback has never completed a pass when he was flat on his back." He believed that quarterbacks made too much money, attracted too much attention and acted with an unfair sense of entitlement -- and he spent nearly his entire career torturing them.

    During the Bears' Super Bowl run in 1985, the team allowed just 12.4 points per game and logged 64 quarterback sacks during the regular season. Defensive end Richard Dent and linebacker Otis Wilson combined for 27.5 alone. In a 46-10 Super Bowl win over New England, Patriots quarterback Steve Grogan was sacked four times and picked off twice. The Patriots rushed the ball 11 times in that Super Bowl for seven total yards.

    As former Bears defensive back Doug Plank put it: "We're going to get to know your backup quarterback today."

    Ryan is widely believed to be the only coordinator carried off the field during a Super Bowl win.

    Opposing coaches struggled to describe the beauty of Ryan’s defenses because they could never completely pin it down. Through the late 70s and early 80s, the varied fronts and organic pressures laid the groundwork for many of the schemes we see today. Dom Campers' psycho front, as well as defenses used by Rex Ryan, Todd Bowles, Romeo Crennel, Bob Sutton and others owe part of their success to the dizzying playbook put together by Buddy Ryan over the years.

    Ryan was never afraid of fame and devoured media attention. With the game still in its infancy, Buddy was known as one of the first true quote machines. Some examples:

    >> "Trade (running back Earnest Jackson) for a six pack; it doesn't even have to be cold."

    >> "Dumb guys sulk and pout. You never see smart guys pout. Hey, they are paid very well. If they don't do the job, somebody's gotta get on 'em. The good players always react the way they should."

    >> "Football kickers are like taxi cabs. You can always go out and hire another one."

    >> "Coaches didn't like it because it made them look bad. We hit a lot of quarterbacks, and that was one of the things coaches were a little tender about."

    >> "We might have the worst bunch of guys together we've ever seen as a football team. I don't know what anybody else has, but I'd trade mine with anybody, sight unseen."

    Ryan's passion for the game often made him a divisive figure. As a coordinator, he warred with his head coach and fellow assistants. During the golden years in Chicago, that meant a famously dysfunctional relationship with Ditka, who by orders from ownership, had to keep Ryan and leave the defense alone. Buddy would hurl erasers at the door when Ditka entered team meetings. When Ditka would suggest Ryan switching to zone late in punishing wins, Ryan would just shrug and walk away. The two had to be separated several times by players during halftime grapples.

    "It didn't matter if it was a practice or a game, they were b ------ and each other," quarterback Jim McMahon said in an NFL Films special on the most famous feuds in NFL history. "It's amazing we won."

    In Houston, Ryan had a famous distain for then-offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride's run and shoot offense. Ryan called it the "chuck and duck," amid a public game of cat and mouse that resulted in Ryan throwing a punch at Gilbride on the sideline of a nationally televised game.

    That was Ryan -- authentic and ornery until the end. As a head coach in Philadelphia, he presided over some of the most beloved teams in franchise history. He took jabs at ownership, he battled with fans over talk radio and molded a miserable roster into a 43-38-1 team over five seasons. He reached the playoffs three times.

    He ended up retiring to his horse farm in Kentucky, but raised a pair of twins -- Rob and Rex -- who both earned Super Bowl rings as assistants. Now, the pair is together in Buffalo, the city where Buddy's coaching career started in earnest. They are just as authentic and just as ornery. Buddy will undoubtedly live on.

     

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    On June 25, 2016 at 0:20 PM, Zambroski said:

    Yeah, a lot of these college QB superstars that are put on a pedestal and treated like gods just cannot seem to cope with the fact that they are just one of MANY talented players when the get to the big time...then, really hit the skids when they realize they just are not good enough.  It just completely destroys the massive ego and identity that has been fed to them since early high school playing years;  "You're a superstar."  When reality is, they were but only when playing against less gifted players.  I just don't think they can recover and get their head wrapped around having to actually learn to get better.  

    It's funny, most of the new "superstars" of any pro game were mostly unheard of back in their college or junior level days.  Sure, they were good, but I think the people around them did a great job of keeping them grounded in the realities of limitations.  Great parenting and coaching if you ask me.

    "A lot of these college QB superstars"....... other than Manziel name a few and if you paid attention you would know that in most cases a team only goes as far as their QB takes them.

    Edited by Biggie Smails
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    7 hours ago, Biggie Smails said:

    "A lot of these college QB superstars"....... other than Manziel name a few and if you paid attention you would know that in most cases a team only goes as far as their QB takes them.

    A few?  Well, let's see....Tebow, Detmer, Leinhart, Griffen.  How many is a few?  Maybe a few more.....Griffen, Werful (SP?), Crouch.  Can't remember how many of these won the Heisman either.

    Thanks for letting me know that a teams QB skills are "sorta" important too.  

    Those nylons around your head are getting too tight.  :lol2:

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    4 hours ago, Zambroski said:

    A few?  Well, let's see....Tebow, Detmer, Leinhart, Griffen.  How many is a few?  Maybe a few more.....Griffen, Werful (SP?), Crouch.  Can't remember how many of these won the Heisman either.

    Thanks for letting me know that a teams QB skills are "sorta" important too.  

    Those nylons around your head are getting too tight.  :lol2:

    How many of those you named had the problems Manziel has?

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    22 minutes ago, Capt.Storm said:

    The Gronk sure is a big help also..i like that guy.

    He should have another big season as long as he can stay healthy. Having another big TE with Bennett joining the Pats should make for some interesting match ups.

    14 minutes ago, Biggie Smails said:

    How many of those you named had the problems Manziel has?

    Maybe not the same problems with the law, but very few high profile college QB's ever live up to their expectations in the NFL.

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    Andrew Luck signs 6-year contract with Colts

    Colts owner Jim Irsay promised a "shocking" contract for his franchise quarterback Andrew Luck way back in February. That's why it wasn't shocking when the Colts announced Wednesday that Luck is signed to a six-year contract through 2021.

    NFL Media Insider Ian Rapoport reported that Luck is now the highest paid player in the NFL, according to a source informed of the deal. He will top the $22.1 million deal average salary of Joe Flacco. Rapoport noted that Luck's six-year contract will pay him $75 million over the first three years of the deal and slightly less over the final two years.

    0ap3000000671351.jpg
    The Amazon Original Series "All or Nothing: A Season with the Arizona Cardinals" Premieres on Prime video July 1.

    The news is not a surprise, but the timing of it shows the extreme faith the Colts have in Luck. He's coming off a down 2015 season plagued by injuries. He was off to a bad start even before a shoulder injury forced him to miss two early starts and a lacerated kidney ended his season after Week 9. The Colts smartly valued the first three extraordinary seasons of Luck's career as more decisive. Luck was sixth in the NFL in passing yards from 2012-2014.

    "This is an exciting day for the organization and Colts fans around the globe," Colts Owner and CEO Jim Irsay said in a statement released by the team. "Andrew is the consummate professional, possesses extraordinary talent and is our leader on and off the field. When you consider what this team has accomplished in four seasons with Andrew under center, you cannot help but be thrilled about the future."

    Luck echoed Irsay's sentiments.

    "I am thrilled and excited to continue with this great organization," Luck said. "I am thankful to the Irsay family and Mr. Irsay for providing me with this great opportunity and the trust that they've shown in me. I can'€™t wait for this season to start."

    Around the NFL will have more on this story soon.

     

    http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000672131/article/andrew-luck-signs-extension-with-colts

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    5 hours ago, ckf said:

    He should have another big season as long as he can stay healthy. Having another big TE with Bennett joining the Pats should make for some interesting match ups.

    Maybe not the same problems with the law, but very few high profile college QB's ever live up to their expectations in the NFL.

    Some do and some don't but the reason they are put on a pedestal is because they are very successful....Tim Tebow is one of the most successful college QB's ever and never asked for anything other than a chance not to mention by all accounts he is the hardest working player on and off the field. 

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    18 minutes ago, Biggie Smails said:

    Some do and some don't but the reason they are put on a pedestal is because they are very successful....Tim Tebow is one of the most successful college QB's ever and never asked for anything other than a chance not to mention by all accounts he is the hardest working player on and off the field. 

    Agreed on Tebow. Hell, I was pulling for him to make it on the Patriots roster a few years back :bc:  But guys like that are few and far between in the NFL.

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    4 minutes ago, ckf said:

    Agreed on Tebow. Hell, I was pulling for him to make it on the Patriots roster a few years back :bc:  But guys like that are few and far between in the NFL.

    Absolutely and I thought Z was specifically talking about dudes like Manziel that had chances and completely fucked it up because of personal failings. I think it's a disservice to rip QB's who were great players and teammates in college because they failed in the NFL....of course there are guys like Manziel, Jamarcus Russell, Ryan Leaf, ect but they are not the norm and if I'm not mistaken Leaf is on the speaking circuit warning of  the pitfalls.

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    They need to boot his ass out, not just cut his pay :bc:

     

    NFL cuts Roger Goodell's pay to $31.7 million

    Commissioner's pay has been cut $12.5M since 2012

    UPDATED 2:00 PM EDT Jul 01, 2016
     
     
    Roger Goodell, NFL commissioner
    Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images

    NEW YORK (CNNMoney) —Last year brought another pay cut for the commish.

    The NFL paid Roger Goodell $31.7 million in 2015, which means his salary was cut by more than $2 million from the year before.

    Goodell's annual pay has been cut $12.5 million since 2012.

    - 2012 pay: $44.2 million

    - 2013 pay: $35 million

    - 2014 pay: $34.1 million

    - 2015 pay $31.7 million

    Goodell has taken heat for his handling of several high-profile situations including domestic violence by league players and the suspension of Tom Brady. He's also been criticized for his high salary and there have been widespread calls for his resignation.

    In past years, Goodell has made more than nearly every NFL player -- even the stars. With this last cut however, he dropped below quarterbacks Philip Rivers, Ben Roethlisberger and Eli Manning.

    Goodell has been commissioner since 2006. The NFL has paid Goodell $205.8 million since 2008 -- the time frame for which data is available.

    The pay cut was revealed Friday when the NFL disclosed its 990 form - required of tax exempt organizations - with information for January through June of 2015.

    Although the NFL dropped its tax-exempt status in 2015, it still had to disclose financial information for the time before its tax status changed.

    The NFL was able to qualify for tax exemption by giving profits to the 32 teams in the league.

    This is the last time the NFL should have to reveal Goodell's salary.

    Other leagues don't reveal the salaries of their commissioners.

     

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    • 2 weeks later...

    Looks like Garoppolo will get a chance to show everyone what he's got when the 2016 season kicks off for the Patriots.

     

    Tom Brady's 'Deflategate' appeal rejected by federal court

    Posted: Jul 13, 2016 9:55 AM EST Updated: Jul 13, 2016 9:57 AM EST
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    By LARRY NEUMEISTER
    Associated Press

    NEW YORK (AP) - A federal appeals court has rejected Tom Brady's attempt to get a new hearing on his "Deflategate" suspension.

    Brady was asking for the full 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to hear the case. In April, a three-judge panel said that NFL commissioner Roger Goodell was within his powers when he suspended the star quarterback four games for his role in a scheme to doctor the footballs used in a Jan. 18, 2015, playoff game.

    The decision Wednesday affirms the wide-ranging powers given to the commissioner by the NFL's collective bargaining agreement and was a setback for organized labor groups arguing for due process in employee discipline.

    Brady's remaining hope is to appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court.

    The Patriots open the season Sept. 11 at Arizona. If Brady is suspended, backup quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo would take his place.

    AP sports writer Jimmy Golen in Boston contributed to this report.

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    • 2 weeks later...
    • Platinum Contributing Member
    1 minute ago, ckf said:

    The Ryan Fitzpatrick stalemate with the New York Jets has finally come to an end.

    Fitzpatrick is re-signing with the team on a 1-year deal worth $12 million, NFL Media Insider Ian Rapoport reports from a source.

    The Jets staff kept looking at Geno Smith and they finally realized they had to get Fitz signed.

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    • 2 weeks later...

     

    Quote

     

    Brandon Marshall takes swing at Revis in Jets practice

    A feisty afternoon of competition between star cover man Darrelle Revis and wideout Brandon Marshall boiled over into chaos at Jets camp on Friday.

    After beating Revis for an 80-yard touchdown catch, Marshall walked up to Revis along the sideline and took a swing at the cornerback.

    Marshall then dug into Revis with insults, shouting a "DeAndre Hopkins comment at Revis, reminding the corner of his struggles last season against the Houston receiver -- a low blow," per ESPN's Rich Cimini, who noted that: "Marshall wouldn't shut up, screaming at Revis when he was on the sideline."

    The fisticuffs came after Revis and Marshall went at each other all day, with Revis using his surgically repaired right wrist to jam Marshall at the line.

    NFL Media's Kimberly Jones noted the two later exchanged words after getting tangled up in the air. When Marshall asked if Revis was OK, the defender shot back, saying: "Get that (expletive) out of here."

    He later claimed that Revis swung first and baited him into punching back, saying, per Jones: "Can't let nobody slap me in the face."

    Marshall said the situation went "kind of went too far" because the reps between the two were competitive, but added "there's a thin line between football and being a man." He also expressed remorse about cursing at the ref who didn't call pass interference on Revis.

    After watching New York's season take a distracting and embarrassing turn last summer when linebacker IK Enemkpali punched quarterback Geno Smith, Jets coach Todd Bowles effectively downplayed Friday's practice shenanigans, saying: "Both of them got to where they were from making plays and not backing down. Neither player is gonna back down. We like their competitiveness, but you just got to keep it clean and, for the most part, they did."

    Said Bowles of Marshall: "They had been going at it all day, got a little chippy. That's just part of football. It's camp. You can go to every camp probably around the league and you're gonna hear the same thing. Everybody gets chippy. It's nothing to write home about."

    Bowles even acknowledged that he appreciates hearing Marshall toss insults, noting that players need to "use any means necessary when you're on the field."

    "I love it. It's football," Bowles said. "We're not here judging a beauty pageant. You want some players that's chippy."

    He's right. It's easy to overreact to this, but flare-ups are the cost of long, hot training camp sessions. Marshall and Revis are deeply competitive athletes and the latter, especially, has always been known as one of the league's grittiest practice players. Marshall is no stranger to losing his cool, but that's part of the overall (very talented) package -- and the Jets understand that.

    Bowles did his part to nip this in the bud. We don't expect Gang Green -- once a magnet for drama -- to turn this into a bigger distraction than it needs to be.

     

     

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