A wild and whacky NFL season just keeps getting crazier and crazier. Some of the developments from yesterday.
SNOW BRINGS DOWN METRODOME’S ROOF:
By far the biggest story of the day occurred before most people were even awake, as snow plowed the midwest. At approximentatly 5 a.m., the Metrodome’s inflatable Teflon roof collapsed under the weight of snow in Minnesotta, leaving NFL officials scrambling to figure out what to do as the Vikings were set to host the New York Giants Sunday afternoon.
The game has now been rescheduled for Monday night in Detroit at 7:20 p.m. ET. I have been watching football all my life, but I have to say I was shocked to learn that free general admission tickets would be available at the Ford Field box office beginning at 9 a.m. ET. Refunds will also be given to original ticket holders who can’t brave the snowstorm to travel all the way up to Detroit, but priority seating will be given to those who do make the trek to the climate controlled Ford Field. Just kind of wish I lived a little closer to Detroit.
“At this point I would play this game in a parking lot,” Giants defensive end Justin Tuck said in a text to ESPN.com’s Matt Mosley on Sunday. Now that would be awesome.
Metropolitan Sports Facilities Commission chairman Roy Terwilliger said to espn.com that he’s optimistic the roof can be repaired in time for the Vikings to host Da Bears in their next scheduled home game on Dec. 20, giving workers eight days to replace three damaged panels and re-raise the Teflon roof.
Oh and Brett Favre said he wouldn’t have played yesterday, perhaps ending the greatest sports streak ever. Including playoffs, he has started 321 games in a row, which I don’t care what you say about Favre, but that is probably the most impressive record in all of sports.
Will the extra day allow him to continue his streak? I wouldn’t bet against Favre, as evidenced by my picking the Vikings to win the Super Bowl back in September.
Watch the video of the roof collapsing:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IxuxNLf87_Y
PATRIOTS MARCH ON:
The snow made it’s presence felt in Chicago’s Soldier Field as well yesterday, but it was not enough to even remotely slow down Tom Brady and the Patriots as they demolished the Bears to a tune of 36-7, earning their fifth win in a row and clinching the playoffs for the eighth time in the last ten years. In one of those years, Brady was out 5 minutes into the season, and the Pats just missed the playoffs with a stellar 11-5 record. Also in 2002, they missed the playoffs with a 9-7 record. Anotherwords, they haven’t had a losing season in the last ten years, or since the season Brady was drafted and Bill Bellicheck became the coach.
Aside from the defending champion New Orleans Saints, the Patriots have defeated every Super Bowl contender you can think of this season already, including the Ravens, the Steelers, the Jets, and now the Bears. Next up for them, the Packers.
RODGERS KNOCKED OUT:
MVP candidate Aaron Rodgers was knocked out of yesterday’s game against Detroit with his second concussion of the season, and the Packers paid for it with a humbling 7-3 loss to the Lions. The list of players who have had concussions this year is too long to list, but in Week 1 alone we saw Matt Moore, Kevin Boss, Stewart Bradley and Kevin Kolb all go down.
According to NFL data obtained by The Associated Press, 154 concussions that happened in practices or games were reported from the start of the preseason through the eighth week of the 2010 regular season. That is an increase of 21 percent over the 127 concussions through the eighth week of the 2009 season, and a 34 percent jump from the 115 reported over the same span in 2008.
All of this is happening while the NFL looks to increase the NFL season to an eighteen game season as opposed to the sixteen it currently is. Meanwhile they are attempting to increase fines for head-to-head hits, especially if you are a Steelers defender named James Harrison, former NFL defensive player of the year. I attempted to try and add up all of Harrison’s fines for 2010 thus far, but became frustrated as their were so many. What I do know is that most of his hits at least used to be legal, and meanwhile Richard Seymour’s knockout punch on Ben Roethlisberger barely got the league’s attention. Nor did the Andre Johnson/Cortland Finnegan’s no helmet fist fight. Just more wild and whackiness I guess.
JETS WOES CONTINUE:
The New York Jets failed to score a touchdown for the second week in a row, losing to the Miami Dolphins 10-6. But what was really interesting were the events during a kickoff return. Dolphins cornerback Nolan Carroll veered a little off course during a special teams play, venturing onto the Jets sideline. It was then that the Jets strength and conditioning coach Sal Alosi leaned his left leg into Carroll, tripping him. Carroll limped off the field, but he eventually returned. I have always thought the Jets-Dolphins rivalry was one of football’s best, but this is just crazy.
According to the NY Times, after the game Alosi released a statement: “I made a mistake that showed a total lapse in judgment. My conduct was inexcusable and unsportsmanlike and does not reflect what this organization stands for.”
Pretty shady stuff. Watch the video of the tripping here.
VICK, EAGLES BEAT COWBOYS:
The redemption of Michael Vick continued last night as the Eagles looked really good defeating the rejuvenated Cowboys 30-27. But what was utterly fascinating was what took place immediately after the game ended. The coaches shook hands and then we saw Vick, shaking hands with some of the Cowboys players. Then Dallas RB Tashard Choice came up to Michael Vick with his glove and asked for an autograph? Wow I think I have literally seen it all. If I were Jerry Jones, I would cut Choice first thing this morning. I’m not saying getting an opposing player’s autograph is wrong, because hey, Vick is a truly inspiring story, but there is a time and place for everything and this sure wasn’t it. Wonder if Vick would have still signed it had the Cowboys pulled off the upset? Don’t believe me, watch it below:
OTHER FUN FACTS OF WEEK 14:
- Four teams failed to score a touchdown, while ten teams scored over 30.
- The Detroit Lions won a division game for the first time since 2007.
- Donovan McNabb threw a touchdown pass to Santana Moss with seven seconds left but the Redskins couldn’t convert the extra point to tie it.
- A kicker scored a rushing touchdown (the first kicker to do that in 40 years) and he also kicked five field goals for the Arizona Cardinals. His name is Jay Feeley.
- The Buffalo Bills won a game.
That’s only the most unusual events to occur this week, and we still have two games to go tonight. And so the 2010 NFL season continues to fascinate. Who knows what next week will bring?
