NFL News

[Futureshock]

Happy Retirement sir...

Steelers scout Mark Gorscak, longtime 40-yard dash starter at the Combine, retires

Posted by Michael David Smith on May 18, 2023, 7:30 AM EDT

USA Today

Most football fans don’t know the name of Steelers scout Mark Gorscak, but those who watch the Scouting Combine have seen him. Gorscak, who is retiring from the Steelers after 28 years, has been the starter for the 40-yard dash at the Combine for the last 20 years.

“I have young people come up to me and say I’ve been waiting for this moment my whole life,” Gorscak told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. “I said, ‘what the combine?’ And they said, ‘No, you starting me in the 40. I’ve been watching you since I was a little kid.’ That’s humbling.”

Gorscak said he’d love to keep helping out at the Combine, but he’s not sure if he will, because he’s retiring from a long career of being a scout. Gorscak estimates that he has spent about one-third of his nights during his time with the Steelers in Marriott Hotels. That’s nine years of living in hotels.

“It’s a grind, but it’s satisfying, too,” Gorscak said.

Gorscak is leaving the Steelers, but not going far: He said he’ll go to every game, and just bought his season tickets.

[Futureshock]

Mark Cuban spoke on the NFL years ago....

NFL fans become nervous about YouTube TV after issues with NBA game

Posted by Mike Florio on May 18, 2023, 5:54 AM EDT

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The NFL could be flirting with a new-age Heidi situation.

On Wednesday night, technical issues marred the final minutes of YouTube TV’s TNT stream of the Heat-Celtics NBA playoff game. Via SI.com, the game went to commercial with a little more than four minutes remaining and “the stream just lost it.”

“Many fans saw the same ad starting and stopping for what felt like an endless amount of time, and it never came back for the rest of the game,” writes Andy Nesbitt of SI.com.

Apparently, it was a commercial for the new live-action version of Disney’s The Little Mermaid.

YouTube TV acknowledged the existence of a problem: “If you have an issue watching the Miami Heat vs. Boston Celtics game on TNT, we’re aware of it & our team is working on a fix — thx so much for your patience!”

With Sunday Ticket moving to YouTube TV this season, fans are understandably skittish about the potential technical issues with the shift from DirecTV, which had more than its fair share of Sunday Ticket-related technical issues.

The folks behind the Sports TV Ratings account on Twitter believe last night’s glitch happened because TNT was using “dynamic ad insertion” with YouTube TV, something broadcast affiliates don’t use.

The key word to add to this is “yet.” In order to make back their massive investment in Sunday Ticket, YouTube undoubtedly will be exploring any and all strategies to enhance revenue, both from customers and from advertisers.

The good news for NFL fans is that last night’s situation gives the NFL good cause to insist that YouTube TV confirm, re-confirm, and re-confirm again that things will work smoothly when the time comes to stream the full package of out-of-market games.

[Futureshock]

When will the NFL sell ads for game jerseys?

Posted by Mike Florio on May 17, 2023, 9:12 PM EDT

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As Mark Cuban said of the NFL 10 years ago, pigs get fat and hogs get slaughtered. Still, the NFL has resisted the selling of game-jersey ads for products like, for example, slaughtered hogs ground into pinkish tubes and served on a bun.

Fourteen years after the NFL gave the green light to sponsor patches on practice jerseys, the NFL has not crossed the ad-revenue Rubicon of putting product patches on jerseys.

Of course, there are already three ads on every jersey. One, the Nike logo. Two, any team logos. Three, the NFL shield. But those are organic, not a right-turn of Eat at Joe’s or whatever a team could sell for that space.

Terry Lefton of Sports Business Journal explored the dynamic in a Wednesday newsletter. Other leagues have warmed to the idea of putting ads on game uniforms, and Lefton estimates that the NFL could generate four or five times the amount that the lesser sports realize.

An unnamed long-time NFL team president predicted it won’t happen on the current Commissioner’s watch.

“You tell me the year Roger Goodell’s contract ends and that’s the year ad patches will be allowed in this league,” the source told Lefton. “So, not never, but close to that. The bigger question is when and if this does happen, will it be a league asset or a team asset?”

Lefton suggests that the change wouldn’t happen under the current TV deals, since broadcasters would bristle at the images they purchase being infiltrated by companies that perhaps don’t sponsor the network televising a game. And while Lefton notes that the current deals run through 2033, the owners have the ability to pull the plug before the end of the decade.

Whenever it happens, the teams and the leagues and the broadcast partners will want a taste. I’ve long believed that the NFL could put a green-screen decal on every helmet, allowing a rotation of product logos to be superimposed within the TV broadcasts. That would presumably be money the networks keep, with the ability to sell the ad inventory making the broadcast rights even more valuable.

Every year, it’s a lost revenue opportunity for the NFL. The league surely wishes it had embraced sponsors from the get go, making the presence of names and logos as natural as it is for sports like auto racing.

It seems inevitable. Just like the arrival of naming-rights deals for stadiums, fans would react to ads on game uniforms by huffing and puffing — and ultimately not blowing down their own house of football enjoyment.

[Futureshock]

Why haven’t the Vikings released Dalvin Cook?

Posted by Mike Florio on May 17, 2023, 8:03 PM EDT

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It’s been obvious for weeks that it’s just a matter of time before running back Dalvin Cook is no longer a Viking. So why is Cook still a Viking?

It’s a strange situation. The Vikings don’t want to pay Cook $10.4 million this year. They’d clearly like to trade him. They have yet to find a trade partner.

It seems unlikely that they will. No one will be assuming Cook’s salary. A new team would want him to re-do the deal. Why would Cook re-do the deal when he can just hold firm and be released?

The Vikings have two problems, if/when they cut him. First, who will replace him? Alexander Mattison is solid, but he’s not a home-run hitter. They currently don’t have someone who can do what Cook does. Second, they risk looking foolish if/when he goes somewhere else and has a solid season. Casual fans won’t understand the subtleties and nuances of not paying Cook that much money, even though he still has gas in the tank.

The Vikings would prefer to re-direct that cash to someone like Justin Jefferson. And the Vikings understand the risk of having that much cash invested in a position that results in plenty of injuries.

Regardless, it seems to be coming. Cook has been removed from the team’s Twitter head, replaced by Alexander Mattison. That wasn’t an accident.

The question becomes where will Cook land? He has $2 million in fully-guaranteed salary, subject to offset. The sooner he’s cut, the more likely he makes more than that this year elsewhere.

On Friday, the Vikings finally did a face-saving trade for Za'Darius Smith. They surely would love to do the same thing with Cook. It won’t be as easy, and at this point it seems not likely.

[Futureshock]

Sean Murphy-Bunting: Titans are doing things other teams aren’t doing this time of year

Posted by Michael David Smith on May 17, 2023, 5:39 PM EDT

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The Titans released a video of their players going through an intense sled pushing workout as part of the voluntary offseason program, and newcomer Sean Murphy-Bunting says that’s not the type of work most teams are doing at this time of year.

Murphy-Bunting, a five-year veteran who signed with the Titans in March, said he wakes up at 5:30 a.m. every day knowing he’s going to be putting in serious work.

“We do things a lot of other teams in the league aren’t doing at this time,” Murphy-Bunting told the Tennessean. “We’re pushing sleds on Monday. That was a curveball.”

After earning the No. 1 seed in the AFC in 2021, the Titans were one of the most disappointing teams in the NFL in 2022, going 7-10 and missing the playoffs. They’re hoping that hard work in the spring pays off in the fall.

[Futureshock]

Ah yeah... Take back LA for a day, day.....


Rams, Raiders to hold joint practice this summer

Posted by Myles Simmons on May 17, 2023, 5:11 PM EDT

USA TODAY Sports

The last time the Rams and Raiders shared a field, quarterback Baker Mayfield completed a stunning comeback to help Los Angeles beat Las Vegas 17-16 on a Thursday night in December.

The two teams will meet once again this summer, but with considerably lower stakes.

Multiple reports out of Los Angeles indicate that the Rams and Raiders will practice together in advance of their preseason matchup at SoFi Stadium on Saturday, Aug. 19.

The same reports also confirmed what Broncos head coach Sean Payton said about Denver and L.A. practicing together before their preseason game on Saturday, Aug. 26.

The Rams and Raiders last practiced together in 2021, with their second session getting shut down after a major brawl broke out during a special teams period. That was when Jon Gruden was still Las Vegas’ head coach.

[Cody_Russell]

Mark Cuban spoke on the NFL years ago....

NFL fans become nervous about YouTube TV after issues with NBA game

Posted by Mike Florio on May 18, 2023, 5:54 AM EDT.

I tried YouTube TV with a free trial for the 2023 NFL Draft and had no issues. It was actually quite nice.
Hope they’re prepared for the millions of users with Sunday Ticket.

Which reminds me… I need to pre-order NFL Sunday Ticket soon to save $100.

[Dan V]

I ordered mine Cody. I did the standard one package for 349.
You are supposed to get two streams. You can also share it with another person. ( split the fees with someone else) .
Keeping the directv ( wife loves it) . Either upgrading to a giant OLED smart tv or getting two Rokus .

[Futureshock]

Josh Uche promises not to get “big-headed” after breakout season

Posted by Charean Williams on May 18, 2023, 10:05 PM EDT

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Patriots edge rusher Josh Uche totaled 11 sacks, 14 quarterback hits and nine tackles for loss in the final 10 games last season. He had 4.5 sacks and 11 quarterback hits in his first 26 games.

Uche isn’t resting on his breakout season.

“Last year is last year. Can’t cash in on much from last year,” Uche said Thursday, via Chris Mason of masslive.com. “It’s a new season. Just focusing on the next opponent, just improving. It’s a new season. New plays need to be made new steps need to be taken. Just trying to forget last year, just build and become the best football player I can be.”

Uche, a second-round pick in 2020, said he needed time to mature. He credits guidance from Jamie Collins as well as Dont’a Hightower, Devin McCourty and Matthew Slater for helping him figure things out.

But Uche is looking where he’s going, not from where he’s come.

“I just feel like if you get so big-headed on what you did in the past, you’re going to trip up trying to get where you want to go,” Uche said. “I try to leave that where it’s at and understand this is a new slate. This is a new season, and there’s new opportunities. If I’m worried about the past, then I can’t capitalize on the future.”

[Futureshock]

Franco Harris now has a street named after him in his hometown

Posted by Mike Florio on May 18, 2023, 9:44 PM EDT

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Hall of Fame running back Franco Harris, who died last December at the age of 1972, has added another honor to a lifetime of them.

In his hometown of Mount Holly, New Jersey, there’s now a street known as Franco Harris Way.

The name was unveiled on Tuesday.

Former Penn State teammate Lydell Mitchell and former NFL running back Joe Washington spoke at the event.

“Franco deserved this,” Franco’s sister, Luana, said, via the Philadelphia Inquirer. “He was the best. I truly miss him. I couldn’t think of a better way to celebrate him than to have Franco Harris Way on the street we grew up on. . . . This is our home. Franco would love this.”

It also will announced that December 23, the date of the Immaculate Reception, will now be known as Franco Harris Day in Mount Holly and Burlington County.

[Futureshock]

Nick Williams to sign one-year deal with Chargers

Posted by Charean Williams on May 18, 2023, 7:50 PM EDT

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Free agent defensive tackle Nick Williams is signing a one-year deal with the Chargers. The team’s former backup quarterback, Chase Daniel, tweeted a photo of him with Williams with the news of the signing.

“I’m the source!!” Daniel wrote.

Williams played eight games with seven starts with the Giants last season before going on injured reserve with a biceps injury. Daniel said Williams is fully healthy.

Williams entered the league as a seventh-round pick of the Steelers in 2013 but never played for them. He saw action with the Chiefs, Dolphins, Bears and Lions before signing with the Giants last year.

He has played 83 games with 42 starts and has totaled 125 tackles with 7.5 sacks and 19 quarterback hits.

[Futureshock]

Report: Super Bowl LX is expected to be awarded to San Francisco

Posted by Mike Florio on May 18, 2023, 6:52 PM EDT

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It’s not official yet, but it reportedly will be soon.

During next week’s meeting in Minneapolis, owners are expected to award Super Bowl LX to Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, reports Ben Fischer of Sports Business Journal. The game will be played in February 2026, and it will be televised by NBC.

Last month, Rams COO Kevin Demoff said SoFi Stadium will pursue Super Bowl LXI in early 2027, clearing the way for Levi’s Stadium to secure the game.

Levi’s Stadium hosted Super Bowl 50. At the time, it was expected to be a one-time quid pro quo in return for the building of the stadium. San Francisco and Santa Clara were not expected to enter the loose Super Bowl rotation.

Aiding the effort to return the game to San Francisco is the fact that other major venues, such as SoFi Stadium, will be hosting World Cup events in 2026, prompting them to pass on pursuing that year’s Super Bowl.

Super Bowl LXIII will be played in Las Vegas, and Super Bowl LIX will be played in New Orleans.

[Futureshock]

Cardinals are underdogs in all 17 games

Posted by Michael David Smith on May 18, 2023, 6:07 PM EDT

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The oddsmakers are not high on the Cardinals in 2023.

After the 2023 NFL schedule was released last week, point spreads are now available for every single game. And the Cardinals are underdogs in every single game.

That certainly doesn’t mean the Cardinals are going 0-17 in 2023, but it does mean that this could be an ugly season in Arizona. First-year coach Jonathan Gannon is going to have a tough time fielding a competitive team.

And the Cardinals may end up with the first overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft, when they’ll be faced with the question of whether they want to stick with Kyler Murray as their franchise quarterback of the present, or draft USC quarterback Caleb Williams as their franchise quarterback of the future.

[Futureshock]

New report details Brett Favre’s involvement in Mississippi scandal

Posted by Mike Florio on May 18, 2023, 4:43 PM EDT

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Brett Favre has not yet been criminally charged for his role in an extensive Mississippi scandal that entailed the misuse of federal welfare funds. Based on a lengthy new item from Michael Rosenberg of SI.com, it’s clear that Favre still faces the possibility of indictment.

Rosenberg’s story — a very, very #longread — paints a picture of a former football player obsessed with raising money to pay for a volleyball venue at the University of Southern Mississippi, apparently so that he wouldn’t have to pay for it himself.

Favre was seeking free money wherever he could find it. It’s possible he didn’t know the public funds he pursued were meant for Mississippi’s poorest of the poor. It’s probable that he just didn’t care.

Consider this exchange before former Mississippi governor Phil Bryant and USM president Rodney Bennett, as reported by Rosenberg.

Said Bryant in January 2020: “Brett keeps asking to help him fund the Volleyball Facility.”

Replied Bennett: “I’ve asked Brett to not do the things he’s doing to seek funding from state agencies and the legislature for the volleyball facility. As you know, [institutions of higher learning have] a process of how we request and get approval for projects and what he’s doing is outside those guidelines. I will see for the ‘umpteenth time’ if we can get him to stand down. The bottom line is he personally guaranteed the project, and on his word and handshake we proceeded. It’s time for him to pay up — it really is just that simple.”

Bryant responded with this: “Maybe he wants the State to pay off his promises. Like all of us I like Brett. He is a legend but he has to understand what a pledge means. I have tried many time[s] to explain that to him.”

Rosenberg writes based on the information available that Favre at times “comes off as comically clueless,” and that he often “seems highly manipulative.” Through it all, Favre was relentless in chasing available cash.

Favre continues to deny any wrongdoing. He has filed multiple defamation lawsuits against those who have suggested that he engaged in misappropriation of funds from the poor.

As Rosenberg notes, Favre “is one of only a few potential dominos left” in a chain of indictments and guilty pleas. And Rosenberg’s reporting (along with reporting from others) shows that there’s enough smoke for Favre to be concerned that someone will decide to try to prove beyond a reasonable doubt the existence of fire.

[edindetroit]

Franco Harris now has a street named after him in his hometown

Posted by Mike Florio on May 18, 2023, 9:44 PM EDT

Getty Images

Hall of Fame running back Franco Harris, who died last December at the age of 1972, has added another honor to a lifetime of them.

Dude lived a long time!