Advertisement 1

Season full of scandal finally ends for NFL

Article content

TORONTO

Let’s face it. The National Football League fumbled 2014.

It was a soap opera in which good things went bad and bad things got worse. The only thing missing was a televison disclaimer that the program contained: Sex, violence and coarse language.

While in many ways it remains the most succesful sports entity in North America, it will bear the scars of Ray Rice and Adrian Peterson gone wrong.

The league is accused of condoning domestic violence. Commissioner Roger Goodell’s teflon veneer was scratched, with whispers that it was time for him to resign, or at least surrender his czarist powers.

NFL executive V.P. of football operations Troy Vincent told Armen Keteyian on 60 Minutes Sports that he has never seen such a bad year for the NFL, with veteran players suing the league for its indifference to their health, scandals involving Rice and Peterson, and then there’s Deflate-gate.

And, there’s more.

The latest conspiracy theory? That Seattle coach Pete Carroll changed offensive co-ordinator Darrell Bevell’s called run play at the goal line to a passing play, so that Russell Wilson could become Super Bowl MVP instead of Marshawn Lynch.

Outlandish? Unbelievable, you say.

Probably. But who’d imagine an over-the-top spanking would sideline Peterson. Who’d believe Rice would convince his girlfriend to marry him — with a knuckle sandwich? Life in the NFL is weird. It just is. So today, the Falcons are under investigation for pumping up false crowd noises. And, there was Carroll denying Lynch was originally called to carry the ball. “There was not a thought about running it and then I changed the play,” Carroll said. “That did not happen.”

Carroll said there was no conflict with Bevell over the call.

“There’s no reservation in (the call) and don’t make it out like there is,” Carroll said. “And let me say this, too. We don’t ever call a play thinking we might throw an interception. I don’t ever think that, just like (the 11-yard TD pass to Chris Matthews) with six seconds to go in the half. We go with what we know. It was a tremendous play by the guy on the other side.”

And a bonehead call.

Speaking of which, Falcons owner Arthur Blank sounds like he knows has some boneheads in the house, too.

He tells the Atlanta Journal-Constitution he’s “angry and embarrassed” about an investigation that the Falcons used fake crowd noise, to make it harder for opposing offences to call their signals.

That means fines, suspensions and pink slips for whomever’s fingerprints show up on the volume controls.

And, even though the season might be over, Deflate-gate isn’t. Vincent confirmed to ESPN that it was Colts general manager Ryan Grigson who asked the NFL to check the footballs the Patriots were using during the AFC Championship. Meantime, Grigson has adopted Beast Mode. You know. Not talking.

Speaking of Lynch.

He’s in the crosshairs again, too. That crotch-grabbing and sticking-it-to-the-man attitude isn’t washing with Cardinals linebacker Larry Foote. It’s the wrong image, he said, to send kids.

“He always mentions his foundation and what he likes to do for the city of Oakland,” Foote told The Fan in Pittsburgh. “I’m from the same type of urban environment that he’s from. The biggest message he’s giving these kids ... is ‘The hell with authority. I don’t care, fine me. I’m gonna grab my crotch. I’m gonna do it my way.’”

It’s not an attitude, Foote said, that is tolerated in any world, other than in the entitled stratosphere in which Lynch currently reigns.

“In the real world, it doesn’t work that way,” Foote said. “How can you keep a job? I mean, you got these inner-city kids. They don’t listen to teachers. They don’t listen to police officers, principals. And these guys can’t even keep a job because they say ‘F’ authority.”

Foote suggests former Steelers running back Jerome Bettis has a better idea. Bettis’ The Bus Stops Here Foundation has aided troubled and underprivileged kids in the Detroit and Pittsburgh areas since 1997.

Not sure what Lynch thinks, but it’s pretty certain he would just let his (ahh, blush) actions, do the talking.

Oh, and that Super Bowl victory parade for the Patriots on Tuesday?

Mother Nature dumped on that with a foot of snow. Cancelled. They’ll try again Wednesday. Maybe.

Figures. A perfect ending for an imperfect season.

A BLANK CHEQUE?

The Atlanta Falcons are going in a different direction.

Dan Quinn’s direction.

With the former Seattle defensive co-ordinator signing a five-year deal as head coach, owner Blank is reworking the levers of power. It has left NFL insiders suggesting that it marks a power shift away from general manager Tom Dimitroff and his assistant Scott Pioli.

Quinn and Dimitroff will report to Blank separately. But it is Quinn who will have “final authority” over the 53-man and practice rosters.

The structure is rare, but not unheard of, in the NFL. New England coach Bill Belichick and Seahawks coach Carroll have final say over their rosters, as does Lovie Smith in Tampa.

Dimitroff dismissed a loss of control. “One of the most important things to me is to come together in a partnership and come together as a team,’’ he said. “This is not about individuals. This is about working together.

QUICK HITS

Colts reached agreement with receiver Duron Carter, who had 124 receptions, 1,939 yards and 12 touchdowns the past two seasons with the CFL’s Alouettes ... Atlanta confirmed Kyle Shanahan will become offensive coordinator with Richard Smith defensive co-ordinator. Raheem Morris becomes Quinn’s assistant head coach ... Bristol County Superior Court Judge Susan Garsh dismissed a juror in the Aaron Hernandez murder trial. Garsh said there was credible evidence that the juror specifically discussed an opinion about the case, including that it would be hard to convict Hernandez without the murder weapon ... Buffalo confirmed receiver Justin Brown has been acquired via waivers from Pittsburgh ... Russell Wilson has accepted an offer to work out with the Rangers’ at major league spring training . As a minor leaguer, Wilson spent two seasons in the Rockies system batting .229 with 15 stolen bases in 61 games ... Browns receiver Josh Gordon has been officially suspended for at least one year for violating the league’s substance abuse policy.

CODY INDICTED

Not sure what Terrence Cody is smoking ... oh, wait!

Maybe we do.

A Baltimore County grand jury has indicted the former Ravens defensive tackle on 15 counts, including abuse or neglect leading to the death of his dog, and possession of marijuana and drug paraphernalia.

Guess the latter might explain the alligator.

Yes. An alligator.

In one of the weirder episodes in an already strange NFL season, Cody is also charged with illegal possession of an alligator.

He turned himself in Tuesday, was released on $10,000 bail and claims he’s innocent of the dog charges, saying he took it to a vet, where it died.

Cody said he was upset at the death of his dog.

The alligator said: “Burp?” Just wondering.

It’s a (heavy sigh) zoo out there!

BIG GIFT FOR BUTLER

A decade from now when Tom Brady is a football icon, chances are Malcolm Butler will be a footnote to Super Bowl history.

But Butler will be able to say that the next best thing to becoming a Hall of Famer is to be driving like one.

Brady said Tuesday he wants to give the Chevy Colorado he was given for winning Super Bowl MVP to Butler.

“I’d love to (give Malcolm the truck),” Brady said on Boston radio. “We’re going to figure out how to make that happen.”

If not for Butler, an undrafted rookie out of West Alabama, chances are Brady would not have tied Joe Montana and Terry Bradshaw as four-time Super Bowl champs. Butler became the Patriots’ unlikely hero when he made the Super Bowl-winning interception.

“A lot of people didn’t get to see (Butler’s ability) throughout the season,” Brady said. “(Butler’s interceptiion) comes off as a great play, which it really was, at the biggest time of the year.”

Seems fitting he should get Brady’s ride. After all, when it comes to Chevy’s “Find New Roads” motto, nobody found a more novel road to a Super Bowl ring than Butler.

 

Article content
Advertisement 2
Advertisement
Article content
Article content
Latest National Stories
    News Near Tillsonburg
      This Week in Flyers