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Bender's NFL Live Thread: Divisional Playoffs Saturday, Jan 13, 2018 (All times Eastern) NFC: #6 Atlanta at #1 Philadelphia 4:35pm NBC AFC: #5 Tennessee at #1 New England 8:15pm CBS Sunday, Jan 14, 2018 AFC: #3 Jacksonville at #2 Pittsburgh 1:05pm CBS NFC: #4 New Orleans at #2 Minnesota 4:40pm FOX

Capping a season of record-low Monday Night Football ratings, ESPN’s first Christmas NFL game in 11 years was a lump of coal. Raiders-Eagles scored a 5.9 rating and 11.7 million viewers on ESPN’s Monday Night Football Christmas night, down 42% in ratings and 38% in viewership from Week 16 last year (Cowboys-Lions: 10.1, 18.9M). ESPN’s Nielsen ratings now include streaming viewership on TV devices; comparisons are to last year’s TV+streaming numbers. The Eagles’ win, which peaked at a 6.7 and 13.4 million from 9:30-10 PM ET, was the lowest rated Week 16 MNF game since Broncos-Chargers on Christmas Eve 2007...

Bender's NFL Live Thread: Wild Card Playoffs Saturday, Jan 6, 2018 (All times Eastern) AFC: #5 Tennessee at #4 Kansas City 4:35pm ESPN/ABC NFC: #6 Atlanta at #3 L.A. Rams 8:15pm NBC Sunday, Jan 7, 2018 AFC: #6 Buffalo at #3 Jacksonville 1:05pm CBS NFC: #5 Carolina at #4 New Orleans 4:40pm FOX First Round Byes, AFC: #1 New England #2 Pittsburgh NFC: #1 Philadelphia # 2 Minnestota Golfing: The other 20 teams

Bender's NFL LIVE THREAD Week 17 Sunday, Dec 31, 2017 (All times Eastern) Chicago at Minnesota 1:00 pm FOX U.S. Bank Stadium Cleveland at Pittsburgh 1:00 pm CBS Heinz Field Dallas at Philadelphia 1:00 pm FOX Lincoln Financial Field Green Bay at Detroit 1:00 pm FOX Ford Field Houston at Indianapolis 1:00 pm CBS Lucas Oil Stadium N.Y. Jets at New England 1:00 pm CBS Gillette Stadium Washington at N.Y. Giants 1:00 pm FOX MetLife Stadium Arizona at Seattle 4:25 pm FOX CenturyLink Field Buffalo at Miami 4:25 pm CBS Hard Rock Stadium Carolina at Atlanta 4:25 pm FOX Mercedes-Benz...

Bender's NFL LIVE THREAD Week 16 Saturday, Dec 23, 2017 (All times Eastern) Indianapolis at Baltimore 4:30 pm NFLN M&T Bank Stadium Minnesota at Green Bay 8:30 pm NBC Lambeau Field Sunday, Dec 24, 2017 Atlanta at New Orleans 1:00 pm FOX Mercedes-Benz Superdome Buffalo at New England 1:00 pm CBS Gillette Stadium Cleveland at Chicago 1:00 pm CBS Soldier Field Denver at Washington 1:00 pm CBS FedEx Field Detroit at Cincinnati 1:00 pm FOX Paul Brown Stadium L.A. Chargers at N.Y. Jets 1:00 pm CBS MetLife Stadium L.A. Rams at Tennessee 1:00 pm FOX Nissan Stadium Miami at Kansas...

As a Steeler fan who just endured that game:I only have one thing to say about the ending of that game: As I understand the rule of a “pass catch” it is when a player 1. --- takes possession of the thrown ball , THEN 2. ---- makes what they call “a football move”. That is what determines a catch. 1 and 2. (This rule I believe was first employed just a few years ago concerning a catch and a subsequent fumble. A catch was determined a catch if the receiver took control of the ball and then made “a...

As the NFL copes with a ratings slump and ESPN slashes $80 million in salaries after losing 15,000 subscribers a day in October, another major issue facing the league continued to play out in week 15 – terrible attendance. Ravens vs. Browns, Start 2nd Qtr While many blame the kneeing epidemic of unpatriotic players refusing to stand for the National Anthem – which started in the summer 2016 pre-season by former San Francisco 49ers QB Colin Kaepernick, others point to a boring season, cord cutters and broke millennials staying home. Either way, it’s ugly. Since most NFL attendance figures are...

Bender's NFL LIVE THREAD Week 15 Thursday, Dec 14, 2017 (All times Eastern) Denver at Indianapolis 8:25 pm NFLN (& NBC) Lucas Oil Stadium Saturday, Dec 16, 2017 Chicago at Detroit 4:30 pm NFLN Ford Field L.A. Chargers at Kansas City 8:25 pm NFLN Arrowhead Stadium Sunday, Dec 17, 2017 Arizona at Washington 1:00 pm FOX FedEx Field Baltimore at Cleveland 1:00 pm CBS FirstEnergy Stadium Cincinnati at Minnesota 1:00 pm CBS U.S. Bank Stadium Green Bay at Carolina 1:00 pm FOX Bank of America Stadium Houston at Jacksonville 1:00 pm FOX EverBank Field Miami at Buffalo 1:00 pm CBS...

Bender's NFL LIVE THREAD Week 14 Thursday, Dec 7, 2017 (All times Eastern) New Orleans at Atlanta 8:25 pm NFLN (& NBC) Mercedes-Benz Stadium Sunday, Dec 10, 2017 Chicago at Cincinnati 1:00 pm FOX Paul Brown Stadium Detroit at Tampa Bay 1:00 pm FOX Raymond James Stadium Green Bay at Cleveland 1:00 pm FOX FirstEnergy Stadium Indianapolis at Buffalo 1:00 pm CBS New Era Field Minnesota at Carolina 1:00 pm CBS Bank of America Stadium Oakland at Kansas City 1:00 pm CBS Arrowhead Stadium San Francisco at Houston 1:00 pm FOX NRG Stadium Dallas at N.Y. Giants 1:00 pm FOX...

Bender's NFL LIVE THREAD Week 13 Thursday, Nov 30, 2017 (All times Eastern) Washington at Dallas 8:25 pm NFLN (& NBC) AT&T Stadium Sunday, Dec 3, 2017 Denver at Miami 1:00 pm FOX Hard Rock Stadium Detroit at Baltimore 1:00 pm FOX M&T Bank Stadium Houston at Tennessee 1:00 pm CBS Nissan Stadium Indianapolis at Jacksonville 1:00 pm CBS EverBank Field Kansas City at N.Y. Jets 1:00 pm CBS MetLife Stadium Minnesota at Atlanta 1:00 pm FOX Mercedes-Benz Stadium New England at Buffalo 1:00 pm CBS New Era Field San Francisco at Chicago 1:00 pm CBS Soldier Field Tampa Bay...

Bender's NFL LIVE THREAD Week 12 Thursday, Nov 23, 2017 (All times Eastern) Minnesota at Detroit 12:30 pm FOX Ford Field L.A. Chargers at Dallas 4:30 pm CBS AT&T Stadium N.Y. Giants at Washington 8:30 pm NBC FedEx Field Sunday, Nov 26, 2017 Buffalo at Kansas City 1:00 pm CBS Arrowhead Stadium Carolina at N.Y. Jets 1:00 pm FOX MetLife Stadium Chicago at Philadelphia 1:00 pm FOX Lincoln Financial Field Cleveland at Cincinnati 1:00 pm CBS Paul Brown Stadium Miami at New England 1:00 pm CBS Gillette Stadium Tampa Bay at Atlanta 1:00 pm FOX Mercedes-Benz Stadium Tennessee at Indianapolis...

Bender's NFL LIVE THREAD Week 11 Thursday, Nov 16, 2017 (All times Eastern) Tennessee at Pittsburgh 8:25 pm NFLN Heinz Field Sunday, Nov 19, 2017 Arizona at Houston 1:00 pm FOX NRG Stadium Baltimore at Green Bay 1:00 pm CBS Lambeau Field Detroit at Chicago 1:00 pm FOX Soldier Field Jacksonville at Cleveland 1:00 pm CBS FirstEnergy Stadium Kansas City at N.Y. Giants 1:00 pm CBS MetLife Stadium L.A. Rams at Minnesota 1:00 pm FOX U.S. Bank Stadium Tampa Bay at Miamin 1:00 pm FOX Hard Rock Stadium Washington at New Orleans 1:00 pm FOX Mercedes-Benz Superdome Buffalo at L.A....

Impy Presents: Bender's NFL LIVE THREAD Week 10 Thursday, Nov 9, 2017 (All times Eastern) Seattle at Arizona 8:25 pm NFLN University of Phoenix Stadium Sunday, Nov 12, 2017 Cincinnati at Tennessee 1:00 pm FOX Nissan Stadium Cleveland at Detroit 1:00 pm CBS Ford Field Green Bay at Chicago 1:00 pm FOX Soldier Field L.A. Chargers at Jacksonville 1:00 pm CBS EverBank Field Minnesota at Washington 1:00 pm FOX FedEx Field New Orleans at Buffalo 1:00 pm FOX New Era Field N.Y. Jets at Tampa Bay 1:00 pm CBS Raymond James Stadium Pittsburgh at Indianapolis 1:00 pm CBS Lucas Oil...

Mandatory Title: NFL LIVE THREAD Week 8 Thursday, Nov 2, 2017 Buffalo at N.Y. Jets 8:25 pm NFLN MetLife Stadium Sunday, Nov 5, 2017 Atlanta at Carolina 1:00 pm FOX Bank of America Stadium Baltimore at Tennessee 1:00 pm CBS Nissan Stadium Cincinnati at Jacksonville 1:00 pm CBS EverBank Field Denver at Philadelphia 1:00 pm CBS Lincoln Financial Field Indianapolis at Houston 1:00 pm CBS NRG Stadium L.A. Rams at N.Y. Giants 1:00 pm FOX MetLife Stadium Tampa Bay at New Orleans 1:00 pm FOX Mercedes-Benz Superdome Arizona at San Francisco 4:05 pm FOX Levi's Stadium Washington at Seattle 4:05...

Mandatory Title: NFL LIVE THREAD Week 8 Thursday, Oct 26, 2017 Miami at Baltimore 8:25 pm CBS M&T Bank Stadium Sunday, Oct 29, 2017 Minnesota at Cleveland 9:30 am NFLN Twickenham Stadium Atlanta at N.Y. Jets 1:00 pm FOX MetLife Stadium Carolina at Tampa Bay 1:00 pm FOX Raymond James Stadium Chicago at New Orleans 1:00 pm FOX Mercedes-Benz Superdome Indianapolis at Cincinnati 1:00 pm CBS Paul Brown Stadium L.A. Chargers at New England 1:00 pm CBS Gillette Stadium Oakland at Buffalo 1:00 pm CBS New Era Field San Francisco at Philadelphia 1:00 pm FOX Lincoln Financial Field Houston at...

In the late 1990s, when the Clinton White House was under siege amid revelations of the president’s affair with Monica Lewinsky and efforts by Congress to impeach him, it fell on Joe Lockhart, then the White House spokesman, day after day to defend his boss. But unlike many of his predecessors, he did not just take his marching orders. In countless meetings with the president and his advisers, Lockhart helped shape the message he would convey, and he aggressively pressed it to reporters. “He was out there, he was on point, he was wearing his cleats,” said Doug Sosnik, an...

Mandatory Title: NFL LIVE THREAD Week 7 Thursday, Oct 19, 2017 Kansas City at Oakland 8:25 pm CBS Oakland Coliseum Sunday, Oct 22, 2017 Arizona at L.A. Rams 1:00 pm FOX Twickenham Stadium Baltimore at Minnesota 1:00 pm CBS U.S. Bank Stadium Carolina at Chicago 1:00 pm FOX Soldier Field Jacksonville at Indianapolis 1:00 pm CBS Lucas Oil Stadium New Orleans at Green Bay 1:00 p FOX Lambeau Field N.Y. Jets at Miami 1:00 pm FOX Hard Rock Stadium Tampa Bay at Buffalo 1:00 pm FOX New Era Field Tennessee at Cleveland 1:00 pm CBS FirstEnergy Stadium Dallas at San...

Cowboys owner Jerry Jones has gone to great lengths in recent weeks to ensure his voice was heard publicly about his displeasure over any NFL player not standing for the national anthem, and while he slipped out of last week's owner's meetings in New York without speaking to the media, league sources said he was quite vocal during Wednesday's session. Jones was the only owner to rail against the handful of players who are still regularly kneeling, standing or staying in the locker room during the playing of the anthem, the sources said, pronouncing his disagreement with how the NFL...

Likely Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton holds about a 4-point lead over presumptive GOP nominee Donald Trump in Michigan, according to a poll unveiled Wednesday. Mrs. Clinton had a 43 percent to 38.5 percent edge over Mr. Trump, according to the poll of 600 likely voters in the state released to the Detroit News and WDIV-TV.

Michael Crabtree celebrated his 22nd birthday Monday. As an unwanted gift, multiple reports surfaced that the 49ers are poised to drop their offer to the No. 10 overall pick out of Texas Tech. Citing team sources, Michael Silver of Yahoo! Sports wrote that Crabtree's continued absence makes him less valuable to the 49ers on a prorated basis and added, "Translation: The team just reduced its offer and will continue to do so with each passing week." A day earlier, Jay Glazer of Fox Sports reported that the 49ers sent a letter to Crabtree "modifying" their offer. Responding to the Fox...