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Here’s what is indisputable: ratings for the NFL are down, in some cases to an ugly degree. Thursday Night Football (NFL Network) was down an astounding 70 percent from last year, but that comes with a huge caveat: last year’s game aired on NFL Network and Fox. Broadcast TV always jacks up ratings, and it’ll do the same thing when TNF returns to Fox later this season. Still: only 5.41 million watched the Denver Broncos and the New York Jets play last Thursday. Sunday Night Football (NBC) took a steep dive, falling 37 percent in viewership from last year. The...

... Four black coaches were fired Sunday or Monday, including the Jets’ Todd Bowles, who was let go shortly after his team’s final loss Sunday. The Jets had a 14-34 record in the last three seasons under Bowles. Marvin Lewis, who had been at the helm of the Cincinnati Bengals since 2003, was fired Monday. Though he had resurrected the moribund Bengals and took them to the playoffs multiple times, he never won a playoff game and this season was Cincinnati’s third consecutive one with a losing record. Also fired Monday was Denver Broncos Coach Vance Joseph, who had presided...

What a difference a week can make for the Kansas City Chiefs and what a difference it can make for Sunday Night Football too. Last week, the then unbeaten Chiefs came up short against their likely AFC title rivals the New England Patriots, with the Tom Brady-led crew scratching out a 43-40 win and rising ratings. Last night, the Chiefs took on and took down the Cincinnati Bengals 45-10. Snaring the Chiefs’ sixth win of the season so far, a jaw-dropping part of last night’s came from running back Kareem Hunt who was literally up, up and away with multiple...

The Orioles have announced that neither Duquette nor Showalter will be retained for the 2019 season. Director of player development Brian Graham will oversee baseball operations while the team conducts a search for an outside hire. He’s been with the team since 2007 and previously served as an interim GM for the Pirates as well. “The club will hire an executive from outside of the organization to lead the Baseball Operations department,” the Orioles said in tonight’s press release. “Once in place, this individual will have the final determination on all baseball matters that he or she believes will make...

After a small medical holdup involving one of the prospects coming back, the Dodgers have acquired All-Star shortstop Manny Machado from the Orioles. Outfielder Yusniel Diaz is the key piece headed back to Baltimore in the deal. They’ll also receive minor-league right-handers Dean Kremer and Zach Pop, along with infielders Rylan Bannon and Breyvic Valera. The Dodgers will take on the entirety of Machado’s remaining 2018 salary, which checks in at about $6.3MM. Since starting out the year with an 8-20 record, it’s been all but certain that the Orioles would deal the impending free agent in exchange for more...

The President of the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) Gianni Infantino has praised the 2018 Football World Cup in Russia as the most successful in history. “Since [a] couple of years I was saying that this would be the best World Cup ever; today I can say it with even more conviction because I lived it and you lived it. It is the best World Cup ever. Thank you Russia!”....... FIFA’s head also stated,......“The legacy of this World Cup will put Russia on the top of the countries in terms of football around the world”. The presence of teams...

Johnny Manziel completed 9-of-12 passes in his first appearance with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats but it was the Toronto Argonauts who cruised to the easy 36-18 victory at Tim Hortons Field in the exhibition opener for both teams. Manziel, 25, certainly didn’t look out of place but faced a Toronto defence minus most of its starters and Hamilton was very conservative in its play-calling. The six-foot, 210-pound Texan, who signed with the Ticats two weeks ago, directed five drives (22 plays) and was especially effective throwing on the run.

How can the same problems repeatedly doom one team? How can mental mistakes so consistently outshine physical talent? This season didn’t get away from the Seahawks — the Seahawks pushed it away. This wasn’t about injuries. The Seahawks might have lost some premier players, but that’s not why their season ended before the New Year. It wasn’t about bad breaks, either. As far as favorable bounces go, the football gods weren’t particularly unjust to Seattle this season. No, the Seahawks missing their first postseason since 2011 is primarily due to this: underachievement. They aren’t going to the playoffs because, quite...

“What’s stopping Colin Kaepernick from being in the league?” Owens said to TMZ Sports. “Owners, general managers, it’s all about an opportunity. Same thing with Colin. You trying to tell me that he can’t play in the league right now?

No matter who dresses up as what at the NFL offices in New York, it’s not likely that their Halloween costume will scare Commissioner Roger Goodell more, than the ratings for Monday Night Football. According to Deadline Hollywood, “With a 7.2 in metered market results, last night’s MNF was down 9% from last week’s Philadelphia Eagles’ 34-24 triumph over the Washington Redskins. “While not the season low of the October 16 battle between the Tennessee Titans and the Indianapolis Colts, last night’s Chiefs vs. Broncos match-up is very close to the previous MNF season low of the October 9 Minnesota...

OK for the sake of this post, I could give a rat's ass what anyone thinks about the NFL right now. However, never has any of my Viking players ever taken a knee during the national anthem in support of this stupid' "I demand To Be Noticed For My racist belief". So, that being said, I have also nit watched any games nor sports shows about the NFL. The only games I watch are my Viking games. I have the NFL Ticket. I TIVO my game and fast forward all the commercials and even skip the half time. I...

The nightmare scenario has played out for the U.S. men's national team. A roller coaster of a qualifying campaign ended in shambles, with a stunning 2-1 loss to Trinidad & Tobago, coupled with wins by Panama and Honduras over Costa Rica and Mexico, respectively, has eliminated the USA from the World Cup. The Americans will not be playing in Russia next summer. Trinidad and Tobago, which hadn't won in its last nine matches (0-8-1), exacted revenge for the 1989 elimination at the hands of the United States, doing so in stunning fashion. An own goal from Omar Gonzalez and a...

The yogurt manufacturer Dannon has severed ties with Cam Newton, less than a day after he directed a sexist quip at Charlotte Observer reporter Jourdan Rodrigue. “It’s funny to hear a female talk about routes. It’s funny,” Newton said after Rodrigue asked a question about Panthers receiver Devin Funchess’s physical approach on Sunday in New England. “We are shocked and disheartened at the behavior and comments of Cam Newton towards Jourdan Rodrigue, which we perceive as sexist and disparaging to all women,” Dannon said in a statement. “It is entirely inconsistent with our commitment to fostering equality and inclusion in...

The Ravens faced a bit more scrutiny for their national anthem protest on Sunday in Baltimore. Last week, some Ravens took a knee and locked arms with while the anthem was played in London before a game against the Jacksonville Jaguars. Today, the team decided to go the Dallas Cowboys route a la "Monday Night Football." The team came out before the anthem and took a knee to a chorus of boos from fans at M&T Bank Stadium. Then the team stood for the playing of the "Star Spangled Banner."

Television networks have gone to great lengths to conceal the ratings-killing anthem protests that are costing the league huge money in terms of viewership and attendance. However, it looks like NFL teams have also started trying to conceal the anthem protests. In one case, by literally covering a player up. The Raiders’ Marshawn Lynch arrived at the stadium, like a man wanting to be made the center of attention. Lynch showed up wearing a shirt that read, “Everybody vs Trump”: However, when it came time for Lynch to do what he’s been doing since the preseason, which is protest the...

20 Straight Wins!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It is getting kind of exciting. Going for 20 in a row tomorrow!

Baltimore Ravens offensive lineman John Urschel has quit the NFL just days after the world's biggest study into a degenerative brain disease showed that it affects 99 per cent of players. The study, which was announced on Tuesday, found that out 111 NFL players' brains examined by Boston University, 110 showed signs of damage due to chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). That news so shook Urschel - who is studying for a mathematics PhD at MIT in the off-season - that he quit on Thursday, a friend told ESPN. Urschel, who is 26, is studying spectral graph theory, numerical linear algebra...

On Saturday, 198 of the world's best cyclists will start the Tour de France. Only four have a realistic shot at winning. That's according to the highest-ranked American bike racer at the Tour, Andrew Talansky, in a recent interview with Business Insider.

If Phil Mickelson completes the career Grand Slam, it's going to happen with another caddie. On Tuesday afternoon, Mickelson and longtime bag man Jim "Bones" Mackay announced they are parting ways through a joint statement sent to various members of the media. At least to golf fans, the phrase "nothing lasts forever" has never seemed rung more true.