4241

Meet the Sports Broadcasting Act of 1961.

It essentially gives an antitrust exemption for pooled television contracts for all professional sports. There is one exception – such contracts do not get the exemption for pro football if it includes games at any time from 6 pm on Friday through the end of Saturday during the period from mid September to mid December. As you might guess, that exception was the result of NCAA lobbying.

Here’s a nice article on the whole deal.

ETA: Dammit, Ceasar.

4242

Huh. I had no idea there was an actual law regarding having NFL telecasts on Fridays and Saturdays.

That said, it doesn’t say anything about Thursdays, and there’s obviously direct competition right now on Thursday nights between ESPN college games and NFL Network games. It doesn’t seem there’s anything prohibiting the NFL from pursuing a Thursday night slate all season long.

4243

Also, on the topic of sports playing nice with each other:

Back when Monday Night Football was on ABC, there would usually be no ESPN Sunday night game the week of the World Series, and then Monday would be an off day for the World Series while football was on.

Was this a friendly arrangement worked out via leagues, or by the networks, or both? I don’t know, but since NBC took over the Sunday night package, they don’t take off for the World Series any more.

4244

Ah, I misspoke a bit earlier. The earliest we could have seen Thursday games all season long is next year, but maybe not until 2014.

4245

Thanks for that link, Bill. I’m keeping my fingers crossed for 2012, even if 2013 seems more likely.

4246

Congress has to find something to pass laws about while they’re avoiding dealing with the issues of the day.

4247

crud meant to post this in the college thread.

So, let me say Go Browns, you can totally beat the Rams!

4248

Thanks for linking that law, caesar. Crazy.

In other news, apparently Sexy Rexy was taking some first team snaps in DC. I guess Beck is on a real short leash this week…

4249

DeSean Jackson missed a meeting so he will be inactive.

4250

Sounds like Rexy is getting the start today in Miami.

4251

Think Washington will draft USC’s Barkely next year? Or do they have any chance to get him? I know they won’t get Luck, but they have a serious problem at QB.

4252

Dez Bryant is a beast.

Maybe not Megatron-like, but he’s in the neighborhood.

4253

Right now, the Redskins are tied for the 9th pick in the draft with four teams at 3-5. They have upcoming games against Miami, Seattle and Minnesota, so it’s not crazy to think they might win 5 or 6 games.

Who does that give them a shot at? What’s the QB situation for other teams that might have early picks?

  • IND: Has Peyton. I can’t see them taking a QB that’s not Luck.
  • MIA: Needs a QB.
  • SEA: Needs a QB.
  • STL: has Bradford.
  • MIN: has Ponder.
  • JAX: has Gabbert.
  • KC: has Cassel.
  • CAR: Has Cam Newton.
  • ARZ: Has Kolb.
  • DEN: probably needs a QB.
  • CLE: is the McCoy era done?

By my count, if the Redskins want someone like Barkley, they’d be in competition with Miami, Seattle, Denver, and maybe Cleveland? I guess it would depend on how they all finish the season.

4254

Not to quibble too much, but you really believe this? I mean, I read somewhere (probably here) that Ind has a 36 year old QB who’s injured his neck in two of the last 3 seasons. Assuming Peyton comes back healthy, I wouldn’t say they’ve got a quarterback crisis, but by the same token I would say they’ve got to start thinking about how they solve their upcoming quarterback issue. Assuming Peyton’s neck is 100%, what’s his future look like? And assuming his neck is not 100% what’s Indy’s future look like - is a future with Painter at QB a good one for them?

Do you really think if they could pick the 2nd quarterback in the draft (whoever that is) that they’d pass him by for something else? I have no idea who’s in the draft this year, so maybe it’s a dumb question. But I think it’s fair to say Indy should have concerns about the QB position.

4255

One hell of a catch from AJ Green, but at some cost (came down very hard).

4256

I thought it was pretty hilarious when that guy gave the Cowboys cheerleader the football. He really put her on the spot, lol.

4257

If she were an Eagles cheerleader and that happened, she’d have been pelted with batteries.

As an aside: Denver has lost both ‘starting’ running backs, has no passing yards, and is up 10-0 over KC. Just putting that out there.

4258

There’s already talk that Peyton might not be happy with Indy taking Luck if they have the first pick. He wants to win another Super Bowl and would obviously like to see them use that pick on a player that can help them win right now. But I think he’d have to suck it up and deal with it, because I don’t think Indy would pass that opportunity up.

Would the Colts take a different QB if they end up with the 2nd or 3rd pick in the draft and Luck is gone? My gut says no. If the Colts think Peyton still has 3-4 decent years left, I think they’d try to fill another hole to help them make another Super Bowl push.

(I also think the other QBs might be reaches with the 2nd or 3rd pick, which might play into it.)

But really, it mostly depends on what Peyton’s injury situation is at the end of the year and what they think they’ll get from him in the coming years, which is something we obviously can only guess at right now.

4259

They said on the Fox halftime highlights that particular Cowboys cheerleader is the girlfriend of the Bills player that gave her the ball.

4260

That’s his girlfriend, and there was talk all week that he wanted to do something special if he scored a TD. He made it clear it wouldn’t be a proposal, but just handing her the ball seemed pretty boring. And she looked like she found the whole thing super awkward. :)