Greetings all

I’m going to do a quick post of random musings while I’m waiting for the football game to start.

1. First, a couple of touch-ups from the Ray Rice thing. I said then that if it was the case that there was a cover-up, we would find out. Too many people would have to be involved. At the time, I was willing to believe Roger Goodell until I had more evidence.

We have more evidence now. There’s something fishy in Denmark.

2. This was an awful week for the NFL, and I’m going to pile on about the play on the field.

Why does a multi-billion dollar industry not have full-time officials? They need a pool of about 200 officials at any one point. Why are they not willing to pay, say, $200,000 a year to them? That totals less than $40 million per year. Yeah, that’s a lot to most industries but not that much to the NFL.

Especially when it affects their product on the field. Percy Harvin was clearly out-of-bounds, for example. This is an objective call, not a whit of judgment involved. Fortunately, the Seahawks didn’t win. The horse-collar call in the Eagles-Colts game was a missed call, also for a non-subjective reason. The rule specifically says that a horse-collar tackle requires the defender to put his hand inside the jersey. This did not happen. It was a major play in the game and might have allowed the Eagles to have a chance.

Was it a tough call? Absolutely, but without full-time officials I don’t think the NFL is doing everything they can to ensure good officiating. Penny wise, pound foolish.

3. I’m pleased with a number of my prognostications at this point, but it’s only two weeks in. We really don’t know what teams are until about six-eight weeks in the season.

Let’s not anoint or bury any team just yet. To put it in perspective, DeMarco Murray will not rush for 2300 yards like he is currently on pace to do.

4. NFL players have a much tougher life than people realize. People see the salaries but don’t recognize the harm that is done to their bodies. One thing that isn’t recognized is how powerful the personal conduct policy is.

Ray Rice and Adrian Peterson may have lost their careers. Many people are happy about this.

I wonder how many people might be so happy if they had to work with a personal conduct policy themselves? How many people don’t have skeletons in their closets? How many people have *never* done something wrong?

And what are the chances in this media-filled world we get away with our mistakes now? Unless, of course, the mainstream media chooses to ignore the problem.

5. The NFL will weather this and be just fine. This might not even be the worst week in the NFL or worst decision by a commissioner. The ghost of Pete Rozelle might still think the decision to play after the assassination of JFK is worse.

Before someone says that NFL players have it easy and get away with stuff, examine your politicians.

Or actors. Or rock stars. Heck, these people, most of whom claim to be very liberal and progressive, often see their careers improved by their missteps and outrages.

6. I’ve got a longer post down the road about athletes vs. other people in the spotlight. Suffice to say that athletes compared to all the rest are screwed.

That’s it for now, I’m going to turn my attention to the Rams-Cowboys.