Applying for a job, out-of-work QB Colin Kaepernick tries to set conditions for his interview

As of today, former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick is an unrestricted free agent. He is free to sign a contract with any team in any league. He obviously likes it that way.

Last week, the National Football League made a surprise move and offered the out-of-work quarterback an opportunity very few other unrestricted free agents get. They offered to stage a private workout with any and/or all of the NFL's 32 teams who wished to see him execute drills, run sprints and throw passes. There are dozens of unrestricted free agent QB's looking for spots on NFL teams, so you'd think that Kaepernick would be grateful. But this is Colin freakin' Kaepernick, y'all. He's special.

Representatives for former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick called an audible less than an hour before he was scheduled to work out for 25 NFL teams Saturday, moving the session to a high school football field in Riverdale, Ga. from the Atlanta Falcons training facility in Flowery Branch, 60 miles away.

Kaepernick threw passes for about 40 minutes to free agent receivers Bruce Ellington, Brice Butler, Jordan Veasy and Ari Werts before signing autographs for hundreds of fans gathered in the end zone.

"I've been ready for three years. I've been denied for three years," Kaepernick told reporters at the conclusion of a bizarre day. "... We are waiting for the 32 owners, 32 teams and [NFL Commissioner] Roger Goodell to stop running. Stop running from the truth, stop running from the people."

Colin Kaepernick’s workout at the Falcons’ training facility at 3 pm is off; his workout now will be at another Atlanta location at 4 pm today.

Here is the official announcement: pic.twitter.com/d9dIfJSbY3

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) November 16, 2019

Remember, folks... Kaepernick hasn't taken a snap since the 2016 season. His last gig was for the 49ers--a team now sitting atop the NFC West Division with 8-1 record. He's not without talent--his 49ers made it to Superbowl XLVII and he led the 49ers to two comeback wins in the playoffs. He led them in another comeback during the Superbowl but fell short and lost to the Baltimore Ravens.

It would be his career pinnacle. The 2013 49ers made it to the NFC Championship Game but lost to eventual Champ Seahawks. The 2014 team went 8-8 and missed the playoffs. The 2015 team got worse, going 5-11, and the 2016 season ended 2-14. It was the 2016 season in which Kaepernick and wide receiver Eric Reid set off the trendy protests over perceived racial injustice by kneeling during the national anthem at games. The move spread to other teams and divided the country by alienating fans.

Kaepernick, Reid, their other 'woke' social justice warriors and their employers all learned that while protests are as American as the 4th of July, they're not without consequences. Game attendance and TV viewership dropped sharply enough for the owners and the league to institute policies that allowed the players to express their grievances out of the public view. The league essentially told Kaepernick et al that "we respect your right to be upset over a matter in which we have no influence. Please throw your temper tantrums over there in the locker room. Be ready to play when the whistle blows, or be subject to disciplinary action as agreed to in the union contract you signed."

The NFL eventually negotiated a collusion grievance settlement with Kaepernick and Reid. Reid got the message and now plays for the Carolina Panthers. Kaepernick, though...

When was the last time any average Joe or Jane got invited to an interview for their dream job, only to call the prospective employer the day of the interview and say, "hold up." And then say, "you need to come to this place instead of your place. And here's how this interview goes down. Afterwards, I'll say a few words to the press I've invited and sign autographs for my admirers." The job offers just roll in after an episode like that, right?

Stephen A. Smith is no fan of "the system." Not many rage against the machine as long or as loud as the Stephen A and he tells it like he thinks it is. Sometimes I give the finger to Stephen A and change the channel but sometimes I listen.

So today, former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick is still an unrestricted free agent. He is still free to sign a contract with any team in any league. But I bet he won't.

Do we care whether Thursday Night Football better than Monday Night Football?

This is from a post on InsideHook.com, which is a general interest, Flipboard/Feedly type website with all of the in-depth analysis you'd expect from that kind of medium. It's interesting to me as a college football fan not just because Thursday is also a night for college games but also because the NFL is not the pinnacle of quality sports television that it used to be.

Though they used to be the exception, close, entertaining, games have now become the rule on Thursday Night Football, which airs on a plethora of platforms including Amazon Prime, the NFL Network and Fox. Meanwhile, at the same time, comparable games on ESPN’s Monday Night Football have shown a tendency to be blowouts, especially this season.

Consider: Over the previous three seasons the average margin of victory on TNF was 13.3 points compared to 11.5 on MNF. This season, those numbers have almost completely flipped with the average margin of victory on MNF ballooning to 14 points compared to it shrinking to just 6.75 points on TNF.

The close games which TNF has been offering of late make it a much more compelling product to watch, as does its broadcast team of Joe Buck and Troy Aikman. Buck and Aikman’s counterparts in the booth on MNF, Joe Tessitore and Booger McFarland, simply don’t have the chemistry of their competitors on Fox nor have they really had the time to develop it thanks to the lack of continuity in ESPN’s broadcast.

Interesting, but... many football fans are less than happy with today's NFL. The insertion of politics into the game and into commentary on or about NFL Football is a complete turnoff. This a sports competition. The players are there to be the best competitors they can, not make a statement.  Save the cultural and political statements for the halftime shows. 

Also, can we agree that the quality of play has dropped off? This is not the violent collision sport that I came of age watching. It seems to be more and more about the quarterback and his protection than it is about field position, defense and special teams.

Hmm... When the quality of a product falls, should its producers seek to provide more of it? If demand for a product is falling, the incentive for producers is to reduce supply. If television ratings and game attendance are any indication of consumer demand for NFL Football (of course, they are), demand fell in 2016 and 2017. It rebounded a bit in 2018:

Television networks rely heavily on the NFL. Games and NFL-related programming accounted for 63% of Fox’s gross ratings points last season, according to MoffettNathanson. ESPN, CBS and NBC all got about a quarter of their aggregate gross ratings points from NFL content.

Like the rest of television programming, the NFL has seen its ratings decline in recent years due in part to viewers increasingly ditching cable for streaming services. All four major rights holders saw ratings decline in 2016 and 2017.

The league also has been the subject of political controversies in recent years, as activist players such as Colin Kaepernick and Eric Reid have drawn the ire of President Donald Trump.

The league’s ratings, however, grew by an average of 5% last year, according to MoffettNathanson. Viewership among people ages 18 to 24 shrank by less than 5%, and viewership increased among older viewers.

One might think that the 2018 rebound in TV ratings might indicate at least a bottoming out of consumer disfavor, but a Forbes review of attendance for 2018 indicates a "not so fast:"

All of this would seem to paint a picture of the NFL being completely back on the upswing. And in terms of television, you’d probably be right. But when it came to the gate for the NFL regular season, it wasn’t.

The 2018 regular season saw average attendance at 67,100, the lowest average since 2011. The Chargers were up the most, but that’s a bit misleading because their first season in LA was abysmal (average of 25,335) and they have should expected to sell out each week in 2018 given that they’ve been playing in the home of the MLS's LA Galaxy, with a seating capacity of 27,000, until they get into the new location they’ll share with the Rams in Inglewood.

Washington led the league in attendance decline, followed by Tampa Bay and Cincinnati.

So, while ratings rebounded a bit, attendance has slumped. The CNBC analysis shows that the ratings indicate that the 2018 rebound didn't regain what was lost in 2016 and 2017. The average attendance so far for the 2019 season is anecdotally lower. Finally completing the picture: revenues from advertising are down despite the ratings bump.

Demand is off. Revenues are off. So why do we care which weeknight offering is performing better, unless we're deciding which one of the two should be done away with?

One answer to this question is that the 2019 season started without a new collective bargaining agreement between the NFL Players Union and the NFL Owners.

Another answer is that in an environment of flat to falling demand, the league and its media partners will soon be renegotiating both broadcast and streaming rights contracts in the coming years. Streaming technology has completely changed the terrain of that battle.

Facing uncertain demand going forward, those negotiations will be... tough. Complicating those negotiations will be negotiations between the players and the owners.

As a rabid college football fan with a ... mild? attachment to the New Orleans Saints, my fanhood won't be hurt if either MNF or TNF goes away. That would just make more room for more college ball.

Cam Newton: Once a classless jerk, still a classless jerk

Some things will never change. Even in a convincing win over the Oakland Raiders, Carolina Panthers and former Auburn Quarterback Cam Newton showed that he’s about as classy and mature as he was when he lifted a laptop from a classmate’s dorm room, cheated on exams and skipped out on something like 568,343 traffic tickets.

One of the most disliked players in the SEC is on his way to becoming one of the most disliked players in the NFL. The only difference is that when you’re disliked in the NFL, the shots taken at you are harder to avoid and more likely to hurt like they mean it.

Good luck, pal.

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The fans are being robbed

Last night’s Monday Night Football game between the Packers and the Seahawks should have ended on either the pass interference call or the interception. But upon further review, the replacement officials filling in for the locked out regular crew robbed the Packers and awarded the win to Golden Tate and the Seahawks.

They also robbed me and everyone else watching the game last night.

I joked this morning on Twitter: “I think the only thing that will solve this replacement ref problem is a US Navy SEAL Team.”

I don’t think the SEALs should go after the replacement officials. God bless’em, they’re doing the best they can in a situation that’s clearly over their heads.

The target is Roger Goodell and his merry band of team owners.

Not only did the officials miss a blatant offensive pass interference call, they ruled that Seahawks receiver Golden Tate came down with possession of the football on the last second, fourth down Hail Mary pass.

The replay—with the damning frame shown at right—clearly proved that Packers’ defensive back MD Jennings had intercepted the pass and was down by contact. Game over.

Goodell and the NFL owners know that this situation is untenable. It cannot continue any further. Reports indicate that the league and the officials are only about $3 million apart on a settlement of their labor dispute. In a league that rakes in billions in media and licensing revenues, a paltry seven figure sum seems silly, doesn’t it?

The integrity of the game is at stake. If fans can’t trust that the games will be officiated competently and correctly, then the NFL becomes as big of a joke as professional wrestling.

Parity is an important factor in professional football. There is actually very little difference between most teams in the NFL. Games are often decided by a small handful of critical plays. While bad calls are always part of any game played and officiated by humans, the epidemic of WTF moments in the first three weeks of the season are having too big of an impact. The outcomes of the games can’t be trusted.

As SEC fans, we’re somewhat accustomed to the occasional atrocity. See the botched interception call during last season’s LSU at Alabama game as a prime example. That play was very similar to last night’s atrocity. Were the same guys calling the Packers Seahawks game?

No, but the robbery is just as bad.

And until this foolishness comes to an end, we need to stop watching and stop going to the games. I won’t be ripped off any more.

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Julio Jones’ spectacular catch in Falcons’ preseason game last night

And some people thought the Falcons made a mistake by trading up to get him.

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Helmet tap to Matt Scalici at al.com

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NFL Draft: When was the last time Florida schools came up empty in the first round?

You’ll have to go way back in NFL Draft history to find the answer to this question, but here are a few hints:

• Paul W. Bryant was still coaching at Alabama.
• Jimmy Carter was still President.
• Adam “Pac Man” Jones hadn’t been born yet.
• Pac Man the video game was taking the world by storm.
• Coaches’ game day attire was coat and tie. No headphones.
• Robert De Niro put on an Oscar winning performance in Raging Bull.

It was 1980, ladies and gentlemen. It has been 32 years since the first round of the NFL Draft failed to include a player from a school in the state of Florida. Between 1981 and 2011 (inclusive), at least one player from a school in the Sunshine State was taken.

Last night’s first round broke that streak. No Miami Hurricane. No Florida Gator. No Florida State Seminole. Not even a player from the myriad of directional schools that have popped up in the state since Bobby Bowden, Charlie Pell and Howard Schnellenberger prowled the sidelines in plaid slacks and white shoes.

Through many of those years, Florida schools dominated the first round. Call it a quirk of history if you want, but it’s a clear indication of how far the three major players in the state have dropped off in recent years.

This blog touched on the Florida Gators status yesterday. Click here if you missed it. The state’s ACC schools—Florida State and Miami—have taken different paths to mediocrity over the last decade or so, but the decline is evident on the field and it’s evident in the draft, too.

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More fallout from the Saints bounty scandal

Highlighting why this won’t “just go away,” here’s a smattering of coverage, reaction and analysis from media outlets.

Turley wants to know what Brees knows about bounties

Former Saints tackle Kyle Turley, who left the team long before quarterback Drew Brees arrived, made an interesting point on Monday regarding Brees’ potential connection to the now-dismantled Bayou Bounty Bureau. What did Drew know, and when did he know it?

Eli Manning: Bounties are a big deal, Goodell will make sure they stop

Giants quarterback Eli Manning has weighed in on the Saints’ bounty scandal. Manning, who was on the receiving end of a roughing the passer penalty when the Giants played the Saints last season, said Monday that he’s concerned about the stories that former Saints defensive coordinator Gregg Williams bounties to players for knocking opponents out.

Looking at why bounties work

So when an NFL player is earning hundreds of thousands of dollars per year, why does the promise of another $1,000 or so provide any extra motivation? It’s a question that was addressed during Monday’s PFT Live.

NFL Network explains decision to yank Vikings-Saints game

Before Friday, NFL Network planned to televise the 2009 NFC title game between the Vikings and Saints at 3:00 p.m. ET on Monday.  At some point after the NFL announced on Friday that the Saints had maintained in 2009, 2010, and 2011 a system of bounties that paid defensive players for injuring opponents, NFL Network replaced Vikings-Saints with the 1992 NFC title game between the Cowboys and 49ers.

The full statement from the league on the Saints’ bounty program

[Editor's note:  Due to confusion and contradictions and misinformation regarding the March 2 announcement by the league that the Saints had violated NFL rules through the use of a bounty program, it makes a lot of sense to post the full text of the league's release.  It probably would have been smart to do it Friday.  But it would have been dumb to not do it now simply because I now realize I should have done it then.  And so the full text of the release from the NFL appears below, without edits or omissions.]

Dungy on Peyton Manning, bounty programs

Former Colts and Bucs coach Tony Dungy joined PFT Live on Monday to talk about two of the hottest topics in the NFL:  the status of Peyton Manning and the league’s discovery of a three-year bounty system in New Orleans.

Report: Loomis, Payton have Tom Benson’s full support

We haven’t heard any public statements from Saints general manager Mickey Loomis or coach Sean Payton after Friday’s revelation about the NFL’s investigation into the team’s bounty program, but signs continue to be strong that they have the support of owner Tom Benson.

Darren Sharper needs to stop talking

Former Saints safety Darren Sharper has worked as a guest analyst for NFL Network, the TV operation owned and operated by the league.  But Sharper may never get another invitation again, if he continues to openly dispute the findings that the NFL already has made regarding the bounty system that the Saints used …

Steve Young thinks players who were injured should sue the Saints

Steve Young isn’t only a Hall of Fame quarterback. He’s also a lawyer. And in his legal opinion, the bounty scandal in New Orleans is outrageous, egregious, preposterous. Young said on ESPN today that he believes a player who was injured against the Saints during the three years that defensive coordinator Gregg Williams was running…

Brett Favre happy that truth on Saints coming to light

There was plenty of information about the Saints bounty program bouncing around over the weekend and one of the biggest was that Saints linebacker Jonathan Vilma reportedly offered $10,000 to any defender who could knock Brett Favre out of the 2009 NFC Championship Game.

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Around the web: Reaction and coverage of the Saints Bounty scandal

A sampling of coverage of the New Orleans Saints’ Bounty Rule violation. Today, the NFL announced that NFL Security had conducted a two-year investigation into an alleged pay for performance scandal involving about two dozen Saints defensive players.

 Report: Vilma offered $10,000 to knock out Favre

A lot of information has already come out regarding BountyGate and the Saints. But we’re only just getting started. One of the details that has emerged relates to the 2009 NFC Championship game where the Saints bruised and battered Brett Favre all night long.

Gregg Williams apologizes for “terrible mistake”

Rams defensive coordinator Gregg Williams has publicly apologized, hours after the NFL announced that Williams had violated league rules by orchestrating a system of bounties during his time on the staff of the Saints. “I want to express my sincere regret and apology to the NFL, Mr. Benson, and the New Orleans Saints fans…”

Vikings have no comment on Bountygate

On one hand, an NFL player shouldn’t need the incentive of an extra $1,000 in order to play hard and aggressively when a berth in the Super Bowl is riding on the outcome of a game.  On the other hand, the fact that Saints defensive coordinator Gregg Williams felt compelled to have a bounty program [...]

Kurt Warner thinks bounties have been part of the league for a long time

Former Cardinals quarterback Kurt Warner, who absorbed a big hit during a playoff game against the Saints in his final NFL game, has responded to the news that the Saints were using a bounty system at the time. “It’s definitely disappointing, but I won’t say that I’m completely surprised,”

Players unaware of other ‘bounty’ programs under Williams

Several players who played for former Saints DC Gregg Williams elsewhere -- such as Washington and Buffalo -- said privately that there were never any formal "bounty" programs on those teams.

Not what the game is about

According to the investigation, the players regularly contributed cash into a pool and received improper cash payments of two kinds from the pool, based on their play in the previous week’s game. Williams administered the program with the knowledge of other defensive coaches…

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NFL Security investigation reveals “Bounty” program in New Orleans

According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, approximately two dozen New Orleans Saints defensive players participated in a bounty program targeting opponents offensive players. Schefter broke the news with a series of tweets:

"The payments here are particularly troubling because they involved not just payments for ‘performance,’ but also for injuring opposing players,” Roger Goodell said in a league statement. “The bounty rule promotes two key elements of NFL football: player safety and competitive integrity.

“It is our responsibility to protect player safety and the integrity of our game, and this type of conduct will not be tolerated. We have made significant progress in changing the culture with respect to player safety and we are not going to relent. We have more work to do and we will do it.”

Saints owner Tom Benson has released the following statement:

"I have been made aware of the NFL’s findings relative to the “Bounty Rule” and how it relates to our club. I have offered and the NFL has received our full cooperation in their investigation. While the findings may be troubling, we look forward to putting this behind us and winning more championships in the future for our fans."

Confident Trent Richardson speaks to media

You want to see how fast he can run? Watch the tape.

Because you won’t see the Alabama running back timed in the 40-yard dash — or any on-field drills for that matter — at this week’s NFL Scouting Combine. A minor knee scope eliminated that possibility, but Richardson scoffed at the notion that his injury was a “minor setback.”

“I don’t even call it a setback, for real,” Richardson said Friday. “I just missed a little opportunity to run the 40 in front of everybody, show everybody what I can do. If you call it a setback, that’s for you to say.”

Richardson said you can go back as far as you want, but you’ll never find video of him being caught from behind, a testament to his speed. One more thing Richardson said you won’t find on tape is him coughing up the ball.

“The first thing that will get you on the bench is fumbling the ball, and that’s one thing I do not do,” Richardson said.

Read the rest here, from the NFL Network. The link has some video that’s not embed friendly.

 UPDATE: al.com has video that is embed friendly.

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Peyton Manning reported to be interested in Texans

Video report from KTRK in Houston says there is strong interest between Peyton Manning and the Houston Texans, an AFC south franchise that the star QB is familiar with and which he believes has a shot at making a Super Bowl.

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Bob Allen, Sports Director at KTRK, doesn’t name his sources but drops these two little nuggets for fan and viewer consideration:

I'm told the relationship between him and Colts owner Robert Irsay now is strictly business. And don't underplay the competitiveness between Peyton and Eli -- it "does" matter that Eli has two Super Bowl rings to his one.

The Texans routed the Cincinnati Bengals in the Wild Card round of the NFL playoffs before losing 20-13 to the Baltimore Ravens. Could a healthy Peyton Manning have made the difference and gotten the Texans farther?

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Alabama leads SEC, nation in NFL Combine invitations

The NFL Scouting Combine, set for February 22-28 in Indianapolis, has published the complete list of players invited for organized workouts before NFL scouts.

Alabama leads the Southeastern Conference with nine players invited.

Georgia and LSU follow with eight apiece. All 12 current SEC schools have players going to the combine.

Altogether, a total of 328 players have been extended invitations.

UPDATE: Upon further review, Alabama leads ALL SCHOOLS in invitations. No other school has more than nine. Can we claim yet another national championship with this?

You can checkout the complete list here. The following table shows the SEC invitees.

LAST NAME	FIRST NAME	SCHOOL	POSITION
BARRON	MARK	Alabama	SS
CHAPMAN	JOSH	Alabama	NT
HANKS	DARIUS	Alabama	WO
HIGHTOWER	DONT'A	Alabama	IB
KIRKPATRICK	DRE	Alabama	DC
MAZE	MARQUIS	Alabama	WO
MENZIE	DE'QUAN	Alabama	DC
RICHARDSON	TRENT	Alabama	OH
UPSHAW	COURTNEY	Alabama	OB
ADAMS	JOE	Arkansas	WO
BEQUETTE	JAKE	Arkansas	DE
CHILDS	GREG	Arkansas	WO
WRIGHT	JARIUS	Arkansas	WO
GREENE	A J	Auburn	OT
HARRIS	JOSH	Auburn	LS
MOSLEY	BRANDON	Auburn	OT
DEMPS	JEFF	Florida	OH
HOWARD	JAYE	Florida	DT
RAINEY	CHRIS	Florida	OH
ANDERSON	JUSTIN	Georgia	OT
BOYKIN	BRANDON	Georgia	DC
BUTLER	DREW	Georgia	PT
CHARLES	ORSON	Georgia	TE
GLENN	CORDY	Georgia	OT
JONES	BEN	Georgia	OC
TYSON	DEANGELO	Georgia	DE
WALSH	BLAIR	Georgia	PK
GUY	WINSTON	Kentucky	SS
TREVATHAN	DANNY	Kentucky	OB
BAKER	RYAN	LSU	OB
BROCKERS	MICHAEL	LSU	DT
BROOKS	RON	LSU	DC
CLAIBORNE	MORRIS	LSU	DC
JEFFERSON	JORDAN	LSU	QB
PETERSON	DEANGELO	LSU	TE
RANDLE	RUEBEN	LSU	WO
TAYLOR	BRANDON	LSU	SS
BOLDEN	BRANDON	Ole Miss	OH
MASSIE	BOBBY	Ole Miss	OT
BALLARD	VICK	Mississippi State	OH
COX	FLETCHER	Mississippi State	DT
MITCHELL	CHARLES	Mississippi State	SS
SAULSBERRY	QUENTIN	Mississippi State	OG
ALLEN	ANTONIO	South Carolina	SS
GILMORE	STEPHON	South Carolina	DC
INGRAM	MELVIN	South Carolina	DE
JEFFERY	ALSHON	South Carolina	WO
ROBERTSON	TRAVIAN	South Carolina	DT
WATKINS	ROKEVIOUS	South Carolina	OT
JACKSON	MALIK	Tennessee	DT
POOLE	TAUREN	Tennessee	OH
HAYWARD	CASEY	Vanderbilt	DC
RICHARDSON	SEAN	Vanderbilt	SS

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Mock draft has five Alabama players going in first round

In a mock draft posted Wednesday, Fox Sports’ Peter Schrager has five Alabama Crimson Tide players going in the fist round. If Schrager’s forecast is accurate, it would represent the first time in school history that Alabama placed five players in the first group selected.

In the 2011 draft, Alabama had four players selected in the first round, the most since 1993.

While many other mock drafts have Trent Richardson going as high as 4th overall, Schrager has him getting picked by the Kansas City Chiefs at No. 11.

The other projected first rounders are:

• Dre Kirkpatrick, Cornerback, No 14 to the Dallas Cowboys
• Mark Barron, Safety, No. 16 to the New York Jets
• Courtney Upshaw, Linebacker, No. 18 to the San Diego Chargers
• Dont’a Hightower, Linebacker, No. 29 to the New York Giants

Other Alabama players expected to be selected are Marquis Maze, Josh Chapman, DeQuan Menzie, William Vlachos, Brad Smelley and possibly Jerrell Harris. Of this group, only Jerrell Harris has yet to receive an invitation to the Senior Bowl in Mobile, which allows graduating seniors the opportunity to work out and play for NFL scouts. Juniors and those academic seniors with remaining athletics eligibility do not participate in the Senior Bowl.

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Shaun Alexander not surprised the Tide shut out LSU, and talks up Trent Richardson

By: @LivingCrimson

On the field after the BCS National Championship Game, former Bama and NFL great Shaun Alexander said he wasn’t surprised Alabama dominated LSU. In fact, he said the same thing almost happened on November 5th.

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“If we had punted the ball a couple of times instead of kicking long field goals, I don’t know if they would have crossed the 50 the first time we played them.”

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The NFL MVP running back went on to talk about the history making performance turned in by the Tide defense, and his confidence that Bama’s current running back Trent Richardson will have an outstanding pro career.

via CoxSportsTV

You won’t find anybody around here disagreeing with Shaun’s recap of the Bama-LSU series, or with Richardson’s future success for that matter. Heisman finalist Richardson shattered the Alabama record book this season.

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Trent Richardson Records

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All-Purpose Yards In Season: 2,083, surpassing Heisman Top 10 Bobby Humphrey (2,016), Heisman winner Mark Ingram (1,992), Heisman finalist David Palmer (1,961), and Shaun Alexander (1,796).

All-Purpose Yards In Career: 4,578, second only to future Pro-Bowler Bobby Humphrey (4,958) and surpassing future Pro-Bowler Shaun Alexander (4,433).

Total Touchdowns In Season: 24, tied with future NFL All-Pro Shaun Alexander; and tops in SEC history.

Rushing Yards In Season: 1,679, surpassing Mark Ingram (1,658), Bobby Humphrey (1,471), Glen Coffee (1,383) and Shaun Alexander (1,383).

Rushing Touchdowns In Season: 21, surpassing Shaun Alexander (19), Mark Ingram (17) and Siran Stacy (17); and second in SEC history.

Points In Season: 144, tied with Shaun Alexander and surpassing kicker Leigh Tiffin (132) and Mark Ingram (120); and second in SEC history by only 3 points.

Interesting to note Richardson had about 200 less career rushing attempts than older running backs on the list, and 50 fewer than Mark Ingram.

 

More Bama updates on Twitter @LivingCrimson.

Darnell Dockett live tweets a traffic stop. What could go wrong?

 

I don’t know how this ended. These were sent from Darnell Dockett’s verified Twitter account. The first was posted at 11:58 am EDT and the last was posted at 2:18 pm EDT. Apparently, the local constabulary had the outspoken Arizona Cardinals Defensive Lineman pulled over for more than two hours.

	There R 3police cars and they are talking! I don't see A search warrant they won't see inside this escalade! I got all day hope they don't!
	Police said "do you mind if we look around in your Vehicle?" I said I sure DO! He said "I'm gonna call back up" I said u wanna use my phone?
	I think they (POLICE) going to get a search warrant cuz they sitting here looking like fools waiting on something!
	These COPS really think I'm stupid they playing good cop bad cop! BOY STOOOOP! I'm not falling for that! NO SIR YOU WILL NOT LOOK IN MY CAR!
	This cop just ask me how tall R u & where R U from! I'm bout to ask him can I go across the street to POPEYS while we sitting here waiting!
	I been sitting here for a HOUR 1cop by the driver window, 2talking at the car! And the 1by the window being friendly! Like wtf?
	I asked the cop why he pulled me over he said I was speeding I said BULLSHIT! But give me the ticket that's when he asked to search my car!
	So you gonna lie and say I'm speeding then you wanna search my car! Get the F*ck ouutta here! Better go get a warrant *turns up radio*
	OK so now I think they letting me Go cop just brought my DL's and registration! Yeah I'm bout to be out this MOFO!

If you use Twitter and you don’t follow Dockett, you’re missing one of the NFL’s most colorful Tweeps.

Usually NSFW but always good for a laugh.

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NFL Players Union moves to decertify, creates NCAA compliance nightmare

Talks between the NFL owners and NFL Players Association disintegrated today, and the ramifications of the union decision to decertify could reach into the compliance offices of every college athletics program, from the Little Sisters of the Poor to the University of Alabama.

Fox Sports reports on the developments today:

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There is no more overtime in labor negotiations between the NFL and NFL Players Association.

Talks for a new collective bargaining agreement fell apart Friday, as the players' union moved to decertify. This will undoubtedly lead to the league's first work stoppage in 24 years.

In a statement, the NFLPA said it would "move forward as a professional trade association with the mission of supporting the interests and rights of current and former professional football players."

The news came Friday afternoon following a contentious Thursday of verbal salvos between both sides during heated negotiations. Nine NFL owners on the league's executive committee as well as a slew of NFLPA executives and player representatives were among those who attended Friday's session at Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service headquarters in Washington.

Several legal proceedings are now set to follow, which could continue the impasse into the regular season.

"The fastest way to a fair agreement is for both the union and the clubs to continue the mediation process," the NFL said in a statement. "Unfortunately, the players’ union has notified our office that at 4 p.m. ET it had 'decertified' and is walking away from mediation and collective bargaining."

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Yes, the lockout will threaten the 2011 NFL season and the likelihood of missed football games looms for the first time since 1987.  Yes, teams and their host communities stand to lose millions in revenue and rookies will miss golden opportunities to develop before trying to crack rosters before the start of the season. But there are other impacts, and many football fans haven’t yet grasped those ancillary ramifications of today’s decision. But they soon will.

The NFLPA is the body that regulates professional football agents. With decertification, that regulatory power goes away and along with it, even the most distant threat of punishment for improperly seducing college athletes is gone with the stroke of a judge’s pen.

Remember when Alabama Football Coach Nick Saban compared rogue agents to “pimps?” You ain’t seen nothing yet.

There is no federal statute governing the behavior of professional sports agents outside of prohibition of activities that are against existing federal law (fixing games, shaving points, etc). Agent registrations are left to the states, and each state has its own way of dealing with them. Some states’ laws are toothless. Others are tougher. But the only real threat that agents faced was being ostracized by the NFLPA and forbidden from representing them in contract negotiations.

Decertification eliminates that threat, and NCAA bylaws don’t apply to agents. Those rules only apply to the schools and players who play for them, and the pimps Saban referred to—along with their sleazy networks of runners and street reps—fear the NCAA Committee on Infractions the way the Alabama Defense fears the Little Sisters of the Poor’s Pro-style Offense.

Get ready for a slew of compliance issues related to agents, and I sure hope the NCAA Enforcement staff for agents, amateurism and gambling is ready for the overtime.

They’re gonna need it.

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STUNNING VIDEO: Inside the Metrodome as the roof collapses

Wow. Just… Wow. 

Thank heavens that this happened early Sunday morning instead of Sunday afternoon, when the New York Giants were scheduled to play the Minnesota Vikings.  The game has been moved to Monday night, giving fans two Monday Night Football choices.

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