GatewayRedbirds.com

Might as well get it started as it is drawing near.

Clinton Portis, Coach Janky Spanky, Sheriff Gonna Getcha, Southeast Jerome, Dolla Bill, Dr. Do Itch Big, Bro Sweets, Prime Minister Yah Mon, Bud Foxx, Coconut Jones, And Choo-Choo All Announce Their NFL Retirements

http://deadspin.com/5936689/clinton-por ... etirements

David DeCastro blew out his knee yesterday...awesome start to the year. Stupid preseason games.

A Steeler fan at work has a bet with all the rest of us, Steelers against the field. He wins (Steelers win SB), he gets a cheap, authentic Steelers jersey. We win, he pays for dinner for the rest of us and this gumbo will have lobster and fresh shrimp in it.

lukethedrifter wrote:A Steeler fan at work has a bet with all the rest of us, Steelers against the field. He wins (Steelers win SB), he gets a cheap, authentic Steelers jersey. We win, he pays for dinner for the rest of us and this gumbo will have lobster and fresh shrimp in it.

Wow. Wish I could find bets like that.

AWvsCBsteeeerike3 wrote:

lukethedrifter wrote:A Steeler fan at work has a bet with all the rest of us, Steelers against the field. He wins (Steelers win SB), he gets a cheap, authentic Steelers jersey. We win, he pays for dinner for the rest of us and this gumbo will have lobster and fresh shrimp in it.

Wow. Wish I could find bets like that.

I wish I was that guy's bookie.

Pro Bowler Wallace rejoins Steelers

Former Pro Bowler Westbrook to retire as Eagle

What does bowling have to do with football?

I'm still pining for Ndamakong Suh. Sam Bradford still does nothing for me.

Chuck Klosterman on three outside-the-box NFL rule changes.

http://www.grantland.com/story/_/id/831 ... hanges-nfl

I think Chuck needs to spend a little less time writing books and a little more time being not bat-sh!t crazy. The field goal rule and overtime rule... whatever. I would be OK with eliminating OT during the regular season but not crazy about the FG differences.

Making holding legal and allowing the defense to make contact all the way down the field is just insane though. First of all, making the contact legal until the ball is in the air is not reasonable. That means the corner has to watch the QB the entire way and you can't cover a guy while watching for the ball to be thrown and once the ball is in the air... the rule on pass interference is the same and really doesn't mean much. It isn't going to slow guys down. Also, where is the line drawn? If a receiver is trying to cross over the middle and the ball hasn't been thrown yet... can a linebacker or safety just lay them out? I haven't thought it all the way through but it is possible that making more contact legal could actually end up with MORE grey area when trying to interpret the rules and that is a horrible idea.

As for the offensive line being able to hold, I just really don't see that as being a good idea. Say those two rules were changed and things work out as Chuck thinks with defensive lineman not being able to get to the QB and WRs not being able to get open... do we now have thirty second standoffs where the offensive and defensive linemen are wrestling around in bear hugs and recievers are getting knocked all over the place with nowhere to throw the ball? That just sounds stupid to me. The holding by the offensive line would basically just mean that teams would have to blitz constantly and really, if you are holding one guy then it is going to take you longer to release and try and grab the blitzing linebacker and you are going to miss and get your QB killed. Allowing the offensive line to hold would basically just take the league back to the days when teams just pounded the ball on the ground and that is not what the league wants and neither do most fans from my view. I personally love a defensive struggle but too many people insist that airing the ball out every play is more exciting.

I have two weird ideas of my own:

1. The only players eligible to kick a field goal or extra point should be players who were on the field for the previous play from scrimmage. This would eliminate "kicker" as a position, because kickers suck.

2. If you have the ball and the lead in the last two minutes then the clock stops if you fail to advance beyond the line of scrimmage. This would eliminate the "victory formation", because taking a knee sucks.