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The process of Wouter van de Koot

The figurative work of Wouter van de Koot consists of paintings, drawings and installations with narrative characteristics. Typical are the attention to detail, the use of negative space and the theatrical atmosphere of his work. In carefully arranged scenes he deals with themes such as  human vulnerability, consolation, mutual dependence, trust, beauty and decay. Sources of inspiration are the medical world, religious representations of sin and hell, images of people in conflict areas, and horror movies.

By ‘cutting out’ parts of the depicted figure he wants to create a distance towards the original indiscrete and explicit images. The tension between the explicit visual language and the esthetic, sensitive and colorful appearance of the work can be conceived as a mockery of the atrabilious or melancholy. For van de Koot creating new works is a way to capture the magic of everyday life and to relate to human vulnerability and shortcomings.

In this film by Stijn De Ryck, you can see a performance and his process showing how he works:

View some work on Ponyhof Gallery website.

1, 2, Drei – Anna Virnich at FIAC (off)icielle

This year, I decided to only go to (OFF)icielle, the off part of the FIAC, which hosted some galleries that I knew have a good programme (Rod Barton, Elaine Levy, Stigter van Doesburg, ..). These are usually located on the first floor of the Grand Palais where one can find the most interesting selection of the FIAC, but this year were secluded at the other side of Paris. I must say I was quite disappointed by the overal quality of this new venture that is (OFF)icielle (except for the galleries I knew already) and I am not sure about the added value of it.  One pleasant surprise was to meet the dynamic guys from Drei Gallery in Cologne, who presented a refreshing artist Anna Virnich, who oscillates between painting and sculpture. Although she is best described as a sculptor working with fabric, there is something very painterly about her work.

photo 3 photo 1

The 30 year old German artist had a solo show last spring in Drei When you Dance with the Devil.

Copyright: DREI

And she was shown at NADA by DREI last year (more pictures by Dust magazine here):

copyright: Dust Magazine

Anna Virsnich in her studio.

Reader’s Digest

Impressive first exhibition outside his gallery wall, Sebastien Ricou shows American painter Keith J. Varadi at L’ancienne Société Bruxelloise d’Electricité. A must-see before 25 October.

“Things aren’t much wilder, I don’t think, than they were back then. Of course I just read about all the goings-on now.” is the press release.

tumblr_nctfbtu2fh1tlvd9io1_1280 tumblr_nctfbtu2fh1tlvd9io2_1280 tumblr_nctfbtu2fh1tlvd9io3_1280 tumblr_nctfbtu2fh1tlvd9io4_1280 tumblr_nctfbtu2fh1tlvd9io5_1280 tumblr_nctfbtu2fh1tlvd9io6_1280 tumblr_nctfbtu2fh1tlvd9io7_1280

L’ancienne Société Bruxelloise d’Electricité
Rue Vanderstichelen 106, Brussels 1080, Belgium map

Date:  September 11 – October 25, 2014

Hours: Saturday 2pm–6pm or by appointment

Jill Mulleady

The gallery Island in Brussels is showcasing work of artist Jill Mulleady in a solo show “El Dorado” until next Sunday. The artist, who used to be active in theatre, shows her latest work in this exhibition, replacing the canvas by iridescent plastic sheets and integrate painting in installations.

After intending to become a theater director, she heads back to childhood favourite activity painting and attended the Chelsea College of Art. Her uncle was a painter and stimulated her to paint by giving her brushes with her name engraved on them when she was 8. She moved since her London solo show in 2011, “Painting rituals” (book published at Shelter press) where she still used white canvas but used it as a base for her spontaneous poetic brush strokes.

Wars, 2011 Oil on Canvas 160 x 170cm

Wars, 2011
Oil on Canvas
160 x 170cm

Her new work is cold, plastic but retains this poetic touch and outlandish feeling conveyed through her gesture. In an exhibition in Paris “Et dans une explosion de joie”, you see her brushstrokes adventuring outside the limits of the canvas on the walls, obeying only her personal rules, focussing on the process.

Better to go and see the exhibition for yourself on Chaussée de Wavre in Brussels, but hereunder a couple of pictures from the show, courtesy to Island gallery. She once again conceived the exhibition in situ creating a dialogue between the space and her work.

Island 155 chaussée de Wavre – 1050 Brussels

Jill Mulleady website.

Meticulous brush strokes of Marlene Dumas

It has been a long time since I last posted on this blog, mainly due to my intense other projects and being a young mother, but when I visited the Marlene Dumas’ exhibition at the Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam yesterday I thought, I really need to get back on blogging and post about this! I always admired the work of the South-African Amsterdam-based artist. This large exhibition, first time in the Netherlandssince 20 years, is a must. Moved by details of her paintings, I decided to show only a teaser here: the way she alternate thick paint and diluted paint to portray bodies, the meticulous way she conveys emotions through the eyes expression and the suggested brushes stroke showing feet and hands. The exhibition is on until January!

photo 1 (2) photo 1 (3) photo 2 (2) photo 2 (3) photo 3 (2) photo 3 photo 4

Marlene Dumas: The image as burden

6 September 2014 until 4 January 2015, Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam

Discoveries at FIAC 2013: Peggy Franck

After two years of pregnancy and maternity leave, I avoided large fairs such as Frieze and FIAC, but this year was time to go back. Although it is always unpleasant to walk around a fair, it is also exciting to be able to discover in such a densed surface new names and artworks. Today I would like to present works of the artist Peggy Franck, who is not mainly a painter but showed “paintings” at the Amsterdam based gallery Diana Stigter, which represents also another artist I cherish Aukje Koks  (and who has a show on 30 November for the Amsterdam Art Week-end).

Peggy Franck – Unexpected things came thick and fast, 2013
Acrylic paint, spraypaint, gouache on paper, C-print

Peggy Franck – Unexpected things came thick and fast (The continents), 2013
Gouache, ink, spraypaint, acrylic paint on paper, C-print

Peggy Franck (*1978) is a young Dutch artist working with different media photography, paintings, installations. Her work is based on her practice in the studio mixing daily object with material such as Plexiglas, mirror, tape etc, a process she started during her residency at the Rijksacademie where she studied back in 2005-2006. She knows how to skillfully mix reference for the viewers, is it a painting, a photograph, abstract, showing her studio, or not. From what I saw at the Diana Stigther stand at the FIAC, I particularly liked the way she worked on a print with different type of paint, blurring the limits between photography and painting. But a larger work, a painted photography of her studio shows the relevance of her practice showing a playful theatrical context intertwined with a puzzling narrative.

Read more abour Peggy Franck’s work in this article by Zoe Gray in Code 2.0, Numéro 6, Spring 2013

 To see more of her work, see artnews.

Peggy Franck, Group exhibition at Diana Stigter It might as well rain until September, Part 2 (2013)

Yonghi Yim’s painted collage

With great surprise I discovered last week a micro-exhibition of Yonghi Yim which took place at Hectoliter gallery in Brussels from Thursday 30 May to Saturday 1 June. Working with wood and paper collage, she uses the rigidity of the first as a marker for the latter. ImageImageImageImageImageImage


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Contact Us

Lady Gaga’s ‘G.U.Y.’ Enters Pop Clash Hall of Fame

Lady Gaga
Theo Wargo, Getty Images

Major congrats go to Lady Gaga! Mother Monster’s ‘G.U.Y.’ has earned a spot in the Pop Clash Hall of Fame!

Gaga started her winning streak after toppling previous champs 5 Seconds of Summer‘s ‘She Looks So Perfect.’ It was a close match, but the singer squeaked by with 56 percent of the votes.

The next week, she challenged Shakira in an even closer race! The Little Monsters pulled through, and Lady Gaga won with 54 percent of the votes!

In her third week of Pop Clash, Gaga went up against another major superstar: Jennifer Lopez! Once again, Gaga proved she’s a force to be reckoned with by taking 60 percent of the votes.

Gaga’s final week in Pop Clash proved to be her most successful victory yet. She faced off against Katy Perry‘s ‘Birthday’ and claimed the victory with more than 70 percent of the votes. Now that’s what we call going out with a bang!

After four successful wins, we’re retiring Lady Gaga’s ‘G.U.Y.’ to the Pop Clash Hall of Fame. Congrats, Lady Gaga and Little Monsters!

Next: See the Meaning of 'G.U.Y.'

Watch Lady Gaga’s ‘G.U.Y.’ Video

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Featured Stories

Laker boys rally in Civil War showdown

Lake Oswego erases a 15-point deficit to pick up its second league victory

by: VERN UYETAKE - Lake Oswego's Zach Parker looks to lift a shot over Lakeridge's Jake Spurgeon in Tuesday's come-from-behind victory over the Pacers. The first-quarter woes continued for the Lake Oswego boys basketball team Tuesday on the road against rival Lakeridge. However, the Lakers have shown that they aren't fazed by early deficits this year and, after a handful of close losses, Lake Oswego pulled out a 57-49 victory.

Backed by a vocal home crowd, the Pacers started the game at a blistering clip and, early on, appeared like their energy and emotion would carry them to a much-desired victory.

Reggie Oliver had a phenomenal first half, draining his first four shots from the field including three straight 3-pointers.

Lakeridge opened the game on a 10-0 run and led 21-6 before a late rebound attempt was tipped into the Lake Oswego basket by the Pacers.

“If we could play a bit in the first quarter we'd probably have a pretty different record,” Laker coach Mark Shoff said.

Lakeridge continued to shoot the ball well in the second period, getting back-to-back 3-pointers from Eric Dungey, but Lake Oswego started to settle in on offense.

Zach Parker got the Lakers going with two strong drives to the basket. Lakeridge led by as much as 14 in the second quarter but Lake Oswego closed the half on a tear.

The Pacers started to get careless with the ball and Lake Oswego took advantage, closing the gap to just two points at 35-33.

“I thought we had it at the half even though we were down. Everyone was pretty excited about getting the lead to two points,” Laker point guard Jazz Johnson said.

Armed with renewed confidence, Lake Oswego grabbed its first lead of the game on a 3-pointer by Johnson early in the second half.

Lakeridge responded with a brief full-court press that paid dividends, resulting in a pair of turnovers that were converted into points.

A resounding dunk by Dungey got the crowd back in the game. Jake Spurgeon carried the Pacers on offense in the quarter and Lakeridge still held a 43-42 advantage after the third quarter.

However, Lakeridge found itself in foul trouble as Dungey and Oliver were each saddled with four and Spurgeon with three.

Spurgeon continued his strong play to start the fourth quarter but Lake Oswego started to dominate the paint.

While Lakeridge held the advantage on the perimeter for much of the contest, Lake Oswego made its living controlling the boards and getting the ball inside, particularly in the second half.

“We're not a great 3-point shooting team so we try to get to the basket as much as possible,” Johnson said.

Sophomore Drew Todd had a big game for the Lakers with nine points and 10 rebounds and Max Dinesen added 10 points and eight boards.

“I thought Drew, for a sophomore, played a really great game and made good decisions,” Shoff said.

With 3:20 left in the game, Oliver was whistled for his fifth foul and he finished the game with 20 points, all in the first half.

Both teams struggled from the foul line to close out the game but Lakeridge went cold from the field as well in the final minutes as the Lakers ground out a win.

“Lakeridge is an awfully good team and that was a huge win for us,” Shoff said.

The win followed a tough overtime loss to Oregon City where the Lakers couldn't close out the game in the final period.

Lakeridge fell in a close game to No. 2 Clackamas Friday.

Lakeridge, Lake Oswego, Canby and Oregon City are all tied for third place in the TRL at 2-3 with likely just one automatic playoff berth available.

Lake Oswego takes on Canby next Tuesday while Lakeridge squares off against Oregon City.

Local Weather

Mostly Cloudy

Lake Oswego

Mostly Cloudy

Humidity: 96%

Wind: 9 mph

  • 30 Aug 2015

    Rain 73°F 55°F

  • 31 Aug 2015

    Mostly Cloudy 78°F 58°F


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Port Royal Living Legends Dream Race Honors Shaffer And Beam August 3,

Total Dream Cash And Prizes Already Nearing $60,000

Port Royal – Port Royal Speedway will present the 2013 Living Legends Dream Race on Saturday, August 3 at 7:30 pm, honoring veteran sprint car driver Todd Shaffer and car owner Patty Beam with tens-of-thousands of dollars in purse money and contingency cash and prizes up for grabs.

The 30-lap Living Legends A Main itself will pay out over $30,000 in purse money alone for the second year in a row with a pair of 16-lap semi-features offering full payouts worth nearly $10,000 each.

In total, the night’s purse money alone eclipses $50,000 and with thousands of additional money pumped into the show via contingency prizes and cash, the total take on the night for sprint car drivers is already approaching $60,000.

Shaffer of Millerstown, now retired from driving, is a 94-time winner at Port Royal Speedway where he currently ranks third on the all-time oval win list.

Shaffer owns a total of five career Port Royal track titles having taken laurels in 1995, 1998, 2003, 2008 and in 2009.

Patty Beam of Gardners and her late husband Gary Beam teamed with Shaffer in the early 1990s to experience the majority of their success as owners during their decades-long careers.

Before Shaffer the Beams watched as stars like Joey Gravino, Maynard Yingst, Chuck Reinert, Scott Gessford, Larry Jackson and Barry Camp wheeled their machines.

The Living Legends Dream Race event will again see special pre-race activities held behind the grandstand with details to be released.

Time trials will set the starting lineups for the 16-lap twin semi-features that will each pay a minimum of $2,000 to win as well as the 30-lap Dream A Main that will pay a minimum of $10,000 to the winner.

Additional news and information about this prolific Port Royal event on August 3 will be releases in the coming days and weeks.

Title and contingency sponsors of the 2013 Living Legends Dream Race are: Slivinski Law Offices, Selinsgrove; First National Bank Of Mifflintown; Lelands.com; Packer’s Concessions, Centre Hall; RE Davidson & Son Outdoor Power Equipment, Millerstown/Selinsgrove; Hoosier Tires; York County Racing Club; Hoseheads.com; DMI; Terry Ritzman; CRANKWERKZ; Rider Racing Engines; Don Ott Racing Engines; Penske Shocks; Mach 1 Chassis; Boulevard Car Wash, Lewistown; Big Daddy’s Grill & Chill, Lewistown; Keizer Wheels, Wings Unlimited; Goshorn Racing Supplies; Zemco Speed Equipment.


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Friday, December 19, 2008

How often has the Christmas tree afforded me the greatest glee!

It was my birthday on Friday.  Thank-you, I did enjoy myself and got a good selection of books, chocolate and clothes, the latter two in larger sizes than the previous year.

Il Capo has a rule regarding the delineation between my birthday and Christmas.  She feels it is important to keep a separation between these two notable celebrations and therefore we do not decorate for Christmas until my birthday has passed.

Consequently, on Sunday we went looking for a Christmas tree.

I fancied the idea of cutting down our own tree.  I know this is normal American behaviour because I've seen it on Charlie Brown.  The more time I spend in America, the more I realise how true to life Peanuts is, for example the obsession with pumpkins that started in August and is still rumbling on.  I've even seen dogs that slept on the roofs of their kennels, although that was in Alaska.

I had a hunt around the Internet and found Wilkins Fruit and Fir Farm, a place where we could select our own tree and then mercilessly hack it down and drag it off to our home.

"This place will do, let's go here.  Wilkins Fruit and Fir Farm", said I.

"They do Christmas trees?", asked Il Capo?

"Yes, it's a fir farm.  It's only about ten miles away"

"OK... Um... Why do they sell Christmas trees at a fur farm?"

"Do they keep the bears in them?"

Eventually, we got our homophones in order and got in the car.

When we got there, I parked the PT Cruiser in a muddy field alongside the other cars.  I say cars, I mean trucks.  We were next to a Ford SUV which was a cross between a Humvee and a Greyhound bus.  It's what you get when the marketing department say they like the off-road ability of the Range Rover, so could you build the same thing, but with an extra row of seats and twice the luggage capacity.  All the Ford
SUVs have names starting with "Ex".  In growing order of size there is the Extirpation, the Exsanguination and the Extermination.

From the car-park, we took a hay-ride to the tree plantation.  A quick word of explanation here to my British readers.  A hay-ride is when a tractor pulling a flatbed trailer draws up alongside you, and you and your precious children sit on the trailer, legs dangling while it takes you to your final destination.

As an impressionable youth, I used to watch "public information films" in England that showed 70s children riding on trailers, before one would fall over the side and under the wheels, resulting in a grisly mess of blood and brown cords.  The other thing I learnt not to do was throw a frisbee up into an electricity pylon then climb up to get it.  As I recall, that leads not to blood but to ashes floating gently in the breeze.

The film did its job - I clung to my youngest all the way, scanning the horizon for tornadoes or other possible hazards while silently calculating whether in the event that Son Number One began to slip, it would be better to grab him and risk his legs slipping under the wheels, or push him harder so he would fall away from this whirling machine of death.

As it happened the three mile an hour journey was uneventful.

At the plantation we roamed between the firs, looking for the perfect tree.  What is the perfect tree?  Well, the trees I liked were tall and conical, Il Capo likes trees that were symmetrical and Nanny wanted something without gaps in the foliage.  Son Number One's only criterion was that he could reach the label.  Bagpuss ignored the trees and looked for mud to walk in.  Working together we succesfully dismissed every candidate until Son Number One found our Douglas.  He was a little over seven feet tall and perfectly formed.  I found an itinerant teenager with a saw who happily laid on the frozen ground and sawed Douglas down, then carried him back to the trailer for the journey back.

After another non-fatal hay ride back, Douglas was placed in a shaking machine.  Ostensibly this was to allow dead needles to fall, but I think it was really to remove the spiders.  If they can hide in a bunch of bananas, how many can fit into a tree?  Then he was netted and two willing teenagers tied him to our PT Cruiser for which I thanked them with a picture of Abraham Lincoln mind-beaming them to share it with the lad stuck back in the trees with the saw.

While all this was happening to Douglas, we were receiving free mulled cider and buying a huge and delicious apple and cranberry pie.  Cider in America isn't the same as cider in Britain.  To the British, cider is an alcoholic drink made from fermented apples that is prized by teenagers for its easy drinkability and low cost.  To Americans, cider is a non-alcoholic drink, made from unpastuerised apple juice.  The mulled stuff was pretty good though.

Back at the ranch, Douglas was stood, watered and decorated and I think he looks pretty good.

Picture taken with a 2.5 second exposure without a tripod, so apologies for the blurring.

P.S.  I went hunting for the old UK public information films and found these.  They are not exactly as I remember, but the essential horror remains.  In fact, the trailer scene is one part of a long film which was shown in schools when I was small called Apaches.  Looking at it now, it's the Alien of public information films, almost 30 minutes long and with the theme of 80s horror films, except it was made before them.  A group of six children on a farm, one by one they meet grisly deaths until only one remains.  You might think that after one child has been crushed under a trailer, one drowned in a pit of slurry and one has drunk paraquat, the parents might think to take the other children away, but horror films don't work that way.  Remember, they made us watch this at school.

Part 1, The hay-ride scene is 4.30 in:

Part 2:

Part 3:

After that, the relatively mild frisbee film is here.

Thursday, November 27, 2008

Live blogging the Macy's Thanksgiving Parade #12

Inflatable Horton is passing by with an inflatable clover and 56 wranglers below him.  Followed by the Care Bears.  A woman is miming something turgid about Christmas while bears ice-skate.  I need a beer.

Kermit is back, non-inflatable this time.  He's singing, but his voice is all wrong.  Bagpuss went to get her Fozzy Bear to wave at Kermit.  Meredith Vieria is announcing a group who aren't there.  The final band of the day are imminent, but first Andy Williams.

Andy is singing something Christmassy.  It's interesting how Christmas themed this Thanksgiving parade is.  There was one giant turkey, some over sized cranberries and about a dozen Christmas songs.  Perhaps someone should write more songs about pumpkin pie and sweet potatoes.  As I wrote that, the final band turned up and played Jingle Bells.

And here's Santa to wind up the parade.  He's a good Santery looking Father Christmas, with a thick but carefully groomed beard and is preceded by a long line of animatronic reindeer.

Matt Lauer is winding up, and Son Number One is reaching for the Wii remote.  The parade is over.

In conclusion, the whole thing was a little fraught - the Squeakers didn't enjoy it very much.  They would have loved it if they were there, but to see it we would have had to get up at oh-my-God-o-clock.  If we watch it on TV again, next time I'm turning off the commentators.

Live blogging the Macy's Thanksgiving Parade #11

There is now a steam-boat, populated by sailors, giant mice and a sixteen year old singer called Charice.  The captain has an eight foot head.  It represents Good Housekeeping.  I'm confused.

A marching band with a twist.  It's filled with octogenarians from Florida.  I think I just saw Lloyd Bridges playing a trumpet.

Spongebob Squarepants is floating past.

While watching Trace Adkins singing, Il Capo remarked, "Country Music's very big here, isn't it?"

Now there are traditional Iroquois dancers and singers performing - followed by inflatable Kermit.  The organisers have an interesting way of ordering this parade

They've hacked the head and shoulders off the Statue of Liberty and Miss USA is dragging it down the street!

Now this is unusual.  The Fred Hill Briefcase Drill Team.

I think what is driving me nuts about the commercialism isn't that all the floats represent various shows or products - that's fair enough.  It's listening to Al Roker and Matt Lauer reading a paragraph from each company's marketing department every time a new float goes past.  Say, the float is from Build-A-Bear Workshop, but don't give me a hundred words on how turn children's dreams into nylon reality.

Andy Williams is coming up, but the Squeakers are beginning to rebel.  I may not make it...

Live blogging the Macy's Thanksgiving Parade #10

Idina Menzel is singing on a float with the M&M men.  She's very well wrapped up with a big woolly hat.  Very energetic singing though.

Son Number One gazes adoringly at inflatable Pikachu.  Matt Lauer is explaining how Pikachu stores electricity in his cheeks.

Buzz Lightyear is floating over Broadway.  He's followed by a musical number from Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends - which is interrupted by... RICK ASTLEY!  Il Capo is on her feet - she's dancing!

We've had to rewind so she can dance more... I'll be back when it's over.

Live blogging the Macy's Thanksgiving Parade #9

An Abby Cadabby inflatable, another marching band, and a giant Hello Kitty balloon. Bagpuss is happy again.

A giant pink castle is passing by. It has singing women on it.

Something that impresses Son Number One. Two jugglers juggling while one stands on the other's shoulders. They are from the Big Apple Circus.

Mr Peanut from Planters Peanuts arrives in his Nutmobile. Did you know Americans consume more than 600 million pounds of nuts every year? That's not much, they eat more turkey in one day!

The cast from Hair are here, singing Aquarius. Hair is on, needless to say, Broadway.

The huge horses of the NYC Parks Enforcement Mounted Patrol. Followed directly by an inflatable Ronald McDonald.

"Long Island's teen sensation" Push Play are singing on a cardboard bridge - someone forgot to turn off Matt Lauer's microphone. And another marching band are performing.

Live blogging the Macy's Thanksgiving Parade #8

I may be understating it, but there is a certain amount of product placement on the NBC broadcast of Macy's Thanksgiving Parade.

Now this is a little different.  Hawaiian dancers and singers all dressed in grass skirts and those flower garland things.

Shontelle is singing beside a huge rhino that people are abseiling rappelling  down...  I can't explain it.

An Inflatable Dora that waves!  The Squeakers are momentarily interested.  That is followed by a Harajuku Girls float with an inflatable Gwen Stefani and then a giant Energizer bunny.

Lots of girls in short skirts with huge skipping ropes.  They have sixty foot ropes perpendicular to each other and lines of jumping girls.  Hard to explain, think of the ropes as a grid.

Ooh, Sesame Street.  Bagpuss stops looking for a grape under the sofa to watch Elmo.

Live blogging the Macy's Thanksgiving Parade #7

Back to Harold Square outside Macy's.  The All-Star Baton Twirlers are twirling.  They each raised $2,000 dollars to appear - oh they've gone.

Peanuts characters, a giant inflatable Snoopy and normal sized Charlie Brown, Lucy and Linus.

Il Capo's foot is better now.

Son Number One is asking to play on the Wii.

A marching band are now marching and playing.  More high-kicking from the band's majorettes.

The Bolt float is here.  Bolt is an upcoming film.  Miley Cyrus is miming to a song.  Miley Cyrus voices one of the characters.

Ah, now we have mounted police with a police band - oh, we are getting sponsors adverts over the top of them.  Obviously the police aren't paying NBC enough.


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Bradley Beal says he plans return to Wizards lineup Monday vs. Knicks

Dec 16, 2013, 1:06 PM EDT

bradley beal Getty Images

Bradley Beal has been sidelined since before you stuffed yourself for Thanksgiving due to a “stress reaction” in his leg, but he may finally be back on the court Monday.

He said he would return Monday night as the Wizards take on the Knicks, reports J. Michael at

The small bone in his lower right leg, which showed a stress reaction that is a precursor to a season-ending fracture, will evaluated by team doctors again. If there’s no soreness, Beal will likely play.

Beal was the Wizards leading scorer at Beal at 20.6 points a game and while he struggled inside the arc he was shooting 43.9 percent from three. We’ll see if Randy Wittman will limit the 40.2 minutes a game Beal was averaging before the injury.

Announcement: Pro Basketball Talk’s partner FanDuel is hosting a one-day $40,000 Fantasy Basketball league for Monday night’s games. It’s $25 to join and first prize is $6,000. Starts at 7pm ET on Monday. Here’s the FanDuel link.

Beal and John Wall are at the heart of the Wizards’ future but Beal still has work to do on his game — if you chase him off the line and force him to put the ball on the floor he has struggled, shooting just 33.6 percent from the midrange.

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I agree with part of what Castaa said. I will always use a pc if I need to compose anything longer than my email address. In fact, having to screen type in my email address is painful. The next major problem that must be solved is input. I still think innovations like keyboards on the back of a tablet have promise. However, I still hope for a brain wave interface :p
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[quote]Too bad the Xonar DG does not work in Linux.[/quote] But it should.I've used the Xonar DX in Linux for over a year! It's the same DSP - as far as the drivers are concerned - on both the DX and the DG. In the DX case it's the CMI8788 and on the DG it's the CMI8786, which is the exact same DSP with some features hardlocked. The drivers will identify it as a CMI8788. And support for CMI8788 has been present in the Linux-kernel and in ALSA for quite some time. Linux even adds an Audiphile killer feature over the Windows-drives in the form of the possibility to trim the roll off of the DACs digital filter. Not sure if it's supported on the lower specced CS4361 on DG but it works alright on the CS4398 of the DX. Switching the digital filter to the "slow roll off"-mode gives every sound a slight extra lifelike quality :) Also, it's probable that it won't be possible to trim the headphone output impedance on the DG, at least not yet. But it should definitely work as a normal soundcard.
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text: Comments on: Jaguars claim Jason Hill ProFootballTalk on Sun, 30 Aug 2015 16:11:06 +0000 hourly 1 By: jluttrell32 Thu, 18 Nov 2010 00:22:59 +0000 Who is this guy and why go claim a WR? With Kampman gone for the season, the Jaguars will be lucky to get close enough to throw dirt on an opposing QB let alone knock one on his butt. I think they should be searching for an available stop gap option at DE rather than picking up someone else’s garbage at wideout. But what do I know? At least we still have D. Harvey, right?


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As mediation approaches, gap between NFL, players possibly has grown

GoodellSmithCongress AP

On March 11, the league and the players had narrowed their gap to $320 million for 2011, with the NFL offering a salary cap per team of $141 million and the NFLPA wanting $151 million per team.

Nearly nine weeks later, with another round of mediation approaching, the gap apparently has gotten wider.

The players are believed to have increased their number to $159 million per team, characterizing the March 11 figure as a discount aimed at getting a deal done.  We’re told that the league believes the move is aimed at allowing the players to continue to pursue their litigation strategy, in the hopes of gaining even more leverage.

Another problem arises from the reality that the total revenue pie for 2011 has begun to shrink, which would make it even harder to hit the $141 million per team the league offered in March.  As a result, the normal incentive that would be created by the uncertainty of litigation simply doesn’t apply here, with each side opting to push for the ultimate leverage of a win in court in lieu of trying to work out a deal that works for each party.

That’s possibly why the league won’t take the option of shutting down all business operations off the table.  If the appeals court concludes that the lockout should be lifted, the NFL will be backed into a corner, forced to allow the players to return to work and get paid while they pursue even more leverage by attacking any rules that the NFL imposes regarding free agency and the draft.  From the perspective of the owners, it may be better to simply close the doors until the players finally cry, “Uncle.”

Permalink 57 Comments Feed for comments Latest Stories in: Rumor Mill, Sprint Football Live - Rumors, Top Stories, Union
57 Responses to “As mediation approaches, gap between NFL, players possibly has grown”
  1. footballfanatic3431 says: May 11, 2011 11:59 PM

    To put it plainly, if you have not started getting into another sport, now is the time.

    Personally, I have watched every NBA basketball playoff game and I’m very pleased with what I’ve seen…just sayin.

  2. richsaint says: May 12, 2011 12:00 AM

    I love this site and the lockout information has been very informative.
    But, damn I would really prefer to never see a reference to a pie as anything other than something filled with fruit, chocolate or meat and vegetables.

  3. nineroutsider says: May 12, 2011 12:00 AM

    I hadn’t fully picked a side in this thing, but the players are really starting to piss me off.

  4. zaggs says: May 12, 2011 12:01 AM

    So the players are once again asking for more, remind me again how they want to get a deal done?

  5. thedizzypub says: May 12, 2011 12:05 AM

    What’s stopping the NFL from locking its doors forever, Folding the league and starting over? They have the money, the stadiums(some) and the resources to do it. You see it all the time with big companies, the union wants more money so they close up shop and open a new plant down the road. With no work for the players I don’t see a very long wait before players start showing up at the doors of a new league looking for work. The owners and league have good relationships with all the major networks. It won’t take long to get a billion dollar deal on the table. Once September rolls around the millionaire players will just be a bunch of guys with a degree in communications and PE. Hey look my new gym teacher is Tom Brady or he might be your next insurance salesman!

  6. Daboys says: May 12, 2011 12:06 AM

  7. ebenezergrymm says: May 12, 2011 12:16 AM

    When the league is closed and the players are crying “Uncle” I want video footage of Goodell walking up to DeMoron Smiths face and asking “Who’s your daddy?”

  8. prior0knowledge says: May 12, 2011 12:17 AM

    Could someone please tell me the difference between a “Lockout” and a “Shutdown?” It seems they are essentially the same thing. Both mean no football until lifted. Is there some special legal or labor difference between the two?

  9. trbowman says: May 12, 2011 12:19 AM

    I get more pessimistic about this by the day….

  10. vahawker says: May 12, 2011 12:19 AM

    Stupid people leading stupid people off the cliff. Are there no sane people involved in any of this idiocy?

  11. tommyf15 says: May 12, 2011 12:19 AM

    If the NFL owners “go out of business”, all players will be freed from their contracts and the networks will form their own football leagues.

    Don’t wet your computer chairs thinking the players will “cry uncle” in this scnario.

  12. jerrod777 says: May 12, 2011 12:23 AM

    Litigation, litigation, litigation. That’s all the players want. Let’s see how far that has gotten them. Umm – everyone is mad. The sides are farther apart. The financial pie is growing smaller all the time because fans like me are fed up. Anytime you let lawyers try to fight a multi-billion dollar fight, the only winners are lawyers. The losers are the fans, the players, and the owners. Football as we know it will not be the same. I have about had it with this!

  13. esg6string says: May 12, 2011 12:23 AM

    Or until every last fan has given up on the sport they used to love because everyone involved is some combination of too stupid and too greedy.

  14. goawayeverybody says: May 12, 2011 12:28 AM

    What a mess.

  15. Rhode Island Patriots Fan says: May 12, 2011 12:30 AM

    I don’t think I’m being overly dramatic in saying that the future success of American football and the National Football League now rests with the Eighth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals. There’s something awfully troubling to me about any union collectively bargaining one minute, then filing a “disclaimer of interest”—and commencing an antitrust action—the next. For the sake of our game, I hope two of the three appellate judges find reversible error and vacate Judge Nelson’s order. That would deny players the substantial leverage they’ve long sought in the mediation room, and instead create a level playing field for negotiations moving forward toward a new CBA that BOTH sides can live with.

  16. GG Eden says: May 12, 2011 12:46 AM

    Yeah, eff it.

    It’s obviously something that HAS TO happen….the whole anti-trust issue in sports meeting head-on with the set up of the NFL as 32 separate entities. It’s inevitable, all we can do is painstakingly sit and wait for the events to occur. Can’t fast forward to 2012.

  17. endzonezombie says: May 12, 2011 12:47 AM

    With a trained, willing, and able workforce available, at what point will some new gazillionaires start up a new league ? The NFL has a viable blueprint for a very successful business enterprise but for a ‘unionized’ ownership group all marching to the same beat. If the NFL really was 32 separate businesses, what are the chances that all 32 teams would lock out their workforce? Those teams wanting to get a comepetitive edge on the 2011 season would be running camps right now. It is the league ‘ union’ that is the focus of the antitrust lawsuit.

  18. packfaninpackland says: May 12, 2011 12:49 AM

    Screw DeMaurice Smith and his greedy A-Hole players.

    Let the players sit for a year, I can deal with replacement players for one year. The world didn’t stop in 1987 for those few weeks when the players thought they were irreplaceable, and it wont stop now either.

    If I’m Goodell, I drop the offer to $131 million per team, and the offer goes down a million, per team, per day, until this thing is settled. And if “De” and his boys don’t accept, fine, let em rot at home until they do. I have a feeling by about week four (if not before) and the second missed paycheck, the players will come back begging.

    I’m tired of this nonsense and it needs to end NOW !

  19. wcpatsfan says: May 12, 2011 12:52 AM

    OK… I’ll give you my lunch money every day… can I just have my football back.. I’ll throw in a twinkie to sweeten the pot

  20. xsammy34x says: May 12, 2011 12:52 AM

  21. chargersz says: May 12, 2011 12:55 AM

    This situation looks like it is getting worse by the minute. I sure hope that they all realize that it will only get worse not better. Personally, with the revenue shrinking and the players demanding more who would blame the owners from shutting the doors. Especially in light of some of the other issues raised with the pending law suit by the players.

  22. sportstalkryan says: May 12, 2011 12:56 AM

    So … exactly what’s the difference between a lockout and “closing the doors”?

    Aren’t they the same thing?

    Or what exactly are the ramifications of “shutting the doors” and how is that different from a lockout? Are all contracts considered null and void?

  23. ffootballontwitter says: May 12, 2011 1:12 AM

    Players clearly don’t understand that they are key beneficiaries of the antitrust, and if they win the case, they stand to lose the most. Without the antitrust exemption, the league would be unable to enter into TV contracts, the #1 factor driving revenue growth.

    But they don’t care. The’re clearly more interested in calling Goodell names than in understanding the merits of their case. Perhaps one day they will realize what they have done by selecting a litigator to represent them.

  24. losalmon says: May 12, 2011 1:17 AM

    We’re all screwed

  25. mike41april says: May 12, 2011 1:19 AM

    I’m beginning to prepare myself mentally for the possibility of no NFL in 2011. The NFLPA is going to destroy the league as we know it in the name of pure greed. The owners are greedy as well, no question but these players are about to spin this thing out of control. If need be, I’d rather they shut the whole thing down. Let these players tap themselves dry. They are addicted to the money and the lifestyle. Eventually, they’ll have no choice but to accept what is offered to them. The key to the league’s success is in its structure. This must be preserved above all.

  26. grandsonofcoach says: May 12, 2011 1:41 AM

    Fans are crying Uncle. Just make it stop. But neither side really cares about us I guess.

  27. brothaman1 says: May 12, 2011 2:04 AM

    That is really depressing. 2011 is already turning out to be a bad year. My last bad year was 2007.

  28. emperorzero says: May 12, 2011 2:33 AM

    Clearly the players aren’t interested in negotiating in good faith. Honestly, if I was an owner, I would be pushing hard to completely shut down the league. Not all of the owners, but I have to think a good majority of them actually make their money elsewhere besides their franchise. I have to think it would be “cheaper” for them to close the doors than operate under the current conditions.

  29. squabguy says: May 12, 2011 2:55 AM

    I’m all for it as a fan now paying WAaaaaaay too much for things nowadays.

    Shut it down, let all these greedy guys who’d be making what we make do without a season.

    It’s way out of control, and something has to happen before it gets better imo.

  30. carson9 says: May 12, 2011 2:58 AM

    Im in favor of the owners here. If a team loses money then the owners lose money, and costs are passed onto fans to make up for it. The players still get paid regardless and shoulder none of the burden. I have zero sympathy for players driving up payroll costs for teams, then passing those costs to the fans. I am an ICU nurse who use to have season tickets up until 2004 when I couldn’t afford them any more. Now I barely make 2 games per year as costs continue to go up, but my paycheck is the same. Sorry NFLPA, no sympathy from this fan….

  31. Marv says: May 12, 2011 3:21 AM

    This looks very much like the owners are going to win anyway… and I like that!

  32. iamtalkingsolistenandlearn says: May 12, 2011 4:38 AM

    “From the perspective of the owners, it may be better to simply close the doors until the players finally cry, “Uncle.”

    Umm, I think I have been saying this for a month now

  33. fergie22 says: May 12, 2011 5:04 AM

    shut it down i don`t care anymore let them flip burgers like everyone else greed is destroying this country and these fools are a prime example both sides suck keep going and loose your fan base and see what you have to split up then

  34. saints25 says: May 12, 2011 5:48 AM

    I’ve said it all along.”SHUT THE NFL DOWN”…We cant have the players running the NFL.Besides Ill save alot of $$$$$$$$$$$$ with the NFL out of business.

  35. edjy71 says: May 12, 2011 5:49 AM

    Sorry to break it to all you NFLPA* boosters out there but the cold hard reality is that we are now at a point where the league MUST win, even if that includes a complete shutdown.

    Consider the history of labour disputes with the other leagues. Whenever the league wins, the overall health of the sport improves (NBA,NHL). Whenever the palyers win, the sport suffers (MLB).

    For the good of the sport, the league must win!

  36. eagleswin says: May 12, 2011 6:12 AM

    Bravo. An article that doesn’t take a shot a the owners and ask them to give the NFLPA whatever they want just so there is football in the fall.

  37. markeyh says: May 12, 2011 6:20 AM

    That might be the best move……I am sure McDonalds will pay the players a livable wage.

    I mean it must be very hard to remember to “Don’t offer ketchup” because those packs cost .50 cents a pack….

    Or to ask……Do fries go with that shake?

  38. deanvernonwormer says: May 12, 2011 6:28 AM

    Why don’t you two jerk offs (jag offs if you’re in the midwest) just split the difference and call it a day?

  39. mackie66 says: May 12, 2011 7:16 AM

    I read where, if the owners close down , the networks will form their own football league. It wont be named the NFL or AFL or UFL. Sorry that dog wont hunt. The players might be released from their contracts to be able to sign where they want to, but will be paid what the owners want to pay, not what the CBA says to pay. Maybe some of you remember the airline stricks in the mid 80’s. Some airlines went belly up and employees lost their jobs. Thats called cutting your own throat which is what the players are attempting to do to the NFL. No draft, all the money they (players) want, when they want it. The billionares wont go for that, they’ll simply close down.

  40. mhs8031 says: May 12, 2011 7:40 AM

    Everyone is waiting for the season to begin–they see that as the breaking point for both sides. Ironically, it is.

    If this drags out that long, then both sides are idiots. I see the biggest problem as being DeMaurice Smith. He thinks you fight to win. But when you are parasite and you try to kill the host, you only realize what you have done after it is too late.

    The players need to fire Smith and hire another team. That would show a good-faith effort to resolve this issue and rid them of a leader trying to feed his Napolean complex.

  41. bobbyhoying says: May 12, 2011 7:56 AM

    If the NCAA had a true playoff format for the national championship the NFL might be delivered a knockout blow.

  42. oldbyrd says: May 12, 2011 8:23 AM

    First of all De Moron Smith is so far over his head that he can hear the Angels sing. He is a idiot. Has no place in any legal matters. He is simply an over paid big mouth. This 3′-1″ marxist should get out before there is no football at all. Here is a fact 80% of football players retire broke. This shows you what they know. They have no right to ask for a single dime from the owners. They didn’t put up a cent to start this thing. Like all communists they just want. How smart can you be to have D Idiot Smith working for you.? REALLY

  43. shawon0meter says: May 12, 2011 8:28 AM

    The owners should just agree to $159milion and only spend $141million then…lockout over

  44. garkeith says: May 12, 2011 8:33 AM

    I have paid double the attention I would in a normal year to the NBA. This could be the best thing that ever happened to them.

    NCAA should start planning Sunday games for this year.

  45. petedutcher says: May 12, 2011 8:48 AM

    Here’s a thought…the owners could purchase the rights to the XFL and restructure that organization and it’s rules.

    Then they could close up shop on the NFL permanantly.

    If the owners were to shup down and start a new league, the players would be able to legally claim it was only done to thwart them. By purchasing another league and expanding it, the XFL would have already been in existance and the players cannot make that claim.

    However, I don’t believe a shut down is coming

    Simply because the owners would instantly become liable for outstanding contracts…to players, advertisers and networks. It would cost them far too much to do it.

    Another negative would be team name changes. As a Buccaneers fan, I do NOT want them to change their name. And I’m sure other fans feel the same about their own teams as well.

    And the name changes would have to happen…because otherwise the players would claim nothing has really changed and that the NFL just changed the name of their league.

  46. petedutcher says: May 12, 2011 8:51 AM

    Another angle, Mike…

    Rumors that the league is developing new rules for the new season should hte stay be lifted have clearly surfaced…but what if these rules are actually covertly intended for a new league?

  47. jlinatl says: May 12, 2011 8:59 AM

    I can’t help but think this whole mess is the result of the player’s voting for an attorney rather than a competent ex-player to run the union.

    Attorneys spend a lot of time, money and effort learning legal. Almost no time learning about what is “in the best interest of”. That’s why marketing and operations people avoid them. (It’s also why my divorce cost more than my first car… not that I’m bitter).

    What is in the best interest of both these parties is not what is deemed legal regardless of the rulings.

  48. thefiesty1 says: May 12, 2011 9:09 AM

    Judge Nelson’s decision gave the players an inch. Now they want more. That figures. The players will not agree to anything now until they take ALL of the pie. This is all so ridiculous. One of these days they’ll be talking about REAL money.

  49. snowpea84 says: May 12, 2011 9:11 AM

    I’m excited. I’m rooting for a shut down to give these players proper prespective.

  50. jmikeh73 says: May 12, 2011 9:28 AM

    wow. this is great news.

    go Liverpool.

  51. mwt5584 says: May 12, 2011 9:42 AM

    The past couple of months have made me realize how much I love baseball.

  52. gregjennings85 says: May 12, 2011 9:42 AM

    This site restrict post so thoroughly and despises anything not supported by billionaires so vigorously it flies in the face of anything remotely resembling an objective journalistic outlet.

    Please, after 3 attempts, post this.

  53. gregjennings85 says: May 12, 2011 9:43 AM

    I stopped reading after this snippet:

    “The players are believed to have…”

  54. havoksports says: May 12, 2011 9:49 AM

    Once again the fans equal=poop in everyone’s eyes. No one really cares. And its sad because most if not all of these players at one time were that a fan and now they don’t care. We need to ban together and show our leverage by not buying or watching any NFL next year and flex our muscles…. Problem is IDK if i could go one weekend with out any pro football… How do you boycott your favorite thing ?

  55. semperfi24 says: May 12, 2011 9:52 AM

    Daboys says:May 12, 2011 12:06 AM

    You misspelled “sixth”

  56. crazy2bbengals says: May 12, 2011 10:02 AM

    Easy solution to force honest negotiations…Live tv coverage. What else does the NFL Network have going on?

  57. captainobvious1 says: May 12, 2011 10:11 AM

    The players are certainly acting like spoiled children and deserve the criticism that comes their way. However, all of this would have been avoided if the NFL hadn’t opted out of the CBA. Just sayin’.

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Eagles pull out victory on final play

Nick Foles AP

The Eagles had gone eight games without winning entering Sunday’s date with the Buccaneers and they waited until just about all 60 minutes of game number nine had gone by before snapping that lengthy losing streak.

Nick Foles hit Jason Avant for 22 yards to the one-yard line on fourth down with 16 seconds to play and then spiked the ball with two seconds left to play. Foles then hit a sliding Jeremy Maclin on the final play of the game, it stood up on review and the required but meaningless extra point made it a 23-21 Eagles win. There were a lot of happy faces on the Eagles sideline when Maclin caught that pass, something that looked odd after seeing all the downcast faces for the last two months.

Foles was the biggest reason for their happiness. He completed 11 passes over the team’s two fourth-quarter touchdown drives, halting a Buccaneers offensive turnaround that resulted in 21 points after being held without a score in the first half. Foles converted a pair of fourth downs and a pair of third downs on the way to those final 13 points and wound up 32-of-51 for 381 yards and two touchdowns to go with the rushing score he had in the first half.

It was an excellent performance across the board for Foles. The same can’t be said of Josh Freeman. He was terrible in the first half and the failure to get on the board there loomed large in the final quarter as the Eagles went on long drives that wound up with touchdowns. The Buccaneers elected to run Doug Martin on third down and punt the ball back to the Eagles with just under three minutes to play and a defense that just got run over by Foles, a decision that didn’t cost them the game but certainly didn’t help them win it.

The loss is a tough one for the Buccaneers’ playoff chances. We’ll see how things shake out over the rest of the day, but blowing an 11-point fourth quarter lead to a team on an eight-game losing streak tends to be the sort of thing that means no trip to the postseason.

Permalink 22 Comments Feed for comments Latest Stories in: Philadelphia Eagles, Rumor Mill, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Top Stories
22 Responses to “Eagles pull out victory on final play”
  1. attyken says: Dec 9, 2012 4:44 PM

    Pointless victory to screw up our draft pic.

  2. bobbyhoying says: Dec 9, 2012 4:46 PM

    Two weeks in a row that Foles looks like a keeper.

  3. freemantowilliams says: Dec 9, 2012 4:47 PM

    Well if the refs hadn’t missed the many holding calls against mike Bennett this is a different ball game. But hey at the end of the day the o needs to play well all game not just the last 20 min. Can’t wait till next year our first 3 picks need to be corners.

  4. turk2875 says: Dec 9, 2012 4:54 PM

    I was watching Andy celebrate at the end of the game and couldn’t help but think, how can you not be happy for that man?

  5. themagicman1223 says: Dec 9, 2012 4:57 PM

    Foles could be the future of the eagles he seems to be improving week after week.

  6. notrelated says: Dec 9, 2012 4:59 PM

    Foles looks like the real deal. Give him Jason Peters and a 1st round OL pick. Go defense rest of the way and pick up a FA WR.

  7. schmedley69 says: Dec 9, 2012 4:59 PM

    As much as I wanted to lose to get the better draft pick, it sure feels good to get a win after 2+ months of losing. That win is sure to help Foles’ confidence moving forward, and that could be important than dropping a spot or two in the draft in the overall scheme of things.

  8. kleahy82486 says: Dec 9, 2012 5:09 PM

    The eagles have so many holes having the 3rd pick or the 6th pick wont make a difference. Most of these players are going to be on the team next year. Anybody that wants the players to give up for draft picks is a moron especially in a draft without much high rated QB’s.

  9. bunjy96 says: Dec 9, 2012 5:10 PM

    The Bucs can stop stop reading how good they are and are playoff bound after 3 straight losses and get back to work.

    They deserved to lose today.

  10. milkmansalamander says: Dec 9, 2012 5:14 PM

    glad to see foles play well under a lot of pressure, d lineman and actual game circumstance. i am scared to enter next year with foles at the helm, but today makes me contemplate that idea. the phillies just signed two guys within the past 3 days and they are dominating philadelphia sports news, but finally foles has given football fans in the delaware valley something to be excited for

  11. boyshole25 says: Dec 9, 2012 5:20 PM

    Foles isn’t a joke 1 more reason Reid should be kept be careful what you wish for Philly

  12. seabreezes51 says: Dec 9, 2012 5:40 PM

    Andy Reid is still toast, but if we an get Uncle Rico as a QB coach.. The sky is the limit!

  13. deenice810 says: Dec 9, 2012 5:40 PM

    Good to see Foles improving week to week. Gotta give the kid credit, he had poise down the stretch.

  14. freemantowilliams says: Dec 9, 2012 5:52 PM

    Judging by the thumbs down I got in my previous post there must be a lot of Philly fans in here. Keep thinking foles is great. So was mcnabb feely kolb….. I could go all day

  15. corduroy88 says: Dec 9, 2012 6:09 PM

    Schiano must have been pissed he couldn’t blow up anyone’s victory formation. There’s always next week coach.

  16. mungman69 says: Dec 9, 2012 6:27 PM

    Foles is the best QB that the Iggles have on their roster. A win is a win. And I agree, it won’t matter where the Iggles draft, they have a lot of holes.

  17. fnmean1 says: Dec 9, 2012 6:28 PM

    You just keep thinking Freeman is great.The Bucs spend money and still won’t make the playoffs.

  18. jaybshah85 says: Dec 9, 2012 6:49 PM

    Foles is a real deal for sure. If he can throw for 381 years behind this crappy Offensive Line, I am sure he can survive easily with better (hopefully) offensive line next year. One more thing to add is Eagles game plans during the last few games was very conservative and little bit last week and this week, they start designing plays where Foles can throw and buoy – he looked good.

  19. mungman69 says: Dec 10, 2012 4:23 AM

    Foles to the Pro Bowl.

  20. eaglesfan29 says: Dec 10, 2012 9:36 AM

    We forget the game that vick put up 414 yards or the game he had a gainst the redskins, all of foles plays where dinks and donks. Vick is the man and he will be back next year and beat the hell out the eagles, foles has one good game against the bucs worst pass defense in the league and he is the real deal what happen against the skins, or dallas or carolina. So shut up with all that real deal talk.

  21. lovedabirds says: Dec 10, 2012 11:38 AM

    Foles has been doing this 5 weeks & already reads a blitz & audibles his receivers better than Vick ever has. “Vick is the man” is hilarious, he’s had chances with 2 teams & is a career 2-3 in the playoffs including 0-1 with the birds. He’s gotten 2 coaches fired & there’s a third casualty in the wings. Vick is one of the most over-hyped, underachieving players of our generation. And that’s before we get into his character issues, good riddance Mike!

  22. tigrrrr says: Dec 10, 2012 1:38 PM

    vick has no character…loser and abuser

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Jags’ QB coach: Blaine Gabbert would be the top guy in this draft

Blaine Gabbert AP

Blaine Gabbert hasn’t exactly set the world on fire since the Jaguars chose him with the 10th overall pick in the 2011 NFL draft. But his new position coach still loves his talent.

Frank Scelfo, the new quarterbacks coach in Jacksonville, told Vito Stellino of the Florida Times-Union that Gabbert, who left Missouri early after one year as a backup and two years as a starter, could easily just be entering this year’s draft after finishing college as a fifth-year senior. And if he were, Scelfo says, Gabbert would be the top quarterback in this year’s draft.

“If you graded him out right now, this is his draft class. If he were coming out and the quarterback draft class the way it is, would he be the top guy taken? I think the answer is yes,” Scelfo said. “Ask the scouting departments and the general managers around the league and I think you would end up with a yes on that. Basically at his age, 23, the number-one pick in the draft with two years of experience already under his belt. That’s pretty good.”

In other words, Scelfo thinks Gabbert is a better quarterback talent than USC’s Matt Barkley, West Virginia’s Geno Smith, North Carolina State’s Mike Glennon, Tennessee’s Tyler Bray, Syracuse’s Ryan Nassib, Arkansas’s Tyler Wilson or any of the other quarterbacks in this year’s draft. If that’s how the Jaguars feel, that’s another sign that they remain committed to him as their starter.

That won’t necessarily please Jaguars fans, but when Scelfo was asked about fans thinking Gabbert is a bust, Scelfo said he wasn’t aware of that.

“I hadn’t heard that. I’m being honest. I’ve met some great people and nobody’s told me all those bad things,” Scelfo said. “I don’t hear all that stuff. I look for the good in everybody.”

And Scelfo sees plenty of good in Gabbert.

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Jets get down to 78 players

Atlanta Falcons v New York Jets Getty Images

The Jets have gotten a jump on Tuesday’s deadline to pare their roster to 75 players by cutting 12 members of their roster.

There are no big surprises among the dozen former Jets, but there are several familiar names on the list. Cornerback Javier Arenas, a former second-round pick, signed with the Jets earlier this month and wide receiver DeVier Posey, acquired in a trade with the Texans during the draft, have both been cut loose. The Jets also parted ways with former Giants tackle James Brewer and former Bills wide receiver T.J. Graham.

The rest of the cuts are cornerback Curtis Brown, center Dalton Freeman, wide receiver Saalim Hakim, wide receiver Austin Hill, linebacker Bryan Johnsontight end Matt LaCosse, cornerback Keith Lewis and wide receiver Jonathon Rumph.

With those players gone, the Jets will trim three more from the roster by Tuesday and then get to work on setting their initial 53-man roster by Saturday.

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Eric Decker returned punts for the Jets against the Giants

Eric Decker, Brandon Marshall AP

The annual meaningless game played for an even more meaningless trophy of Snoopy often sees its participants behaving like the dog’s owner.

Over the years, the annual preseason intra-stadium game between the Jets and Giants has led to some unusual decisions and unfortunate injuries, as detailed a year ago by Gary Myers of the New York Daily News. From former Giants cornerback Jason Sehorn tearing an ACL while returning a kickoff in 1998 to current Giants quarterback Eli Manning being made to look like an extra in The Walking Dead in 2010 to former Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez suffering a season-ending shoulder injury that ended his career in New York, the teams all too often play the role of Charlie Brown trying to kick Lucy’s football.

On Saturday night, the Jets flirted with another disaster. Via Rich Cimini of, $7 million receiver Eric Decker fielded punts.

Decker was the emergency replacement for a concussed Jeremy Kerley, and coach Todd Bowles instructed Decker to call for a fair catch every time. Decker muffed the second punt, however, and then the Jets turned to Walter Powell. Powell responded by returning a punt 54 yards for a touchdown.

Which means that Powell should have been returning punts in the first place, not Decker. Whatever the alternatives to Decker, it never should have been Decker. In a meaningless practice game, it should have been no one before it was Decker.

But at least the Jets got lucky, this time. They may not have gotten lucky with rookie defensive lineman Leonard Williams.

Regardless, the Jets and Giants will continue to play an annual meaningless game. Before the next one, they’ll get together for one that counts during the 2015 regular season.

Don’t expect Eric Decker to be fielding punts in that one.

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A.J. Green’s agent noticed Julio Jones deal, but Green doesn’t sweat it

Cincinnati Bengals v Cleveland Browns Getty Images

Now that Falcons receiver Julio Jones has received a six-year, $81 million contract, is it time for a similar deal for the other great receiver from the 2011 first round?

Maybe. But Bengals receiver A.J. Green isn’t too worried about it.

That’s not to say Green isn’t aware. Green told the Cincinnati Enquirer that his agent called him yesterday to discuss the deal Jones signed. Green’s agent wouldn’t be doing his job if he weren’t keeping tabs on the other wide receiver contracts around the league, and keeping Green apprised about where things stand. But Green said that for himself, the primary focus remains on the field.

“It’s good for him,” Green said of Jones’s contract. “We will see. If it happens, it happens. If it don’t I’ll go out there and play. We’ll see.”

Green and the Bengals will likely reach a long-term deal at some point, and probably for about the same money that Jones got from the Falcons. Green will let his agent worry about the details.

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NFL may take a closer look at gloves

Jeremiah Anderson AP

In January, Hall of Fame receiver Jerry Rice said he used to put stickum on his gloves. Now that the gloves are so good that the stickum is already on them, the NFL may be talking a look at whether the built-in stickiness has gone too far.

“I think it’s time to go back and look at the gloves and see if, with what’s going on here with sports science in the past 10 years, if there isn’t too much of an advantage being gained,” recently-reinstalled Competition Committee chairman Rich McKay told Sam Farmer of the Los Angeles Times.

It sounds like it’s a look that’s long overdue.

“No one looks at those gloves,” Hall of Fame coach and legendary broadcaster John Madden told Farmer. “I saw them when I was at a meeting in Indy. They passed them around and somebody made the comment that, ‘Pretty soon, these gloves are going to be able to catch a ball without a hand in them.'”

Those gloves also may be able to throw the ball without a hand in them.

“You know something’s up when guys like Tom Brady and Kurt Warner and Peyton Manning are wearing gloves to throw a football,” former NFL quarterback and 2002 league MVP Rich Gannon told Farmer. “You’re starting to go, ‘Wait a second here. . . .’ Guys for years dreaded bad weather, cold weather, and they didn’t want to have anything that would take their hands off the football. Now guys are like, ‘These gloves are better than the human skin.'”

And to that many will say, “So what?” With the following of the sport dramatically enhanced by fantasy football, fans want to see passes caught, not dropped. And another Hall of Famer thinks one of the best catches in recent years wouldn’t have been possible without the gloves.

“You have to be careful about the way you analyze that play because you don’t want people calling you a hater or whatever,” Tim Brown told Farmer regarding last season’s three-fingered grab by Odell Beckham Jr. “But you can’t make that play without those kind of gloves. It’s just impossible.”

It will be impossible for the NFL to build on its momentum as the must-see sport if it reverses the advances that have occurred right under the league’s nose.

“I think if they took the gloves completely away from the guys, including the quarterbacks at this point, it would have a major impact on what the game looked like on the field,” former NFL receiver and Sunday Night Football analyst Cris Collinsworth told Farmer. “And not for the better. . . . Every Sunday we say, ‘Oh, my goodness! Look at that!’ That’s a good thing. It’s an entertainment business. Why not make it as entertaining as possible?”

By paying no attention to the development of gloves, the NFL has allowed the game to become as entertaining as it is. It would make no sense for the NFL to suddenly declare that it has allowed the gloves to go too far.

Nike, the company that pays the NFL a lot of money to make and market the gloves, would probably agree.

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Stevie Brown out in Houston, could return to Giants

Philadelphia Eagles v New York Giants Getty Images

The Giants likely lost another safety for the season late last week when Nat Berhe had calf surgery, but they may be getting some relief in the form of a familiar face in the next few days.

Stevie Brown was released by the Texans on Saturday and Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News reports that the Giants are trying to get Brown in for a physical. Brown spent three years with the Giants from 2012-2014, playing 16 games twice and missing the entire 2013 season with a torn ACL.

Brown’s agent Blake Baratz said he’s working on getting Brown and the Giants together for a meeting while adding that “a number of teams” are in the mix to land Brown’s services.

Brown signed with the Texans this offseason when they offered him more money than the Giants, but it doesn’t appear he was close to making the Houston roster given the timing of his release from the team.

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Sunday morning one-liners

NaVorro Bowman, Jordan Norwood AP

Bills CB Ron Darby had a rough night against the Steelers.

QB Ryan Tannehill was frustrated with the Dolphins offense on Saturday.

The Patriots may be in the market for a fullback after James Develin’s leg injury.

A call from Jets C Nick Mangold helped police stop a string of burglaries in New Jersey.

Asa Jackson may not have nailed down the Ravens return job on Saturday.

Said Bengals WR A.J. Green, “We feel good, but we still have a lot of work to do. Not just a little. We’re the same team that got our butts kicked Monday night in Tampa. We have to keep our head down and keep grinding.”

Browns WR Travis Benjamin showed he still can break off a big punt return.

QB Michael Vick was sharp in his Steelers debut.

Texans T Duane Brown’s injury isn’t expected to keep him out Week One.

The Colts are evaluating the ankle injury suffered by DT Arthur Jones.

Jaguars coach Gus Bradley thinks his offensive line has a chip on its shoulder.

The Titans could add another running back to the roster.

LB Danny Trevathan was shaking off rust in his return to game action with the Broncos.

The first round of Chiefs cuts shouldn’t feature any tough decisions.

The Raiders cornerbacks figure to be tested against the Cardinals.

Chargers WR Stevie Johnson had a good half of work on Saturday.

Darren McFadden may be moving up in the competition for playing time at running back for the Cowboys.

The Giants saw DE Robert Ayers hurt his ankle before Saturday’s game with the Jets even started.

Said T Jason Peters of the Eagles’ offense on Saturday, “I think this is the best we’ve looked since [Chip Kelly] got here, in the preseason.”

Redskins LB Jackson Jeffcoat continued a good summer in Saturday’s game.

The Bears defense had a tough time with the Bengals.

WR Ryan Broyles’s time with the Lions may be coming to an end.

Injuries have taken an emotional toll on the Packers.

Vikings WR Cordarrelle Patterson offered a reminder of his explosiveness in the return game.

The Falcons have offensive line issues to sort out.

Panthers rookie LB Shaq Thompson’s tackling stood out on Friday night.

Players on the Saints roster bubble are running out of chances to impress coaches.

Special teams play was a lowlight for the Buccaneers against the Browns.

Cardinals G.M. Steve Keim’s hometown team won the U.S. little league title on Saturday.

Said Rams QB Nick Foles, ““I felt there was improvement. I expect more from myself and more from this offense.”

49ers LB Navorro Bowman wreaked some havoc in the Broncos backfield.

Tyler Lockett had another impressive punt return for the Seahawks.

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Tre Mason’s hamstring could leave the Rams thin in backfield

Tre Mason AP

In a general sense, the Rams are deep in the backfield.

But specific to the regular season opener, they might be a little thin.

According to Adam Schefter of ESPN, running back Tre Mason left last night’s game with a hamstring strain, creating some doubt about his availability.

With rookie Todd Gurley not expected to play in the opener after tearing his ACL last November, that could stretch the depth there.

The Rams still have Isaiah Pead and Benny Cunningham, so there are still some serviceable options. But without the top two, it could certainly change their game plans.

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Tomlin says it “doesn’t look positive” for Hartley in Week One

Garrett Hartley AP

The Steelers lost their second kicker in four preseason games on Saturday night, and it’s now looking like they’ll need another kicker for next Thursday night in Foxboro.

Garrett Hartley injured a right hamstring during the game, and he’ll have an MRI on Sunday.

Coach Mike Tomlin told reporters after the preseason game against the Bills that “it doesn’t look positive” for Hartley being ready for Week One against the Patriots.

That could be positive for Jay Feely, a free agent who matched Hartley field goal for field goal at a Heinz Field Gong Show Kick Off after Shaun Suisham was lost for the season with a torn ACL suffered at the Hall of Fame Game. Per a source with knowledge of the competition, both missed from 53 yards and made everything else.

Fifty-three becomes the operative number, if the Steelers sign Feely or another kicker. If Hartley can’t kick come Week One, will they carry Hartley on the 53-man roster, or move on? Having two kickers would mean keeping one less player at another position, and that may not be something the Steelers want to do.

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Colin Kaepernick: There’s “not any concern” about offense

Colin Kaepernick, Shaquil Barrett, T.J. Ward, Danny Trevathan AP

It took a long time for 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick to complete a pass on Saturday.

Kaepernick’s first completion came with less than a minute to play in the second quarter after a half that saw him sacked twice while leading the 49ers to one first down and no points on their first four possessions. Kaepernick followed that first completion with one to Torrey Smith, the first time that’s happened all postseason, and the 49ers kicked a field goal to close the first half.

Kaepernick, who was 2-of-5 for the game, was forced to scramble a couple of times on that drive and ran for big gains after getting flushed from the pocket and was asked after the game if he was concerned about the play of an offensive line that’s still unsettled outside of left tackle Joe Staley and left guard Alex Boone.

“No, there’s not any concern on this team,” Kaepernick said, via the San Francisco Chronicle. “That’s what the preseason’s for — to work those things out and see who we have at different positions. That’s what we’re doing, and we’re working to make sure we’re ready for the regular season.”

Coach Jim Tomsula didn’t share that exact opinion, saying that the offensive line had a “little bit of a struggle” with the Denver defense and, acknowledging that others are concerned about the unit’s play, that they’ll get it “cleared up” this week.

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The apathy phase arrives for many in St. Louis

Nick Foles AP

With notable exceptions, like Joe Buck, it seems that many in St. Louis don’t have strong opinions regarding whether the Rams stay or go.

On Saturday night, in what was both the preseason home opener for the Rams and the most important of the three meaningless exhibition games, the fans showed their current feelings — by not showing up.

Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch noted at Twitter that he’s been to every preseason game since the Rams moved from L.A. in 1995, and that Saturday night’s crowd for the game against the Colts was “easily the smallest crowd I’ve seen.” Thomas estimates that 25,000 people were present for the game; he also says that only 37,460 tickets were distributed for the contest.

The local nonchalance comes at a time when politicians are trying to finagle a new stadium for the Rams, presumably in order to avoid being blamed if the Rams return to L.A. If blame is going to come, it may not be from local business leaders; Tim Bryant of the Post-Dispatch reports that plenty of corporate executives declined to comment or failed to respond when asked about their support or lack thereof for the proposed stadium.

Joe Buck hasn’t declined to comment. He recently launched a Twitter tirade against the circumstances, saying the situation would have been “100 percent better” if Shad Khan had been able to purchase the Rams in lieu of Stan Kroenke, who exercised a right of first refusal to make his minority share a majority interest after the passing of Georgia Frontiere — and after Khan had cobbled together a bid that her estate had accepted.

“Kroenke not only has the chance to cash in on L.A., but punch a great city that at one point he seemed to enjoy,” Buck said via Twitter.

Buck’s theory seems to be that the current level of local apathy wasn’t accidental: “Suck the life out of a team, run it down, raise prices, then say it isn’t supported and leave. Great example for the NFL to celebrate  JOKE!”

Buck has elaborated, with more than 140-character chunks.

We’re about to lose the NFL for a second time,” Buck told Joe Strauss of the Post-Dispatch. “I don’t know how the story is going to turn out. There are myriad possibilities. It’s been really quiet from St. Louis’ standpoint, but this ball has been rolling for a long time . . . longer than people realize, longer than I initially realized.”

Buck fears that tires eventually will be rolling, too.

“The way this is going, at some point we’re going to wake up and there are going to be moving vans outside Rams Park,” Buck said.

He believes, via Strauss, that the “fix was already in” when Kroenke bought the team; “I would be hard-pressed to believe that this L.A. plan was dreamed up only when St. Louis wasn’t ready to play ball,” Buck said.

But Buck won’t blame the fans for not currently being willing to watch the team play ball.

“I have a tough time with the notion that fans here don’t support the NFL,” he said. “The team has not performed for a long time now.”

On that point, he’s absolutely right. Since the Greatest Show on Turf went to the Super Bowl for a second time (a loss to the Patriots), the Rams have had one winning season — in 2003. From 2004 through 2014, the Rams went 8-8, 6-10, 8-8, 5-11, 2-14, 1-15, 2-14, 7-8-1, 7-9, and 6-10.

Still, there should be greater engagement in 2015, especially since the Rams are perceived to be ready to make a run at the postseason, with a stellar defense, an improving passing game led by new quarterback Nick Foles, and the possibility of a strong running game led by rookie Todd Gurley. But potential can only do so much when the performance hasn’t been there, and it’s even harder for fans to not emotionally detach when it appears that the franchise already views the fan base as fungible.

At a certain point, not giving a crap anymore becomes a mechanism for avoiding the ultimate disappointment of seeing the relationship end. There’s a good chance that’s one of the main reasons why only 25,000 people showed up last night.

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Eagles get Sam Bradford out quickly after perfect passing night

cd0ymzcznguwzdbhnduynddiytjhm2yyzthlmtjjotqwyyznptu2zmvhndlmytmxmzjhodbjy2uxyzrkymywzgy5ndkx AP

There’s a good reason the Eagles have kept Sam Bradford in bubble wrap, pulling him after one series and some hard hits against the Ravens, and limiting his work last night against the Packers.

When he’s been on the field, he’s been practically perfect.

Via Reuben Frank of CSN Philadelphia, Bradford has played four series in the preseason, and each ended with an Eagles touchdown. Last night, he was was 10-of-10 passing for 121 yards and three touchdowns, and 13-of-15 for 156 yards for the preseason, without a turnover.

“I’m sure I missed a lot of things tonight, but just continue to work timing and rhythm in the passing game,” Bradford said, being modest. “I felt like it was better than last week, but it’s by no means perfect. We have two weeks before we play Atlanta, and just continue to work with the guys on that chemistry.

“But I think tonight was a big step. I think we played well, but we’re going to look to build on this.”

Mostly, he got out of there healthy, and coach Chip Kelly admitted he didn’t want to push it with his quarterback coming off a pair of torn ACLs.

“Sam played well,” head coach Chip Kelly said. “He really located the football. I thought he played very well. He had the three touchdown drives and we didn’t see a reason to keep him out there any longer.”

Now, it’s a matter of him holding up for 16 games, when he’s going to have to stay out there.

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Randall Cobb thought he broke his collarbone Saturday night

cd0ymzcznguwzdbhnduynddiytjhm2yyzthlmtjjotqwyyznptdkzjewntnizgywotljnzllytmzmmnmyme2ztfimgy4 AP

The Packers didn’t play quarterback Aaron Rodgers on Saturday night and it didn’t take them long to wonder if they should have made the same call with wide receiver Randall Cobb.

A week after losing Jordy Nelson for the season with a torn ACL on the first drive of a game, Cobb left Saturday’s game against the Eagles after three plays with an injury that he thought would knock him out for an extended period of time. Cobb said after the game that he thought he broke his collarbone, but tests revealed that the injury wasn’t that serious.

“I just caught the ball and was going down to the ground, and I had a guy land on top of me,” Cobb said, via “I was just jogging off the field at the end of the series, and I could feel the pain. I didn’t know exactly what it was. It was discomfort, and I let Doc check it out and we went back and got X-rays. It’s not what we think it could’ve been.”

While that was a “silver lining,” Cobb’s not sure about whether he will be well enough to play in Week One against the Bears. There will be more tests on his shoulder on Sunday and their results will give the team a better idea about who Rodgers will be able to throw to when the regular season gets underway.

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Arthur Blank appreciated Julio Jones keeping team first in talks

Julio Jones AP

Julio Jones got paid like the other top receivers in the market, more in fact.

But the fact he said so much less than the others might have been a factor in that.

Falcons owner Arthur Blank said he appreciated the decidedly polite tone Jones kept through the process — including vowing to not hold out — prior to giving him a six-year, $81.426 million deal yesterday.

Agent Jimmy Sexton even told Jones to take his cell phone on the field with him during warmups (Joe Horn approves) because the deal was close to being finished last night.

“I figured out and knew for sure that it was done was when Mr. Blank got here,” Jones said, via D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “He came on the field and gave me a big hug. He was like ‘congratulations.’ He said he was very proud of the way I handled this. … by keeping the team first.”

While we heard plenty about the possibilities of no deals and the repercussions thereof before Dez Bryant and Demaryius Thomas eventually got theirs, Jones made no threats.

“He came to work and worked hard,” Blank said. “It was never an issue. There was never a question. He knew that we’d eventually be able to pull something together that would be acceptable to us and to him. We were able to do that. It’s a credit to him personally. It’s a credit to our organization, guys like Nick Polk, Thomas [Dimitroff] and others who have worked on this deal.”

“From Atlanta’s standpoint, he’s a major anchor for us in our offense going forward.”

Now they just have to hope he stays healthy, and continues to provide the level of play they anticipate, and have paid for, so he’s not just an anchor to their salary cap.

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Jay Gruden: “People want to make it out that we’re incompetent”

Jay Gruden AP

Washington coach Jay Gruden is not ready to name a starter, and he sounds like he’s getting worn down by the criticism about his ongoing quarterback saga.

After Saturday night’s game, in which Kirk Cousins started after Robert Griffin III was denied medical clearance just hours after Gruden claimed he’d already been given medical clearance, Gruden said it’s not fair to the team to suggest that they don’t know what they’re doing.

“We’re all as confused as you are, and people have to understand this has nothing to do with the Redskins. I know people want to make it out that we’re incompetent but we’re not. This has nothing to do with us. It was totally independent doctor, a verbal thing he said with our doctor, and then all of a sudden the written statement was different, the written report was different so we followed proper course and did what we thought was right for Robert,” Gruden said.

Asked if there’s a quarterback controversy on his team, Gruden said there isn’t.

“I’m not going to announce anything. There’s no controversy,” Gruden said. “As far as who’s starting at every position, we’re going to evaluate that as a staff. I’m not going to make any announcements right now, that’s for sure.”

But the mere fact that Gruden won’t announce his starter is why there is, in fact, a quarterback controversy. And the fact that there’s a quarterback controversy after a long offseason in which Gruden insisted there wouldn’t be a quarterback controversy is why the team looks incompetent.

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X-rays negative for Leonard Williams

Leonard Williams AP

Leonard Williams left Saturday night’s preseason game against the New York Giants after suffering a knee injury in the first half.

However, it appears as though the injury isn’t all that serious for the New York Jets’ first-round pick.

According to Adam Schefter of, X-rays came back negative on Williams knee. The thought is Williams suffered only a bone bruise but he will still have an MRI on Sunday.

Williams was considered by some as the best overall player in the 2015 draft class. With Sheldon Richardson set to miss the start of the season to suspension, Williams will be a pivotal piece in the Jets defensive line rotation.

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