Silver and Black Report

New Rules of Emphasis by NFL Officiating

The NFL referees met with the local media today to discuss the new rule changes and points of emphasis on existing rules.

One of the the new “tweaks” is the hitting the defenseless receiver rule. A 15-yard unnecessary roughness penalty has already been assessed when a defender leads with his head and launches himself into the head of the receiver. Now, the rule has been expanded to cover hits to the receiver’s head AND neck by he defender’s helmet, shoulder, or arm. The 15-yard penalty is still enforced.

Also, the NFL Officiating Committee has expanded it’s protections of the long snapper on punts and kick-offs. Before, the nose tackle couldn’t line up directly in front of the snapper and had to have his helmet lined up outside the snapper’s shoulder pads. Now, because of continued injury or risk of injury to the long snapper, defender now must line up with their inside shoulder pad to the outside of the long snapper’s pads.

Two new rules have been introduced. The first one is the change in overtime possession. At the start of the overtime period, both teams will have an oportunity to possess the ball. The caveat being that if he team who gets the ball first scores a touchdown, they win the game. If the first team (Team A) who possess the ball scores field goal or doesn’t score at all, then the other team (Team B) gets possession. If Team B, while on the punt or kickoff, muffs the return and loses the ball (fumble) to Team A, then the game is over. A kickoff or punt return is considered a chance at possession. If both teams come away from their initial overtime tries with a 0-0 or 3-3 tie, then it goes BACK to sudden death rules. This new rule will only be applied to playoff games.

The other new rule is the ball is ruled dead if a ball carrier’s helmet comes off during live play regardless if he is tackled or not. The ball will be spotted at the spot when the helmet came off.

Per a press release by the Silver & Black:

Oakland Raiders RB Darren McFadden visited school children in Richmond as part of the NFL and National Dairy Council’s Fuel Up to Play 60 initiative. McFadden encouraged Grant Elementary School students to eat healthy, get plenty of exercise and do well in school. The goal is to encourage kids to “fuel up” with more nutrient-rich foods — low-fat and fat-free dairy foods, fruits; vegetables; whole grains; and meat and beans, and motivate kids to be more active and play for 60 minutes a day.

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Contact Author: Victor Cotto – SB Report Columnist

Per a press release disseminated by the league, The Emmy^®-winning combination of HBO Sports and NFL Films will explore the fascinating career and life of football’s most revered coach in LOMBARDI, it was announced today by Ross Greenburg, president, HBO Sports.  The documentary debuts SATURDAY, DEC. 11 in prime time, exclusively on HBO.

“Vince Lombardi lived a remarkable life,” said Greenburg.  “There isn’t a football fan alive who has not heard of Vince or does not know his famous line, ‘Winning isn’t everything, it’s the only thing,’ but how much do people really know about this complicated genius?  We plan to peel back the layers for a biography that will serve as the definitive account of an NFL icon.”

Featured interviews in the documentary include:  Lombardi’s son, Vince Lombardi Jr.; daughter Susan Lombardi; brother Harold Lombardi; former players, including New York Giants Sam Huff and Hall of Famer Frank Gifford, Green Bay Packers Willie Davis, Jerry Kramer and Hall of Famer Bart Starr, and Washington Redskins Hall of Famer Sonny Jurgensen; broadcaster John Madden; biographer David Maraniss; and writer Jerry Izenberg.

HBO Sports and NFL Films have a long history of acclaimed co-productions, including 2004’s “The Wild Ride to Super Bowl I” and the groundbreaking Emmy^®-winning NFL training camp reality series “Hard Knocks,” which launches its sixth season Aug. 11 on HBO.

The executive producers of LOMBARDI are Ross Greenburg and Rick Bernstein for HBO Sports and Steve Sabol for NFL Films; produced by Joseph M. Lavine for HBO Sports and Keith Cossrow for NFL Films; Liev Schreiber will narrate; music composed by Dave Robidoux of NFL Films; editor, Bill McCullough.

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Contact Author: Victor Cotto – SB Report Columnist

Here’s a listing of training camp dates for all the clubs located in the AFC for the upcoming 2010 campaign.

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Contact Author: Victor Cotto – SB Report Columnist

Here’s a listing of training camp dates for all the clubs located in the NFC for the upcoming 2010 campaign.

* Dallas will train in San Antonio (7/24-8/6), Dallas (8/7-8/13), and Oxnard, CA (8/14-8/27).

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Contact Author: Victor Cotto – SB Report Columnist

NEW YORK — Yesterday, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell spoke with the media about the concept of an enhanced season. Here are excerpts from that session in New York City:

About his endorsement of additional games to a campaign:

One of the things when we discussed this a year ago and as recently as yesterday is what we need to do to make the game better. How do we improve the game, not only through rules and equipment, but also with offseason training? Should we do things differently? I think we have to. We have been making a lot of those changes but we have to continue to evolve the game in that way. And the players are a big part of that process.

Are negotiations getting contentious?

This is a negotiation. You have to have a dialogue about how to make the game better. That includes for fans. That includes for the participants, including the players and coaches. It includes the teams. That’s what a dialogue is and that’s what the dialogue has been and will continue to be.

What do the players think about an 18-game season?

I’ve been talking about this for two years, including with the players. I don’t think there’s anything I’m not aware of with respect to the players. I will continue to talk with them, as we all will.

Regarding pay scale and the expanded campaign:

They are paid a percentage of our gross revenue that includes revenue from preseason games.  What we’re trying to do is figure out ways to grow those opportunities for the players.  And when you explain that to them they understand.  Also they are very focused on safety and that’s a very legitimate concern. And they’ve engaged in that. I’ve had a great dialogue with them.

Injuries:

Injuries are part of the game. You can’t prevent injuries.  What you can do is do things to make sure that they are physically prepared, give them the best medical care, and make sure we’re doing everything we can so that they play for as long as possible.

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Contact Author: Victor Cotto – SB Report Columnist

Here are excerpts of commisionaer Roger Goodell’s spring press conference in Dallas yesterday. The NFL’s head man talked about Ben Roethlisberger, the Super Bowl, Canadian doctor Anthony Galea and other topics.

On the New York-New Jersey Super Bowl and his role in getting it done:

Far too much is being made of my role. Our job is to make sure we present three terrific bids. Our staff and the Super Bowl Advisory Committee did that. There are three great communities, two of which we’ve had experience with. New York-New Jersey came in as a new bid with a new stadium with two franchises and I think there are some unique aspects to this and I think that appealed to our membership. But it was a tough vote because we had three great bids.

On impact of Super Bowl XLIV:

Obviously it was one of the greatest games we’ve had in the history of the NFL and certainly in Super Bowl history. Not only was it the play on the field, but the story of the Saints and the role they’ve had in their community in restoring hope and the connection they have with their community that had been through such a difficult period. The role the NFL and in particular the Saints played in that is something that we can all be very proud of. It added to the story of a terrific football game. When we reflect back on that, you can look at the records of the largest audience in the history of television. One of the greatest games, if not the greatest game in the history of the NFL. But it’s really the core of the relationship between that team and the fans and the history of the fans in that region that is something we’ll remember.

On Roethlisberger situation:

When I return following these meetings, I expect to be sitting down with our staff and reviewing the evaluation and determining the next steps. Sometime in the next week or so I will be issuing a decision.

On Los Angeles stadium and importance of a retractable roof:

There’s no cookie-cutter approach to this. What works in one community doesn’t necessarily work in another community. In large part, the reason we’ve been successful in getting our stadiums built is we’ve worked in public-private partnerships to find solutions that the community may have to address or those issues that they may have to address and we find reasonable solutions. In the case of the downtown LA stadium, that could potentially be addressing an issue with respect to convention facilities and would it add to the convention facilities they have in that area? That’s how we’ve been successful. We’ve done it in Indianapolis and other communities where we try to identify the issue and see if we can be part of the solution.

On HGH testing:

We’ve proposed that in our collective bargaining discussions. The only way to reliably do that is through blood testing at this point in time. But we support that because we think it’s important in making sure that we are all playing by the same rules. It is a health and safety issue also. We will continue to press it in negotiations and I’m hopeful we will reach an agreement where our new drug program will make some advancements, including HGH testing.

On a public component to a stadium project in Los Angeles:

I can’t address any of the specifics of it because I think they are at a very early stage of addressing that. I know these things are successful when they are public-private partnerships, when the public and the private sector work together to create these solutions. And that is what we want to do.

On Dr. Galea and possibility of league discipline:

We are going to pursue all of the information that’s been publicly available. Hopefully we’ll get additional information as the case proceeds. We are very anxious to understand all of the details and pursue it aggressively and we will. We don’t take those issues lightly. It’s important for us to get whatever information is available and we will pursue it in accordance with our policies.

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Contact Author: Victor Cotto – SB Report Columnist

Per a press release disseminated on Friday, the non-profit Friends of Oakland Parks and Recreation organization will receive a $200,000 National Football League Grassroots Program grant, facilitated by the Oakland Raiders. This award brings the amount of youth related grants facilitated by the Silver and Black in less than a decade to over $1 million.

Stated in the document:

The grant, awarded by the Raiders, the NFL Youth Football Fund, and Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC), is part of $2.5 million in field refurbishment awards allocated this year. It will be used to install a synthetic turf field and drainage system at Sobrante Park, a multi-purpose field located in East Oakland, designed to serve more than 14,000 young people in the area. Once completed, the new field will offer a range of athletic programming for the community including NFL PLAY 60 activities and tackle and flag football leagues. It will also serve as a physical education site for Sobrante Elementary School and James Madison Middle School. Matching funds will be provided by the City of Oakland and Oakland Unified School District.

“It is always our pleasure to work with the NFL Grassroots Program and LISC and we are delighted to participate in this exciting project, which will enhance the community and provide an improved venue for the enjoyment of outdoor activities,” said Chief Executive Amy Trask. “It has been our pleasure to facilitate the award of grants of this nature throughout the region for the last decade.”

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Contact Author: Victor Cotto – SB Report Columnist

Archive: Warren Sapp chasing down New England Patriots QB Tom Brady

The NFL Network has pulled former Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Oakland Raiders defensive lineman Warren Sapp from their Super Bowl XLIV coverage because he is being questioned by Miami authorities regarding a domestic violence case according to a NFL source.

Sapp, 37, was reportedly seen by detectives and questioned on Saturday afternoon, and news circulated late Saturday about his arrest.

Per reports, the former sack-master was charged with one count of misdemeanor domestic battery and is expected to appear before a Miami-Dade County judge Sunday, Miami Beach police spokesman Juan Sanchez said.

In recent weeks, Sapp has ripped Raiders head coach Tom Cable.

“For me to say something about the man right now, would be a little, you know, disingenuous,” Sapp told the Dan Patrick show.

“Tom Cable don’t even know that the defensive lineman knows his protection when he goes into a ballgame,” Sapp said. “I was standing in front of the man, he tells me to rush his offensive line. I said, ‘Okay, what set are you coming out in?’ He looks at me and says, ‘What? No, I just want you to rush.’”

He continued: “I said, ‘Let me understand this. You’re gonna break the huddle, you come out into a formation. It’ll be two receivers, three receivers, whatever you want to do. But there’s some way you have to protect. And I would know that, 90% of the time. He looked at me like I was speaking Chinese.”

Sapp piled on by saying, “He’s not qualified to be an offensive line coach in my book.

“Because he doesn’t know I know which way his center’s going 90% of the time. He blew my mind with that one. I said, ‘Son, you think I got all these sacks ’cause I’m guessing which way the center’s going?’”

In a statement released on Saturday, “We have been made aware of the arrest of Warren Sapp by the Miami Beach Police Department,” a NFL network statement said. “In light of these circumstances, Warren Sapp will not appear on NFL Network while we review the matter.”

Shane Lechler and Richard Seymour were the only current members of the Oakland Raiders to be named on the National Football League’s All-Decade team.

The full squad was announced tonight prior to the Pro-Bowl in Miami and it also included former Raiders Randy Moss, Warren Sapp and Charles Woodson.

Lorenzo Neal who was with the team during the summer and waived prior to the season also made the squad.

Lechler is a five-time Pro Bowl selection, five-time first-team All-Pro and a two time second team All-Pro.

In his 10-season with the Raiders, the former 5^th round pick has averaged 47.3 yards per punt and a 38.6 net average.

Moss spent the 2005 and 2006 seasons in the Bay Area.

Randy Moss in Silver & Black during the 2005 season

He compiled 102 receptions for 1,558 yards and 11 touchdowns after being acquired for Napoleon Harris, a 1^st round selection and a late round pick.

After Oakland traded him to New England, Moss found his stride again after a dominant start to his career in Minnesota and tallied 23 touchdown grabs, setting the league single season record.

Woodson was Oakland’s 4^th overall selection in the 1998 draft. The six-time Pro Bowl selection was the AP NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year with the Silver & Black.

He donned the Raider colors from 1998-to-2005.

This past season, he was voted the AP NFL defensive Player of the Year.

Woodson has 45 career interceptions.

Warren Sapp made a stop in Oakland during his illustrious career

Sapp spent 4-years with the Raiders. The boisterous defensive tackle tallied 19.5 sacks while in Oakland.

Seymour just finished his first season with the Raiders after being acquired in a trade with the New England Patriots.

NOTES

• Seymour is a three-time Super Bowl Champion with the Patriots (XXXVI, XXXVIII, XXXIX). He has been selected to five Pro Bowls and is a three-time first team All-Pro.
• Sapp is a four time first team All-Pro and a Super Bowl Champion with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (XXXVII). He was also selected to the NFL’s 1990s All-Decade Team. The former first rounder out of the University of Miami won the 1999 NFL Defensive Player of the Year award. He ended with 96.5 career sacks.
• Moss was the NFL Offensive Rookie of the year (1998), has been a seven time Pro Bowl selection and was the Pro Bowl MVP in 2000.