The price of entertainment: NFL vs. The Saints

The New Orleans Saints, the darlings of the football world when they won Super Bowl XLIV (the one in 2009, for those who aren't Roman) for the hurricane-ravaged city.

This weekend, however, information started coming out that would taint that feel-good story and further blur the line as far as what is justified in sports entertainment.

Sports Illustrated reported a "pay-for-performance," or bounty system, that the Saints had in place for the last few seasons. The Defensive Coordinator at the time, Greg Williams, ran the player funded bounty pool that offered monetary payouts of at least $1,000 to any player who would knock a player out of the game temporarily. They would receive larger awards for more extensive injuries to opponents.

The largest reported was a possible $10,000 offered by linebacker John Vilma to any player that took Brett Favre out of a playoff game the Saints played them in.

All of this is, of course, illegal under NFL rules. It also is coming to light at a very decisive time in NFL history: over the course of the past two seasons, regulations have been put in place and decisions made to make the game safer. "Player safety" has been the mantra of NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell since player concussions have been a large issue lately.

James Harrison is a linebacker for the historic Pittsburgh Steelers and has been a lightning rod for the safety debate. Harrison has a history of heavy (or "dirty") hits, and made his thoughts clear in an article in Men's Journal. In the article published in 2011, Harrison referred to Goodell as a "crook and a puppet" amongst other things, and said he hated him and would never respect him.

But for all his tough talk and hateful comments, is Harrison actually the protagonist in the story of player safety? And are the New Orleans Saints only doing what it takes to motivate their teammates?

It's a double edged sword for the NFL: either be the driving force to promote safety,or keep your sport the institution of tradition that it is.

On one hand, fans don't enjoy the game when you restrict how and when a player can be tackled.

As it stands now, a defender can only hit a player if the player can protect himself (knows the player is there, which dramatically lowers the chance of knocking the ball loose) and can still only hit the player if he leads with his shoulder, which makes it much easier to slip free of such a hit. A player like Harrison is known to hit the ball carrier without his knowledge, causing game-changing fumbles. He also hits with his helmet, causing enough force to knock the carrier off balance.

Being a fan myself, I'd prefer to see the hardest fight I can see in a football game. Seeing players draw fouls like an NBA player is not what I watch the game for.



The other side of this issue is on the side of former players, most notably the recently deceased Dave Duerson, former player for my team, the Chicago Bears.

Duerson played in the NFL for ten years, retiring in 1994. After a decade, when player concussions were realized to be a large issue, several former players were diagnosed with chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a degenerative brain disorder that caused several issues including aggression, confusion and depression.

CTE is currently being researched by the Boston University School of Medicine. Duerson had sent a text to his family asking that his family donate his brain to the program. Shortly after this message, Duerson ended his life with "self-inflicted gun wounds."

So which side takes higher precedence? The players and fans who want to keep the game pure and physically exerting? Or the former players who accepted the risk and now have their lives on the line?

The first step in that decision begins with the penalty awaiting the New Orleans Saints. Whether it's a slap on the wrist or a message-sending fine, the following week will dictate where professional football is heading.

The Super Bowl Treatise

I read an article today from Time.com entitled "Five Ways To Seem Smart About Sunday's Game."

On a scale of 1-10, as far as morbid disdain goes, this article would be a "cry in your darkened room listening to 1940s jazz" to any sports fan.

If you feel the slightest need to read this article (I'm guessing in an attempt to impress SOMEONE), don't waste your time. Not only will you be regurgitating trivia that sounds like trivia, a real sports fan, and the person you're trying to impress, will only see this as cute at best (and NOT in a good way).

Let's hash these out:

1. AUDIBLE CALLS

Players use these after the play has been decided on, but not yet run. The quarterback can make adjustments to the play if he notices some things that could be issues (coverage they weren't expecting, a possible blitz attack, etc.)

HOWEVER, while this is something that's important to acknowledge when you're learning the technical levels of the game, telling someone this at a Bowl Party will only elicit one reaction: "Yeah...so?"

2. THE DOUBLE TIGHT END PACKAGE

Stop giggling, it's a real thing. A tight end is basically a large receiver, capable of providing the quarterback with an extra blocker or being a hard-to-take-down receiver. A team that runs two of them is basically offering themselves extra protection and making for a more physical game.

HOWEVER, while being able to point out a tight end or two by name will show that you at least know a single player that's not a quarterback, quoting the stats offered will make you seem like a stalker.

3. KICKERS ARE NO JOKE

If you've seen a game, heard of a game, seen footage, or have common sense, someone who can pick you up some last second, long range points is indeed a huge deal. I couldn't start to count how many games in one season are won by a kicker's field goal or by a punter's good kick.

HOWEVER, if you start describing a kicker's workout regimen, no one is impressed. Honestly, as a fan, I would start to wonder by now if you were just picking up useless info online and trying to distract me from the game. Which is just poor manners.

4. VICTOR CRUZ: RECEIVER EXTRAORDINAIRE

Victor Cruz of the New York Giants is fast, young and is known for some clutch plays throughout the last two seasons for the Giants. He's definitely going to have a few shots to make headlines Sunday, especially if the Patriots defenders give him any chance at all.

HOWEVER, if you follow time.com and "Ask- ALOUD- if the Patriots will double-team Cruz on third down," I would answer like any fan trying to enjoy themselves: "...We don't know, (insert name here) there's still players like Hakeem Nicks and Mario Manningham who are just as good. Are you going to watch this game or keeping asking questions you read online. And stop eating all of the dip"

5. WILFORK THE BEAST

Any defense fan will tell you that a strong defensive line will make a defense's day and ruin a quarterback. That said, Vince Wilfork has led the Patriot's defensive line on a rampage this year, making QB protection a must for all opponents.

HOWEVER, if you see Wilfork leading a five man rush against the Giants, pointing it out will be the tipping point. Not only will your friends be tired of your incessant nagging and desperate plea for praise, they'll send you on a dip run and escape to a sports bar while you're gone.

So, instead of degrading yourself by annoying your friends until the special day is all but ruined, follow Daniel's Easy Steps To A Successful Sunday Without Being A Bother:

1. If you don't know it, don't show it. If you aren't a huge fan, but want in on the fun, cheer when your team moves forward, swear when they don't. Steer clear of anything technical and join the crowd.

2. If you need to be the center of attention (via Time.com or other tools of annoyance), don't show up. If you don't know the game, don't like the game, and labor over talking points to fit in, you need to find something better to do with your time. No one wants to hear you spout facts as they're watching a game they love.

3. When all else fails, capitalism reigns! Super Bowl commercials are made for you. Got nothing to offer game-wise but don't want to be "that person?" Sit back and bear the game, and when the stupid commercials air, the floor is yours.

Good luck, Inscapednauts. Remember: it's an American tradition to get caught up in the festivities, but it's also a tradition to honor the sanctity of the game.

Super Bowl for dummies, Part 1: Cheaters never prosper

It's that time of year, Inscapednauts!

SUPER BOWL season!

Time for guys everywhere to suddenly pick up the sport; time for people to gorge on salsa; time for (my favorite) ditzy girls everywhere to suddenly have a favorite team that turns out to usually be a popular and successful one! (I'd pay top dollar to see a hot girl rooting for some of the Cleveland Browns by name.)

I just heard half the audience fall asleep. Amazing.

Stick with me, because I'm going to give you a breakdown of why this Super Bowl is a big deal. Careful! School's in session.

So our teams this Sunday are the New York Giants (the Blue Ones) and the New England Patriots (the Silver Ones).

Ask any girl 12-30 who is more excited to see "The Vow" than watch a regular season game, and they'll regurgitate what they've heard: "Patriots are gonna win! WHOOO!"

But if you're an entertainment fan, you already know better. Because you've seen similar plots in movies.

Let's cast the Giants as the Rocky character. Balboa, not the flying squirrel. They're the wild card, the little guys. They never get the respect they deserve, but they hit hard and fight.

That would make the Patriots the Mark Zuckerburgs. They are smart and talented, but they also have a shady past. 4 years ago they had an undefeated season but were found to be videotaping other teams' practices. This year they hired the Broncos former head coach just before they played the Broncos. The Patriots were also defeated four years ago in the Super Bowl by the Giants as well.

To review: the Giants are scrappy, perpetual underdogs; the Patriots are overprivledged, perpetual cheaters.

So, if/when you catch the game this weekend, you can have a nice analogy to sum up why you want to see the Giants win.

If you happen to want to see the Patriots win, you came to the wrong place.

I still love John Krasinski even though he's a Red Sox fan

When I saw this video, I fell off the couch laughing.

You see I'm a hardcore, serious Yankees fan, so this was too funny.