Gruden says Raiders are attracting interest from NFL veterans
Gruden tampering? He says he’s talking with NFL players who want to become Raiders
After the Oakland Raiders sank to 1-7 for the season, their coach, Jon Gruden, insisted there’s no shortage of NFL players who would be happy to join his team. “I see players after every game we play that want to be Raiders. That’s been the case my whole life. The brand of the Raiders is an exciting one, and I think a lot of players do want to play for us in the future. I’m not going to speculate any further than that.” He may have speculated far enough to run afoul of NFL anti-tampering rules. If a player tells a coach for another team that he wants to play for him, the coach is required to inform the player’s current team. Peter King, iconic football reporter for NBCS, said: “What are we doing here? We’re engaging in conversations with the opposition? It sounds like Earl Thomas in Dallas, times 16. I don’t know if this is a good look for the league . . . or the Raiders. What happens if some coach in the off-season hears one of his guys communicated with Gruden, and then Gruden signs him as a free agent? I think I would be asking my legal counsel, ‘Do we have grounds for tampering here?’”
Dear Coach: As shown by Thomas playing for Seattle and openly pleading with Dallas to “come after me,” the NFL has become more tolerant of teams surreptitiously pursuing players who are contracted to other teams. But your transparency is unprecedented.
Bills fan arrested for throwing sex toy onto the field during Patriots game
A Florida man was arrested for throwing a sex toy onto New Era Field during the third quarter of the Buffalo Bills’ Monday night game against New England. Michael Abdallah, 34, of Oveido, was charged with disorderly conduct after the Erie County sheriff’s office consulted eyewitnesses and viewed surveillance video. The suspicious rubber object, picked up by an official in the end zone, had Tom Brady’s name on it. Abdallah appeared in court and pleaded not guilty. Sports Illustrated reported that the alleged sex toy was one of three found on the field during the nationally televised game. It’s become something of a tradition of the “Bills Mafia” to throw such objects whenever Tom Brady and the Patriots are in Buffalo. The Bills in 2016 banned two fans for life for engaging in that practice.
Gregg Williams claims he was offered four head-coaching jobs without having an interview
Gregg Williams, the new interim head coach of the Cleveland Browns, claims he’s had numerous head-coaching offers since he held that position for the Buffalo Bills from 2001 to 2003. “Since I left Buffalo I’ve had 11 letters sent in to interview for head coaching jobs. In four of them I didn’t even have to show up. It was just sign the contract and come.” BS Alert! His assessment of his coaching reputation is overblown. After losing 33-18 Sunday to Pittsburgh, Browns defensive end Myles Garrett criticized the game plan of Williams, who remains defensive coordinator even as he succeeds Hue Jackson as HC. Garrett, who’s in his second year in the NFL, said of the Williams game plan: “We took the wrong approach this time. I think we should have stayed with what we did the first time, just go with base calls and punch them in the mouth.” Instead Williams switched to a switching defense. “They were able to adjust,” Garrett said.
Dear Coach: It’s hard to believe any NFL team would hire you – or anyone – to be head coach without having an interview. Not that we should question the integrity of the creator of Bountygate.
Patricia reprimands reporter for unprofessional appearance
Detroit Lions coach Matt Patricia paused before answering a question from a reporter during a press conference this week. First, the protégé of Bill Belichick scolded the questioner for slouching in his seat. Speaking from the podium, Patricia stared at someone (as yet unidentified) sitting in the front row and said: “Do me a favor. Sit up; have a little respect for the process. Ask me a question professionally, and I’ll answer it for you.”
Dear Coach: Pot calls kettle black. As rumpled as you are, cap backward, pen on your ear, looking like a northern redneck if there is such a thing, you’re complaining of unprofessional appearance? Could this issue have been handled privately?
#Lions HC Matt Patricia was not happy with a reporter who was slouching in his seat while asking a question. pic.twitter.com/UlJY0DvS3N
— NFL Update (@MySportsUpdate) October 31, 2018
World Series TV ratings fall 23% from last year
Major League Baseball and Fox expected the World Series to be a television ratings bonanza because it matched two of the most popular franchises, the Boston Red Sox and Los Angeles Dodgers. But this year’s Series saw a drop in viewership of 23%, according to Variety magazine. In 2017, the Dodgers’ Series against the Houston Astros drew an average viewership of 18.7 million. This year the average plummeted to 14.3 million.
Dear MLB: People stopped watching because the games were far too long, bloated by commercials and umpires who wouldn’t push the pace.
Backup QB Lauletta arrested for disturbance at Giants facility
Kyle Lauletta, who is Eli Manning’s backup as New York Giants QB, was arrested on several charges that resulted from a conflict with a policeman as the player was driving into the team’s facility Tuesday morning. According to a police report, Lauletta made an illegal turn and nearly struck the officer. He then refused to produce his driver’s license. Giants coach Pat Shurmur compounded the offense by lying to reporters. He said all the Giants’ players practiced that morning. He did not acknowledge the arrest until it was reported in a New Jersey newspaper. Lauletta was selected on the fourth round of this year’s NFL Draft. Shurmur said the player’s misbehavior “will not be taken lightly; there will be consequences.”
Ty Montgomery traded from Pack after fumble and death threats
Ty Montgomery received death threats after infuriating fans of the Green Bay Packers with a fumble on a kickoff return he was not supposed to attempt. It may be fortunate for him that the Packers traded him to the Baltimore Ravens for a 7th-round draft pick as Tuesday’s NFL trade deadline approached. Montgomery was with the Pack for 3 1/2 seasons without establishing himself in any role. Hands not good enough to be a wide receiver, body not strong enough to be a running back. But the last straw was his costly failure as a kick returner. Late in a game with the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday, Montgomery was instructed by his coaches to “take a knee” in the end zone. Instead, he returned from two yards into the end zone, and then he fumbled it to the Rams. Packers coach Mike McCarthy said Montgomery “made a mistake,” that he should have downed the ball to preserve time, with the 2-minute warning approaching. Montgomery admitted he violated instructions, but he said he decided to return because he wasn’t sure the ball was going to cross the goal line. At any rate, he’s bitter about fans overreacting. “People are sending messages to my wife. People are making comments on posts about my son. I’m thoroughly pissed off about the state of humanity right now.”
Between the Lines: Some Packers players reportedly said Montgomery defied coaches because he was unhappy about his playing time being reduced. Montgomery admitted he was frustrated but said that did not affect his decision to run out of the end zone.
