The Official 2017 NFL Season Thread
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http://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/21737823/verizon-nfl-agree-new-5-year-deal-worth-nearly-25-billionSources: NFL-Verizon deal worth nearly $2.5B
One of the NFL's biggest sponsors is coming back.
Verizon will pay approximately $2.5 billion in a five-year deal with the NFL, sources told ESPN. That would be roughly twice the annual price of Verizon's previous deal with the league.
The new deal for the largest U.S. wireless carrier looks very different from its last deal. That's because Verizon has gone from being solely a mobile carrier to also being a video content company after its purchases of AOL in 2015 and Yahoo! in 2017 for $4.4 billion each.
The deal allows Verizon to stream live in-market NFL games on any one of its websites, with Yahoo! being the predominant home.
Unlike the last deal, which allowed Verizon to have the exclusive streaming rights for in-market live games only on mobile phones, the live in-market games will be available on the Verizon platforms on phones of all carriers starting this postseason. In 2018, it will include all tablets.
To monetize the deal, Verizon will have ad inventory within the games that it streams on mobile, which includes in-market games on Thursday, Sunday afternoon, Sunday night and Monday night. DirecTV has rights for all out-of-market games on Sunday.
"Media is one of the major pillars for us now," said Brian Angiolet, the company's global chief media and content officer. "And sports is going to be the most important part of that content."
For the NFL, the deal gives the league greater distribution as people shift their viewing habits, said Hans Schroeder, chief operating officer of NFL media and business.
"This model allows our product to be much more broadly available and give greater access to our fans," Schroeder said. "People are still going to gravitate towards watching games on the best screen possible, which is television, but for people who are on-the-go and younger fans, this deal makes sense."
While NFL ratings on television have declined for a second straight season, Angiolet said he had no concern doing this media deal because mobile is experiencing an uptick.
"The NFL generates the greatest audience in mobile in our experience," Angiolet said. "Not only has year-over-year mobile viewership been growing, but NFL mobile consumption has been growing, too."
Angiolet also said he wasn't concerned about the negative attention turned at the league, including the protests around the national anthem.
"We've been a partner of the league since 2010, and this is a five-year deal," Angiolet said. "The climate might shift temporarily, but in the long haul, the NFL is a great partner and we had no concern renewing our deal."
In addition to live streaming, Verizon will have broader highlight rights and plans to experiment with augmented reality and virtual reality. It also hopes to use the NFL deal to produce original content across Verizon's network of sites organized under a new content company called Oath.
Other rights holders, including ESPN, will continue to have their broadcasts available to stream on computer through a login with the fan's cable carrier. -
http://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/21733841/dallas-cowboys-owner-jerry-jones-put-forth-resolution-table-roger-goodell-contract-talks-6-months-per-memoJones made late effort to derail Goodell deal
Roger Goodell signed an extension last week that could be worth up to $200 million, but Dallas Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones put forth a resolution to table the contract talks for six months prior to the agreement, according to a confidential memo obtained by ESPN.
Although there is nothing that can undo Goodell's contract, the resolution will allow Jones to raise his concerns about the commissioner's authority pertaining to league discipline and other issues at the NFL's Special League Meeting on Wednesday in Irving, Texas.
Asked if that was the expectation, an NFL spokesperson said, "There is time on the agenda for all the owners to hear from the compensation committee." Jones is not a member of the league's compensation committee.
The Cowboys did not respond to a request for comment.
Goodell was asked Monday morning if he has spoken with Jones and if they are "okay." Goodell's response, via CNBC: "Yes. Oh sure."
Jones' proposal, on page 10 of the 32-page agenda for this week's league meeting, was submitted on Dec. 1, titled Proposed Resolution 2017 G-7, by the Dallas Cowboys. In it, Jones argued for a six-month "moratorium on any and all actions taken pursuant" to Goodell's new contract, "specifically, that the Commissioner's extension is not finalized during such moratorium."
Jones asked for a vote on the resolution to be taken under secret ballot, which is normally reserved for only the most critical league matters. Pro Football Talk reported in November that Jones planned to introduce a secret-ballot measure.
Jones spent the past few weeks trying to build support to delay or derail Goodell's contract. But in the end, one of the most powerful men in American sports was able to amass only a group of approximately five owners to be on his side.
"The owners who supported [Jones] are not exactly influencers and arm-twisters," one owner said. "They're just happy that Jerry wanted to talk to them."
Owners last Wednesday overwhelmingly supported Goodell's extension, a heavily incentive-based deal worth approximately $40 million annually and running through 2023. Sources say that Arthur Blank, the owner of the Atlanta Falcons and chairman of the compensation committee, which was authorized in May to extend Goodell's contract, had told owners in private conversations in the lead-up to the deal that Jones had assured him that if he didn't have the votes, he would back down. Many owners believe that pledge was not made in good faith and see his failure to withdraw his resolution for Wednesday as proof.
Jones "went back on his word," an owner said.
Jones has been a vocal advocate of delaying Goodell's extension, complaining about the high price tag of the deal and his view that there has been a lack of transparency by Blank in negotiating it. This season, Jones has been angry over Goodell's handling of the player protests during the national anthem and the domestic violence case of Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott. Outside the Lines reported last month that on Aug. 9, when Goodell told Jones that Elliott would be suspended for violating the player conduct policy, Jones replied by saying, "I'm going to come at you with everything I have." Elliott is currently serving a six-game suspension.
In early November, Jones hired famed attorney David Boies as a threat to sue the league if the compensation committee approved Goodell's extension, an extension that all owners, including Jones, authorized in May. No suit was ever brought. However, Jones successfully delayed Goodell's extension; many owners expected that it would be approved months ago.
But now it is done, easing the tension that was expected at this week's meeting in Irving. Many ownership and league sources say they now suspect that Jones and other owners will push for significant staffing changes among the league's executive vice presidents and for changes to how Goodell handles player disciplinary matters.
But with the contract done, the only question, as an owner told ESPN, is when Jones speaks during the one-per-club meeting on Wednesday, "Will he be entertaining, or will he fall flat?" -
http://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/21735590/ben-roethlisberger-pittsburgh-steelers-becomes-first-qb-post-three-500-yard-gamesBig Ben first QB to post three 500-yard games
Ben Roethlisberger became the first quarterback in NFL history to record three games with at least 500 yards passing when he led the Pittsburgh Steelers to a come-from-behind victory over the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday night.
Roethlisberger, who had been one of only two quarterbacks -- along with New Orleans' Drew Brees -- with two 500-yard games, finished with 506 yards and two touchdowns in the 39-38 victory.
"Hall of Famer, it's as simple as that, and we are lucky he is on our team," Steelers center Maurkice Pouncey said.
Roethlisberger previously hit the 500-yard mark with 522 yards and six touchdowns in a 51-24 victory over Indianapolis in 2014 and 503 yards and three TDs in a 37-36 win over Green Bay in 2004.
Roethlisberger's career-high 44 completions (on 66 attempts) Sunday were the most in a game since New England Patriots quarterback Drew Bledsoe had 45 (on 70 attempts) in a 1994 win over the Minnesota Vikings.
In leading Pittsburgh to Chris Boswell's game-winning field goal with 42 seconds left, Roethlisberger recorded his 39th game-winning drive in the fourth quarter or overtime, the most in the NFL since he began his career in 2004.
"He's a winner. He's going to find a way to win games," Steelers running back Le'Veon Bell said. "We were down 11 ... he put us in a position to win games. That's what you want in your quarterback. That's why I'm glad I play with him."
Roethlisberger recorded 228 yards in the fourth quarter alone, the second most of his career in the fourth quarter. Of those yards, 136 went to receiver Antonio Brown, who recorded his fourth straight 100-yard game.
When asked by a reporter about continuing to throw to Brown against Ravens cornerback Brandon Carr, who is having a "pretty good year," Roethlisberger responded that he and Brown "[have] had a pretty good year, too."
"Our chemistry together is something pretty special," Roethlisberger said.
Roethlisberger also praised a bevy of supporting playmakers, including tight ends Jesse James (10 catches, 97 yards) and Vance McDonald (four catches, 52 yards) and slot receiver Eli Rogers (three catches, 33 yards).
Roethlisberger said his stats are secondary to finding a way to win.
"Whatever it takes to win a football game -- whether it's by 30 or 3," he said.
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Seems like Eli Apple been benched the last few weeks for being a ? ass ? who can't take criticism...Apple n Flowers, what a pair of 1st rd. Picks...thanks Jerry
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Yooo. I'm mad late on this Tom Savage Harlem shake video...he returned after That? Somebody getting fined
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Night night Iggles
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Wow! that ? up. Just like the Raiders last year.
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Wow! that ? up. Just like the Raiders last year.
Don't worry bout it bruh, he'll be aight -
Eagles season over
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stringer bell wrote: »
Must go get that w next week against the saints, guy !
If y'all gotta go get kaep just so that ? ! -
NFC playoffs gon be official this year
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WELP
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I hope Wentz has learned his lesson. Stop all that tough guy running!!! He is to important to the eagles, to be doin that ? ? . Slide every single time....live to play another down.
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btw w this wentz injury now. the NFC is wide tf open. imo any team that gets in, can make it to the SB! cant wait.
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Lmao a rare peagle has appeared
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btw w this wentz injury now. the NFC is wide tf open. imo any team that gets in, can make it to the SB! cant wait.
It was open BEFORE that. ? still acting like Philly was a lock to win the NFC. ? lost to Seattle w Wentz and were down to the Rams before he went down. -
I remember last year a bunch of us on here were saying how Wentz puts himself in harm's way too much. ? looked like RG3 and a young Cam out there. Them defensive players see you celebrating them 1st downs after u scramble ain't as happy as your teammates brah, they don't like seeing themselves on the tape during film sessions
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NFC is always open.
Even that year the Panthers ran through the league 15-1 going into the postseason a bunch of people had the Packers making a run or Seattle. Many people had that Seattle/ Carolina divisional round as a pick em game.
AFC the conference where you know it’s either gonna be Pats, whatever team Peyton was on, Steelers. And the Ravens would be in the mix once in a while. -
Talk That ? Double B..Talk That ?
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And All ya'll in here celebrating injuries that's Wack Cac ? ..If u ever suited up in any sport u know better than that...Weirdos
