"I don't know if I've ever been more embarrassed,'' said Mike Shanahan.

As a Broncos fan, it's going to be a long, long 2 weeks. What a time for a bye.

On other news, say what you will about King; he is a tremendous optimist, and it's amazing what kind of accessibility people give him as a result. Flawed analysis or not, I do appreciate his good-naturedness about it all.

Green's block may have been legal, but it was still bullshit. Those blind-side cut blocks are a great way to end somebody's career, Johnson was completely justified in his reaction, extreme as it was.

I love the contrast between King's commentary about the Colts ("And it's just another example of the Peter King Running Back Theory ... namely, running back is the easiest position to fill on a football team.") and the Chargers four paragraphs later ("The bidding opens for free-agent-to-be Michael Turner at, what ... $7 million a year?")

So if RB is the easiest position to fill on a football team, why would anybody pay Michael Turner $7 million per year?

I suspect King is a wee bit too glib with his Running Back Theory. It's either that, or the GMs of the NFL are a bunch of knuckleheads.

I remember when the Pats had this attitude towards RBs. They underpaid Curtis Martin and let him walk rather than match what the Jets were offering him. Pats fans were reassured it would be easy to find another Curtis Martin.

It was six years until Corey Dillon showed up.

I agree w/Jason. Had Johnsons' foot been on the ground (planted), instead of mid-stride, his knee would have been shredded.

I'd be a little upset, too.

Please, Jason, explain exactly how someone is justified in taunting someone who's concussed, under any circumstances. I just don't get it. (anything involving Eric Lindros doesn't count)

And how exactly does "directly in front of" count as "blindside"? I've watched the video repeatedly (linked on my name) and don't see it. Johnson was looking in a direction other than the one in which he was running. And the block was still perfectly legal (unless executed by Matt Hasselbeck on the guy with the ball).

"Blanda's career touchdown-to-interception ratio was minus-41. Favre is now plus-146."

That should be differential, not ratio.

re 3: 6 years and 2 superbowl titles.

also, a mediocrity like Antowain Smith had 1157 yards in 2001, in 2003 no one topped 700 yards rushing. (1200 combined between the top two rushers, Smith and Faulk).

Two plays:

Anthony Smith tries to sack Hasselbeck, but falls and rolls into Hasselbeck's legs. Hasselbeck gets up and tells Smith that he almost ended his season.

Result - 15 yard penalty against Smith.

Trent Green dives into Johnson's legs, intentionally putting his helmet on Johnson's knee. Johnson gets up to tell Green that he almost ended his season.

Result - 15 yard penalty against Johnson.

Those may be the rules, but I completely understand any frustration by defensive lineman and how little importance the league places on their health.

And I enjoy the two-year old Super Bowl snark too. That same call was made against Jeff Hartings two months before the Super Bowl. Nobody is still complaining about that. And the Steelers had some big plays negated by ticky-tack holding calls, but I won't be complaining about it for two years, because the Steelers didn't let that stop them.

"Leon Washington is 78 percent of Devin Hester. "

WTF????

So it's exactly 78%, not 77 or 79, right Pete? What sort of random absurdity is this and why does it pass for actual analysis?

Billsfan, directly infront of doesnt count as blind side....
but Green wasn't directly infront of him. He was to the side, and dove at his knees.

#5

I don't think Johnson was thinking he was taunting a concussed player. I think he was yelling at a player that he thought was trying to injure him. Do people think Johnson knew Green was unconscious? He was reacting to a play.

Brings up a good question:

Why can a QB dive at a DE's legs, when a DE can't dive at a QB's legs?

"I could watch the Frank Caliendo stuff about a hundred more times. He's funnier today than Belushi was 30 years ago."

Just reread that and let it marinade for awhile.

PK, please stop stop stop with this interconference nonsense. Why the f does it matter that Dallas plays once every eight years in Buffalo? And really, annual games against the other conference would build up enmity? what? Like Lovie Smith and Tony Dungy would really care about an interconference loss, other than as a loss itself?

dude. shut up. Leave the stupid scheduling stuff to, um, all the other sports.

Also, the Lions aren't frauds. You were stupid enough to think they were good. Ha ha on you.

Don't feel sorry for A-Rod. In a few months, he'll get out of New York and into a city that actually appreciates his talent. (He's still welcome to play SS in Detroit. Guillen can move to first.)

The NHL started last week - PK should start blathering about that soon ...

"and whether there was something in the tapes that was a tangible benefit to a team winning any of three Super Bowls by three points apiece. I still think we're owed an explanation that's never been offered."

I believe Goodell's statement was "there was no competitive advantage gained." I think that pretty much describes whether there was tangible advantage. Give up the sanctimonious whining.

No 5. - First off, in Johnson's defense, I don't believe Johnson knew Green was KO'ed when he taunted him.

Second, even if he did, I think Nos 4, 7 and 11 have already answered that question as well as I could.

To answer your second question, Green wasn't in front of Johnson - from the replays I have seen, Green came out of Johnson's blindside and never saw him.

13. Re: Arod

Seriously. Derek Jeter is so clutch right now with his .083 BA and .100 OBP.

Baseball fans are retarded.

Wow, FO is dirty. I mean, they plagarized the Peter King Running Back Theory and all...

10:
Generally, when someone is on the ground and not moving, you tend to think something's wrong with them. I give him credit for not going Albert Haynesworth on Green, which it looked like he was about to do. Regardless, he continued his tirade in post-game, when the extent injury was known. Classy with a capital "K".

11:
Because good QB play contributes significantly more to the quality/marketability of NFL games than good NT play does.

That, and 350 lbs vs. skinny-legged knee tends to do more damage than 180 lbs vs. tree trunk.

Did Cameron tell Green that he wished he could quit him after he told him he loved him?

Ok, Trent Green, there is a reason why you are not paid to block people. This reminds me of when Chad Pennington was apparently throwing a block on a reverse, in a preseason game, and why we all thought it was crazy.

I don't think Green was trying to hurt Johnson, but still, it was a stupid idea to try to block a lineman when you're a QB coming off a major injury.

Why can a QB dive at a DE’s legs, when a DE can’t dive at a QB’s legs?

I think the rule is that a DE can't dive at a QB's legs when the QB is in the pocket, because the QB is likely to be setting his feet at some point to throw, which makes hits to the knee much more dangerous. When the QB is scrambling, a DE can dive at his legs to make a tackle, and they shouldn't be penalized for it.

11:

It's not QB vs D-Lineman. Its defender against passer. Green wasn't a passer in that situation.

That said, I agree with Johnson. First of all, it was Green's own damn fault he was lying on the field. Second, he was attempting what very easily could have been a career-ending hit. It's not cool, and the consequences of it (Green's concussion) are irrelevant to the nature of the original hit.

#11: My understanding is that it's situational more than positional. When a QB is standing in the pocket, he's a stationary target and he's expected to be looking downfield, not at the rush. Hitting a guy in the knees when his feet are on the ground and he's not looking gives a high potential for serious injury.

Meanwhile, D-linemen are usually looking at the guys who are hitting them, and they are constantly in motion. A cut block can still hurt them, but it's not nearly as likely.

Dammit. Slow typing.

I'm going to echo Aaron and ask what in blue hell Green thought he was doing trying to block Johnson at all. It was a broken play, stemming from a botched hand-off. Ginn was going down in the backfield regardless. At most, Green's block had the potential to save five yards (taunting penalty notwithstanding). Five yards is not worth risking a QB injury for. And why Ginn didn't just run out of bounds on the offensive left instead of turning round and running backwards across the field I have no idea.

King is right that the Chargers will make it to the postseason.

While they've certainly had their issues, I think we can say at this point that they're probably better than the Broncos; they won the head-to-head matchup 41-3.

The Chiefs suck, and that's pretty much all there is to it.

Someone has to take the AFC West. So it's a question of who you have more faith in: the 2-3 Chargers or the 2-2 Raiders. Although there are some notable FO posters who would disagree, I'm going to say that San Diego takes the division with a 9-7 or 10-6 record.

Oh, and let me assure Peter King that Texans fans certainly see the Cowboys as a serious rivalry. Even beating them in preseason is cause for mass jubilation.

Johnson may have only been reacting to the play. Let's be generous and give him that one. But what the heck was up with the press conference after the game? He should have known Green had a concussion by then. And then they brought him back a second time and he STILL didn't get it. Guy's either a total a-hole or dumb as a post.

Anybody remember Jay Fielder trying to block Ray Lewis in 2000? It was awesome.

RickD,

Maybe I'm giving King too much credit, but maybe he realizes what FO has been saying about RB's--adequate running backs are easy to find, especially if you have all the other pieces. Elite running backs are not. Now you can debate whether or not Turner is an elite RB, but I think it's difficult to argue with the idea that (1) I could probably run for 100 yards playing for the Colts right now (although I'd get Manning killed when my 150 lb frame tried to block a blitzing LB), and (2) having a back like Ronnie Brown or LdT or Corey Dillon in his prime makes even a bad team less bad, and a good offense almost unstoppable (e.g. 2004 Patriots with Dillon).

Imagine a driver who swerves into your lane on the highway to avoid a piece of debris that's fallen from the truck in front of him. He doesn't see you, swerves into you, and you both run off the road.

You're fine but livid, and get out of your car to yell at the guy. You see him slumped in the seat, but having seen your life flash before your eyes, the adrenaline is pumping and you keep yelling at the guy.

An ambulance comes and carries the guy away. A couple of hours later the cops tell you he is alive but has a concussion. If someone aska you about the guy's driving, what are going to say?

"I'm just glad he's OK", or "He's a &*^&*^ for endangering me?"

Because good QB play contributes significantly more to the quality/marketability of NFL games than good NT play does.

I might disagree with that statement, but then, I think I tend to be in the minority because I'm a fan of defense. I find a game with a 10-7 final score, full of sacks and excellent defense and field position battles and crucial special teams plays just as entertaining, if not more so, than a 55-45 score fest with no defense in sight.

Addendum to 30:

And imagine that the traffic laws say that the other driver is so much more important than you that if you were to accidentally swerve into his lane, you would be penalized.

Maybe qbs are more important than linemen (or, situationally speaking, passers are more important than others). That wouldn't make me feel any better if I was a lineman.

30: Sadly, I'm afraid more people would go with your second response than you'd care to think.
As to the Johnson/Green matter - yes, it was a borderline dirty hit, especially from Johnson's perspective. And I really don't believe he knew Green was concussed on the field when he drew the taunting penalty. After the game, he took it too far. Overall, a much bigger deal is being made of this that needs to be. It sucks for Trent Green that his career is now most likely over, and it sucks even more that it happened on such an unnecessary play.

I understand why Johnson was mad, and don't fault him for yelling at Green, even though he was concussed. Outcome doesn't affect intent.

PK in a nutshell:
Everyone else in America during all those Frank TV ads: Ugh, TBS, enough already.
Peter King: Ha ha, how funny!

Also, the text message exchange with Trent Green, presented in internet ebonics, was hilarious. LOL 2 U PK

31:
I'm not entirely sure I agree with me either, but the QB is probably the most visible, marketable position in football. WRs are also visible and marketable, and look at all the rules designed to protect both them and their stats, as well.
And you see way more dirty plays from linemen than QBs. QB's give you the glamor and finesse, linemen give you the dirty work that needs to be done, making them more likely to cross the line from the acceptable, sanitized violence that's marketable to actual, uncalled-for violence that makes the league look bad. You don't see Vince Wilfork cuddling goats in GQ; you see him taking cheap shots at J.P. Losman and "not hearing the whistle" on false-start calls. You don't see Albert Haynesworth on the cover of Madden, you see him stomping heads.

I think Johnson's post-game actions were perhaps more justified than those he displayed right after the hit. When somebody does something stupid and malicious, and then injures himself in the process, I think it perfectly justified to not play into the false sentimentality over a white quarterback who as it turns out was not seriously injured, and call out that stupidity, especially when that stupidity could have ended your career.

This is certainly a more extreme analogy, but if a person gets lung cancer because they were a lifelong chain smoker, I would not think it out of line to acknowledge the personal culpability of that person in their plight, even while feeling sympathy for the personal grief they and their family might suffer.

Peter King says this -
2. Indianapolis (5-0). Who is Kenton Keith, you ask? He's the latest puzzle piece the Colts used to stay unbeaten. Subbing for Joseph Addai (shoulder), he rushed 28 times for 121 yards and two TDs, the second-best rushing performance of the day. And it's just another example of the Peter King Running Back Theory ... namely, running back is the easiest position to fill on a football team.

Then this -
6. San Diego (2-3). The bidding opens for free-agent-to-be Michael Turner at, what ... $7 million a year?

37

I don't see any incongruence in those two. Saying running backs are fungible doesn't keep others from disagreeing.

How is Turner as a blocker?

billsfan,

Your point about QB's being the face of the game, and getting more love than DL's is good. Speaking of ways you see Wilfork:

You don’t see Vince Wilfork cuddling goats in GQ; you see him taking cheap shots at J.P. Losman and “not hearing the whistle� on false-start calls.

And sometimes you see him fall down, and, while lying prone and motionless, Chad Pennington trips over him after the whistle and somehow manages to injure his knee. Yet somehow, the refs still manage to call roughing the passer... :-)

I see a sentiment summed up in the post of #24... 5 yards is not worth an injury to your quarterback.

Then why are people so head over heels for mobile quarterbacks? Mike Convict was averaging 7 yards per rush but risking serious injury every time he took off running. THAT is the reason why the college option never became big in the pros... that and the fact that some of the DE's in the league could run 4.5 40s.

40.

To quote Bill Belichick on the option:

"Cover the option,then kill the QB"

Does anyone know if Wilfork won his appeal on that fine?

Billsfan
By that deduction (#5), Sapp didn't blind-side Clifton a couple years back--because he was in front of him?

As a Broncos fan, it’s going to be a long, long 2 weeks. What a time for a bye.

If Travis Johnson had gotten his knee blown out, no one would be holding a candlelight vigil for him. If Green hits him above the waist, there's nothing wrong with the hit and Green probably gets a week's worth of highlights. BTW, are people arguing Johnson should've diagnosed the Green's condition 3 seconds after it occurred? Of course, that's why his name is Dr. Travis Johnson.

I'm surprised the coach made him apologize for his post-game comments.

I wish trent green had died, scumbag play.

PK: "As I've stated before, my feeling is that the NFL needs to have each team play a rivalry game once a year so that some real enmity could be built up in Jets-Giants, Cowboys-Texans, Eagles-Steelers, Niners-Raiders, Ravens-Redskins, Bucs-Dolphins, Bears-Colts and others."

Um, sorry, as an Eagles fan I reserve my special well of hatred for the Cowboys. If any is left over, it goes to the Giants. Don't care bout the Steelers, except in the win/loss columm.

Re: 45 "If Green hits him above the waist, there’s nothing wrong with the hit and Green probably gets a week’s worth of highlights."

I'm skepical on this point. If Green attempts to engage Johnson without leaving his feet, I think Johnson brushes him off like an insect. And if Green does leave his feet, his chances of being above Johnson's knees are pretty small.

That said, it was a foolish move on Green's part.

Where are you at, Kim? As a Steelers fan, I never cared much about the Eagles. Until I moved to State College for a few years. The Steelers-Eagles rivalry is intense there.

But that is not a reason to change the schedule. We've got enough rivals in the AFC North. And they are usually as easy as wins as more games against the Eagles would be.

I think it perfectly justified to not play into the false sentimentality over a white quarterback who as it turns out was not seriously injured

Not seriously injured????

"Moss has been killing people and we didn't want him to kill us, so we died at the hands of somebody else.'' -- Cleveland coach Romeo Crennel

5. Randy Moss, WR, New England. First game of marginal impact this year came Sunday.

According to Crennel, Moss had a major impact on that game.

The biggest story in New York on the first or second Sunday of October will always be baseball; the New York Post and Daily News screamed about the Yankees-Indians series Sunday, with the football game a tiny ribbon headline on the back page of both.

The sports media, especially in New York, have been very slow to realize that football is king and baseball is an afterthought. Media coverage does not necessarily reflect fan interest. Another great example: Boxing continues to receive a grossly disproportionate amount of mainstream sports media coverage relative to MMA, although the disparity has lessened in recent months.

I think anyone who ever chuckles about the importance of turnovers needs to watch a tape of the second half of the Sunday night game

Who are these people laughing that turnovers don’t matter? I don’t think I’ve ever heard someone casually dismiss turnovers as not a big deal in general.

I could watch the Frank Caliendo stuff about a hundred more times. He's funnier today than Belushi was 30 years ago.

What a strange comparison. Caliendo and Belushi do completely different types of comedy. I would never think to compare them. Is King saying that Belushi 30 years ago was the funniest person he’s ever seen, until he saw Caliendo, that is? (In which case, wow). Or is King saying that Caliendo is an even funnier short fat guy than the only other short fat funny guy he can think of?

On the Frank TV thing, when reading MMQB I was giving King credit for sarcasm.....Could he have been serious??

RE #49.

Originally from South Jersey, where all media is from Philadelphia. Pittsburgh may as well be a foreign country. For point of reference, North Jersey is dominated by New York media, and Central Jersey gets barraged by both media markets.

I have not seen a mention anywhere on the Internet about Trent Green's helmet. Even after his past concussion problems, he was wearing one of the old helmets, not the new Revolution, which is specifically designed for better protection against side impacts like the one Green sustained. Of course there is no way to tell if that helmet would have stopped the concussion, but it amazes me that Green continued to wear the old helmet after his concussion history. It also amazes me that the NFL does not make the new-style helmets mandatory, with the public backlash against head/spine injuries growing.

I would like to quote from the blog kissing suzy kolber on this one.

"Johnson's only crime was being excited that Green's pisspoor blocking skill didn't end his career."

PK:
"I think what makes me not want to forget the Patriots' Spygate story are conversations like the one I had with a club official the other day, a man I respect a lot. 'From what I hear, it's best for everyone in the league if this story just goes away,' he said."

Can someone tell me if this is a Pats official or an official from another (a-h-e-m) team? And can someone tell me if there is any good reason this comment should be unattributed? And could someone tell me if what the official is suggesting here is that the league is just happy to get on with games and put the scandal behind, or is the official fessing up to PK (exclusively) that the NFL is deep-sixing the scandal?

So many questions as PK continues trying to live out his Woodward-Bernstein fantasy. So many more answers if he'd really just do some work rather than dropping innuendo every damn week. This is getting creepy.

what is Peter King's email?

I need to write him and tell him to stop writing his opinions on baseball.

Jeter is the greatest player of his generation....Arod should almost be pitied (in spite of an OPS 400 pts higher than Jeter in this series)...and Manny Ramirez "needs to go" in spite of hitting the snot out of the ball against some of the league's best pitchers in pressure situations.

What a tool.

I'm not sure how the two RB comments of King's are being considered as contradictory (or hypocritical)... he's simply using one example to "support" his theory (and the example does fit his theory, even if it doesn't PROVE his theory), and simultaneously pointing out that Michael Turner is going to make a LOT in free agency this year... just because teams pay a premium for RBs doesn't necessarily mean that they SHOULD, nor does King's pointing both things out mean that he thinks teams SHOULD pay more for Turner... of course, King's incredible capacity for vaguery is at the heart of this rather meaningless debate...

But all that aside, if you're the Green Bay Packers... how much is too much for Turner in the off-season?

Re #57
At the risk of talking about a sport I don't watch, I think PK's comment about pitying A-Rod might be a step in the right direction-a recognition that, just maybe, this guy's been a pretty good player who doesn't deserve credit for single-handedly ruining his team's performance.

I totally agree with the people defending Johnson. I see nothing wrong with his actions on the field or the press conference. If Green and attempted that block a split second later while Johnson's foot was planted, Green'd have a concussion and Johnson may have had his career ended.

If Johnson had a press conference with the exact same sentiment and anger, but this time he was talking while leaning on a pair of crutches, would anyone be questioning his character, regardless of Green's condition?

Anyone how intentionally dives at another player's knees deserves whatever karmic retribution they have coming to them.

A DL whining about getting "blindsided" by a QB might be the dumbest thing I've heard this week.

The sports media, especially in New York, have been very slow to realize that football is king and baseball is an afterthought. Media coverage does not necessarily reflect fan interest.

Not true, at least in this case. New York, unlike most places in the U.S., remains a baseball-first city, with the Yankees (and the Mets) dominating the daily conversation most of the year.

The funny thing is if Green does block Johnson and Ginn busts a big play and everyone gets up healthy it's on all the highlights all week and no one says how stupid an idea it was. How do I know this, because every anouncer and writer goes bat crazy with praise whenever a QB throws a block.

re: 58
You're being extremely generous to King.

re: 38
My point is that I think King's theory is bogus. I cited the example of Curtis Martin, and King's comments about Michael Turner imply that, deep down, he really does recognize talent at the RB position is important.

What is true is that often a team with a good blocking OL can make any RB look half-decent. And right now the Colts have the best run-blocking line in the NFL, if this site's stats are to be believed.

One corrollary to King's theory that is valuable, though, is that it's not all that important for rebuilding teams to grab RBs early in the draft. So if, say, Mario Williams becomes a perennial all-pro defensive tackle, he'll be more valuable for the Texans than Reggie Bush or Vince Young would ever be.

re: 13
A good example of King being a typical innumerate. Each NFL team has only 16 games per year. If they play 6 games in the division, which I think is a minimum if divisions are going to be meaningful, that only leaves 10 games to be split among the rest of the league. I find the NFL's solution to be elegant, since it guarantees each in-conference opponent will be played at least once every three years, and each other-conference will be placed at least once every four years.

Let's say we wanted to decrease the gap between interconference games. You would have to play at least 6 games against the other conference per year, which would leave only 4 for the rest of the same conference. You could make it work, but it would be ugly and lack symmetry. Symmetry here, BTW, is not just something for math geeks to be pleased about, but it makes a larger sense.

So the Cowboys only go to Buffalo once every eight years? Nobody cares! It's much important for fans that the Cowboys have six games per year against the Giants, Redskins, and Eagles, and that they have enough games against other NFC powers to keep those rivalries going.

How do I know this? Because every anouncer and writer goes bat crazy with praise whenever a QB throws a block.

Bingo! We've got bingo!

A QB throws a sealing block on nearly every end around and reverse play. Rarely are they injured, and every time they are actually effective they end up on the highlights.

I like that Johnson was essentially calling Trent Green a coward. I would have to say that there are fewer activities in sport that take more balls than being a 220-pound QB who stands in the pocket, with the possibility of a 300+ pound defensive end blindsiding you without seeing him coming.

Atb first I was too digusted to post after reading the comments here, but now I'm just going to say this: if you change the QBs name from "Trent Green" to "Tom Brady" then not only would NOBODY be calling him stupid, but Johnson would be Public Enemy #1. But because Green plays for the 0-5 Dolphins instead of the 5-0 Patriots, he's an idiot.

The REAL idiot was Ted Ginn, who created a situation where Green felt he had to block by dropping the ball then pulling a Jim Marshall and running backwards. And Cam Cameron is also to blame for calling such a stupid play to begin with.

I also just want to thank the Bills fan who's apparently going to be the one other person on this thread to call the situation what it really is, and to say that I never thought I'd see the day when a Bills fan defended a Fins player.

Then again, I should never have expected people to react otherwise, seeing as I live in a society potrays unrepentant assholes as heroes and victims. Carry on with your Green bashing.

41- Rich Conley coming through in the clutch. I find the whole scrambler quarterback with average passing skills just not worth it while the rest of the world talks about the "duel threat" and "wasting a spy on the player" blah blah blah.

#51: "The sports media, especially in New York, have been very slow to realize that football is king and baseball is an afterthought. Media coverage does not necessarily reflect fan interest. Another great example: Boxing continues to receive a grossly disproportionate amount of mainstream sports media coverage relative to MMA, although the disparity has lessened in recent months."

The ultimate example of this is that NASCAR still gets less mainstream media coverage than the PGA (or, in some places, even the NHL), although this is not as true now as it was a few years ago, especially prior to the NHL's labor stoppage.

As far as the Green/Johnson situation, I think it was a stupid and dangerous play by Green, and I can understand Johnson's frustration. I don't blame him at all for expressing his anger. Having said that, the "F--- Trent Green" rhetoric was probably a little over-the-top.

Finally, PK should just shut up about all things not directly related to the NFL. While his analysis of the game is certainly somewhat flawed, it's generally no worse than most sportswriters, and a lot better than some. On the other hand, his comments on pretty much everything else lack the type of sophisticated insight and subtle reasoning that it takes to rise to a level worthy of being called "drivel".

36:

What does Green's being "white" have to do with it? Are you really Al Sharpton or something? If you think brain injuries aren't serious, then there mustn't be much going on in yours.

39:

Fair enough. Same goes for the QB-helmet-slap play (Hasselbeck again?)

45:

I've played enough sports that I immediately know when something's "not right" with someone on the field/ice. Maybe I'm just smarter than Johnson.

60:

Anyone how intentionally dives at another player’s knees deserves whatever karmic retribution they have coming to them.

In unrelated news, Rodney Harrison was back in action this week.

67:

Thanks. There's plenty of idiocy to go around on that play. Ginn for a typical rookie mistake; Green for putting his head at risk; Johnson for not knowing when to shut up.

Re: 70

Are there numbers to back this up?

It's more of a perception - calls to local sportstalk radio (WFAN) is heavily baseball-related (and its ratings dwarf ESPN Radio, which mostly discusses national football issues); conversations with friends/co-workers/random strangers more often go towards Yankees/Mets than Giants/Jets (and not just in October); I see many more people in Yankee/Met merchandise; and so on. Trying to find numbers ...

For instance, do the Mets and Yankees get better local TV ratings than the Jets and Giants?

It's hard to compare, because the Yankees/Mets are on 6-7 times a week, while the Giants/Jets are on once. I can't find detailed stats, but Yankee games on a basic cable network got an average 4.69 rating, and ranked as the highest rated TV program in New York about 80% of the time June 1 to September 30. The Mets' ratings are lower, about a 3.0 or so. I believe the Mets' crucial end-of-season game against the Marlins beat the Jets-Ravens game in the ratings when they aired head-to-head two weeks ago, but I can't find the data yet.

Do local stores sell more Mets and Yankees merchandise than Jets and Giants merchandise?

No question. You can find a Yankee hat in almost any store.

Also, which sport is more popular when you take the local teams out of the equation?

For a generic game, football will always beat baseball in ratings and interest.

If anyone knows of a good (and free) database for TV ratings, I'd appreciate a link.

Re: 73

A couple of comments:

1. As I said earlier, I'm not sure if ratings are the best way to judge the NFL vs. baseball, because of the daily nature of baseball games. (For the same reason, I hate when people refer to NASCAR, which has at most two televised events per week, as the second-most watched sport in America.)

2. New York doesn't care about college football at all. There's no local team, despite Rutgers' recent efforts, and national games do terribly in the local ratings, worse than half of the national level.

NY doesn't care about football, b/c they dont have any football teams,(check New Jersey)and 2 bad baseball teams.

On Trent Green:

Legal hit, absolutely. And I have no real problem with cut blocks, either. I DO have a problem with different rules of D linemen and quarterbacks, though. I really think the "protect the quarterback" rfrain should be something Offensive linemen sing before the game.

Not the officials.

re: Trent Green
a few posters have mentioned Green blindsiding or going for the knees, and accusing Green of a cheap shot. Looked to me more like he was jut trying to get in the way--and keep from getting killed himself. Do we really expect good (or any) blocking technique from a QB?

77:
Totally agree with your take. Plus, it was a legal play. I'm not sure how anybody comes to the conclusion it was a total cheap shot when the rules allow it.

77 and 78, cowards take those shots.

"The sports media, especially in New York, have been very slow to realize that football is king and baseball is an afterthought."

Or maybe football isn't king in New York? (as well as in other cities) Or does the popularity of a sport the same in every region in the country?

I live in New York. Baseball is king here. I wouldn't classify football as an "afterthought", but there is no doubt baseball is the bigger sport in NY. To me at least.

re: Football vs Baseball in NY

The comparison is very difficult. TV ratings are nearly impossible to compare; for one thing the Mets and Yankees play 162 times a year vs 16 football games a year, and the football games are always in a good time for TV. (you never see a football game at 1 in the afternoon on a Sunday).

The merchandise; I'm not sure, as was pointed out you can buy Yankee stuff anywhere and the Mets really aren't too far behind. If you take the local teams out of the equation, I would think football would become more popular than baseball, mainly because of gambling and fantasy football, but I don't really see that as germane to the issue of whether or not football is king in NY and baseball is an afterthought. Neither sport is an afterthought, but when it comes to the Mets and the Yankees vs the Giants and the Jets I don't think there is any question that the Mets and the Yankees are bigger in NY. And don't forget, the Giants haven't been awesome but they have made the playoffs 2 years in a row, and 3 years out of 5. The Mets have made the playoffs once since 2001.

I'm not sure if this means anything (it probably doesn't), but the Mets and Yankees combined to draw 8 million people to baseball games this year. I don't care what you say, there is no way you can call baseball an afterthought in NY.

Finally, I don't think football is the second sport in NY either. The Knicks have been horrible for the last 5 or 6 years, but basketball is still a big sport here and if the Knicks ever get good again I think basketball will overtake football in NY as well. The Knicks were huge in the mid 90s.

Like I said, this is just for NY.

79:

What shots? As I said in my post, I didn't see anything deliberate--other than trying to duck! Are you (and others) saying Green launched himself at Johnson? I only saw Green move in one direction--toward the ground. Did the people who accuse Green of playing dirty see something the rest of us did not? Stupid, maybe, but malicious? I am actually curious if people are basing their opinion on what they saw, or based on some technique that they assume a QB may have learned.

79:
He's a stinking QB, for crying out loud. He probably hadn't had to throw a block in years. And he was outweighed by 100 pounds. You're surprised he'd go low, facing a mountain? If you're losing sleep at night over it, call the NFL office and ask them to change the rules.

Peter King loves texting? I hate it. Nothing like spending 25 minutes typing out a conversation that would've taken 12 seconds by phone. I know I must be the last non-Amish person who doesn't text - I've seen people text back and forth while sitting next to each other - but I just don't see the point.

That anecdote about Ray Lewis recognizing a screen before the play is pretty sweet. And it makes you wonder what the 49ers did to tip it off like that. I applaud when defenders recognize a screen while it develops - but just by looking at the formation? That must be some major film study from Lewis, and some kind of huge mistake by the Niners. Some kind of tendency, or someone on the line tipping the play. It'd be interesting to know what exactly he saw.

King informs us that the Lions are frauds - doesn't that mean someone must've believed in them at some point?

Who, exactly, chuckles regarding the importance of turnovers? Does anyone over the age of 3 who's ever seen football not know that turnovers are somewhat less than ideal? Isn't that like starting an article about fitness with "For anyone who chuckles about the importance of exercise..."?

I love how insects only bother the Yankees. I mean, it's not like the Indians had to play in that swarm - what an unfair advantage Cleveland got!

I don't understand his complaint about the Cubs. Wasn't 70 wins enough to win the NL Central this year?

I like the NFL's schedule rotation just fine. Why fix what ain't broke? And doesn't the complaint - that the Giants and Jets don't play each other enough - run against his other observation that New Yorkers didn't give a crap? Why break a perfectly good schedule rotation so we can see a game more often that there's not really a demand for?