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It's experimental so hold tight as we figure out the best uses of twitter for Bolt fans.

Posted by Joel Price at 12:37 PM | Link to this Post | Comments (0)

2007 NFL FREE AGENCY QUESTIONS & ANSWERS

Q – When can players start being signed in the 2007 free agency signing period?

A – Beginning at 12:01 AM ET on Friday, March 2.

Q -- What are the categories of free agency?

A -- Players are either "restricted" or "unrestricted" free agents. Within the categories are also "transition" and "franchise" players.

Q -- What is the time period for free agency signings this year?

A -- For restricted free agents, from March 2 to April 20; for unrestricted free agents, from March 2 to July 22 (or the first scheduled day of the first NFL training camp, whichever is later); and for franchise players, from March 2 through the 10th week of the season (November 13).

Q -- What is the difference between a restricted free agent and an unrestricted free agent?

A -- Players become restricted free agents when they complete three accrued seasons and their contract expires. Unrestricted free agents have completed four or more accrued seasons with an expired contract.

Q -- What constitutes an "accrued season?"

A -- Six or more regular-season games on a club's active/inactive, reserved-injured or "physically unable to perform" lists.

Q -- Other than accrued seasons, what determines a restricted free agent?

A -- He has received a "qualifying" offer (a salary level predetermined by the Collective Bargaining Agreement between the league and its players) from his old club. He can negotiate with any club through April 20. If the restricted free agent accepts an offer sheet from a new club, his old club can match the offer and retain him because it has the "right of first refusal." If the old club does not match the offer, it can possibly receive draft-choice compensation depending on the amount of its qualifying offer. If an offer sheet is not executed, the player’s rights revert to his old club after April 20.

Q -- What determines an unrestricted free agent?

A – A player with four or more accrued seasons whose contract has expired. He is free to sign with any club, with no compensation owed to his old club, through July 22 (or the first scheduled day of the first NFL training camp, whichever is later). On July 23, his rights revert to his old club if it made a "tender" offer (110 percent of last year's salary) to him by June 1. His old club then has until the Tuesday after the 10th week of the season (November 13) to sign him. If he does not sign by November 13, he must sit out the season. If no tender is offered by June 1, the player can be signed by any club at any time throughout the season.

Q -- What determines a transition player?

A -- A club can designate one transition player (or one franchise player) in any given year. No transition players were named this year. The player’s club must offer a minimum of the average of the top 10 salaries of last season at the player's position or 120 percent of the player's previous year's salary, whichever is greater. A transition player designation gives the club a first-refusal right to match within seven days an offer sheet given to the player by another club after his contract expires. If the club matches, it retains the player. If it does not match, it receives no compensation.

Q -- What determines a franchise player?

A -- A club can designate one franchise player (or one transition player) in any given year. The salary level offer by a player's club determines what type of franchise player he is. An "exclusive" franchise player -- not free to sign with another club -- is offered a minimum of the average of the top five salaries at the player's position as of April 20, or 120 percent of the player's previous year's salary, or the average of the top five salaries at his position as of the end of last season -- whichever of the three is greater. If the player is offered a minimum of the average of the top five salaries of last season at his position, or 120 percent of the player’s previous year’s salary, he becomes a “non-exclusive” franchise player and can negotiate with other clubs. His old club can match a new club's offer, or receive two first-round draft choices if it decides not to match.

Q -- Can a club decide to withdraw its franchise or transition designations on a player? If so, can it then use them on other players?

A -- A club can withdraw its franchise or transition designations and the player then automatically becomes an unrestricted free agent either immediately or when his contract expires. The club cannot name a new franchise or transition player that year. It can name a new franchise or transition player the next year.

Q – What is the salary cap for 2007?

A – The salary cap is $109.0 million per club.

Posted by Joel Price at 11:56 AM | Link to this Post | Comments (0)

San Diego Chargers allocate five players to the NFL Europa League:

T.J. Cottrell, TE, Buffalo State, Frankfurt
Brett Elliott, QB, Linfield College, Rhein
Gabe Franklin, CB, Boise State, Cologne
Kurt Kahui, LB, San Diego State, Amsterdam
Tony Pape, T, Michigan, Amsterdam

Posted by Joel Price at 10:28 AM | Link to this Post | Comments (0)

In his first day on the job, Chargers Head Coach Norv Turner made a big splash Monday night by announcing that he’s hired former Chicago Bears defensive coordinator Ron Rivera to coach his linebackers. Rivera was in San Diego last Friday interviewing for the head coaching job with the Chargers. He landed a position with Bolts, Monday although it wasn’t the one that he originally sought out.

Posted by Joel Price at 07:34 PM | Link to this Post | Comments (0)

Chargers RB LaDainian Tomlinson -- “I am very excited to work with Norv. We have a great relationship. Norv is a perfect fit for our team. He will know exactly what to do with our team.”

Chargers DT Jamal Williams -- “It’s going to be exciting for all of us. He’s going to give a lot of energy to the players. I’m looking forward to having him back again in San Diego.”

Chargers QB Philip Rivers -- “I am excited about Coach Turner and what he will bring to our team. In a brief visit with him today, I left excited. I’m anxious to begin working with him to bring a championship to San Diego.”

Former Dallas QB Troy Aikman -- “I would say that everyone knows that we’re pretty close friends. I paid him the highest honor that I could last year when I asked him to present me in the Hall of Fame. He had a tremendous impact on my career. I think he’s an outstanding football coach. I think circumstances have kept him from having more success at some of the places he’s been. I anticipate that he’s going to be a great fit for the San Diego Chargers. I got to believe that Philip Rivers is awfully excited about the hiring and also LaDainian Tomlinson. I think that if you look at Norv over the years and what he’s been able to do for quarterbacks and what he’s meant to a number of quarterbacks, not just myself but Brad Johnson and Trent Green just to name a couple is a testament to his abilities. He’s also done a heck of a job with some running backs. He has had a number of guys who have had rushing titles…last year Frank Gore winning the NFC rushing title. I think it will be business as usual for the Chargers offense.”

Former Washington QB Brad Johnson -- On what Norv brings to the Chargers - “Norv is a very hands-on coach. He’s very approachable and communicates great with all the players and on an individual basis. He’ll have these guys ready on game day. He finds a way to make you better as a player. It’s an awesome opportunity for everyone in the organization.”

On what Norv will provide for Philip Rivers -- “The good thing for Philip is that he’s already used to the system in a sense with the terminology and the number digits. Philip is a smart guy so he will pick up on it quick. Norv will get you back quick on your drop. He’ll make you decisive and get the ball down the field. He has a great feel for the game. Some of these guys are copycat coaches. Norv has a great feel for it.”

49ers QB Trent Dilfer - “I think it was a great hire by the Chargers. He’s going to do a great job as the head football coach there. He’s got experience and has proven that he can do a good job. Now that he has inherited a good football team and a good front office, the sky is the limit.

“Norv is great to play for because he’s a very good teacher of football. He’s not arrogant in his approach to the game. He’s constantly evolving and learning, which you can’t say about a lot of coaches. On game day, he can flat out call plays. He knows what it takes to win. He knows what it takes to develop personnel and get the most out of people. All of those things together, he’s one of the finest football coaches I’ve ever been around.

“I would say that I learned more with Norv last year than in my previous 12 years in the league. The Chargers’ gain is the 49ers’ loss. San Diego is getting a great guy and a great coach.”

Posted by Joel Price at 04:14 PM | Link to this Post | Comments (0)

Chargers running back LaDainian Tomlinson named Sporting News Player of the Year.

"The number that best defines LaDainian Tomlinson’s season is 186. That’s the number of points he scored, breaking Paul Hornung’s 1960 record of 176. The Chargers running back was nearly a unanimous choice as Sporting News’ 2006 NFL Player of the Year as he received 18 of 20 votes cast by NFL pro personnel directors. This comes on the heels of Tomlinson being named Sporting News’ 2006 Sportsman of the Year for his accomplishments on and off the field"

The awards appear in the February 5 issue of Sporting News, on newsstands January 31.

Posted by Joel Price at 10:10 AM | Link to this Post | Comments (0)

The Miami Dolphins today announced that Chargers offensive coordinator Cam Cameron has signed a four-year contract to become the organization’s seventh head coach.

With the departure who will the Chargers obtain to replace Cameron? Should the Chargers look within or abroad? Certainly a question that will be debated in the next few days.

Posted by Joel Price at 02:20 PM | Link to this Post | Comments (1)

Record-setting LaDainian Tomlinson ran away with The Associated Press NFL Most Valuable Player award the way he eluded defenders in leading his team to the AFC's best record.

Press conference transcript

Posted by Joel Price at 04:51 PM | Link to this Post | Comments (3)

The opponents for all 2007 regular-season games have been determined and a complete list of each team’s home and away matchups was issued today by the NFL.

San Diego Chargers 2007 Opponents

Home: Denver Broncos, Kansas City Chiefs, Oakland Raiders, Houston Texans, Indianapolis Colts, Baltimore Ravens, Chicago Bears, Detroit Lions

Away: Denver Broncos, Kansas City Chiefs, Oakland Raiders, Jacksonville Jaguars, Tennessee Titans, New England Patriots, Green Bay Packers, Minnesota Vikings

Continue reading "2007 opponents determined" »

Posted by Joel Price at 03:56 PM | Link to this Post | Comments (0)

Here is the tentative order of the 2007 draft, subject to the results of the playoffs.

Priority of playoff clubs within a tied segment is based on their advancement in the playoffs, but they do not drop out of their tied segment unless they participate in the Super Bowl. The Super Bowl champion will select 32nd and the runner-up 31st.

Continue reading "Tentative 2007 Draft Order" »

Posted by Joel Price at 11:47 AM | Link to this Post | Comments (0)

The NFL needs your help in selecting the winning pitch for its "Pitch us your idea for the best NFL Super Bowl commercial ever. Seriously" contest. The winning pitch may be made into a Super Bowl commercial seen by millions during Super Bowl XLI. Vote now at www.nfl.com/superad

Posted by Joel Price at 03:10 PM | Link to this Post | Comments (1)

The NFL will announce the Wild Card weekend match-ups as soon as practical on Sunday, December 31, with the Divisional weekend schedule probably to follow a day or two thereafter. Here is the schedule of kickoffs for the postseason.

2007 NFL POSTSEASON (all times PT)

Saturday, January 6 (Wild Card)

1:30pm on NBC (AFC or NFC)
5:00pm on NBC (AFC or NFC)

Sunday, January 7 (Wild Card)

10:00 on CBS or FOX (AFC or NFC)
1:30 on CBS or FOX (AFC or NFC)

Saturday, January 13 (Divisional)

1:30 on CBS or FOX (AFC or NFC)
5:00 on FOX (NFC)

Sunday, January 14 (Divisional)

10:00 on CBS or FOX (AFC or NFC)
1:30 on CBS or FOX (AFC or NFC)

Sunday, January 21 (Championship Games)

12:00 on FOX (NFC)
3:30 on CBS (AFC)

Posted by Joel Price at 11:17 AM | Link to this Post | Comments (0)

Former Chargers great Junior Seau breaks arm and it bends in places it shouldn’t. It's the most painful thing to watch.

This is a little late but very disturbing video of former Chargers great Junior Seau. Not for the faint at heart, you’ve been warned. Pictures.

Posted by Joel Price at 11:44 PM | Link to this Post | Comments (1)

The LaDainian Tomlinson touchdown watch continues. With six games to play in the season, San Diego running back Tomlinson – now with 22 TDs -- needs seven scores to set the single-season record in the category. Seattle Seahawks running back Shaun Alexander established the NFL touchdown record last year with 28.

Last Sunday night in Denver, Tomlinson scored his 100th TD in his 89th career game, topping Pro Football Hall of Famer Jim Brown (93) and Emmitt Smith (93) for the fewest games played to reach 100. Tomlinson finished the night with 102 career touchdowns.

A look at the top five single-season touchdown totals:

Posted by Joel Price at 01:20 PM | Link to this Post | Comments (0)

Running back LaDainian Tomlinson 12th career FedEx Ground Player of the Week Award. No player in the history of the award has ever won either the FedEx Ground or Air Award more than seven times.

Posted by Joel Price at 10:54 AM | Link to this Post | Comments (1)

If your cable company is not carrying NFL Network, you still have a choice. You can switch to satellite or other providers to make sure you aren’t missing important NFL programming including 8 regular season primetime games starting this Thursday.

Check out... iwantnflnetwork.com

Posted by Joel Price at 09:24 PM | Link to this Post | Comments (0)

Chargers running back LaDainian Tomlinson made history Sunday night in Denver. Tomlinson became the fastest player in NFL history to reach the century mark. Tomlinson reached 100 in his 89th games, four games ahead of the record that's shared by Jim Brown and Emmitt Smith.

Posted by Joel Price at 07:29 PM | Link to this Post | Comments (1)

Running back LaDainian Tomlinson and quarterback Brett Favre earns FedEx Ground NFL Players of the Week Awards for games played on November 12-13, the NFL announced today.

Favre and Tomlinson were selected from among finalists in air and ground categories through a record 199,995 fan votes on NFL.com and via Sprint wireless service.

The other FedEx Express NFL Player of the Week finalists were quarterbacks Philip Rivers and Tony Romo of the Dallas Cowboys, while running backs Frank Gore of the San Francisco 49ers and Wille Parker of the Pittsburgh Steelers were the other finalists for the FedEx Ground NFL Player of the Week.

Posted by Joel Price at 04:12 PM | Link to this Post | Comments (0)

Running back LaDainian Tomlinson is the AFC Offensive Player of the Week for games played the ninth week of the 2006 season (November 5-6), the NFL announced today.

Continue reading "L.T. named AFC Offensive Player of the Week" »

Posted by Joel Price at 09:20 AM | Link to this Post | Comments (0)

With an AFC-best 828 rushing yards, running back LaDainian Tomlinson is projected to finish with 1,656 on the year. That would couple him with Hall of Famer Eric Dickerson as the only players in league history with at least 1,200 rushing yards in each of their first six seasons. Dickerson reached 1,200 yards in each of his first seven.

Posted by Joel Price at 06:19 PM | Link to this Post | Comments (0)

Chargers-Broncos to be NBC Sunday Night game, Colts-Cowboys game moves to 1:15 pm PT on CBS On November 19

The Week 11 San Diego Chargers-Denver Broncos game on Sunday, November 19 will be played at 5:15 PM PT on NBC and the Indianapolis Colts-Dallas Cowboys game that day will move to 1:15 PM PT on CBS, the NFL announced today.

Posted by Joel Price at 09:34 AM | Link to this Post | Comments (0)

Chargers LB Shawne Merriman in studio aired on NFL Total Access. Merriman’s not allowed to be at the Chargers training facility but allowed to visit the Total Access studios in LA. Watch it now!

Posted by Joel Price at 09:59 PM | Link to this Post | Comments (4)

Statements from NFL & Chargers regarding Shawne Merriman issued on Tuesday October 31, 2006.

STATEMENT BY AN NFL SPOKESPERSON:

Linebacker Shawne Merriman of the San Diego Chargers has been suspended for the team’s next four regular-season games for violating the NFL Policy on Anabolic Steroids and Related Substances.

Merriman is eligible to return to the Chargers’ active roster on Monday, November 27, following the team’s November 26 game against the Oakland Raiders.

###

STATEMENT BY THE SAN DIEGO CHARGERS

We’re proud of the stand-up way Shawne has taken responsibility for the mistake he made. We have faith in Shawne Merriman and we have faith in the players on this team. The Chargers have been resilient all season long, and we will continue to be resilient. It’s a tough lesson learned for Shawne about the world of supplements. The entire Chargers family will welcome Shawne back when he returns to the team on November 27.

###

Posted by Joel Price at 03:15 PM | Link to this Post | Comments (3)

Is this game worth watching again? I say, yup!

Thursday, Nov. 2 at 6 p.m. PT — Chargers beat Rams 38-24 LaDainian Tomlinson runs for a season-high 183 yards and scored three touchdowns in helping the Chargers to a 5-2 record.

Posted by Joel Price at 12:45 PM | Link to this Post | Comments (1)

They range from a piece of cloth to a can of tape. And they are worth a lot of money but have even more value as symbols of history.

Continue reading "Football's Hidden Treasures: Where are they? " »

Posted by Joel Price at 04:35 PM | Link to this Post | Comments (0)

After practice the team announced to the media that tackle Marcus McNeill will be named NFL Offensive Rookie of the Month. It’s expected that the league will make the announcement on Thursday.

McNeill was San Diego's second-round pick in the 2006 Draft. The Chargers used the 50th overall pick on McNeill, a 6-foot-7, 336-pounder considered one of the most dominant drive blockers in the college game.

Posted by Joel Price at 03:19 PM | Link to this Post | Comments (1)

DISH and NFL Network announced a multi-year extension to bring 168 games televised nationally including NFL Network's regular season primetime game package debuting this Thanksging; and full-time carriage of NFL Network's high-definition feed

Posted by Joel Price at 06:30 PM | Link to this Post | Comments (1)

June 15 - Deadline for old clubs to withdraw original qualifying offer to unsigned restricted free agents and still retain exclusive negotiating rights by substituting tender of 110 percent of previous year's salary.

June 25-28 - NFL Rookie Symposium, Carlsbad, California.

July 22 - Signing period ends at 4 p.m. EDT for unrestricted free agents who received June 1 tender.

Late July - Training camps open. Details on the Chargers camp at Chargers Park (San Diego, California) to TBA

Aug. 6 - Pro Football Hall of Fame Game, Canton, Ohio.

Aug. 10-14 - First preseason weekend.

Aug. 29 - Roster cutdown to maximum of 65 players.

Sept. 2 - Roster cutdown to maximum of 53 players.

Sept. 7-11 - Kickoff 2006 Weekend. Monday, Sept. 11, the Chargers travel to Oakland, California for a Monday Night game against the Raiders.

Posted by Joel Price at 09:16 AM | Link to this Post | Comments (2)

NFL Network has acquired the exclusive rights to televise the premier all-star game in college football, the Senior Bowl, plus its practices in a multiyear deal announced today.

Continue reading "NFL Network acquires rights to Senior Bowl game" »

Posted by Joel Price at 09:43 AM | Link to this Post | Comments (0)

For the first time, NFL game broadcasts from the previous weekend will be replayed on NFL Network just days after their live airing.

During the 2006 season, NFL Game Re-Airs will feature four of the top games from each weekend, rebroadcast exclusively on NFL Network the following Tuesday and Wednesday. Any game originally shot in high definition, will air on NFL Network in HD.

Continue reading "NFL games to be replayed on NFL Network" »

Posted by Joel Price at 10:27 AM | Link to this Post | Comments (1)

Looks like the Chargers are about in the middle of the pack. Someone at the league likes the Seattle Seahawks. You think?

Team W L Pct.
Cincinnati Bengals 139 117 .543
New York Giants 139 117 .543
New Orleans Saints 138 118 .539
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 138 118 .539
Pittsburgh Steelers 136 120 .531
Kansas City Chiefs 135 121 .527
Tennessee Titans 135 121 .527
Baltimore Ravens 134 122 .523
Houston Texans 134 122 .523
Philadelphia Eagles 133 123 .520
Oakland Raiders 132 124 .516
Washington Redskins 132 124 .516
Denver Broncos 132 124 .516
Cleveland Browns 131 125 .512
St. Louis Rams 130 126 .508
Atlanta Falcons 130 126 .508
Carolina Panthers 129 127 .504
Dallas Cowboys 129 127 .504
Arizona Cardinals 128 128 .500
San Diego Chargers 125 131 .488
Jacksonville Jaguars 125 131 .488
Indianapolis Colts 124 132 .484
San Francisco 49ers 122 134 .477
Buffalo Bills 122 134 .477
Detroit Lions 121 135 .473
New England Patriots 121 135 .473
Miami Dolphins 120 136 .469
New York Jets 119 137 .465
Minnesota Vikings 117 139 .457
Seattle Seahawks 117 139 .457
Green Bay Packers 115 141 .449
Chicago Bears 114 142 .445

* Source Elias Sports Bureau

Posted by Joel Price at 12:50 PM | Link to this Post | Comments (3)

2006 will go down in history as a year of firsts for NFL Network. First live regular season games, first Super Bowl pregame show and now, first live coverage of the NFL Draft.

NFL Network will cover Day 1 of the 71st NFL Draft on April 29 from beginning-to-end, featuring three live sets including one on the floor of the site of the event, Radio City Music Hall. Day 2 will receive three hours of live coverage and a one-hour wrap-up show.

The annual NFL Draft is held in New York over two days and features the 32 NFL teams selecting seven rounds of players. On Day 1, the first three rounds are conducted, followed by rounds 4-7 on Day 2.

Posted by Joel Price at 01:39 PM | Link to this Post | Comments (0)

To open the season, the San Diego Chargers will play the Raiders in Oakland on Monday, September 11, 2006 at 7:15 PT. The Bolts will be in the second of two Monday night games during Kickoff Weekend.

Posted by Joel Price at 04:26 PM | Link to this Post | Comments (0)

The latest ESPN Magazine has a column on the recent CBA deal and asks if there’s enough help in this deal to compete in the era of the $100 million salary cap. Bolt fans might find it interesting that the Chargers rank, according to Forbes, 30 out of 32 when it comes to team revenues.

Read the rest of the story here.

Posted by Joel Price at 10:29 AM | Link to this Post | Comments (0)

2006 free agency questions and answers:

Q – When can players start being signed in the 2006 free agency signing period?

A – Beginning tomorrow morning at 12:01 AM ET on Saturday, March 11.

Continue reading "2006 NFL Free Agency Q&A" »

Posted by Joel Price at 08:21 AM | Link to this Post | Comments (2)

The latest talks for a new CBA deal have once again broken down.

NFL Statement “Negotiations with the NFL Players Association on an extension of the Collective Bargaining Agreement broke off today with no further talks scheduled. Commissioner Tagliabue then notified clubs that a special league meeting will be held on Thursday (March 2) in New York to explain to the NFL clubs how the NFLPA is overreaching and why we have been unable to come to an agreement with the NFLPA on an extension. There will be no discussion at Thursday’s league meeting of internal revenue-sharing issues. The league year will begin as scheduled on Friday, March 3"

Posted by Joel Price at 02:54 PM | Link to this Post | Comments (0)

The NFL Network will carry Super Bowl XL commercials on four different media platforms following the game. Super Bowl ads will be anywhere you want them to be: on TV during the game, on the Web, on your iPod, even on your wireless phone.

Bowl marketers think small Monday, the NFL will announce that for the first time it will put the Super Bowl XL ads on its NFL Network, video-on-demand, NFL.com and NFL Mobile programs on Sprint. The ads will be available for a week after Sunday's game.

Posted by Joel Price at 09:39 AM | Link to this Post | Comments (0)

Local fans that are Time Warner cable subscriber, worried about missing their Chargers play, shouldn’t get overly stressed. However they could miss a few prim-time match ups next season.

Continue reading "NFL Network will carry eight prime-time games" »

Posted by Joel Price at 10:33 AM | Link to this Post | Comments (15)

Watching the wild-card games on ABC, I kept reminding myself that the Chargers beat both Washington Redskin and New England Patriots in the regular season.

Continue reading "Sour grapes" »

Posted by Joel Price at 10:10 PM | Link to this Post | Comments (21)

At home, the Chargers will play Denver (13-3), Kansas City (10-6), Oakland (4-12), Cleveland (6-10), Pittsburgh (11-5), Tennessee (4-12), Arizona (5-11) and St. Louis (6-10).

On the road, the Chargers will play Denver (13-3), Kansas City (10-6), Oakland (4-12), Baltimore (6-10), Cincinnati (11-5), Buffalo (5-11), San Francisco (4-12) and Seattle (13-3).

The dates and times for next season's games will not be released until the spring.

Posted by Joel Price at 03:37 PM | Link to this Post | Comments (120)

As a result of the strength of their 2005 opponents, the Chargers will pick 19th overall in the 2006 NFL Draft, but fourth among the four teams that all finished 9-7, Miami (.457), Minnesota (.484) and Dallas (.523) will all choose ahead of the Chargers.

Draft-order ties are resolved by the cumulative record of each team’s opponents. The team with the weaker opponents receives drafting priority.

Continue reading "Chargers hold 19th pick in '06 Draft" »

Posted by Joel Price at 03:15 PM | Link to this Post | Comments (78)

By one measure of excellence, the NFL may never have been better than in 2005.

Continue reading "Most 10-win teams ever?" »

Posted by Joel Price at 03:01 PM | Link to this Post | Comments (18)

Since the inception of instant replay in 1999, no team has initiated more challenges than the AFC West rival Denver Broncos. Denver has challenged 58 calls and also received more reversals (24) than any other team in the league. By comparison, the St. Louis Rams, a team known for its liberal use of instant replay, have initiated 53 challenges and been awarded 18 reversals. The Broncos lead the league this year, as well, with 13 challenges and eight reversed rulings. Marty Schottenheimer and the Chargers are 6-for-8 on challenges this year, the league’s best success percentage in 2005. He credits assistant coach John Pagano, who makes a recommendation to Schottenheimer from the coaches box after watching the television replays.

Posted by Joel Price at 10:37 AM | Link to this Post | Comments (1)

The biggest attendance weekend ever... the most-watched TV show of the week... one million Pro Bowl wireless votes. What a recent couple of weeks it has been for the NFL! No matter where you looked around the NFL recently, records were being set, milestones reached. Look at attendance: in Week 11, leading into the Thanksgiving week, an all-time NFL weekend attendance record was set. A total of 1,112,555 fans attended the 16 NFL games on Sunday and Monday, November 20-21. Locally, NFL games ranked No. 1 in 21 out of the 29 NFL markets. Looking ahead, balloting for the February 12 Pro Bowl in Hawaii is now in full swing -- and then some! So far, more than one million votes for the game have been cast via the Sprint wireless service, a 100-fold increase over the 10,000 such votes last year. And the playoffs are just around the corner! Lets hope the Bolts are part of it come January and February.

Posted by Joel Price at 03:19 PM | Link to this Post | Comments (0)