NFL OffSeason News...

[RVR II]

Since the 2007 season has been over, and we still have a bit to go before the 2008 season begins, there's still news happening around the NFL...

For example.. My home real team, the Buffalo Bills are gonna be playing Half of their 'home' games of 2008 in.. Toronto, Canada

http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/8088508/Bills-to-be-paid-$78-million-to-play-in-Toronto

BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) - The Buffalo Bills will receive $78 million - more than double their calculated 2006 operating income - to play eight games in Toronto over the next five years.

The payment to the Bills was disclosed for the first time in Rogers Communications' 2008 first-quarter report released Tuesday. The Toronto-based company is part of a consortium that negotiated a deal with the Bills to have them play five regular-season and three preseason games, starting this year, at the downtown Rogers Centre.
In becoming the NFL's first team to play annual games outside the United States, the Bills are scheduled to host Pittsburgh in a preseason match at Toronto on Aug. 14, followed by a regular-season game against Miami on Dec. 7.

Rogers spokeswoman Jan Innes would not comment beyond the one-paragraph statement included in the company report, except to say the $78 million figure was in Canadian currency. The Canadian dollar hovered around par to its U.S. counterpart during the first quarter this year.

Innes declined to say whether any portion of the payment has been made to the Bills.

Bills spokesman Scott Berchtold also declined comment, citing a policy that the team does not discuss financial details of its business relationships.

The deal, announced in February, was reached with a group headed by Rogers CEO and founder Ted Rogers, and Larry Tanenbaum, chairman of Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment, which owns the Toronto Maple Leafs and Toronto Raptors. Rogers also owns the Blue Jays as well as the Rogers Centre.

As part of the agreement, the Toronto group is effectively leasing the home games from the Bills. Buffalo will provide the team, the NFL provides an opponent, while the Toronto organizers will be responsible for selling tickets, concessions and promoting the event.

The Toronto group is using the eight-game series to show the city can support its own NFL franchise. The Bills sought the agreement to generate additional revenues by expanding their market to Canada's largest city and financial capital, a 90-minute drive from Buffalo.

The $78 million payment eclipses what Forbes calculated the Bills made in 2006, in the magazine's annual financial breakdown of NFL franchises. Forbes calculated the Bills had an operating income of $31.2 million after bringing in $176 million in revenues that year.

Broken down, the Bills will make nearly $9.75 million per game in Toronto, something they'd be unable to make at Orchard Park, where the small-market team has perennially had the lowest ticket prices in the NFL. The Bills' average ticket price for this season is about $51 at Ralph Wilson Stadium, which has a 72,000 seating capacity.

Ticket prices for the games in Toronto have not yet been released, but are expected to average more than $100 at a facility with a 54,000 seating capacity for football.

Demand is already high after more than 100,000 single-ticket reservations were made for the eight-game series through a Web site established by the Toronto group. Tickets will be distributed via a lottery starting next month.

[ShadowDog]

Whoa, there's no sports forum here, is there?  Man, we really are a bunch of nerds aren't we?!?

I'm a rabid Colts fan so I haven't been having a good week. 

[RVR II]

Well, we do kinda.. But the 2007 NFL season is basiclly over, so that thread has been silent now.

I like Peyton & his commercials

[Bob]

Maybe the Rough Riders will play a couple games in Buffalo to even it out!

[ShadowDog]

LMFAO!  Yeah, I'd be pissed right and proper if I were a Bills fan.

[RVR II]

Might as well resurrect this thread as things have been happening in the 2010 off season..

So Julius Peppers left the Carolina Panthers for the Chicago Bears on a 6 year deal worth $91.5 million

BUT..

Peppers' deal not all that guaranteed?

A report on profootballtalk.com says Julius Peppers can be cut by the Bears after one year for performance reasons, and that the money in the second and third years of the deal is only guaranteed against injury.

An excerpt:

Specifically, Peppers' 2011 base salary of $900,000 is guaranteed for injury at the time it's signed; on February 10, 2011, it becomes guaranteed for skill.  Also, a $10.5 million roster bonus due in 2011 is guaranteed for injury at signing.  On February 10, 2011, it becomes guaranteed for skill.

An $8.9 million base salary in 2012 is guaranteed for injury at signing and then for skill as of February 10, 2012.

Finally, $1.8 million of Peppers' 2013 base salary is guaranteed for injury only.

So, basically, if the Bears decide before February 10, 2011 that Peppers isn't what they thought he'd be, they can treat it as a one-year, $20 million deal, and walk away.

[RVR II]

Report: Delhomme to visit Browns

    Former Panthers QB Jake Delhomme might not have to wait long for work, as he's visiting the Browns Thursday, according to the Cleveland Plain Dealer.

    Cleveland recently traded for Seattle's Seneca Wallace (who has ties to new Browns boss Mike Holmgren), but there isn't much else on the roster.

    Brady Quinn's there for the moment, but there's rampant speculation he's available in trade. The Browns also just cut Derek Anderson, and both he and Quinn are possible targets here.

    Expect Denver to enter the fray for Delhomme at some point as well. The longtime Panthers QB and Broncos offensive coordinator Mike McCoy are close friends, and many thought part of Delhomme's meltdown could be traced to the absence of McCoy.

[RVR II]

Panthers former QB Delhomme signs with Browns


CHARLOTTE -- Strange as it may seem and sound, even though 10 days have passed since the Carolina Panthers broke ties with him, Jake Delhomme is now a member of the Cleveland Browns.

Delhomme, the Panthers' starting quarterback from 2003 through the 11th game of last season, signed a two-year contract with the Browns Saturday.

Team president Mike Holmgren has told the Cleveland Plain Dealer that Delhomme will have a chance to compete for the starting job.

Details of Delhomme's contract were not known.

Delhomme and the Browns are scheduled to play the Panthers in Cleveland next season. The date and time of the game are set to be announced with the rest of the league schedule next month.

Delhomme had been scheduled to visit the New Orleans Saints, but never made the trip to his original NFL team. The Saints offered only a chance to be the backup to Drew Brees, the Super Bowl MVP.

In Cleveland, Delhomme is expected to compete with Seneca Wallace, whom the Browns acquired recently in a trade with the Seattle Seahawks, Holmgren's former team.

Brady Quinn, a 2007 first-round pick, is also still on Cleveland's roster, but Delhomme's arrival may hasten his departure. There have been reports that the Browns were trying to trade Quinn, who has made it clear he's open to being dealt if that's what it takes to put him in position to vie for a starting job.

Cleveland also is expected to strongly consider picking a quarterback in next month's NFL draft.

Delhomme, 35, led the Panthers to the only Super Bowl appearance in Super Bowl history – something the Browns never have accomplished – and to two other playoff berths.

[Bob]

SEVEN million dollars a year?!    Are the Browns nuts.

[D.B. Barnes]

SEVEN million dollars a year?!    Are the Browns nuts.

My feeling is the Browns are more interested in attempting to use rusty bailing wire aka Jake Delhomemadeappleturnover in an attempt to tie together a team that might actually win a few games and keep the franchise's head above water as opposed to a total total tear down. If economic times were better, it might be different story but they have to be desperate to get some asses in the seats. And once fans saw how mediocre Quinn was, that ship sailed and left a wake of embarrassing losses. From the few national games I saw last year, it would seem more people attend cat shows than Browns games. I haven't seen that many empty seats since Amy Grant opened for Cannibal Corpse.

[RVR II]

SEVEN million dollars a year?!    Are the Browns nuts.

Mike Holmgren must be Mad.. Or there's a method to his Madness..

[D.B. Barnes]

Tomlinson signs with Jets

Not too shabby a replacement for Thomas Jones. Shonn Greene is definitely the guy but I can see Tomlinson doing very well behind that stellar o-line.

[RVR II]

Tomlinson signs with Jets

Not too shabby a replacement for Thomas Jones. Shonn Greene is definitely the guy but I can see Tomlinson doing very well behind that stellar o-line.

Yeah but LT is getting up there in age so this could go either way

[D.B. Barnes]

Tomlinson signs with Jets

Not too shabby a replacement for Thomas Jones. Shonn Greene is definitely the guy but I can see Tomlinson doing very well behind that stellar o-line.

Yeah but LT is getting up there in age so this could go either way

That's what I'm alluding to. He's not going to be expected to be the feature back and carry the ball a certain amount of times. He can just spell Greene and stay fresh.

[RVR II]

A report suggests that Mike Holmgren might be preparing the Browns for coach John Fox in 2011.

I'll be watching this..