Other NFL News

[mtraininjax]

I think it was funny that Mayor Brown could not find his passport, and had to fly to Miami to get an emergency passport for the game in London. Nice.

[KenFSU]

I think it was funny that Mayor Brown could not find his passport, and had to fly to Miami to get an emergency passport for the game in London. Nice.

Ladies and gentlemen... .... .... ... ... ... ... ... Jacksonville, Florida!

[BridgeTroll]

http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nfl/packers/2013/10/24/packers-fan-nabs-seat-after-34-year-wait/3181649/

Patient Packers fan nabs season tickets after 34 years

Antoinette Konz, USA TODAY 10:17 a.m. EDT October 25, 2013

Todd Mommaerts' dad put him on the Packers' waiting list in 1979.

GREEN BAY — It may have taken 34 years, but Todd Mommaerts finally has his own seat to watch the Green Bay Packers play football at Lambeau Field.

A lifelong fan of the Packers, Mommaerts was 9 years old when his dad put his name on the season ticket waiting list in 1979.

"There were some years when I never thought the day would come," he said shortly before the Packers' 22-9 win over the Detroit Lions earlier this month. "Each year, they send you the postcard with your number on the list. You get excited but you keep looking at the big number. You keep thinking maybe this year, maybe next year ... and it finally happened."

It happened thanks to a 7,000-seat expansion at Lambeau, which allowed Mommaerts to join 3,800 others as new season ticket holders. More than 100,000 people remain on the waiting list.

Other National Football League teams maintain waiting lists, but none are quite like the Packers, said Brian McCarthy, a league spokesman.

"We don't keep track of the number of teams that have waiting lists, but the Packers have one of the most passionate fan bases in the world," McCarthy said. "Many people put their newborn on the waiting list, and it may not be until 35 years later that they get a ticket. It's pretty remarkable."

Officials said the reason why it's so hard to get a ticket for a game can depend on a team's popularity, but is also because of the NFL's short window of play, which includes only eight regular-season home games.

Patrick Smyth, executive director of media relations for the Denver Broncos, said his team has approximately 45,000 names on its season ticket waiting list — a list that began in the mid 1970s.

He estimates it takes between 10 to 15 years to get tickets to watch a game. In Green Bay, the wait is much longer.

"Our season ticket waiting list began in 1960 ... but basically remained in the several thousands number for most of those years," said Aaron Popkey, director of public affairs for the Green Bay Packers. "From the early 1990s until now, the list grew exponentially."

Popkey said on average, only about 100 new people get season tickets each year.

Twenty-five years ago, Luke Schaefer's grandfather put his name, along with the names of his brother and three cousins, on the Packers season ticket waiting list. Each year they waited, until this past summer when the envelope arrived in the mail telling them they finally had the chance to buy tickets.

"It was awesome -- it was one of the best days of my life," said Schaefer, 30, who lives in Green Bay and grew up less than a mile away from Lambeau Field. "Being able to have my own tickets means the world to me. I live and die for the Packers."

Jennifer Owen put her daughter's name on the list 10 years ago -- the day after she was born. Today, the energetic little girl who wears a Packers cheerleader outfit every Sunday during the season, still has 50,000 names ahead of her.

"I figured I would never see the tickets in my lifetime, so I put her name on the list," Owen said. "Maybe by the time she's 40, she'll get tickets and she'll be able to take her old mom to a game or two."

Popkey said he believes the reason why the list is so long is because the team is community-owned and that it is cherished by its fans.

Throughout the team's history, the Packers have had five shareholder offerings. The first three "literally saved the franchise from bankruptcy, the other two raised money for renovations at Lambeau which then put the team on better financial footing," he said.

"I think it's the nature of the team, being community owned, coming from the smallest market in the NFL and having a great history going back to 1919," Popkey said. "We often hear from fans -- if we aren't their favorite team, we are their second favorite team. Football fans in general just like the story that is the Packers."

Konz also reports for The (Louisville) Courier-Journal

[duvaldude08]

I think it was funny that Mayor Brown could not find his passport, and had to fly to Miami to get an emergency passport for the game in London. Nice.

Ladies and gentlemen... .... .... ... ... ... ... ... Jacksonville, Florida!

Mayor Brown is an idioit

[I-10east]

I don't understand why the Niners is building a stadium way down in Santa Clara, an urban sprawled suburb with no major highways. What a disaster! That would be like if the Jags played in St Augustine, but less accessible (no direct major hwy, and heavier traffic) I take it that around Candlestick Point is rough, but I would've considered in tearing down Candlestick, and rebuilding a stadium there in the core before basically moving the team to San Jose. 

It will be a HUGE success.  Candlestick is a supreme dump... and actually... the Santa Clara location is much more "urban" Than the 'stick.  The major highway that connects to BOTH the Stick and Santa Clara is Highway 101... this is the major north south artery connecting to southbay (San Jose) and San Francisco.  Highway 237 link 101 and 880(eastbay connector San Jose - Oakland).  The new stadium also has light rail access to the front gate... the light rail connects to BART.

Weather will be much more enjoyable also... When the fog rolls in off the bay... the stick can be very cold!

https://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&ll=37.402346,-121.960945&spn=0.159002,0.220757&t=h&z=12

Not to be that guy who brings up tiresome debating archives, but the guy who pretty much personifies the 49ers, Joe Montana do not like that move to Santa Clara.

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2013/10/26/joe-montana-criticizes-san-francisco-for-losing-the-49ers/#comment-2896394

[I-10east]

I think it was funny that Mayor Brown could not find his passport, and had to fly to Miami to get an emergency passport for the game in London. Nice.

Ladies and gentlemen... .... .... ... ... ... ... ... Jacksonville, Florida!

Mayor Brown is an idiot

The mayor of Boston is not exactly a genius himself LOL

www.youtube.com/watch?v=AOlpeKOGGR4

[Keith-N-Jax]

Lets see what happens when the Dolphins face the Patriots? Not sold on the Dolphins yet.

Hmm. A maximum security prison stands in the way of passes to Hernandez and Welker is a couple of thousand of miles away living it up with Peyton Manning. You need my prediction for what pretty boy Brady and the Patriots will experience against the fish.  Just ask Clubber....

Say again please

[thelakelander]

Lots of pain was delivered.........for the first half.

[tufsu1]

I see the Dolphins have returned to form

[thelakelander]

Nothing more than growing pains. Fixing up the OL in the off-season should do the job. On the bright side, at least the games are competitive.

[Keith-N-Jax]

That was a mild jab at the Jags right? (atleast the games are competitive) Lc, I never saw an Lc in the lost column. We lost be we were competitive, its still a lost non-the less. I get your point though.

[thelakelander]

I agree. However, I've never expected more or less than an 7-9, 8-8 or 9-7 season.  Most knew going into this season that the offensive line was suspect as best. At this point, they're on that pace. Nevertheless, every game is worth watching.  They're just as likely to beat the Indys and New Englands as they are to lose to the Buffalos and NYJets.

[BridgeTroll]

I don't understand why the Niners is building a stadium way down in Santa Clara, an urban sprawled suburb with no major highways. What a disaster! That would be like if the Jags played in St Augustine, but less accessible (no direct major hwy, and heavier traffic) I take it that around Candlestick Point is rough, but I would've considered in tearing down Candlestick, and rebuilding a stadium there in the core before basically moving the team to San Jose. 

It will be a HUGE success.  Candlestick is a supreme dump... and actually... the Santa Clara location is much more "urban" Than the 'stick.  The major highway that connects to BOTH the Stick and Santa Clara is Highway 101... this is the major north south artery connecting to southbay (San Jose) and San Francisco.  Highway 237 link 101 and 880(eastbay connector San Jose - Oakland).  The new stadium also has light rail access to the front gate... the light rail connects to BART.

Weather will be much more enjoyable also... When the fog rolls in off the bay... the stick can be very cold!

https://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&ll=37.402346,-121.960945&spn=0.159002,0.220757&t=h&z=12

Not to be that guy who brings up tiresome debating archives, but the guy who pretty much personifies the 49ers, Joe Montana do not like that move to Santa Clara.

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2013/10/26/joe-montana-criticizes-san-francisco-for-losing-the-49ers/#comment-2896394

The REASON they moved is because the city of SF did not make much of an effort to keep them... Santa Clara stepped up.  THAT is what Montana is upset about.

[thelakelander]

It appears my fish are having some in house issues......

Dolphins lineman Jonathan Martin reportedly goes AWOL after teammates play a joke on him

Jonathan Martin's strange absence from the Dolphins has developed into one of the more unusual stories of this NFL season.

Martin, who is in his second season and has started all seven games for Miami this season, was listed as doubtful on the Dolphins' injury report with an "illness." Jay Glazer of Fox Sports reported that there's much more to it.

According to the report, Martin left the team after his teammates played a joke on him in the team cafeteria on Monday. His teammates walked away from him when he sat down, apparently joking about him being sick, and Martin "flipped out." Via the Miami Herald, citing Glazer's report, Martin smashed a food tray on the floor of the team's lunch room, and left. He hasn't returned to the team.

http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nfl-shutdown-corner/dolphins-lineman-jonathan-martin-reportedly-goes-awol-teammates-225325181--nfl.html?vp=1

[Wacca Pilatka]

I hope Martin's mental health is OK.  This vaguely reminds me of when Reggie Rogers was with the Lions.