By MATT WOODS
Staff Writer
—
1. Adrian Peterson Not Out of Woods Yet
The Adrian Peterson soap opera that’s been ongoing since his arrest for beating his son with a switch took a few interesting turns this past week. Peterson accepted a plea deal that allows him to avoid jail time and makes a return to the field much more likely in the near future.
However, the NFL is going after Peterson, claiming that he was in violation of the league’s personal conduct policy. Peterson will be given a hearing with the NFL to explain his case, totry to limit the consequences that the NFL will most likely hand down. Until the process is complete, which could take at least a week, Peterson’s status on the commissioner’s exempt list will remain unchanged.
Peterson’s week continued with losing his primary sponsor, Nike. Nike suspended his contract on September 17, which meant that they were not paying him, and decided to follow through with the termination of their partnership. Nike has recently been parting ways with a number of troubled athletes, including Ray Rice, Paralympic runner Oscar Pistorius, and UFC fighter Jon “Bones” Jones.
This drama is not over just yet, and we will have to wait and see if Peterson will make it back on the field this year.
2. Oakland Raiders to San Antonio?
The winless Oakland Raiders may be taking their talents, or lack thereof, to San Antonio, Texas. Owner Mark Davis recently met with representatives from San Antonio to talk about a potential move of the team. This was the second meeting in the last four months between these parties to discuss the possibility.
The Raiders are currently in the last year of a deal at the O.co Coliseum, and have not yet been granted permission to build a new stadium. San Antonio may provide the location that Davis is looking for.
Seeking a long term deal, and wanting to stay in Oakland, Davis has no choice but to start looking elsewhere. Davis has also reportedly been interested in the Raiders moving back to Los Angeles.
One of the other factors that is forcing the Raiders’ hand is the fact that the Oakland Athletics leased the Coliseum for the next 10 years, which the Raiders intend to knock down in order to build their new stadium.
Oakland, however, even with a lack of wins over the last decade, still has one of the NFL’s strongest fan bases. With circumstances reminiscent of the Seattle SuperSonics move to Oklahoma City in the NBA, if this franchise were to leave, expect a tremendous amount of backlash towards Davis.The team has already left Oakland once, but again could be something catastrophic. We will have to wait and see.
3. NBA Ticket Increase
If you’re a big NBA fan, prepare to spend a little more on tickets in the near future. The NBA’s average ticket price increased 3.4 percent, to $53.98, this year.
The New York Knicks ranked highest among average ticket sales, at $129.38, with the Los Angeles Lakers and Chicago Bulls coming in second and third, respectively.
The New Orleans Pelicans ($30.20) and Charlotte Hornets ($30.60) have the lowest ticket prices out of any team. Average ticket prices have increased 24.3 percent since last year.
The NBA ranks behind only the NFL and NHL as far as average ticket prices. Hopefully, this trend starts fading, so more fans can enjoy games in person.
4. Lattimore Retires Without Playing in the NFL
San Francisco 49ers running back Marcus Lattimore decided to retire this past week, due to chronic knee issues stemming from an injury he suffered in college. Lattimore, 23, was drafted by the 49ers last season, but never played, as he was recovering from numerous ACL and MCL tears and placed on the non-football injury list.
The former South Carolina standout was touted as one of the best and most complete running backs in the country before his gruesome leg injury, sustained in a 2012 game against Tennessee. That injury cost him millions, as he was a surefire first round selection in the 2013 NFL Draft, but fell all the way to the fourth round.
Lattimore is reportedly headed back to South Carolina to finish his degree. Head coach of the Gamecocks, Steve Spurrier, has talked about the possibility of bringing in Lattimore to help coach the football team, as he was one of the most highly respected players South Carolina has had over the last decade. As gifted as he was on the field, injuries shortened Lattimore’s career. He never played a game in the NFL.
5. Browns’ Improbable Start
The Cleveland Browns are 6-3. To reiterate: the Cleveland Browns have a winning record in November. One might think Cleveland Browns great Jim Brown is carrying this team on his back, like back in the day. Instead, the Josh Gordon-less, Brian Hoyer-led Browns are tied atop the AFC North, with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Hoyer has dealt with the talk of when he will be replaced by Johnny Manziel as the team’s starting quarterback, but with his consistent play this season there’s no changing of the guard in sight. Highly praised first-round draft pick Johnny “Football” has become Johnny “Bench/Clipboard” as Hoyer looks to keep his job and perhaps be the permanent starter for the organization.
This team isn’t blowing people away, either. They rank in the middle of the pack when it comes to many important statistics that influence winning, but considering the fact that they lost two of their games this year by a combined three points, this team could actually be better than what their record says they are.
If there is anything to take away from the Browns’ surprising season, it is that teams should not underestimate their opponent based only on what they have seen in the past, because this is clearly a different team.
