Preseason Week 2!

In May, the new stadium for the Dallas Cowboys debuted the world's largest HD LED video scoreboard. (gizmodo). This thing costs, last estimate I heard, approximately 40 million dollars, and has got very impressive specs. It's the crowning achievement of Jerry Jones' football empire down in Dallas.

And last night, AJ Trapasso (Titans, who makes 2ndand1 for the second time this season, and there's still a whole lot of football to play) punted a football into it. (iViewTube) While no damage was done, there are a lot of logistical-type questions along the lines of "is a ball considered dead if it hits a part of the stadium" and "how far above the field does the live ball rule extend?" Another question is "can we move the screen?" Unfortunately, moving the screen is estimated to cost two million dollars itself. The most important question, of course, is this: is this a punting fail or a stadium design fail? Jerry Jones claims Trapasso intentionally punted the ball into the screen. Sure. This logic is like saying that when a running back fumbles the ball on the half-yard line, that he later goes to a nightclub and says "Oh yes. I meant to do that."

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And now, my thoughts on the Michael Vick situation. I had the Colts/Eagles game on the other night, and the announcers obviously didn't care much about the game after the Colts were ahead by ten or so, and it the chatter up in the booth was Michael Vick this, and Michael Vick that - If Michael Vick wants to play football, fine. I just don't believe Michael Vick should be allowed to play football. During a hushed press conference, Vick announced that he has learned his lesson and made a "mistake." I have a problem with this. Logically, this is not a mistake. He makes it seem like it was a lapse in judgement or an accident. Trapasso punting the ball into the screen was an accident. Plaxico Burress shooting himself in the leg was an accident (albeit a really jackass one.) Al Haynesworth (now playing for the Redskins) who lost it when he played for the Titans, threw Dallas center Andre Gurode to the ground, and then danced a merry jig on his face (and later admitted that he had a serious anger management problem), made a mistake. When Lance Briggs (Chicago LB) crashed his Lamborghini on the highway and freaked out, he made a mistake. When the Vikings signed Brett Favre, they made...oh, nevermind. But deliberately leading a dogfighting ring on your property is not a mistake. It is as premeditated as if I were to walk into my most annoying colleague's house tomorrow and shoot him.* And if Vick chalks the whole thing up to a mistake, he obviously isn't realizing the error of his ways and is being coached on what to say. The Eagles organization should honestly be ashamed of itself. Here's an open letter to the Eagles Fans Who Like To Throw Things: You might be justified this time.


*Of course, 2ndand1 does not condone any sort of violence. This example is just that - an example.