Sunday, August 1 – Players report by 2 p.m.

Monday, August 2 – 8:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m.

Tuesday, August 3 – 8:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. (afternoon session is special teams only)

Wednesday, August 4 – 9:30 a.m. and 7:30 p.m.

Thursday, August 5 – 3:30 p.m. (special teams only)

Friday, August 6 – 9:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m.

Saturday, August 7 – 10:30 a.m.

Sunday, August 8 – No practice

Monday, August 9 – 8:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. (afternoon session is special teams only)

Tuesday, August 10 – 9:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m.

Wednesday, August 11 – 9:30 a.m. and 7:30 p.m.

Thursday, August 12 – 3:30 p.m. (special teams only)

Friday, August 13 – 9:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m.

Saturday, August 14 – 9:30 a.m.

Sunday, August 15 – San Francisco vs. Colts, Lucas Oil Stadium, 1 p.m. (preseason game)

Monday, August 16 – 4 p.m.

Tuesday, August 17 – 8:30 a.m. and 7:30 p.m.

Wednesday, August 18 – 9:30 a.m., break camp

Yesterday the NFL announced that for the 2010 season the overtime rules would be changing. BUT, they’d only be changing for 12, or 37.5%, of the 32 teams in the league, for a cumulative 11 games.

First the rule change.

• If the team winning the coin toss kicks a field goal on their first possession, the other team gets the ball for a possession in order to either try to tie or win the game.
• If the team winning the coin toss gets a touchdown on their first possession, the game is over.
• If the teams are still tied after they each have had one possession, the old (a.k.a. “normal”) sudden death overtime rules apply (the first to score wins).

Now to when the changes take effect.

These rules will only be used during the playoffs due to injury concerns.  But this is extremely flawed as it:

1. Sends the message that player safety isn’t important during the playoffs. (And I’d debate that reasoning as a cop out regardless.)
2. Could possibly ruin other teams playoff hopes and/or seeding.

I agree that the new concept is better than the old, but I still like college rules better. And if you’re going to do it, do it. Don’t halfway commit to it.

There are my thoughts. What are yours?

But the time in free agent land didn’t last long as the New York Giants quickly picked up Sorgi to be the backup to Peyton’s brother, Eli Manning.  Given history, Sorgi probably has a little better of a chance of getting in the game with the Giants, but let’s hope that doesn’t happen, as we need to see another Manning vs. Manning Throw-down this coming season!

Best of luck to Jim Sorgi though. I’ve always admired the man &have been a little bit jealous that he gets to hang out with Peyton Manning & gets paid the big bucks to do so. Not to mention, he’ll be in much better physical shape in retirement than many ex-NFL players are.

I think that this is the third or fourth year running that I’ve tried to get press credentials for the NFL Scouting Combine that is held here in Indianapolis every year.  And to keep  my 0-fer record in tact I received yet another rejection that goes like this:

We have received your request for media credentials to the 2010 NFL Combine. Unfortunately, due to tremendous demand, we are unable to accommodate your request.

Thank you for your interest in the NFL.

Corry Rush
NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE

OK, fair enough. Surge Bucket Media is a small potatoes outlet that currently only publishes online via blogs & podcasts. But what gets me is the whole canned “due to tremendous demand” response that is sent out every year.

This isn’t the Super Bowl. This isn’t the Pro Bowl. This isn’t the NFL Draft. This isn’t a game. This isn’t even something related to a specific team. It’s the NFL Combine where they scout the potential incoming draft picks.

Now I know that there are quite a few people in town for it (just try to go to lunch around the stadium and you’ll see that). But go and take a look at the photos & video from previous Combine’s and you’ll see that there really aren’t that many people in the stands watching. Maybe they’re milling around the stadium or back in the media rooms, or at the food court at Circle Centre Mall, I don’t know, but I don’t believe for one minute that there’s “tremendous demand” if that’s derived at just by the number of good seats in the lower level of Lucas Oil Stadium. (BTW, Indy.com reports that the estimated attendance is 3,400 people.)

Anyway, complaining about it will not do any good. But I just wish for once that the NFL would be honest about it. If you don’t cater to smaller media outlets, please be up front about it. That’s your choice as all attendees are your guests. While that would bum me out a bit, that is something I could totally respect.

That said, as long as it’s held in Indianapolis (I’ve not heard if they extended the contract beyond 2010 or not) I will continue to throw our name in the hat. And who knows, maybe one year we’ll be able to attend.  But in the meantime I’ll sit back with the rest of you doing my best to follow what’s going on down at the Combine.

Check out Show Your Colts now!

Scroll over to 2 minutes in to watch Mary Milz try to sell the last Indianapolis Colts thong at The Colts Pro Shop at Lucas Oil Stadium.

At least later in the newscast the anchors voted against Bob Kravitz wearing a Speedo next week from Miami.

• Money Bread for breakfast
• Turkey for dinner
• Pumpkin Pie for dessert
• Football, football & more football (but  not the NFL Network game since it’s not available and no one that I know in Indy has the channel…plus the NFL Network sucks, without a doubt, so I can’t blame the cable companies for not providing it in any normal package)
• Maybe going to see A Christmas Carol, but upset that they’re only showing it in 3D since that does nothing for these “color deficient” eyes
• Black Friday shenanigans
• A wedding
• A parade
• Thanksgiving/Christmas fireworks
• More football
• Cyber Monday
• Even more football

So, what are your Thanksgiving weekend plans? Leave us a comment, or better yet, leave a voicemail for Blue Shotgun Radio at 317-565-4250.

Brian Westbrook’s status is uncertain after the former All-Pro running back sustained another concussion in Philadelphia’s 31-23 loss at San Diego.

Westbrook was playing his first game after sitting out two because of a concussion suffered on Oct. 26. He was injured in the third quarter Sunday on a screen play in which he was caught between a block by Eagles receiver Jason Avant and a Chargers defender.

I have never understood the mind of football players, which is why one season in High School was plenty for me (we won our conference, I was a starter on offense & special teams & didn’t receive any broken bones, so that was good enough for me to pick up the tennis racket instead.)

My best memory of this was that our football coach was also the baseball coach. I got nailed in the head one game and wasn’t really with it but still wanted to play, and then the coach says to me, “Son, this isn’t football. We don’t play hurt.” and he pulled me from the game (which was a good decision since I was a bit dizzy).  That day pretty much sealed the deal on not continuing to play football.

Anyway, I have no idea why they thought it was a good idea for Westbrook to come back so soon. Anyone who know anything about concussion’s should have recommended at least a month off, and only returning if he was back to normal.  When you literally get your bell rung, that’s not something to take lightly.

Jon Gruden has agreed to a multiyear contract to stay at ESPN, suggesting he won’t be returning to coaching anytime soon.

The Super Bowl-winning coach’s name was bound to come up about any job openings after this season. He was fired by the Buccaneers in January, then joined ESPN as a “Monday Night Football” analyst.

That is bad news for football fans everywhere. Not because Gruden won’t be coaching, but because that means we’re stuck with boring game calling on MNF for some time to come (which includes his cohorts).  And that just adds to boring (Al) AND moronic (Cris) Sunday Night Football. Not to mention the joke called the NFL Network (which I do not know a single person in Indianapolis who has that channel anyway because the NFL thinks it’s worth far more than it is).

And what’s up with these guys and the spelling of their names? Did they both get hit one too many times and lost an “h” somewhere?

House & Heroes look to be your best bets if you’re going to skip the opening kickoff. Also, Food Network has a new episode of Diners, Drive-ins and Dives which you can record and/or catch later.

8-9pm

1. Heroes (NBC) – 04×05 – Hysterical Blindness
2. House (FOX) – 06×05 – Instant Karma

8:30-11:30pm

1. Monday Night Football: New York Jets at Miami Dolphins (ESPN)

10-10:30pm

1. Diners, Drive-ins and Dives (Food Network) – 07×08 – Barbequed, Baked, and Brined

There are also MLB playoffs and NHL hockey on tonight as well.

Other thoughts from around the blogosphere:

• Michael Crabtree signs with 49ers…finally!
• Michael Crabtree Finally Signs with the 49ers
• Crabtree addresses the media for first time as a 49er
• Crabtree meets 49ers, calls negotiations a ‘humbling experience’

House & Heroes look to be your best bets if you’re going to skip the opening kickoff. Also, Food Network has a new episode of Diners, Drive-ins and Dives which you can record and/or catch later.

8-9pm

1. Heroes (NBC) – 04×04 – Acceptance
2. House (FOX) – 06×04 – The Tyrant

8:30-11:30pm

1. Monday Night Football: Green Bay at Minnesota (ESPN)

10-10:30pm

1. Diners, Drive-ins and Dives (Food Network) – 07×07 – You Can Say That Again

2009 PRESEASON

2009 REGULAR SEASON

Miami Dolphins quarterback Chad Pennington has been initially diagnosed with a torn capsule in his throwing shoulder and the Dolphins expect him to miss the rest of the season.

I’m wondering if this really matters anyway. Now they can run their “wildcat” offense all the way to the 0-16 they were chasing a few years ago before the Detroit Lions beat them to it last season.

House & Heroes look to be your best bets if you’re going to skip the opening kickoff. Both of which I’m behind on and won’t be watching “live”.

8-9pm

1. Heroes (NBC) – 04×03 – Ink
2. House (FOX) – 06×03 – Epic Fail

8:30-11:30pm

1. Monday Night Football: Carolina Panthers at Dallas Cowboys (ESPN)

Overall I don’t have any complaints with this years’ draft class, but do find it a bit silly to thrown away a 4th round draft pick (Taylor was cut).  Everyone else was signed, with Thomas being added to the practice squad.

Adding a running back was not a bad idea and there’s no doubt that we need another receiver. And any addition on defense should be a good one.

I’ve got to wonder if the addition of Painter (which I love since he’s a Boiler) is more of a future back-up move as Jim Sorgi is getting to the point of being a pretty expensive “bench warmer”.

Some Fall items to chew on:

• The average first measurable snowfall in Indianapolis occurs on November 19th (right around Thanksgiving most years).
• The earliest first measurable snowfall in Indianapolis occurred on October 18th, 1989.
• The Halloween ZooBoo occurs on October 16-18, 22-25 & 29-30.
• The average high on Halloween is 59 degrees & the average low on Halloween is 39 degrees (bundle up kids).
• The Irvington Halloween Festival is on Halloween this year from 9am to 5pm. (You guys had an awesome website a few years ago…why, oh, why did you go with Blogspot?)
• Halloween occurs on October 31st. (I know you’re thinking, “duh”, but some communities set trick-or-treating for the weekend and/or multiple days, which isn’t an issue this year.)
• Thanksgiving Day is Thursday, November 26th.
• The 2009 Thanksgiving Day NFL Football schedule consists of:
  • Green Bay Packers @ Detroit Lions 12:30 PM on FOX
  • Oakland Raiders @ Dallas Cowboys 4:15 PM on CBS
  • New York Giants @ Denver Broncos 8:20 PM on NFL Network (This is the best game of the day which is unfortunate since the NFL (and Comcast in my case) has their heads up their back sides and hardly anyone has the channel. Not to mention their coverage is horrible and the online viewing option is even worse.)
• But don’t fear, ESPN has us covered with Texas at Texas A&M at 8 PM.

Anyway, enjoy the outdoors while you still can and break out the fire pits, for a month from now it could be snowing around these parts.

Game two of the NFL Monday Night Football double header: Oakland Raiders vs. San Diego Chargers. Oakland scores a touchdown. Then there’s a challenge that it’s a touchdown.

On TV they clearly show that there is control of the ball with two feet in the end zone and that the ball popped out after he hit the ground (and the ground cannot cause a fumble even if that was a possibility).  This is a no-brainer. But apparently whatever angle the NFL had didn’t show that.  And never mind the fact that in recent years the NFL has put the cameras tightly under their control. You’d think they’d have more than one angle from the back of the end zone.

So Oakland ends up kicking a field goal and losing the game by 4 points instead of going to overtime. Nice one NFL & Roger Goodell! Keep up the crooked work! I hear the NBA might have some openings.