Ryan Wilson Posts

It was two years ago that then-Jets head coach Eric Mangini ratted out the Patriots for what would become Spygate. The NFL slapped Bill Belichick with a $500,000 fine, took away one of their first-round picks, and kindly asked us to move on.

Eventually we did, but not before accusing the Patriots of cheating their way to three Super Bowl titles this decade before karma intervened by way of David Tyree.

New England became an afterthought when Tom Brady went down 15 minutes into the 2008 season, football gods and Pats-hating fans finally mollified. But it was only a matter of time before the Dark Lord found new ways to gain an advantage over opponents. And now, after some time off to regroup, Belichick is back, this time with psychological warfare. Or as the liberals would call it: subtle forms of torture.

Read on in mock incredulity:

Hell hath no fury like Goldy Gopher on the football field. The University of Minnesota mascot was criticized last month for mocking Penn State's Jerome Hayes during a pregame prayer. (The school later apologized on his behalf, God's wrath averted.)

Goldy was back in action this weekend, making a special guest appearance with other mascots, to take on a group of kids in an impromptu tackle football game. It was billed as the halftime entertainment for the Seahawks-Vikings get-together. Which it was. At least for Goldy.

Ridiculousness after the jump.

In addition to being one of the league's best wide receivers, Chad Ochocinco is also an entrepreneur. The latest proof: during HBO's "Hard Knocks" this summer, he made reference to developing prophylactics. And on Friday he revealed the prototypes via Twitter.

Or, at the very least, the prototype of the box they will be shipped in. Probably goes without saying but just in case: not safe for work image after the jump.

The nerds in the nerdery proved that, statistically, Bill Belichick was right to go for it on 4th and 2 against the Colts last week.

Pretty sure there isn't an egghead on the planet who'd support first-year Yale head coach Tom Williams' decision to call a fake punt from his own 25 on 4th and 22 with just over two minutes to go and leading Harvard 10-7. But he did. It didn't work. And a few plays later Harvard scored to make it 14-10. Game over.

Williams explained the decision after the game:

The FanHouse Podcast: Because bloggers are much sexier on the phone.

Hauscast returns this week and Will and Ryan talk about the Browns' perpetual death spiral, the Steelers' record-setting special teams, and how Panthers offensive coordinator Jeff Davidson is actually more detrimental to the team than Jake Delhomme.

The conversation then turns to crazy NFL owners, why ESPN decided to suspend Bill Simmons from Twitter, and the passing of Uga VII.

Talking after the jump.

Under the guise of the United We Serve initiative, President Barack Obama teamed up with Drew Brees, Troy Polamalu and DeMarcus Ware to school a bunch of kids in tag football on the White House's South Lawn. All in the name of stressing the importance of fitness for America's youth.

Via the press release: "In support of NFL PLAY 60, all Thanksgiving weekend games will raise awareness of the childhood obesity epidemic and showcase the NFL and its clubs' commitment to help reverse this trend."

Hey, sometimes sedentary, preteen gamers need a little tough love when it comes to actually getting outside long enough to break a sweat. Or maybe I'm overselling it a bit. Slow-motion, NFL Films-inspired video of the 90-second public service announcement after the jump:

The Jaguars have always had trouble convincing people to attend games in person. Blackouts are a Sunday staple in Jacksonville, and owner Wayne Weaver has taken to throwing tarps over sections of the upper deck, MLS style, to make the stadium look less empty.

A group of local business folks calling themselves Touchdown Jacksonville are working to reinvigorate an apathetic fan base. The short-term plan is to pack the house for the Dec. 17 game against the Colts (they're calling it ... "Ultimate TEALgate"!), and running back Maurice Jones-Drew is helping with the recruitment effort. "As a team, we're enjoying the moment, and we want the city to enjoy it with us," Jones-Drew said. "If you guys are having a great time, I promise I'll have a great time. I'm going to dance and sing."

More proof that Brett Favre is everywhere: detainees at a Wisconsin National Guard camp in Iraq are invoking his name solely to get a rise out of the Green Bay Packers-supporting soldiers.

Even in war, Favre is a nuisance. WTMJ reports:

You see innovations like the West Coast offense or the zone blitz, and you're immediately amazed at the genius. That's what separate guys like Bill Walsh and Dick LeBeau from, say, Mike Tice and Eric Mangini.

And then there are plays that define a philosophy. For the Joe Gibbs Redskins it was the counter trey. For the Bill Belichick Patriots it's (at least for me) the variations of the screen pass. And for the Bethel University Royals it's the fake toss reverse alley-oop at the goal line. Or, as it's officially known in the playbook: Ace Rt Zoom 48 Granny QB.

Ridiculousness after the jump.