(from local media reports)
This just in from 101.1 ESPN: tonight's practice has been canceled.
Today's schedule: two practices, 8:15 - 10:30 a.m. and 6:15 - 8:00 p.m. Stormy weather sent most of yesterday's afternoon practice inside.
Injuries: Don't look now, but there are actually players coming off the injury list! James Hall and Fred Robbins have returned to action. Keith Toston and Na'il Diggs are also full practice participants. In fact, Diggs blasted Toston's helmet off on one play yesterday, and Toston bounced right back up (CBS Sports Rapid Report). And Ron Bartell (!) and Hank Fraley are apparently close to returning to full-go status. Update: Darell Scott, too, as of Wednesday afternoon.
I pulled Jason Smith off the list, and he has been taking reps as the starter at right tackle, but Steve Spagnuolo continues to describe his status as day-to-day, with not much of a chance of playing in Saturday night's game. Huh.
Update: Cliff Ryan had a mild calf injury Wednesday afternoon but may not even miss the night practice.
The list: (now alphabetized!) C.J. Ah You (hamstring); Ron Bartell (ankle, close to full-go); Jacob Bell (oblique); Josh Brown (hip); James Butler (knee); Kenneth Darby (hamstring); Bradley Fletcher (knee); Hank Fraley (knee, close to full-go); Brandon Gibson (hamstring); Mardy Gilyard (arm/wrist); John Greco (pectoreal); Marquis Johnson (lih, knee); Justin King (calf); Ryan McKee (lih, back); Kevin Payne (lih, quad); Eugene Sims (hamstring).
QB rotation Saturday: Per a Jim Thomas chat yesterday: A.J. Feeley the first two series, then Sam Bradford for the rest of the first half and possibly into the 3rd quarter.
Kicks and twists: Laurent Robinson joined Jordan Kent as provisional kicker until the Rams sign a real one to fill in for Josh Brown. At least, I think they're going to.
And Pat Shurmur has broken out the trick plays. The Rams ran some Wildcat yesterday, though I'm sure they're like every other team that has copied the idea from the Dolphins (though it's not like Miami invented it) and given it their own different name. Probably the "Mad Cow" or something.
The NFL's TV policy is still stupid: Saturday night's game against the Vikings will likely have to be shown on delay (KTVI-2, 10:30 p.m.) because it's not going to come close to selling out. That's right, preseason games can't air live on local TV unless they sell out.
You know, if these morons are really planning to allow some kind of labor action to happen that's going to f*ck the 2011 season anyway, the least they could do is bring their TV policy into the late-20th century while they're at it. The TV contract is where NFL teams have made the most money since before most of today's players were in diapers, can we un-clench a little where blackouts are concerned? The blackout policy ceased to be in step with its original intent long ago, let alone current economic reality (i.e., when nobody can afford tickets, there are going to be a hell of a lot of blackouts around the league).
Furthermore, the blackout policy is another competitive disadvantage for a rebuilding team like the Rams. It disincentivizes fans from buying tickets. Why plunk $80 on a team that went 1-15 last year when I can stay home and watch the Cowboys play the Packers? Not that I would do that, but it's a very economically logical decision.
Make TV blackouts extinct now, Roger Goodell. They've been obsolete for decades.
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