The Green Bay Packers have suspended star CB Jaire Alexander one game for conduct detrimental to the team for crashing the coin toss prior to the game against the Panthers.
After the game, Alexander said he did it because he’s from Charlotte.
I can’t recommend watching this enough. His reasoning is hysterical.
The coin toss has been a part of professional football since its inception in 18921. Here’s a brief history of the coin toss in football:
1892-1920: Captains of each team handled the coin toss themselves
1921: The referee started performing the toss
1946: A note was added to the rule stipulating that the toss was to be made prior to either team leaving the field after their pre-game warm-up
1947: The coin toss was moved to 30 minutes before the start of the game
1976: The coin toss was changed from 30 minutes to three minutes before kickoff
1998: The procedure was modified to have the visiting captain call the toss before the referee tosses the coin instead of when the coin is in the air
In 2012, The Carolina Panthers lost the coin toss in their first 13 games- an event with a 1 in 8,192 probability.
In the thirteenth game, the Panthers asked fans on Facebook to make the call, but the vote ended in a 50/50 tie.
The 49ers won the coin toss in 16 of their 20 games last season (regular season + playoffs).... That's the most coin toss wins by a team in a single season.
Also last season, the Chiefs became the first team since the Seattle Seahawks in 2014 to win the Super Bowl after winning the coin toss.
Before that, the winner of the coin toss has lost the last 8 consecutive Super Bowl games.
Contrary to popular belief, a coin toss isn’t exactly 50/50. A study from the University of Amsterdam found that coins landed on the same side they started on 51% of the time.
Interestingly, spinning a penny can result in tails up to 80% of the time due to the slightly heavier side with Lincoln’s head.
Referee Ron Torbert once used a personalized coin whose design actually references his uniform.
Torbert’s coin was discovered by a listing for it on the NFL’s auction site. (It sold for $260.00.)
Torbert was the alternate referee for Super Bowl LIII and was named the referee for Super Bowl LVI in 2022.
“Get through the coin toss, get through that opening kickoff, when all the flashbulbs are going off in the stadium, and then it becomes a football game,” he said.
Ron Torbert has a background in law, having practiced as a business litigator for three decades. He graduated from Harvard Law School in 1988 and pursued a legal career, working with a law firm and later as in-house counsel for a construction company in Michigan.
He initially began officiating high school football as a way to stay connected and get some exercise.
He began his NFL officiating career in 2010 as a side judge and became a referee in the 2014 NFL season.
Torbert's dedication to his craft is evident in his rigorous weekly routine, which includes reviewing every play from the previous game and studying film of both teams to understand their tendencies.
In 2019, Torbert retired from his position as the in-house legal counsel for the Michigan construction company.
Numbers with Bet Openly
If you're betting, it doesn't make sense not to use Bet Openly.
Rather than bet "against" a book, they set you up with people taking the opposite side.
The benefit: rather than paying 10% tax to the book (-110) you "pay" 1% (-101).
100: Alvin Kamara has exactly 9,999 total receiving and rushing yards in 100 NFL games.
18: Lions safety Ifeatu Melifonwu, last week's NFC Defensive Player of the Week, has racked up 18 tackles, 3.0 sacks, four QB hits, four passes defended, an interception, and a forced fumble in his three starts since getting healthy
85: Broncos would owe $37 million more in cash and a record $85 million in dead money, likely spread over two years, if they cut Russ. Unprecedented.
5: Bucs safety Antoine Winfield: five sacks, five forced fumbles, four fumble recoveries and three interceptions. Only once in the last 25 seasons has anyone even had three of each -- Steelers' James Farrior had 3, 3, 3, 4 in 2004.
10 [TRIVIA]: When was the last time a Jets QB had double digit passing touchdowns?
Quotes
“God’s got me. Looking forward to what’s next.”
Russell Wilson, who is expected to be cut by the Denver Broncos in March. For almost two months, the quarterback has been starting knowing the organization was most likely going to move on him from after this season.
"My resume is on the grass.”
Antonio Pierce on chances of earning Raiders' full-time head-coaching job
"I think [Mahomes] needs to fall in love with the mundane. Yes, for 5 years we have been used to the big plays to Tyreek, to Kelce, all of that... It's time to be Checkdown Tom Brady..."
Chiefs' Hall of Famer, Dante Hall
"I'm so sorry, man. You know exactly what we're about to do."
Eagles C Jason Kelce on what he tells D'Andre Swift every time he gets tackled at the one-yard line.
Ad
Key ideas from bestselling non-fiction books, distilled by experts into bitesize text and audio. Explore our vast library of over 5,500 titles and stay up-to-date with 40 new titles that are added each month. Join the reading revolution!
Picks
Thursday, 12/28 @ 8:15pm
Jets at Browns [NO PICKS]
Record
ATS: 43-44-4 (-4.87u)
O/U: 31-36-3 (-7.79u)
Highlights
Watch Kyle Hamilton go face first into the grass and play on to catch the deflected interception
Big difference between Bailey Zappe and Bill Belichick's reaction to the Patriots game-winning field goal
Pete Carroll's Locker Room Speech - Week 16
Every angle of Jahmyr Gibbs juking Akayleb Evans out of his shoes
Trivia
The Jets have gone four straight seasons without any player having 10 passing TDs.
2019 was the last time a Jets QB had double digit passing touchdowns.