SB Nation User Blog: Raul Villaronga

The Giants' December slump

Raul Villaronga — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 12:09:41 -0000

Yeah, you read it right.

While the media is focused on reminding the free world that Tony Romo and the Dallas Cowboys have an abysmal record in December - you know, the month that sees them slide - nobody else gets that treatment.

So what? It's well deserved? Maybe. Or Maybe not.

We all have read stories about How the Cowboys can avoid their December demons, or how December beckons: Cowboys and Romo must rise above history, yet that is not tell the only story to tell.

In a stunning comparison, the New York Giants - yes, the ones the Cowboys play this week in the Meadowlands, are quite similar.

	Cowboys	Giants
2006	2-3	2-3
2007	2-2 *	3-2
2008	1-3	1-3

The asterisk for 2007 is because the Cowboys only had 4 games because they played (and defeated) the Green Bay Packers on Thursday night, November 29. But who's nit-picking.

This year's Cowboys team is more of just that - a team. Everybody is playing for everyone else. Three better than serviceable running backs all happy when the other excels. A stable of receivers who know that their quarterback will spread the ball around enough so that, while no individual statistics are shining, the sum of the whole can show a powerful game. A defense infused with new blood that has been improving since week 2.

No, this is not your Dallas Cowboys of the recent past.

Here's hoping the results of December, and hopefully January and February, play out as such.

Theismann, head, hole in the ground ...

Raul Villaronga — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 16:30:20 -0000

Since it's Rivalry week, I wanted to reintroduce one of PegLeg's (a.k.a., #7 for that other team) most insightful interviews ... This occurred in 2006 after the melee between the University of Miami and Florida International. Now, we all know that the Hurricanes say they're from the "U" ... Apparently, this professional broadcaster missed that ...

You can't make this stuff up ...

A look back at the Rivalry and how it started.

Raul Villaronga — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 15:03:43 -0000

A look back at the Rivalry and how it started.

Remedial Salary Capology: DeMarcus Ware's Contract

Raul Villaronga — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 16:04:17 -0000

More photos » by Donna McWilliam - AP

This guy will be in Dallas for a long time.

Browse more photos »

With the confirmation of DeMarcus Ware's contract extension, a question was posed as to how the salary cap works. A complete answer, with all of the legal terminology and cross-references to sections, items and subsections, could put grown men into the fetal position for an extended period of time.

So in an effort to convey some of the basics, I can only impart what I understand to be the essential concepts of the Salary Cap. For those who want to be brave, you can read the Collective Bargaining Agreement at the NFL Players website. Good luck with that!

To start, you will have to know what specific terms mean, such as Paragraph 5 Salary, Rule of 51, Proration and the like.

So let's get started.

More after the jump ...

Paragraph 5 Salary: This team is used to identify the fifth paragraph of an NFL Player Contract, which, as you may guess, details how much salary will be given to a player.

Rule of 51: This is a term commonly used to refer to Article XXIV, Section 7, subsection (a)(i) of the Collective Bargaining Agreement. It reads as follows:

"The highest applicable Salary set forth in Paragraph 5 of the NFL Player Contract shall be included in Team Salary in the Year earned, except that, between March 1 and the first day of the regular playing season, only the following amounts from Paragraph 5 shall be included for players whose Player Contracts are not among the Team’s 51 highest valued Player Contracts, tenders and Offer Sheets (as determined under this Section 7): (1) Any amount that exceeds the Minimum Active/Inactive List Salary for Undrafted Rookie Free Agents; and (2) Any amount that exceeds twice the applicable Minimum Active/Inactive List Salary for all other players."

What this basically means is that only the top 51 salaries on a team are used to calculate the team's salary cap, with the following two exceptions:

Any amount that is more than the minimum base salary for an undrafted rookie, and
Any amount that is more than twice the minimum base salary for all active or inactive players.

Since teams generally give undrafted rookies, this rule rarely comes into effect. But that's what it means.

Proration: This term identifies how signing bonuses are applied against the salary cap. In general, the amount of the signing bonus is divided by the length of the contract to determine how much of it applies to the cap for that year. Usually the maximum number of years you can use for proration is six (6) years, but there is one exception: the bonus can only be prorated a maximum of five years(5) for contracts entered into during the period after the last regular season game of the League Year preceding the Final Capped Year through the end of the Final Capped Year.

Since 2010 is an uncapped year, this means that Ware's signing bonus can be prorated over six years, but would have only been able to be prorated over five years if the extension had been done in this upcoming offseason.

Acceleration: This term defines what happens to the prorated portion of the signing bonus if a player is removed from the team's roster. This could mean a release, a trade, or if a player is lost via the waiver wire. Essentially, all future portions of the signing bonus are lumped together in the current year's cap number.

The exception to this rule is when a player is released after the June 1 date - a date that you have long heard of when teams are looking for additional players just before training camp. Releasing a player after June 1 allows the team to count the current year's prorated bonus amount to this year's cap and the remaining prorated portions against next year's cap.

So if a contract from this past summer had a prorated $1 million signing bonus with 3 years left, releasing the player prior to June 1st would mean the cap number for the bonus against this year would have been $3 million, but releasing the player after June 1st would have $1 million against this year's cap and $2 million against next year's cap.

Incentives: Incentives, often called "Likely To Be Earned", or LTBE, are special items placed into a contract that allows a player to receive money. Some are simple, such as a roster bonus, meaning the player must simply be on the roster to get the extra money. Others include pertain to some sort of performance threshold, such as workout bonuses, honor bonuses (Pro Bowl, etc.), reporting bonuses, or number of sacks, or receptions, etc.

To determine if an incentive is likely to be earned, you review the player's and team's performance the prior year. If a player receives an incentive for accumulating 15 sacks, then his performance from last year is looked at. If the player had 15 or more sacks, then the incentive is likely to be earned. If he had 14 or fewer, then it is not likely to be earned. Only LTBE incentives could towards the current year's cap. However, it is not likely to be earned, and the player gets 15 or more sacks, then the incentive amount is counted against next year's cap.

DeMarcus Ware's contract numbers are as follows:

Ware received a $20 million signing bonus and had $5 million of salary added to this year's contract. He also receives $500,000 a year in workout bonuses from 2011 through 2015.

2010 - $7.8 million
2011 - $6.7 million
2012 - $4.5 million
2013 - $5.5 million
2014 - $12.25 million
2015 - $13.75 million

Total Salary: $50.5 million
Signing Bonus: $20 million
Additional 2009 salary: $5 million
Incentives: $2.5 million
Total: $78 million

(Note: autographied $1 bill from Jerry - priceless)

His $20 million signing bonus can only be prorated over 5 years, since 2009 is the Final Capped Year (see Proration above). This means that the prorated portion of the bonus has a yearly impact of $4 million. So this year's cap number for the Cowboys was just increased by $9 million.

Adding the prorated bonus amounts to the salary, the cap hit is:

2010 - $11.8 million
2011 - $10.7 million
2012 - $8.5 million
2013 - $9.5 milliom
2014 - $16.25 million
2015 - $14.75 million

Now add the workout bonuses to 2011 and 2015, plus the additional salary money he got this year:

2009 - $5 million
2010 - $11.8 million
2011 - $11.2 milliom
2012 - $9 million
2013 - $10 million
2014 - $16.75 million
2015 - $14.25 million

Grand Total: $78,000,000

Plus, of course, the extra buck from Jerry...

Drive Summary: Cowboys @ Chiefs

Raul Villaronga — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 18:51:01 -0000

More photos » by Charlie Riedel - AP

Cowboys receiver Miles Austin celebrates after catching the game-winning touchdown to put the Cowboys ahead of the Chiefs 26-20 in overtime. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

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Sloppy play has once again dominated the discussion about the Cowboy’s performance. And once again, the mental mistakes andlack of execution made this team look horrible. There were a total of 15 penalties, however two were not taken, both of which occurred on the Chiefs' eighth drive, which netted them 3 points:

On 2nd and 3 from the Dallas 49, Igor Olshansky was called for offsides (an epidemic on this drive), but the Chiefs took the gain on the play for a first down.

On 2nd and 6 from the Dallas 37, Jay Ratliff was called for, you guessed it, offsides. However, Kansas City was called for holding and the penalties offset. Ironically, the holding was on the lineman who was trying to keep Ratliff out of the backfield because, well, he was offsides.

Here’s a summary of the penalties and mistakes:

7 Offensive penalties:

Ineligible Downfield: 1
False Start: 3
Offensive Holding: 2
Illegal Formation: 1

6 Defensive penalties

Defensive Holding: 1
Offsides: 3
Pass Interference: 1
Unnecessary Roughness: 1

Here's an itemization of each penalty:

OFFENSE

Series 1

2nd and 14 from DAL 49: Andre Gurode, Ineligible downfield
This turned a 3rd and 7 into a 2nd and 19. Dallas was forced to punt
RESULT: Drive Stopper

Series 2

2nd and 5 from KC 36: Marc Colombo, False Start
First down on the subsequent play.
RESULT: No Harm
1st and 10 from KC 23: Kyle Kosier, Offensive Holding
Barber ran to the 7 yard line but it was brought back. Folk missed the subsequent field goal.
RESULT: Drive Stopper

Series 3

2nd and 6 from DAL 22: Andre Gurode does not snap the ball on the count, disrupting the play timing andcausing Leonard Davis to collide with Tony Romo and force a fumble. Kansas City recovers on the Dallas 16 and goes on to score touchdown.
RESULT: Turnover (TD for opponent)

Series 4

1st and 10 from DAL 32: Miles Austin, Illegal Formation
1st and 20 from DAL 22: Flozell Adams, False Start
Back-to-back penalties put Dallas in a 1st and 20 hole that they do not get out of.
RESULT: Drive Killer

Series 5

No penalties or errors (FG)

Series 6

No penalties or errors (Punt)

Series 7

No penalties or errors (TD)

Series 8

1st and 9 from KC 9: Flozell Adams, False Start
Dallas only gained another 4 yards from the 14 and got a field goal.
RESULT: Drive Killer

Series 9

No penalties or errors (TD)

Series 10

No penalties or errors (kneel down for OT)

Series 11

No penalties or errors (Punt)

Series 12

2nd and 5 from KC 50: Flozell Adams, Offensive Holding
Romo hit Austin for the TD in overtime to win it
RESULT: No Harm

Summary of Offensive Possessions:

Possessions:	11 (This excludes kneel down at end of 4th quarter)
Error-Free	5	2 Punts, 2 Touchdowns, 1 Field Goal (17 points)
Penalties/Errors	6	4 Drive Stoppers (1 FG), 1 Turnover, 1 Touchdown (9 points for DAL, 7 points for KC)

DEFENSE

Series 1

2nd and 6 from KC 16: Terence Newman, Defensive Holding
Gave KC a first down, but they punted after the next series of downs.
RESULT: No Harm

Series 2

No penalties or errors (Punt)

Series 3

OK, this isn’t on the defense but it occurred after the 2nd defensive series. Patrick Crayton muffs a punt and give the ball to the Chiefs on the Dallas 23.
RESULT: Turnover (FG)

Series 4

No penalties or errors (TD attributed to offensive turnover)

Series 5

No penalties or errors (Punt)

Series 6

No penalties or errors (Punt)

Series 7

No penalties or errors (Punt)

Series 8

1st and 10 from KC 44: Anthony Spencer, Offsides
2nd and 3 from DAL 49: Igor Olshansky, Offsides (declined)
2nd and 6 from DAL 37: Jay Ratliff, Offsides (offsetting due to holding)
1st and 10 from DAL 27: DeMarcus Ware, Offsides

A gaggle of ghastly good-grief gaffes. Need I say more...
RESULT: FG

Series 9

2nd and 7 from KC 23: Bradie James, Pass Interference
Pass was incomplete and would have brought up a 3rd and 7, instead of a first down. Chiefs ended up punting.
RESULT: No Harm

Series 10

3rd and 26 from KC 11: Alan Ball, Unnecessary Roughness
OK, this is picky because I don’t think this should have been a penalty. Ball definitely hit Bobby Wade in the check with his shoulder, but his shoulder pad did slide up and contact the face mask. But there was no head shot, or snapping of the receiver’s head. Granted, it wasn’t as horrific as the phantom penalty that Tom Brady milked from the referee last week, but, as they say on the FOUR-LETTER, "Come on, Man!". Anyway, Ratliff blocked the field goal attempt later.
RESULT: No Harm

Series 11

No penalties or errors (TD). However I would like to throw a mental error to the horrific defensive calls in this drive. Having defenders play off when you know there’s a short pass coming is something we’ve all railed against.

Series 12

No penalties or errors (Punt)

Series 13

No penalties or errors (Punt)

Summary of Defensive Possessions:

Possessions:	13
Error-Free	7	6 Punts 1 Touchdown (7 points for KC)
Penalties/Errors	5	2 Field Goals (6 points for KC)

Government Agency Faults Design in Facility Collapse

Raul Villaronga — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 16:53:53 -0000

More photos » by Matt Slocum - AP

4 months ago: FILE - In this Saturday, May 2, 2009 file photo, firefighters investigate the collapsed canopy that covered the Dallas Cowboys indoor football facility in Irving, Texas. Four Cowboys staff members were injured when the roof collapsed on Saturday. Two Dallas Cowboys employees Rich Behm and special teams coach Joe DeCamillis, seriously injured when the team's indoor practice facility collapsed in May, have filed lawsuits Tuesday Aug. 25, 2009, against the companies that built the structure. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum, File)

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The National Institute of Standards and Technology released a draft report today for public comment which identified design flaws in the structure as causing the collapse on May 2 of this year.

Specifically, the wind loads caused by the storm were greater than the capacity of the frame, which eventually led to structural failure of the building.

A total of 12 people were injured, 1 seriously.

The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) recommend a load capacity of 90 mph for this area, yet the report indicates that speeds were in the range of 55-60 mph during the wind event.

"Our investigation found that the facility collapsed under a wind load that a building of this type would be expected to withstand," said John Gross, the head of the study.

The report details a possible sequence of events that led to the collapse:

Buckling of the inner chord, or inner side of the roof truss, of a frame in a section of the roof on the east side resulted in a kink in the frame.
Failures of the east and west connections between the side walls and the roof allowed the frame to sway eastward with the wind.
Compressive failure of the east side at the roof’s ridge led to fractures of the nearby inner and outer chords in the vicinity of the ridge.
A progression of frame failures throughout the structure resulted in total structural collapse.

Cowboys scout Rich Behm was seriously injured in the accident and is paralyzed below the waist. Special teams coach Joe DeCamillis was also injured, sustaining a neck injury, and is recovering.

BTB Social - NYG @ DAL

Raul Villaronga — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 17:43:28 -0000

Giants vs Cowboys coverage

Home opener in the new stadium - big events are probably planned. Shout out if you will be at the game ...

Merriman Arrested For Assault

Raul Villaronga — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 17:50:35 -0000

Merriman Arrested For Assault

Shawne Merriman was arrested early Sunday morning for allegedly choking and restraining Tila Tequila.

Tex could not be reached for comment.

Watch out Demarcus Ware! 49ers QB Alex Smith may lay the wood to you like he did Greg Ellis!

Raul Villaronga — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 18:39:35 -0000

Watch out Demarcus Ware! 49ers QB Alex Smith may lay the wood to you like he did Greg Ellis!

TarHeel Paul and the Titans

Raul Villaronga — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 10:17:14 -0000

No, it's not a throw-back doo-wop band ... I wanted to give everyone an update on where we stand on the preseason game against the Tennessee Titans on August 21st.

If you are not sure what I'm referring to, you can check out Paul's post on the tragedy that his family has had to deal with.

BTB Bloggers have shown a generosity that makes me proud of this community. At this point, we have had one blogger step up and donate frequent flyer miles to take care of the flight and another use Marriott points to take care of the hotel room. Donations are going to a VISA gift card that will be at the check-in counter when Paul and Tammy arrive. I've given the hotel an authorization form to be used to cover room taxes and other fees that Marriott points do not cover - they tell me that should be about $50. That keeps Paul and Tammy from having to deal with any out of pocket expenses.

I'm also working on transportation to and from the airport since there is no shuttle to the hotel. I'll be sending Paul those arrangements once completed. Other than that, everything is in place.

I'm going to keep the link up through the end of Friday, in case anyone wants to contribute. That gives me enough time to get the VISA card and mail it to the hotel to be waiting for check-in. A huge thank you to those who have donated.

Again, thanks to everyone.

UPDATE: I've removed the donations button as I've sent the gift cards out. Thanks to everyone who donated.