Emmy-nominated “NFL Turning Point” renewed for 2012, 2013 & 2014 seasons

Dan Patrick returns as host

Show to air throughout NFL playoffs with four episodes added per season

Emmy Award-nominated NFL Turning Point, the NBC Sports Network’s program that utilizes NFL Films’ unprecedented access to examine the turning point of high-profile NFL games every week, has been renewed for the 2012, 2013 and 2014 seasons with more episodes added to allow the program to air throughout the NFL playoffs, NFL Films and the NBC Sports Group announced today.

With Football Night in America’s Dan Patrick returning as host, the 60-minute NFL Turning Point will make its 2012 season debut on Wednesday, September 12, and will air a total of 22 episodes, running weekly on Wednesday nights at 10 p.m. ET throughout the entire NFL season, including the playoffs and Super Bowl. The season finale, scheduled to air on Wednesday, February 6, 2013, will look back at the turning point of Super Bowl XLVII. During last year’s inaugural season, NFL Turning Point aired 18 times, primarily on Thursday nights and only aired one program during the playoffs, which was the week prior to the Super Bowl.

“We were so pleased with NFL Turning Point’s quality and performance during its inaugural year that we worked with our partners at NFL Films to increase the number of episodes this year, allowing fans to watch the show throughout the NFL playoffs,” said Jon Miller, president, programming, NBC Sports and NBC Sports Network. “NFL Turning Point is a cornerstone of the NBC Sports Network’s new original programming and representative of our commitment to the highest quality production standards. The Emmy Award nomination for the show’s first season is validation of that commitment and a tribute to our partners at NFL Films, who are true master storytellers.”

Said NFL Films President Steve Sabol, “Last year we had a great rookie season, but as Paul Brown once told me, ‘In the NFL, the biggest jump comes between the first and second year.’ We hope NFL Turning Point makes that type of leap this fall.”

Following its debut season, NFL Turning Point was nominated for Outstanding Edited Sports Series/Anthology in March by the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. The Sports Emmys will be awarded this Monday night in New York City.

Each week, NFL Films utilizes its unprecedented access to cover games in its traditional behind-the-scenes, award-winning style. The crucial moment in each game — its turning point — is examined in-depth and from all angles using NFL Films’ unmatched cinematography, sideline and on-field audio as well as postgame access to players and coaches.

33 NFL Greats to Announce Second & Third Round Draft Picks in Primetime; One Fan to Help Announce Pick of His/Her Favorite Team

The National Football League announced that 33 legendary NFL alumni, one representing each team and two representing the St. Louis Rams, will announce live on Friday, April 27, second- and third-round Draft picks from Radio City Music Hall.  This continues a successful program that began last year in which each selection in the second round is announced by a former player.

The NFL alumni scheduled to be on-hand to make the announcements from the podium feature six Pro Football Hall of Famers, including two from the Class of 2012.

For the complete release and list of players, click here

NFL Community Events During Draft Week 2012

DRAFT PROSPECTS, COMMISSIONER GOODELL, CURRENT AND FORMER NFL PLAYERS JOIN AREA YOUTH FOR NFL PLAY 60 YOUTH FOOTBALL FESTIVAL DURING DRAFT WEEK

Players will team with area students from New York and New Jersey to help kids stay active for 60 minutes a day, as part of the NFL PLAY 60 youth health and fitness campaign. Students will learn NFL FLAG drills from USA Football coaches and participate in drills with players.  

 NFL Draft prospects and Commissioner Goodell will join in the festivities on Wednesday, April 25. The Draft prospects will lead local students in a youth football clinic on Wednesday morning, followed by a media availability at the clinic fields. Those credentialed to cover the 2012 NFL Draft may pick up their credential at this event from 9:00-10:30AM.

For more information, click here

NFL DRAFT PROSPECTS TO VISIT WITH CHILDREN AT THE MOUNT SINAI MEDICAL CENTER

NFL Draft prospects will visit with pediatric patients in the Kravis Children’s Hospital at The Mount Sinai Medical Center.  Players and the patients will meet in ‘The Zone,’ a state-of-the-art therapeutic play and educational environment for children and families funded by Troy Aikman, Garth Brooks and others in the Kravis Children’s Hospital. 

Children will have a chance to interview the future NFL standouts in the KidsZone/TV studios. 

For more infomation, click here

2012 NFL Draft – All in the Family

Every year, many players join the National Football League from families rich in athletic tradition. Here is a sampling of draft prospects who had family members compete at either the collegiate or professional level in the world of sports.

For the complete release, click here

2012 NFL Schedule Announced

– 2012 Schedules Available on NFL.com and NFL Mobile –

The NFL announced today its 17-week, 256-game regular-season schedule for 2012, which kicks off on Wednesday night, September 5 and concludes on Sunday, December 30 with 16 division games.

The season begins with the NFL’s annual primetime kickoff game. The opener on September 5 on NBC (8:30 PM ET) will feature the defending-champion New York Giants hosting the division-rival Dallas Cowboys at MetLife Stadium. In a format introduced in 2004, the Super Bowl champion annually hosts the NFL season opener.

NBC’s Sunday Night Football will get underway on September 9 when the Denver Broncos host the Pittsburgh Steelers (8:20 PM ET) in a rematch of last season’s Wild Card playoff thriller.

Among the highlights of Kickoff Weekend are six division games, including a pair on Monday night, September 10.  ESPN’s Monday Night Football doubleheader will feature the AFC North’s Cincinnati Bengals at the Baltimore Ravens (7:00 PM ET) followed by the AFC West’s Oakland Raiders hosting the San Diego Chargers (10:15 PM ET). 

For the remainder of the season, ESPN will televise one game each Monday night in Weeks 2-15 and a Saturday-night contest in Week 16. There will be no Monday night game on the final regular-season weekend (Week 17) to provide more flexibility to the scheduling of the opening weekend of the NFL playoffs.

For the complete release and schedule, click here

2012 NFL schedule announced tomorrow at 7:00 PM ET exclusively on NFL.com & NFL Network

Record Three-Hour NFL Network Special Breaks Down 2012 NFL Schedule 

NFL.com Unveils Complete Team-by-Team, Week-by-Week Schedules & Presents Movie Trailers Previewing Top Matchups 

Who will quarterback Peyton Manning face in his Denver Broncos debut? When will the top picks in next week’s NFL Draft play in their first NFL games? Which teams will kick off NFL Network’s expanded 13-game Thursday Night Football schedule in Week 2?

These questions and many more will be answered when the 2012 NFL schedule is released in primetime, exclusively on NFL.com and NFL Network on Tuesday, April 17 at 7:00 PM ET. NFL Network will feature a record three-hour special 2012 Schedule Release Show Presented by Verizon with host Rich Eisen and analysts Marshall Faulk, Michael Irvin, Kurt Warner and Steve Mariucci. The schedule show will also feature special guests.

For fans who want to see their team’s entire schedule immediately, NFL.com is the place to go on Tuesday at 7:00 PM ET. NFL.com will be the first website with complete team-by-team and weekly schedules of all 256 regular-season games, listing opponents, sites and times on a new schedule page that integrates social media and video highlights. Additionally, NFL.com features movie-like trailers previewing the top games on the schedule, sponsored by DirecTV.

Provided below is preview link of one of the movie-like trailers that will be available on NFL.com:

http://ftp2.nflfilmstv.com/filmsint/ftp-inet/Preview/000_broncos_vs_patriots_trailer_700k.mp4

During the three-hour 2012 Schedule Release Show Presented by Verizon, Eisen, Faulk, Irvin, Warner and Mariucci will break down the 2012 regular season schedule, pinpoint “Hot Spots” in the schedule identifying the top games each week, and provide their Super Bowl XLVII predictions. Additionally, the analysts will examine all 13 games that will be part of NFL Network’s expanded Thursday Night Football schedule, featuring Emmy nominated game analyst Mike Mayock, play-by-play announcer Brad Nessler and sideline reporter Alex Flanagan.

Throughout the show, fans can interact with the analysts and voice their opinions on the 2012 NFL schedule by posing questions via Twitter (@nflnetwork) and Facebook (facebook.com/nflnetwork).

NFL.com’s Fantasy Editor Michael Fabiano provides an early scouting report on which players fantasy users should target in the draft and which ones have favorable schedules come playoff time.

For complete analysis of the 2012 schedule, NFL.com writers have it covered from every angle, providing Super Bowl predictions, the best primetime matchups and each team’s strength of schedule.

Similar to NFL Network’s coverage of the NFL Draft and NFL Scouting Combine, the 2012 Schedule Release Show Presented by Verizon is another opportunity for fans to connect with the NFL and see for the first time where, when, and what time their favorite teams will play next season, as well as to analyze and debate the NFL schedule.

NFL Network airs seven days a week, 24 hours a day on a year-round basis. For more information, log onto www.nfl.com/nflnetwork. NFL.com is produced by the National Football League and is the most popular sports league website.

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Unmatched talent roster of analysts, reporters & college coaches converge for NFL Network & NFL.com’s 2012 NFL Draft coverage

48 Hours of Live “Draft Week” Coverage from New York City Kicks Off Monday, April 23

NFL Network Draft Analyst Mike Mayock Debuts his First – and Only – Mock Draft Wednesday, April 25 at 8:00 PM ET — Features Interviews with Top Prospects Andrew Luck & Robert Griffin III

LSU’s Les Miles & Stanford’s David Shaw Join On-Air Broadcast Team from Radio City Thursday – Saturday

NFL.com Follows Top Prospects Matt Kalil & Justin Blackmon Throughout Their Draft Journey

For the seventh consecutive year – and third in primetime – NFL Network and NFL.com descend upon Radio City Music Hall in New York City for wall-to-wall coverage of the 77th annual NFL Draft Thursday, April 26 – Saturday, April 28. With an extensive roster of analysts, reporters and college head coaches, NFL Network and NFL.com’s live coverage kicks off with the first round Thursday at 8:00 PM ET, followed by Rounds 2-3 Friday at 7:00 PM ET and Rounds 4-7 Saturday at 12 Noon ET.

Live draft day coverage on Thursday and Friday begins at 11:00 AM ET with two-hour editions of Path to the Draft, followed by the 2012 NFL Draft Kickoff pre-draft show. Saturday’s live coverage kicks off at 10:00 AM ET.

NFL Network draft expert Mike Mayock headlines the on-air talent roster which will provide 48 hours of live “Draft Week” coverage beginning Monday, April 23. Tabbed the “most authoritative draft analyst on television” by Sports Illustrated, Mayock introduces the NFL’s next generation of talent to a new audience with a keen eye and proven track record. Additionally, NFL Network’s stable of former players such as Michael Irvin, Marshall Faulk, and Kurt Warner, former front office executives Michael Lombardi and Charley Casserly, and former NFL head coaches Steve Mariucci and Brian Billick have the draft covered from every angle with expert analysis gained from several years of NFL experience. 

Joining NFL Network’s on-air talent roster throughout the three-day showcase are LSU head coach Les Miles and Stanford head coach David Shaw. Miles and Shaw provide analysis of each of their former players during NFL Network’s pre-draft coverage on Thursday and Friday, and join the main set at Radio City Music Hall on Saturday to provide scouting reports on the players selected. If the Indianapolis Colts select Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck with the top choice, Shaw would be the first college head coach to work the draft on television as his player is picked first overall.

Below is an overview of NFL Network and NFL.com’s all-encompassing coverage of the 2012 NFL Draft.

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Discipline Upheld In Saints Bounty Matter; Financial Penalties For Individuals Could Be Reduced

The New Orleans Saints, along with General Manager Mickey Loomis, Head Coach Sean Payton, and Assistant Head Coach Joe Vitt, were notified today that after careful consideration of their appeals, Commissioner Roger Goodell has upheld the discipline that was imposed for continuing violations of the league’s anti-bounty rule that endangered player safety over a three-year period.

The club and the individuals will be expected to cooperate in any further proceedings and to assist in the development and implementation of programs to instruct players and coaches at all levels on principles of player safety, fair play, and sportsmanship.

If they embrace the opportunity and participate in a constructive way, Commissioner Goodell said he would consider mitigating the financial penalties on the individuals. In the case of the team, the commissioner would consider whether there are factors that would support modifying the forfeiture of the team’s 2013 second-round draft choice.

Sean Payton’s suspension without pay for the 2012 NFL season will begin on April 16.

The suspensions without pay of Mickey Loomis for eight games and Joe Vitt for six games will begin at the end of the preseason.

At the conclusion of their suspensions, the commissioner will review the status of each of the three individuals to determine their eligibility for reinstatement.

2012 Preseason Schedule Announced; National TV Games Feature 2011 Playoff Field

The NFL’s slate of 12 nationally televised preseason games will feature the entire 2011 playoff field, one of the highlights of the 65-game 2012 NFL preseason schedule announced today. 

The 2012 preseason will kick off on Sunday, August 5 (NFL Network, 8:00 PM ET) in Canton, Ohio when the Arizona Cardinals face the New Orleans Saints in the Pro Football Hall of Fame Game. 

The Super Bowl XLVI champion New York Giants will be showcased on national TV when the club faces the Chicago Bears on Friday, August 24 (CBS, 8:00 PM ET) at MetLife Stadium.

For the complete 2012 preseason schedule , click here

NFL and Green Bay Packers Commend Wisconsin Legislature on AB 259, Aimed at Protecting Young Athletes

The NFL and Green Bay Packers hosted today a bill-signing ceremony for AB 259, the Sidelined for Safety Act, at Lambeau Field today.  The bill protects young athletes and fosters head injury awareness in youth sports.

The law will prevent students from returning to play until they are without symptoms and have been cleared by a health care provider who has been trained in the evaluation and management of concussion and head injuries. In addition, it requires education for coaches, youth athletes and their parents or guardian on the signs and treatment of head injuries.

The NFL and Green Bay Packers actively supported the passage of this law. 

“Today’s bill signing represents a big victory for all youth athletes throughout the state,” said MARK MURPHY, Packers President and CEO. “The law reflects the concussion management and return-to-play guidelines that apply in the NFL.  We apply one simple rule: medical decisions must always come before competitive ones.  No exceptions.”

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