Sports

Veteran defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul did not play in the NFL in 2024, but he says he's not retired and hoping some team gives him a chance this season.

Pierre-Paul told TMZ.com that he has been taking his training very seriously, is in good shape, and is ready to sign if a team reaches out.

"Anybody that gives me the opportunity, I’m ready to go and I'm ready to rock right now," Pierre-Paul said.

Pierre-Paul was a first-team All-Pro in 2011 and won two Super Bowl rings, but at age 36 it's unlikely that he has much left in the tank. The last time he played was in 2023, and he got on the field for only a handful of snaps while spending time with the Saints and Dolphins.

It's possible that some team that could use a veteran addition on its defensive line will call him and give him a chance to earn a roster spot, but at this point a successful comeback would have to be viewed as a long shot.

The Senate Commerce Committee has proceeded with a hearing on the pivot from sports broadcasting to streaming, without any involvement by the NFL. (Commissioner Roger Goodell declined an invitation to appear.)

In his opening comments, Committee Chairman Ted Cruz (D-Tex.) made a pointed comment about the NFL. He said the league has been "tiptoeing up to" the line that protects college and high school football from being diluted by pro football.

The line appears in the Sports Broadcasting Act of 1960, which gave the NFL a broadcast antitrust exemption with one key concession — the NFL cannot broadcast games from the second weekend in September through the second weekend in December on Friday night or Saturday.

“One growing concern is that the NFL has used its special exemption in the SBA to the frustration of college and high school football schedulers," Cruz said, via a transcript provided by the Committee. "For example, the SBA explicitly excludes antitrust protection for the NFL if broadcasting a game on a Friday night or a Saturday between mid-September to mid-December. That’s to protect the interests of high school and college football, and ultimately, their fans who are no doubt also followers of the NFL. 

 “The NFL has tiptoed up to this rule, now putting a game on streaming on Black Friday afternoon, which used to be a slot reserved for prominent college football rivalries, including in some years, Texas and Texas A&M. There are millions of sports fans who like being able to follow high school, college, and professional football without having to choose amongst them. And it’s partly why Congress wrote the SBA in the manner it did."

Cruz mentioned only the Black Friday game, which starts at 3:00 p.m. ET and ideally ends before the 6:00 p.m. ET witching hour, in support of his observation. The league also has started streaming games on the first Friday of September, when the first Friday coincides with the first week of the NFL season — and clearly conflicts with high school football.

There has been speculation that, with the Republican party controlling the White House and Congress, the NFL may press for revisions to the SBA that would eliminate the Friday night and/or Saturday exception. Given that a prominent Republican senator seems to be firmly in favor of enforcing the limits of the current law, Cruz likely would be against allowing the NFL to broadcast games within the current window that is regarded as off-limits.

The broader question is whether streaming fits within the SBA at all. That could be a question for the courts. Or it could become a subject for further legislation.

Today's hearing seems to be a step toward considering something that would counter the exodus of live pro sports from free TV to pay TV.

We'll continue to monitor the hearing for anything related to the NFL. You can watch it here, assuming you have consumed the appropriate amount of coffee and/or Red Bull.

Two former teammates will now be competing to buy a piece of the team for which they played.

Sportico reports that Hall of Fame defensive end Michael Strahan plans to make a bid for the 10-percent stake that the Giants are looking to sell. Strahan will partner with billionaire Marc Lasry in the effort to come up with the $750 million (or more) needed to buy one tenth of the team.

Former Giants quarterback Eli Manning, who inevitably will join Strahan in Canton, has a separate bid in the works. He reportedly had “preliminary conversations" about joining Strahan’s group, but Eli ultimately decided to go it alone.

The Strahan-Lasry combo is the latest example of the newest dynamic when it comes to minority NFL ownership, sparked by the ever-skyrocket value of teams. A rich guy with significant name recognition in league circles combines with a really rich guy with no existing pro football footprint to come up with the cash necessary to do the deal.

Presumably, the Giants are looking for market value for the interest they're selling. Raiders owner Mark Davis opted to give Tom Brady a steep discount for the value of his involvement in football operations. Most owners won't leave that many millions on the table, when they can hire proven football executives for far, far less than that. Especially not for a player who never played for the team.

In New York, where both Strahan and Manning have their numbers retired (unless and until the Giants draft a player who asks to wear it), the Giants likely won't be retiring the age-old habit of seeking the best deal possible for what they are selling.