The Chiefs find themselves at 1-7 and have now played eight full games and have yet to hold a lead at any point this season. Their only victory came on the final play of overtime against the New Orleans Saints in Week 3 when Succop hit a 31-yard game-winning field go

Ouch...

"Listen up, you f–kers. Put your trays up and buckle your seat belt or I’ll come f–king do it myself."

"Before we get into that, some stuff just needs to be said," Rodgers said. "First of all, I’ve got to do something that the NFL is not going to do, and I have to apologize to the fans. Our sport is generated, a multi-billion dollar machine, by people who pay good money to come watch us play. And the product on the field is not being complemented by an appropriate set of officials. The games are getting out of control. Like I said in the first week, I’m OK with replacement refs as long as they don’t have a direct impact on the game. Obviously last night there was a direct impact on the game on multiple plays. But my thing is I just feel bad for the fans. They pay good money to watch this. The game is being tarnished by an NFL that obviously cares more about saving some money than having the integrity of the game diminished."

What would it take to end the officials' lockout? My colleague Peter King wrote today that the gap between what officials want and what the NFL is offering is around $3.3 million per season.

Gosh. That is a big number, isn't it? I don't know how the NFL is supposed to come up with $3.3 million every year ... hey, wait, I just stumbled upon this little news item: The NFL recently signed nine-year agreements with Fox, NBC and CBS that are worth $3 billion a year.

I'm no accountant, but I do have a calculator on my computer. It looks to me like the NFL could settle this dispute for the cost of 0.0011 percent of its annual TV take. That is an outrageously high number, of course. I don't think the NFL should completely cave -- this is, after all, a negotiation.

The NFL can start by generously offering 0.0004 percent of its annual TV revenue, then bump it up to 0.0006 percent of its annual TV revenue, and can probably get an agreement for close to 0.00085 percent of its annual TV revenue.

I'm guessing there, but I mean, the officials want to work. I don't think they will be stubborn and insist on that entire, enormous 0.0011 percent of the NFL's annual TV revenue. I think they could walk away from this with that 0.00085 percent of the NFL's annual TV revenue and feel pretty good about themselves.

And then, if the NFL can somehow find a way to sell a few jerseys and tickets and beers and hot dogs and parking spots ... well, the officials wouldn't get a dime of that. Then maybe the NFL could finally turn a profit. What a relief that would be.

A source close to the locked-out referees told NFL.com and NFL Network reporter Albert Breer that the NFLRA reached out to the league last Friday, and the talks commenced on Tuesday night after the incidents on the "Monday Night Football" game between the Denver Broncos and Atlanta Falcons.

I don't want to go to places any more in my coaching career where I'm not in charge. I'm not Big Bird, I'm Wyatt Earp. You want to clean the town up? Hire Wyatt Earp."

Of course, Roger Goodell thinks he doesn't have to abide by standards of the rule of law, but it sure doesn't look good for the integrity of the NFL to make decisions based on conflicting, questionable evidence.

RT @JonVilma51 The nfl has 1 affidavit saying i did it. I have NINE saying i didnt. Do the math. Hush haters.

Vilma tweeted on Monday night that Williams was ''bullied to sign the affidavit,'' saying Williams signed it on Friday.

The Saints could still having a winning season, still make the playoffs, and maybe even still win the Super Bowl and I could write that novel I’ve been thinking about or win an academy award, or run a triathlon. NOT HAPPENING.