Portal:American football/News/archive/July 2007

July 23 - NFL commissioner Roger Goodell orders Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick (pictured) not to report to training camp while he continues to face charges of illegal dog fighting and animal abuse. (AP via Yahoo)
July 17 - A state appeals court rules 2-1 that the San Francisco 49ers can pat down fans entering Monster Park. (ESPN)
July 17 - Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick and three others are indicted by a federal grand jury in connection with the Bad Newz Kennels dog fighting investigation.
July 15 - In the finals of the 2007 IFAF World Cup, the United States national American football team defeats Japan 23-20 in overtime.
June 29 - National Football League commissioner Roger Goodell announces that the league's European quasi-developmental league, NFL Europa, which is reported to be losing US$30 million annually, will be disbanded after sixteen seasons of play.
June 23 - At the Commerzbank-Arena in Frankfurt, Germany, the Hamburg Sea Devils, behind American quarterback Casey Bramlet, who passes for four touchdowns to earn most valuable player honors, defeat defending NFL Europa champion the Frankfurt Galaxy, 37-28, to win World Bowl XV.

At the Commerzbank-Arena (pictured) in Frankfurt, Germany, the Hamburg Sea Devils, behind American quarterback Casey Bramlet, who passes for four touchdowns to earn most valuable player honors, defeat defending NFL Europa champion the Frankfurt Galaxy, 37-28, to win World Bowl XV.
May 27: Three-year New England Patriots defensive end Marquise Hill dies in an accidental drowning in Lake Pontchartrain, just north of New Orleans, Louisiana.
May 23: Wide receiver and kick returner Keyshawn Johnson, the first overall selection in the 1996 NFL draft and a three-time Pro Bowl selection, announces his retirement from professional football after eleven National Football League seasons.
May 22: The National Football League announces that Super Bowl XLV, to be contested in 2011, will be played at the Dallas Cowboys New Stadium, then to have been constructed in Arlington, Texas.
May 2: Manitoba-born Chris Bauman of the University of Regina is made the first overall choice in the 2007 CFL draft by the Hamilton Tiger-Cats; Bauman becomes the first wide receiver selected number one overall since 1996 in the first draft in Canadian Football League history to be broadcast live to fans.

April 28: The 2007 National Football League Draft is held at Radio City Music Hall (pictured) in New York, New York, United States; the Oakland Raiders make Louisiana State University Tigers quarterback JaMarcus Russell the draft's first overall selection, whilst with the tenth selection the Houston Texans make University of Louisville Cardinals defensive tackle Amobi Okoye, aged 19 years, the youngest-ever NFL draftee.
April 28: The 2007 National Football League Draft is held at Radio City Music Hall in New York, New York, United States; the Oakland Raiders make Louisiana State University Tigers quarterback JaMarcus Russell the draft's first overall selection, whilst with the tenth selection the Houston Texans make University of Louisville Cardinals defensive tackle Amobi Okoye, aged 19 years, the youngest-ever NFL draftee.

April 15: Offensive guard Will Shields, across his fourteen seasons with the Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League twelve times a selection to the Pro Bowl, a starter during his career of 230 consecutive regular season and playoff games, and in view of his charitable work the 2003 Walter Payton Man of the Year Award winner, announces his retirement from professional football.
April 11: National Football League quarterback Drew Bledsoe, pictured, last of the Dallas Cowboys and since his being the first overall selection in the 1993 draft a starter also with the New England Patriots and Buffalo Bills and four times a selection to the Pro Bowl, announces his retirement from NFL; he finishes his career having thrown 251 touchdowns, more than any player save twelve.
April 10: Seven-and-one-half months into his tenure as commissioner of the National Football League, Roger Goodell levels sanctions for the first time consistent with the league's player conduct policy; Tennessee Titans cornerback and punt returner Pacman Jones, in view of his having been arrested five times since the league's 2005 draft, and Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Chris Henry, in view of his having pled guilty to four criminal offenses since 2005, are suspended respectively for all of and one-half of the 2007 season.
April 2: Danny McManus, a free agent acquisition of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in 1990 and ultimately therewith the winner of the 78th Grey Cup; a Grey Cup champion further in 1994 with the British Columbia Lions and in 1999 with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, in the latter as Grey Cup most valuable player; and the 1999 CFL most outstanding player and 2003 Rogers Fans' Choice Award joint winner, announces his retirement from professional play after 17 seasons, variously with the Blue Bombers, Lions, Tiger-Cats, Edmonton Eskimos, and Calgary Stampeders; he finishes his career placed second atop the list of CFLers by career passing yardage and as the leading passer by yardage in Lions history.
February 3: The class elected by the Board of Selectors for induction in 2007 into the Pro Football Hall of Fame is announced as comprising six former National Football League (NFL) players.
- Offensive guard Gene Hickerson, having across his fifteen seasons with the Cleveland Browns earned selection six times, betwixt 1965 and 1970 inclusive, to the Pro Bowl, been named to the NFL's 1960s All-Decade Team, been a member of an offensive line unit to have blocked for three running backs ultimately selected to the Hall—Jim Brown, Bobby Mitchell, and Leroy Kelly—and having helped the Browns to the 1964 NFL championship and four NFL Eastern Conference titles, is elected as a senior nominee.
- Wide receiver Michael Irvin, a first-round selection from the University of Miami by the Dallas Cowboys in the 1988 draft, having over his twelve seasons made 750 receptions for 11,904 yards, more than any player in league history save thirteen, and 65 touchdowns, having earned selection to the NFL 1990s All-Decade Team and to the Pro Bowl for the National Football Conference five times, and having won three Super Bowl rings, each with quarterback Troy Aikman and running back Emmitt Smith, inductees alongside Irvin into the Cowboys Ring of Honor in 2005, is elected in his third year of eligibility.
- Bruce Matthews, having over twenty seasons with the Houston Oilers franchise contested at least seventeen games at each of the five offensive line positions and having ultimately started 292 and played in 296 games—more than any positional player save Jerry Rice—including 229 consecutively—more than any other positional player, having been selected to the Pro Bowl for the American Football Conference fourteen times—nine as an offensive guard and five as a center—consecutively and been named an All-Pro nine times, and having been honored as a member of the NFL 1990s All-Decade Team, is elected in his first year of eligibility to become the first Tennessee Titan to earn enshirnement into the Hall.
- Tight end Charlie Sanders, having over his ten seasons with the Detroit Lions made 336 receptions for 4817 yards and 31 touchdowns, been selected seven times, including between 1968 and 1971 inclusive to the Pro Bowl, and been selected to the NFL's 1970s All-Decade Team, is elected, as Hickerson, as a senior nominee.
- Running back Thurman Thomas, having across his twelve seasons with the Buffalo Bills and one season with the Miami Dolphins gained 12,074 yards and scored 65 touchdowns on 2877 rushes and 4458 yards and 23 touchdowns on 472 receptions to place thirteenth on the enumeration of NFLers by career all-purpose yardage achieved and twelfth on the enumeration of NFLers by career rushing yardage achieved; having led the American Football Conference in rushing yardage in 1990, 1991, and 1993; having earned selection to the Pro Bowl five times and to the NFL's 1990s All-Decade Team; having been honored in 1991 as the NFL Most Valuable Player by the Associated Press (AP) and the Pro Football Writers Association of America and as the Offensive Player of the Year by the AP and the United Press International; having scored at least once in each of Super Bowls XXV, XXVI, XXVII, and XXVIII after having helped his team to four consecutive American Football Conference championships; and having in view of his performance with the Bills franchise been inducted into its Wall of Fame and had his jersey number retired, is elected after having in his first year of eligibility in 2006 advanced to the final round of ten.