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POSTED 8:41 p.m. EST, January 15, 2007

MARTY, A.J. MEETING TUESDAY?

A reader tells us that there are reports coming out of San Diego that Chargers G.M. A.J. Smith and head coach (for now) Marty Schottenheimer will meet on Tuesday.

It's unlikely that they'll be bowling or fishing or doing anything that two people who, you know, like each other might do.

John Czarnecki of FOX Sports reported last week that Schottenheimer would be fired if the Chargers lost on Sunday at home to the Patriots. The unlikely defeat, in which the Chargers arguably outplayed the Pats in every aspect of the game expect the one that actually matters, featured blunders from the players and from the coach.

POSTED 7:30 p.m. EST; LAST UPDATED 8:29 p.m. EST, January 15, 2007

SON OF MARTY BOWS OUT OF MIAMI GIG

Len Pasquarelli of ESPN.com reports that Jets offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer has withdrawn his name from consideration for the head-coaching job in Miami.

The move has sparked speculation from league observers that Brian is clearing out in anticipation that his father, Chargers coach Marty Schottenheimer, will lose his current job -- and then make a run at the Dolphins' position.

And would it be overly cynical of us to wonder whether Brian has been serving an a straw man of sorts for Marty's candidacy, staking out a spot for him and keeping it warm until the old man is available to step in?

Even if that's not what's happening, the timeline invites such questions. On Sunday, Marty's team gets knocked out of the playoffs. On Monday, Brian pulls his name out of the running.

'HAWKS LIED ABOUT HASSELBECK

Seahawks quarterback Matt Hasselbeck revealed on Monday that he played in eight games with broken fingers. Specifically, he suffered non-displaced fractures of two fingers during a game against the Packers on November 27.

That was in Week 12. The problem? Apart from being listed as "probable" in Week 13 with a "left hand" issue, Hasslebeck never appeared on the injury report again.

But "probable" essentially is a mere acknowledgement of the existence of the injury, since the formal definition is that the player is virtually certain to be available for normal duty. So if Hasselbeck played six additional games with broken fingers, his condition at a minimum merited a "probable."

What will happen about this, you ask? By all rights, the league office should smack the 'Hawks for violating the letter and the spirit of the rules. But, in our assessment, the chances of getting popped for lying about injuries drop dramatically if the injury can be successfully concealed beyond the team's final game.

Take last year, for example, when Pats quarterback Tom Brady played most of the season with a sports hernia. The condition never was disclosed. And the Pats were not punished.

The prior year, folks scoffed at our report that Jets quarterback Chad Pennington had a torn rotator cuff. When the team admitted after the season ended that Pennington had indeed sustained such an injury, the league imposed no sanction.

We're starting to think, frankly, that the league looks the other way when disclosures like this are made because to whack the perpetrators would be to highlight the fact that the injury reporting system is far from perfect.

And if it's far from perfect, it means that there's a real benefit for gamblers and other shady characters to cozy up to folks who might be in possession of the accurate information.

Those defending the system might argue that there was no wrongdoing because, in each case, the player who was not listed as injured actually played. But we think that the matter is more complex than that. Playing and playing effectively are two different issues. The fact that Seahawks coach Mike Holmgren is now attributing Hasselbeck's subpar play to the broken fingers means that condition should have been revealed, so that bettors -- and fantasy owners -- could have taken that information into account.

The teams, of course, don't want to be truthful about injuries, because they don't want already impaired body parts of key players to be targeted. And the teams will continue to cover these things up unless and until a real penalty is imposed against someone for doing so.

We wouldn't bet on it happening.

MONDAY NIGHT ONE-LINERS

Broncos tight ends coach Tim Brewster will be the new coach at the University of Minnesota. (The Meathead campaigned a bit for the job, but he never was regarded as a serious contender.)

Vikings defensive coordinator Mike Tomlin is a finalist for the Steelers job.

The Buckeyes are losing WR Ted Ginn and RB Antonio Pittman.

Jerry Reese officially has been named the G.M. of the Giants.

Joe Philbin will run the Packers offense.

POSTED 5:04 p.m. EST, January 15, 2007

WEIS BUYOUT? $21 MILLION

Peter King of Sports Illustrated reports in his weekly Monday Morning Quarterback column that the contract between Notre Dame and coach Charlie Weis contains a whopping $21 million buyout if Weis were to bolt to the NFL.

King describes the number as "rock-solid, no-exceptions."

Prior published reports suggested that the number is a large one; King is the first one to track down a specific figure.

And a provision like this is the answer to all of the questions we've received recently regarding the ability of guys like the Nicktator and Falcons coach Bobby Placebo (thanks to the reader who suggested the nickname) to disregard the balance of a contract with a pro or college team.

Nick Saban requested a term that allowed him to leave the Dolphins for a college program without financial penalty. Placebo did the same thing at Louisville.

It's a matter of basic contract negotiation. With Weis, the Irish were willing to give him a very long-term extension (based on only a handful of games coached at the time) in exchange for his agreement to include the monstrous buyout provision.

Of course, based on the performance of Notre Dame in 2006, we're not sure anyone would really want Weis at this point. Also, don't forget that there's still a fairly strong (and primarily subconscious) bias among NFL owners regarding portly coaches, and Weis is still on the large side despite gastric bypass surgery that nearly claimed his life.

POSTED 4:43 p.m. EST, January 15, 2007

NEUHEISEL NEW OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR IN BALTIMORE

In a development which indicates that Brian Billick won't be fired following Saturday's disappointing playoff loss to the Colts, the Ravens have announced that Rick Neuheisel will be the team's offensive coordinator in 2007.

Billick, however, will continue to call the plays.

The eight-year head coach took over the duties of calling the plays after firing Jim Fassel. The move worked well, propelling the Ravens to a 9-1 mark over their final 10 games.

Neuheisel has served as the Ravens' quarterbacks coach. He also was the head coach at Colorado and the University of Washington.

POSTED 3:55 p.m. EST, January 15. 2007

STRAHAN GOING BONKOS?

The Associated Press reports that police were called to a northern New Jersey home on Sunday in connection with a dispute between Giants defensive end Michael Strahan and his ex-wife, Jean.

The AP says that the problem arose regarding child custody issues. But why do we have a feeling that, when Strahan arrived, Jean mimed a jump shot?

On Friday, a judge ruled that Strahan must pay his wife a whopping $15.3 million under a prenuptial agreement, which required him to give her everything but his manhood. (However, as a practical matter, she now possesses that, too.)

We really hate to say this, but unless those two are forced to live on opposite sides of the country, we can envision in about 10 or 15 years a trial involving testimony from Subway's Jared regarding what he heard while sucking down chicken teriyaki sandwiches from his guest room in Strahan's basement.

POSTED 3:44 p.m. EST, January 15, 2007

PETERSON TURNING PRO

Days after indignantly denying reports that he plans to pass on his final year of eligibility and enter the NFL draft, Oklahoma running back Adrian Peterson is . . . passing on his final year of eligibility and entering the NFL draft.

We've talked to two scouts who have Peterson pegged as a top-eight pick. But, financially, there's a big difference between being in the top ten and being in the top three. Just ask Matt Leinart.

Peterson's final position will depend on the specific needs of the teams doing the drafting, and the performance of the candidates in the run-up to the draft. With a stellar workout, he easily could be a top-five pick.

Peterson broke his collarbone performing an unnecessary Madden dive into the end zone, at a time when he was the presumptive favorite to win the Heisman trophy.

POSTED 3:37 p.m. EST, January 15, 2007

HENNING GETS THE HEAVE-HO

Two weeks after their season of lofty expectations ended without a postseason appearance, the Carolina Panthers have fired offensive coordinator Dan Henning and two other assistants.

Also gone are offensive line coach Mike Maser and defensive backs coach Rod Perry.

The dismissal of Henning is significant, in our view, because it's a clear sign that the same-old won't get it done in Charlotte in 2007, and it likewise is a not-so-subtle hint that coach John Fox is on the hot seat.

Fox took the Panthers to the Super Bowl three years ago and to the NFC title game in 2005. Most league observers think that this team has to talent to do better. And if a lack of talent isn't the problem, then it's the coaching that's keeping the team from reaching its potential.

POSTED 1:03 p.m. EST, January 15, 2007

CAPERS HASN'T SIGNED HIS EXTENSION

A league source tells us that Fins defensive coordinator Dom Capers has yet to sign the contract extension that recently was negotiated.

Per the source, Capers is dragging his feet on the three-year, $8 million package because he wants to see what else might be out there before committing himself. The Giants, for example, are looking for a defensive coordinator. And other spots might come open as more shuffling occurs.

With all that said, who's gonna offer Capers $2.7 million a year for a position other than head coach? Sorry, Dom, but we respectfully suggest moving some of the black ink from the squirrel perched atop your skull to the signature line of that contract. Now.

POSTED 12:18 p.m. EST; UPDATED 12:48 p.m. EST, January 15, 2007

GAILEY, SON-OF-MARTY ARE THE FINS' FAVORITES

As the Miami Dolphins embark on a second round of interviews with the five finalists for their head-coaching gig, we're told that the frontrunners are Georgia Tech coach Chan Gailey and Jets offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer.

Our guess? Gailey will be the preferred choice, because the head-coaching job apparently (based on the things Pete Carroll said last week) will still entail full if not total control over the football operations. Schottenheimer is simply too young and inexperienced to wield such power, with only one year as an offensive coordinator under his belt.

And we're not ruling out in any way an eventual baton-passing from Gailey to Coach Chin, whether it's in 2008, 2009, or thereafter. The table will be set in South Florida for Cowher to return, and with the absence of a salary cap for coaching staffs owner Wayne Huizenga likely can get all of the chefs to co-exist by filling their pockets with lots of cash.

Based on published reports, the five finalists are Gailey, Schottenheimer, Vikings defensive coordinator Mike Tomlin, former Falcons coach Jim Mora, and Chargers offensive coordinator Cam Cameron. Cameron is also expected to be a favorite to replace Marty Schottenheimer, if the veteran coach is dumped by the Chargers. If that happens, Marty could take Cameron's spot on the Dolphins' dance card.

Stay tuned.

L.T. OPENS THE DOOR TO "CLASS" SCRUTINY

One of the realities of this new digital Internet age thing in which we now live is that most things any person with a public profile has ever done or said in public view are instantly available. Publicly.

With Chargers running back LaDainian Tomlinson suddenly the self-appointed hall monitor regarding matters of "class" in the NFL, a reader has sent us this photo of L.T., taken during training camp of 2005.

So, under L.T.'s view of football etiquette, we suppose it's okay to wear a shirt that says the Raiders or any other team on the Chargers' schedule sucks, as long as you don't wear it on the field, right after beating the team to which the shirt refers.

And we suppose it's okay to announce that you plan to "punch" the opposing quarterback "right in his mouth", but not to comment on whether you were successful at it.

POSTED 11:54 a.m. EST, January 15, 2007

REESE TO BE NAMED G.M. TODAY

A league source tells us that the New York Giants are expected on Monday to announce a move that pretty much everyone expects them to make.

Jerry Reese will be named the team's next General Manager.

The move, however, was far from the no-brainer that some thought it would be. Reese was the hand-picked successor to Ernie Accorsi, but ownership opted to consider other options before pulling the trigger. Former Texans and Redskins G.M. Charley Casserly was interviewed (and we continue to hear that it was more than a courtesy session), as were several other in-house possibilities.

A week ago, the Giants requested permission to interview Patriots V.P. of player personnel Scott Pioli for the job -- and to the surprise of many the Pats said "okay." But Pioli, to the even bigger surprise of many more, opted to stay put.

Most league observers concluded that Reese would get the job a couple of days later, when it was announced that coach Tom Coughlin would be back for 2007. The thinking was/is that the ownership group wouldn't tie the hands of a new G.M. in this way.

The Giants are owned jointly by the Mara and Tisch families. The conventional wisdom was that the Maras wanted to stay in the building, and that the Tisches wanted to look elsewhere.

POSTED 11:40 a.m. EST, January 15, 2007

CHARGERS HAVE A SHORT MEMORY

Amid complaints from running back LaDainian Tomlinson and other members of the San Diego Chargers that the New England Patriots celebrated too fervently their unlikely victory over the 14-2 Bolts on Sunday, we've been reminded of the Chargers reaction to a similarly unlikely win from a year ago.

In New England.

After thumping the Pats by the score of 41-17 and shattering the team's 21-game home winning streak, the Chargers were not exactly humble.

"That's a [butt]-whipping," said defensive coordinator Wade Phillips in an article penned by Tom Curran, who at the time wrote for the Providence Journal and who now works for NBCSports.com.

Cornerback Drayton Florence (or is it Florence Drayton?) was less tactful: "F--k New England and their team," he said, before turning to a "collection of onlookers" and adding: "Get the look of shock off your faces. Don't be shocked. We beat your [butt]."

So, you know, maybe a few of the Pats were remembering the way that the Chargers handled themselves in 2005.

And if L.T. is going to get bent out of shape because his opponents do this kind of stuff, we'd like to hear what he's been doing to persuade his teammates not to act that way, either.

Frankly, there aren't many NFL teams that can claim to be, top to bottom, the modern-day equivalent of Fred Blassie. So none of them should ever be bitching when another squad does what they've surely done themselves at some point in the not-so-distant past.

POSTED 8:47 a.m. EST; UPDATED 9:11 a.m. EST, January 15, 2007

CARROLL-TO-CHARGERS COMING?

We've gotten an uncorroborated tip from one of our friends in the media regarding the possibility that the San Diego Chargers will immediately target USC coach Pete Carroll if, as has been reported, Marty Schottenheimer is fired on Monday.

The talk is that Carroll would want control over the football operations, which means that G.M. A.J. Smith would have to take a back seat.

But we think, frankly, that the Chargers should take it one step farther and send Smith out the door with Schottenheimer. Smith has done a decent job of acquiring talent, but in a quest to build a winner Smith has picked up more than his share of losers, as evidenced by the string of arrests and other embarrassments this season.

There's also a rumor that Carroll wants $7 million per year to make the jump to the NFL from USC, and that if the move is made it will happen "real quick."

But keep this in mind. Under the Rooney Rule, it can't happen as fast as Carroll or the Chargers might like. Instead, the Spanoseses must interview at least one minority candidate before hiring Carroll. And if the available minority candidates believe that Carroll is getting the job, it might be hard to convince one or more of them to sit for the job.

L.T. TAKES SWIPE AT BELICHICK

The guy whom many have suggested should be the face of the NFL showed a little of his ass on Sunday.

Chargers running back LaDainian Tomlinson appeared to be pissed off about something as he left the field following the Patriots' stunning come-from-behind win in San Diego. He was asked about the situation in the locker room.

"[Y]es, I was upset," Tomlinson said. "Very upset. When you go to the middle of our field and you start doing the dance that Shawne Merriman is known for, that's disrespectful to me and I can't sit there and watch that. And so yeah, I was very upset. And just the fact the way they showed no class at all, absolutely no class, and maybe it comes from the head coach. There you have it."

No class? Hey, L.T., maybe it's just us, but we haven't seen many news items this year about Patriots players taking nandro or buying up the key ingreidient for "purple drank" and shipping it to Houston or getting into shoot-outs with cops or being investigated for importing knock-off athletic shoes that would then be sold to U.S. suckers at full price or driving drunk or doing any of the other things that various members of your team did this year.

And we're not defending Bill Belichick here. We don't like the whole cut-off hoodie look, and not many others do. Though we think that too much was made of him grabbing that photographer last week after beating the Jets, it definitely was something he shouldn't have done.

But there's never been a question about the Patriots being anything other than classy.

So does mimicking Shawne Merriman's "lights out" dance cross the line after the Pats turned the "lights out" on the Chargers' season? What the hell is the difference between the two? Is L.T. saying it's okay for Merriman to show up an opponent with that Tourette's patient on speed routine after making a play because he thought it up first?

It's a stupid argument, and it was a stupid thing for Tomlinson to say.

He wasn't upset because the Patriots were celebrating, he was upset because the Chargers lost, and because his storybook season ended a couple of chapters short.

And there may be an epilogue in this one, in Hawaii. If the Pats should lose to the Colts next week, the head coach of L.T.'s team will be Bill Belichick.

POSTED 8:24 a.m. EST, January 15, 2007

GRIMM IN LINE FOR THE STEELERS GIG?

With Steelers offensive coordinator Ken Whisenhunt now out of the way because he'll be coaching the (gulp) Cardinals, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette says that Steelers offensive line coach Russ Grimm could be named the successor to Coach Chin by the end of the week.

The sudden clarity of the coaching search makes sense, now that the Rooneys no longer have to navigate a situation in which their two leading in-house candidates are represented by the same agent.

And we're now more convinced than ever that the addition of candidates like Chan Gailey and Mike Sherman had nothing to do with hiring either of those guys and everything to do with avoiding a situation in which an offer to Grimm would be the floor for a demand by Whisenhunt, and vice-versa.

To the extent that there is any lingering resentment regarding the two coaches, one agent situation, there could be some hiccups in the negotiations if/when the Steelers and Grimm start to talk turkey. And maybe one of the external candidates will have an opportunity to take less money than Grimm wants.

Our feeling, however, is that if the Steelers want Grimm, the two sides will be able to work something out. Especially since Whisenhunt is no longer a part of the equation.

POSTED 9:41 p.m. EST, January 14, 2007

FOX ACKNOWLEDGES "F--K DA EAGLES" FLUB

FOX has acknowledged that it broadcast images of the "F" word on Saturday night, during the game between the Saints and the Eagles.

We didn't realize this on Saturday night (because we missed the whole thing), but the shot wasn't live. Instead, it was recorded during a play and shown as part of a replay.

"We regret it and we apologize," FOX spokesman Lou D'Ermilio said, according to the Washington Post.

Another item regarding the incident appears in the New York Post, which along with FOX is owned by Rupert Murdoch's News Corp.

Though at first blush it appears that FOX and/or its affiliates can expect a stiff fine from the FCC, recent articles show that there's not as bright of a line as most would assume. Still, the fact that the thing was shown not live but as part of a replay would seem to make it harder for FOX to talk its way out of paying up.

And we're still amazed by the fact that the networks apparently don't use a delay of any kind.

POSTED 9:22 p.m. EST, January 14, 2007

MARTY GONE?

Now that the Chargers have parlayed a 14-2 season and the No. 1 seed in the AFC field into a one-and-out against the Pats, it remains to be seen whether the recent report from John Czarnecki of FOXSports.com that coach Marty Schottenheimer will be fired comes to fruition.

But Czarnecki's report was only that Marty was out if the team lost. Given the manner in which the game unraveled, we think the outcome becomes even more likely.

Seven times that the Chargers were on the 50 or in Patriots territory, San Diego scored no points.

After Marlon McCree's boneheaded decision to intercept a pass on fourth down late in the game rather than knock it down, he fumbled the ball, giving the Pats the mulligan they needed to tie the game up. Yeah, McCree screwed up. But the coaching staff is responsible for making sure that the guys on the field know what to do under specific game circumstances.

Then, Schottenheimer made it worse by wasting a time out, which might have come in handy down the stretch, on a replay challenge of the play that had no chance of succeeding.

Other things happened that weren't the result of coaching decisions. But they were the result of mistakes that NFL players shouldn't make. Individually, it's hard to blame coaching; collectively, coaching is the common thread.

So we think it's time. Marty must go. And, as Chris Mortensen of ESPN reported on Sunday morning, it could be father and son vying for the same job in Miami.

POSTED 5:57 p.m. EST, January 14, 2007

WAYNE USING A DIFFERENT PLANE?

A reader has tipped us off to the apparent fact that Fins owner Wayne Huizenga has been traveling in a plane with a different tail number than the jet we tracked last week to Costa Rica via the flightaware.com web site.

The alternative plane -- with tail number N37WH -- currently is en route from Atlanta to Ft. Lauderdale, which meshes with Jay Glazer's report that Jim Mora Jr. is being flown in for a second interview for the head-coaching job in Miami.

But it also meshes with the notion that Chan Gailey is one of the leading candidates for the job. And the fact that the plane has been back and forth to Atlanta twice in two days suggests that maybe both men have been to Miami.

Also on Saturday the plane made a trip to and from Charlotte, which surely will spark speculation that Huizenga was meeting with a certain recently available former Steelers head coach.

POSTED 12:41 p.m. EST, January 14, 2007

CARDS HIRE WHISENHUNT

So much for a full-blown round of "second interviews."

Rebuffed by Texans assistant Mike Sherman, who reportedly didn't get the offer he was supposed to get because he wanted $4 million a year, the Cardinals called his failed hiring session a "second interview" -- and then had a "second interview" with Steelers offensive coordinator Ken Whisenhunt.

And Whisenhunt's second interview is the last second interview. Per Jay Glazer of FOX Sports, Whisenhunt has agreed to a deal to become the coach of the Cardinals.

The move opens the door for the Steelers to hire offensive line coach Russ Grimm. But the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports that former Steelers head coach Bill Cowher went to bat for neither Grimm nor Whisenhunt, endorsing instead former Steelers offensive coordinator Chan Gailey when Cowher was asked this past week for his input.

POSTED 10:05 p.m. EST, January 13, 2007

TALK BUILDS OF SARKISIAN TO RAIDERS

There's increasing chatter in league circles that USC assistant coach Steve Sarkisian could be in line to become the next coach of the Oakland Raiders.

Sarkisian, 32, would become the youngest coach in the league.

As one league insider pointed out to us, why not simply hire Sarkisian to be the offensive coordinator? It would still be a step up for him, and he likely would accept it. With John Shoop recently gone, the spot is wide open.

No hire can be made to replace Art Shell until at least one minority candidate is interviewed. And if too many people around the league become convinced that the position is going to Sarkisian, it might be hard to persuade a minority candidate to sit for the job.

Another candidate who has generated some buzz, but who has not yet been interviewed or named as a candidate, is former Vikings and Cardinals coach Dennis Green.

POSTED 8:43 p.m. EST; LAST UPDATED 9:52 p.m. EST, January 13, 2007

"F--K DA EAGLES"

We somehow missed this one, but we've received several e-mails from readers who spotted, plain as day, a woman in the stands at the Philly-New Orleans game with the message "F--K DA EAGLES" on her shirt.

Without the dashes.

A few readers claim that the camera lingered on the woman for 4-5 seconds.

Later, she could be seen behind a few Marines, but the message on her shirt wasn't visible this time.

And, as usual, one of our loyal readers was able to track it down and send it to us. (We're showing it here only because the word isn't completely visible. We do have standards of decency here. We think.

Here's another. This time, we blacked out one of the letters.

Thankfully, Florio Jr. didn't see it. He's on the computer, surfing the Internet. Not sure what he's looking at. But there's nothing on there that would corrupt him in any way, is there?

SATURDAY NIGHT ONE-LINERS

Ohio State QB Troy Smith has signed with Eddie DeBartolo's agency.

Teammate Ted Ginn Jr. is undecided as to whether he's coming out early.

The Texans are increasing ticket prices by $2.88. (We'd hate to see what they'd cost if the team was, you know, worth a crap.)

Florida WR Andre Caldwell is staying in school. (He might be the only non-freshman left next year.)

Rams WR Torry Holt will undergo knee surgery, apparently to clean up some loose cartilage.

Sunday could be the swan song for Pats WR Troy Brown.

Titans fans will get an Uncle Rico tax, to the tune of $4 to $8 per ticket.

As two more of Chris Henry's criminal charges move toward resolution, the Bengals receiver could be suspended again.

POSTED 7:39 p.m. EST, January 13, 2007

ADIEU, COACH BRAIN?

With the Colts coming back to Baltimore and stunning the current NFL team that resides there, the question that begs to be asked is whether this is the end of the Brian Billick era.

Last year, it was widely believed that Billick would have been fired if owner Steve Bisciotti had been confident that he could have found someone better. This year, there's still no guarantee that such a guy is out there, but watching his team get steamrolled by a Colts team that supposedly was soft on defense might be enough to prompt Bisciotti to try to find him.

But who's available? There's no way that the Steelers could "trade" Bill Cowher within the division. We've been suggesting that one of the close-but-no-cigar squads might want to make a run at Jon Gruden. Given that the big-defense, no-offense Ravens are a lot like the pre-Gruden Buccaneers, maybe Bisciotti tries to pull off the swap.

Another possibility (and we hate to say this) is Lions offensive coordinator Mike Martz -- if Bisciotti and G.M. Ozzie Newsome believe that they can control him.

Regardless of what happens, Billick likely presumed that his rear end had been removed from the hot seat at some point during a 13-3 regular season. After Saturday's performance, he might want to make sure that his Calvin Klein's aren't melting into his ass.

POSTED 7:28 p.m. EST, January 13, 2007

GOOD NEWS, BAD NEWS FOR CAPERS

Alex Marvez of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel reports that the Dolphins have made defensive coordinator Dom Capers the highest-paid assistant coach in the NFL, with a three-year deal worth just under $8 million.

The average value of the package is $2.7 million per year, which bests the $2.6 million annual salary of Redskins defensive coordinator Gregg Williams.

But the move strongly suggests that Capers won't be the team's next head coach. He interviewed for the job earlier this week in Jacksonville, and there would be no reason to block him from leaving as of February 1 if he were going to be named the head coach before then.

Also, ESPN's Chris Mortensen reports that Jets offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer is a finalist for the Miami job, along with Chargers offensive coordinator Cam Cameron. Mort also confirms that Georgia Tech coach Chan Gailey is a finalist for the position.

It previously has been reported that Vikings defensive coordinator Mike Tomlin had made it from the initial group of 12 down to the second cut of five.

The massive deal given to Capers also suggests that the next head coach will be an offensive specialist. It wouldn't make sense to hire a guy like Tomlin, who would want to install the Tampa 2, after giving big money to Capers.

The decision to extend Capers also raises questions regarding the retention of assistant coaches before a head coach is hired. We think it's a stoopid manuever -- unless, of course, the Fins already have determined that the guys they have in mind for the job are willing to keep Capers.

Finally, kudos to Capers for having the sack to accept a one-year deal. He joined the Fins after being fired by the Texans last year, and the performance of the Miami defense had him on the list of potential replacements for defensive coordinator Tim Lewis in New York.

Our guess? Though we scoffed at his chances in Miami or in Pittsburgh, Gailey could indeed by the guy. And, as Peter King suggested last week, it could be that Gailey is merely the caretaker unless and until Bill Cowher becomes the head coach in 2008 or 2009. Gailey spent four seasons with Cowher in Pittsburgh before becoming the coach of the Cowboys, and Capers once was the defensive coordinator in Pittsburgh under Coach Chin.

Also on the Fins staff is offensive coordinator Mike Mularkey, who likewise worked as offensive coordinator with Cowher before becoming the coach of the Bills.

POSTED 3:22 p.m. EST, January 13, 2007

SHERMAN FIASCO COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED

A league insider with experience negotiating contracts for coaches has explained to us that Thursday's botched effort by the Cardinals to hire Texans assistant Mike Sherman easily could have been avoided.

As the source explained, it's common for teams or for the coaching candidates to discuss general contract parameters before the guy is interviewed for the job.

Doing so helps to avoid the potential awkwardness that can arise if the team is interested in hiring the coach, until the team finds out how much money the coach wants to be paid.

That's precisely what happened on Thursday, according to John Czarnecki of FOX Sports. The Cardinals were prepared to offer Sherman the job, until Sherman asked for $4 million per year.

So who's to blame? Well, everyone. Though the team probably shouldn't be faulted for not realizing that Sherman wants far more money than he deserves, how hard is it to ask the question? And Sherman's agent, Bob LaMonte, needs to do a better job of pricing his clients.

We're not saying Sherman is a bad coach, but $4 million a year for a guy who has never been the head coach in a conference championship game seems to be a tad unreasonable.

So now the Cardinals have been forced to move on to their second option, without making their second option appear to be their second option.

TEN-PACK IS FINALLY TOPPED OFF

With the crazy couple of days we've had this week, we weren't able to finish up the Ten-Pack until today. And since we've all forgotten what happened last week, we devote four of the final five items to our predictions for this weekend's games.

And if our picks are as good as they usually are, everyone out there would be wise to bet the farm on the opposite.

POSTED 11:27 a.m. EST; UPDATED 11:45 a.m. EST, January 13, 2007

STRAHAN HAS "LESS FAT" IN HIS WALLET

Giants defensive end Michael Strahan has come out on the losing end of his divorce proceedings. And, as a result, he'll have to fork over millions of dollars to his ex-wife.

According to the New York Post, Strahan has been ordered to pay Jean Strahan $15.3 million dollars.

Let's repeat that one. Fifteen-point-freaking-three million dollars. One-point-twenty-one gigawatts.

It's unbelievable. But not surprising, given that the Court merely ordered Strahan to honor the prenuptial agreement that promised his wife 50 percent of the marital estate and 20 percent of his annual earnings, each year and every year.

Strahan's argument was that he wasn't responsible for the 20 percent because his wife didn't ask for it every year.

(It's now official. Strahan is both ugly AND stoopid.)

Strahan also has been required to pay $311,150 in past child support, and $18,000 per month going forward.

The Post reports that Strahan's net worth is only (only?) $22 million. So, at the end of the day, Mrs. Strahan will have more than two times more money than the guy who earned most if not all of it.

The bigger question, as we see it, is who in the hell advised Strahan to sign the prenup? Our guess is that Strahan opted to go cheap on his legal fees -- and got what he paid for.

But even Lionel Hutz should know that the party making all the money has all the leverage when the time comes to sign an agreement regarding who gets how much of it when the marriage falls apart. The likely guy would have been better off with no written agreement at all.

The ruling is the outcome of a lengthy, acrimonious trial, during which the judge allowed the parties to get into all sorts of irrelevant issues. And that was another legal blunder for Strahan, since by all appearances he came off looking like the bad guy. Indeed, the judge's ruling blasted Strahan for his testifying that he didn't remember the date of his wedding anniversary or his wife's birthday.

The trial and the publicity surrounding it also included a suggestion by Jean Strahan that her ex-husband was engaged in an "alternative lifestyle."

Surely, Strahan will appeal the decision. Before doing so, however, we suggest that someone who earned a law degree from an accredited institution within one of the 50 U.S. states advise him on the meaning and import of the term "post-judgment interest."

As for Mrs. Strahan, her reaction was to exclaim: "I'm going to Disney World!"

Hell, she could probably just buy the place.

SUNDAY, BLOGGY SUNDAY

We've finally worked out all of the kinks from our failed changeover to a new site design, server, and host. We're back with the host we've been with since the site got started -- CityNet. It's a West Virginia company that has grown considerably and consistently over the years, and has always been able to handle our site and our traffic. We're now exploring ways to upgrade our site and remain with CityNet well into the future.

And as our way of saying "we're sorry" for this week's foot-in-poo ordeal, and actually meaning it, we're going to do an unprecedented Live Blog doubleheader for Sunday's NFC and AFC Divisional playoff games.

We'll get started at noon or so with the Seahawks-Bears pregame. As soon as that one ends, we'll jump over to the Pats-Chargers coverage.

So check in early, check in often, and get ready to develop arthritis in your F5 finger.

POSTED 8:42 a.m. EST; UPDATED 9:07 a.m. EST, January 13, 2007

STEELERS SQUEEZING WHIZ AND GRIMM?

As Steelers offensive coordinator Ken Whisenhunt heads to Arizona for a second interview with the Cardinals, the Steelers reportedly are adding more names to the list of candidates to replace Bill Cowher.

Per Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, the Steelers may soon interview Texans assistant head coach Mike Sherman, which would push the total number of interviews to six.

Surely, the Steelers aren't serious about Sherman if, as was reported by John Czarnecki of FOX on Friday, Sherman requested a salary of $4 million per year. As we see it, there's no way that the Rooneys will pay the new guy roughly the same wages they were paying to Coach Chin.

So what's going on here? Our guess -- and it's just a guess, which means it's roughly as accurate as reports based on the rumors we monger -- is that the Steelers are trying to counter the tag-team that has developed between Whisenhunt and Steelers offensive line coach Russ Grimm.

It was reported earlier in the week that Whiz and Grimm are each willing to stay on the staff if the other guy gets the job, and vice-versa. The two in-house guys also have the same agent, which puts the Steelers in an unusual bind if/when the powers-that-be decide that either guy is acceptable, and that they'll hire the one who'll take the most reasonable financial package.

And Bouchette is hinting strongly (as we read his article) that this is precisely what is going on: "The entrance of [Chan] Gailey, 55, and possibly Sherman into the mix alters the picture of what the Steelers intend to do about their most important job opening. It was long regarded as a two-horse race between Steelers assistant coaches Russ Grimm and Whisenhunt."

It's also possible that Bouchette has been commissioned to send a not-so-subtle message to Whiz and Grimm that, if neither of them accepts the job, they both might be S.O.L.

"All Steelers assistant coaches are under contract through at least 2007," Bouchette writes. "That was seen as a positive for either Grimm or Whisenhunt if either became their head coach. The Steelers, however, traditionally let their new coach hire his own staff and, if a candidate from outside is hired, he might have an entirely different view of the assistants he wants to hire."

We continue to have a gut feeling -- and it's just a gut feeling, which means it's roughly as accurate as reports based on the rumors we monger -- that the next coach of the Steelers will be Vikings defensive coordinator Mike Tomlin.

SHOOP SHUFFLES TO LUNG CANCER ROAD

Raiders offensive coordinator John Shoop, a rumored candidate to become the team's next head coach, has left the team to accept the same job with one of the NCAA's football bottom-feeders.

Shoop will become the offensive coordinator at the University of North Carolina, where he'll work with former Browns coach Butch Davis.

But the move might not have been completely voluntary; despite speculation that a recent interview of N.C. State offensive coordinator and former long-time NFL assistant coach Marc Trestman for the job of offensive coordinator with the Raiders meant that Shoop might be getting bumped upstairs, David White of the San Francisco Chronicle suggests that it might have meant that Shoop was getting bumped to the curb.

Shoop also attributed his decision to a desire to coach on Saturday instead of Sunday, for religious reasons. His wife is an ordained Presbyterian minister.

Asked for a reaction to the news that Shoop is coming to town, a UNC student said, "We have a football team?"

POSTED 10:55 p.m. EST; UPDATED 11:33 p.m. EST, January 12, 2007

COUNTRY CLUB CANCELLATION FOR FAVRE

Lord Favre has cancelled his membership at Oneida Golf & Riding Club in Green Bay. The move has prompted speculation that it's a sign Favre is retiring.

Packers CEO Bob Harlan doesn't think that the move means Favre is packing it in.

“It's an expensive club," Harlan said, according to published reports. "I don't care how much money you're making, it's very expensive, and if you're not using it, it doesn't make a lot of sense, and I think that's what happened to Brett.

"I've heard he doesn't play at home [in Mississippi] anymore, either," Harlan said. "I've heard it's not all that important to him all at once."

Frankly, we agree with Harlan -- even though it was rumor of a cancellation of a country club membership in the Miami area that fueled speculation that former Dolphins coach Nick Saban had decided to leave town. We're not suggesting that Favre is coming back, but we're inclined to agree that the development has no connection to what he might ultimately do.

FRIDAY NIGHT ONE-LINERS

Remember that finger tendon for which T.O. passed on season-ending surgery and, according to owner Jerry Jones, would never be fully healed? Doctors say Owens will get back to 100 percent.

Seahawks WR Darrell Jackson (toe) and WR D.J. Hackett (ankle) will be game-time decisions.

The Nicktator is lining up assistants.

The guys who didn't make the Pro Bowl rosters are now being added to the Pro Bowl rosters.

Denver police might be looking for up to five suspects in connection with the shooting death of Broncos CB Darrent Williams.

Pacman continues to get away with misdemeanor.

Could Fins defensive coordinator Dom Capers be headed to the Giants? (He'd likely be bringing his pet squirrel.)

Ravens left tackle Jonathan Ogden (toe) is a game-time decision.

If Eagles FB Thomas Tapeh can't play on Satruday, RB Correll Buckhalter will take his place.

Pats S Rodney Harrison could be back for the AFC title game.

Looks like it'll be Fish and Chumps at Wembley next year.

POSTED 10:40 p.m. EST, January 12, 2007

GREEN COULD STILL LAND IN OAKLAND

Though he has yet to even receive an interview, there continues to be talk in league circles that former Vikings and Cardinals coach Dennis Green could be the next coach of the Oakland Raiders.

The scuttlebutt is that Green's relationship with mercurial (thanks, Tiki) receiver Randy Moss and his ability to get through to guys with bad attitudes could make him an attractive candidate.

If, however, Green were to get the job, he wouldn't be allowed (as the talk goes) to round up his cronies (e.g., Richard Solomon) and bring them to the Bay Area.

The cast of characters who have interviewed for the position vacated when Art Shell was fired include, to date, Raiders defensive coordinator Rob Ryan, USC quarterbacks coach Steve Sarkisian, and former Ravens offensive coordinator Jim Fassel. There also is speculation/rumor that Raiders offensive coordinator John Shoop could get the job, but he has not yet been interviewed.

Several readers have asked us whether the interview of Sarkisian constitutes compliance with the Rooney Rule, since the 32-year-old is Armenian. NFL spokesman Greg Aiello has advised us by e-mail that Sarkisian's interview doesn't count.

But whether through Green or another minority candidate, it's safe to say that the Raiders will comply. Owner Al Davis, after all, was embracing diversity long before is was mandatory to do so.

POSTED 10:09 p.m. EST, January 12, 2007

CHIEFS GO GAA-GAA FOR GONZALEZ

In a stunning move, the Kansas Chiefs have blocked the entry of tight end Tony Gonzalez into the free-agent market via a five-year extension with $17.75 million in guaranteed money.

Jay Glazer of FOX Sports broke the news of the deal, which averages $6.25 million per year.

Gonzalez could have voided the final two years of his prior deal, in which he would have earned $4.4 million per season. There were reports that the Chiefs would have slapped the franchise tag on Gonzalez, which would have entailed a one-year tender offer of $7.83 million.

Great job for Gonzalez and his agent, Tom Condon.

For the Chiefs, we've got one question. What the hell are you thinking?

Gonzalez is a great tight end, but $17.75 million guaranteed for a tight end who'll be 31 next month? For a guy who had 73 catches for 900 yards and five touchdowns in 2006? Who has had one 1,000-yard season in the last six years?

Gonzalez might indeed be on his way to Canton. And maybe the Chiefs plan to throw the ball to him more in 2007. But, dollar for dollar, the Chiefs could have made a better investment, in our view.

POSTED 9:41 p.m. EST, January 12, 2007

CARROLL STILL IN THE MIX FOR FINS' GIG?

There's a rumor making the rounds in league circles that USC coach Pete Carroll asked Dolphins owner Wayne Huizenga for a week to consider the possibility of becoming the head coach of the team.

Published reports indicate that there are/will be five finalists for the job. Whether Carroll is one of them is unknown.

Carroll has been saying publicly that he has no interest in leaving the Trojans. But we've all heard that routine before, and we're never going to believe it again.

Stay tuned.

POSTED 5:08 p.m. EST, January 12, 2007

GRUDEN NOT SAFE YET IN TAMPA

Most league observers assume that Bucs coach Jon Gruden won't be fired by the team because, to date, he hasn't been.

But a league source tells us that the Glazer family, which owns the team, has some lingering concerns regarding the current structure, and that "something still could happen" with Gruden.

What that "something" is remains to be seen. Maybe he would be fired, maybe he would be allowed to leave. We continue to be intrigued by the possibility that the Chargers, Ravens, and/or Colts (at least one of which will lose this weekend) could consider making a change. Given the manner in which Gruden arrived at Tampa and took a chronically close-but-no-cigar club to a championship in one year, we wouldn't be shocked at all if someone considers making a switch to the perpetually pissed-off coach.

Of course, the problem is that, if one of these other teams makes a move, they'll need to hold the cards close to the vest, since compliance with the Rooney Rule is mandatory.

Five years ago, Gruden jumped to the Bucs from the Raiders. Oakland got two first-round picks, two second-round picks, and $8 million.

POSTED 4:26 p.m. EST, January 12, 2007

CARDS WERE READY TO HIRE SHERMAN

John Czarnecki of FOXSports.com reports that the Arizona Cardinals were poised to hire Texans assistant Mike Sherman on Thursday, but that Sherman asked for a salary of $4 million per year.

Mike, the only way you're getting $4 million a year from anyone is by possessing a lottery ticket with six numbers that match the digits on the ping pong balls that get vacuumed out of the popcorn machine.

So to those of you out there who still might be chortling regarding our foot-in-doo-doo report that Sherman was getting the job, allow us to echo in this space the introductory line from our Thursday story:

"Multiple league sources tell us that the Arizona Cardinals have selected Texans assistant Mike Sherman to be their next head coach. It's not known whether a contract has been finalized, but the word is that Sherman is getting the job."

In hindsight, the report was accurate. The Cardinals did select Sherman. But he wanted too much money from the notoriously cheap Bidwills.

So thanks, Czar, for giving us a little vindication.

Actually, we weren't all that chagrined about the fact that we were wr-wr-wr-wr-erroneous. Given the server snafu from Thursday, we're simply glad that anyone can see our content, be it accurate or otherwise.

POSTED 12:01 p.m. EST; UPDATED 1:01 p.m. EST, January 12, 2007

TOMLIN CLOSING IN ON FINS GIG?

Word on the NFL street is that Vikings defensive coordinator Mike Tomlin had a "great interview" with the Dolphins this week, and the South Florida Sun-Sentinel reports that he will receive a second look. The interview is scheduled for Monday. (And, by the way, Wayne's plane hasn't left South Florida since Wednesday night.)

There also are reports that the Fins will narrow their list of 12 candidates to five, and conduct a second round of interviews.

Earlier on Friday, we posted some disparaging remarks from a league insider regarding the decision of the Cardinals to conduct a second wave of sit-downs with some of the candidates for their vacancy. (As one league insider later quipped, "Maybe they're going to interview Denny Green next.") So we suppose we can't defend the Dolphins by saying "they've got twelve candidates to consider" or "the first sessions weren't interviews but information-gathering sessions" (although we have heard that).

It's good that they're being thorough, but it's not like they're trying to determine whether the dude is spongeworthy. Meet 'em, do your homework, and make a decision.

CHECK OUT THE NEW SPRINT ADS

Though we had a little (to say the least) trouble launching the new version of the site on Thursday, we were able to post some brand-new ads from Sprint, which feature among other things an image of a kid snow-sledding through uprights (apparently, Tony Romo wasn't responsible for putting the kid on the sled).

The ads tout the new MOTOKRZR K1m, and the fact that only Sprint provides the NFL Network live on an appropriate mobile device.

So click on the ads and check out the MOTOKRZR. If you're not already a Sprint customer, there's no better way to become one that to buy a MOTOKRZR.

And if you're already a Sprint customer, click on the ads and check out the accessories and other products offered by the official telecommunications sponsor of PFT.

POSTED 9:24 a.m. EST, January 12, 2007

PETERSON WAFFLING?

Oklahoma running back Adrian Peterson claims that, contrary to published reports, he has yet to decide whether to sacrifice his final season of eligibility and declare for the NFL draft.

We generally believe that running backs should get while the getting is good, but it could be that Peterson is taking stock of his draft stock and pondering whether, come 2008, he stands a chance at getting drafted significantly higher than he might in 2007.

For a running back, there are essentially two contracts that matter. The rookie deal, and the extension/free agent deal. By the time both of those expire, the guy usually is too old and/or banged up to get really big money.

And, as to the rookie contract, there's a huge difference between being Reggie Bush (No. 2 in 2006) and Laurence Maroney (No. 21). Bush got more than $20 million in guaranteed money; Maroney got roughly a fourth of that.

The key for Peterson is figuring out where he's expected to go in 2007, and predicting where he might go in 2008.

And if anyone out there has a crystal ball they're not using, Adrian would like to borrow it for the weekend.

Actually, one league source thinks that Peterson will be a top-seven pick this year, if he comes out. But there's still a big financial difference between being No. 7 and being No. 1 or No. 2.

The other reality, of course, is that there's no guarantee that his stock will rise considerably in 2007, and that by staying he is delaying his NFL payday (and ultimately his free agency contract) by a year.

But the lure of becoming the next Bush is likely strong. There's nothing like 2,000 yards and a Heisman to vault a guy into the top few picks.

"The facts are that I have not hired any representation and I have not declared for the draft," Peterson said Thursday in a statement. "My meetings with Coach [Bob] Stoops and my parents have been to discuss all the scenarios.

"I see a lot of options in both so I am still undecided on what I want to do. I wish people would give me the opportunity to decide. Once I do, I will make an announcement at the right time. Any reports that are different than that are false."

The "right time" is coming soon, if ever. Peterson has until Monday to make up his mind.

POSTED 6:41 a.m. EST, January 12, 2007

"TYPICAL" CARDINALS SCREWING UP COACH SEARCH

A league source has teed off on that mess in Arizona otherwise known as a professional football team.

On Thursday, the Cardinals brought Texans assistant Mike Sherman in for a "second interview". In NFL circles, "second interview" typically means "job offer". And that's what the players thought was going down.

But, instead, it now turns out that the Cardinals supposedly are conducting a second round of interviews, with Sherman and Ken Whisenhunt (and possibly more) coming back again for another look-see.

Said the source: "This whole second interview thing is a crock of sh-t. It's typical Arizona. They've either got too many cooks in the kitchen and can't make a decision or they are trying to negotiate with multiple coaches, trying to get a lowball deal done. A second interview in the NFL is when you make a job offer. The fact that Sherman left without an offer or acceptance means they weren't paying or someone's not buying Sherman's act."

So what will happen with the Cardinals?

"They'll probably end up hiring Jim Fassel or Mike Ditka," the source said. "They'll be the only coaches left by the time they make a decision."

POSTED 6:04 a.m. EST, January 12, 2007

STEELERS LEAKED GAILEY INTERVIEW?

In response to our item questioning the sanity of Georgia Tech coach Chan Gailey for allowing his name to be publicly tied to interviews with the Fins and the Steelers as he tries to convert those verbal commitments from Yellow Jacket recruits to written ones, an industry source tells us that Gailey was "very disappointed" by the fact that the news got out -- and that the information came straight from the Steelers front office.

So why would the normally tight-lipped Rooneys allow this information to become public? One possibility is that Gailey isn't a genuine candidate for the job, but that the organization is bringing in more people to counter the unusual leverage that has arisen from the fact that in-house favorites Russ Grimm and Ken Whisenhunt have the same agent.

And there are signs that their agent, Eric Metz, could be advising them jointly on strategies for ensuring that one of them gets the job. For example, a report earlier this week from Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette indicated that Grimm and Whisenhunt separately were saying privately that if one of them gets the head-coaching job, the other will stay on the staff.

It also suggests that the interviews of Bears defensive coordinator Ron Rivera and Vikings defensive coordinator Mike Tomlin were not as solid as they needed to be to make either of them better candidates than Whisenhunt and Grimm.

Meanwhile, another industry source tells us that Gailey isn't as big of a long shot for the Dolphins' job as most might believe. The source believes that Gailey will be among the five finalists for the job, and could get it.

POSTED 10:49 p.m. EST, January 11, 2007

TEMPERS FLARE IN PHILLY

Our good friend Glen Macnow of 610 WIP in Philly had to bump the poobah's weekly appearance tonight, apparently due in part to the discussion that has been sparked by comments from Eagles president Joe Banner regarding owner Jeffrey Lurie.

Banner, in defending the not-as-popular-locally-as-he-could-be-or-should-be Lurie, had this to say in an item written by Bob Brookover of the Philadelphia Inquirer:

"I know this is controversial, but I don't think there's another owner who would have kept this team in Philadelphia for the economic deal we got on our stadium. I'm not trying to belittle the public contribution, but as it relates to what other cities did and other offers we had from other cities, I can't imagine many owners that would have come from someplace else and had the kind of loyalty that he demonstrated to these football fans and this city and the history of the franchise. I don't think anybody recognizes that. I don't think anybody thinks of that."

Banner might indeed be right, but he should have realized that his words are the equivalent of giving a penicillin shot to a mountain lion. The mountain lion might be getting what he desperately needs, but he's still gonna try to chew your arm off for putting a needle in his ass.

And it's a distraction that neither the team nor the town needs as the Eagles prepare for arguably their most unlikely berth in the NFC final four since the Andy Reid era began.

Banner's words undoubtedly will be forgotten if the Eagles manage to beat the Saints. If Philly loses, however, we have a feeling that the reaction to Banner's comments will become the soundtrack to the offseason in the City of Brotherly Resentment and Aggression.

POSTED 9:28 p.m. EST, January 11, 2007

THE GEORGIA TECH WALK-ONS?

In response to the news that Georgia Tech head coach Chan Gailey will interview for the head coaching job with the Steelers, a question comes to mind.

Does Gailey aspire to have zero letters of intent signed this February?

No college coach with any real desire to continue in the job that he has will let it be publicly known that he's looking for another job. To do so is the equivalent of telling his recruits: "You can come to school here if you want. Or not. I really don't care because if I can find another job I'm getting the hell out."

We appreciate Gailey's honesty, and his recruits probably do, too. Because Gailey's honesty gives them certainty regarding whether they can expect him to choose to be there over the long term.

And, as a practical matter, Gailey is hurting only himself. We doubt that he's likely to get hired either by the Fins or the Steelers, so then he'll be faced with having to convince the recruits that he sat for the interviews not to get another gig, but merely to elevate the national profile of the program.

The smart way to interview for an NFL job? Quietly and discreetly. Then, if an offer isn't made or a deal can't be reached, no harm is done to the recruiting class.

POSTED 8:12 p.m. EST; UPDATED 8:25 p.m. EST, January 11, 2007

SHERMAN NOT IN THE CARDS?

We're not sure what happened on Thursday between the Cardinals and potential head coach Mike Sherman. But on a day when players on the team generally were convinced that Sherman would be hired as the team's next head coach, Sherman's second interview didn't result in an offer or an acceptance.

The East Valley Tribune reports that Sherman interviewed for a second time on Thursday, and left town without the job. Steelers offensive coordinator Ken Whisenhunt will be back for a second interview on Saturday, per the East Valley Tribune.

The Trib also reports that Bears defensive coordinator Ron Rivera has been removed from consideration.

Though we freely acknowledge that we reported that Sherman was getting the job and we were wr-wr-wr-wr-mistaken, there can be no denying that players thought that Sherman was getting the gig.

And Sherman still might. The Bidwills wouldn't be Bidwills if they didn't try something cheap, like dangling a financial offer to multiple candidates and hiring the guy who says "I'll take it."

Stay tuned.

UPDATE ON THE UPGRADE

Thanks to everyone who was patient with us as we tried to roll out an upgrade to the site.

As it turns out, we're roughly as proficient at launching new sites as the North Koreans are at launching missiles.

The problem, as we have since learned, is that the new site received a staggering 100,000 page views in two hours. The server crashed faster than Stevie Wonder driving a Studebaker, and we had to flip the switch back to the old version on the old server.

If anyone you know is having trouble seeing the site, tell them that they'll be able to see it when the DNS resolves, whatever in the hell that means.

We're retreating to the drawing board, and we hope to get a new version of the site in place soon.

Until then, we'll keep updating this one every day, multiple times a day.

POSTED 4:11 p.m. EST, January 11, 2007

BAD NEWS, GOOD NEWS

Well, we've had to temporarily pull the plug on the implementation of the new and improved PFT.

The good news is that we were forced to make the move because the sheer volume of traffic to our site blew out the windows of the new host.

We're plotting our next move, and we'll keep you posted.

POSTED 3:22 p.m. EST; UPDATED 3:51 p.m. EST, January 11, 2007

MIXED SIGNALS FROM 'ZONA

In our effort to confirm that Mike Sherman is/will be the next head coach of the Cardinals, we've learned that, technically, the team is still interviewing candidates.

But we've also learned that the players generally believe that Sherman is getting the job.

And since several players were involved in the process, it's safe to say that they know what they're talking about on this one.

So ignore any lingering smoke and mirrors. Sherman is getting the job.

PARDON OUR DUST

The new version of PFT is live. But if you are seeing this page, your computer has not yet received the new version of PFT.

Once the new site makes its way to your machine, you need to keep a couple of things in mind.

First, if you have bookmarked the PFT Rumor Mill (rumormill.htm), the bookmark will need to be updated.

Second, if you get a box asking for a user name or a password, hit cancel until it goes away.

Finally, we've received a few complaints about the fact that longer posts won't fully appear in the new Rumor Mill, and that a link will have to be accessed to see the rest of the story. Our standard response is this: "You remind us of Elaine Benes whining about having to shake a bottle of Snapple."

POSTED 12:39 p.m. EST; UPDATED 12:54 p.m. EST, January 11, 2007

SHERMAN GETS THE CARDINALS JOB

Multiple league sources tell us that the Arizona Cardinals have selected Texans assistant Mike Sherman to be their next head coach. It's not known whether a contract has been finalized, but the word is that Sherman is getting the job.

We'd previously heard that the Cardinals were planning to go with an offensive coach, and that Sherman was the favorite.

The Cardinals were primarily attracted by his experience. He coached the Packers from 2000 through 2005, and also was the General Manager for several seasons.

No coach has been with the franchise for more than six seasons, and the team has won only one postseason game since the Truman administration.

Sherman is the third straight Cardinals coach having recent experience with an NFC team. His predecessor, Dennis Green, coached the Vikings for more than nine seasons, and the guy before Green, Dave McGinnis, had been the defensive coordinator in Chicago.

The Cardinals' latest string of hires doesn't include a former Lions coach, since even the Cardinals aren't that desperate.

POSTED 12:18 p.m. EST, January 11, 2007

ADRIAN SAYS "YO" TO NFL

Oklahoma running back Adrian Peterson, whose Gramatica-style broken collarbone from doing a Madden dive into the end zone arguably caused him to miss out on the Heisman, has decided to get paid for his efforts in 2007.

Peterson joins Louisville running back Michael Bush, who suffered a broken leg in September and has opted to head to the NFL instead of attempting to resurrect his stock.

Generally speaking, we think it makes sense for running backs to jump when they can. The body only has only so many hits it will take -- especially for guys like Peterson and Bush, who have already had some parts bust.

And we say that knowing full well that WVU running back Steve Slaton is likely to say "see ya" to the college game after 2007. For a guy like Slaton, whose game is premised on speed, it makes no sense to continue to play for free when with every hit you take as an amateur your ability to get paid is at risk.

POSTED 10:51 a.m. EST, January 11, 2007

FASTEN YOUR SEATBELTS

Attention, PFT fans. We are in the midst of launching a massive upgrade to the site, which will not dramatically change its appearance, but which will make the site far easier to use.

First, many of you have asked for an RSS feed. Our standard response has been, "What in the f--k is an RSS feed?" We now know (okay, we still don't understand how it works), and the new site will have one.

Second, we'll be using a system that makes each post a stand-alone thing, which will make it easier for linking and searching and all that other stuff. Also, it will be easier to scroll through the rumor mill because the longer posts will be truncated, with the ability to read the rest of a given story by clicking on the link.

Third, our Live Blog will be revolutionized (we think) with real-time updates, absent the need to refresh the page.

On a lot of these new features, we assume that we're merely catching up with the technology that plenty of other sites are using. But we've finally made it to the party (who ate all the damn cheese?), and we hope that our ever-growing audience enjoys the new surroundings.

The changeover is due to occur any minute now.

POSTED 9:52 p.m. EST, January 10, 2007

MORE LOMBARDI RUMORS

Okay, so we've plugged back into the NFL grapevine and we've learned that the most accurate scuttlebutt regarding Raiders senior personnel executive Mike Lombardi is that, while he's not going to be fired, he is looking to get out.

And he's angling, as we mentioned earlier on Wednesday, for the vacant G.M. gig in Tennessee.

We're also told that another guy who is interested in the G.M. job with the Titans is Dolphins G.M. Randy Mueller, who could be in jeopardy of getting released by whoever the new coach is in Miami.

POSTED 9:36 p.m. EST, January 10, 2007

ONE MORE YEAR FOR SOUP NAZI

Giants coach Tom Coughlin won't be fired. In fact, he has received a contract extension.

But why? Why give him another year, pushing his contract through 2008? It's obvious that the one-year extension means one-year contract -- with a seven-figure severance package in 2008 for Coughlin if the team fires him.

But what's wrong with allowing Coughlin to coach in 2007 with no right to employment or pay the next year? Jeff Fisher did it this year with the Titans. Absent an extension, Fisher will do it again in 2007.

The Meathead did it in 2004 and in 2005 with the Vikings.

If the Giants decide to keep Coughlin even before hiring a G.M., that's their business. But it's asinine (in our view) to give Coughlin an extension before they hire the guy who'll be Coughlin's boss.

"Tom Coughlin is our coach for 2007 and hopefully for many years after that," co-owner John Mara said. "That is the final decision."

What a crock. If the hope is that he'll be the coach for many years after 2007, why not a contract extension beyond 2008?

Bottom line -- Coughlin is on a one-year "prove it or lose it" deal. The notion that the team would try to make that appear like anything other than what it is by giving him an extension seems beyond goofy to us.

Meanwhile, look for defensive coordinator Tim Lewis to soon get fired. As we mentioned in the Live Blog of Sunday's game, Lewis is done.

POSTED 4:42 p.m. EST, January 10, 2007

MNF CREW TO RETURN IN '07

We don't know whether to laugh, to cry, or to throw up on our shoes.

In 2007, Mike Tirico a/k/a Clarence Thomas, Joe Theismann a/k/a Joey Sunshine, and Tony Kornheiser a/k/a Kornholio will be back on Monday nights.

We like it, because they give us so much fodder for the Live Blogs. We don't like it, because they give us so much fodder for the Live Blogs.

They are/were bad. Tirico is okay, the other two are awful.

We think Kornholio is great on PTI. The problem is that, instead of his pal Mike Wilbon, Kornheiser is stuck with Sunshine in the booth. And there's less natural chemistry between the two of them than there is between Bill and Hilary Clinton. (Yeah, we've used that one before. But if the guys on SportsCenter can regurgitate on a daily basis inanity like "winner, winner chicken parm dinner," we're allowed to roll the same line out once or twice per year.)

The Newsday report regarding the return of the booth trio doesn't say whether Michelle Tafoya or Suzy Kolber will reprise their role as sideline reporters.

It's not for us to tell ESPN how to spend their money (although since we own Disney stock we have a real interest in the existence of potential waste). But can anyone assessing objectively the value added by these two pieces of eye medicine come to any conclusion other than they really aren't bringing much to the table for the cash they're being paid?

Most of Suzy Kolber's reports are items cobbled together before the game, and have nothing to do with things that have transpired since kickoff. Of these, most relate to stories or anecdotes that have previously been reported elsewhere. Tafoya is better, but her "What was going through your mind?" crutch constantly reminds us of the old Chris Farley Show on SNL, when Farley would display the interviewing skills of a 14-year-old on crack.

Please, Bristol, don't be afraid to make changes. The ratings were good (not great) not because of the sock puppets covering the game, but in spite of them. Maybe, just maybe, if efforts to improve the on-air product were made (and it wouldn't take much) even more people would watch.

POSTED 2:50 p.m. EST, January 10, 2007

LOMBARDI NOT OUT IN OAKLAND?

The problem with any rumor mill is that it dabbles in rumor. Ergo the name. And sometimes rumor and fact aren't the same thing.

But we love rumors. And so do you. Otherwise, you'd be doing something productive right now.

Anyway, we're now told that Raiders senior personnel executive Mike Lombardi hasn't been fired, and apparently will not be.

Regardless, there definitely was/is a rumor that he was on his way out. Our gut feeling based on the relative quality of the sources is that he isn't.

POSTED 2:17 p.m. EST, January 10, 2007

MARTY OUT IF BOLTS BLOW IT?

John Czarnecki of FOXSports.com reports that, if the Chargers lose on Sunday to the Patriots, coach Marty Schottenheimer will be out of a job.

It's a hell of a reward for a guy who led the team to a 14-2 record in 2006, but it does not surprise us. In the process of clunking together the heads of Schottenheimer and G.M. A.J. Smith as the duo were cat-fighting in the offseason, ownership made it clear that absent a significant improvement in 2006, both of them would be in trouble.

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