POSTED 10:47 p.m. EST; UPDATED 10:58 p.m. EST, January 31, 2007

REID KIDS NEED A TIME OUT

We've been aware of this story for most of the past day or so, but we really didn't consider it to be all that newsworthy (especially since no one involved uttered the word "coon-ass").  After all, it deals with the actions not of Eagles coach Andy Reid, but of his sons.

And we don't want to get started on a whole "NFL coaches are absentee father figures" thing, because even guys who are constantly hovering over their family members can raise kids who, shall we say, lose their way.

The real issue, as we see it, is whether and to what extent two separate incidents from Tuesday involving two of Reid's sons will affect his work.  At a minimum, it'll be a major short-term distraction. 

Britt Reid was involved in what has been described as a road rage episode, in which he allegedly flashed a gun at another motorist.  NBC 10 reports that investigators have since recovered two weapons -- one from the SUV and a platinum handgun from the Reid home.  Drugs were also recovered from the SUV.

Elsewhere in Philly on Tuesday, Garrett Reid was involved in an automobile accident, and drug paraphernalia was found in his car.

Charges have not yet been filed against either of Reid's sons.

Without question, Reid needs to get control of the situation.  And it likely will cause him to question his priorities and whether he needs to spend more time shepherding the flock and whether he should delegate more offseason responsibilities to others in the organization.  And that could have an impact on the team's preparations for the 2007 season, without question.

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BILETNIKOFF CALLS IT QUITS

Only a few weeks beyond the 30th anniversary of his MVP performance in Super Bowl XI, Raiders receivers coach Fred Biletnikoff is retiring from football.

Biletnikoff has spent 32 seasons with the Raiders as both as player and a coach. 

During his 14-year playing career, the Hall of Famer had 589 catches for 8,974 yards and 76 touchdowns in an era involving lesser emphasis on the passing game.

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POSTED 7:51 p.m. EST; LAST UPDATED 8:10 p.m. EST, January 31, 2007

SABAN MINCES WORDS, AGAIN

With letter-of-intent day a week away, Alabama coach Nick Saban has risked taking a blogosphere curiosity mainstream by issuing a statement regarding his use of the term "coon-ass."

Then again, maybe he concluded that the story already was or would be mainstream before opting to cast even more attention on the situation.

Given the content of the statement he made, however, we think he would have been better off saying nothing.

Said Saban:  "It was brought to my attention this afternoon that some comments attributed to me are being disseminated on the internet and in the news media, comments including wording that can be taken as derogatory by some people.  Those comments need to be placed in the proper context, so as to understand the meaning of what was said.  The words were used in paraphrasing a story told to me by a friend.  I was simply using the same wording used by the person who told me the story.  The term in question is not language that I use or condone, and I can understand how some would take offense.  However, I think it must be noted that those comments were made 'off the record' and the words merely reflected an anecdote that was told to me using that language."

Nick, Nick, Nick.  What's wrong with just saying, "Yeah, I used the word 'coon-ass.'  And to folks who never have had the pleasure of living or working in Louisiana, the word might sound offensive.  The first time I heard it, that's exactly what I thought.  But I have come to learn that it's a very common term used in reference to the proud, hard-working people of Louisiana, and it is not an offensive or derogatory word."

That explanation would have been a lot better than what Saban actually said, the message of which basically is:  (1) it was someone else's fault; (2) it was "off the record" (and thus okay even if offensive); and (3) I would never talk like that, except when quoting someone else in an "off-the-record" setting.

Oh, and:  (4) I'm not going to be the Alabama coach.

Really, under Saban's lame-o explanation, he could have used any offensive term, and it would have been okay.  The point would be the same:  "I was merely repeating someone else's words, with language I don't use or condone, and it was 'off the record' so it's like I never said it anyway."

See, the problem is that Saban has no credibility, given the circumstances surrounding his recent exit from Miami.  So anything he says is going to be scrutinized and analyzed and criticized. 

The smarter course?  Keep it short.  Keep it simple.  Keep it honest.

Well, with Saban, he can at least try for two out of three.  

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SO IS "COON-ASS" OFFENSIVE?

Although the flood of e-mails that we received on Wednesday were split on the question of whether the term "coon-ass" is regarded as derogatory and offensive, there are two pieces of evidence to support the conclusion that Saban's use of it was akin to the comments of yesteryear from Jimmy the Greek and Al Campanis.

First, Saban himself admits that the word is offensive.  "The term in question is not language that I use or condone, and I can understand how some would take offense," said he.

Second, the AP story on the emerging brouhaha quotes Warren Perrin, president of the Council for Development of French in Louisiana, who says that the term is not appropriate.

"I routinely state that the use of that term is highly offensive to descendants of Acadians, who are commonly referred to as Cajuns," said Perrin.   

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McNAIR ON DECK FOR PRO BOWL

A league source tells us that, if/when the league abandons its quest to persuade Patriots quarterback Tom Brady to back out of the Pebble Beach Pro-Am and head to Honolulu, the next guy to get a call to head to Hawaii will be Ravens quarterback Steve McNair.

McNair threw for 3,050 yards and tossed 16 touchdowns against 12 interceptions in 2006, his first season with the Ravens after 11 years with the Houston Oilers/Tennessee Oilers/Tennessee Titans.

If Colts quarterback Peyton Manning asks out of the Pro Bowl due to a thumb injury suffered in the AFC Championship game, McNair could be joined in Hawaii by Vince Young, who replaced him as the starting quarterback of the Titans.

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POSTED 4:03 p.m. EST; UPDATED 5:02 p.m. EST, January 31, 2007

FAVRE DECISION COMING?

It's still not clear whether Packers quarterback Brett Favre a/k/a Lord Favre will finally retire after four years of talking about it.  But what is clear is that the Packers likely will have an answer early enough in the offseason to plan for his presence.  Or absence.

Favre recently spoke to coach Mike McCarthy, and McCarthy was left that the decision will come down to family and personal issues.  

"It really has nothing to do with the team," McCarthy said, according to the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel.  "I think Brett's questions last year were with regards to so many new things:  new coach, new staff, (new) terminology, new players.  The issue of whether to play, from my understanding, really doesn't have anything to do with the team.  

"Everyone understands the timeframe we're dealing with, but we haven't put a timeline on it," McCarthy added. "Obviously, we just don't want to get into what we got into last year."

G.M. Ted Thompson also acknowledges that the decision, whatever it is, won't come late in the offseason.  "Mike has had some conversations with him the last several days and I'm sure I'll be in touch with him pretty soon.  I think everybody understands where we are.  Brett was the first one to say he'd like to make a decision early."

And the Packers definitely need the decision to come early.  Aaron Rodgers, a guy whom they didn't expect to be available when the Packers used their first-round pick in 2005, by all appearances isn't the long-term answer.  Even if he is (or might be), Green Bay needs a game-ready quarterback in 2007.  If Favre calls it quits.

Enter Jeff Garcia, an expert in the West Coast offense who'll be available as of midnight on March 2.  If Favre isn't coming back, Garcia is the best option in the free-agent market.  

Another benefit to chasing Garcia is that landing him would also hurt the Packers' NFC North rivals in Minnesota, who are expected to make a run at the former 49er, Lion, Brown, and Eagle.

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WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON ONE-LINERS

Does NFLPA executive director Gene Upshaw give an upsh-t about former players?  "They don't hire me and they can't fire me.  They can complain about me all day long.  But the active players have the vote.  That's who pays my salary."

ESPN's Sal Paolantonio asked Colts QB Peyton Manning about the belief held by certain teammates that his Sprint commercial in which he wears a face moustache makes him look like a "porn star."  (We still think he looks like Schneider for One Day at a Time.)

Tank Johnson is being tormented by demons.  (Maybe that's why he has all them guns.)

Colts DT Montae Reagor is on the NFI list due to a car accident, but is still part of the Super Bowl experience; Colts DT Corey Simon is on the NFI list, and is more likely to be in Miami, Ohio this week than in Miami, Florida.

Colts WR Marvin Harrison should just wear a helmet with a tinted eye shield when giving interviews.

Mama McNabb is explaining away her blogging habits.  (Shouldn't she be more focused on the premiere of her new movie, Norbit?)

A construction worker is in critical condition after falling 20 feet at the site of the new Dallas Cowboys stadium.  (If the guy were a horse, that would be front-page news in USA Today.)

Colts owner Jim Irsay talks about his drug habit.  (If the guy were a horse, that would be front-page news in USA Today.)

Ravens RB Jamal Lewis "numbed" his ankle from Week Eight forward in order to play with an ankle injury that, according to the team's injury reports, he didn't have.

Bears QB Brian Griese apparently won't be buying a retirement home in Denver.

Browns TE Kellen Winslow had surgery to clean up the knee that was injured when he crashed his motorcycle in 2005.

Cards WR Anquan Boldin is geeked about the arrival of Ken Whisenhunt; Cards WR Larry Fitzgerald is apparently still smarting from the termination of Dennis Green.

Fins owner Wayne Huizenga wants RB Ricky Williams to return.

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POSTED 12:22 p.m. EST, January 31, 2007

THE REST OF THE STORY ON SABAN AND "COON-ASS"

Word of Nick Saban's "coon-ass" anecdote is spreading like herpes at an orgy at Mike Vick's condo at Del Boca Vista.  And PFT Planet is buzzing over the basic question of whether the term "coon-ass" is or is not offensive.

Some of the best e-mails we've received on the topic are right here.

But we need to be fair to Saban.  Though the similarity of the supposedly inoffensive term "coon-ass" to a clearly racist word would have prompted us to never, ever use the term (except in reference to Terry Bradshaw, who though not dead is apparently a card-carrying coon-ass), plenty of folks see no problem with what he said.

Anyway, we usually (okay, sometimes) strive to be fair in our rumor-mongering and other ruminations, so we're compelled to share some more information about what Saban said and where he said it.

First, the comments weren't made generally to the media.  Saban was talking to a handful of reporters, one of whom has transcribed the statements Saban made after the statements that can be heard right here.

Here's what Saban went on to say:  "But that's how [LSU fans] are, though. They're passionate, hardcore. . . .  That's why I made that statement today about how I really don't want that [animosity from LSU fans].  That was a negative."

One of the reporters then mentioned that Steve Spurrier currently faces the same problem when taking his current team, South Carolina, against his former team, Florida.

"I think it's the nature of the beast," Saban said.  "You're always going to have that because these people are not like pro fans. This is their school.  It's their pride and joy."

Whether those extra sentences will make those who took offense to Saban's use of the "coon-ass" term is a different issue.  But, in fairness to Saban, it makes sense to give the audience a chance to judge in context a quote that he clearly contemplated would be off the record, and thus not for publication.

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POSTED 10:41 a.m. EST, January 31, 2007

CARDS GAINING RESPECT

As new Cardinals coach Ken Whisenhunt puts the finishing touches on his staff (must . . . resist . . . urge . . . to . . . repeat . . . off-color . . . pun), more and more folks in high places throughout the NFL are coming to the conclusion that Arizona now has one of the best complement of offensive minds in the entire league.

Coupled with a Heisman-winning quarterback and arguably the most skilled set of skill position players (assuming that someone will block for Edgerrin James), the team that has won only one playoff game since the Truman administration finally could be on the right track.

That said, we figure they'll find a way to screw it up.

Under Whisenhunt, who was a successful offensive coordinator with the Steelers for several years, the team features Todd Haley as offensive coordinator, Russ Grimm as assistant head coach/offense line, Maurice Carthon as running backs coach, and Richie Anderson as tight ends coach.

Grimm was a finalist for the Steelers head-coaching job, Carthon most recently served as offensive coordinator in Cleveland, and Anderson is widely regarded as an up-and-comer who is headed for big things.  

And Haley survived both a year with T.O. and an episode with a wife who bought a rat with a salad around it at McDonalds.  (Allegedly.)  The challenge of helping turn the Turdinals into a winning team ain't nothin' compared to either of those situations.  

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POSTED 10:04 a.m. EST; UPDATED 11:26 a.m. EST, January 31, 2007

CAMERON GETTING MORE COIN THAN ADVERTISED?

There's talk in league circles that new Dolphins coach Cam Cameron will be getting more money than the reported deal of $10 million over four years, which works out to an average of $2.5 million per season.

And that's good, since defensive coordinator Dom Capers is reportedly making $2.7 million per year under a three-year contract.  (Technically, the number is $2.67 million per year, we're told.)

Of course, as long as the players think Capers is getting more per year than Cameron, the possibility remains that they won't quite know which one is really the boss -- especially if they get conflicting messages from Cam and Dom.

So if the Cameron deal is richer than reported, or if the Capers contract is for less money than previously disclosed, the team needs to find a way to let the players know the truth -- before the team is 1-4 and the offense and the defense are aligning under two different men.

[UPDATE:  An industry source advises us that the only publication to report that Cameron is receiving $2.5 million per year was the Miami Herald, and that there are questions regarding the accuracy of the number.  As the source explained to us (and we're paraphrasing), the Dolphins have done a lot of dumb things lately, but they surely wouldn't be so dumb as to pay their head coach less per year than their defensive coordinator.] 

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POSTED 7:52 a.m. EST; LAST UPDATED 8:42 a.m. EST, January 31, 2007

SABAN STEPS IN IT?

Former Dolphins coach Nick Saban possibly has dropped his shoe into a huge pile of poo with comments apparently made off the record to the Alabama press.

Several readers have sent the audio clip to us, in which Saban relates a story that was shared with him by one of the members of the LSU Board of Trustees.  He likely didn't realize that someone's tape recorder was rolling.

Here's the audio.  Here's the raw transcript:

"My friends are okay with it.  The rest of those guys?  One of my, one of my guy on the board --  you guys won't be able to put this on the thing -- was walking down the street, one of the Board of Trustees guys like these people around here and sitting up on the stage today at LSU, is walking down the street yesterday before the Sugar Bowl.  He calls me.  There's a guy working in a ditch.  One of those coon-ass guys that talk funny.  I can't talk like him but he can.  Most people in Louisiana can.  And he says, 'Hey, you see where Coach Saban signed up with Alabama?'  You know however they talk.  And the Board of Trustees guy says, 'Yeah, I saw that.'  And he says, 'That son of a bitch.  I feel like he's f--king my wife.'"

We don't know where the audio originated, or who inserted sound effects to block the words "bitch" and "f--king."  It appears that the comments were made on January 4, following Saban's introductory press conference at Alabama.

And though we don't know whether it's real or a forgery, if it's a forgery it's a damn convincing forgery.

With letter-of-intent day for Saban's first recruiting class at Alabama arriving one week from today, this is something that Saban needs to clear up ASAP. 

(Meanwhile, that sound you hear in the distance is Miami Dolphins fans around the world laughing their asses off.)

With all that said, several readers have told us that "coon-ass" is not regarded in the South as a racial slur, though we'd never heard the term in any other context.  But some regard it as a slur against Cajun folk.  This sentiment is echoed in the Wikipedia definition of the term.  Other readers are shocked that the term could be regarded as anything other than offensive.   

We'd never heard the word before this morning, and we're shocked that the letters "coon" would be considered acceptable in any context other than following the letters "rac". 

Either way, it wasn't a moment of genius for Saban, and he has given his NCAA rivals even more ammunition for targeting his recruits.

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POSTED 11:16 p.m. EST; UPDATED 11:29 p.m. EST, January 30, 2007

LEWIS HAD UNDISCLOSED ANKLE INJURY?

One of the increasingly common occurrences this time of year is the disclosure of injuries that previously had not been reported.

Two years ago, the Jets revealed that, despite their in-season denials, quarterback Chad Pennington indeed had a torn rotator cuff.

Last year, it was disclosed after the season that Patriots quarterback Tom Brady had a sports hernia, and that he played with the condition for much of the season.

This year, the Seahawks acknowledged that quarterback Matt Hasselbeck played in multiple games with broken bones in his left hand.

And the Ravens disclosed on Tuesday that running back Jamal Lewis had surgery on his ankle.  A prior version of a story appearing on the web site of the Baltimore Sun regarding the team's end-of-season press conference indicated that the ankle injury had not previously been disclosed:  "Newsome revealed that running back Jamal Lewis underwent surgery on a previously undisclosed injured ankle.  Lewis, who is not expected to return to the team unless he agrees to restructure his contract, had not mentioned any concerns with his ankle." 

The current version of the article, however, does not contain this language.  But a Google news search of "Jamal" and "Lewis" and "ankle" has the footprints of the curiously disappearing text:

Lewis did not appear on the team's injury report for the playoff loss to the Colts, and several weeks of late-season injury reports that we reviewed mentioned no ankle problem.

The message to teams?  It's okay to lie about injuries if you can keep the injuries under wraps through the end of your team's season. 

The message to the rest of us, and specifically to those who dabble in one of pro sports' primary satellite industries?  Keep trying to cozy up to folks who might know the real truth about injuries, because the stuff that's publicly disclosed could be, shall we say, incomplete.

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RIVERS REPLACEMENT STILL NOT NAMED

On Tuesday, Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis withdrew from the Pro Bowl due to a hand injury.  It quickly was announced that he would be replaced by teammate Bart Scott.

Meanwhile, it has been more than a week since word broke that Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers wouldn't play in the game due to a foot injury.  But his replacement has not yet been named.

The thinking is that the league is trying to persuade Patriots quarterback Tom Brady to take Rivers' place.  However, Brady is scheduled to appear in the Pebble Beach Pro-Am, which conflicts with the Pro Bowl.

But can an alternate decline the invitation even if the alternate has a prior engagement?

"We would hope not," NFL spokesman Greg Aiello told us by e-mail on January 27.

With Colts quarterback Peyton Manning possibly pulling out of the game due to the thumb injury he suffered in the AFC Championship, there could be two spots that need to be filled.  Possible replacements include J.P. Losman, Uncle Rico, Chad Pennington, and Steve McNair.

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POSTED 9:13 p.m. EST; UPDATED 10:18 p.m. EST, January 30, 2007

GRIMM, TOMLIN RUMORS TRUE?

We reported last week on the existence of rumors making the rounds at the Senior Bowl regarding the chain of events that resulted in the hiring of Mike Tomlin by the Steelers.

As the rumor went, the Steelers had offered the head-coaching job to Russ Grimm, and Grimm had accepted it.  But at the last minute NFL commissioner Roger Goodell got involved, and urged Steelers chairman Dan Rooney to hire either Tomlin or Bears defensive coordinator Ron Rivera, both of whom were minority candidates.  

Per a source close to Grimm, we're now told that this is the version of the events that Grimm privately has been reciting.

Wow.

Again, we're not saying that it actually happened this way.   But we are confident that Grimm thinks it happened this way, or at a minimum that Grimm is saying that it happened this way, regardless of whether he actually believes that that's the way it went down.

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SUPER BOWL LIVE BLOG!

We didn't expect to do it.  But this one will be for all of the members of PFT Planet who, for whatever reason, won't be watching the Super Bowl in the company of other human beings.

Or for those of you looking for an excuse not to interact with said other human beings in whose company you will be.

That's right, baby.  We're live-blogging Super Bowl XLI.

We're also dedicating this one to . . . to . . . sniff . . . that brave horse who suffered and died in the pursuit of our amusement via the wagering of money enhanced by the consumption of alcohol.  It's the least we can do.

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POSTED 3:11 p.m. EST, January 30, 2007

NFL TO OPEN COMBINE TO FANS?

There's talk in league circles that the NFL might open the RCA Dome to fans for the scouting combine, given the positive response that the league has received to coverage of the annual event in Indianapolis.

Before anyone starts making reservations at the local Motel 6 for next month's event, however, the change is not likely to be made until 2008, at the earliest.

Under the proposal that is being discussed, fans would be allowed to sit in the upper deck of the facility.  Scouts, coaches, and other team personnel gather in the lower levels of the stadium to watch incoming rookies run around in shorts and T-shirts.

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POSTED 12:42 p.m. EST; UPDATED 1:25 p.m. EST, January 30, 2007

SINGLETARY INTERVIEW A SHAM?

After reading Nancy Gay's excellent item in the San Francisco Chronicle regarding the Rooney Rule, we're now more convinced than ever that the apparently sudden decision of Cowboys owner Jerry Jones to interview 49ers assistant head coach Mike Singletary is as much of a sham as was Jones' "interview" last week of defensive backs coach Todd Bowles.

Writes Gay:  "Perhaps Jones heard the whispers around the NFL that he somehow was not honoring the spirit of the Rooney Rule with this search for Parcells' replacement."

And she also quotes a Cowboys insider, who shared with her this nugget regarding the interview of Bowles, who prior to Singletary was the only minority candidate considered for the job:  "The time [Bowles] spent waiting outside the office for the interview was longer than the time he spent inside the office."

So if Bowles' interview was merely a sham session aimed at superficially complying with the letter of the Rooney Rule, we're inclined to think that Singletary's interview is a sham session aimed at superficially complying with the spirit of the Rooney Rule.

Of course, superficial compliance is all that's required.  Though Jones won't face any official scrutiny from the league, his apparent tactics are fair game for criticism by the media.  (And by us.)

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TUESDAY AFTERNOON ONE-LINERS

Jean-Jacques Taylor of the Dallas Morning News thinks that Jerry Jones should coach the Cowboys.

Jay Mariotti of the Chicago Sun-Times thinks Bears QB Rex Grossman is too defensive.  (What?  Did Rex call Jay a fag, or something?)

Steelers coach Mike Tomlin is polishing off his staff.  (Okay, we told ourselves that we weren't going to follow that line with "and hiring more assistant coaches."  We use a version of the crude play on words roughly once a year at this time, but we don't want to fall into that same trap of uttering the same line over and over again under the presumption that maybe there's someone out there who has never heard it before.  Now excuse us while we go back to bed.  We plan to flip our pillow over before we do.  We've heard somewhere that the other side of it can be quite refreshing.)

Will the Bears slap the franchise tag on LB Lance Briggs?

If not, the Pats aren't likely to make a run at him.

The Bengals really haven't changed that much, after all.

The Rams have plugged a couple of holes in the coaching staff.  (And hired more assistant coaches.)

Seahawks exec Mike Reinfeldt is reportedly the favorite to land the G.M. gig in Tennessee.

Maybe Fran Foley will be the next defensive coordinator in Minnesota.

Packers WR Donald Driver wants Lord Favre to return (since without him Driver is the oldest dude on the team).

Bears coach Lovie Smith deflected talk that special teams coach Dave Toub might be heading to Philly.

Former Jets RB Richie Anderson is the new tight ends coach of the Cardinals.

Former Cowboys safeties coach Mike MacIntyre has joined the Jets.

Former Bears DE Richard Dent thinks he belongs in the Hall of Fame.

Former Bears and Colts QB Jim Harbaugh is pulling for Indy, apparently because he's still thinking about that day in January 1996 when the Colts nearly made it to the Super Bowl.  (Hey, Jim -- you did what you could.  The guy who should feel like crap every year at this time is Quentin Coryatt.)

Former Bears defensive tackle William Perry is still as big as a house.

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POSTED 9:34 a.m. EST, January 30, 2007

DEL RIO DENIES INTEREST IN DALLAS JOB

In response to reports that he has expressed interest in the Dallas Cowboys' head-coaching position, Jaguars coach Jack Del Rio denies that he wants the job.

"I have no interest and I've expressed no interest," Del Rio told Vic Ketchman of Jaguars.com.  "We have a strong roster, I have a very supportive owner and my family loves it here in Jacksonville."

Yeah.  Sure.  Okay.  "I'm not going to be the Alabama coach."

The difference here, of course, is that Del Rio can truthfully state he's not interested because, by all appearances, the Cowboys aren't interested in him.  If they were, an effort would have been made to secure permission to interview him, or to acquire his services via some type of trade.

Meanwhile, 1.76 million gallons of water in the Dallas area were very happy to hear the news that Del Rio is staying in Florida.

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POSTED 9:04 a.m. EST; UPDATED 9:17 a.m. EST, January 30, 2007

FROM PURPLE DRANK TO YELLOW SPRAY

And so it continues.

With the Bengals taking a break from the police blotter, the Bengals West are continuing to get themselves in trouble.

Per the San Diego Union-Tribune, Chargers safety Terrence Kiel has been arrested for public urination, outside of the popular Jbar lounge.  (It's not presently known whether he'll use the uromycitisis poisoning defense.)

Last year, Kiel was arrested for shipping cough syrup to Houston.  The Codeine-laced substance is often mixed with Sprite to form "Purple Drank."  Charges are still pending.

Though we're usually quick to pontificate (thanks, you know who) when it comes to matters of crime and punishment, we'll admit that, as to this topic, the reality is that those who live in glass houses sometimes pee off of the front porch.

Hey, anyone who has ever tried to use the men's room at a crowded bar more than a few hours into the evening knows that it makes a lot more sense to find a wall out in the alley and write your name on it, without a pen.

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PFT RETURNS TO SPORTS BLOGGERS LIVE

PFT's favorite online radio show had gone dark for a little while as it undergoes some major geographic and other changes, but our pals at AOL's Sports Bloggers Live are back with a vengeance this week, broadcasting from Radio Row in Miami.

And we'll visit with Jamie Mottram and the rest of the gang on Tuesday at 12:05 p.m. EST, or thereabouts.  You can hear it all right here.

You also can check out Monday's show, which featured a guest spot with Subway's Jared, who likely has been hit up for a loan or two recently by his new pal Michael Strahan.

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POSTED 8:50 p.m. EST, January 30, 2007

COLTS SHOULDN'T FORGET CLARK'S COLD-COCKING

The key to the Super Bowl, as we see it, comes down to which of the two defensive gurus who coach the participating teams will be able to solve the scheme that both of them use.

It's the Cover 2/Tampa 2 attack, which takes away the big play and forces teams to mount long drives via the Sean Salisbury "nip/tuck/crunch/chew-not-Jew-but-chew" approach.

Still, the 4-3 front with two deep safeties has several holes, especially in the seams down the middle of the field.  And much of the pre-Super Bowl buzz centers on the possibility that Colts tight end Dallas Clark will be able to exploit this flaw.

Um.  Does anyone remember Brian Urlacher?

Clark should.  Assuming that his memory has returned after taking a wicked helmet-to-helmet hit from Urlacher during the 2005 preseason.  The resulting concussion caused Clark to miss the first game of the regular season.

And Urlacher is the prototypical Cover 2 middle linebacker.  He has the speed and the agility to cover receivers and tight ends and running backs who try to run down the heart of the field.  And he has the power to lay the lumber to anyone who tries to catch the ball in his vicinity.

So while we've been on the Indy bandwagon for most of the past week, we're starting to ponder a little more carefully the X's and the O's, and the fact that Urlacher might put X's over Clark's eyes could be a big factor in whether the Colts can move the ball.

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POSTED 6:34 a.m. EST, January 30, 2007

"DR. VAN NOSTRAND, I PRESUME?"

In a stunning item on ESPN.com, investigative reporter Mike Fish (man, that sounds like a made-up name) writes of a guy in Georgia who might be practicing medicine despite not being a doctor.

The twist?  He assists multiple pro athletes in their treatment for injuries.

The "doctor" in question is Mack Henry "Hank" Sloan, and his specialty is helping players return from injury.

Lions defensive end Kalimba Edwards, who flew to Atlanta every other Tuesday during the 2006 season for treatment on a groin injury, and Falcons linebacker Edgerton Hartwell believe that Sloan is a doctor.

"Yeah, he's a doctor," Hartwell says. "He's an M.D. . . . I know [he is].  You see his stuff in his office and stuff.  He's got it."

But Sloan says he's not a doctor.  And that's a wise move on his part, since he currently is being investigated by Georgia authorities for practicing medicine without a license.  It's a felony, which gives him something else in common with professional athletes.

Sloan claims he is a naturopath, a discipline licensed in 14 states, but not Georgia.

The article also raises the specter of banned substances, based on old e-mails in which Sloan seems to acknowledge using human growth hormone on a baseball player.

Sloan's current and former clients/patients include Cowboys receiver Terrell Owens, Redskins running back Clinton Portis, and Falcons running back Mike Vick.

Based on Fish's report, it looks like they all could be "former" clients/patients before too long.     

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POSTED 8:23 p.m. EST; UPDATED 9:33 p.m. EST, January 29, 2007

JONES ADDS SINGLETARY TO THE LIST

At a time when by all appearances the Dallas Cowboys are homing in on 49ers offensive coordinator Norv Turner and Chargers defensive coordinator Wade Phillips as the primary candidates to replace Bill Parcells as head coach, the Cowboys will interview 49ers assistant head coach Mike Singletary.

But Singletary wasn't previously regarded as a serious candidate for the job, and his name seemingly was added to the interview list out of the blue, days after names of candidates like Turner and Phillips and Saints defensive coordinator Gary Gibbs became known.

Our take?  Owner Jerry Jones recognized that the spirit of the Rooney Rule wouldn't be satisfied by interviewing a handful of holdover position coaches, one of whom happened to be African-American. 

Or, alternatively, the league office leaned on Jones to engage in a good-faith effort to comply with the Rooney Rule by interviewing Singletary. 

We can't blame Singletary for agreeing to be interviewed, despite reports that Turner is expected to get the job.  Not long ago, Art Shell was the guy whose phone would ring when a team was in danger of non-compliance with the Rooney Rule. 

And the decision to play ball eventually got Art Shell another head-coaching job, with the Raiders.

We also don't rule out the possibility that Jones is trying to finagle Turner as the head coach and Singletary as the defensive coordinator.  The only problem?  The 49ers can block a move to any position other than head coach.

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MONDAY NIGHT ONE-LINERS

The Browns are hiring more guys who'll eventually be fired.

Jim Colletto will be coaching the Lions' offensive line.

The AP has deftly updated its story on Cal RB Marshawn Lynch to ignore the fact that its earlier story was woefully incomplete.

Texans OL Fred Weary might sue over his Tasering.

The 49ers say that they haven't talked to the Raiders about sharing a stadium.

The Nicktator's ball-washer, who as we hear it spent much of the past two years pretending to be the Fins' special teams coach, somehow got a real job doing so in Denver.

Former Chargers and Lions coach Bobby Ross is calling it a career.

The Titans have concluded their G.M. interviews.

The Son of Simms has recommitted to Louisville.

Bears coach Lovie Smith says it's not time to get rid of the Rooney Rule. 

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POSTED 7:56 p.m. EST, January 29, 2007

AP TOO LITTLE, TOO LATE ON LYNCH STORY

More than two days after word first broke that Cal running back Marshawn Lynch was accused of sexual assault, the Associated Press finally posted a story about it.

The problem?  Marcus Wohlen's article regarding the charges was hitting the web sites of newspapers all across the country as word was breaking (here and elsewhere) that charges won't be pressed.

Look for the AP to catch up with this one on Wednesday or so, presumably of this week.

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POSTED 6:22 p.m. EST, January 29, 2007

NO CHARGES FOR LYNCH

Agent Doug Hendrickson of Octagon, who represents former Cal running back Marshawn Lynch, tells us that the Alameda County district attorney will not be pursuing charges against Lynch arising from allegations that Lynch sexually assaulted a woman in Oakland on December 13, 2006.

Last week, a judge entered a restraining order against Lynch at the woman's request.  But that decision is irrelevant to the question of whether he will face any type of prosecution for the alleged misdeeds.  Per the prosecuting attorney for the county in which the action allegedly occurred, no charges will be filed, which means that the case is closed.

Of course, this doesn't prevent the woman in question from filing a civil suit against Lynch, if she so chooses.  The standard of proof is significantly lower in civil proceedings, where any liability would be addressed via an award of money damages.

Lynch is regarded as one of the top running backs in the draft, and likely will be taken in the first round.

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POSTED 5:08 p.m. EST, January 29, 2007

JACK DEL RIO LIKES HIS BUBBLE BATHS

We need to hit the "pause" button for a moment as to the ongoing flow of football-related news and information to share a little nugget that a reader has forwarded to us regarding the water consumption habits of Jaguars coach Jack Del Rio.

Per Owen Holmes of a regional publication known as Folio Weekly, the Del Rio household is the No. 5 consumer of water in all of Jacksonville.  Consider the following blurb from the January 23-29 cover story titled "Water Hogs": 

1.76 million gallons!?!?!  

The annual bill of $6,219 works out to $518.25 per month.  Sure, Del Rio can afford it.  But he's definitely living up to his surname, which means "of the river" in Spanish.  (And now you can no longer say that you haven't learned anything from PFT, other than various synonyms for the word "poop.")

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POSTED 4:39 p.m. EST, January 29, 2007

RAIDERS HIRE KNAPP

Need further proof that the Oakland Raiders won't be trading for Falcons running back Michael Vick?  Late Sunday night, the Raiders hired former Falcons offensive coordinator Greg Knapp.

It was Knapp's West Coast offense that couldn't maximize Vick's talents or minimize his weaknesses during three seasons in Atlanta.  

Of course, it remains to be seen whether the Raiders will use the West Coast offense or whether Knapp will be asked to learn how to run the offense that Kiffin co-coordinated at USC, which he and Steve Sarkisian learned from former Trojans offensive coordinator (and current Titans offensive coordinator) Norm Chow.

Given that Kiffin previously has said that he plans to call the plays, our guess is that Knapp will be asked to fuhgetabout the West Coast offense and adapt to the Kiffin system.

If so, we find it ironic.  It was, in the end, the refusal of Knapp and Jim Mora to adapt and/or scrap the West Coast offense in order to get the most out of Vick that contributed to Knapp's recent unemployment.  

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POSTED 12:14 p.m. EST; UPDATED 1:23 p.m. EST, January 29, 2007

MOSS DISSES KIFFIN?

Jerry McDonald of InsideBayArea.com reports that the Senior Bowl was buzzing about the first efforts of new Raiders coach Lane Kiffin to contact veteran receiver Randy Moss.

Kiffin supposedly had trouble reaching Moss by phone.  Writes McDonald:  "When he finally did, as the story goes, Moss told him in pointed, profane terms he wasn't interested in talking."

McDonald says that the story has been reported "on a pair of ESPN radio interviews," and McDonald also says that "a source at the Senior Bowl confirms Kiffin vs. Moss was indeed a topic of discussion among coaches, scouts and personnel men in Mobile, Ala."

Our take?  It's not a surprise.  Moss wants out of Oakland.  It traces to last offseason, when he mused about his wish to be traded to Atlanta or Baltimore before being shipped by the Vikings to the Raiders.  We predicted at the time that a divorce was in the offing, as several members of PFT Planet questioned our sanity.  (We still might not be sane, but guessing that Moss and the Raiders would end up on the outs isn't proof of it.)

In a series of radio spots during the season, Moss became more and more pointed about his unhappiness in Oakland and desire to leave.  

So what better way to ensure that he'll get what he wants than to spit in the eye of his new boss?

Still, Randy needs to be careful.  Even with a 2007 salary of $9.75 million, Moss could be held captive by Raiders owner Al Davis.  He's done it with Marcus Allen, and he's doing it with Jerry Porter.

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NFL MAKING LIGHT OF BENGALS' LEGAL PROBLEMS

You know, we really don't expect the NFL to come out and admit that Playmakers was unrealistic only because it was too tame, or that there is a real and troubling problem with criminal conduct (actual and alleged) among professional football players.

But it would be nice if the NFL's in-house television network didn't go out of its way to make light of the situation.

We're referring to one of this year's "four months ago" commercials urging fans to "get their stories straight" by frequenting NFL Network.  The spots are generally amusing to us.  

This time around, one of the guys in the segment says that the "jury is still out on the Bengals."  (We're paraphrasing, because we haven't personally seen the commercial.  But several members of PFT Planet have alerted us to it.)

Look, we don't want to get all soapboxy on this.  With that said, does poking fun at a disturbing string of arrests send the right message to the general public?  At a time when it's hard to tell whether anyone really cares about solving the problem, the commercial screams out to the general public:  "We're addressing this very serious situation by making jokes about it.  On TV."

And don't forget that NFLN is owned equally by the 32 NFL teams.  So 1/32nd of that message is coming straight from the very team that has made itself into a mockery.

Bottom line -- for a multi-billion-dollar business that has displayed extremely wise, prudent, and conservative judgment over the years, we're shocked by the apparent lack of sensitivity that the NFL is displaying regarding one of the few issues that could reverse the decades of growth that the sport has enjoyed.

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POSTED 9:47 a.m. EST, January 29, 2007

49ERS, RAIDERS TO SHARE A STADIUM?

Phillip Matier and Andrew Ross of the San Francisco Chronicle report that the San Francisco 49ers have "informally approached" the Oakland Raiders regarding the possibility of building and sharing a new stadium.

Per the report, the 49ers deny that such contact occurred.  "I think it's a good idea, but we haven't gone down that road yet,'' 49ers executive Jed York said. "First we need to work on Santa Clara, and make sure we can actually get a stadium down there.''

Raiders sources, however, told the Chronicle that the team was approached by the 49ers on a casual basis during the second half of the 2006 season regarding the possibility of joining forces.

Said Raiders chief executive Amy Trask in the article:  "We are enthusiastically focused on the 2007 football season, and don't believe this is an appropriate time to discuss stadium opportunities. . . .  We are playing in a nice stadium, which our teams and fans enjoy.''

Reading between the lines of that one, our official response is:  "Hmmmmm."

Currently, the only NFL teams that share a stadium are the Giants and the Jets.  Other NFL teams share a venue with a local college team.  Some, including the Raiders, also share with a baseball team.

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POSTED 7:36 a.m. EST; LAST UPDATED 8:43 a.m. EST, January 29, 2007

BENGALS NEED TO BEEF UP SCOUTING STAFF

In response to the item we posted on Sunday night addressing the tough talk from Bengals president Mike Brown regarding his displeasure with a roster including nine players who have been arrested since December 2005, a former NFL front-office employee has reminded us of one of the potential causes for the problem with which the team is now struggling.

The Bengals don't employ enough scouts.

According to the team's official web site, the Bengals have only one scout and three "scouting consultants." 

"Most teams have almost 10 college scouts and a scouting assistant or 2," said the source.  "It's amazing that they have gone this far today and do things backwards.  They have no one else to blame but their own front office."

So how do they get ready for the draft?  The talk is that the assistant coaches get pressed into service after the season ends.  But that's like showing up 90 minutes late for a marathon, since every other team has been spending the entire football season dispatching its scouts to points all over the country, where they attend college practices and games.

Focusing only on the AFC North, the Bengals are well behind their key rivals.  The Steelers have at least seven college scouts, and one person who splits time between assessing college and pro prospects.  The Ravens have eight college scouts.  The Browns have nine college scouts.  (Um, Cleveland, it's not working.)

Why don't the Bengals have a bigger scouting staff?  Because they're cheap.

And this brings us back to the whole revenue issue.  Sure, the Bengals are near the bottom of the NFL in gross revenue.  But they continue to be one of the most profitable teams, because they spend as little of their money as possible.

So while we've been blaming Marvin Lewis for the mess in the Queen City, it very well could be that much of the blame falls to Brown. 

With that said, the Bengals are clearly doing enough to identify the talented players.  The flaw apparently lies in the nuances and details, which prompted many of the guys whom they have selected over the past couple of years to slide until the Bengals realized that they were in position to snag what they thought was a steal.

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FRIDGE FROSTS FANS

CBS 2 in Chicago reports that fans aren't happy with former Bears defensive tackle William "Refrigerator" Perry or a local Costco store at which he was scheduled to appear to sign autographs.

Fans who arrived at the Mount Prospect Costco store learned that anything Perry signed had to be purchased there, and that he wouldn't sign anything they brought with them.

Said one person:  “They wanted over $25 for the pictures, which is outrageous, and you know we drove a long distance here and we ended up getting nothing.  I was outraged.  Very disappointed in how Costco in how [sic] they handled everything."

Perry is receiving renewed attention as the Bears return to the Super Bowl for the first time since 1985, when Perry was an oversized rookie whose then-revolutionary participation on offense in goal-line situations helped make him a household name.

In all, Perry spent 10 years in the NFL.  He stayed with the Bears until the middle of the 1993 season, and he finished his career with the Eagles.

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MONDAY MORNING ONE-LINERS

Says Craig Carton of the Asbury Park Press regarding Sean Salisbury:  "I played golf with Sean in Denver and he yelled at me for taking a one-inch gimme putt, quoting the integrity of the game or some other rule infraction nonsense.  I didn't like him then, and I like him less now."

Surviving members of the Baltimore Colts won't acknowledge their brethren in Indy.

But some of them like QB Peyton Manning, especially because he wanted to wear black high tops as an homage to QB John Unitas after he died in 2002.

One specific former Colt, however, isn't happy that WR Marvin Harrison is wearing No. 88.

As usual, security will be high at the Super Bowl.

The Bears have installed 85 percent of their game plan.

The two-headed replacement for Edgerrin James has worked well for the Colts.

If there's ever a right time to pick a Booger, the Colts found it.

Colts TE Dallas Clark could blow a hole in the Bears' Cover 2.

Eagles QB Donovan McNabb will speak on Wednesday.

In 1994, Bears coach Lovie Smith was defensive backs coach at Tennessee when QB Peyton Manning arrived as a true freshman.  (We assume that Manning never dropped his "naked butt and rectum" on Smith's head.)

Anybody wanna buy some Steelers stuff?

Wow -- Dave Barry is still alive.

Mitch Albom is making his Super Bowl pick early, which will free up the rest of the week to work on his dye job.

The worst part of Peyton Manning being in the Super Bowl?  It'll be all-access Archie all freakin' week.

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POSTED 7:05 a.m. EST, January 29, 2007

'BOYS SQUEEZING NORV, WADE?

There's talk in league circles that Chargers defensive coordinator Wade Phillips remains at the top of the list for the Cowboys' head-coaching job, despite reports that 49ers offensive coordinator Norv Turner is the front-runner for the job.

So could it be that owner Jerry Jones is trying to soften up both of them in the hopes of getting one of the them to accept whatever lowball offer he puts on the table? 

The Steelers claim that last week's dueling reports regarding the candidacies of Mike Tomlin and Russ Grimm resulted from efforts to negotiate with both men before making a final decision.  Though there's a question as to the accuracy of this contention, since Tomlin's agent admits that there was no negotiation with his client until his client was informed that he was the choice, the strategy makes sense, if a team has decided that either guy would be acceptable.

Both Turner and Phillips have previously held two head-coaching jobs.  But with neither getting a sniff for any of the four other vacancies that were filled this year, Jones is in position to at least try to play one against the other in order to get the best deal possible.

Especially when he can tell both of them that, if they're not interested in the money he's offering, he can just make offensive coordinator Jason Garrett the coach.

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POSTED 11:43 p.m. EST, January 28, 2007

DEL RIO KNOWS HIS DAYS ARE NUMBERED

While watching the last half hour of Caddyshack on ESPN Classic and perusing the web for anything of significance that we've missed over the weekend, we tripped across a nugget buried in a Friday article from Paul Domowitch of the Philadelphia Daily News.

Here's the relevant entry:  "Jaguars coach Jack Del Rio has expressed interest in the Cowboys' vacant coaching job.  But he doesn't appear to be a serious candidate.  Del Rio still has 2 years left on his deal in Jacksonville, and Jones hasn't asked the Jags for permission to talk to him."

Wow.

Translation?  Del Rio knows his butt is in hot water come 2007, and that he most likely will be fired if he can't get the Jags back to the postseason.

And our guess is that news of his interest in the Dallas job won't help to increase Del Rio's job security.  When his name surfaced two years ago as a potential replacement for Nick Saban at LSU, we heard that owner Wayne Weaver wasn't pleased with the perception that Del Rio was injecting his name into the mix.  With Del Rio now in danger of getting fired come January 2008, we frankly wouldn't be shocked if there's a change made within the next couple of weeks.

We're not saying it's going to happen.  But if it did it wouldn't shock us.

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POSTED 11:21 p.m. EST, January 28, 2007

BROWN "FED UP" WITH BAD BOYS

Bengals president Mike Brown claims that he's "fed up" with the misbehavior of his players.  And in a not-so-subtle slap (in our opinion) at the draft record of the team under coach Marvin Lewis, Brown suggests that changes are coming to the manner in which the Bengals select new players.

"There may be some gifted athletes we won't pick that we might have picked a year ago," Brown told the Cincinnati Enquirer.

Last year, the team selected eight "gifted athletes" on draft day.  Since then, four have been arrested. 

And the organization hardly can claim ignorance.  Several of the guys that the team has acquired over the past couple of years have histories of misbehavior (and/or alleged misbehavior).  Days after the 2006 season ended, the Bengals signed linebacker Jason Berryman, who missed the 2004 college season . . . because he was in jail.

As one league source told us last April 30 after most of the Bengals' draft picks had been made:  "What the f--- are they doing?  [Frostee] Rucker and [A.J.] Nicholson?  Give me a break.  They are sabotaging the organization by picking bad players like [Odell] Thurman, [Chris] Henry, and those two."

Last week, quarterback Carson Palmer sounded off about the situation after cornerback Johnathan Joseph, the team's first-round pick in 2006, was busted for marijuana possession.

Although, as Brown recognizes, the team's options for dealing with a player who has been arrested are limited, this reality makes it even more important for good decisions to be made before a player is drafted or signed.  And it's all the more reason, in our view, that the responsibility for the team's current predicament should fall squarely at the feet of Lewis.

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POSTED 10:37 p.m. EST, January 28, 2007

NORV'S THE FAVORITE

ESPN's Ed Werder reports that 49ers offensive coordinator Norv Turner is the leading candidate to become the next coach of the Dallas Cowboys.

Turner interviewed for the job on Sunday, two days after the Niners made a pitch to convince him to stay.  He previously served as head coach of the Redskins and Raiders, and offensive coordinator of the Cowboys, Chargers, and Dolphins.

The veteran coach surely relishes the opportunity to play the Redskins twice per year, given that he was the first field boss to be fired by Washington owner Dan Snyder.  Snyder bought the team prior to the 1999 season, and dumped Turner 13 games into the 2000 campaign, which was a major disappointment for a team that had sky-high expectations after the addition of free agents like Deion Sanders and Bruce Smith and the arrival of tackle Chris Samuels and linebacker LaVar Arrington, two of the top three picks in the draft that year.

An offer has not yet been made, and terms have not been discussed.  But talks are expected to continue.

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POSTED 8:04 p.m. EST; UPDATED 8:27 p.m. EST, January 28, 2007

LEAGUE FLIP-FLOPS ON HOBBS CALL

Mike Reiss and Ron Borges of the Boston Globe report that the NFL officially is taking the position that a key pass interference call from last Sunday's AFC championship game between the Colts and Patriots was correct, despite a prior admission from a league office employee that a flag should not have been thrown.

NFL spokesman Greg Aiello has told the Globe that the third-quarter call was correct because, even though the rules no longer prohibit face-guarding, Pats defensive back Ellis Hobbs made contact with Colts receiver Reggie Wayne.

"There is no such thing as face-guarding," Aiello said. "There must be contact to have a foul." 

Previously, Vic Ketchman of Jaguars.com reported that league office employee Dean Blandino, who was in the replay booth for the Pats-Colts game, "confirmed that an incorrect call was made."

The official GameBook on NFL.com for the AFC Championship game lists Blandino as one of the two replay officials.

Our recollection of the play (which is still pretty clear a week later, even though we can't quite recall what we had for lunch on Saturday) is that there was no contact between Hobbs and Wayne.  The fact that Phil Simms of CBS was even talking about "face-guarding" indicates that Simms agrees that Hobbs never touched Wayne.  If there had been contact, there would have been no reason to talk about a tweak in the rules that no longer is on the books.

Regardless, we've got a feeling that Blandino will soon be asked not to blab-ino to reporters without first checking with guys like Aiello.  Otherwise, the NFL could have two different versions of reality in circulation.

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RFA TENDERS INCREASE

Mike Reiss of the Boston Globe (sheesh -- we cited him for two stories in a row . . . we must owe him a favor or money or something) has the restricted free agents tenders for 2007 in his blog.

Per Reiss, the low tender is a one-year contract with a salary of $850,000.  By offering the restricted free agent a contract worth that amount, a team retains the right to match any offers received by the player, along with compensation equal to a draft pick from the round in which the player originally was selected.  For a player who was undrafted, there is no compensation.

The new second-round tender (which guarantees compensation in the form of a second-round draft pick) is $1.3 million.

The first-round tender is $1.8 million.

The high tender is $2.35 million, which provides compensation in the form of a first-round and a third-round pick.

In 2006, the low tender was $712,000, the first-round tender was $1.55 million, and the first-round and third-round tender was $2.069 million.

The biggest challenge for teams with restricted free agents in 2007 is the selection of the appropriate tender amount.  Given the continued presence of the poison-pill provision, which allows a new team to sign a guy to, for example, a seven-year, $49 million offer sheet that becomes fully guaranteed if he plays five games in the city in which his current team is located, it's easy to come up with a financial package that the original team won't be able to match.

The team facing the biggest dilemma in this regard is the Falcons.  If quarterback Matt Schaub is tendered at the $1.8 million level, another team might opt to give up the first-round pick in order to get him.  Thus, the Falcons likely will be forced to pay Schaub $2.35 million in order to keep him around as the backup to running back Mike Vick for another season.

Schaub made $425,000 in 2006, the third and final year of his rookie deal.

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POSTED 4:39 p.m. EST, January 28, 2007

BUSH FINED FOR FINGER POINTING

The NFL has fined Saints running back Reggie Bush $5,000 for taunting Bears linebacker Brian Urlacher at the end of an 88-yard touchdown catch and run.  The third-quarter score, with the extra point, pushed the Saints to within two of the Bears, 16-14.  But the Bears scored 23 unanswered points and won the NFC Championship, 39-14.

Though the move didn't go unnoticed by the league, it was ignored by Joe Buck and Troy Aikman of FOX.  Phil Mushnick of the New York Post takes a great look at FOX's silence on the issue during the broadcast of last Sunday's game.  He suggests that the criticism Buck received for his high-horsed rant regarding Randy Moss and a fake mooning at Lambeau Field in January 2005 might have prompted Buck to keep quiet this time around. 

If so, it's Buck's own fault for reacting excessively to the Moss maneuver.  Besides, there's nothing wrong with mentioning the obvious -- that Bush taunted Urlacher, that he was lucky not to be penalized for it, and that he still could be fined for it.

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POSTED 1:36 p.m. EST; UPDATED 2:08 p.m. EST, January 28, 2007

LYNCH ACCUSED OF SEXUAL ASSAULT

California running back Marshawn Lynch, who is widely regarded as one of the top prospects in the 2007 draft, reportedly has been accused of sexual assault and domestic violence.

In a criminal complaint filed on December 19, 2006, a woman claims tha Lynch "choked, slapped and sexually assaulted her" on December 13 in Oakland. 

Radio station KCBS first reported the complaint, and a full story appears in the Contra Costa Times.

Lynch admits that he was with the woman on the night in question, but denies any criminal wrongdoing.  On Friday, a judge awarded the woman a restraining order against Lynch.  

At this point, the impact on Lynch's draft stock is unknown.  (As several readers have suggested, Lynch suddenly has become very attractive to the Bengals.)  And it's way too early to tell whether Lynch will do time.

In 2006, Lynch rushed for 1,356 yards on 223 carries for a 6.1 average gain per carry.  For his career, he averaged 6.6 yards per attempt.

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POSTED 12:23 p.m. EST; LAST UPDATED 1:20 p.m. EST, January 28, 2007

JONES COULD BE FORCING MORE ROONEY RULE CHANGES

Before reading on, be sure to categorize this one as pure speculation.  But it's speculation rooted in the fact that we have been following the NFL carefully every single day without exception for the last five-plus years. 

With that said, here we go.

In our estimation, the manner in which Cowboys owner Jerry Jones is conducting the ongoing search for a successor to coach Bill Parcells should result in some sort of expansion, clarification, or some other modification of the Rooney Rule.

Why?  Because Jones technically complied with the Rooney Rule, which requires at least one minority candidate to be interviewed for each head-coaching vacancy, by interviewing three members of Parcells' coaching staff for the job:  assistant head coach Tony Sparano, receivers coach Todd "Rat Salad" Haley, and defensive backs coach Todd Bowles.

Since Bowles is African-American, Jones technically complied with the Rooney Rule.  Then, after the three internal candidates were interviewed, the "real" search to fill the job began. 

Jones is the same guy who satisfied the Rooney Rules four years ago by conducting a phone interview of Dennis Green, after meeting secretly with Bill Parcells while Dave Campo was still the coach of the team.  And that maneuver resulted in a codicil (thanks, Tiki) to the Rooney Rule, requiring minority interviews to be conducted on a face-to-face basis.

This time around, we predict that Jones' efforts to comply with the Rooney Rule by talking to a few members of the current staff, one of whom conveniently is black, will result in the closure of another loophole.  Moving forward, we suspect that the league office will limit the ability of teams to comply with the Rooney Rule by interviewing internal candidates. 

Sure, there would be exceptions -- if the minority coach is the offensive or defensive coordinator, then the interview should be regarded as satisfying the Rooney Rule.  Or if the coach is a non-coordinator who either has been an NFL head coach in the past or who has been interviewed by another team for such a position, the presumption should be that the interview was legit.

But we're extremely uncomfortable with the notion of an owner parading in current employees and engaging in a perfunctory "Do you want to be the head coach? . . . Okay, we'll get back to you" session for the purposes of satisfying a rule that requires something much more meaningful than that.

With all that said, and as we explained in the most recent Ten-Pack, we think that the Rooney Rule has served its purpose, and that owners should be trusted moving forward to make colorblind hiring decisions.  Still, we think that both the letter and the spirit of the Rooney Rule should be honored while the Rooney Rule is on the books, and Jones' most recent actions will likely require the NFL to alter the letter of the rule in order to ensure that the spirit is properly respected.

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SUNDAY AFTERNOON ONE-LINERS

Saints defensive coordinator Gary Gibbs, a former Cowboys assistant, has interviewed for the head-coaching job in Dallas.

Kudos to J.A. Adande of the Los Angeles Times for this simple truth:  "A black coach reaching the Super Bowl was inevitable.  A young black coach getting one of the best jobs in the league is evidence of equal opportunity."

The Cowboys have no African-American executives in the front office hierarchy.

We like this line from Furman Bisher (or is it Burman Fisher?) regarding the Falcons' patience with Mike Vick:  "Six years have passed, and it seems like it's waiting for a child to get potty-trained."

The Cardinals are expected to hire former Browns offensive coordinator Maurice Carthon to coach running backs.

The NFL won't let Bears fans gather at Soldier Field to watch the Super Bowl because it could water down television ratings (and there really is a big difference between 144,400,000 viewers and 144,338,500 viewers).   

The Colts will practice on Monday before heading to Miami.

Dante Wesley of the Bears, who was in the Carolina locker room while Janet Jackson exposed herself during halftime of Super Bowl XXXVIII, says he might try to catch a peek of Prince (maybe he'll be wearing his assless chaps).

Carson Palmer and Chad Johnson are heading to Miami, but not in the capacity that they had hoped.

After serving his 48 hours, Bengals WR Chris Henry snuck out the back door of the jail.  (Maybe "back door" isn't the best term to use when discussing prison.)

Ohio State QB Troy Smith didn't have a big day at the Senior Bowl.

Ohio State WR Ted Ginn Jr. will be represented by Neil Cornrich.  (Cornrich presumably didn't celebrate the news by hugging Ginn . . . and breaking his ribs.)

The Browns couldn't get permission from Miami to interview Jason Garrett for the job of offensive coordinator, but the Cowboys did.

Former Dolphins and Redskins RB Mercury Morris is trying to get compensation from the league for a lingering problem with headaches.

Chris Palmer is the Giants' new quarterbacks coach.

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POSTED 1:59 p.m. EST, January 27, 2007

MORE TROUBLE FOR LLOYD LAKE?

Yahoo! Sports recently reported that Lloyd Lake, one of the founders of New Era Sports & Entertainment, made tape recordings of telephone conversations in late 2005 "to protect his financial investment if [Reggie] Bush backed out of their alleged agreement" that New Era would represent Bush once Bush entered the NFL.

The only problem?  In California, private conversations cannot be recorded unless all parties consent to it.

The law is codified at Section 632 of the California Penal Code.  It imposes a penalty of a fine of up to $2,500 and imprisonment of up to a year.  (Thanks to the member of PFT Planet who alerted us to this one.) 

More importantly for Bush's purposes, the law expressly states that "no evidence obtained as a result of eavesdropping upon or recording a confidential communication in violation of this section shall be admissible in any judicial, administrative, legislative, or other proceeding."  And this could mean that the NCAA would be prevented from considering any statements made in such calls as evidence that Bush and/or his family received cash and/or other benefits from Lake.  

This wouldn't be Lake's first brush with the law, and as of last April Lake was serving a 30-month prison sentence for drug-related offenses.  If he is/was on probation of any kind when the calls were allegedly recorded, he might have to do more time independent of the potential violation of Section 632.

And then there's the extortion investigation being conducted by a San Diego grand jury.  Lake reportedly is the target.

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POSTED 1:21 p.m. EST, January 27, 2007

BRADY PICKING ONE BORING EVENT OVER ANOTHER?

In response to our recent posting regarding the fact that the NFL has yet to name a replacement for Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers at the Pro Bowl, John Ryan of the San Jose Mercury News (along with several readers) has given us a head's up that Brady is scheduled to play in the Pebble Beach National Pro-Am, which directly conflicts with the NFL's postseason party about which no one cares in Hawaii.  (Cheesy inside joke with Florio Jr.:  "I'm fine how are you?")

Ryan writes in his blog that he has received multiple confirmations that Brady is playing in the golf thing.  So it looks like Brady won't be going to the Pro Bowl.  (For those of you who prefer the old media, here's a link to Ryan's newspaper article on the subject.)

Ryan also points out that other injury-related vacancies were filled quickly this week by the league.  In an e-mail sent to us at 12:27 p.m. EST, NFL spokesman Greg Aiello said that the league has yet to determine the replacement for Rivers.

The real question, as we see it, is whether a player can decline an invitation to attend the Pro Bowl, which of course would make it something less like an invitation and more like a mandate.

A league source tells us that, for players originally named to the roster, there is no option, and a refusal to attend will trigger a fine.  But the source believes that, if an alternate has a pre-existing obligation, an exception likely applies.  (So then the question would be whether Brady was firmly committed to the golf event before he was invited to the Pro Bowl, if in fact he was.)

If that's the case, though, why has a replacement for Rivers not been named?  Our guess is that the league has been trying to persuade Brady to come to Hawaii, and is willing to leave the spot vacant for now in the hopes that Brady changes his mind.

Or maybe the league realizes that Herman Munster might use his thumb injury as an excuse not to play in the Pro Bowl, and that Brady might be more likely to head to Honolulu if Herman isn't there.  (Petty, sure.  But we're talking about human nature, as acted out by the rich and famous.) 

Or maybe Brady will go to Hawaii if Munster is there -- and if the Colts lose in the Super Bowl to the Bears.

Anyway, it's a small item of intrigue arising from what usually is the most boring NFL game of the year.

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POSTED 12:58 p.m. EST, January 27, 2007

NEW ERA'S NEW CLAIMS DON'T HOLD WATER

In response to a report in the Los Angeles Times in which the principals of New Era Sports & Entertainment explain that Reggie Bush was intimately involved in the formation of the agency, an industry source is calling bullpoopie on this new claim.

"If Reggie and his stepdad were above board in all this -- setting up their own company and all -- then why wasn't there any family member on the brochures New Era was passing out?  Why aren't they on any of the founding documents?"

And Bush's stepfather, LaMar Griffin, wouldn't have described New Era as a company that was courting Reggie, if Reggie and LaMar were supposed to be principals in the business.

"They sent me a brochure," Griffin told the San Diego Union-Tribune in December 2005.  "They're here in San Diego."

The source also expressed serious doubt regarding the possibility that the NCAA will accept the notion that Bush and Griffin received only seed money for the purposes of establishing a new business.  "New car for Reggie, new rims, new stereo, stays in posh hotels in Las Vegas and San Diego," the source said in listing the kind of evidence that could, if proven, sway the NCAA.  "It's one thing to invest money to set up a business structure and hire staff.  It's another to buy a family house and make sure the athlete is living large in college."

And, by the way, none of this has any relevance to allegations that Bush and/or his family received cash and/or other benefits from Mike Ornstein, whom Bush ultimately hired to handle his marketing work.  In a September 2006 article, Yahoo! Sports made the case for a conclusion that Bush and/or his family were getting paid by Ornstein while Bush was still playing for USC.  

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POSTED 12:19 p.m. EST, January 27, 2007

HENKEL HAULS IN PETERSON MARKETING

A league source tells us that Oklahoma running back Adrian Peterson, who has hired Ben Dogra of CAA to handle his football contract, has hired Bill Henkel to take care of his marketing opportunities.

For big-name players, the marketing work often can be more lucrative than the fee for the football representation.  The NFLPA limits the fee for negotiating a player contract to three percent.  Marketing rights fees aren't regulated, and can be in excess of 20 percent.

We're also told that Peterson initially signed with CAA both for his football contract and for his marketing rights, but thereafter retained Henkel.  (The specifics in this regard are fuzzy.)

Henkel and CAA have a history, sort of.  Both Henkel and CAA agent Tom Condon were employed by IMG in the past.  Last January, IMG sued Henkel based on allegations that Henkel was soliciting IMG clients.  Chargers running back LaDainian Tomlinson signed an affidavit stating the Henkel had tried to lure L.T. from IMG.  A judge in Ohio entered a temporary restraining order preventing Henkel from attempting to reel in any IMG clients.  Later in the year, Condon left IMG for CAA.

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POSTED 11:14 a.m. EST, January 27, 2007

POSTED 10:12 a.m. EST, January 27, 2007

SO WHO'S REPLACING RIVERS?

Earlier this week, there were reports that Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers won't play in the Pro Bowl due to a foot injury.

Since then, however, no replacement has been named.

And it's not as if the reports were wrong.  The NFL's official site now states clearly that Rivers won't play.  What it doesn't state is who his replacement will be.

We initially assumed that Patriots quarterback Tom Brady would be the first alternate.  After the news of Rivers' busted wheel first broke, we asked NFL spokesman Greg Aiello if Brady was the guy.  Said Aiello by e-mail, "We don't announce alternates unless it's necessary."

Well, it's now necessary.  Yet there's still no word on who will take Rivers' place.

There's no guarantee that Brady is the next man on the list.  Maybe it's J.P. Losman, who had a strong season with the Bills.  Maybe it's Vince Young of the Titans, the NFL's offensive rookie of the year.

The delay, however, suggests to us that Brady is the next man up, that he's not necessarily inclined to go, and that the NFL is giving him time to make up his mind, since his presence will help to prop up what otherwise is a TV ratings loser for the league.

Adding spice to the issue is that Pats coach Bill Belichick is coaching the AFC team, which features eight members of the Chargers, including running back LaDainian Tomlinson.  L.T. sharply criticized the Patriots and Belichick for the antics of some New England players after they upset the Chargers nearly two weeks ago.

If Brady doesn't make the trek to Hawaii, there will be no Pats on the AFC game day Pro Bowl team.  Richard Seymour has pulled out with an injury, and he was the only guy originally named to the roster.   

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POSTED 9:12 a.m. EST, January 27, 2007

CARROLL TO CHARGERS IN 2008?

Although USC coach Pete Carroll rebuffed the advances of the Dolphins earlier this month, and despite the fact that Carroll might well be the mystery candidate to whom FOX's John Czarnecki referred when he reported that the Chargers would have poop-canned Marty Schottenheimer if said mystery candidate would have been willing to take the job, there's a strong feeling in some league circles that Carroll will be the coach of the San Diego Chargers in 2008.

"Write it down," one source told us recently.

Of course, Carroll isn't going to talk about this or any other possibility at the NFL level, especially on the eve of letter-of-intent day.  Some of those incoming USC recruits, after all, might be under the impression that Carroll will be sticking around for more than the first year of their college careers.

If Carroll should make the jump a year from now, look for offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian to get first dibs on taking the thing over.  Sark was in line to become the head coach of the Raiders, and when he pulled his name out he talked about his desire to be a head coach at the college level.  We've got a feeling, then, that part of the effort to keep Sark at SC included some winking and nodding regarding his prospects for replacing Carroll.

And that would also explain why former co-offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin took within a week the job Sarkisian didn't want.

So why would Carroll leave?  Maybe it's just time.  Maybe he wants to take care of unfinished business at the NFL level, where he was fired twice in the 1990s.  Or maybe he sees the storm clouds gathering regarding the Reggie Bush fiasco, and wants to run for cover before the lightning begins to strike. 

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POSTED 7:35 p.m. EST; UPDATED 8:18 p.m. EST, January 26, 2007

NINERS NUDGE GOLD TO NORV

In an effort to keep offensive coordinator Norv Turner from leaving to become the head coach of the Cowboys, the 49ers reportedly have made a big-money offer to the former Redskins and Raiders coach and offensive coordinator in Dallas, Miami, and San Diego.

Ed Werder of ESPN reports on the development, and characterizes the effort as a "lucrative incentive package."

Turner has not yet interviewed for the position in Dallas.  The Cowboys already have hired Jason Garrett to serve as offensive coordinator, and Garrett still could be the head coach.

In our view?  Turner should take the money and stay.  Dallas owner Jerry Jones has badly erred, we believe, by creating a situation in which Garrett might or might not be the head coach.  For the guy who is the head coach, having an in-house replacement a whisker away isn't the kind of security that most coaches would want to have.

And what kind of a message would Garrett as coordinator and Turner as coach send to the players?  Like the situation in Miami, where the defensive coordinator is making more per year than the head coach, the guys in the locker room get mixed messages about who's got the juice.

So Norv, you're in a position to turn another No. 1 overall pick into a Hall of Famer.  Though Alex Smith might never become Troy Aikman, we think you've got a better chance of long-term happiness as the offensive coordinator in San Fran than you would as the boss in Big D.

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FRIDAY NIGHT ONE-LINERS

Super Bowl tickets are being scalped online.

Pats DT Richard Seymour isn't going to the Pro Bowl; Jags DT John Henderson is taking his place.

Cowboys TE Jason Witten is replacing Giants TE Jeremy Shockey in the Pro Bowl.

The cost of the new Giants and Jets stadium are up $600 million, to $1.4 billion.

The Chiefs could be serving up some lemoñadé next season.

The Toronto Argonauts have signed former NFL RB Jamel White.

Several Bears who have previously lost a Super Bowl don't want to experience it again.  (But unless they get cut in the next week and sign with the Colts, they will.)

Doug Williams thinks that January 15 through 21 could be "the most significant week ever for African-Americans in football."  (Um, does that include Mike Vick and his misadventures with a secret compartment that smelled of marijuana?)

The Ball Coach taught Bears QB Rex Grossman how to handle criticism (by constantly calling him a worthless piece of sh-t).

Got a spare $2.6 million?  If so, you can have a Super Bowl commercial.

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POSTED 3:22 p.m. EST; UPDATED 4:56 p.m. EST, January 26, 2007

NO TAILGATING AT THE SUPER BOWL

Folks attending next weekend's Super Bowl in Miami should leave the Hibachi at home.  Or, at a minimum, one mile away from the stadium.

CBS 4 in Miami-Ft. Lauderdale reports that tailgating is a no-no for Super Sunday.

"There is no tailgating allowed in the Dolphin Stadium parking lots," Sue Jaquez, a member of the Super Bowl XLI Host Committee, told CBS 4.  "And there is no tailgating anywhere within a one-mile radius of the stadium." 

Also, leave the RVs at home.  They're not allowed, either.

Apparently, there has been a discrepancy between the Dolphins and the league regarding whether tailgating would be allowed.  A team official told CBS 4 on Tuesday that tailgating was permitted; Jaquez says otherwise.

"This is part of the NFL, not the Dolphins," Jaquez said. "If the Dolphins are saying there's tailgating -- or think it's going to be allowed -- then they need to contact the NFL."

Jaquez said that persons who violate the rule could face charges.

Detective Nelda Fonticella of the Miami-Dade Police said that the rule will be enforced, but indicated that folks will have a chance to shut down.  Anyone caught grilling or consuming alcohol within one mile of the stadium "will be warned and asked to pick up their things and leave."

"We're trying to make this a pleasant experience for everyone, and there will be plenty to do in the week leading up to the game," Fonticella said.

The stated reason is security.  Coincidentally, there surely will be plenty of food and booze available, for a fee, in and around the stadium.

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NEW FEATURE FOR YOU!  (MORE WORK FOR US!)

We get a bunch of e-mails.  We read most if not all of them.  And some make us laugh until we pee a little bit.  

Though we realize that this will only encourage even more e-mails to be sent, we have created a new page that will chronicle, on a rolling basis, the latest week or two of our favorite e-mails.  

If you have any thoughts for us, send them.  If they are good or funny, we will add them to the page.

So without further adieu, we give you:  "E-mails We Like."

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FRIDAY AFTERNOON ONE-LINERS

Does it really make sense to hire an offensive coordinator and tell him that he still could be the head coach, and then hire someone else to be the head coach?

Pats RB Corey Dillon doesn't expect the team to ask him to reduce his salary for 2007.

The Rams need a new special teams coach.  

Falcons coach Bobby Petrino wants to move on or move out.  (Click this if you don't understand why we said "move on or move out.")

Tom Condon wants to find out what the Jags have in mind for Fat Albert.

The Tuna talks about his last days in Big D.

It sounds like a certain Judge in Cincy might be a reader of this site.

Auburn's Kenny Irons says that his brother David Irons needs to "work on his hygiene."  (So does Dante.)

Chargers running backs coach Clarence Shelmon is the team's new offensive coordinator.

Heinz is battling with another company over use of the term "Red Zone" at sporting events.  (Fortunately, the other company isn't Tampax.)

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POSTED 10:26 a.m. EST; LAST UPDATED 11:44 a.m. EST, January 26, 2007

LEAGUE ADMITS FACE-GUARDING SCREW UP

In response to an item in our Conference Championship Ten-Pack regarding a key pass interference call on Patriots cornerback Ellis Hobbs that allowed the Colts to complete an 18-point comeback and knot the game at 21, a member of PFT Planet has alerted us to a January 25, 2007 "Q&A" on Jaguars.com in which Vic Ketchman writes that the NFL has acknowledged that a bad call was made.

Writes Ketchman, in response to a question that chastised him for suggesting that face-guarding is still forbidden: 

"Face-guarding was discontinued several years ago and I completely missed it.  I talked to Dean Blandino in the league office and he confirmed what you're saying.  Blandino, by the way, was in the replay booth at the Patriots-Colts game.  Ellis Hobbs should not have been flagged for pass-interference.  He didn't make contact with the receiver and in no way did Hobbs impede Reggie Wayne's ability to catch the pass.  Blandino confirmed that the incorrect call was made.  It advanced the ball from the Patriots' 19-yard line to the one-yard line and was the big play in a touchdown drive that led to a two-point conversion and a tie game at 21-21.  Referee Bill Carollo made no reference to face-guarding in his explanation, but CBS analyst Phil Simms did.  Apparently, he, too, doesn't know the rule no longer exists. The next time you hear a TV analyst say, 'he wasn’t playing the ball,' think of the Hobbs play, then turn down the sound."

Make no mistake about it, it was a key call.  And, to their credit, we haven't heard a public peep from the "no class" Pats about the play.

Gee, what would Napolian have done if that phantom flag had been thrown on a member of the Colts' defense?

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NFL PLAYERS TO USE SPRINT PHONES AT SUPER BOWL

As part of its significant presence at Super Bowl XLI in Miami, Sprint is also teaming up with Players, Inc. to provide a unique event.

On February 3, folks at the NFL Experience will be able to have an NFL player call a friend or family member directly.  To qualify for a call to Mom or Dad or Aunt Louise or whoever, you need to have a Sprint phone.  (And you need to have it with you.)

Four players will be available each hour for six hours, with 24 different players in all making the calls.  The players currently scheduled to appear are Ronnie Brown (Miami), Derrick Dockery (Washington), London Fletcher (Buffalo), Robert Gallery (Oakland), Tamba Hali (Kansas City), Larry Izzo (New England), Steven Jackson (St. Louis), Jevon Kearse (Philadelphia), Roman Oben (San Diego), Shaun Phillips (San Diego), Bart Scott (Baltimore), Darren Sharper (Minnesota), L.J. Smith (Philadelphia), Rod Smith (Denver), Chester Taylor (Minnesota), Jonathan Vilma (New York Jets), and Brian Westbrook (Philadelphia). 

We think this thing could get interesting.  "Hi, Bill?  This is Jevon Kearse. . . .  Yeah, that Jevon Kearse.  Anyway, Carol wanted me to call you and tell you that she doesn't want to see you anymore.  And she wants me to tell you that she's having my baby.  Bye."

So if you're heading to Miami, take your Sprint phone.  And if you're not heading to Florida but one of your friends or relatives is, all we can say is brace yourself.

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LORD, WE APOLOGIZE . . . .

Anyone out there who likes jokes about a-poopin' and a-fartin' will recognize that the title of this post is a reference to Larry the Cable Guy, who'll periodically insert the line "Lord, I apologize, and please be with the starving pygmies in New Guinea" in his comedy routines, whenever he says something that might be a little too off color.  

We find it appropriate at this time because, well, we feel the nagging need to apologize (for real, not in the Mike Vick "just say the words and write the check and it'll all go away" manner) to anyone who took offense to our decision to post rumors of Terry Bradshaw's demise before confirming that he is, in fact, not dead.

We got the confirmation within five minutes or so after posting the initial item, and instead of re-working the existing story we wrote a new one.  In hindsight, we shouldn't have written the first item until we got confirmation, given the potential gravity of the item we were posting.  And if/when we hear rumors that someone has died in the future, we'll get an answer before we post it.

But none of that makes the rumors any less worthy of eventual acknowledgement, even if it turns out that the rumors of the person's demise aren't accurate.  Several years back, mere rumors of Kordell Stewart's sexual orientation became so rampant that the rumors in and of themselves became the story.

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OLD MEDIA VS. NEW MEDIA

The Bradshaw situation leads us to a broader point.  There are plenty of "real" journalists out there who don't like what we do, because from time to time we'll post rumors without taking the time to find out if the rumors are true or false.  Some "real" journalists scoff at this practice because it's not "real" journalism.  We find the arrogance that some "real" journalists project regarding that concept to be ironic, given that journalism is a trade that can be engaged in with no specific educational background or licensure or regulation by any governmental body.  (Unlike, say, practicing medicine.  Or driving a truck.  Or cutting someone's hair.)

I am not a journalist.  I don't aspire to be a journalist.  I am a guy with a computer who loves football and news and rumors and speculation about football and who wandered into this business sort of accidentally, but will never leave it.

Perhaps the thing that drives some "real" journalists crazy is that there's nothing they can really do about sites like this.  With each passing year, more and more people whose microwave ovens (if they even have one) still flash "12:00" incessantly will depart from this life, and they will be replaced by more and more people who were raised in an age of information that is available at their fingertips, not in a rolled up wad of flimsy paper that on any given day might or might not have to be fished out of a shrub.  

As we've recently observed, the world has changed.  Plenty of "real" journalists whom we know and respect realize this, and have adapted accordingly.  Others merely pine for the good old days when once-daily newspapers and once-nightly news broadcasts had a monopoly on the flow of information.

And some of them dare to suggest that a world in which there is more information and more options and more opportunities is somehow a lesser existence.

For those who reaped the benefits of a society that had few choices, that very likely is the case.    

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POSTED 8:34 a.m. EST; UPDATED 8:45 a.m. EST, January 26, 2007

POISON-PILL ISSUE HAMPERS REINFELDT?

As the Tennessee Titans continue their search for a General Manager, we've heard from multiple league insiders who question whether Seahawks V.P. Mike Reinfeldt deserves serious consideration for the position.

Though he has accomplished much as an NFL executive -- including a successful effort to get plenty of Seattle free agents re-signed before a 2005 season that culminated in a Super Bowl appearance -- some are suggesting that Reinfeldt is squarely to blame for the Steve Hutchinson debacle of a season ago.

Hutchinson, you might recall, is a Pro Bowl guard whose contract expired after the 2005 campaign.  The Seahawks slapped the transition tag on him, which merely reserved to the team the right to match any offers he received, and no compensation.  Though the franchise tag would have cost the team more money under the cap, the 'Hawks also would have been entitled to two first-round draft picks if he had left.

Enter the Vikings, who took advantage of a CBA loophole in crafting an offer sheet that translated into a fully-guaranteed $49 million deal if the Seahawks had exercised their right to match it.  Coach Mike Holmgren, who was vacationing when the deal went down, was livid.  The team filed a grievance over the maneuver, and lost.

So the Seahawks pulled the same thing against the Vikings, snaring receiver Nate Burleson, who was a restricted free agent at the time.  Burleson's offer sheet transformed the deal into a fully-guaranteed $49 million contract if in any year he played five or more games in the state of Minnesota.

The league was not amused with any of it.  We heard that, at ownership meetings following the fracas, the Seahawks and Vikings were dressed down for creating this mess.

But the problem is that the tactic is valid and viable.  If other teams don't use it, the NFLPA will be able to easily claim collusion.  Given that there later was an unsuccessful effort by the NFL and the union to bargain this provision out of the CBA, the NFLPA will likely be even more sensitive to it.

Rightly or wrongly, Reinfeldt is privately being blamed for the gaffe.  Another Seattle candidate for the Titans job, Ruston Webster, has been insulated from any accusations because he was wrapping up his tenure in Tampa at the time.

Other candidates to replace Floyd Reese are Titans director of player personnel Rich Snead, Titans director of college scouting Mike Ackerley, Packers director of pro personnel Reggie McKenzie, Jaguars director of pro personnel Charles Bailey, and possibly Dolphins G.M. Randy Mueller.

Reese "resigned" earlier this month.  Team owner Bud Adams recently said in a radio interview that the move wasn't voluntary.

"[W]e had to make a change and unfortunately it had to be Floyd," Adams said.

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SNEAD TO RAIDERS?

Speaking of Titans director of player personnel Rich Snead, there's talk in league circles that Snead could be headed for the Raiders.

Snead likely would be replacing Oakland senior personnel executive Mike Lombardi.  There have been rumors that Lombardi is looking to exit, and that he could be fired.  A league source previously told us that Lombardi's status wouldn't be addressed by the team until after the new coach was hired. 

During the 2006 season, former Raiders coach Art Shell sounded off about someone in the organization who was bad-mouthing Shell to the press.  Though Shell didn't name names, it was widely presumed that he was referring to Lombardi.

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POSTED 8:05 p.m. EST, January 26, 2007

SEAN JUST WON'T SHUT UP

We'd love to quit talking about ESPN's Sean Salisbury.  Or, if we were going to talk about him, we'd prefer to be talking about his alleged photography, um, hobby.

But Sean keeps talking, so we keep talking.

And the issue, in our mind, no longer is about whether he said "Jew" either inadvertently or intentionally on Monday's NFL Live.  For us, it has become a case study in failed public relations and spin control.

If Salisbury had never addressed the incident, which we first heard about on Monday night and of which we snared audio early Tuesday evening, it would have been long gone.  But he decided to rant about it on his Chicago radio show (we have a feeling we won't ever be invited on there to do a guest spot), and then he gave an interview to the Chicago Tribune in which he took an oddly defiant stance, proclaiming not only that he said "chew" but also that he didn't say anything "remotely close" to "Jew."

Now, Salisbury has taken his tale to USA Today, which we've read on a near-daily basis for more than 20 years.  Either because Michael Hiestand (you know, the guy who looks like Colonel Hogan but with a Tiki-style smirk) owes Sean a big favor or because every print journalist wants to keep ESPN happy in the hopes of carving out a supplemental career on one of the many Bristol platforms, Hiestand offers up a grossly (in our view) one-sided look at the story.

Though he never comes out and says it, the gist of Hiestand's piece is that Sean is being unfairly persecuted, and that anyone who thinks that there might be anything significant about what was at most a slip of the tongue needs to get a life.

And, ironically, at a time when some "real" journalists are up in arms about the "dangerous" antics of non-journalists like yours truly, shouldn't a "real" journalist like Hiestand have presented the other side of this by, say, contacting either PFT or Will Leitch of Deadspin.com for a quote? 

Moreover, Hiestand never mentions the "nickel-and-dime" phrase that Sean used a second or so after saying "Jew," which has caused many (including folks like Sid Rosenberg of 790 The Ticket in Miami) to conclude that Salisbury was using the term in the "George Costanza is very careful about money" sense.  And, by the way, in peering down his nose at this online oddity, Hiestand ignores the reality that Rosenberg played the audio on the Don Imus show on Thursday, and that Imus agreed with those who have concluded (as we have) that the word was "Jew" and who have concluded (as we have not) that it was used in an offensive way.

Even with a one-sided presentation by Hiestand, Salisbury comes off as ultra-sensitive, and kinda dumb.  He still swears he said "chew," even though the objective evidence suggests otherwise.  He feels "embattled" by the online controversy, which in his mind "borders on ridiculous."

Of course, ESPN did Sean no favors by floating the "chew" excuse on Tuesday.  The better approach would have been to say merely that Sean meant to say "chew" but that the word came out differently than he intended.  Hey, it happens.  No big deal.  And he would have gotten the benefit of the doubt. 

Hiestand really hasn't done Salisbury any favors either by keeping this thing alive.  Because, even though Hiestand was wise enough not to supply his print readers with any Internet URLs, plenty of them will start poking around.  Along the way, they'll also likely trip across Sean's alleged cell phone escapades, which get a very cryptic mention between the 12th and 13th paragraphs of Hiestand's story.

Bottom line -- we've been ready to let this die for 48 hours now, which is the equivalent of three or four weeks in the murky Twilight Zone of cyberspace.  But Sean won't let it go, and that decision alone seems almost as dumb to us as if he has said "Jew" intentionally.

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POSTED 8:43 p.m. EST; UPDATED 9:52 p.m. EST, January 25, 2007

THE ROOT OF THE BRADSHAW RUMORS

Several readers have sworn to never visit the site again in the wake of their belief that we made up the whole "Terry Bradshaw might be dead" rumor for the sole purpose of generating some extra traffic.

But, thanks to KTBS and KSLA in Shreveport, we can prove conclusively that this one wasn't a figment of a hyperactive imagination.

Per KTBS, rumors that Bradshaw had died of a heart attack swept through Shreveport on Thursday.  KSLA says that the rumors emerged in the morning hours.

"One theory as to how the rumor got started," says KTBS, "was that a local radio station reported a wreck on the Terry Bradshaw Passway -- part of the Inner Loop -- and that was misunderstood to say Bradshaw had passed away."

We first caught wind of the rumors shortly after 3:00 p.m., and we quickly learned via an industry source that Bradshaw is vacationing in Mexico.  He reportedly is playing golf there with his brother, Gary.   

KSLA spoke with Bradshaw's aunt, who said that she personally talked with Gary to ensure that Terry was okay.  "He said the worst thing that's happened to Terry today is 'his [golf] ball landed in the rough,'" the aunt said.

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THURSDAY NIGHT ONE-LINERS

Mike Silver of Sports Illustrated thinks that we covered the Mike Tomlin story "thoroughly and responsibly from start to finish."  (Holy crap.)

Jason Garrett is officially the Cowboys' offensive coordinator, yet still could be the head coach.

Mike Shula is the quarterbacks coach of a Florida NFL team -- but not the Dolphins.

Coach Rat Salad has a new team.

The Texans finally have a guy on the payroll named Bush.

Steelers defensive backs coach Darren Perry has resigned.

Dr. Z doesn't want the Tuna to go back to Bristol.

Indiana wants to host the Super Bowl in 2011.

Colts DE Dwight Freeney agrees with Jason Taylor regarding Shawne Merriman.

Another (yawn) arrest.

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POSTED 4:01 p.m. EST, January 25, 2007

NORV BACK TO BIG D?

Jay Glazer of FOXSports.com reports that the Cowboys have sought and received permission to interview 49ers offensive coordinator Norv Turner for the position of head coach in Dallas.

Turner previously served as head coach of the Raiders and the Redskins.  He also has been offensive coordinator of the Cowboys, Chargers, and Dolphins.  With San Francisco in 2006, he helped to speed the development of quarterback Alex Smith.

Former Cowboys quarterback Troy Aikman has credited his development into a Hall of Famer directly to Turner.  "Norv was my coach for three years," Aikman said in August 2006 when inducted into Canton.  "That's it.  I started playing football at the age of seven and retired when I was 34.  Of all those years, Norv and I were together for only three.  Yet there's no doubt in my mind that if Norv Turner had not entered my life, I wouldn't be joining these men in the Pro Football Hall of Fame today."

That's a pretty strong endorsement.  So we won't be shocked if Turner gets the job. 

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POSTED 3:20 p.m. EST; UPDATED 4:41 p.m. EST, January 25, 2007

TERRY IS FINE

Whew.

One of our industry sources tells us that the rumors of Terry Bradshaw's demise are not true.  He is alive and well and on vacation.

We're not sure how the rumor got started, but it has been running rampant today.  Apparently, the FOX public relations department had been inundated with calls regarding Bradhaw's status, even before we posted our first item regarding the rumor. 

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POSTED 3:13 p.m. EST, January 25, 2007

TERRY BRADSHAW DEAD?

We're picking up some unconfirmed reports from diverse sources that Hall of Fame quarterback Terry Bradshaw died in a car accident on Thursday.

We don't know whether it's true, and if it is true the world would suddenly be a far less enjoyable place.  If anyone knows about this, please drop us a line.

And Terry, if you're out there, let us know you're okay.

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POSTED 9:37 a.m. EST; LAST UPDATED 10:44 a.m. EST, January 25, 2007

MORE TO COME ON THE VICK STORY?

We've been advised by a media source to keep a close eye on the reporting of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution regarding the whole Mike Vick water bottle ordeal.  Apparently, there is more information that could soon be disclosed.  Per the source, the legal department at the AJC is pondering the next move.

We didn't pay much attention to reports that video of Vick's interaction with TSA employees at Miami International Airport in connection with the water bottle was deleted because, in our mind, it doesn't change the fact that Vick had a bottle with a secret compartment that smelled of marijuana.

In our mind, the only difference between Vick and Onterrio Smith, who was caught with a Whizzinator in an airport, is that Vick hasn't been suspended for marijuana use.  And maybe that's because Vick never packed his Whizzinator in his luggage.  [Editor's note:  We're not suggesting that Vick owns a Whizzinator or any other type of artificial penis.]

So the question of whether Vick or the team or the league twisted arms to make the marijuana charge go away is irrelevant to us.  If the bottle with the secret compartment that reportedly smelled of marijuana is Vick's, and if Vick fails to ever explain why he owned such a bottle, we know everything we need to know.

As to why Vick or the team or the league would want the matter to go away, keep in mind that an ultimate conviction or guilty plea for marijuana possession could be enough to trigger a four-game suspension, depending on whether Vick already is "in the program."  Because the status of any player in the program is strictly confidential, any penalties short of a suspension are unknown unless and until someone blabs.  Once a guy is suspended, the news is announced, primarily because it would be sort of awkward for a game to start and a key player not to be there without any type of prior notice. 

Anyway, stay tuned.  And kudos to the AJC for having the sack to not carry the team's water on this one.  

Then again, by softening up the locals for the eventual divorce, maybe the AJC really is.  

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A SAPPY, UNSOLICITED E-MAIL THAT WE JUST HAD TO POST

We often get criticized for what we do here at PFT.  Some folks in the "real" media believe that we are dangerous.  Some think that it's never appropriate to report rumors.  Some think that we just make sh-t up.

But, as we've said before and we'll say again, if we were making stuff up then the stuff on this page would be far more interesting.  

And we do this for one simple reason -- we love football, and we wanted to create a source of news, rumors, and speculation unlike any other of its kind.  (Okay, maybe that's two reasons.)  Some folks don't, can't, and/or won't understand that, and that's okay.  But some do, and an e-mail we received this morning spells it out better than we ever could.  

So thanks to the reader who banged out these thoughts.  Stuff like this will keep us doing this even if/when the day comes that we're making no money.  (And we can relate to such a day because we had about two years of them after we launched this thing in November 2001.) 

Here it is:

Your are the mongoose; keep up the good work.

Thanks again to the reader who wrote this, and to anyone else out there who shares those views.  And to those who don't, we hope you'll give us a chance to change your mind.  We know it might take awhile, but that's okay.  We're not going anywhere.

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THURSDAY MORNING ONE-LINERS

Bengals WR Chris Henry is going to jail . . . for two whole days.

Andrew Marchand of the New York Post weighs in on the Salisbury situation.

The Philadelphia Inquirer reports that T.O.'s house in New Jersey is available for $1 million less than its original listing price, and $500,000 less than he paid for it.

The Cowboys aren't saying whether Jason Garrett will be the team's offensive coordinator or head coach.

Jay Mariotti says that the Bears should fork over the cash to Lovie Smith right now.

At a time when more and more players can't stay out of trouble off of the field, they're behaving surprisingly well on it. 

Will Lord Favre provide a quicker decision about his future than he did a year ago?  (It might be useful information as the team considers its options in the free-agent market, which will include a guy who runs a similar offense pretty darn efficiently.)

Pats S Rodney Harrison plans to return in 2007. 

Lions DE Tyoka Jackson has been sued for roughing up a male flight attendant.  (Maybe Tyoka was upset that he got the kosher meal.)

Tony Dungy opens up about the tragic death of his son in late 2005.

S Chris Harris promised Wayne and Garth Super Bowl tickets last June if the Bears made it to the Super Bowl, and now Harris is refusing to come through. 

Virginia McCaskey, daughter of George Halas, hopes that her 11 children will continue to own the team.  (She has eleven kids?  We're suddenly reminded of a certain scene in Monty Python's The Meaning of Life.)  

Ron Wolf continues to find ways to get his name in the paper.

Pats WR Troy Brown is considering his options for 2007.

Former Bengals QB Ken Anderson is expected to become the quarterbacks coach in Pittsburgh.

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POSTED 8:59 a.m. EST, January 25, 2007

SALISBURY STORY NOT GOING AWAY

In November, after ESPN analyst (and they apparently use that term loosely) Michael Irvin explained the athletic prowess of Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo by suggesting that one of his ancestors had sexy time with a slave, Irvin played the matter as well as he could.

When it became obvious that the story wasn't going to die quickly and quietly, Irvin apologized in print and on radio (regardless of whether he actually meant it).  In so doing, he offered up a semi-flimsy/semi-plausible excuse that he said what he said because that's the kind of stuff that they say in the locker room.

ESPN analyst Sean Salisbury is now in the middle of a similar situation, and he and ESPN are handling it very, very poorly.

On Monday, Salisbury used the word "Jew" on the air.  Regardless of whether it was intentional or a slip of the tongue, he said it.  The audio -- both at normal speed and slowed down -- confirms it.

So what are Salisbury and ESPN doing?  Instead of simply acknowledging that the guy's mouth and vocal cords inadvertently emitted the word "Jew", ESPN has said that he actually said "chew" -- and Salisbury is now echoing that same position. 

"I said crunch and chew," Salisbury said in an interview with the Chicago Tribune.  "I don't know where a Jewish comment would have any place in talking about a quarterback driving down the field.  If a blogger heard what he wanted to hear, there's nothing I could do about that.  But I didn't say anything remotely close."

Sean, Tom Jackson just called.  He wants to know if you is retarded.  

Dude, you're coming unglued before our eyes.  And if you don't shut up soon ESPN will stick with you through the end of the current NFL season (which is ending pretty soon) and then quietly and discreetly replace you with someone else.  Maybe someone who actually had an NFL career worth bragging about.  

Then again, it might be too late; by playing the "defiance" card, Sean might have already sealed his professional fate.

And there's more.  Salisbury also played the "some of my best friends are [insert protected class here]" card:  "People who know me know when it comes to religion, race, color, sexual preference, those things don't matter to me," Salisbury said. "At some point you've got to defend yourself.  We've all made mistakes, but that wasn't a mistake."

It was a mistake, Sean.  You said "Jew."  Why not just say you meant to say "crunch and chew," and that because you talk so damn fast it came out all mangled?  [Editor's note:  There's been some debate as to whether Salisbury said "crunch" or "punch."  We've listened to it again, and it sounds like he said "crunch."  But definitely not "chew."]  

Meanwhile, the story is growing in scope.  Twice within roughly a 30-minute window on Imus in the Morning, temporary sports guy Sid Rosenberg, who works at 790 The Ticket in Miami and who was filling in for the dude who looks like the spawn of King Kong Bundy, mentioned the incident.  The first time around (at about 6:50 a.m. EST), Rosenberg played the audio, and Don Imus agreed that Salisbury clearly said "Jew."  At about 7:25 a.m. EST, Rosenberg brought the issue up again, and he asked Imus whether he was troubled by what Salisbury said.  "It is offensive," said Imus.

Uh-oh.  The worst thing that could happen, for ESPN and Salisbury, is for this story to expand from being a blogosphere curiosity to a mainstream mess.  And given the vastly underrated (in some circles) power of the Imus show to push issues onto the front pages, Sean's goose might be chewed.

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POSTED 11:38 p.m. EST; UPDATED 11:57 p.m. EST, January 24, 2007

WADE TO SIT FOR COWBOYS' GIG

As expected, the Cowboys plan to interview Chargers defensive coordinator Wade Phillips for the head-coaching job previously held by Bill Parcells.

On Wednesday, the Cowboys requested and received permission to talk to Phillips.  (The process is a mere formality, since no team can stop another team from interviewing one of its assistants for a head-coaching job.)

Meanwhile, the Cowboys have hired Jason Garrett to serve at a minimum as offensive coordinator, and possibly as head coach.

Jones also has interviewed several current members of the team's coaching staff for the position of head coach, which presumably constitutes superficial satisfaction of the Rooney Rule, since secondary coach Todd Bowles is African-American.

If Phillips gets the job, it'll leave Chargers coach Marty Schottenheimer with neither of his coordinators from the team's stellar 2006 regular season.  And since Schottenheimer refused to accept a one-year extension, it makes us wonder whether team president Dean Spanos might reconsider his decision to keep Marty -- since the team already has to hire new coordinators, anyway.

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WEDNESDAY NIGHT ONE-LINERS

Herman Munster isn't talking about the thumb that he jammed against one of the bolts in his neck.

Will Colts coach Tony Dungy call it quits if the Colts win the Super Bowl?

Giants S Gibril Wilson was robbed at gunpoint.  (He was hoping they would also steal his first name.)

The NFL and the NFLPA have agreed to toughen up a steroids policy that will nevertheless continue to result in little or no public stigma when violated.

LSU coach Les Miles is not regarded as a serious candidate for the Cowboys' job.

The Titans have interviewed Seahawks V.P. Mike Reinfeldt for the position of G.M.  (We wonder whether they asked Reinfeldt about the decision to slap only the transition tag on Steve Hutchinson last year.)

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POSTED 11:23 p.m. EST, January 24, 2007

BUSH BROUHAHA STILL BOILING

It's been nearly a year since the football world became aware of former USC running back Reggie Bush and his family's dealings with an aspiring marketing agency that allegedly allowed Bush's mother, stepfather, and brother to live rent-free in a house in San Diego.

Despite long periods of inactivity the issue isn't going away.

Tonight, Jason Cole and Charles Robinson of Yahoo! Sports are reporting that there are taped conversations that could confirm the receipt of benefits by the Bush family, in violation of NCAA regulations.

The tapes apparently have come to light in conjunction with a federal grand jury investigation into claims that the principals of New Era Sports & Entertainment were attempting to extort money from Bush -- an investigation that by all appearances was instigated by Bush's lawyer, David Cornwell.

If such tapes exist, and if they prove that the Bush family received money and other benefits from New Era in anticipation that they would be representing Bush, it likely will be difficult for the feds to make extortion charges stick.

And this represents further proof, in our opinion, of the reality that this entire mess was badly bungled by Cornwell and the other persons who supposedly are looking out for Bush's best interests.  Once it's proven that Bush or his family received cash and/or other consideration before his college eligibility ended, it'll be time for him to pack up that Heisman and send it to Nashville.

It all could have been avoided if someone had merely recognized the importance of refunding to New Era every nickel that was received.  Though the hit to Reggie's image hasn't been as bad as many first thought it would be, check back with us on that one if/when Bush is stripped of one of the biggest individual awards in all of sports.

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POSTED 6:40 p.m. EST; UPDATED 6:50 p.m. EST, January 24, 2007

BEARS SAY SMITH EXTENSION COMING

Faced with growing rumors that coach Lovie Smith might try to make a move to join the Dallas Cowboys, Bears president Ted Phillips said on Wednesday that Smith will receive a contract extension after the Super Bowl.

"Lovie Smith has indicated to me that he wants to be head coach of the Bears for a long time,” Phillips said.  "That's my goal.  That's the organization’s goal.  I know everybody wants to make a big deal out of the fact that there is not a deal [yet].  [But] it's not unlike a player negotiation; sometimes it takes longer than you think."

Phillips also said that the team won't allow Smith to pursue the Cowboys job, and Phillips hinted that the team would file tampering charges if the Cowboys try to contact Smith or his agent without permission.

"Absolutely not," Phillips said regarding whether such permission would be given.  "Lovie Smith is our coach.  Reading all that frankly rankles me, and if there's any truth to those rumors, we'll deal with that at a league level.  He's our coach.  He's under contract to us and whether it's Dallas or any other club that comes sniffing around, that's not right and we're not going to let it happen."

But what if Smith takes the position that he wants out, and tells the team that he won't sign an extension but instead become a coaching free-agent after the 2007 season?  In that case, the Bears' best option might be to let him leave now, and then to elevate defensive coordinator Ron Rivera to the position of head coach.  If the move also came with money and draft picks from the Cowboys, it might a better alternative than allowing Smith to walk away for nothing after next season.

Also, let's not overlook the reality that the Bears are now trying to get out in front of a potential P.R. problem.  The coach of the NFC champs is the lowest-paid coach in the NFL, and Phillips offered up his best possible spin on why the organization shouldn't be embarrassed by that fact.  “When we signed Lovie Smith [in 2004], it was a market-value contract for coaches who had not been a head coach in the NFL.  He received a fair deal and he’ll receive a fair deal again.

Fine.  But market value for a coach who has won a Super Bowl is now in excess of $5 million, in our view.  So the Bears had better be prepared to cough up that money, or maybe Lovie will decide to work the balance of his deal, and then bolt to the highest bidder.

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ON FURTHER REVIEW, IT'S "JEW"

We were never going to address again the verbal gaffe committed by ESPN's Sean Salisbury on Monday.  But because (as we've been told) Salisbury blew a gasket on his Chicago talk show on Wednesday regarding the alleged efforts by some in the media to discredit him, he's opened the door to further scrutiny.  So we've decided to post a slowed-down version of the key portion of Salisbury's comments, courtesy of a member of PFT Planet with the relevant technological capabilities.

You can listen to it right here.  And it's obvious that Salisbury said "Jew." 

Given that Salisbury was merely suspended a few months ago for (as has been reported elsewhere) taking a picture of his peeny and showing it off, our guess is that, somewhere, Harold Reynolds' lawyer is picking out the vacation home that he'll be buying with his cut of the settlement from Reynolds' wrongful discharge lawsuit against ESPN. 

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POSTED 5:15 p.m. EST, January 24, 2007

STEELERS SITUATION STILL BIZARRE

We reported on Tuesday night about a strong rumor making the rounds in Mobile, Alabama regarding the manner in which the Steelers' decision to hire Mike Tomlin to be the team's next head coach went down.  As the rumor goes, the Steelers offered the job to Russ Grimm, he accepted the job, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell suggested to Dan Rooney that the team should hire a minority candidate (either Tomlin or Ron Rivera), and Rooney decided to do so.

Though we don't expect anyone who knows the truth on this one to admit it in any setting other than a deathbed confession, the circumstantial evidence supports the notion that the Steelers inexplicably flipped from Grimm to Tomlin.

First of all, Clark Judge of CBSSportsline.com (which maintains the NFL's official web site) cites three unnamed sources in reporting that Grimm was indeed offered the job before it went to Tomlin.  However, Judge's report makes no mention of any arm-twisting by the league office (which might have something to do with the fact that CBSSportsline.com maintains the NFL's official web site).

Second, the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reports that Steelers president Art Rooney II candidly has admitted that the team engaged in negotiations with Grimm regarding a contract, a sentiment echoed in Judge's story.  Rooney claims, however, that Grimm was told that the decision to hire him had not yet been made.  "Our intention was the numbers were going to be done before we made the final decision," Rooney said.

Third, the Tribune-Review also reports that Tomlin's agent, Brian Levy, said that no negotiations began between Tomlin and the team until after an offer was extended and accepted on Sunday. 

Fourth, Judge reports that the Steelers claim that they did discuss numbers with Tomlin.  "[W]e . . .  discussed numbers with Mike Tomlin's people, too," Rooney said. "And the discussion of numbers was something we wanted to have out of the way before we made a final decision on it."

So why would the Steelers say that they discussed numbers with Grimm and Tomlin while Tomlin's agent claims that numbers weren't discussed with him until an offer was extended to and accepted by Tomlin?

These facts (with all due respect to the Steelers) suggest that no discussions occurred with either candidate regarding numbers until after there was an informal offer and acceptance of the job.  The only other plausible explanation would be that Levy is lying about the way the negotiations unfolded (which he would have no reason to do) -- or that he suffered a significant closed head injury at some time between Saturday and Tuesday.

But what of the Saturday reports that the Steelers had selected Tomlin?  Without knowing who the sources were for those reports, it's impossible to know whether the sources knew the true state of affairs, or whether they took a liberty with the truth in order to help Tomlin get hired.

We're not faulting anyone who reported that Tomlin had been picked by the Steelers.  But unless the source for those reports was Dan Rooney, Art Rooney II, or Kevin Colbert, there's a chance that someone who seemingly was in the know was putting out bad information in order to disrupt the Grimm negotiations long enough to give Goodell a chance to change Dan Rooney's mind.

For example, what if Goodell or someone high up in the league office had called Michael Silver of Sports Illustrated and said, "Don't quote me on this, but the Rooneys have just called to tell us that they are hiring Mike Tomlin."  Silver would have been justified in reporting that Tomlin was the choice.  And though Silver might never have trusted the source in the future if Grimm got the job, it arguably would have been a small price to pay to achieve what was perceived to be the greater goal of getting the Steelers to pick Tomlin.

This is all speculation, and as we've said the truth on this one is unlikely to ever come out.  But the facts that are available suggest strongly to us that there's far more to this story than meets the eye.   

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POSTED 10:26 a.m. EST; UPDATED 11:05 a.m. EST, January 24, 2007

MARVIN TO COWBOYS?

Though we've not recently heard this one on the NFL grapevine, there was talk in the past that Bengals coach Marvin Lewis could be a candidate to replace Bill Parcells, once Parcells packed it in.

With Parcells retiring on the same day that news broke of a ninth Bengals arrest, could the planets be lining up for Marvin to make an exit from Cincinnati?

Though we're not suggesting that the Bengals are trying to push him out the door via, for example, the publication on the franchise's web site of comments from quarterback Carson Palmer that implicitly and indirectly throw rocks at Marvin for the presence and performance of turds on the team, we think that maybe, just maybe, the powers-that-be in Cincy would be inclined to let Marvin go for a bag full of money and a draft pick or two (or just a bag full of money) if Dallas owner Jerry Jones were inclined to inquire.

Then again, maybe Jones won't want him.  While guys like defensive tackle John Thornton (whom he like and respect) say, "I don't see what else Marvin can do," the answer isn't what he can do going forward, it's what he could have done when drafting and signing the players who are now embarrassing themselves and the organization.

As our own Taco Bill pointed out, four of the team's eight draft picks from last April have been arrested.  And Lewis is the guy who is ultimately pulling the trigger on those picks.    

Then again, Jones was the guy who signed -- and thereafter zealously defended -- Terrell Owens.  So maybe Jones and Lewis have far more in common that anyone realizes. 

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LAST WORD ON SEAN'S CHOICE OF WORDS

We've received a bunch of e-mails from readers regarding the audio clip of Sean Salisbury's "chew" or "Jew" comments from Monday's NFL Live on ESPN.  Here's a summary of what PFT Planet had to say.

Most (as in like all but one) responders believe that there's no way Salisbury said "chew" -- the word that ESPN claims he uttered.  And the consensus is that, even if he said "chew," it makes no sense in the context in which it appeared.

Many thought that Salisbury indeed said "Jew," but that it was the product of a guy who tries to fit two minutes of information into a 30-second sound bite, and who lacks sufficient control over the pathway from his brain to his blowhole.

Some thought he said or was trying to say "juke," but the consensus was that "juke" likewise makes no sense in context.

And more than a few folks believe that, because the word was promptly followed by the term "nickel-and-dimed," Salisbury said what he meant to say, and his frenetic vocal stylings resulted in the word escaping his mouth before his mind could reel it in.

We'll reluctantly give Salisbury the benefit of the doubt and declare our belief that the misstatement was due to the fact that, despite years of experience, he can't consistently talk on air in a controlled, even voice.  Maybe it's intentional; maybe he wants to be the next Terry Bradshaw or the next John Madden.  But while some believe that malapropisms (thanks, Tiki) and mangled syntax (thanks again, Tiki) are charming, there's nothing admirable (in our view) about a grown man who can't get out a sentence without tripping all over that thing he might be inclined to photograph with his cell phone and show to others.

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POSTED 10:00 a.m. EST; UPDATED 11:11 a.m. EST, January 24, 2007

GARCIA TO TEST THE MARKET

In a development that could go a long way toward defusing the current controversy regarding whether quarterback Donovan McNabb is unhappy with the Eagles, backup Jeff Garcia said on The Tonight Show that he plans to hit the free-agent market.

"I'll definitely be testing the waters," Garcia said, according to Don McKee of the Philadelphia Inquirer.  "I've got to see what's out there."

Our first question is this:  What the hell was Jeff Garcia doing on The Tonight Show?

Maybe, as Taco Bill surmises, Jeff was pimping one of his new sponsors.

  

Next question:  Why is it that Eagles coach Andy Reid slapped a muzzle on McNabb, but Garcia gets a national audience?

Of course, McNabb will get a chance to talk soon enough.  As our friends Glen Macnow and Angelo Cataldi both pointed out during separate visits with them on WIP in Philly, McNabb is contractually obligated to conduct a press conference in the run-up to the Super Bowl as part of his Chunky Soup deal.  And we have a feeling that McNabb won't be asked many questions about the Tantalizin' Turkey Chili (which actually is pretty good).

[UPDATE:  A member of PFT Planet from here in Clarksburg, W. Va. says that McNabb should consider conducting his Chunky press conference while doing sit-ups in a driveway.]

Regardless of what McNabb says next week, every moment that passes without a statement from him refuting recent reports of rancor suggests that the reports are accurate -- and/or that he has no interest in backing up his head coach, Andy Reid, who attempted to throw water on the stories on Tuesday.

Our guess is that the Eagles are hoping that the next five or six weeks will pass without incident, like a guy who squeaked out a silent one in a loaded car and who prays that no one notices the smell.  The best outcome for the Eagles is for Garcia to get a significant financial offer to become the starter in Minnesota or Tampa.  Then, A.J. Feeley would rise to the No. 2 position on the depth chart, and McNabb would be able to remove whatever stick might be residing in his rectal crevice.

We used to believe that the Eagles should fairly be criticized for not signing Garcia, who arrived in 2006, to a multi-year deal.  But it now appears that, in light of the pile of poo in the middle of the living room that no one will officially acknowledge, the ability of the team to let Garcia walk away is the only way to maintain long-term love with the starting quarterback.   

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POSTED 8:00 a.m. EST, January 24, 2007

TALK HEATS UP OF LOVIE TO 'BOYS

There is increasing chatter in NFL circles that Bears coach Lovie Smith will, after the Super Bowl, make a move to become the coach of the Dallas Cowboys.

As one source explained it to us, the Cowboys gig is Smith's dream job.  It's hardly a stretch, given that Smith grew up in Big Sandy, Texas.

Ten years ago, then-Patriots coach Bill Parcells jumped to the Jets after a Super Bowl loss.  The Jets later compensated the Patriots for acquiring the team's head coach while he was still under contract.

Whether Cowboys owner Jerry Jones is willing to send a draft pick or two (and some cash) to the Bears is a different issue.  But if Lovie refuses to do an extension and tells the Bears he wants to leave, they might not have any choice but to take whatever is on the table.  Lovie is now holding the cards, and shame on the Bears for not locking him up a long time ago.

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HOW ABOUT HAZ?

Now that there's a perception (but not a reality) that our overt lobbying for Mike Tomlin helped to get him hired by the Steelers, some of our readers have asked us to throw out a name for the Cowboys' job.

Though we believe a full and fair interview process should be conducted, we'd be inclined to take a very long look at former Saints coach Jim Haslett.

At a time when Mike Martz's name continues to percolate for head-coaching vacancies, we're amazed that Haz has barely gotten a sniff.  And the irony is that Haslett's struggles this season as defensive coordinator of the Rams are attributable (we believe) to Martz's inability to assemble a competent complement of defensive players during his time as the guy with the juice in St. Louis.

Lest we all forget, Haslett was the NFL's coach of the year in 2000.  He led the Saints to their first playoff victory in franchise history, over Martz's Rams.  (The Rams' postseason loss to the Saints, by the way, was sandwiched around two Super Bowl appearances.)

Haz has extensive experience with the 3-4 defense that Bill Parcells has implemented, given Haslett's time as defensive coordinator of the Steelers.  So the roster wouldn't have to be dramatically revamped on that side of the ball.

And the mere fact that he was able to coax some actual production out of quarterback Aaron Brooks suggests that he'd be able to work well with a certain overrated and underperforming offensive player in whom the Cowboys organization has made an unjustified investment.

At a time when former Saints G.M. Randy Mueller is enjoying a career resurgence, shouldn't the guy who worked side-by-side with him to build the first January success story in New Orleans at least be getting a sniff? 

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POSTED 7:16 a.m. EST, January 24, 2007

FURREY, LIONS HAVE A DEAL

A source with knowledge of the situation tells us that the Detroit Lions and receiver Mike Furrey has reached agreement on a contract extension.   The deal will be announced on Wednesday.

The news was also reported a couple of hours ago by Nicholas Cotsonika of the Detroit Free Press.

Furrey joined the Lions in 2006 under a one-year deal with a $500,000 salary.  We previously reported that Furrey was willing to do an extension during the season, but was rebuffed.  We've also heard that Furrey was getting squeezed by Lions COO Tom Lewand, and that President/CEO Matt Millen intervened in order to get the deal done.

The former Ram (who played safety a year ago in St. Louis) led the NFC in receptions with 98.

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POSTED 8:56 p.m. EST; UPDATED 10:05 p.m. EST, January 23, 2007

DID STEELERS YANK RUG FROM GRIMM?

As the media continues to try to understand the process that resulted in conflicting reports regarding whether the Steelers would hire Mike Tomlin or Russ Grimm to be the team's next head coach, the hot rumor at the Senior Bowl in Mobile, Alabama (where various league types currently are gathered) is that Grimm was indeed offered the job before it went to Tomlin.

As the story goes, the Steelers called Grimm on Saturday and told him not to believe what the media was reporting about Tomlin.  Then, the Steelers and Grimm negotiated a contract, and Grimm was told that he could tell his family that he was the guy, which he did.

But then, as the story goes, Commissioner Roger Goodell got involved and suggested to Steelers chairman Dan Rooney that it would be nice if the Steelers would hire one of the minority candidates, given that the Rooney Rule was named after him.  Rooney relented.

On Sunday morning, Rooney met with Art II and Kevin Colbert and told them about the decision.  Both initially disagreed because a deal had been done with Grimm.  But the contract hadn't been signed, and Art II and Colbert deferred to Dan.

Grimm was then told about the decision, and he was obviously pissed.  But, to date, he has been discreet regarding his displeasure, presumably because he plans to continue working in the industry that has only 32 job locations.  Tomlin was then called on Sunday afternoon, and he was informed that he was the guy.

One source told us that he has been hearing this rumor "all day" in Alabama.  Though we're not saying that any of this actually happened, the mere fact that this story is making the rounds at the Senior Bowl is newsworthy, in our opinion.

Especially since the events that transpired on Saturday night and Sunday were so damn bizarre.

Meanwhile, a reader tells us that Mike Prisuta of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review has been insisting in radio appearances that his story linking Grimm to the job was on the money.  Though we poked fun at Prisuta's predicament on Sunday, it could be that he was right, after all.

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TUESDAY NIGHT ONE-LINERS

Eagles coach Andy Reid is "disappointed" by reports, including ours, that QB Donovan McNabb isn't happy.  (But we nevertheless appreciate the recognition by Bob Kent of PhiladelphiaEagles.com that we are "widely-read.")

The Tank will be permitted to roll to Miami.

Coach Double Chin will be doing for the Cardinals what he has done for the Steelers.

The Colts are 7-point favorites over the Bears.  (We'd take Indy and give the points.)

The Titans say that they won't allow the Cowboys to interview coach Jeff Fisher.

Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops isn't interested in coaching the Cowboys.  (But did he say, "I'm not going to be the coach at Alabama"?)

The Panthers have a new offensive coordinator.

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POSTED 6:36 p.m. EST; LAST UPDATED 7:14 p.m. EST, January 23, 2007

"CHEW" OR "JEW"?  YOU DECIDE

There's an intriguing imbroglio unfolding in NFL media circles regarding whether ESPN's Sean Salisbury uttered the word "Jew" during Monday's broadcast of NFL Live.  The term was used in connection with Salisbury's discussion regarding the Colts' come-from-behind win over the Patriots on Sunday.

We'd heard about the incident from several readers, and we asked around the blogosphere about it.  Our friends at Deadspin.com had the balls (and we respect them for it) to post a carefully-crafted story regarding the issue.  And the RandBall blog at StarTribune.com writes that ESPN claims that Salisbury said "chew."

Here's the audio.  You decide.

This is what we heard Salisbury say, regarding the approach that the Colts and quarterback Peyton Manning employed on Sunday:  "We'll nip, we'll tuck, we'll go, we'll punch, we'll Jew, we'll do it all.  And they nickel-and-dimed it and Peyton made the play when it mattered all through the second half."  [Editor's note:  We previously had "crunch" in place of "punch."  We apologize for the error.]

We reported several months back that Salisbury was suspended by ESPN for a week.  Though we didn't disclose the reason for the suspension, it has been reported elsewhere that it was the result of Salisbury taking a picture of his, um, appendage and showing it to others.

We don't know whether Salisbury meant to say "Jew" or whether he was simply talking too fast.  But it wasn't "chew," and if ESPN thinks that anyone will believe that, then ESPN thinks we're all stoopid.

Of course, the continued presence of Michael Irvin on the Bristol airwaves pretty much confirms that ESPN thinks we're all stoopid. 

And thanks so much to the reader who recorded the audio and sent it to us.  We owe you one.  (It's just a figure of speech.  Please don't ask us for anything.)

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RADIO RALLY ON WEDNESDAY

We've been busy this week, so we've had to bump some of our regular radio visits.  On Wednesday, however, we'll rip through six spots, which is good because then we can pretty much say the same things over and over. 

At 9:00 a.m. EST, we'll visit with our friends at WIP in Philly to defend our honor against attacks from certain members of the real media who think our batting average is in the neighborhood of .200.  (We take offense to that; we're at least hitting .240.) 

At 9:30 a.m. EST, it'll be time for our weekly chat with Howard Balzer of ESPN Radio in St. Louis.  At 11:15 a.m. EST, we'll be talking with P.A. and Dubay on KFAN in Minneapolis. 

After a long lunch break (including a nap and a bubble bath) we'll make a stop on the Mac Attack on WFNZ at 2:25 p.m. EST, and we'll chat with Matt Perrault of Big Sports 590 in Omaha at 4:00 p.m. EST and Steve Duemig of WDAE in Tampa at 5:15 p.m. EST.

And later tonight, we'll be talking with Brad Riter of WGR in Buffalo at 8:00 p.m. EST and Todd Wright of Sporting News Radio at 10:25 p.m. EST.

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POSTED 6:20 p.m. EST, January 23, 2007

CALVIN TO HIRE COOK

For weeks, it's been the biggest mystery of the incoming draft class.  Who will represent Georgia Tech receiver Calvin Johnson?

Arguably the best pass-catching prospect since Randy Moss (without the turdish tendencies), Johnson is a sure-fire top-five pick.

Now, a league source tells us that Johnson has settled on Bus Cook, whose client list includes Brett Favre, Steve McNair, and Jay Cutler.

Most league observers had assumed that Johnson would be represented by Todd France.  One league insider told us that it generally has been impossible for anyone to get an audience with the former Yellow Jacket.

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POSTED 3:28 p.m. EST, January 23, 2007

CARSON IS GETTING UPSET

Kudos to Bengals quarterback Carson Palmer, who has offered up a pointed and seemingly passionate response to the most recent arrest of one of his teammates.

With cornerback Johnathan Joseph's arrest for marijuana possession, the Bengals have had nine players arrested since December 2005.

"It has to stop," Palmer said, according to Bengals.com.  "If it doesn’t stop, we're not going to have any fans left and I don't blame them.  It's ridiculous.  We can't get through a month without getting a guy arrested.  It happens on another team and they’re shocked and surprised to hear about it.  With us, you hear about it and it doesn’t surprise you and you just shake your head and say, 'Another one.'"

To his credit, Palmer understands that character means something.  (Even if others in the organization don't.)

"In the NFL, talent isn't everything.  It couldn't have been any more evident than in that game Sunday [between the Patriots and the Colts]," Palmer said.  "The best coaching wins and getting guys who are coachable.  It doesn't matter if you run a 4.4 [40-yard dash].  What matters is if you run a 4.7 where and how you're told to do it.

"Look at that game.  The only recognizable names that went to a Pro Bowl for New England are Tom Brady on offense and Richard Seymour on defense.  Other than that, they've got average guys who do what they're told and play together.  Talent isn't everything, and we've got talent but we're sitting home for a reason and we have to do something about it."

Palmer's words should be regarded as a not-so-subtle slap at coach Marvin Lewis, who has spurned character issues in drafting and signing multiple players whose stock was damaged board due to prior legal entanglements and other off-field concerns. 

And certain of Palmer's physically gifted teammates should take note, including receiver Chad Johnson, who has at time shown a greater desire to be flashy and flamboyant than to help his team score more points than the opponent.

To the extent that folks in the organization don't like what Palmer has to say, we say, "Tough sh-t."  This guy is trying to exert leadership over a flock that has badly lost its way, and it's about time that someone does.

We also respect the folks at Bengals.com for posting the item.  Obviously, Palmer isn't the only guy on the payroll who wants to see things change.

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POSTED 1:41 p.m. EST; UPDATED 1:50 p.m. EST, January 23, 2007

TUNA RETURN IN 2008?

A league source tells us that former Cowboys coach Bill Parcells privately is saying that he might be interested in returning to the NFL in 2008, as a General Manager, if there is a demand for his services.

We're also told that Parcells privately is saying that he "can't take the Owens horsesh-t" anymore, a direct reference to the mercurial wide receiver who provided a near-constant stream of distractions in 2006.

Parcells retired on Monday with one year remaining on his contract.  He previously served as G.M. of the Jets after stepping down as the coach there.  Recently, there were reports that Parcells had floated through an intermediary an interest in becoming G.M. of the Giants, a rumor that he strenuously denied. 

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A CALL TO ARMS (OR EARS)

One of the benefits of having an audience of well over 300,000 monthly readers is that, if we need something, we've got a pretty big pool of folks on whom we can impose.

So now we're making a specific request.  Did anyone record Monday's NFL Live on ESPN?

We're asking because there currently is a question as to whether one of the folks on the show said something that he shouldn't have said.

If you've got it, let us know.

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POSTED 10:57 a.m. EST, January 23, 2007

OWENS SHOWS HIS ASS, AGAIN

Cowboys receiver Terrell Owens is taking some shots at his most recent former coach, in yet the latest example of Owens' ability to find reasons to blame others for anything in his life that didn't go as well as it could have.

"I am just hoping [Bill Parcells'] retirement brings promise to what the team has to offer," Owens said, according to the Ft. Worth Star-Telegram.  "This past year was a big letdown.  On paper we were as good as anybody we played against every week.  The end result didn't show that.  Our play was not indicative of what we could have done.  What we should have done.  Hopefully, the owner will hire a coach to take the team to the next level."

Yeah, T.O.  It was the Tuna's fault that you dropped all those passes, including that wide-open touchdown against the Redskins that helped turn a victory into a defeat.

But, of course, that kind of stuff didn't matter.  Tuna was too "old school."

"Coming into this season and this situation, I wanted to be positive," Owens said. "When I talked to him for the first time we left an impression on each other.  I still think he is a great guy.  But he is like my grandmother.  You love the person, but they are stuck in their old-school ways.  You can't move them from their way of thought."

Owens' position would be more persuasive if, you know, Parcells wasn't the coach when Owens chose to sign with the Cowboys.  And, as of the middle of June, he was extremely upbeat about the old-school coach whose style and demeanor should have been obvious to anyone with an ounce of sense.  But yet there was Owens on ESPN, beaming in his responses to softball questions from Michael Irvin like, "How important is it to have a coach like Bill Parcells, for you?"

Of course, none of that matters anymore.  Owens likely will remain a Cowboy, and owner Jerry Jones won't have to admit to the world that he screwed up by signing the guy whom no one else wanted.  And now Jones and Owens can go back to doing whatever it is that they, um, do.

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POSTED 10:35 a.m. EST, January 23, 2007

RUMORED VICK-TO-RAIDERS DEAL MAKES NO SENSE

Though we've never met a rumor we didn't want to monger, we are having a hard time accepting the notion that the Raiders would trade receiver Jerry Porter, receiver Randy Moss, and the No. 1 overall pick in the 2007 draft to the Falcons for running back Michael Vick and the No. 10 overall pick in the draft.

Sure, the Raiders would be the most likely destination for Vick because, well, no one else would want him.  But the salary cap charge that the Falcons would take by trading Vick before June 1 would be $22.25 million.  Factoring in the $6 million salary that the team wouldn't have to pay, the net cap hit would be $16.25 million. 

That's more than 10 percent of the team's total cap space for 2007.

On top of this, the Falcons would have to absorb $1 million in 2007 salary for Porter, $9.75 million in salary for Moss, and the burden of coughing up $25 million or so to the No. 1 overall pick in the draft.

And the Raiders would be assuming a contract for Vick that, frankly, pays out more in salary that he objectively deserves.  Specifically, Vick is due to receive $6 million in 2007, $7.5 million in 2008, $9 million in 2009, $10.5 million in 2010, $12 million in 2011, $12.5 million in 2012, and $13.5 million in 2013.  Surely, the Raiders would be interested in re-working the contract, but we doubt that Vick would be willing to do so.

So we think Vick will get another year, at least, in Atlanta.  If he is going to be traded or cut, it'll happen in 2008, at the earliest.    

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POSTED 10:17 p.m. EST, January 23, 2007

McNABB GETTING UPSET?

Mark Eckel of the Trenton Times reports that Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb isn't happy. 

Among other things, McNabb is miffed that he wasn't invited to attend the team's January 13 playoff game at New Orleans.  "There is a team rule that players on injured reserve do not travel," Eckel writes, "but, c'mon, teams always treat their stars differently than they do the rest of the team.  What would it have hurt to let McNabb go to the game, even if he had to sit in the owner's box with Jeffrey Lurie, if Reid did not want him on the sideline?"

Eckel also says that McNabb "may be getting a vibe that some in the organization prefer Garcia over him," and that McNabb is not pleased about the way that Mama McNabb has been portrayed after she proclaimed on the family web site that the success of the team without Donovan is "bittersweet."

As to the brouhaha regarding McNabb's rehab (about which we recently reported), Eckel says there's nothing to it, without killing us in the process.  (We stand by our report, but we nevertheless appreciate Eckel's decision not to cram our report up our bunghole.)

As to whether some in the organization prefer Garcia, we've also reported that members of coach Andy Reid's veterans' committee have expressed strong support for Garcia.  We've yet to hear, however, that anyone specifically prefers the 36-year-old Garcia over McNabb.

The practical reality, in our view, is that it will be very hard for McNabb and Garcia to be on the same team moving forward.  And it's unlikely that the Eagles will pay Garcia what it will take to keep him as a backup, especially when Garcia will be an unrestricted free agent -- and when teams like the Vikings and Bucs are expected to pursue him.  So our guess is that the Eagles will allow Garcia to leave, and that they'll explain that they simply couldn't match what others were willing to pay him to be a starter.

Meanwhile, we're hearing that some of Philly's finest journalists were ripping us last night on a local television show, and that our friends Angelo Cataldi and Rhea Hughes at WIP have gone to bat for us this morning.  (If anyone has a clip of the TV segment, we'd love to see it.)  We realize that there always will be "real" journalists who don't like us, and we're fine with that.  And that reality makes us appreciate even more the support and friendship of the growing throng of "real" journalists who read the site, who admit to friends, co-workers, and relatives that they read the site, and who provide us with information, feedback, and advice from time to time.

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POSTED 6:41 a.m. EST; UPDATE 7:29 a.m. EST, January 23, 2007

SAMUEL WANTS THE SAMOLIANS

Pats cornerback Asante Samuel is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent in March.  And if Samuel wants to get a big contract from his current team, we think he should tell his agent to shut the hell up.

We don't have a problem with the guy crowing about getting his client paid.  But it's a proven fact that taking the fight public isn't the smartest way to negotiate with the Patriots.

"He's excited about the opportunity he has," said Alonzo Shavers, a Columbus, Ohio-based agent with (according to the NFLPA web site) five active NFL clients.  "He loves New England.  But New England has to love him too.  At this point right now, he’s waited his turn for them to show that affection and that admiration.  If they choose not to, well, obviously, we've had a good run there, and we'll set up camp in another location."

Shavers made these and other remarks to Karen Guregian of the Boston Herald.  He also spoke to Mike Reiss of the Boston Globe.

Hey, maybe Shavers' goal is to force Samuels onto the open market.  With comments like that one and this one, it's more likely to happen than not:   "I couldn't lean one way or the other," Shavers said regarding how his thinks this one will end.  "I don’t feel like it’s not going to happen.  But I don't have a lot of overwhelming confidence that it will happen with their track record on situations like this.  But who knows?  Change is in the air."

One thing that has changed is Samuel's perceived market value, which has gone up lately.

"We were pretty close at one point; it was probably about the sixth or seventh game of season," Shavers said.  "But in deciding to wait, it was a gamble on everybody's part.  I think they would have to redo some things to get him done at this point."

Here's the reality, as we see it.  Shavers wants to take Samuel to the open market because Shavers knows that Samuel will get more money there than if he stays in New England.  That Samuel might be happier on a long-term basis with the Patriots is irrelevant to Shavers.  Given that Samuel has a tattoo that reads "Get Paid," it likely won't be too difficult for Shavers to persuade Samuel that money and happiness are one in the same.

And with six weeks or so to go until the free-agency period begins, it's a great opportunity for Shavers to get his name in circulation, in an effort to attract more clients.  Frankly, we'd never heard of him before today.  By March, there won't be many league observers who haven't.

Especially if he continues to not-so-subtly poke a stick into the team's eye.

If, in the end, the objective is for Samuel to "Get Paid" as much as possible, then there's no way he'll be back with the Patriots.  Plenty of better players than him haven't "Got Paid" in the recent past, and it hasn't hurt the team's ability to compete.

Or has it?  On one hand, it can be argued that guys like Ty Law, Deion Branch, and David Givens have been adequately replaced by guys like Samuel and Jabar Gaffney and Reche Caldwell.  On the other hand, some readers have raised the question of whether Branch or Givens would have dropped the wide-open pass that the wide-eyed Caldwell couldn't snag on a key late drive against the Colts that could have resulted in a touchdown instead of a field goal.

Still, we don't think it's enough to get the Patriots to suddenly make like the Redskins and begin overpaying their looming free agents.  And if they haven't given Samuel big money yet, we don't see it happening in the next month.

Another option for the Patriots is to use the franchise tag on Samuel, which would require the team to offer him a guaranteed one-year contract worth well in excess of $7 million.  As the Pats did several years ago with safety Tebucky Jones, the team could then trade Samuel out from under the tag, ensuring that they would receive compensation if someone else wants to sign him.

With teams like the aforementioned Redskins out there, who are willing to overpay the "hot" names and who also have no qualms about coughing up draft picks, using the franchise tag seems to be a no-brainer.

But Shavers is already grousing about the possibility of the tag being used for purposes other than eventually working out a long-term deal.  "I don't fear it, because there’s nothing I can do about it," Shavers told the Herald. "But there's two types.  There's a franchise tag that stalls for time, and there's a franchise tag where you just couldn't get it done, but will get something long-term later.  If they're stalling for time, no, it’s not going to be appreciated.  And they're not going to find themselves with a happy camper."

Shavers was more direct with the Globe regarding the potential application of the franchise tag.  "Disappointed would be an understatement," he said. "I think there would be a slight level of resentment there."

Hey, it wouldn't be the first time.  Won't be the last.  But still the Patriots continue to make the moves that keep them in the mix every year for a championship.

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WILL BELICHICK SKIP PRO BOWL?  NOT LIKELY

Okay, this isn't anything that we're hearing from any league sources.  Instead, it falls squarely in the speculation category.

With that disclaimer, we have to ask this question, which several readers have posed to us:  Will Pats coach Bill Belichick find a way not to serve as head coach at the Pro Bowl?

Frankly, we think he'll be there, for several reasons.  First, it goes with the territory of the life he has chosen; the teams that come out on the wrong side of the conference championship games supply their coaching staffs for the Pro Bowl.  Period.  Second, we can't imagine Belichick leaving his staff hanging out to dry on this one.  Third, the NFL would likely hit him hard in the wallet if he doesn't show.  And, fourth, he likely wouldn't want to give the contingent of Chargers players who'll be in Hawaii the satisfaction of not being there.

Already, the list of Chargers players who'll be in Honolulu is shrinking.  Per ESPN's Ed Werder, quarterback Philip Rivers will miss the game with a sprained foot.  The injury supposedly was sufficiently severe that it would have prevented Rivers from playing in the AFC Championship game.  (Um, sure.)

Though we can't find the list of AFC Pro Bowl alternates anywhere, we suspect that the absence of Rivers opens the door for New England quarterback Tom Brady to make the trip, which would also give Belichick another reason to do his duty.

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TUESDAY MORNING ONE-LINERS

Steelers president Art Rooney II acknowledges that Mike Tomlin was a "long shot" when the process started.

The Steelers are keeping defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau, which suggests that the Cover 2 will be phased in slowly.

Ron Cook of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette asks whether Mike Tomlin's hire was driven by the Rooney Rule (which, based on what we know of Tomlin, will make him only more driven to prove that he was the best candidate).

In all, the Patriots are scheduled to have 14 unrestricted free agents.

Dolphins offensive coordinator Mike Mularkey will stay with the team, but in a different role.

Dolphins G.M. Randy Mueller is interviewing for the same job in Tennessee, but he claims that he plans to stay with Miami.

$7,000 for a prime ticket to the Super Bowl?

Is Reche "Jennifer Wilbanks" Caldwell the new Bill Buckner?

The Pats-Colts game generated some huge ratings.

Boomer Esiason of CBS teed off on Pats coach Bill Belichick for his terse post-game interview with Solomon Wilcots:  "I was pretty disgusted with Belichick.  I've interviewed him on my MSG show. It's hard.  It's really hard.  I don't think he does it on purpose.  I just think he doesn't know any better.  I just thought it was unprofessional."

The Jags need to address their contract situation with RB Fred Taylor.

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POSTED 10:27 p.m. EST; UPDATED 10:53 p.m. EST, January 22, 2007

VICK'S BOTTLE DIDN'T HAVE WEED IN IT

The strong implication of the most recent item on ESPN.com regarding the decision of Miami authorities not to pursue charges against Falcons running back Michael Vick is that Vick had in his possession a bottle containing a secret compartment.

So what the hell was supposed to be in there, if not marijuana or some other contraband?  Breath mints?  Chewing tobacco? 

Valtrex?

In our view, the fact that tests on the substance found in the secret compartment didn't lead to a conclusion that it was marijuana rehabilitates Vick's sinking image only among those members of the population who have no common sense. 

As one reader astutely pointed out, Vick being caught in an airport with a bottle containing a secret compartment is no different than Onterrio Smith being found with a Whizzinator.  Smith had no drugs on him, but it was obvious that the, um, device was aimed at concealing his marijuana habit.

And keep in mind the fact that the NFL's substance abuse policy can trigger scrutiny based solely on behavior, not a positive test.  So if Vick isn't already in the program, he very well could be based on last week's events.

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MONDAY NIGHT ONE-LINERS

Colts QB Peyton Manning will have X-rays on his injured thumb.  (The thing is fine, but it adds to the whole "he's so special" routine if he can play with the "injury" in the Super Bowl.)

Here's a great piece from Michael Smith of ESPN.com regarding our man Shmoopy.

Eagles linebackers coach Steve Spagnuolo is the new defensive coordinator of the Giants.

Jerry Rosburg is the new special teams coordinator in Atlanta.

Steelers chairman Dan Rooney strongly denies offering the top spot to Coach Double Chin. 

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POSTED 8:40 p.m. EST, January 22, 2007

RAIDERS TO HIRE KIFFIN

Adam Schefter of NFLN reports that the Oakland Raiders will hire USC co-offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin to succeed Art Shell as head coach of the team.

Kiffin interviewed several days ago for the position of offensive coordinator in a regime that would have featured USC co-offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian as head coach.  Sarkisian thereafter withdrew his name from consideration.

Apparently, Sarkisian will now interview to be the offensive coordinator of the Raiders.

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POSTED 3:50 p.m. EST, January 22, 2007

ANOTHER BENGAL BUSTED

This is not a repeat, or a déjà vu moment.  Or a remake of Groundhog Day.

A member of the Cincinnati Bengals has been arrested.

Specifically, cornerback Johnathan Joseph, a first-round draft pick in the April 2006 draft, has been busted for marijuana possession.

Joseph was a passenger in a vehicle operated by a woman with a suspended license who was "driving slowly and weaving."  The police asked Joseph to get out of the vehicle, and they smelled marijuana.  They searched Joseph's backpack (which carried a Super Bowl logo) and found a bag of pot in it.

He's the ninth Cincy player to be arrested since December 2005.  As one reader pointed out, that's more than 1/6th of the 53-man roster.

Though it would be nice if the NFL believed that problems like this will serve only to drive away fans, we've got a feeling that the sport will continue to be as popular as ever, despite the warts.  Maybe we all really do love the sport so much that we're willing not to notice the problems.  Or maybe we're just numb to it.  

Regardless of the reason, we think the NFL won't take any meaningful steps along these lines before there's a clear link between player misbehavior and a reduction in the bottom line.  And, frankly, we don't see that happening unless and until a current player intentionally kills or maims a woman or a child.

Oh, wait.  That one already happened.  Okay, maybe the player has to kill a woman or child and then eat the body.

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POSTED 3:28 p.m. EST, January 22, 2007

TUNA CALLS IT QUITS

At a time when it was looking like Cowboys coach Bill Parcells would be back for the 2007 season, and possibly beyond, the Tuna has called it quits after four years with the team.

"I am retiring from coaching football," Parcells said in a statement, according to the Associated Press.  "I want to thank Jerry Jones and Stephen Jones for their tremendous support over the last four years.  Also, the players, my coaching staff and others in the support group who have done so much to help.  Dallas is a great city and the Cowboys are an integral part of it.  I am hopeful that they are able to go forward from here."

The move came at a time when some players had become convinced that Parcells was done.  However, we'd heard that Parcells' agent, Jimmy Sexton, was putting the finishing touches on a contract extension as recently as Thursday, and ESPN's Chris Mortensen kinda-sorta confirmed this by reporting on Sunday that, if Parcells comes back, it will be for more than the one year that was remaining on his deal.

NFLN's Adam Schefter reported on Saturday night that there were indications that Parcells would return.  Since we have no reason to doubt the accuracy of Schefter's report (and we're not being sarcastic, despite our propensity in this regard), we can only assume that there was some last minute snag or epiphany or change of heart that prompted Parcells to walk away.

Maybe it had something to do with a certain receiver whom Parcells most certainly wanted out of town.

League and media sources tell us that the early scuttlebutt regarding a replacement is focused on Chargers defensive coordinator Wade Phillips and Patriots coach Bill Belichick.   We wouldn't be surprised in the least to learn that owner Jerry Jones is making a run at Belichick.

We also wouldn't be surprised to learn that he will make a run at USC coach Pete Carroll or former Steelers coach Bill Cowher. 

As one media source explained:  "Jones needs a name. He needs it for his ego. Parcells just left him at the altar. He needs it for that new stadium.  Jones also must interview a qualified minority candidate or risk retribution from [NFL Commissioner Roger] Goodell."

The hottest remaining minority candidate is Bears defensive coordinator Ron Rivera, who by league rules won't be available for an interview until after the Super Bowl.

But don't rule out Rivera's current boss, Lovie Smith.  Smith has one year left on his contract and he arguably has built up enough juice to force his way out of the last year of his deal, if he makes an impassioned plea to head back to his home state of Texas.  The Cowboys would surely have to cough up some draft picks as compensation, but we think Jones would be willing to do it if it meant getting the guy he wants.

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POSTED 7:14 a.m. EST; UPDATED 7:57 a.m. EST, January 22, 2007

SOMETHING SMELLS ABOUT VICK "EXONERATION"

We were shocked, but not surprised, by Chris Mortensen's report that Michael Vick will be exonerated for the incident involving a water bottle with a secret compartment and a pungent smell and a small brown particle that most likely wasn't a booger.

Vick, who did not publicly proclaim his innocence, likely (in our opinion) purchased a high-priced lawyer who pressured the powers-that-be in Miami into dropping the matter.  The tactics likely (in our opinion) included a passionate plea regarding the difficulty of proving beyond a reasonable doubt that the bottle fished out of a recycling been by a TSA worker was the same bottle Vick had tossed in there, and maybe a thinly-veiled threat or two that the lawyer would start suing people into the Stone Age if the matter didn't go away quickly.

And that's where the report isn't completely clear.  Was the contention that the bottle with a secret compartment didn't belong to Vick, or was it that the bottle with the secret compartment was Vick's, but that it didn't have any marijuana in it?

If it's the latter, it hardly means that Vick is clean.  Why would he even own a water bottle with a secret compartment if he wasn't going to stick stuff in it that he shouldn't have in the first place? 

And if it was Vick's bottle, look for Vick to still be in hot water with the Falcons.

Meanwhile, check out this hilarious segment from Saturday Night Live regarding the Vick ordeal.  It's not quite "D--k In A Box" material, but it's funny nonetheless. 

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FIRST PIECE OF SUPER BOWL TRIVIA

In a fortnight that will be chock full of stats and tidbits and various useless nuggets of information, here's the first thing that caught our attention regarding Super Bowl XLI.

This will be the first Super Bowl in 11 years (since the Steelers and Cowboys in Super Bowl XXX), and only the second in 22 years (since the 49ers and the Dolphins in Super Bowl XIX), that doesn't involve at least one team that has never previously won a Super Bowl.

The franchises that have never gotten their fingers on a Lombardi include the Bills, Bengals, Browns, Texans, Jaguars, Titans, Chargers, Eagles, Lions, Vikings, Falcons, Panthers, Saints, Cardinals, and Seahawks.  That's 15 out of 32 teams. 

Of those, the Browns, Texans, Jaguars, Lions, Saints, and Cardinals are the only teams who have never made it to the big game.

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MAYBE WE'RE NOT COMPLETE IDIOTS

For a change, we did pretty well in our picks for the AFC and NFC title games.  We had the Bears and the Colts. 

In the New Orleans-Chicago game, we guessed that the score would be 22-10.  It was 39-14.

In the New England-Indy game, we said the Colts would win.  But we forgot to project a score.  It would have been something like, oh, 38-34.

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MONDAY MORNING ONE-LINERS

The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review is trying to make chicken salad.

Bruce Arians could become the offensive coordinator under Mike Tomlin.

Colts QB Peyton Manning apparently realizes that it's much easier to be magnanimous when things have gone your way.

The last two times the Bucs have coached the Senior Bowl, they ended up with draft picks who helped them to 11-5 seasons.

Pats LB Tedy Bruschi is going to take some time to make a decision about his future.

Maybe Pats WR Reche Caldwell dropped those passes because his contact lenses fell out.

The Lions and WR Mike Furrey could have a deal in place as soon as Monday.  (Is there an echo in here?)

Reggie's antics fired up the Bears.

Colts QB Peyton Manning says that his thumb is fine.

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POSTED 8:40 p.m. EST, January 21, 2007

RAIDERS EYEBALLING KIFFIN

Days after the Raiders were interviewing USC co-offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin to become the offensive coordinator in the Steve Sarkisian regime, the Raiders are now talking to Kiffin about taking the job that Sarkisian didn't want.

NFLN's Adam Schefter reports that Kiffin is being interviewed for the position.

In our view, the comments from Sarkisian regarding his desire to become a college head coach coupled with rumors that USC coach Pete Carroll will eventually return to the NFL means that Sark will be the next Trojan coach -- so Kiffin might be deciding to jump to a bigger gig while he can.

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POSTED 5:41 p.m. EST, January 21, 2007

FINALLY, TOMLIN

Jay Glazer of FOX and Sean Jensen of the St. Paul Pioneer Press report that the Steelers finally have advised Vikings defensive coordinator that he is the choice to become the next coach of the team.

Glazer says that a contract has not yet been negotiated.  Jensen says that an offer has been made, and the offer has been accepted.

In an unrelated development, Mike Prisuta of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review has received an offer to work at a local Subway store, and the offer has been accepted.

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POSTED 5:33 p.m. EST, January 21, 2007

THE BEARS ARE NO. 1

Eight days after FOX showed a replay of a crowd reaction including a female Saints fans with a shirt that proclaimed "F--K DA EAGLES" (without the dashes), FOX's obsession with shots of the crowd has resulted in another image that on one hand we find troubling, but on the other hand funny as sh-t.

Thanks to the reader who sent us an image of the screen, which contained this happy chap as FOX cameras panned the stands in the third quarter.

Folks, why can't you just use a seven-second delay?

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POSTED 5:01 p.m. EST, January 21, 2007

BUSH BURNS BEARS

Saints running back Reggie Bush made his presence known, emphatically, in the NFC title game with an 88-yard catch and run that resulted in a touchdown, and that pushed the score to 16-14.

Bush got behind the front side of the Bears' defense and found a soft spot in the Cover 2.  Quarterback Drew Brees, whose accuracy has been off at times, hit Bush in stride.  He then ran past and around the rest of the Bears' defense.

As he approached the end zone, Bush turned back and pointed at Chicago linebacker Brian Urlacher.  The move could have, in theory, drawn a taunting penalty.  Bush then did a diving flip into the end zone and popped up and did a dance that was mildly uncomfortable to watch.

And as the camera cut away, it looked like someone threw water at Bush.

The sock puppets say that the result was the longest play in NFC title game history, and Bush's longest play of the year.

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POSTED 1:12 p.m. EST; UPDATED 2:23 p.m. EST, January 21, 2007

FURREY DEAL COMING?

We're told that the Detroit Lions are closing in on a new contract with receiver Mike Furrey, the 2006 free-agent acquisition who became the NFC's reception leader. 

Furrey jumped from the Rams to the Lions, under a one-year deal that paid him a $500,000 salary.  With 98 catches, 1086 yards, and six touchdowns, the former Rams receiver-turned-safety-turned-receiver turned out to be a great investment.

But now the Lions will have to pay.  As we hear it, Furrey was ready to accept a relatively reasonable contract after Week Eight, but Lions COO Tom Lewand played hardball.  Now, the price has gone up.

We also hear that Lewand has continued to squeeze Furrey, and that only a recent intervention from Matt Millen has pushed the talks toward a conclusion.

Furrey will be a free agent in March, if the Lions don't sign him to a new contract.

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LEDBETTER NEEDS TO LEARN CAP BETTER

Okay, so we're trying not to take gratuitous shots at the guys who cover the NFL for a living.  Seriously.

But we're discovering that it's not always easy.

Our buddy Howard Balzer has pointed out to us an item in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution regarding the cap consequences of a decision by the Falcons to cut Mike Vick, and we now find ourselves in a position where we must find a way to critique the writer's conclusions without, you know, calling him a retard.

In said article, D. Orlando Ledbetter (as part of our new approach, we won't say that the "D" stands for "Doofis" or "Dumbass" or "Dipwad" or "Douchebag" . . . or "Dorothy") states, if the Falcons cut Vick, they would take "prohibitive hits on the salary cap through 2013."

Um.  No, that's not how it works.  For contracts with non-guaranteed salaries, the cap hit resulting from a player being traded or released applies in the current year or, if the move is made after June 1, in both the current year and the next year. 

Unless salaries are guaranteed (and Vick's aren't), the team doesn't have to pay the money, and it doesn't have to take a cap charge for the amount of the salary, if the guy isn't on the team.  The cap hit when a player is cut or traded comes from certain types of bonus money already paid to the player, which is then allocated over a period of time. 

For example, a $5 million signing bonus on a five-year contract counts against the salary cap at the rate of $1 million per year.  So if the guy is cut or traded in the second year of the deal, the remaining $4 million gets absorbed by the team. 

For moves occurring before June 1, the entire amount hits the current year's salary cap.  After June 1, the team carries $1 million on the current year's salary cap, and takes a hit in the amount of $3 million the following year.  (Each team may now release up to two players before June 1 and treat the transaction as a post-June 1 move.)

So, generally speaking, the salaries don't matter when it comes to figuring out a cap hit.  In fact, their only relevance in such a calculation is to determine the net hit, since in some cases the cap hit is more than offset by the salary for the coming season that the team would avoid. 

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POSTED 11:38 a.m. EST; UPDATED 11:51 a.m. EST, January 21, 2007

THE CAP HIT FOR DUMPING VICK

As recently promised, we've dusted off our story from late November 2006 regarding the cap consequences for dumping running back Michael Vick. 

We compiled the numbers at the time because Vick had just given some lingering fans a two-handed, two-fingered salute, and we surmised that it might be time for the franchise to start thinking about the cost of getting rid of the underachieving hype machine.

The figures takes on renewed relevance, now that Vick allegedly pitched into a recycling bin a bottle of Aquafina designed to carry a little Marijuana.  (Maybe next time he should hide his alleged stash in a bottle of Lemoñadé.) 

POSTED 11:05 a.m. EST, January 21, 2007

CLAYTON CONTRADICTS MORTENSEN

Though he did it as tactfully as he possibly could, ESPN's John Clayton directly contradicted his colleague, Chris Mortensen, to cap the 10:30 a.m. EST edition of SportsCenter.

Regarding the Steelers' coaching search, Clayton said that no final decision has been made, and that the powers-that-be will watch the conference championship games and ponder whether to wait for Bears defensive coordinator Ron Rivera, the only finalist for the position that hasn't gotten a second interview.

Mortensen said earlier in the show that "we" are sticking with the ESPN report that Tomlin would get the job.  Apparently, Clayton isn't part of the "we", because he ain't toeing the "we" line.  

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POSTED 10:40 a.m. EST, January 21, 2007

STEELERS SAY NO ONE HAS BEEN HIRED

The Pittsburgh Steelers have added their two cents (which tend to be slightly more significant than others' two cents) regarding the question of whether they have hired a new head coach.

Said the team, in a release e-mailed to the media at 9:18 a.m. (and 10 seconds) EST:  "At this point and time, the Steelers have not concluded a contract agreement with a new head coach, nor do we expect to do so today.  There will be no other announcements from this office today."  The statement also appears on the team's web site.

This tells us that the Steelers are more likely to hire Mike Tomlin than Russ Grimm.  Why?  Because the reports regarding Tomlin are merely that the Steelers have selected him, not that they have hired him.  The report in the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review is that Grimm has been offered, and has accepted, the position.  And if the Steelers are telling the truth (and we have no reason to think they aren't), that's simply not the case.

Meanwhile, ESPN is sticking to its guns regarding the report that the Steelers have chosen Tomlin.

Though we think we're being objective in this regard, we acknowledge that we're rooting for Tomlin to get the job.  A little.  As one reader observed this morning, "Your recent love fest with Tomlin reminds me of when Jerry Seinfeld and his girlfriend argued about who was Shmoopy."  With that said, we still have a strong feeling that Tomlin is the guy, and that the reports linking Grimm to the job might represent a last-ditch effort by Grimm, his agent, or someone else with a vested interest in Grimm getting the gig to throw a wrench in the gears.

Regardless, the Steelers need to get this thing under control.  Quickly.  As in now.  The interview process proceeded without a single leak, and now there are competing leaks regarding competing finalists.  Standing silent through Sunday, in our view, isn't acceptable.  To do so, frankly, is to risk being perceived by the league and the media as amateurs.

And it likewise will set up a situation in which the performance of the Steelers' ultimate selection will endlessly be compared to the record of the guy who doesn't get the job.  So if a choice hasn't been made, there's now even more pressure on the team to make the right decision.

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POSTED 7:57 a.m. EST, January 21, 2007

TOMLIN OR GRIMM?  WHO THE HELL KNOWS?

The Pittsburgh Steelers, we believe, are one of the best overall organizations in the NFL, if not in all of sports.

Over the past 24 hours, however, some weird stuff has been happening there.

After a back-and-forth round of media reports regarding whether Vikings defensive coordinator Mike Tomlin will be the next coach of the Steelers, Mike Prisuta of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reports that Steelers offensive line coach Russ Grimm has been offered, and has accepted, the job.

Meanwhile, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette has a story dated January 21 in which the bottom line is that no one has gotten the job.

We've got some other stuff to take care of this morning involving a large, drafty building and our Creator, but we'll be back by 10:00 a.m. EST or so to try to figure this one out.

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POSTED 9:42 p.m. EST, January 20, 2007

MORA HEADING TO SEATTLE

Roughly a month after musings about a return to Washington sealed his fate with the Falcons, Jim Mora could be headed to Seattle, after all.

According to Adam Schefter of NFLN, Mora is poised to become the Seahawks' assistant head coach/defensive backs coach.

We also think that the move will be an on-the-job audition for Mora to succeed head coach Mike Holmgren, when the Big Show drops the big sheet on his career.  Holmgren was rumored to be contemplating retirement in 2005, and the thinking is that he won't continue to coach for many more seasons.

Meanwhile, Mora will continue to be paid like a head coach for the next two seasons.  Atlanta owner Arthur Blank remains on the hook for the difference between what Mora will make in Seattle and what he would have made if he hadn't been fired by the Falcons.

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POSTED 9:30 p.m. EST, January 20, 2007

MORT SAYS TOMLIN TO BE HIRED

Hours after ESPN's Chris Mortensen obtained quotes from Vikings defensive coordinator Mike Tomlin indicating that he had not been offered the Steelers head-coaching job, Mortensen now reports that the Steelers will hire Tomlin.

As of this posting, Mortensen's report appears via a headline link that calls the original report of Tomlin to Pittsburgh "untrue."

Someone, we think, owes Michael Silver of Sports Illustrated an apology for suggesting that his report that the Steelers had picked Tomlin was wrong.  The reality is that Silver knew that Tomlin had been selected before Tomlin knew, yet no one bothered to recognize the possibility that Silver might still be right.

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POSTED 9:17 p.m. EST, January 20, 2007

TOMLIN HIRE STILL EXPECTED

Based on our dicussions with league and industry sources, we're now confident that, although Vikings defensive coordinator Mike Tomlin has said that he wasn't offered the head-coaching job with the Steelers, the team has indeed settled on Tomlin as the next head coach of the team.

Per one source, the hiring might now be delayed by virtue of Michael Silver's report that Tomlin had been chosen as the successor to Bill Cowher.  But the thinking is that it still will happen.

And though we've been pushing Tomlin for the job since before he even was named by the Steelers as a candidate, we're thinking that his decision to speak on the record to ESPN's Chris Mortensen wasn't the wisest choice he's ever made.  It would have been smarter for Tomlin to say nothing at all until he had a chance to investigate the situation on his own.

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POSTED 4:21 p.m. EST, January 20, 2007

TOMLIN SAYS HE HASN'T BEEN OFFERED JOB

It's good to know we're not the only ones who screw things up from time to time.

Regarding Michael Silver's report that the Steelers will hire Vikings defensive coordinator Mike Tomlin to be the team's next head coach, there are now reports that Tomlin hasn't been hired.

And the reports come from Tomlin himself.

"It is untrue," Tomlin told ESPN's Chris Mortensen.  "I have no idea where it's coming from.  I have not talked to the Rooneys today."

Of course, there's a chance Silver is right, and that the Rooneys simply haven't told Tomlin yet that it's a done deal. 

Regardless, it's not a done deal yet.  But that doesn't mean it won't be.

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POSTED 3:16 p.m. EST, January 20, 2007

CAA COURTING CONFLICT IN TOP TEN?

There's talk in league circle about one of the practical realities of the emergence of mega-firm CAA, which has hired in the within the last year agents Tom Condon and Ben Dogra.

In the past, agents and draft picks have been sensitive to the fact that blue-chip players at the same position need to have different representatives.  It was widely believed in 2006, for example, that agent Bus Cook avoided involvement with Texas quarterback Vince Young because Cook already had been hired by Vanderbilt quarterback Jay Cutler.

The bulk of an agent's work is done before the draft, by selling the player to the various teams.  If Cook had represented both Young and Cutler, he would have been pimping two guys who were going for the same prize -- to be drafted as high as possible.

But now that two of the agents who typically have a guy who is taken in the top ten are working for the same firm, there's a concern that Condon and Dogra will have a hard time selling their high-end guys effectively.

To date, Condon has signed up Notre Dame quarterback Brady Quinn, and Dogra has inked Oklahoma running back Adrian Peterson and Michigan defensive tackle Alan Branch.

So what will Quinn be thinking when Condon is lobbying the Browns to take the Columbus, Ohio native as Dogra is trying to get Cleveland to say "no" to Brady and "yo" to Adrian?  And what if the Browns tell both of them that they like both guys, but they'd love to get to know more about Branch?

With the total value of each pick in the top ten dropping by millions of dollars, we think it's high time for the players projected to go early to think about who'll be representing other guys expected to come off the board, not only at their own position but at every other position, too.

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POSTED 2:24 p.m. EST; UPDATED 2:37 p.m. EST, January 20, 2007

STEELERS PICK TOMLIN

Michael Silver of Sports Illustrated reports that the Pittsburgh Steelers have chosen Vikings defensive coordinator Mike Tomlin to be the team's next head coach.

We've been banging the gong for Tomlin throughout the process, and we're glad to see that the Steelers picked him despite the fact that we endorsed him so strongly.

Tomlin beat out Steelers offensive line coach Russ Grimm and Bears defensive coordinator Ron Rivera.

It's the third straight time that the Steelers have hired a head coach under the age of 40.  And it's the first time in team history that the Steelers have hired an African-American head coach.

The move is significant, since it shows that the guy after whom the "Rooney Rule" was named is truly color blind when the time comes to picking the best person to lead his team.

Our concern, frankly, is whether the rank-and-file Steelers fans will be as charitable.  We've spent enough time in Pittsburgh to know that, for a northern city, there's a strong undercurrent of racism there.  Hopefully, all of the fans will follow the example that the Rooneys have set by making the best decision possible for the future of the franchise, regardless of race.

The hire surely will bring about significant change, especially on the defensive side of the ball.  The 3-4 will be out the door, replaced by Tomlin's signature Cover 2.  Assistant coaches like defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau will become irrelevant, and popular players like Troy Polamalu might not have the skills to make the shift to the new system.

We really think it's the best move over the long haul.  This franchise was still hungover from the completion of a 14-year quest last February in Detroit.  A new direction was needed; Tomlin will bring it.

And we've got a strong feeling that, under Tomlin, it won't be another 14 years before the Steelers are hoisting their sixth Lombardi.  

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POSTED 10:11 a.m. EST; LAST UPDATED 11:55 a.m. EST, January 20, 2007

FEATHERS RUFFLE IN PHILLY OVER MCNABB REHAB

We've determined via conversations with multiple league and media sources that there has been, at some point in the not-too-distant past, a squabble in Philadelphia regarding the status of the rehab of quarterback Donovan McNabb's torn ACL.

As we hear it, McNabb was at some point determined to be behind schedule in his recovery from season-ending surgery to repair the injury that he suffered against the Titans.  And McNabb has, on at least one occasion, blamed the delay on well-respected trainer Rick Burkholder.

There's a school of thought that Eagles coach Andy Reid put the kibosh on McNabb's recent press conference due in part to concerns that McNabb would blab about the brouhaha.

Complicating matters is the fact that the players have a strong affinity for backup Jeff Garcia, who led the team to a berth in the divisional playoffs.  An industry source tells us that guys like tackle Jon Runyan and linebacker Jeremiah Trotter, both members of Reid's "veterans' committee" have expressed strong support for Garcia.

What the support translates into remains to be seen.  We think it's unlikely that McNabb will be traded.  But with Garcia soon to become a free agent, and a possible target for a starting job in, say, Minnesota, the Eagles will need to cough up the money to keep him around -- which would serve only to fuel the speculation that Garcia might have a shot at the job. 

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DOM MAKING MORE THAN CAM?

Amid news that Dolphins defensive coordinator Dom Capers finally has signed his three-year, $8.1 million contract to remain with the team, something has occurred to us.

Capers, at $2.7 million per year, is making more on average than the head coach.

Per the Miami Herald, Cam Cameron has signed a four-year deal worth approximately $10 million, which works out to an average of $2.5 million annually.

If the published numbers are right, the move sends an awkward message to the players as to which guy with a three-letter first name is in charge.  If the Fins come out strong in 2007, it won't be a problem.  But if/when the wheels start to come off, the possibility of players aligning under Capers or Cameron is real, we believe.

The specifics of Cameron's contract also make us wonder whether he is essentially on a two-year leash.  If the team hasn't made significant strides by 2009, Cameron could leave with a $5 million severance package -- and Coach Chin could roll in.

But would $5 million be too much to give Cameron to leave?  Not if you consider that the Fins have saved about $6 million over the next three years by swapping out the balance of Nick Saban's contract with the corresponding term of Cameron's deal.

Look, we don't want to throw water on Cameron's shining moment.  But the fact that he got the job as part of an expansive search that seemed to add more candidates than it excluded, we have a feeling that the powers-that-be in Miami weren't blown away by any of the candidates -- and that Cameron will have to coach his way into keeping the job.

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POSTED 8:44 a.m. EST; UPDATED 9:26 a.m. EST, January 20, 2007

SEXTON HAS BEEN WORKING ON TUNA EXTENSION

In response to our Friday night report that some players in Dallas think that Cowboys coach Bill Parcells is going to call it quits, a league source tells us that, as of Thursday, Parcells' agent, Jimmy Sexton, was working out a new contract with the team.

The source characterized the status of the talks as Sexton putting the "final touches" on the deal.  If true, it's highly unlikely that Parcells would be walking away -- unless a snag in the late-stage discussions cratered the whole thing.

Stay tuned.  Whether he stays or goes, the decision (as we've heard it) is expected to be announced on Saturday.

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COLTS-SAINTS SUPER BOWL CARRIES EXTRA INTRIGUE

You know, it just occured to us that, if the Colts and the Saints meet up in the Super Bowl, most members of the Manning family will be walking around with a bona fide pucker in their pantaloons.  Archie, the patriarch of the clan, made his mark as the only bright spot on a crappy Saints team in the 1970s, and Manning and his brood continue to be beloved there.

Our guess is that, because most Saints fans are so smitten with the reality that their long-suffering team might actually qualify for the Super Bowl, few have pondered the possibility that the Saints will be playing against Peyton Manning in a fight for the Lombardi.

But what if it's Indy against New Orleans in Miami?  Will the folks in the Bayou break out a voodoo doll with a really large forehead and start jabbing pins into its right arm, legs, and/or crotch?

Even worse, what if it's the Colts and Peyton Manning who keep the Saints from making their wildest dreams come true?

We've got a feeling that the folks in New Orleans won't ultimately be forgiving to Peyton if his team outscores the Saints on sports' biggest stage.  Either way, it would be fun to watch it unfold.  

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POSTED 9:34 p.m. EST, January 19, 2007

SOME PLAYERS THINK TUNA IS TOAST

We're told that there's a growing sense among some members of the Cowboys that Bill Parcells won't be back in 2007 to coach the team.

It's hardly a shock, given that assistant coaches are fleeing Texas faster than a rodeo clown with a raging case of hemorrhoids.

We've previously heard that a decision has been made, and that the decision is expected to be announced on Saturday.  

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POSTED 9:13 p.m. EST, UPDATED 9:19 p.m. EST, January 19, 2007

SARK SAYS "COACH YA LATER" TO RAIDERS

David White of the San Francisco Chronicle reports that USC assistant Steve Sarkisian has withdrawn his name from consideration to become the next head coach of the Raiders.

Sarkisian said that he withdrew without receiving an offer.  Per the Los Angeles Times, Sarkisian intends to remain at USC in an effort to become a head college football coach.

Len Pasquarelli of ESPN.com reports that Sarkisian received an offer.

Earlier on Friday, Chargers receivers coach James Lofton also withdrew his name from the running.  But we've got a feeling that he'd be inclined to withdraw his withdrawal if he knew he was getting the job.

Other possibilities are Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels and former Ravens offensive coordinator and Giants head coach Jim Fassel.

As to Sarkisian's decision, theories making the rounds 'round the Bay Area media include:  (1) Raiders owner Al Davis decided not to hire USC co-offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin; (2) Sarkisian wanted a final answer as to the job by Friday, since this is a huge recruiting weekend for USC; and (3) Sarkisian's express desire to be a college head coach might be an indication that USC head coach Pete Carroll will soon be making the leap back to the NFL, putting Sarkisian in line to succeed him.

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POSTED 5:58 p.m. EST; UPDATED 6:22 p.m. EST, January 19, 2007

TUNA DECISION COMING TOMORROW?

A source who has tipped us off to some good stuff in the past tells us that Bill Parcells has made a decision regarding whether he'll return for a fifth season as coach of the Cowboys, and that the decision will be announced on Saturday.

Parcells technically has until February 1 to make his decision, but there has been increased consternation in Big D for Parcells to decide what to do.  Defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer recently left for Atlanta, which has prompted speculation that Parcells isn't coming back.

Stay tuned.

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FRIDAY EARLY EVENING ONE-LINERS

Chargers receivers coach James Lofton has withdrawn his name from consideration for a gig he wasn't getting.

Man, are we glad we're not gonna have to type this guy's last name for the next decade.

Another assistant coach has said farewell to the Cowboys.

Former Giants defensive coordinator Tim Lewis has gone to Carolina in his mind.  And body.

The draft will include 40 underclassmen.

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POSTED 5:10 p.m. EST; LAST UPDATED 5:46 p.m. EST, January 19, 2007

FINS HIRE CAMERON

The Dolphins have announced that former Chargers offensive coordinator Cam Cameron is the new head coach in Miami.

Cameron will be introduced as the successor to Nick Saban at a 7:00 p.m. EST press conference.  The press conference will be preceded by an "informal roundtable discussion" with electronic and print reporters, which begins at 6:00.

Cameron has been the Chargers' offensive coordinator since 2002.  Previously, he spent five years as the head coach at Indiana.

He also has worked for the Redskins (1994-96) and the University of Michigan (1984-93).

Cameron's candidacy gained momentum in the past two days, as he leapfrogged former Falcons coach Jim Mora and Georgia Tech coach Chan Gailey.

In all, the Fins interviewed 12 candidates for the job after Saban quit the job on January 3.

And the decision to hire Cameron should put to rest any notion that a short-term seat-filler would be hired until Bill Cowher joined the team in 2008 or 2009.  So our money is back on Cowher getting $10 million a year to succeed Joe Gibbs in D.C.

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POSTED 5:03 p.m. EST, January 19, 2007

FINS WANT CAMERON

Per various published reports, the Dolphins have offered their head-coaching position to Chargers offensive coordinator Cam Cameron.

Cameron has emerged since Thursday as the favorite for the job.  The South Florida Sun-Sentinel reports that the team also plans to offer former Alabama coach Mike Shula a position as an assistant coach.

Meanwhile, Georgia Tech head coach Chan Gailey has pulled his name from the process, now that it's clear that the process won't be spitting out his name as the winner.  If, then, the negotiations between the Dolphins and Cameron sputter, the only remaining finalist will be former Falcons coach Jim Mora.  

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POSTED 6:56 a.m. EST; LAST UPDATED 8:58 a.m. EST, January 19, 2007

BLANK "UPSET" BY VICK ANTICS

In an item on ESPN.com, Falcons G.M. Rich McKay describes owner Arthur Blank as "upset" regarding the news that running back (folks, that's not a typo) Michael Vick had in his possession a water bottle with a secret compartment that smelled of marijuana and that contained a substance that is being tested by police.

"We are an organization that prides itself on not having off-the-field issues," McKay said.  "I think we have done a pretty good job of bringing the right people in here so we don't have to face these types of issues.  We don't like it.  We don't accept it.  It is not what we want."

Coincidentally, Vick met with new coach Bobby Petrino for the first time on Thursday, a day after Vick's water bottle was fished from a recycling bin and inspected.  The ESPN.com article mentions that Petrino could open training camp by giving Matt Schaub a chance to win the starting quarterback job.

As a practical matter, though, the process of Vick and Schaub competing will start much earlier.  For all practical purposes, it's already begun; and Vick has lost the first round.

After Vick directed an obscene gesture at home fans after a game in November, we did some number crunching regarding the cap consequences of moving him.  We'll track that down and dust that off at some point over the weekend. 

We're not suggesting that Vick won't be a Falcon when the 2007 season starts, but based on recent events it makes sense to be thinking about the possible results of a divorce. 

Surely, the Falcons are doing the same thing.

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SPRINT DELIVERS THE SUPER BOWL EXPERIENCE

The official telecommunications sponsor of PFT is going to be all over the Super Bowl.

Per an item in Friday's South Florida Sun-Sentinel, Sprint Power View will be broadcasting from two news desks in Miami during the buildup to the big game.  One will be parked on Radio Row and the other will be perched on South Beach, and Sprint camera crews will cover everything from press conferences to parties.   

"We are using our handset with NFL Mobile programming and Power View to give a chance for folks to experience vicariously all the parties and activities through our crews, with red carpet interviews," said Steve Gaffney, Sprint Nextel director of sports marketing.  "Our desire is to try to give people a full understanding of what's going on.  Some of it is people watching."

But the only people who can do the watching are the people who have a Sprint phone with the Power View service.

That means if you don't have it, you need to get it.  (Hint:  The ads on this site will take you right to where you need to be.)

Another feature that will come in handy for Sprint customers who plan to be in South Florida for the Super Bowl is TeleNav, a GPS-enabled system that gives directions specific locations in the Miami area.  It also will guide a user to an address entered into the phone.  It costs a mere $9.99 a month.

The world has changed, folks.  Dramatically.  Newspapers?  Stegosaurs.  Television?  A pterodactyl.  With companies like Sprint leading the way there has never been more information or content available on a mobile device.  For those who follow the NFL (and that would include everyone who is reading this page), the only company that directly caters to your passion for the sport is Sprint.

So what are you waiting for, people?  Get that Sprint mobile device now, and live the Super Bowl experience not just for 10 hours or so on the day of the game, but for all of the days and nights before it.

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FRIDAY MORNING ONE-LINERS

Another day, another previously hidden injury disclosed by Seahawks QB Matt Hasselbeck; surgery to repair this one will knock him out of action for six months.

The Nicktator's former ball washer wants a chance to polish some Teflon.

The AJC explores whether Mike Vick's image has been permanently tarnished by his most recent off-field escapade.

Jeff Shultz of that same publication says it's time for Vick to go.

Are even some Bears fans rooting against the Bears this weekend?

Eagles coach Andy Reid won't let Donovan McNabb conduct a season-capping press conference.

The Steelers have given the Cardinals permission to interview special teams coach Kevin Spencer, but have denied a request from the team to interview receivers coach Bruce Arians and linebackers coach Keith Butler.

Pressure is mounting on the Tuna to poop or get off the porcelain in advance of his February 1 deadline for doing so (which means, naturally, that he'll wait until February 1 to make a decision as to whether he's coming back).

Jets defensive backs coach Corwin Brown will be the new defensive coordinator at Notre Dame.

As it turns out, Lions receivers coach Kippy Brown isn't headed to Grambling.  (Joe Cullen celebrated the news by going for a drive.)

Da Coach is finally saying "F--k Da Saints."

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POSTED 9:55 p.m. EST; UPDATED 10:07 p.m. EST, January 18, 2007

FINS PROMISE A HIRE BY SATURDAY

Greg Bedard of the Palm Beach Post reports that the Miami Dolphins are likely to have a new coach by Saturday.

"I can tell you with 100 percent certainty, nothing has been decided tonight," Dolphins senior V.P. of media relations Harvey Greene told Bedard.  "We hope to have this finalized by Friday or Saturday at the latest."

Meanwhile, Bedard writes that Chargers offensive coordinator Cam Cameron's second interview went very well, and that Cameron might now be the favorite for the job.  An industry source told us early Thursday that the team has the candidates ranked as follows:  (1) Cameron; (2) former Falcons coach Jim Mora; and (3) Georgia Tech coach Chan Gailey.

Previously, Gailey was regarded as the favorite. 

Also on Thursday, Bears offensive coordinator Ron Turner re-emerged as a candidate.  If a hire is to be made by Saturday, however, Turner won't be the guy who gets the job, because coaches whose teams are still playing can't be made offers until their seasons end.

We're still not ruling out the possibility that there's a secret candidate floating around out there.  If a hire is to come in the next 48 hours, any mystery man will be making his appearance soon.    

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"LIGHTS OUT" HIRES CAA

Chargers linebacker Shawne Merriman has hired agent Tom Condon of CAA, according to Liz Mullen of SportsBusiness Journal.  Merriman had been flying solo since firing the Postons.

Not having an agent worked to Merriman's detriment when he received notice of a four-game suspension for violation of the league's steroids policy.  As the theory goes, Merriman didn't know what to do when the letter arrived, and he spoke to just enough of his teammates to let the cat get out of the bag before he could put the best possible spin on the matter.

With that said, Merriman and lawyer David Cornwell did a good job of feeding the media a line of poo (in our opinion) regarding the notion that Merriman unknowingly took a supplement that had been spiked with nandrolone.

There also was no financial reason for the delay in hiring a new agent, since anyone working on Merriman's behalf is working for free until the 2005 first-rounder signs a new contract.

The hiring of Condon makes us wonder whether the NFLPA (which is run by Condon client Gene Upshaw) will now be disinclined to agree to a rule that bars players who have been suspended from eligibility for postseason awards.  Though the measure wouldn't affect the 2006 Pro Bowler unless he tests positive again in the future, the reality that the provision likely would be known as the "Merriman Rule" is just enough of a stigma, in our view, to prompt Condon to try to keep it from happening.

Heck, we wouldn't be surprised to learn that Condon already has promised to get the rule scuttled as an inducement to persuade Merriman to sign with him.

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POSTED 6:15 p.m. EST; UPDATED 9:02 p.m. EST, January 18, 2007

SARKISIAN HIRE COMING?

Jerry McDonald of InsideBayArea.com reports on his Raiders blog that USC co-offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin is in Oakland to discuss the possibility of joining the Raiders' staff.  And McDonald believes that this is a strong sign that owner Al Davis is poised to hire USC assistant Steve Sarkisian to be the next coach of the Raiders.

"It doesn't mean Kiffin will be the Raiders offensive coordinator," McDonald writes, "but it's solid circumstantial evidence that Sarkisian is the head coach."

In a January 13 entry on his blog, McDonald explains that Sarkisian had been chatty about his prospects in Oakland before suddenly going silent, which McDonald interprets as a sign that the Raiders have told him to zip it.  Many league observers believe that Sarkisian will get the job.

As to the recent reports that Dennis Green declined to be interviewed by the Raiders, McDonald wrote on January 16 that Green's people contacted the Raiders shortly after Art Shell was fired, and said that Green was interested in the job but didn't want to have to interview for it.

The Raiders, per McDonald, said thanks and no thanks. 

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DON'T FORGET THE TEN-PACK

We'll continue to post a Ten-Pack every week through the Super Bowl.  (We won't be doing one for the Pro Bowl because we refuse to watch it.)

The Divisional Playoffs version is now complete, and our takes include a look at whether the Ravens' window is closing, how close playoff games might help the Bears in February, and our picks to make it to Miami.

Check out the whole thing right here.

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POSTED 5:48 p.m. EST, January 18, 2007

NO DECISION YET FOR FINS

Despite an item in Wednesday's Atlanta Journal-Constitution suggesting that Georgia Tech coach Chan Gailey's status with the Dolphins would be resolved by Thursday (which means that someone would be hired by then), the Fins have not yet hired a coach.

Meanwhile, Georgia Tech athletics director Dan Radakovich says that the school won't ask Gailey to make a choice between staying put with the Yellow Jackets or pursuing the Miami job unless the issue begins to hurt the University's recruiting efforts.

Um, common sense suggests it already is.

Meanwhile, Bears offensive coordinator Ron Turner is reportedly still in the mix for the job, and could be pursued once the team's season ends.

This ever-shifting list of candidates and finalists and new candidates and new finalists makes us wonder whether the stuff that's being made public is just a smokescreen, and whether the Fins are secretly courting and/or waiting for a guy who currently isn't on the radar screen.

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POSTED 5:51 a.m. EST; LAST UPDATED 8:06 a.m. EST, January 18, 2007

HANDICAPPING THE FINS' FINALISTS

At a time when many members of the South Florida media believe that Georgia Tech coach Chan Gailey is the favorite to succeed the Nicktator as the coach of the Dolphins, one of our connections in the Miami area has laid out for us what he believes to be the current thinking of the organization.

The finalists for the position, according to said connection, are (in this order) Chargers offensive coordinator Cam Cameron, former Falcons coach Jim Mora, and Gailey.

We continue to hear that Mora was offered the job on Monday, though the team has denied it.  As we've been told, Mora waffled too much regarding his interest, so the franchise moved on and had a great second interview with Cameron.

So as it now stands, Cameron has the inside track.  Mora is next in line.  If neither take the job, it falls to Gailey.

So why, you ask, would Mora hem and haw about getting back on the horse so soon after getting thrown from it?  Falcons owner Arthur Blank is on the hook to pay Mora for the next two years as if he still were the coach in Atlanta.  It's money in the bank for Mora.  And any money he makes coaching the Dolphins (or anyone else) will reduce Blank's liability to him. 

Typically, however, other earnings (such as those Mora could make as a sock puppet) don't count against the money he's already due to be paid by the Falcons.

It makes sense, then, that Mora would at once like to keep his name in circulation, so that he can find work when his severance package expires, but at the same time be tempted to get paid good money to do nothing through 2008.  Though he might ultimately resolve the issue by opting to coach, it's not the kind of a decision that can be made on the spot.

We're also told that Mike Shula has a realistic shot at being hired as an offensive assistant, possibly even offensive coordinator, but will not be named the next coach of the team.

Based on a report in the Atlanta Jounal-Constitution (scroll down for more), a decision could come as soon as Thursday.

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BEGINNING OF THE END FOR VICK?

Wednesday's incident at the Miami International Airport, in which Falcons running back Michael Vick's discarded water bottle was found to have a secret compartment that smelled of marijuana and contained a substance that the local police are now testing, could be precisely what new Falcons coach Bobby Petrino needs to declare, in time, an open competition for the starting quarterback position in the team's new offense.

If Vick loses such a battle with backup Matt Schaub, 2007 most definitely will be Vick's last season with the team.

Before Petrino was hired, ESPN's Chris Mortensen reported that the new coach in Atlanta would be empowered by ownership to make a long-term decision regarding Vick.  With Vick now having made arguably the stoopidest in a line of stoopid mistakes, the time might be right for Vick to be nudged out of the spotlight.

And Vick's blunder clearly was stoopid.  As several readers astutely have observed, new air travel rules resulting from concerns that secret compartments in bottles would be used for something more sinister than carrying drugs prevented him from having any hope of getting that thing onto the plane.  To the extent that Vick thought his celebrity might help him get a pass in this regard, he was wrong.  (Kudos to the TSA employee for sticking to his/her guns.)

Vick then raised suspicions by initially refusing to give up his 20-ounce bottle of Aquafina water.  If he'd simply pitched the thing casually in a recycle bin, no one likely would have been curious as to its contents.

Also, don't underestimate the potential impact of this news in Atlanta, the worldwide headquarters of Coca-Cola, given the fact that Vick was toting a bottle of the water product sold by Coke's hated rival, Pepsi.  Though we've been unable to confirm whether Vick currently has an endorsement deal with Coke, he had such a contract as recently as 2005. 

On one had, Coke might be glad that its Dasani trademark wasn't tied to the apparent drug-smuggling device.  On the other hand, Vick was carrying a bottle with the Aquafina logo, which in the eyes of Coca-Cola management is likely far worse than the implication that Vick smokes pot.

So what happens?  The team, we believe, will officially do nothing.  But we believe that, as the offseason continues to unfold, the Falcons will send out signals suggesting that Vick and Schaub will have an equal chance to be the quarterback in 2007, and that their respective progress during the offseason and in training camp will ultimately decide who gets the job.

Though any close calls might well go to Vick, we think that, if given a fair shot, Schaub could win the competition by a wide margin.

For starters, look for the Falcons to tender Schaub, a restricted free agent, at the highest possible level, which would force any team that signs him to a poison-pill offer sheet that, as a practical matter, couldn't be matched to fork over a first-round pick and a third-round pick as compensation. 

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THURSDAY MORNING ONE-LINERS

A media source tells us that the complaints made about cheering in the press box at the Colts-Ravens game were primarily directed at the Indianapolis press, which the source called "[t]he worst bunch of homers in the league."

The source also said that, while Bill and Chris Polian were noisy during last Saturday's divisional matchup and "always are", they are not as bad as Giants co-owner John Mara and former G.M. Ernie Accorsi.

Kudos to the reader who has suggested that, if Steelers offensive line coach Russ Grimm becomes the successor to Bill Cowher a/k/a Coach Chin, we should commence referring to Grimm as "Coach Double Chin."

The suicide of former NFL safety Andre Waters is being tied to brain damage resulting from playing football.

The Miami Herald confirms that Fins defensive coordinator Dom Capers has not signed his much-publicized three-year extension.

Love is never having to say you're sorry . . . over and over again for broadcasting images of a girl wearing a shirt that says "F--K DA EAGLES."

Giants RB Tiki Barber is telling anyone who'll listen that he's still retired.  (Thanks, Tiki.  Now act like you're retired and go away.)

T.O. needs more surgery on his finger.

Folks in Foxborough are noticing Napolian's pre-emptive whining about the mugging of Indy receivers.

Pats QB Tom Brady acknowledges that the exuberance of a couple of his teammates after beating the Chargers went "a little bit too far."

Said Pats coach Bill Belichick, regarding the postgame suggestion that the team lacks class:  "I have all the respect in the world for LaDainian Tomlinson and the San Diego Chargers.  They're an outstanding football team."

New England S Rodney Harrison (knee) has been upgraded from out to doubtful for Sunday.

Colts CB Nick Harper seems to think he could have a big game against Tom Brady (if none of Harper's immediate family members, you know, stab him this weekend).

Bears QB Rex Grossman has by all appearances assumed the demeanor of Eli Manning.

We long for the day when coaches will just be coaches.

Kirk Olivadotti is the new linebackers coach in D.C.; he got the job a day after the 'Skins fired Dale Lindsey.

The Pittsburgh media is lining up to lay some lips on the butt of Mike Tomlin. 

Lions receivers coach Kippy Brown is a finalist for the head-coaching job at Grambling. 

Colts DE Dwight Freeney hates the Pats, and always has. 

The NFL realizes that Britney Spears is over.

A guy who doesn't have the most stellar postseason track record is critiquing the failure of others.

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POSTED 5:18 a.m. EST; UPDATED 5:36 a.m. EST, January 18, 2007

WHISENHUNT BIDING HIS TIME

There's talk in league circles that new Cardinals coach Ken Whisenhunt is taking a wait-and-see approach regarding the rounding out of his staff as the Steelers' continue their search for a new coach.

If the Steelers hire someone other than offensive line coach Russ Grimm, and if the new coach opts to make sweeping changes, Whisenhunt is expected to pursue several of his former Pittsburgh colleagues for employment in Arizona.

Whisenhunt already has parted ways with offensive coordinator Mike Kruczek and defensive line coach Larry Brooks, two of the seven assistants who had been retained by the team after the termination of Dennis Green.

Meanwhile, we're hearing that the players in Arizona already realize that things will be different under Whisenhunt.  The new coach won't baby and coddle players like Green did, and the players realize that training camp and all other practices will be more difficult and demanding.

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QUESTIONS PERSIST REGARDING REESE

Now that the Giants have officially named Jerry Reese the successor to Ernie Accorsi in New York, plenty of league insiders are questioning the wisdom of promoting a guy who:  (1) isn't generally regarded as being ready to be a G.M.; and (2) had such a key role in the creation of the current mess there.

The fact that Accorsi has largely gotten a pass for his assembly of a highly dysfunctional roster of players and the blockbuster trade for a quarterback with zero leadership skills and questionable overall abilities has, by all appearances, trickled down to the rest of the front office, resulting in Reese and other members of the organization facing little or no scrutiny for the unfulfilled potential of the team.

Others have been more blunt, referring privately to Reese as a "lightweight" and a "joke."

The reaction to the Reese hire could be the product of the natural resentment that arises when someone is highly successful.  Some league insiders have complained that Reese's race was a factor in getting him a position that he objectively, in their opinion, did not deserve.

As we see it, however, the real question is whether Reese will rise to the challenge and perform.  We have a feeling that he and the rest of the front office need to do so quickly, or ownership will blow the thing up and start over.

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POSTED 10:59 p.m. EST; UPDATED 11:30 p.m. EST, January 17, 2007

TSA ALLEGES VICK HAD BOTTLE WITH SECRET COMPARTMENT

NBC 6 in South Florida reports that Falcons running back Michael Vick allegedly had in his possession on Wednesday at Miami International Airport a water bottle with a secret compartment.  The compartment reportedly "contained a small amount of a dark particulate and officials describe a pungent aroma closely associated with marijuana."

Vick has not been arrested and the substance is being analyzed by police.

Earlier tonight, we received a tip regarding the incident, and we posted a short blurb without naming Vick.  A few minutes later, however, we got nervous about the accuracy of the tip and we pulled the story down.

CBS 4 in Miami also has a story regarding the incident.

And CBS 46 in Atlanta has the first word on the matter from the Falcons, who released the following statement:  "We understand there have been reports allegedly involving Michael Vick that took place at the Miami International Airport earlier today.  We plan to look into the matter and discuss it with Michael before having any further comment."

There's also a more detailed account of the events in the Miami Herald.

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POSTED 9:49 p.m. EST, January 17, 2006

SECOND INTERVIEW FOR SARKISIAN

A day after there were reports out of San Diego that Chargers receivers coach James Lofton was close to becoming the next coach of the Raiders, there are now reports that USC quarterbacks coach Steve Sarkisian is receiving a second interview for the job.

It has been rumored widely in league circles that Sarkisian, who served as the Raiders' quarterbacks coach in 2004, is the top choice for the job.

We won't be surprised if Sarkisian has the job soon.  But don't rule out Pats offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels.  Adam Schefter of NFLN, who had the firing of Art Shell down cold in December, reports that the job will come down to McDaniels and Sarkisian.

Our guess?  If Sarkisian isn't hired by Sunday, the Raiders are waiting for McDaniels.

Whether McDaniels would take the job is another issue. 

If he does, why not hire Sarkisian to serve as offensive coordinator?  McDaniels might not be completely comfortable with the other finalist for the gig on his staff, but it might not be McDaniels' decision to make.  Which, of course, might make him less inclined to take the job in the first place.

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POSTED 8:17 p.m. EST, January 17, 2006

FINS' HIRE COMING THURSDAY?

Though we generally don't put much credence in anything that a college coach tells a recruit in the latter half of January, one Georgia Tech recruit is under the impression that the status of Yellow Jackets' coach Chan Gailey will be resolved as soon as Thursday.

Which means that the Dolphins will hire a new coach by then.

Morgan Burnett, a safety who has verbally committed to Tech, tells the Atlanta Journal-Constitution that Gailey told him that Gailey's situation with the Fins should be resolved "sometime around Thursday."

If true, it suggests that the Dolphins deliberately were moving slowly with their search for a successor to the Nicktator in the event that Chargers coach Marty Schottenheimer became available.

The finalists for the Dolphins job are Gailey, former Falcons coach Jim Mora, Vikings defensive coordinator Mike Tomlin, Chargers offensive coordinator Cam Cameron, Dolphins defensive coordinator Dom Capers, and former Alabama coach Mike Shula.

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POSTED 8:07 p.m. EST, January 17, 2006

CRENNEL CROSSES THE LINE

We need to preface this item by pointing out that the Marshall plane crash is a sore subject for us here at PFT.  A West Virginia tragedy, the poobah's wife lost a cousin in the crash -- and two of her other cousins were supposed to be on the plane.

So we likely were even more bewildered than a neutral observer might be to see that Browns coach Romeo Crennel recently compared the Browns' return to the NFL in 1999 to the event that killed more than 70 people, most of whom were young athletes in the prime of their lives.

We won't hammer Crennel for his crass remark; Bud Shaw of the Cleveland Plain Dealer already did that on January 7.  But it's extremely disappointing, unfortunate, and sad that Crennel would try to justify the horrendous performance of the team in the eight seasons since the Browns came back to the league by suggesting that the re-entry was the equivalent of starting the franchise from scratch because nearly everyone who previously was connected to it is, you know, deceased.

The better basis for comparison is an expansion team, because that's precisely what the new Browns were four seasons after the old Browns became the Ravens.  But it's not nearly as melodramatic.  And, when looking at the performance of other expansion teams over the years, it sheds even more light on the incompetence of the ownership group that was able to pay the price tag for the team, but unable to do much else.

The Jaguars and Panthers were in the AFC and NFC Championship Games, respectively, in only their second seasons in the league.  And a certain team in South Florida was in the Super Bowl in its sixth season, capping off a 17-0 record in its seventh, and nailing down a second straight Lombardi in its eighth.

So spare us the excuses.  The Browns largely have been a disaster since returning to the league.  The folks currently running the team can either acknowledge that fact, or ignore it.  But, please, don't try to polish the turd.  It serves only to further insult the good folks in Cleveland, who have suffered the consequences of ownership's ineptitude for far too long.

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POSTED 5:19 p.m. EST, January 17, 2007

SCHOTTENHEIMER TO BE A LAME DUCK IN 2007?

Buried in the statement from Chargers president/CEO Dean Spanos that coach Marty Schottenheimer will return is the revelation that the team offered the head coach a one-year extension to his contract, which expires after the 2007 season.

And he refused it.

Specifically, Spanos offered to pay Marty $4.5 million if he is still with the team in 2008, and $1 million if the team decided not to bring him back for 2008.

So, absent an extension, Schottenheimer will be a lame duck in 2007.

Frankly, we don't know whether it's better to have a new coach in the first year of his tenure in 2007, or the current coach in possibly the last year of his time with the team.  Marty's status could be a distraction, but he's not the first guy to be working the final season of his deal.

Maybe it gives him extra incentive to take the team back to the playoffs, and to actually win a game or two when he gets there.  And if he somehow could deliver an elusive Super Bowl win, he'd then be able to name his price from the Chargers or any other team that might be looking for a head coach next year at this time. 

Even if he doesn't win the Super Bowl, our guess is that Marty realizes that if he does enough to make the Chargers decide to pay him $4.5 million to stay instead of $1 million to leave, someone else will gladly pay him more than $4.5 million.

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POSTED 5:08 p.m. EST, January 17, 2007

MARTY BALL DOESN'T GET SACKED

The Chargers have announced that coach Marty Schottenheimer will return for at least another year.

“I have decided that Marty Schottenheimer is the best person to lead the Chargers in the 2007 season," said team president and CEO Dean Spanos.

Possible translation:  "We couldn't find anyone better to take the job."

Stay tuned.  There's more to this story coming in a few.

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POSTED 5:03 p.m. EST, January 17, 2007

THE BRAIN GETS EXTENDED

Ravens coach Brian Billick has received a contract extension, according to the Baltimore Sun.  However, the terms of the deal -- including its duration -- were not disclosed.

For all anyone knows, then, Billick's contract was lengthened by a couple of days.

Absent more information, we're inclined to think that the announcement is merely a P.R. effort aimed at getting folks not to suggest that Billick is on the hot seat in 2007.

Even if, in reality, he is.

And for good reason.  The team has won one playoff game since 2001.  The offense has been at times abysmal.  In a playoff loss at home to a maligned Colts defense, the Ravens mustered six -- six! -- points.

Sorry, Brian.  We like you.  We really do.  But, sooner or later, owner Steve Bisciotti is going to want his own guy in there.

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POSTED 3:06 p.m. EST, January 17, 2007

STILL NO NEWS ON MARTY

There's still nothing to report regarding whether the Chargers are going to keep or can coach Marty Schottenheimer.

As FOX's John Czarnecki writes, "The silence is deafening."

And it reinforces our belief that the powers-that-be hope to set up on a back-room basis an acceptable candidate to take the job before firing Marty.  Such a procedure, however, flies in the face of the Rooney Rule -- unless the person who is lined up to take the job is a minority.

Though we have concerns about the ongoing viability of the Rooney Rule, it's still the law of the NFL land, and we think that the league office should be asking the Spanoseses some tough questions about what they might be up to, because we've got a feeling (and it's only a feeling) that they're engaging in a double-secret hiring process right now, which would then be followed by the "real" hiring process later. 

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POSTED 11:54 a.m. EST, January 17, 2007

TOMLIN TO TAKE GRIMM'S GIG?

At a time when pretty much everyone in the league and the media believe that the Steelers will promote offensive line coach Russ Grimm to the position vacated by Coach Chin, don't rule out Vikings defensive coordinator Mike Tomlin.

Though some in the organization also believe that Grimm will be the guy, the reality is that the decision will be made, in the end, by Steelers chairman Dan Rooney and team president Art Rooney II, who are being very tight-lipped (we're told) about their plans.

Tomlin is regarded by the organization as a great candidate, but his lack of experience is a concern.  Due to the Buccaneers' standard refusal to allow assistant coaches under contract to leave for bigger jobs other than head coach, Tomlin was stuck in Tampa until his deal expired, and he has worked as a defensive coordinator for only one year.

The Steelers conducted a second interview of Tomlin on Tuesday, meeting with him for several hours before taking him to a Penguins game at Mellon Arena.

And unless Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette was merely looking for filler for his Wednesday item, the fact that he spent a full article getting the locals ready for the changes that would come if Tomlin gets the job could be a strong hint that Grimm might not be the guy who gets the gig.

We've said it before and we'll say it again -- we'd hire Tomlin.  In a heartbeat.  He instantly energized a Vikings defense that had played soft and loose and weak for most of the past decade.  Sure, he's young; so were Bill Cowher and Chuck Noll.

And there's something to be said for learning on the job.  Tomlin will improve, and the team that is employing him when he peaks will be a team that is annually in the conversation for the playoffs and the Super Bowl.  

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POSTED 10:24 a.m. EST, January 17, 2007

CHARGERS LOOKING FOR MR. GOODCOACH?

There's a growing sense in league circles that the still-uncertain status of Chargers coach Marty Schottenheimer is tied directly to the question of whether the team believes it will be able to line up someone better than Marty to take over the team.

The thinking is that the Spanoseses won't dump Schottenheimer until they have a willing replacement whom they deem worthy of the job in their sights.

Of course, such pre-arranged coaching arrangements violate the spirit of the Rooney Rule, if the guy whom the Chargers target is white.  But it's the letter of the Rooney Rule about which teams need to be concerned, and once the Chargers conduct a perfunctory interview or two with a couple of minority candidates, they'll be able to hire whomever they choose.

Why else would there be a delay?  Surely, ownership had given thought to what might happen to Marty if the Chargers were to go one-and-out this year in the games that matter most.  Our guess is that Schottenheimer will be fired if/when the Chargers discreetly identify the person they want to take the job -- and if/when that person discreetly gives the Chargers an indication that he will.

If Marty doesn't get fired, it means that the Chargers never found that guy.

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POSTED 10:02 a.m. EST, January 17, 2007

BROWNS, PAPER CAUGHT IN A CAT FIGHT

At this time of year, our coverage primarily is focused on three things:  (1) coaching and front-office changes; (2) the teams still in the playoffs; and (3) televised images of any T-shirts at games that read "F--K DA [insert team name here]".

But a reader has pointed out to us that Cleveland's daily newspaper and its football team currently are in a bit of a whizzing match.  So we'll pause from our regular rubbernecking at this time of year to rubberneck regarding some of the problems on the shores of Lake Erie.

As far as we can tell, it started last week when Plain Dealer columnist Phillip Morris (we don't think he's the same guy as the one who makes all those cigarettes, but who knew Stephen King wrote for Entertainment Weekly?) wrote an item that criticizes Browns owner Randy Lerner for being "bent on paving an expressway to disaster," and "allowing our storied franchise to become a mockery."  

Morris rebukes Lerner for investing millions in an English soccer club "while the football team he trots out . . . each week is close to being garbage."  

Also, there's this body slam near the end of the column:  "The bottom line is that the product that the Browns put on the field next year must represent a radical improvement.  Failure to achieve that and the most loyal fan base in the nation will rapidly begin to turn its back on this city's first love.  And that would be only because the Browns ownership had turned its back -- again."

The Browns should have resisted the urge to respond.  The easiest way, after all, to validate the ravings of a lunatic is to acknowledge them.

But the Browns, under Lerner, aren't known for taking the high road.  Last year, for example, the team abruptly canceled its contract to televise preseason games on a local station after its news broadcast aired a 911 call from Lerner's sister after finding her daughter drowned in a creek.

So it was no surprise that Browns V.P. of communications Bill Bonsiewicz banged out a response, which called the Morris column "void of fact, gratuitous and a personal attack."

"If Morris feels Randy Lerner's purchase of a soccer team represents indifference toward the Browns, he should say it.  If he was attempting to convince readers that Lerner is not equipped to own an NFL team, his heart is not in it or he is a bad person, he should say it.  But he should back it with facts."  

Um, Bill, have you been paying any attention to the won-loss record over the past few years?

"What does Morris think Lerner should do?" Bonsiewicz adds.  "Select the players?  Coach the team?  Play on Sundays?"

Ugh.  That specific passage reminds us of the little league coach whose standard response to complaints from parents is, "If you think you can do a better job, then you do it."  

No, Lerner doesn't select the players, coach the team, or play on Sunday.  But he does select the people who will select the players and coach the team that plays on Sundays.  And Lerner's track record in making decisions as to who those folks will be leaves much to be desired.

As far as we can tell, Lerner's best decision to date has been his willingness to acknowledge that he was stoopid for making John Collins the president of the team.

Bonsiewicz's response ends with the ever-ominous (and inherently cheesy):  "Want a new owner?  Be careful what you wish for."  (Coming from Lerner's V.P. of communications, it's hard to regard that line as anything other than a not-so-subtle threat that continued criticism of Lerner will prompt him to cash in his chips and invest the booty in a business where any actual or perceived incompetence is not publicly noticed.)

Morris revisited the topic on Tuesday (who wouldn't have?), addressing the import of Bonsiewicz's "be careful what you wish for" line and otherwise explaining away much of his prior column, possibly to keep the folks who sign his paychecks from electing to stop doing so.  

Morris also notes, appropriately and accurately in our view, that Lerner does have the power to improve the fate of the team, if he wants to do so.  Spending money on players is mandatory under the CBA; Lerner can (if he so chooses) elect to spend money on cleaning out the front office and coaching staff, retaining real experts to help him find new employees to lead the team, and then hiring those people to do the job.

The heart of the problem, as we see it, is that it's very easy for NFL owners to tread water and make money.  Even with unsold tickets, they still get a slice of an ever-growing pie of shared revenue.  As a result, a team can turn a profit without trying.  

So the question becomes how much of this low-hanging fruit gets reinvested into building a consistent winner?  Though success generally will enable a team to make more money, money must be invested in order for a team to be successful.  And if that investment of money doesn't turn into short-term success, the money was arguably wasted.

In Cleveland, then, the perception is that Lerner is content to stand pat (and make a lot of money) as opposed to rolling up his sleeves and trying to grab the silver trophy (and risk making less money).

It shouldn't be that way.  Prospective owners should be as fervent as the fans of the team, or the prospective owners never should be allowed to make the purchase.  But just as there's no way to measure the heart of a potential draft pick, there's likewise no way to measure the passion of a potential owner.  

This assumes, of course, that the other members of the Billionaire Boys Club even care about adding new members who have a burning desire to win.  As Judge Smales told Danny, "The world needs ditch diggers, too."  Likewise, the NFL generally would prefer to have a few owners who really don't care much about competing for championships.  

And to the extent that Morris believes that Lerner is in that group, we have a feeling that he's right on the money.

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POSTED 8:33 a.m. EST, January 17, 2007

NAPOLIAN AND SON RANT AND RAVE AT RAVENS GAME

In yet another example of Bill Polian's propensity for blowing his stack and acting generally like a jerk, it appears that the Colts president and his son, Chris, were behaving like buffoons in the press box at the January 13 Colts-Ravens playoff game.

Aaron Wilson of the Carroll County (Md.) Times reports that the Polians were cussing and complaining and banging on the table whenever something would go wrong for the Colts.  "And they openly celebrated successful plays in a breach of press box guidelines," Wilson writes.

How bad did it get?  Writes Wilson:  "At one point, Ravens team spokesman Kevin Byrne made an announcement referencing complaints about the lack of decorum without naming names."

In the past, we'd heard that the younger Polian wasn't like his old man, a well-known hothead in league circles.  Apparently, however, the apple didn't fall far from the burning bush.

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POSTED 9:09 p.m. EST, January 16, 2007

LOFTON TO RAIDERS?

Moments after posting the blurb that appears below, a reader alerted us to published reports out of San Diego indicating that Chargers receivers coach James Lofton is close to being named the head coach of the Raiders.  Per the San Diego Union-Tribune, Lofton and the Raiders are working out the details of a contract.

Wow.

Lofton interviewed for the job in 2005, and was also interviewed last season by the Bills.

The move comes at a time when all signs were pointing to the Raiders hiring USC assistant Steve Sarkisian. 

But if Lofton gets the job, we don't rule out Sarkisian being hired to be the team's offensive coordinator.

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POSTED 8:59 p.m. EST, January 16, 2007

DENNY REFUSES TO INTERVIEW FOR RAIDERS JOB

Despite published reports that former Vikings and Cardinals coach Denny Green would interview on Tuesday for the head-coaching vacancy in Oakland, Len Pasquarelli of ESPN.com reports that Green declined to sit for the job.

But it's not that Green isn't interested in the job.  Instead, he thinks that owner Al Davis knows him well enough to offer him the gig without an interview.

Pasquarelli doesn't acknowledge the 500-pound elephant in the room (and we're not referring to Len himself), but we will.

The Raiders are widely rumored to be ready to offer the job to USC assistant coach Steve Sarkisian.  But they can't hire Sarkisian until they comply with the Rooney Rule by interviewing at least one minority candidate.

And Green isn't willing to play that game. 

The next question is whether anyone else is.  Chargers receivers coach James Lofton is reportedly on the list to be interviewed, but if he senses that he's being courted merely to allow compliance with the Rooney Rule, he might say "no," too.

At one point, there was a guy in the league office who had a reputation for being willing to interview for a head-coaching job in order to ensure compliance with the Rooney Rule.  That guy's name is Art Shell.

The same Art Shell whom the Raiders recently fired.

If, at the end of the day, the Raiders aren't able to comply with the Rooney Rule, it would be unfair for the team to be punished.  The franchise was committed to diversity long before such a commitment was a requirement.  

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POSTED 7:40 p.m. EST, January 16, 2006

SHULA THE SEATHOLDER FOR COACH CHIN?

A reader has floated an intriguing theory regarding the possible motivations for the Dolphins' decision to secretly interview former Alabama coach Mike Shula for the head-coaching job in Miami.

At a time when some assume that a guy like Georgia Tech coach Chan Gailey would be hired to keep the seat warm for Bill Cowher, maybe Shula is the guy who would serve as the head coach until Cowher comes to town.

Then, Shula would move to offensive coordinator or quarterbacks coach and further refine his skills under Cowher.  Or, alternatively, Shula would transition to a front-office or executive-level position, where he would be working with his good friend, team president Bryan Wiedmeier.

In the short term, the Fins would likely sell plenty of tickets and re-energize a fan base still reeling from the rise and fall of the Nicktator.  If/when Cowher comes aboard, no one would complain.

It's all speculation, but it would help to explain why the pursuit of Shula has been guarded so closely by the team.

Meanwhile, we've been tipped off to the existence of yet another plane with the "WH" initials at the conclusion of the tail number.  Though we don't know for sure that it's a Huizenga-owned plane or whether it's being used in connection with the search for a new coach, it has been in Denver since Friday -- and it currently is on it's way back to Ft. Lauderdale.

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POSTED 5:45 p.m. EST, January 16, 2007

NAPOLIAN WHINES ABOUT OFFICIATING

In an apparent effort to influence the crew of officials for this week's AFC title game, Colts president Bill Polian is complaining about the calls (or lack thereof) from Saturday's game between Indy and Baltimore.

An item on the team's official web site contains a quote from Polian attributing the touchdown-less game between the Colts and Ravens to the failure of the officials to throw flags on the Baltimore defensive backs.

"The game was kind of a unique game, but I think it's just apropos of the kind of officiating that has been going on," Polian said.  "When you have blitzing teams and you allow that downfield stuff, such as what happened to Reggie Wayne, you're going to limit offense.  That's the net of it.  You encourage the power-running game, you discourage the passing game and if you're limited to a running game, it's rare that you can do what we did in the fourth quarter and take the game over with a power-running attack.  

"I worry not so much about us -- we can play any style -- but I worry about what kind of a game we're getting when we allow so much rough stuff down the field.  Whether or not the league office says that was a foul or should have been a foul, I don't know, but Bill Levy is a great official.  I know he's nothing if not an honest guy and the explanation he gave I think is what the officials have been told.  That worries me some.  You went something like two-and-a-half games before a touchdown was scored?  That's not good, when the best teams play that way.  That's not good for the health of the game.  I think that was certainly a contributing factor to a low-scoring game." 

Amazing.  We've never seen a guy criticize officiating so deftly.  Really, there's no smoking-gun word or phrase (like "chicken sh-t" or "diddly poo") that would trigger an automatic fine.  Indeed, we wouldn't be surprised if there's no fine at all, especially since Polian is the guy who was doing the talking.

But the meaning, upon consideration of the entire passage, is obvious.  Polian is complaining that the officials allowed the same kind of receiver manhandling in the secondary that prompted Polian to cry to the Competition Committee after a loss to the Patriots in the playoffs a few years back, resulting in a renewed emphasis on the illegal contact rules.  

Although Polian tries to come off as being concerned only about the overall integrity of the game, we think he's full of crap, with all due deference and respect.  He wants to win.  

And he knows that if the officials have a hair trigger about hand checking, the Colts will be more likely to outscore New England -- and to finally advance to the Super Bowl.  So Polian wants the "renewed emphasis" for which he lobbied so fervently to be in place on Sunday.  

Because without that "renewed emphasis," Polian knows that he's more likely to be watching guys like Ellis Hobbs do the Colts' make-it-rain/tipped pass celebration thing on Indy's home field after the game ends.

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POSTED 4:45 p.m. EST, January 16, 2007

PETERSON LANDS WITH CAA

Liz Mullen of SportsBusiness Journal reports that Oklahoma running back Adrian Peterson has signed with Ben Dogra of CAA.

Peterson opted on Monday to enter the 2007 draft.  

Dogra also recently landed Michigan defensive tackle Alan Branch, and his partner at CAA, Tom Condon, has inked Notre Dame quarterback Brady Quinn.

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POSTED 4:01 p.m. EST; UPDATED 4:40 p.m. EST, January 16, 2007

NO NEWS IN SAN DIEGO

The Chargers have yet to fire coach Marty Schottenheimer.

But they also have yet to declare that he'll be back in 2007.

We've confirmed that no press conferences are planned by the team for Tuesday, which means that there is nothing to formally announce.  Yet.

The fact that there has been no statement from the team strongly implies that no decision has been made.  Though it can be inferred that the absence of a declaration that Schottenheimer has been fired means that he'll be the coach next season, the rampant rumors and speculation regarding his future cries out for a definitive statement as to his status, one way or the other.

Many league observers expect Schottenheimer to be fired.  Whether he deserves to be is a separate issue. 

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RADIO UPDATE

We need to pause for a moment to acknowledge the radio stations on which we've done and will be doing spots so far this week.  Because we care.

On Monday morning, we chatted with P.A. and Dubay of KFAN and Dino Costa of the Radio Colorado Network.  (Congrats to our paisan Dino on the birth of his son over the weekend.)

On Tuesday, we did our weekly spot with Chris McClain of WFNZ in Charlotte, and we'll be on with Steve Duemig of WDAE in Tampa at 5:15 p.m. EST.  We'll also visit with Mike Felger of ESPN Radio in Boston at 6:20 p.m. EST, Brad Riter of WGR in Buffalo at 8:00 p.m. EST, and Todd Wright of Sporting News Radio at 10:25 p.m. EST.

On Wednesday morning, we'll visit with Howard Balzer of ESPN Radio in St. Louis at 9:20 a.m. EST or thereabouts.  

More to come on the rest of the week.

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POSTED 2:44 p.m. EST, January 16, 2007

SON OF SHULA ENTERS FINS' FRAY

The bad news for Fins fans is that a son of legendary Miami Dolphins coach Don Shula is a candidate to take over the team to which the elder Shula led to a 17-0 perfect season in 1972.

The good news is that his name isn't David.

Armando Salguero reports that former Alabama coach Mike Shula has emerged as a candidate for the position that was vacated by former Fins coach Nick Saban, who is now the head coach at Alabama.

Mike Shula reportedly was interviewed on Saturday.  

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POSTED 12:18 p.m. EST; UPDATED 1:00 p.m. EST, January 16, 2007

WAYNE'S PLANE GOES INTO STEALTH MODE

Fins fans have become fascinated with the whereabouts of Wayne Huizenga's personal 737, which we tracked nine days ago to Costa Rica, where Huizenga secretly (he thought) met with USC coach Pete Carroll.

The jet, with tail number "N737WH," crisscrossed the country in the days after the abrupt resignation of coach Nick Saban, as Huizenga and other key executives interviewed candidates in San Diego, Atlanta, Pittsburgh, Minneapolis, Jacksonville, Detroit, and Chicago.

And thanks to a web site known as flightaware.com, every movement of the plane could be tracked.

But, alas, the party's over.  Entry of the tail number now reveals a message that the "flight is not available for tracking per request from the owner/operator."

Of course, N737WH isn't the only plane that Huizenga owns.  When he's flying candidates to Miami, he uses N37WH, which has shown multiple round trips between Atlanta and Ft. Lauderdale over the past few days.

We have a feeling that it's only a matter of time before that tail number goes dark, too.

Oh well.  It was fun while it lasted.

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TUESDAY AFTERNOON ONE-LINERS

The Raiders are interviewing former Vikings and Cardinals coach Dennis Green.

The Raiders also will interview Chargers receivers coach James Lofton.

Bears LB Hunter Hillenmeyer is giving the Saints some bulletin board material.

L.T. says that he "probably wouldn't say two words" to Pats coach Bill Belichick at the Pro Bowl, if Belichick is the coach of the AFC team.

With all these coaching changes and playoff games, we didn't realize that Bills RB Willis McGahee is running his mouth.

Has Tom Brady traded up?

It sounds to us like Eric Mangini was able to persuade Brian Schottenheimer to do what Bill Belichick couldn't persuade Eric Mangini to do a year ago.

Louisville QB Brian Brohm had all of the paperwork ready to enter the NFL draft.

With the other AFC North teams taking a step back, the Browns don't look quite so bad.

Bears CB Ricky Manning has finally realized that bad sh-t is less likely to happen if you just stay home.

The Colts got three days off before commencing preparations for the AFC title game.

Potential Seahawks free agents include TE Jerramy Stevens, S Ken Hamlin, K Josh Brown, WR Bobby Engram, WR D.J. Hackett, G Chris Gray, G Floyd Womack, DB Jordan Babineaux, and OT Sean Locklear.

Cowboys assistant David Lee is the leading candidate to become the offensive coordinator at Arkansas.

The Bears are close to an extension with G.M. Jerry Angelo.  (Lovie Smith, meanwhile, has yet to be rewarded.)

Mike Ditka, one-time coach of the Bears and the Saints, says he never roots for anyone.  (Apparently, such emotions interfere with the absorption of the Levitra.)

L.T. and Antonio Gates support Marty.

Ravens LT Jonathan Ogden says he might retire.

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POSTED 10:45 a.m. EST, January 16, 2007

GRIMM GETTING THE STEELERS JOB, EVENTUALLY

In response to our post regarding rumors that the delay in naming Russ Grimm the successor to Bill Cowher arises from the uncertain status of Chargers coach Marty Schottenheimer, a league source tells us that Grimm will be getting the job, sooner or later.

And in the unlikely event that the Steelers hire Bears defensive coordinator Ron Rivera, the folks at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette might have to mend some fences, given that Rivera was identified as "Ben" in Tuesday's story naming the three finalists for the job.

But the folks at the Post-Gazette are plugged in as well as, if not better than, anyone else regarding this process.  If the Rooneys were planning to hire Rivera, the Post-Gazette would know it -- and the paper definitely would be getting "Ben's" name right.

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POSTED 9:39 a.m. EST, January 16, 2007

STEELERS WAITING FOR COACH CHIN'S MENTOR?

Talk on the NFL grapevine is that the Steelers have told offensive line coach Russ Grimm that he has not yet been hired to replace former head coach Bill Cowher because of uncertainty surrounding Chargers coach Marty Schottenheimer.

As we hear it, Grimm has been told by the Rooneys that they'd like to at least interview Schottenheimer, if he becomes available.

Schottenheimer is widely regarded as the primary NFL mentor of Cowher.  At 64, the veteran head coach, who has led the Browns, Chiefs, Redskins, and Chargers, is five years older than Chuck Noll was when Noll retired from the job in 1991.  

Given the Steelers' history of stability in the coaching position, with only Noll and Cowher in the job since 1969, many league observers assumed that the Steelers would lean toward someone who would be on the job for another decade or two.

But maybe the Steelers recognize that, with the success of the Rooney Rule in creating more opportunities for minority coaches, it might be time to start thinking about the very real problem (in our opinion) of age discrimination among NFL teams.

The Steelers formally have narrowed the list of finalists for the job to three -- Grimm, Vikings defensive coordinator Mike Tomlin, and Bears defensive coordinator Ron Rivera.  By rule, Rivera cannot be offered the job until the Bears' season ends. 

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CLARIFYING (i.e., CORRECTING) OUR TRACKING OF WAYNE'S PLANE

Thanks to the reader to pointed out to us that we have misread the data on flightaware.com regarding the movements of Wayne Huizenga's plane.  

As it turns out, the plane went back to Atlanta on Monday, and returned shortly thereafter.  The plane is scheduled to return to Atlanta on Tuesday.  We previously thought that the plane was scheduled to leave Florida for Atlanta on Monday, but didn't.

We've also confirmed that Jim Mora left town on Monday after his second interview.  Presumably, Georgia Tech coach Chan Gailey is the guy who got on the plane for its return to Miami 15 minutes after it landed in Atlanta on Monday afternoon.

In all, the jet with the tail number "N37WH" has made three round trips from Ft. Lauderdale to Atlanta since Saturday, and the first half of a fourth round trip will begin later today.

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POSTED 9:13 a.m. EST, January 16, 2007

FINS SAY NO OFFER HAS BEEN MADE TO MORA

In response to our recent item regarding the Miami Dolphins and Jim Mora, Fins senior V.P. of media relations Harvey Greene says that no offer has been made to the former Falcons coach.

"I can tell you with 100% assurance that no job offer was extended to Mora yesterday," Greene said via e-mail.  "He was here strictly for a second interview, but there was no job offer made to him.  We are still in the process of our coaching search, and as of this writing no final decision has been made."

An industry source has told us that an offer was made, and that Mora did not accept it.

Of the remaining four finalists for the job (Jets offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer withdrew on Monday), Mora has the most recent NFL head-coaching experience.  And he's grown adept at rattling off his accomplishments over the last three years, since he was doing so for anyone who'd listen while his job with the Falcons hung in the balance.

With Miami's most recent coach, Nick Saban, bolting for Alabama less than two weeks ago, the last thing the franchise needs is the perception that a beggar like Mora suddenly has become a chooser.  We're not saying we don't believe the team on this one.  But if an offer had been made to Mora and if Mora had not accepted it on the spot, that's not something that the team would be trumpeting.

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POSTED 7:04 a.m. EST; UPDATED 7:36 a.m. EST, January 16, 2007

MORA OFFERED FINS' GIG?

An industry source has advised us that the Miami Dolphins offered the head-coaching job to former Falcons coach Jim Mora on Monday, during a second interview for the job.

Mora, per the source, didn't accept the job on the spot (he'd apparently only do that if the University of Washington came calling).

Actually, there's a chance that Mora would like to wait a day or two to see what happens with the other high-profile job in Seattle.  There's a suspicion that Seahawks coach Mike Holmgren could call it quits if his decision to return in 2006 was a one-more-time shot at the Super Bowl win that the team didn't get in 2005.

The Dolphins supposedly narrowed their list of candidates to five after an initial round of 12 interviews.  The five finalists, per published reports, were Mora, Georgia Tech coach Chan Gailey, Chargers offensive coordinator Cam Cameron, Vikings defensive coordinator Mike Tomlin, and Jets offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer. 

We reported on Monday that Gailey and Schottenheimer were the frontrunners for the job.

There's also talk in South Florida that, despite Pete Carroll's recent explanation that the Miami job is attractive because it entails total control, the position likely will have less power than it had under the Nicktator.

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KEY NOT QUITTING CAROLINA, YET

Though Panthers receiver Keyshawn Johnson recently said that he wouldn't return to the team in 2007 if offensive coordinator Dan Henning weren't part of the team, the termination of Henning has prompted Johnson to rethink his stance.

But thought he hasn't made a final decision, Johnson could indeed walk away from the team.

One of his concerns is that, with the team possibly learning a new offense, the coaching staff will want the players there for more of the offseason. 

"I ain't doing that," Johnson said.  "I'm a California guy.  My kids are here.  You ask me to come in there in March -- nope.  You're taking valuable time away from me and my kids."

Johnson also has grown weary of the game during the months when the game isn't being played.  "I could play until I'm 40," he said.  "I'm still one of the best receivers in the game.  I know when I step on the field on Sunday, I can whip some [butt].  But I've always felt like that in the offseason, if I start to feel like maybe it isn't for me, then maybe it's time to say, 'Never mind.'"

Earlier this month, we reported that Johnson was telling former teammates that, if Bill Parcells returns to coach the Cowboys in 2007 and receiver Terrell Owens doesn't, Johnson would exercise his ability to void the balance of his Carolina deal and return to Dallas.  ESPN's Chris Mortensen corroborated the notion that Johnson can quit the Panthers and play for someone else.  But, despite what he's saying privately, Johnson publicly denies that he has such rights.

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