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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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.]

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.)

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.")

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

REGGIE WAS KNEE DEEP IN NEW ERA

The Los Angeles Times has some new details regarding the level of involvement that former USC running back Reggie Bush had in the creation of New Era Sports &

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