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POSTED 12:00 p.m. EDT, October 31, 2006

BRAIN INJURY GROUP WANTS TO SIC CONGRESS ON NFL

The president of the Brain Injury Association of New York has called upon the U.S. Congress to "conduct hearings regarding the fraudulent medical research on concussions conducted, reported and relied upon by the National Football League in determining when injured players can return to play," according to a press release issued on Monday.

The release cites the recent ESPN The Large Booklet With Pretty Pictures article in which Peter Keating reports on apparent shenanigans in the studies conducted under the auspices of the NFL's "Mild Traumatic Brain Injury Committee," which is chaired by Dr. Elliot Pellman. Keating's article, as we explained on October 27, also rankled trainers and doctors with various teams, who think that they have been unfairly lumped in with Pellman and his committee.

Says the release: "When the NFL conducts fraudulent medical research by questionable medical professionals this exposes their own players to further life long brain injury. But a far greater risk . . . is presented to all children participating in contact sports who might also be suffering from the effects of concussions. This mushrooming umbrella of oblivion to the pervasive consequences emanating from sports concussion injuries creates an epidemic of indifference." (Did Tiki Barber write that last sentence?)

In our view, something definitely needs to be done. The only problem, as we see it, is that the release reads like a thinly-veiled advertisement for the president of the Brain Injury Association of New York, who also happens to be a lawyer specializing in concussions and brain injuries -- and thus needs to harvest clients who have had concussions and brain injuries.

So he'd prefer that the call for Congressional action come from someone who has less of a personal financial stake in characterizing himself as a crusader for cranial cohesiveness.

And we think that someone with the appropriate qualifications should be standing up and questioning the work of Pellman's committee. If for no reason other than the fact that Pellman still chairs it.

The guy has been exposed for exaggerating his educational and professional credentials, yet still chairs an important NFL committee.

Said one league source in response: "Hey, Commish Goodell. While you're cleaning things up on Park Avenue, review this asshole's resume and value to the league. [Pellman is] on the banquet circuit and speaking tour circuit as the NFL's guru on head injuries and is padding his wallet pretty strongly based on the 'NFL's brand.' I'm not sure why the owners and the league are putting up with that."

We agree, and we think there's no way that anyone will take the league's research on concussions seriously with Pellman on the committee. Sadly, it appears that Pellman will remain on the committee until Congress or some other entity with jurisdiction over the situation starts poking around.

POSTED 8:14 a.m. EST; LAST UPDATED 10:48 a.m. EST, October 31, 2006

CHIEFS WON'T FRANCHISE GONZALEZ

Word out of Kansas City is that the Chiefs won't place the franchise tag on tight end Tony Gonzalez, who is expected to void the final two years of his current contract after the 2006 season and become a free agent.

Jay Glazer of FOX reported on Sunday that Gonzalez can leave Kansas City after the season if he so chooses. The rest of the "real" media, however, has ignored the story.

Although the franchise tender for tight ends is low (it was only $3.3 million for 2006), the CBA states that the amount that the team must put on the table to trigger the franchise rights (i.e., first refusal on any other offers and compensation in the amount of two first-round draft picks) is either the average of the top five salaries at the position or 120 percent of the player's salary for the prior year, whichever is greater.

And although some league insiders believe that "salary" means Paragraph 5 base salary only, it actually means the player's full cap number, which is base salary plus bonus proration and any other payments made in a given season.

In Gonzalez's case, we've learned that his cap number for 2006 is $6.53 million. Thus, the Chiefs would be required to offer Gonzalez $7.83 million in order to hold his rights for 2007.

Given the magnitude of the number, we're told that the Chiefs won't use the tag on Gonzalez.

Moving forward, our guess is that Gonzalez will become a free agent in March 2007, and that he will strongly consider leaving for another team if he gets an offer significantly higher than what the Chiefs will pay.

The Redskins can always be counted on to throw cash at a recognizable name. The Raiders are an intriguing possibility, given that Gonzalez played college ball at Berkeley. Other potential destinations (in our view) include the Jets, the Texans, the Vikings, the Lions, the Panthers, the Saints, and the Seahawks.

TITANS TO SUSPEND PACMAN

The Tennessee Titans are expected to suspend cornerback Pacman Jones, according to the Nashville Tennessean.

Per the report, the suspension could be for the Jacksonville game on Sunday "and beyond."

The maximum suspension that a team can impose is four games, per Article VIII of the CBA, which authorizes such action in response to "conduct detrimental to the team."

Based on his current salary, a suspension without pay would cost nearly $50,000 per game. It also could subject Jones to a claim that he is required to refund a portion of his signing bonus and/or option bonus.

The only apparent basis for the suspension is Jones' most recent brush with the law. On Saturday, he was cited for misdemeanor assault after allegedly spitting in a woman's face at a Nashville nightclub on Thursday.

And if the suspension is imposed solely as a result of the arrest, Jones and the NFL Players Association most likely will fight the move, based on the argument that the Commissioner has the exclusive jurisdiction to impose discipline for off-field incidents, under the Personal Conduct Policy. Typically, the Commissioner imposes a fine or a suspension after the player is convicted or pleads guilty to criminal charges.

If Jones is suspended, he'll be the third former member of the West Virginia University football program to be sidelined this season, joining receiver Jerry Porter and receiver Chris Henry. On a brighter note, the Mountaineers have by all appearances managed to clear out most of the turds -- and we're convinced that last year's Sugar Bowl championship would not have occurred if either Jones or Henry had opted to stick around for another year of eligibility.

ANOTHER TITAN PLEADS GUILTY

Titans linebacker Robert Reynolds, who got himself in hot water during a return visit to Columbus -- via an argument with his estranged wife -- has pleaded guilty to "criminal damaging" and disorderly conduct. He initially faced charges of domestic violence.

Reynolds was suspended by the Titans for Sunday's game against the Texans, and he will now return to the team. His agent doesn't expect any further discipline from the league in the wake of the guilty plea.

But maybe his agent should ask around a bit about what the new Commissioner has been doing in the discipline department, before making such proclamations.

Our guess? Reynolds will be fined at least one game check under the Personal Conduct Policy.

Meanwhile, when is someone in Tennessee going to be fired for reeling in so many turds? Albert Haynesworth, Pacman Jones, Robert Reynolds. And it was no secret that each of them had question marks coming out of college.

Hadn't heard of Reynolds? He's the guy who once tried to turn Jim Sorgi's windpipe into a toothpick.

RADIO TUESDAY

We had to bump all radio spots for Monday because of a pre-existing law practice engagement, but we're kicking back into high gear on Tuesday with appearances on KFAN in Minneapolis (12:25 p.m. EST or so), Triple X ESPN Radio in D.C. (12:10 p.m. EST), the Dino Costa Show in every nook and cranny of Colorado (2:15 p.m. EST or so we think), WDAE in Tampa (5:15 p.m. EST), and Sporting News Radio (10:25 p.m. EST).

And we're now booking radio visits for our Wednesday All-Day Five-Year Anniversary Bash, in which we're hoping to set an all-time site traffic record as everyone who has ever come to the site returns for a 24-hour celebration in which the Purple Drank and nandrolone will be flowing like Rip Van Winkle's morning stream. We'll post more details about the Wednesday radio spots later in the day.

FIVE-YEAR PARTY TOMORROW

Yeah, we already mentioned it. But we need to say it again. If for no reason other than to fill up some space.

Tomorrow, November 1, is the five-year anniversary of PFT. We're hoping that all of our readers will visit on the same day, so that we can generate our highest single traffic day ever.

We're also hoping to hear from all of our friends, acquaintances, well-wishers, etc. on Wednesday. (All seven of them.)

We plan to post some of the e-mails that we receive right here. (And we've got our fingers crossed that a few of them come from some folks with recognizable names, if only by coincidence, like that stupid NFL Films piece we saw the other night about non-football people named Joe Namath and Joe Montana.)

We're actually hoping secretly for a watershed moment (so much for keeping it a secret), like when Mr. Martini busted the juke box to help George Bailey avoid spending the next 20 Christmases observing a slightly different mistletoe ritual in federal prison. You know, a constant wave of e-mails from people with real clout and juice that will make all of our critics and doubters says, "Wow. Maybe those guys really aren't completely full of crap."

But we'll take whatever we can get. From anyone who wants to drop us a line. Even if it's only the real Joe Namath.

TUESDAY MORNING ONE-LINERS

The Big Show says that the Big Dough won't be back for Monday's game against the Raiders.

Five key Redskins missed most of practice on Monday due to injury -- QB Mark Brunell, RB Clinton Portis, WR Santana Moss, WR Antwaan Randle El, and LB Lemar Marshall.

With Brunell dinged up, Redskins QB Jason Campbell has been getting more reps in practice.

ESPN has yanked the dude who said "kinda gay" on the air over the weekend.

"We're still in our Super Bowl reign," WR Santonio Holmes of the 2-5 Steelers said on Monday. (Um, 'Turdio, are you allowed to say things like that when you weren't, you know, on the team last season?)

"That's the NFC for you," a member of the Patriots said after the team thumped the Vikings on Monday night; the Bears head to Gillette Stadium on November 26.

Is Andy Reid losing his team?

Tiki Barber is the only guy among the top 35 rushers with no touchdowns.

Piss men of the world, unite!

The Bucs could be placing QB Chris Simms on IR to create a roster spot for QB Luke McCown.

The Packers will be without RB Vernand Morency for two games, due to a back injury.

The Cardinals have 3.75 million reasons to not fire Dennis Green.

Chargers LB Shawne Merriman has until noon Tuesday to decide whether to turn the "Lights Out" on his appeal.

The Lions have cut WR Az Hakim, and have benched LB Boss Bailey.

The Nicktator's 55th birthday present from the team was to get dumped with ice water, courtesy of DE Jason Taylor. ("I don't have the salary cap number to be able to do something like that," C Rex Hadnot said.)

Seahawks QB Matt Hasselbeck (knee) is still on track to return on November 19.

The Eagles are bringing in CB Will Peterson for a physical.

Panthers WR Steve Smith says he won't be returning punts again.

For more breaking NFL news and information, check out the PFT Fantasy Mill, powered by Fanball.com.

POSTED 8:27 a.m. EST; LAST UPDATED 9:18 a.m. EST, October 30, 2006

RAVENS BULLIED BUSH

At least one member of the Baltimore Ravens defense had some choice words for Saints running back Reggie Bush after Sunday's win at New Orleans, and it almost sounds like Bush's sprained ankle was intentionally inflicted.

"The media darling, [a/k/a] the golden boy of the NFL, tried to take a cheap shot at me," said linebacker Bart Scott, "so I told him I was going to put some extra on it. He must be used to playing against these guys in practice. He can do all those shakes he wants, but I wasn't going anywhere. I put a little hot sauce on that ankle."

In all, Scott wasn't impressed with the 2005 Heisman winner. "He's just a guy, simple as that. What did he get this week? He played like a kid who got chased from school."

Meanwhile, Mike Preston of the Baltimore Sun suggests that Bush "quit" in the second quarter of Sunday's game, at one point taking a dive to avoid a big hit from linebacker Ray Lewis.

In all, Bush's day was indeed his worst as a pro. Five caries for 16 yards, four catches for five yards, and one interception thrown on a halfback option pass. FOX analyst Terry Bradshaw, whose crush on Bush is second only to Kornholio's man-love for James Denton of Desperate Housewives, actually called the throw "beautiful."

Yeah. It was beautiful. For the Ravens.

ROONEY FINE, POLIAN WRIST SLAP RAISE EYEBROWS

Although the $25,000 fine imposed on Friday against Steelers chairman Dan Rooney has helped to promote the notion that Commissioner Roger Goodell is a no-nonsense guy who will enforce and apply the rules even if it means slapping around the man who was instrumental in his selection, some league insiders aren't happy that Rooney was fined for criticizing officials while at the same time Colts president Bill Polian received no real sanction for roughing up a Jets employee earlier this month.

"Now let me get this straight," said one league source. "Dan Rooney criticizes the officials and gets hit for $25,000. Bill Polian publicly criticizes the rules, yells obscenities in the press box, yells 'break his leg' in a press box, and then slaps the sh-t out of some guy from the New York Jets and he continues to skate free?"

So while on one hand it looks like Goodell is willing to enforce the rules consistently and fairly, on the other hand Goodell and the league office apparently recognize that certain issues are better off buried from view, even if the root of the matter is something for which someone should be fined, or worse.

And as to the Rooney fine, it's really not that shocking that Goodell took action. How could the Commish have brushed it under the rug? Rooney's comments were made in the presence of a journalist from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, and as soon as the words were published it should have been a no-brainer that Rooney would be fined. Indeed, if Rooney hadn't been fined then every other coach or front office guy who ripped the zebras would have been able to point to the absence of enforcement against Rooney in support of a challenge to the punishment.

VICK OFFERED JERSEY TO ANDERSEN?

One of our Danish readers has found a Morten Andersen blog in which the veteran kicker suggests that Falcons quarterback Mike Vick offered to give Andersen the No. 7 jersey when Andersen re-joined the team earlier this season.

The reader translates the paragraph in the middle of the entry that begins with the words "Michael Vick" as follows:

"I've actually had a lot of contact with Michael Vick. It was absolutely amazing when he in the middle of the week, absolutely dead serious offered me his jersey number 7, which I had joked about wanting. I was totally shocked, and asked him, why in the world he'd offer that. 'Out of respect for your career', was his reply to my great amazement. It's somewhat of a gesture I have to say, but I said that I couldn't accept it, but that I wouldn't mind a cut on the profits of his jerseys with the number 7. But it's totally crazy for him to offer up his number. A beautiful thought by a young guy, but that jersey naturally belongs to him."

Our guess is that Vick was, at most, having some fun with his new friend who speaks English as a second language, and that Andersen might not have realized that Vick was probably yanking his frank.

Besides, why would Andersen want 7? Sure, he wore the number during his tenure with the Saints. But he wore number 5 in his initial six-season stint with the Falcons from 1995 through 2000, number 8 in his season with the Giants, number 8 in his two years with the Chiefs, and number 7 in his one season with the Vikings.

Vick, meanwhile, has worn number 7 in high school, college, and during his six NFL seasons.

So was Vick serious about letting a 46-year-old dude have No. 7 for what likely will be his one and only final season with the team? We tend to doubt it.

POSTED 7:59 p.m. EST, October 29, 2006

GONZALEZ FRANCHISE TENDER WOULD BE SKY HIGH?

Though the Chiefs would retain the ability to slap the franchise tag on tight end Tony Gonzalez, we're hearing that the tender could be so high that the Chiefs would choose not to do it.

We're trying to track down the information necessary for doing the calculation, but it's possible that the franchise number will be in the eight figures.

Stay tuned.

POSTED 5:54 p.m. EST, October 29, 2006

BUSH INJURES ANKLE

Saints running back Reggie Bush injured an ankle in the fourth quarter of Sunday's 35-22 loss to the Ravens, and did not return. No further information has been released regarding his condition.

Bush had the worst game of his career, with five carries for 16 yards and four catches for five yards. He also threw an interception.

Meanwhile, the rookie running back (Wali Lundy) drafted by the team that passed on Bush (the Texans) had 116 yards rushing against the Titans on Sunday.

POSTED 12:31 p.m. EST; UPDATED 1:04 p.m. EST, October 29, 2006

GONZALEZ HITTING THE MARKET?

Jay Glazer of FOX reports that Chiefs tight end Tony Gonzalez has achieved the ability to void the final two years of his contract, and that he plans to become a free agent in March.

"I would love to end my career here but I'm a realist and know there is a real possibility I could end up hitting the open market," said Gonzalez. "We've had some talks, we both gave proposals recently but we're pretty far apart. At this point I've told my agent I don't really want it to be a distraction during the season."

But unless the Chiefs also have promised not to apply the franchise tag to Gonzalez, there's an easy solution to the problem for the team if the deal can't get done.

Because the franchise tender for tight ends was only (only?) $3.327 million in 2006, Gonzalez's value will be determined by increasing his 2006 cap number by 20 percent. His base salary was $3.6 million, and the cap number will be even higher based on any signing bonus proration, roster bonuses, etc.

MORE SUNDAY AFTERNOON ONE-LINERS

Raiders WR Jerry Porter is expected to play on Sunday.

Colts S Bob Sanders won't play on Sunday against the Broncos.

As expected, Titans CB Pacman Jones was cited on Saturday for spitting in a woman's face, but will play on Sunday.

The Packers aren't saying anything about the health of incoming president John Jones, who had heart surgery earlier this year.

Vikings coach Brad Childress says that he didn't include more players on the injury list as a slap at Pats coach Bill Belichick.

He's not yet at Reggie Bush levels, but Uncle Rico is in position to make some good money off of the field.

Drew boo-hoos about being lied to.

Great response from Gary Myers of the New York Daily News in response to being called an "idiot" by Giants RB Tiki Barber: "If Barber is going to make the media his next career, he must develop thicker skin. How will he survive in this business if he can't do it without resorting to name-calling? Can he criticize somebody on television without calling them an idiot? He will be smart enough to figure it out. Barber and I exchanged several E-mails Wednesday. I told him I never thought he would stoop to the level of calling me an 'idiot' for simply expressing an opinion he didn't like. He indicated he was referring more to ESPN's Michael Irvin and Tom Jackson than me, but in listening to the Sirius tape, he mentioned me first. I just want to go on record that I am not an idiot, although it is an argument I have with my wife all the time."

Myers also suggests that Tiki could end up pontificating, bloviating, and/or otherwise talking smugly and/or condescendingly to his audience on Monday Night Football in 2007. [Editor's note: Noooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!!]

POSTED 12:16 p.m. EST, October 29, 2006

RETURN OF THE SHAUN?

Jay Glazer of FOX reports that Seattle running back Shaun Alexander plans to return next week, if an MRI shows that the bone in his foot has healed.

"I'll be back in full practice by Wednesday and I'll go next week," Alexander said. "I ran on a treadmill this week and it felt fine. I've felt fine for a while. My conditioning is fine — I never let myself get out of good shape. As long as the MRI doesn't show anything drastic I'll be back this week."

Alexander, the 2005 NFL MVP, has played in only three games this season, rushing for only 187 yards. He initially thought that the power of prayer had healed him completely, allowing him to continue to perform without missing a game.

POSTED 11:55 a.m. EST; LAST UPDATED 12:21 p.m. EST, October 29, 2006

RIVERA TO CARDS?

There's an increasing belief in some league circles that Bears defensive coordinator Ron Rivera will be the next head coach of the Arizona Cardinals.

Other names we've heard in the past week are former Eagles, Rams, and Chiefs coach Dick Vermeil and current Cards defensive coordinator Clancy Pendergast.

If Rivera were to get the job, the thinking is that Cardinals V.P. of football operations Rod Graves would keep his job. Rivera and Graves crossed paths for a season with the Bears, and Graves is credited for managing the team's salary cap effectively over the past several years.

And although Vermeil has said that he's not interested in the Cardinals job, we're hearing rumblings from folks who know Vermeil that he would respond with interest, if/when he were approached by the franchise.

Meanwhile, Arizona's current coach, Dennis Green, returns to Lambeau Field for perhaps the final time (at least as a head coach). Green's head coaching career started with a three-point win over the Packers at Lambeau in 1992.

SUNDAY AFTERNOON ONE-LINERS

Preliminary word is that QB Damon Huard gets the start today for the Chiefs.

Curt Menefee gets another week as the FOX pregame host; he notes that producer Scott Ackerson suggested that he dress as "Rerun" from What's Happening!! (For anyone who might have forgotten, Rerun passed away in October 2003.)

Charley Casserly of CBS says that Cowboys QB Drew Bledsoe was benched because of an ongoing freelancing habit.

Casserly also notes that Jets quarterback Chad Pennington is earning back a lot of the money he gave up in the offseason by meeting his incentives.

Casserly comments on the "resignation" of Browns offensive coordinator Mo Carthon with a straight face.

POSTED 11:29 a.m. EST; LAST UPDATED 11:45 a.m. EST, October 29, 2006

DUNN DOESN'T FEAR AN EXODUS

Although 49ers running back Frank Gore has bolted from agent David Dunn's firm, Athletes First, to Drew Rosenhaus, we're told that Dunn and company aren't concerned that the loss of Gore is the first drop in a tidal wave of departures.

Per a league source, Gore has been in contact with other agents for weeks, and the thinking in Dunn's camp is that even if Dunn weren't facing a two-year suspension Gore would have left.

The source also says that Dunn's shop believes that several Rosenhaus clients had been working hard on Gore to change to Rosenhaus. The thinking is that Gore didn't initially sign with Rosenhaus because the Miami-based agent was already representing running back Vernand Morency prior to the 2005 draft.

LIVE BLOG TONIGHT, MONDAY NIGHT

We're expanding the Live Blog thing from Monday to Sunday, and we'll open things up with the Cowboys at the Panthers.

Tomorrow night, we'll be blogging the Pats at the Vikings.

Check back with us later on, say at 7:30 p.m. EST or so, and be ready to send in you're e-mails. It'll be harder to come up with good content given that we won't have Clarence Thomas or Joey Sunshine or Kornholio or Michelle "What Was Going Through Your Mind?" Tafoya or Sammy Kolber to pick on, but we'll do our best.

SUNDAY MORNING ONE-LINERS

Chris Mortensen of ESPN says that he won't be surprised if Chargers LB Shawne Merriman drops the appeal of his four-game suspension this week, and that lawyer David Cornwell has been in touch with the FDA regarding the question of whether supplements that Merriman said he wasn't taking were tainted with steroids.

Sal Paolantonio of ESPN, reporting from the Meadowlands at the Bucs-Giants game, says that there's a lingering sense of "abandonment and betrayal" among Giants fans regarding the decision of running back Tiki Barber to retire after the 2006 season.

Ron Jaworski of ESPN has finally ditched his eyeglass frames from the Gloria Vanderbilt collection.

POSTED 3:44 p.m. EDT; LAST UPDATED 4:54 p.m. EDT, October 28, 2006

KEENAN IN LINE TO TAKE OVER THE BROWNS?

In response to a report that Browns G.M. Phil Savage could be looking to slide into a role that entails only scouting and player personnel functions, there's talk in league circles that Browns C.F.O. Michael Keenan could be in line to assume Savage's job.

Keenan is a salary cap specialist who was hired by the team from the league office in 2005.

If the move happens, it will be similar to the elevation of Jets' cap guy Mike Tannenbaum in New York, who displaced earlier this year former G.M. Terry Bradway. Bradway continues to have a key role with the team.

Another name that is being mentioned in connection with the possible reassignment of Savage is Scott Pioli, the V.P. of player personnel in New England. Pioli worked for the Browns in the 1990s. Though he has rebuffed past opportunities with other teams and is by all appearances happy in his current position, some think that Cleveland is one of the few teams that would pique his interest. Under league rules, he could leave for another team without the blessing of the Patriots only if the new job involves final say over the composition of the roster.

WEEK EIGHT FANTASY PICKS AND PUNKS

It's time again to look at the guys to start and the guys to sit for the upcoming slate of NFL games.

Matt Leinart, quarterback, Cardinals: Faced the No. 1 pass defense last week -- will face the No. 32 pass defense this week.

Rex Grossman, quarterback, Bears: Plenty of fantasy owners are soured on Grossman based on one bad showing in Arizona. But with a week off to settle down and the No. 30 passing defense coming to town, Grossman will have a big day.

Reuben Droughns, running back, Browns: The Jets have allowed the most rushing yards and rushing touchdowns; if you don't use him now, you never will.

Travis Henry, running back, Titans: Houston is allowing nearly 200 yards from scrimmage and two touchdowns to running backs.

Bryant Johnson, wide receiver, Cardinals: The Packers have struggled against opponents' No. 2 receivers, and Johnson has done well in place of Larry Fitzgerald.

Muhsin Muhammad, wide receiver, Bears: San Francisco has allowed receiver touchdowns in every game but one, and Muhammad is still a solid option at wideout.

Next, the guys to maybe, possibly avoid:

Jake Plummer, quarterback, Broncos: Though the Colts have been porous against the pass, Plummer is at any time one interception away from getting Bledsoed.

Brad Johnson, quarterback, Vikings: Though Johnson could become a fantasy stud once the schedule softens up, don't expect Johnson to do much of anything against the Pats, especially with receivers Troy Williamson and Marcus Robinson possibly on the sidelines with injuries.

Deuce McAllister/Reggie Bush, running backs, Saints: No running back has scored or topped 100 yards this season, and no tailback has gained more than 33 yards receiving.

Rudi Johnson, running back, Bengals: The Falcons have allowed only one rushing touchdown all season, and the Bengals offense isn't what it was a year ago.

Randy Moss, receiver, Raiders: Sure, he was solid last week. But the Steelers have put the clamps on wideouts for much of the season.

Andre Johnson, receiver, Texas: He's having a good year, but he has been shut down historically by the Titans. Go figure.

KORDOZA LINE UPDATE

It's Saturday, and that means it's time to take another look at the list of NFL starters whose passer ratings are beneath the 70.7 career mark generated by Kordell Stewart.

This week, the guys on the wrong side of the line are: Charlie Frye, Browns (67.3); Joey Harrington, Dolphins (64.1); Steve McNair, Ravens (64.1); Jake Plummer, Broncos (60.4); Vince Young, Titans (56.5); Andrew Walter, Raiders (52.3).

Temporary starters on the list, due to injury, include Seneca Wallace, Seahawks (39.1) and Brodie Croyle, Chiefs (11.9).

Graduating from the list this week are Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger and Falcons quarterback Mike Vick, who both had big days in Atlanta's 41-38 overtime win over Pittsburgh. Drew Bledsoe has been dropped from the list because he's been sent to the bench.

HERE'S WHY WE QUIT PICKING GAMES

We decided early in the 2006 season not to try to pick the winners of NFL games because, frankly, we weren't very good at it.

And we've realized this year that, well, no one is.

On one hand, it's the beauty of the NFL. No one knows what really will happen on any given Sunday, ergo the cliche. And the ignorance extends to the folks who think they know.

Want an example? Dr. Z of Sports Illustrated picks select games each week, and through seven weeks he's 26 up . . . and 27 down.

Basically, Zimmerman would be doing better on the year if he'd pulled a Costanza and picked the exact opposite team in each of his 53 games.

And the difference between Dr. Z and PFT is that our e-mail addresses are readily available. So if we, for example, had picked the Steelers to beat the Falcons (as Dr. Z did last week) or the Panthers to beat the Bengals (as Dr. Z did last week) or the Chargers to beat the Chiefs (as Dr. Z did last week) or the Seahawks to beat the Vikings (as Dr. Z did last week) or the Dolphins to beat the Packers (as Dr. Z did last week), we would have had at least 150 e-mails from strident Falcons, Bengals, Chiefs, Vikings, and/or Packers fans telling us that we should stick to making up rumors because we don't know sh-t about picking games.

Well, at least Dr. Z is smarter than us in one way. His e-mail address doesn't appear in his SI column.

Thus, we're not picking games anymore. Ever.

So we don't like the Packers over the Cardinals. Or the Falcons over the Bengals. Or the Titans over the Texans. Or the Eagles over the Jaguars. Or the Bears over the Niners. Or the Giants over the Bucs. Or the Panthers over the Cowboys.

POSTED 11:56 a.m. EDT, October 28, 2006

REESE, MARA TO FILL ACCORSI'S SHOES

Multiple league sources have told us that Giants director of player personnel Jerry Reese will replace G.M. Ernie Accorsi when, as widely expected, Accorsi retires following the 2006 season. Among other things, Reese has been running the team's draft since 2003.

We're also told that Chris Mara will have an increased role in the post-Accorsi regime, and that Mara essentially will be running the football operations hand-in-hand with Reese.

Mara has been the team's V.P. of player evaluation since 2003, and previously worked as a scout with the team for 14 years. He worked in 2001 and 2002 as the president/G.M. of the New Jersey Gladiators of the Arena Football League.

Mara is also a member of the family that has owned the team since its inception, and is the son of the late Wellington Mara. Chris Mara's daughter, 23-year-old actress Kate Mara, holds the unique distinction of being the great-granddaughter of Giants founder Tim Mara and the great-granddaughter of Steelers founder Art Rooney. She'll also appear in We Are Marshall, a film about the aftermath of the 1970 plane crash that claimed the lives of most of the members of the Marshall University football team and coaching staff.

As we mentioned in Monday night's Live Blog of the Giants-Cowboys game, a cousin of the Poobah's wife was on that flight (Frank Loria, a former All-American defensive back/kick returner at Virginia Tech). Two of her other cousins were on the team but did not make the fateful trip to East Carolina due to injuries. So, yeah, we'll be talking about that movie a lot over the next couple of months.

POSTED 10:55 a.m. EDT, October 28, 2006

PACMAN ACCUSED OF SPITTING ON WOMAN

On the same day that Titans defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth used his cleat as a cheese grater on the face of Cowboys center Andre "Gouda" Gurode, cornerback Pacman Jones said that the team needs to get "more thugs."

Maybe his plan in the interim is to become more thuggish.

Per the Nashville Tennessean, Jones is under investigation for "suspicion of misdemeanor assault" after a Tennessee State student accused him of spitting in her face at a nightclub early Thursday.

Krystal Webb, 21, claims that Jones sprayed her with saliva after he tried to dance with one of Webb's friends, and Webb pulled the friend away.

"Jones then cursed and yelled at Webb, walked away, then returned and yelled again, at which time he spit in Webb's face," says the Tennessean.

(There's no confirmation as to whether Jones said, "I'm Hank Williams, Jr., bitch.")

Shockingly, Jones' lawyer says that his client is innocent.

"I think there may be a case of mistaken identity here,'' said Worrick Robinson. "It is my understanding that there were some girls involved at a private party at Club Mystic. I think Pacman was there for maybe an hour, but it was early. The girls had been involved in a verbal altercation with someone, but I don't think it was Pacman Jones. There was an allegation that someone had spit on one of the girls, and Pacman, he did not spit on anybody.''

(You know what they say -- if there is no spit, you must acquit.)

Jones is still facing charges from August of public intoxication and disorderly conduct, and he is accused of spitting on another woman in that incident. Jones is scheduled to appear in court on January 11 in connection with those charges.

The most amazing aspect of this story, as we see it, is that the powers-that-be in Nashville are going to devote resources to a he said/she said question of whether Pacman spit on a woman, while at the same time no action was taken against a guy who ripped the flesh off of another man's face in plain view and on camera, and then admitted to doing so thereafter.

We're not defending Pacman, who in our view deserves pretty much anything he gets, but something is very wrong when a guy who might or might not have spewed some saliva is prosecuted and a guy who clearly and obviously gave another man 30-plus stitches to his face gets off without even a slap on the fleshies.

POSTED 9:19 a.m. EDT, October 28, 2006

DUNN EXODUS STARTING?

We've previously heard that agent David Dunn was largely unconcerned by the prospect of being suspended by the NFLPA for two years because Dunn has worked hard in anticipation of the move to ensure that his clients will be handed off to other agents in his firm, Athletes First.

At a minimum, Dunn won't be keeping every one of them in place.

A league source tells us that 49ers running back Frank Gore has defected from Dunn, and has signed with agent Drew Rosenhaus.

Gore, a former Miami tailback, is one of the few ball-carriers from the "U" (or the "M" if your adopted last name rhymes with "Moonshine") who wasn't already in the Rosenhaus stable. The Miami-based agent already represent Edgerrin James, Willis McGahee, and Clinton Portis.

Word is that Gore is angling for an extension with the 49ers (and that the team has expressed interest in doing so), and that Gore was uncomfortable with the uncertainty surrounding Dunn.

Gore was a third-round pick in 2005, and is signed through 2007. He's earning $350,000 this year and will make $385,000 next year.

POSTED 8:10 p.m. EDT, October 27, 2006

BROWNS BATTLING STAPH INFECTIONS

In an era in which teams are faced every year with the challenge of luring free agents who can sign anywhere they choose, the Cleveland Browns are acknowledging the existence of a problem that surely will be used by every other NFL franchise that is competing with the Browns for the services of an available player.

G.M. Phil Savage acknowledged on Friday that the team is battling a "staph infection outbreak."

Center LeCharles Bentley, receiver Braylon Edwards, tight end Kellen Winslow, linebacker Ben Taylor, and safety Brian Russell have had staph infections since 2003.

Bentley, according to Savage, was hospitalized "for a significant amount of time" following surgery to repair his torn patellar tendon. (This week, cornerback Gary Baxter had surgery to repair both of his patellar tendons.)

Meanwhile, guard Ryan Tucker hasn't been with the team since Sunday's loss to the Broncos, and Savage is ominously tight-lipped about the reason for his absence.

"We're not at liberty to discuss it," Savage said. "You start breaking laws when you talk about these medical and injury situations."

As to the staph infections, could it be that the Browns are taking the bullet for their medical partner/sponsor, the Cleveland Clinic? Because Bentley, for example, had surgery at the Cleveland Clinic and then presumably was recuperating when the infection occurred, is it a problem at the team's facility -- or is it a problem at the Cleveland Clinic?

And it was the Cleveland Clinic that reviewed the team's facilities and concluded that all was fine.

"We asked them to review our building, our practices, their facilities, a full review," Savage said. "They have since come back to us and informed us that their conclusion is that any of the cases we've had have been unrelated and the Browns have done everything possible to prevent any kind of infections in our locker room, on the field, in the indoor [facility], all those things."

Okay, so if that's the case, why is Savage acknowledging a problem? On one hand, he might be doing it because the conclusion is inescapable -- and because players and league observers have been talking more loudly about it. On the other hand, it might be further evidence that Savage really is better off merely working as a scout, and not as the face of the front office.

Bottom line? Whoever is in charge of the team's P.R. efforts could have and should have handled this one better, because Savage's own mouth provided a headline suggesting a problem that's much greater than the team thinks it really is.

POSTED 7:40 p.m. EDT, October 27, 2006

GOODELL CONTINUES TO MAKE HIS MARK

Steelers chairman Dan Rooney was instrumental in getting Roger Goodell elected by the 32 NFL owners as the successor to Commissioner Paul Tagliabue.

And Goodell proved on Friday that he's capable of setting aside past favors in fining Rooney $25,000 for comments critical of the officials who worked Sunday's game between the Falcons and the Steelers.

"Those officials should be ashamed of themselves," Rooney said after the game.

Regarding the fine, Rooney said: "I don't care. They need to know."

The fine, we think, was justified. If Rooney has complaints about the officiating, there are private avenues for raising them.

And good for Goodell in dispensing discipline fairly and evenly. Let's hope that same approach applies to matters like tampering and other rules that aren't enforced consistently, if at all.

POSTED 3:36 p.m. EDT; LAST UPDATED 4:12 p.m. EDT, October 27, 2006

SAVAGE LOOKING TO PULL A BRADWAY?

Paul Domowitch of the Philadelphia Daily News reports that Browns G.M. Phil Savage "is growing increasingly unhappy with the many duties of his job," and has asked owner Randy Lerner about possibly splitting up the position.

Savage would, under such an approach, be responsible only for scouting and player personnel.

Domowitch bases the report on the ambiguous phrase "sources say." (Though we don't doubt Domowitch on this one, his failure to provide a more solid footing for the story is the kind of thing that gets us accused of making sh-t up, but that is apparently fine-'n'-dandy for media companies that still have line items in the budget for ink and paper.)

It meshes with things we've been hearing from various sources over the past year or so. Savage is, first and foremost, a scout. He butted heads in late 2005 with team president John Collins, who among other things thought that Savage wasn't spending enough time in the building. Collins, of course, was too inexperienced or stupid -- or both -- to realize that Savage's primary function was to travel to various colleges in preparation for the 2006 draft.

Collins also was too inexperienced or stupid -- or both -- to survive the ensuing brawl with Savage.

If the adjustment to Savage's job happens, the move will closely resemble the transition made by former Jets G.M. Terry Bradway, who was displaced by Mike Tannenbaum but remains a key cog in the scouting and player personnel apparatus.

A similar development in Cleveland could open the door for a cap-and-contracts guy to become the Browns' new G.M., in the same way that Tannenbaum (a cap-and-contracts guy) became the boss in New York.

VERMEIL SAYS HE'S NOT INTERESTED IN CARDS' JOB

Paul Domowitch of the Philadelphia Daily News also reports that former Eagles and Rams and Chiefs coach Dick Vermeil has no interest in coaching the Arizona Cardinals.

Domowitch apparently thought enough of our recent report on rumors linking Vermeil and Arizona to track the coach down for a reaction, but not enough of our report to actually mention the site by name. (Thanks for that.)

"It's not true as far as I know," Vermeil said. "I don't know anything about it. No one's contacted me, nor should they. It's behind me. I don't want to get back into coaching."

Fine, we'll accept that. But it doesn't change the fact that there are rumors on the NFL grapevine, linking Vermeil to the job. And it also doesn't change the fact that Vermeil has unretired twice before.

MAAS WATCH: WEEK FIVE

After FOX analyst Bill Maas spent the first three weeks of the season in the booth at NFL games, this Sunday will be the fifth straight week in which there will be no Maas on the boob tube.

We suspect that Maas will be back on November 12, the first week in which all 32 teams play again.

Meanwhile, FOX has had its share of surprises for us lately. Last week, Tony Siragusa provided in-booth color commentary for the Cardinals-Raiders game.

This week, Pat Summerall will handle the play-by-play for the 49ers-Bears game at Soldier Field. Brian Baldinger (my kid thinks that guy's name is hilarious) will provide the analysis.

We'll admit it. We don't like many of the sock puppets, but we love Summerall. Maybe it's because the team of Summerall and Tom Brookshire was the premiere broadcasting tandem in the era in which we first discovered the sport. Or maybe it's because Summerall handled his somewhat unceremonious phasing out of the profession with grace. Or maybe it's because Summerall was excellent during a short-term stint on ESPN when Mike Patrick was recovering from heart surgery.

Regardless, we feel like we've found an old friend, and we'll continue to watch Sunday's game even after the Bears are up by 54 points or more against the Niners.

POSTED 12:56 p.m. EDT; UPDATED 3:07 p.m. EDT, October 27, 2006

HUARD HURT IN PRACTICE

There are multiple reports that Chiefs interim starter Damon Huard injured a groin in practice on Friday, and might miss Sunday's game against Seattle.

The Kansas City Star first reported that Huard was hurt, and John Clayton of ESPN reported that it was a groin injury.

If Huard can't play, rookie Brodie Croyle will most likely get the nod. Trent Green has been out since suffering a severe concussion in Week One. He was cleared to practice this week, but has not been cleared to play.

RAT SALAD LAWSUIT SEEMS OVERBLOWN

Thanks to a reader, we've gotten our mitts on the rat salad lawsuit filed by Cowboys receivers coach Todd Haley and his wife, and we've studied the thing in detail.

Our opinion? It seems to be a bit much. We understand that finding a dead rat in a salad isn't the best way to spend a Monday afternoon. But we also think that some of the specific allegations made smack of overreaching by the plaintiffs, which is a dangerous exercise in an era where juries are always on the lookout for scam artists.

We're not suggesting that the rat was planted in the salad, or any other foul play. But sometimes folks who have bad things happen to them allow their eyes to light up with dollar signs, and they become incapable of objectivity.

As to Haley, we think he never, ever should have attached his name to the proceedings. And at a minimum he should have waited to file suit until after he signed his next coaching contract.

Why, you ask? Because he'll now be forever known as the rat salad lawsuit guy in coaching circles, and the typically conservative members of the NFL ownership club might not be too keen on hiring a guy who might have Jackie Chiles on retainer. Sure, Haley still might have been slapped with some of that same stigma if only his wife had pursued the matter, but it might not have been as big of a deal.

Indeed, it possibly wouldn't have even received much, if any, national attention. Suits against fast-food restaurants for stuff in the food aren't all that uncommon. The Wendy's thing with the false claim of a severed human finger in the chili got a ton of attention because, well, it involved a severed human finger in the chili.

And just as we have concerns that lawyer David Cornwell might be placing a desire to gain notoriety over and above the interests of his NFL clients faced with alleged violations of the NFL substance abuse and steroids policies, the guy representing the Haleys, Cecil Casterline of Dallas, might merely be angling for a way to enhance his visibility.

But Casterline has cobbled together an entertaining legal document. Consider these excerpts:

1. "They sue for injuries . . . suffered when a salad Chrissy [Haley] purchased on June 5, 2006 at McDonald's contained a whole, dead rodent, believed to be a juvenile roof rat. They ate some of the salad before their forks uncovered the rodent; they instantaneously gagged, heaved and vomited. They have been ill, off and on, since that sickening afternoon."

2. "Katy [the live-in au pair] opened the salad, opened the enclosed salad dressing package, squeezed the dressing into and closed the plastic container, shook the salad to disperse the salad dressing, and reopened the container. Then both women began eating from the container with their utensils. As they were eating they uncovered a rodent lying dead on its back within the salad. Face up, mouth open. The dead rodent, whole and in place, whiskers, feet, open-mouth and all, caused Chrissy and Katy to become violently ill."

3. "They telephoned McDonald's owner-operator, and he drove to their home in Southlake to view the salad and the rodent. He gave neither woman a comfort level; nor did he display any acts of human kindness. . . . He said rather wryly that a dead rat in a salad could have happened to them at Ruth's Chris Steak House in Dallas. That perverse attitude gave no comfort to Chrissy and Katy."

4. "He simply insisted that he be allowed to take the salad and the rodent. . . . They refused his request to get the rat and the salad principally because he could not tell them why he wanted the nasty salad and equally despicable dead rodent."

5. "When the ladies see food, for the most part, they re-live the rodent-in-the-McDonald's-salad horror, and their extreme nausea arises again. . . . A dead rodent in food being eaten causes a distress and trauma level not encountered elsewhere in a dining experience."

The suit claims that the two women have undergone medical treatment to determine whether they have contracted any infectious diseases from the rodent, and that they have undergone counseling.

And as we surmised on Thursday, Mr. Haley's claim is for loss of marital consortium. In other words, his marriage has been harmed via the injuries suffered by his wife.

As one reader speculated, perhaps the Haleys' love life has been impacted because Mrs. Haley is now completely avoiding any and all five-inch hairy objects.

POSTED 10:31 a.m. EDT; LAST UPDATED 12:37 p.m. EDT, October 27, 2006

LEAGUE, UNION CONCERNED ABOUT MERRIMAN LEAK

The New York Times reports that the NFL and the NFL Players Association are concerned about the fact that news of the impending four-game suspension of linebacker Shawne Merriman was leaked to the media before the matter was resolved.

As a result, Merriman will play the next two games of the season before his appeal is heard.

"That should not have been revealed," NFLPA executive director Gene Upshaw said. "Normally, nobody knows about it until we go all the way through the appeal. This is a breach in the confidentiality."

(Editor's note: Upshaw also said that he can't recall a similar situation. As one reader has reminded us, a Denver television station somehow knew back in February that Miami running back Ricky Williams was facing a one-year suspension. The information was reported before the appeal hearing.)

Indeed, our initial reaction to the news was that the Chargers were in line for a fine of up to $500,000, since the initial report (from Chris Mortensen of ESPN) was attributed to "league and team sources."

The NFL's steroids policy states that "[a]ny Club or Club employee that publicly divulges, directly or indirectly, information concerning positive drug tests or other violation of this Policy (including numerical summaries or specific names of persons) or otherwise breaches the confidentiality provisions of this Policy is subject to a fine of up to $500,000 by the Commissioner."

But we've heard that the leak in this case traces to Merriman himself. Merriman has no agent. So, as we surmised on Monday, when Merriman received a letter from the league office, he started asking around the locker room about how to deal with the situation.

And when the other players heard about it, one of them eventually told Mortensen, we believe.

So how does the confidentiality clause apply in this case? Is a player a "Club employee" that is subject to a fine of up to $500,000? Is Merriman himself subject to a fine, either for talking about the situation in the locker room or for conducting a press conference?

As to the press conference, which also featured lawyer David Cornwell claiming that Merriman took a supplement that was spiked with steroids, we continue to hear from league insiders who believe that there's no way that Merriman will beat this one.

So why would Cornwell float such a lame excuse? To help sway public opinion in Merriman's favor. If Cornwell had said, "Yeah, Shawne is a juicer and he got caught," Merriman's ability to generate revenue via sources other than his salary would take a potentially devastating hit. (See Bonds, Barry.) So instead Cornwell says what he has to say, and the hope is that after Merriman serves his four games the issue will fade -- just like it did after Julius Peppers was popped for ephedra in 2002.

17-GAME SEASON NOT SO STOOPID, AFTER ALL?

We mentioned on Thursday that one possible solution to the problem of lifting a home game from two teams per year in order to aid in the foreign growth of the NFL would be to expand the season to 17 games. Such an approach would also get rid of the annoying problem of teams that finish not above .500 or below .500 but on .500.

We then realized how dumb that is, since it would mean that the 30 other teams that don't play a home game in another country would end up with an unequal number of home and road games each year.

But maybe we've discovered plutonium by accident.

Why not play 17 games, and then use each team's extra home game as a way to play 16 games per year at a neutral site?

Under this approach, each team would be involved in eight home games, eight road games, and one neutral site game. And the 16 games wouldn't have to be played exclusively in other countries.

How about a game in Ohio Stadium in Columbus?

Or at Penn State? Or at South Bend? Or in the Big House at Ann Arbor?

We know, we know. There would be all sorts of logistical issues. At many college stadiums beer can't be sold, by law.

Still, the possibilities are fascinating (at least to football dweebs like us). And we think that if the foreign games are successful the next step could be a 17-game season, with 16 games per year on neutral turf.

UPDATE: Several readers have suggested that the NFL's L.A. dilemma could be solved by playing multiple "neutral site" games per year at the Los Angeles Coliseum. We like it.

POSTED 9:21 a.m. EDT; LAST UPDATED 10:06 a.m. EDT, October 27, 2006

TRAINERS TICKED OFF OVER PELLMAN STORY

A league source tells us that multiple NFL trainers are pissed off regarding a recent ESPN The Magazine article regarding the "work" of Dr. Elliot Pellman, who chairs the NFL's "Mild Traumatic Brain Injury Committee."

The trainers, we're told, are upset by the fact that the article implies that the individual teams are inept when it comes to treating players who have suffered concussions.

"The story is not that team doctors don't know what their doing, it's that Pellman is the head of the concussion committee and he may not know what he's doing," said the source.

"The story was originally all about Pellman but now [Merril] Hoge and others are ripping doctors, and I really don't think there is an issue with 99 percent of team doctors. But there are plenty of issues with Pellman at least with the trainers."

But the problem, as we see it, is that the league office has opted to appoint a guy who got his medical degree in Mexico as the head of the committee on brain injuries. And based on the detailed (i.e., way too long for someone with adult ADHD to read) story written by Peter Keating, a fair conclusion to be drawn is that Pellman truly doesn't know what he's doing, and that he's possibly focused more on protecting the league than protecting the players.

In cases like this, the only way to force change at the top is to push up from the bottom. So if the trainers and the team doctors think that Pellman is unfit to chair the committee, they need to organize their voices and make their beliefs known.

And why in the hell would the league make Pellman the top guy on this committee? Even if the unspoken goal of the committee is to engineer studies in a manner that will protect the league and its teams from liability due to situations in which players are allowed to get back on the field soon after getting whacked in the head, wouldn't it make sense to persuade someone with better objective credentials to sell his soul for the cause?

Hell, it's like the tobacco companies hiring Dr. Nick Riviera to tell people that nicotine isn't addictive.

With all that said, we'd like to think that the NFL's ultimate objective in this regard is to protect the players. But Keating's story paints a starkly different picture -- and we're amazed (and impressed) that the company that bowed to pressure from the league to kill Playmakers was willing to shoot an arrow toward such a sensitive spot on the league's underbelly.

BYRON'S PAYDAY GOING BYE-BYE?

One of the collateral consequences of the possible benching of quarterback Byron Leftwich is that his long-term financial prospects could be taking a big hit.

Leftwich is due to become a free agent after the 2007 season. But if he's not even the No. 1 quarterback on his team, chances are that he won't command the kind of coin on the free-agent market that others have earned in the past.

And it makes us wonder whether the team is more inclined to give backup David Garrard playing time because there have been failed behind-the-scenes efforts to extend Leftwich's deal. If, as we'd heard, the team justified sticking with Leftwich in the past because he was the guy in which the team had invested a ton of money, we can easily see the team opting to bench him now in order to avoid having to make a similar commitment to him in the not-too-distant future.

In fact, we wouldn't be surprised at all if the team trades or cuts Leftwich after the 2006, since due to escalators his salary likely will be in the range of $4 million next season.

Meanwhile, Leftwich was held out of practice on Thursday, due supposedly to his injured ankle. But we think the move might have been influenced in part by the decision of Leftwich to publicly take issue with coach Jack Del Rio's conclusion that Leftwich's ankle injury contributed to his subpar play on Sunday against the Texans.

If so, the message has been received. A reportedly dejected Leftwich was far less loquacious on Thursday: "I don't know anything," he said regarding his status for the upcoming game at Philly. "I guess I'll find out whenever Sunday or pre-game. . . . I'll be ready for any situation. I don't want to say too much."

IT'S THE LAST SPRINT NFL FAN DAY

As the saying goes, all good things must end.

Sprint launched its NFL Fan Day promotion for Fridays in September, and extended the package into October. But, alas, October is ending, and so are the Sprint NFL Fan Days.

But it's not too late. Today, customers in selected areas can obtain a $50 service credit on a voice plan when activating a Sprint phone, and also can take advantage of exclusive NFL-themed offers.

Sprint NFL Fan Days are available at Sprint stores, Sprint-branded authorized retailers, and Sprint kiosks in the following markets: all NFL cities; Los Angeles; Columbus, Ohio; Louisville/Lexington, Kentucky; Evansville, Indiana; Youngstown, Ohio; Canton/Akron, Ohio; Providence, Rhode Island; Western Michigan; Northern New Jersey; Central New Jersey; Long Island; Southern and Northern Connecticut.

For October, the program was expanded to include Sprint stores, Sprint-branded authorized retailers, and Sprint kiosks in Albany, Rochester, Syracuse, Austin (Texas), San Antonio, Raleigh, Winston-Salem, Orlando, and Birmingham (Alabama).

So show your support for the site by supporting our exclusive telecommunications sponsor. For a true NFL fan, there's no reason not to choose Sprint, since Sprint is the only wireless carrier that offers NFL Mobile, a free service that provides stats, real-time game updates, news alerts, game highlights, and NFL Network content.

POSTED 10:58 p.m. EDT, October 26, 2006

HALEY SUES McDONALD'S FOR RAT SALAD

In a football season that has been as bizarre as any football season we can remember, Cowboys receivers coach Todd Haley has sued McDonald's, claiming that his wife and the family's live-in babysitter found a rat in a salad they were eating in June.

The women began eating the salad before the rat was found, and then allegedly became violently ill.

Haley's claim likely arises from the concept known under the law as loss of marital consortium. The argument is that the injuries suffered by his wife impacted his marriage. Haley's wife and the babysitter are also plaintiffs in the lawsuit.

In our view, it would have made more sense for Haley to not add his name to the lawsuit. Whether the plaintiffs are only Mrs. Haley or both husband and wife, the jury is likely to award the same total amount, if any, for the alleged injuries. Given that Haley has a relatively high-profile profession, he should have taken a low profile in the lawsuit.

And our guess is that the lawsuit isn't against McDonald's Corporation, but against the local company that owns and operates the McDonald's-franchised restaurant. So even though the suit is against McDonald's, it's not actually against McDonald's.

Meanwhile, we're hearing that Cowboys receiver Terrell Owens assisted the family in identifying the creature that was in the salad.

As Owens said: "If it looks like a rat and smells like a rat, by golly, it is a rat."

POSTED 8:04 p.m. EDT, October 26, 2006

TIKI WON'T BE MISSED BY SOME IN NEW YORK

An industry source with knowledge of the New York Giants tells us that there is a group of players in the locker room that can't stand running back Tiki Barber.

"They say he's smug and condescending and complains a lot," said the source.

This reinforces our belief that, while Barber's stated plan to retire after the season isn't a distraction in and of itself, there could be a problem if the Tiki World Farewell Tour stokes the smoldering resentment that already exists within the building.

Meanwhile, Tiki is still using ten-dollar words on television. During a Thursday night appearance on NFLN's Total Access, he broke out the term "bloviate" regarding the folks who are criticizing him. (We looked it up. It's a term that's most commonly used by those who bloviate.)

Tiki, pal, you've got to drop the fancy-shmancy talk. It doesn't connect with the kinds of folks who'll comprise the TV audience you ultimately aspire to have.

And it reminds us of something that a good friend once said to his class of eighth graders when their vocabulary book included the term "supersensitive."

"If you ever use that word," he told the students, "people will think you're gay." (Not that there's anything wrong with it.)

POSTED 4:01 p.m. EDT; UPDATED 5:00 p.m. EDT, October 26, 2006

JONES SAYS TEAM HAS TAKEN A "STEP BACK"

Cowboys owner Jerry Jones is "disappointed" that a season he believed could be "special" has been derailed by substandard quarterback play from former starter Drew Bledsoe. Bledsoe has been benched in favor of Tony Romo, a former Division I-AA player who was not drafted.

"I'm disappointed at the reason we're having to make this change," Jones said Thursday, according to the Associated Press.

"I have to be a realist," he said. "I hadn't thought or hoped that we'd be sitting here after the sixth game making these adjustments. . . . I did not want to this year go to an inexperienced quarterback. I wanted to have the benefit of Drew Bledsoe. It hasn't worked out as of today. It just hasn't worked out. That to me is a step back."

Jerry, baby, what the hell are you doing?

Here's what's wrong with what Jones is saying: He is providing an excuse for the team to take a step back.

It's no different, in our view, than a team that has suffered a rash of injuries. If the front office spouts off the "woe is us" routine, the players will suddenly have a built-in excuse to fail.

And based on our discussions over the years with league insiders who "get it" and those who don't, we think that these messages that are propagated by the powers-that-be have a huge impact on whether and to what extent the team meets and/or exceeds expectations.

Jones also defended the team's revolving door at quarterback since Troy Aikman retired, explaining that the team "consciously tried not to go to the top of the draft to get a quarterback."

Yeah, you'd hate to go to the top of the draft and get a guy like, say, Troy Aikman, who was the No. 1 overall pick in 1989, and who delivered three championships in his first seven seasons.

Obviously, however, a top-ten pedigree isn't mandatory. Tom Brady parlayed a sixth-round selection spot into three Lombardis in five NFL seasons. Kurt Warner won one and lost one despite being undrafted. Brad Johnson led the Bucs to a title in 2002 despite being a ninth-round pick a decade earlier.

But it's still more than a bit ironic for a guy like Jones, whose biggest success in Big D came with a team captained by a No. 1 draft choice, to resist trying to get another quarterback that way.

And, really, it won't matter who the quarterback is this year if Jones is going to declare to the world (and thus to the team) that he's now expecting less of them than he previously did.

MORE DETAILS ON FOREIGN GAMES

We've talked with some of our league sources regarding the recently-conducted ownership meetings in New Orleans, and we've picked up some more details as to the decision to begin playing two regular-season games per season on foreign soil.

One of the topics that was discussed, we're told, is whether divisional games would be included in the mix of contests that are exported to other countries. Despite a belief by some that divisional games should be exempt, a consensus was reached that divisional contests are eligible, but only if the two teams agree to do it.

With that said, we can't imagine any team agreeing to give up a home game against one of its arch-rivals.

It's also our understanding that any team required to play a game out of the country (as the "home" team or as the "away" team) will be scheduled to be at home the week before the foreign trip -- and will have a bye the week after it.

Also, although some owners have been a bit cryptic in their public statements regarding the financial impact of the lost home games, we're told that a team that loses a home game will be "made whole" by the league. The team that gives up a game will, in other words, receive a guaranteed amount of money to cover for the lost revenues resulting from the lost game.

With all that said, there are lingering issues that will need to be addressed. Some teams have leases that prevent "home" games from being played in any location other than the home stadium. There are issues with stadium sponsorship, with partial refunds possibly going to companies that pay a yearly fee for a ten-game package (preseason included) that shrinks to nine.

Regardless, the league is making a clear commitment to expanding the pie beyond U.S. borders, in the hopes of making the NFL a sport with a truly global following.

WE IS STOOPID, PART 24

We mentioned earlier on Thursday the possibility of expanding the regular season to 17 games, in order to defray the periodic loss of a home game due to the NFL's new foreign initiative.

The problem? Some teams would get nine home games a year, and some would get eight.

Then again, we're not the only ones who squeaked out a brain fart on Thursday. A few of our readers suggested that the problem of teams being required to give up a home game to accommodate the league's desire to play in other countries could easily be solved if the NFL schedules on foreign soil only games involving two road teams.

We didn't make that up.

POSTED 12:51 p.m. EDT; UPDATED 3:41 p.m. EDT, October 26, 2006

TIKI TAKES ON IRVIN, OTHERS

Giants running back Tiki Barber used his Sirius NFL Radio show as a platform for criticizing those who have criticized him for creating a possible locker room distraction by announcing his impending retirement in the middle of the football season.

On Tuesday night, Barber said this: "I will call them 'idiots' because they have neither spoken to me nor any one of my teammates or any of my coaches, yet all they do is criticize me for being a distraction with this retirement thing. That includes [New York Daily News columnist] Gary Myers, that includes Tom Jackson on ESPN, that includes the ultimate character guy, facetiously speaking, of course, Michael Irvin [of ESPN], please get a clue how to be a journalist. Don't make blanket assumptions about it."

At first, we were inclined to agree (and it kills us to say that) with Irvin on this one, because we understand Irvin's position that Barber's stated intention to pack it in could hamper his ability to lead younger players on the team who now know that there is no long-term attachment or accountability to the veteran tailback.

But then we heard Irvin explaining himself during Thursday's Man-Girl & Meatball in the Morning on ESPN Radio. Irvin argued that Barber's decision to drop his plans on the team in October is a distraction, and it's no different than the perceived distractions that Terrell Owens causes in Dallas. Meatball disagreed with Irvin, arguing that Barber's plans have no impact on the preparation or the play of the other guys on the team.

In our view, there's a big difference between guys like Barber and guys like Owens. For Barber, his issue relates only to himself; it's a distraction then only if it distracts him from finishing the season strong and hard. For Owens, his constant stream of issues and gripes and problems affects others because he is always looking for others to blame. And his antics cause resentment in the locker room, which at some point can and will affect team chemistry -- and which likewise will make it harder for the players on the field to achieve and maintain complete harmony.

So we think that the fact that Barber says he's retiring won't in and of itself be a distraction. Instead, it could provide some addition

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