POSTED 10:45 p.m. EST, November 29, 2006

IS THERE A TRAITOR IN THE RAIDERS?

Raiders coach Art Shell believes that his authority is being undermined by an unnamed member of the organization.  Shell claims that said unnamed member of the organization has been calling members of the media and criticizing members of the coaching staff.

"I'm a fighter," Shell said. "I sit back and I watch things happen and then it gets to the point where you cross the line. That line has been crossed and I won't sit back and allow it to happen anymore.

"When you root against me, you're rooting against the Raiders," Shell said.  "When you root against Tom Walsh, you're rooting against the Raiders.  And for someone to do that is unconscionable.  It's unconscionable.  It's detestable and I think it's an outrage."

So who's the Benedict Arnold?  We're trying to find out.

Stay tuned.

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POSTED 7:34 p.m. EST; UPDATED 7:56 p.m. EST, November 29, 2006

STRAHAN GOES BONKOS, KIND OF

Giants defensive end Michael Strahan got testy on Wednesday over the media's reaction to Strahan's comments from Monday regarding the apparent fact that Plaxico Burress gave up on a play on Sunday following an interception.

Confronting ESPN's Kelly Naqi, who was seeking to pose a follow-up question regarding Strahan's comments, Strahan got very defensive about the situation, suggesting that the media is only interested in negative, divisive topics.

On Monday, Strahan said on WFAN radio of Burress:  "It's a shame.  You can't give up.  You can't quit, because you're not quitting on yourself, you're quitting on everybody.  I don't quite understand what his lack of motivation is in those types of situations.  But I'm going to try to see what it is, and if I can talk to him about it.  He's too good for that."

"Come here, I want to see your face when you ask this question, the way you are going to ask it," Strahan told Naqi as she was asking him about the Monday comments.  "I know you are going to ask it in a way there is more division and more of a negative way than it was, so come here, I want to see your face, please.

"We don't have that division," Strahan also said.  "So if you want to come here with a negative, you are coming to the wrong guy, because I am not a negative guy.  I don't kill my teammates.  I'm a man and I talk to my teammates."

The biggest winner in all of this?  Kelly Naqi.  Prior to today, we doubt that anyone knew who she was.  (And we wonder if Strahan would have been so brazen if the reporter had been Rachel Nichols.  After all, she has the ability to, you know, cast spells and stuff.)

The biggest loser?  Strahan, who comes off like a bozo and an oaf in his dealings with members of the very industry he aspires to join after his football career ends.

Then again, being a bozo and an oaf hasn't hurt Michael Irvin.  Maybe Strahan thought he was simply giving ESPN what it apparently wants.

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LIVE BLOG, ANYONE?

Since 70 million or so NFL households don't have access to NFLN, we're thinking about doing a Live Blog of Thursday night's game between the Ravens and the Bengals.

Anyone interested?  Let us know.

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T.O. QUESTIONS DECISION TO DUMP KICKER

You know, Terrell Owens had been so quiet lately that we thought he'd accidentally attempted suicide again, and succeeded.

But he's alive, and talking.

Owens' latest topic?  The decision of coach Bill Parcells to cut kicker Mike Vanderjagt.

"I don't see what he did wrong to warrant him being cut," Owens said.  "I hope it doesn't come back to haunt us.  Whoever made that decision, I'm pretty sure they're hoping the same thing.

"Going into the Colts game, the guy was 12-of-15.  That's still a high kicking percentage," Owens said. "He didn't lose any games for us.  If I had to put myself in the mix, I feel like I lost some games and I'm still here, so it's just unfortunate."

Wow.  T.O. has done many things wrong this year, but this is the first time he has publicly questioned the wisdom of the Tuna.  Still, given the Tuna's tolerance of T.O. antics earlier in the year, our guess is that Parcells will continue to bite his tongue.

But here's the key.  Parcells' stock is up in owner Jerry Jones' eyes right now, since Parcells' faith in quarterback Tony Romo has paid huge dividends.  So when Jones bends a knee and asks Parcells to come back for 2007, the Tuna might be in a position to dictate one key term.

"I'll stay if Owens goes."

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POSTED 4:17 p.m. EST; LAST UPDATED 5:10 p.m. EST, November 29, 2006

ACCORSI TO FINS?

There's a rumor on the NFL grapevine that Giants G.M. Ernie Accorsi could resurface as a "consultant" to Miami Dolphins head coach Nick Saban in 2007, if Accorsi retires after the 2006 season.

Saban and Accorsi have a strong relationship, and Saban likely would benefit from Accorsi's advice on matters such as free agency and the draft.  (Unless, of course, Accorsi advises Saban that it would be a good idea to assemble a group of strong, mismatched personalities and then expect a quarterback with the leadership skills of a tree stump to take the team to the Super Bowl.)

With all that said, we're not completely convinced that Accorsi will retire.  Legend has it that he had planned to call it quits a few years ago, but that he wanted to help clean up the mess that was created under former coach Jim Fassel.

Though it had appeared that Accorsi had done a good job with his mop and bucket, the team suddenly appears to be in not much better shape than it was three years ago, when Fassel's career crashed and burned.  If the Giants continue to disintegrate to the point at which a coaching change might become a real possibility, will Accorsi still walk?

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SIMMS OFFER NO JAW-DROPPER

Although we haven't heard the specifics as to the offer that the Tampa Bay Buccaneers allegedly have made to quarterback Chris Simms, the notion that the deal would keep Simms in Tampa "for at least the next two years" suggests to us that it's a long-term deal on the surface, with a balloon payment via a roster bonus in year three.

Such an arrangement gives the team the ability to assess whether Simms is the long-term answer at the position, before making a huge financial commitment to him.

And although Chris Mortensen's report on the matter is attributed to "team sources," we think that the "team source" is Simms himself, via agent Tom Condon.  The thinking is that Simms/Condon have deliberately leaked the information now in order to kick-start a market for the spleenless signal caller, who is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent in March.

As to the amount of the offer, Mortensen's report was merely that it was enough to "grab [Simms'] attention."  But wouldn't any offer grab the attention of a guy who likely has experienced profound regret regarding his decision to turn down a reported $10 million to sign in the offseason, and who probably has spent plenty of time over the past few months wondering whether he'll ever get a shot at another seven-figure or eight-figure payday?

Really, the fact that Mortensen is generally known to have a direct pipeline to Condon suggests to us that Condon has opted not to disclose the amount of the offer because, in Condon's assessment, it's still far below the ballpark where Condon wants to be when the time comes to pick a landing spot for Simms.

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MARTZ NOT IN MIX FOR CARDS JOB

Despite multiple reports linking Lions offensive coordinator Mike Martz to the likely head-coaching vacancy in Arizona, a league source tells us that Martz is not and will not be a candidate for the job.

Per the source, Cardinals V.P. and general counsel Michael Bidwill is not a Martz fan, and Martz will not get serious consideration for the job.

So why is Martz's name out there?  Two words.

Bob.  Lamonte.

Martz's agent is notorious for using the media to gin up interest in his clients.  Martz, who was fired by the Rams after the 2005 season, wanted to land somewhere as the head coach in 2006, but didn't.  So he'll be even more intent on getting a head-coaching job in 2007.

And what better way to get his name on the list for any vacancies that might arise after the season?  By forcing Martz's name onto the list for the job that's most likely to become vacant, Lamonte possibly has injected his client into the conversation elsewhere.

What's the downside to puffing about a possible link to Arizona?  There really isn't one.  Only a handful of people truly and definitively know that Martz won't be a candidate for the Cardinals job, and it's unlikely that the Bidwills will hold a press conference to announce the names of the guys who aren't on the list.  Meanwhile, Martz's name gets free press at a time when the teams that might be hiring head coaches are compiling their own list of candidates.

Besides, what has Martz done to get another shot at being a head coach?  He earned his first stint in St. Louis after serving as the offensive coordinator of a Rams team that won the Super Bowl.  The Lions sucked on offense before he was the offensive coordinator, and basically still do.  All the while, the quarterback Martz rejected (Joey Harrington) is looking pretty good in Miami.

Yeah, we can see Martz as a head coach again next year.  But only if he's willing to slide to the other side of the international border near which his current NFL city resides.

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RADIO WEDNESDAY

Here's a quick update on our latest forays into the scary world of live radio, where racially insensitive remarks have been known to blurt out of the mouths of unsuspecting guests.  

Wednesday morning, we visited with our friend Howard Balzer of ESPN Radio in St. Louis at 9:30 a.m. EST, and we'll be stopping by 105.5 The Fan in Macon at 5:20 p.m. EST.

On Wednesday night, we'll visit with Brad Riter of WGR in Buffalo at 8:00 p.m. EST and John Marie of Biz Radio 990 in New Orleans at 10:10 p.m. EST. 

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POSTED 3:19 p.m. EST, November 29, 2006

IRVIN STORY NOT DEAD YET

When ESPN's Michael Irvin offered up a belated (and superficially contrite) apology for his genetics lecture on Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo, we assumed that the matter would die.

Backed into a corner by a story that didn't fade during a four-day haze of turkey and pigskin, ESPN and Irvin started the "Lord I apologize" routine on Sunday -- after, of course, his two hours of Irvin's weekend air time had ended without a mention of the incident.  The apology first appeared in USA Today, and then Irvin used part of his weekly time on ESPN Radio's The Dan Patrick Show to personally express (sniff) remorse for (honk) being too stupid to realize (fart) what can and can't be said when other people are listening.

We figured that would end the matter.  Irvin had apologized, and he officially had commenced (by our count) his fourth or fifth second chance.

But the matter isn't dead yet, based on Wednesday's newspapers.

Nancy Gay of the San Francisco Chronicle writes that Irvin "came across as a flat-out racist" with his musings about Romo's lineage, and she questions why Irvin has gotten off so lightly for his remarks.

Marc Narducci of the Philadelphia Inquirer says that his paper requested an interview with Irvin, but ESPN declined.  As to the slap on the wrist Irvin received, Narducci says:  "While anybody can make a mistake, this lapse of judgment would be serious enough to warrant at the least a suspension and at the most dismissal, especially in these politically correct times."

Scott Bordow of the East Valley Tribune draws two conclusions regarding the episode and ESPN's handling of it:  (1)  "The same standard should be used for the black commentator as the white commentator"; and (2) "It's just another reason you can't take ESPN seriously anymore."

Of course, the effort to bury this one isn't limited to ESPN.  Its corporate sister, ABC, also is apparently in on the "ix-nay on the omo-Ray randma-gay" routine.  

Though we forgot to TiVo Irvin's appearance on Tuesday night's Jimmy Kimmel show, we're told that the topic of Irvin's views on the heritage of Romo were never mentioned.

Given that Kimmel launched his recent appearance in the booth on Monday Night Football by asking Joe Theismann about his leg (which was gruesomely broken 21 years ago during a Monday night game), it's safe to say that Kimmel's brand of humor doesn't operate on a higher plane.  (We loved his Theismann line, by the way.)  So either Jimmy and his writers couldn't come up with anything funny regarding Irvin's "joke" that Romo's great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great grandma was impregnated by a slave, or an editorial decision not to delve into the matter on the air was made, possibly due in part to the awkwardly bizarre apology issued on David Letterman's show last week by K-K-Kramer.  And possibly due in part to the corporation's desire to see the story fizzle out and expire.

Hey, but at least the NFL hasn't completed ignored the issue.  Nick Bakay, who writes a weekly in-season column for the league's official web site, opens his latest submission with this:  "I guess it's safe to assume that Michael Irvin and Michael Richards both had a grandmother who slept with Al Campanis." 

It's hard to say what will happen going forward.  More newspapers and media outlets might still weigh in.  But ESPN has already made its decision, and we doubt that even an effort by the "real" media to put members of parent company Disney's Board of Directors on the spot would make a difference at this point.  The boys in Bristol are circling the wagons and choosing to defend their employee -- possibly in order to avoid looking foolish for having defended him in the past.

But there likely will be at least one more consequence for Irvin's most recent actions.  Our guess is that the Romo incident will be enough to keep Irvin from mustering the votes to get into the Hall of Fame when the annual selections are made in roughly two months.

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POSTED 10:12 a.m. EST; UPDATED 11:01 a.m. EST, November 29, 2006

MOULDS MIFFED IN HOUSTON

Receiver Eric Moulds, who got a ticket out of Buffalo in the offseason and a fresh start in Houston, is unhappy, we're told, regarding his lack of involvement in the Texans passing game.

Per a league source, Moulds has been consistently lining up at the "Z" position in the offense, with Andre Johnson playing the "X" role.  The problem?  The Houston offense focuses on throwing the ball to the "X" receiver.

It's the same dynamic that caused former Broncos receiver Ashley Lelie to ask out of Denver, which was using the same offense in past years that former Broncos offensive coordinator Gary Kubiak (now the head coach of the Texans) has installed in Houston.

Through eleven games, Moulds has 49 receptions for 510 yards and one touchdown.  Johnson has 84 receptions for 982 yards and five scores, putting him on pace for 122 receptions for the year, which would be one of the highest single-season totals in league history.

Moulds apparently was under the mistaken impression that he'd become the Peerless Price of the Texans offense, running free in single coverage (and catching lots and lots of passes) while Johnson is blanketed with double coverage.  It simply hasn't worked out that way to date.

We haven't heard whether Moulds wants out of Houston after this season.  He is signed through 2009.

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ROONEYS FED UP WITH COWHER?

In the world of pro football, where successful deception from devices such as the play-action pass and the zone blitz can lead to good outcomes on the field, things often aren't what they appear to be off the field, either.  Though we're not big on conspiracy theories, we've seen on too many occasions the simple reality that an inch or two beneath the surface of an article or a column lies agendas and motivations and off-the-record conversations conducted on triple-secret background.

That's why Gene Collier's item from Tuesday's Pittsburgh Post-Gazette caught our eye.  The headline declared, "Count Cowher Among Those Who Should Go."  Strong stuff, especially since the Pittsburgh media, in our assessment, is typically supportive of the team they cover.  

It's not an uncommon phenomenon in league circles.  The Steelers are almost universally beloved in Western Pennsylvania.  The locals buy the papers and watch the television stations and listen to the radio channels.  They generally want pep rallies from the press, so they usually get pep rallies from the press.  (Except when they don't want pep rallies from the press, and Bob Smizik is a master, in our view, of gauging the pulse of the Steelers faithful in this regard.)

So our initial reaction (as mentioned in a One-Liner on Tuesday night) was to suspect that someone higher up in the organization than Cowher has decided that it's time to give the long-time head coach a push toward his long-rumored "retirement" from the team.

The story traces to the early offseason, when Cowher and his wife bought a $2.5 million house in Raleigh, North Carolina.  Later, eyebrows raised when Cowher refused to make a commitment beyond the 2006 season, and momentum grew when former Steelers running back Jerome Bettis opined based on his conversations with Cowher that the Chin was ready pack it in.

Collier's column speaks of the looming departure as if it's a done deal, and we can't recall any prior item in which a member of the Pittsburgh media spoke in such frank terms about the situation.  In explaining the inability of Cowher to find a way to get his team adequately geeked for a big game against the Ravens in Baltimore, Collier writes:  "Maybe that's because, along with his other bags, his psychological bag is packed for North Carolina.  Normally Cowher is an intense stew of emotions, at least on game day, but this season, a passersby who had once just hoped to avoid the spittle is now more likely to hear the unsung James Taylor lyrics:

In my mind, I'm goin' to Carolina.
Can't ya just feel the sunshine
Can't you just feel the moonshine
Maybe just like a friend of mine
It hit me from behind
Yes I'm goin' to Carolina in my mind."

A reader has since alerted us to the fact that Collier is a co-writer of "The Chief," a popular one-man play about Steelers founder Art Rooney, which debuted in 2003.  (The show made its final run in January 2006.)  In our opinion, the warm feelings that Collier's co-creation likely engendered with the Rooney family likely has earned for him most favored nation status -- and it likely has put him in a position to mirror the sentiments coming from the top of the team, especially on important issues like whether they want the head coach to come back in 2007.

Our guess?  The Rooneys (though they'd never say so publicly) feel disrespected and, to an extent, betrayed by a coach behind whom they stood loyally, and paid handsomely, even when the team wasn't a contender.  Sure, he (finally) delivered a championship, but he has not handled his apparent lame-duck status very well, and if Collier is writing that he thinks Cowher has short-timers disease, our guess is that the Rooneys think so, too.

And we think that they've now had enough of Cowher, and that someone from the family has either said this to Collier -- or he's got a sufficiently clear pipeline to already know it.

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POSTED 9:55 a.m. EST, November 29, 2006

WILLIAMSON CAN CATCH . . . A PUNCH

It turns out that Vikings receiver Troy Williamson can catch.  Not a football.  A fist.

Williamson, the No. 7 pick in the 2005 draft, reportedly was punched in the face early Monday at a charity concert organized by teammate Darren Sharper at the "Myth" nightclub.

The incident, though likely not a huge deal in the grand scheme of things for a 5-6 team that has pretty much given up on Williamson for this season (and possibly beyond), suggests that the franchise still hasn't made a clean break from the embarrassing events of past seasons, which culminated in the Love Boat fiasco.

Meanwhile, police are still investigating allegations that a Vikings player assaulted a woman in his home on November 21.  We've heard that the case involved a woman who wouldn't leave the player's residence, and who then got the Jazzy Jeff treatment from him and/or his friends.

Speculation has centered on Williamson and Fred Smoot, since both have been in the doghouse of late.

Of course, we're not reporting that it was either of those two guys.  After all, Smoot got all indignant a year ago when he was tied to the misadventures on Lake Minnetonka, and even threatened to sue those who were dragged his good name through the mud.

You know, we never heard anything more about Smoot's planned to vindicate himself.  Maybe it had something to do with that guilty plea for committing a lewd act with a multi-directional sex toy. 

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POSTED 8:17 p.m. EST; UPDATED 11:53 p.m. EST, November 28, 2006

NFL PICKS VICK'S POCKET

Jay Glazer of FOXSports.com reports that the NFL has fined Falcons quarterback Michael Vick $10,000 for his obscene gestures to fans after Sunday's game against the Saints.  The league also has asked Vick to contribute another $10,000 to the charity of his choice.

How about the Herpes Awareness Fund?

Glazer reports that, in the past, the league has fined players $5,000 for such behavior.  Two years ago, that was the price Broncos quarterback Jake Plummer paid for showing his middle finger to a fan who was heckling him.

So this is another example of the league's effort to crack down on misbehavior since the arrival of new Commissioner Roger Goodell.

Good for the league, and good for Goodell.

As to Vick, we continue to be troubled by the image of Vick shooting the bird, with a young fan wearing a Vick jersey in plain view, waving to his idol. 

When Florio Jr. learned of the incident, he promptly plucked the Vick figure from his display of McFarlane miniature NFL figures and tossed the thing in a drawer, right next to Barry Bonds. 

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TUESDAY NIGHT ONE-LINERS

Hey, folks -- there's no way that a member of the Pittsburgh media would be openly suggesting that the Steelers' head coach should scram unless someone whose name rhymes with "Mooney" had given the nod to do so.

The Tuna didn't exactly give the Hamburglar a glowing endorsement by calling him "the best option available" at kicker.

For a belated 30th birthday gift, Donovan McNabb got a dead person's ACL.

Taz will miss the first game of his pro career.

Chris Henry gets the benefit of a technicality.

Our deepest condolences to Jerome Bettis; his father unexpectedly passed on Tuesday of a heart attack.

The Browns have placed RT Ryan Tucker on the non-football illness list, meaning that they won't be required to pay him for the rest of the season.

Pats LB Junior Seau and assistant coach Pepper Johnson reportedly got into it recently.

The Texans have signed QB Bradlee Van Pelt.

Chiefs RB Priest Holmes won't play at all this season. 

The Panthers won't be benching Jake Delhomme.

The Lights are back On.

Vikings WR Troy Williamson is averaging one drop per game.

Edgerrin James had only four carries on Sunday, and he missed a Monday walk-through.

Jags coach Jack Del Rio accepts blame for a late squib kick that sunk the team's comeback, while at the same time deflecting the blame.

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POSTED 3:41 p.m. EST; UPDATED 3:48 p.m. EST, November 28, 2006

WALSH WASHED OUT IN OAKLAND

Acting on a story first posted on Raiderfans.net, we have confirmed from a source with knowledge of the situation, but who has requested anonymity, that the Raiders have demoted offensive coordinator Tom Walsh.  He will, we're now told, remain on the staff.

Walsh was hired earlier this year by coach Art Shell, who returned to the Raiders after several years working at the league office.

Walsh will be replaced by tight ends coach John Shoop.

Walsh had been out of football for several years, and hadn't coached at the NFL level since Art Shell's first stint as head coach of the Raiders, which ended in the mid-1990s.  He has been criticized by fans, media, past players, and some current players for his offensive schemes, which arguably are outdated and involve too many deep drops by the quarterback and too few opportunities to get the quarterback out of the pocket.

Shoop previously served as offensive coordinator for the Bears under Dick Jauron.

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POSTED 12:57 p.m. EST, November 28, 2006

ANOTHER DUI ARREST

Another day, news of another arrest of an NFL player.  And, lately, it seems that the offense of choice is driving a large steel object on public roads while under the influence of alcohol.

This time, the suspect is Jets tackle Adrian Jones.  He was arrested early Saturday, and was deactivated for Sunday's game against the Texans.

Jones reportedly was fined $20,000 by the team.  However, the teams arguably don't have jurisdiction to penalize players for such off-field indiscretions; punishment for DUI convictions flows from the substance abuse policy.

With that said, teams should have the ability to take swift and immediate action, if they so choose.  (And so choose they should.)  In our view, the same zeal that swept the nation in the 1980s regarding the problem of drunk driving should be directed to the NFL and its member teams.  Why aren't better efforts being made to get guys with plenty of time to kill (relative to the rest of us) and plenty of money to kill it with to avoid drinking and driving?  Can't these guys afford a cab?  How about the teams having a cab service lined up so all their guys have to do is dial the number on their cells?  

Or are the players just stupid?  If they're stupid, why isn't someone hammering into their heads the potential consequences of such conduct? 

Wasn't it enough that Leonard Little of the Rams killed Susan Gutweiler eight years ago?  Despite the lessons that should have been learned from that incident, the issue of NFL players drinking too much and then driving their cars seems to be as bad as it's ever been.

Though the league and the teams would likely never have legal responsibility for the mayhem that their employees might create on their own time, what about the moral responsibility?  Shouldn't the league and the owners feel a commitment to ensure that the men who play football in and for a given city, state, or region are -- at a minimum -- not injuring or killing other citizens of that same locale?  How many questions can we ask in one article?

Houston, and the other 30 NFL cities, you have a problem.  And it's time to fix it.

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POSTED 10:14 a.m. EST; LAST UPDATED 12:09 p.m. EST, November 28, 2006

VICK TRADE COULD BE PULLED OFF, AFTER JUNE 1

Although we saw images of an apparently contrite Michael Vick apologizing for the images of an obscene gesture he aimed in the direction of paying customers and their kids on Sunday at the Georgia Dome, the broader question remains, as we see it, whether Vick's time in Atlanta is drawing to a close.

We predicted, even before Vick's meltdown, that he'll ask to be traded after the 2006 season.  But the prevailing sentiment in league circles is that the Falcons would be unable to trade or release Vick, due to the salary cap ramifications arising from the big-money signing bonus he received a couple of years ago.

We've gotten our eyes on his numbers, and the prevailing sentiment is accurate.  To a point.

Trading Vick before June 1, 2007 would trigger a mind-numbing cap charge of $22.25 million.  The dead money, factoring in the $6 million salary Vick wouldn't be paid in 2007, would be $16.25 million.

However, if the Falcons were to make the move after June 1, the cap charge for 2007 would drop to $7.57 million, with a net hit of $1.57 million.  The transaction would actually create $6 million in 2007 cap space.

The problem would arise in 2008, when the Falcons would be hit with $14.68 million in cap charges.  The dead money, based on a Vick's salary of $7.5 million, would be $7.18 million.

Still, if the salary cap gets to $115 million by 2008, the dead money would be roughly six percent of the team's available player payroll for the season.  And by 2009, he'd be completely off of the books.

So if Vick wants out, and if the team is willing to let him out, a trade would be feasible after June 1.  

(Greg Aiello, NFL spokesman, tells us that, although the new CBA allows the cap hit for a trade made after June 1 to be spread over two years, the rule that allows teams to release up to two players before June 1 and process the move as a post-June 1 transaction does not apply to trades.)

Of course, the bigger question would be whether anyone else would be willing to take on Vick's contract, which has salaries of $6 million in 2007, $7.5 million in 2008, $9 million in 2009, $10.5 million in 2010, $12 million in 2011, $12.5 million in 2012, and $13.5 million in 2013.

Our guess?  There's a certain team that wears silver and black with an owner who has always loved renegade players (especially really fast ones).  How about Randy Moss and a third-round pick for Vick?  Moss has said wanted to come to Atlanta in 2005, and we believe that the team wasn't interest in Moss primarily because they weren't interested in creating a scenario in which, with a high-end receiver, Vick would have been further exposed as an underperforming passer.

With Matt Schaub elevating into the position of starter, Moss is the kind of guy that the Falcons would want on the field, especially in a West Coast attack that thrives off of a field-stretcher who can open up the underneath routes.

And from a P.R. standpoint, the Falcons would be swapping out one NFL icon for another.  So the seats in the Georgia Dome would still be filled, at least for 2007.

Like many other things, this one makes far too much sense to ever happen.    

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RADIO TUESDAY

We'll be operating once again without a net in the "frightening" medium of live radio on Tuesday.  Specifically, we'll visit with Triple X Radio in D.C. at 12:10 p.m. EST, Chris McClain of WFNZ in Charlotte at 2:25 p.m. EST, Steve Duemig of WDAE in Tampa at 5:15 p.m. EST, Glen Macnow of WIP in Philly at 10:10 p.m. EST, and Todd Wright of Sporting News Radio at 10:25 p.m. EST.

We hope that we can refrain from inadvertently saying something really stupid or offensive.  It's extra hard for us, since we usually spend all day when we're not on the radio saying really stupid and offensive things to people.

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ROUGHING THE PASSER RULES NEED TO BE REVISED

In Monday night's game between the Seahawks and the Packers, a roughing the passer call against Green Bay helped sustain a key Seattle drive.  

The call, we believe, was consistent with the current rules.  But the current rules, we believe, need to be changed.

We'll delve into this subject and four other topics in the back half of the Week Twelve Ten-Pack, which will be posted later today.

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TUESDAY AFTERNOON ONE-LINERS

Mike Vick says he did the double-flick not because he was being heckled, but because (sniff) his teammates were being heckled.  (At least Vick didn't pull a Kramer in response to said heckling.)

Falcons CB DeAngelo Hall admits he was "being kind of lazy" on the Hail Mary pass that was caught by Saints WR Terrance Copper.

A woman in Minnesota claims that a Vikings player assaulted her in his home.  (Why can't they do this stuff on a chartered boat, like normal people?)

The thumb of Texans QB Sage Rosenfels has been snapped like a twig of parsley. 

Bengals DT John Thornton is doubtful for Thursday night's game after injuring a knee during pregame warmups in Cleveland on Sunday.

Bengals RB Chris Perry underwent surgery Monday on a broken right leg; he's out for the year.

The Redskins might hold kicker tryouts on Tuesday afternoon; former Cowboys K Mike Vanderjagt won't be available to participate until he clears waivers.

Dan Ferens has "resigned" from the Texans.  (So did Charley Casserly.)

Did the Steelers lose their hunger?

Steelers WR Hines Ward (knee) will miss Sunday's game against Tampa.

Holy crap -- is Eli Manning actually capable of calling out a teammate for loafing?  Hell, even when he does that he's boring.

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POSTED 9:30 a.m. EST, November 28, 2006

SABAN DENIES 'BAMA RUMORS

Dolphins coach Nick Saban denied on Monday that he is a candidate for the vacancy at the University of Alabama.

"When I was in college, it was always about coming to the pros," Saban said Monday.  "I had a good college job, so why would I have left that if I would be interested in another college job?"

Saban recently was linked to the job in the Birmingham News.  Alabama fired Mike Shula on Monday after he followed a 10-2 season with a 6-6 mark.

We've heard scuttlebutt in league circles that Fins owner Wayne Huizenga was prepared to fire Saban on the spot if there were any truth to the rumors.

And although we don't believe that Saban ever had any interest in the job, we don't rule out for a nanosecond the possibility that his agent, Jimmy Sexton, was trying to finagle a raise and/or an extension for Saban in Miami by suggesting to a reporter or two on an off-the-record basis that Saban might be interested in the job.

Maybe that's why Huizenga reacted as strongly as he did, if rumors in this regard are accurate.  The best way to nip stuff like this in the bud is to ask the coach point blank if there is any interest in leaving, with a subtle demeanor that suggests the wrong answer might result in a very unintended consequence.

Saban's name surfaced several weeks ago as a candidate for the Michigan State job, which he held before becoming the coach at LSU.  It happened at a time when the Fins were 1-6 and there were rumors that Saban was very unhappy with his current gig.  Since then, the Fins have won four in a row, and they are legitimate candidates for the No. 6 seed in the AFC playoff field.

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POSTED 6:31 p.m. EST, November 27, 2006

ANOTHER CHARGER ARRESTED

The Bengals West continue their torrid run through Southern California jails.

San Diego Chargers cornerback Cletis Gordon was arrested early Monday on suspicion of drunk driving, according to published reports.

Gordon, an undrafted free agent, has not played in 2006 due to a wrist injury.  He's the fifth member of the team to get in trouble with the law in 2006.

Like the Cincinnati Bengals, the Chargers are regarded as an organization that has opted to choose ability over character.  While that 9-2 record vindicates the manner in which the Chargers werre built, keep an eye out for a turd uprising if/when the team encounters adversity in the postseason. 

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POSTED 6:23 p.m. EST, November 27, 2006

'BOYS DUMP VANDERJERK, SIGN HAMBURGLAR

The Dallas Cowboys, in a somewhat surprising move, have cut veteran kicker Mike Vanderjagt, and have signed kicker Martin Gramatica to replace him, according to Ed Werder of ESPN and Jay Glazer of FOXSports.com.

Vaderjagt signed a three-year, $6 million deal with the Cowboys in the offseason, after his contract with the Colts expired.  The veteran kicker ended his career in Indy by badly missing a field goal attempt that would have sent an AFC divisional playoff game against the Steelers to overtime.

Vanderjagt received a $2.5 million signing bonus, and he'll be entitled to receive the balance of his $810,000 salary for 2006, if he chooses to exercise his one-time right to termination pay.  In Dallas, he missed five of 18 field goal attempts in eleven games.

Gramatica once upon a time was one of the premier kickers in the game, but fell out of favor in Tampa and since then has bounced around the league. 

Our guess?  Gramatica is a short-term solution, and there will be more moves before the end of the season.

As to Vanderjagt, he'll first pass through waivers.  If his contract is not claimed, he'll become a free agent.

Why do we have a feeling that he'll land in New England -- and that he'll get his ultimate shot at redemption in a playoff game against the Colts?

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POSTED 3:08 p.m. EST, November 27, 2006

IRVIN APOLOGY RAISES SPECTER OF LOCKER ROOM RACISM

ESPN analyst Michael Irvin apologized Monday on ESPN Radio's The Dan Patrick Show for his comments from one week ago regarding the ancestry of Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo.  But Irvin's apology, in our view, raises questions of whether racially improper remarks are commonplace in NFL locker rooms and on NFL practice fields.

"I do want to apologize for those comments," Irvin said.  "They were inappropriate and insensitive."

Irvin explained that he was trying to infuse locker-room humor into the discussion.  It's "how we joke around," Irvin said of his chortle-filled dissertation on the potential promiscuity of Romo's great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great Grandma.

And then we had our "eureka" moment.  On NFL teams, which race is the minority?  Do some (or more) African-American NFL players assume that blacks are better athletes than whites simply because whites are underrepresented on NFL teams, especially at skill positions like running back, receiver, and defensive back?  

We've got a feeling that the answer to that question, if people were telling the truth, is "yes."  Irvin, based on the content of his apology, has made jokes like this with other players, and apparently with Romo himself.

Now we're even more confused.  ESPN's official statement on the matter says in part that "[g]eneralizations about heritage are inappropriate even in jest."  So is it okay for Irvin to admit on the air that one of his practices off of the air is to ask white men with impressive physical skills, even if kidding around, whether one of their ancestors made time with a black guy?  Because that's really what Irvin is now saying.

For his part in Monday's apology, Dan Patrick assumed some responsibility for the situation, acknowledging that he was "laughing" through a portion of Irvin's rant.  But, with all due respect to Dan, it's hard for us not to compare Patrick's shoulder shrug on this issue to the indignation ESPN's Tom Jackson displayed three years ago one week after Rush Limbaugh's remarks about Donovan McNabb, which drew no comment from Jackson when they were made in Jackson's presence.

Maybe Patrick opted not to call out Irvin because the comments were made on the radio show that bears Patrick's name.  Or maybe the folks at ESPN have now decided to give this matter the Band-Aid removal treatment:  (1) grab edge; (2) hold breath; (3) pull hard; and (4) move on.  Regardless, we think that Irvin is getting off way too easily on this one, especially since the message seems to be that it's okay to make "generalizations about heritage" -- and to publicly admit that you do so -- as long as you don't actually make the generalizations about heritage on the air.

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POSTED 12:33 p.m. EDT, November 27, 2006

IRVIN TO DISCUSS COMMENTS AT 2:20 p.m. EST

ESPN spokesman Mac Nwulu tells us that Michael Irvin will address later today on The Dan Patrick Show Irvin's comments from last Monday, in which Irvin suggested that Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo's athletic ability traces to a tryst between one of the women in Romo's lineage and a large male slave.

Per Nwulu, Irvin is scheduled to appear on ESPN Radio at 2:20 p.m. EST.  Here's hoping that Patrick (for whom we have a ton of admiration and respect) and Keith Olbermann (who would be going ballistic on this story if a member of the Bush administration or an employee of the FOX News Channel had made the remarks) will approach the session in genuine, non-FOX News fair and balanced fashion.

Irvin apologized for the comments on Sunday, a full six days after they were made.  We're convinced that Irvin and/or the powers-that-be in Bristol chose to monitor the extent to which the story sprouted legs over the long four-day weekend before deciding to issue the apology and the accompanying statement of disapproval.  Once it became obvious that the story wasn't going away, Irvin apologized and ESPN acknowledged the situation.

Of course, we doubt that there will be much if any talk of the matter on ESPN's various television networks, on which Irvin will appear tonight as part of the nine-plus hours of Monday Night Football coverage.

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POSTED 10:05 a.m. EST; LAST UPDATED 11:32 a.m. EST, November 27, 2006

FRUSTRATION GROWS OVER COWHER

With the Steelers stumbling at 4-7 in a season strewn with endless rumors on the NFL grapevine that coach Bill Cowher will retire after the season, there is a growing anger in certain corners of the front office regarding Cowher's possible decision to use 2006 as a transition out of town.

When rumors of a retirement first broke, Cowher stopped short of making a long-term commitment, explaining that he's taking it one year at a time.  Some folks in the organization weren't happy about his approach, and they're even less happy about the potential connection between a short-time skipper and a stink-ass season.

Observed one league source regarding the situation:  "It would have been nice if Cowher had told the Rooneys he was going to retire in February 2006. . . .  He keeps, re-signs, and worst of all plays old broken down never beens.  What the f--k have Verron Haynes, Jerame Tuman, Mike Logan, Jeff Hartings, Tyrone Carter, Duce Staley, Chris Gardocki, Deshea Townsend to name a few of the stowaways done this year?  Taken pay checks and confirmed to the other players that you don't have to be good to make this team just one of the favorites.  The Steelers used to be the model of how a team was to navigate successfully in the NFL.  Now they are just another team in the group having to bow to the New Englands and Indianapolises of the league."

It still remains to be seen what Cowher will do next year.  Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette wrote over the weekend that Cowher's status likely will be resolved soon after the end of the 2006 season.  

When rumors were rampant during training camp that Cowher will retire unless the Steelers win a second straight Super Bowl title, no one was taking into account the possibility that the team might have double-digit losses.  The final outcome of the current campaign could be enough to make Cowher feel obligated to come back for another try, if for no reason other than to go out on a not-so-low note.

But he can't do the job effectively in 2007 as a lame duck, so if he decides to give it one more year look for a short extension in the neighborhood of one or two seasons.  This will create the illusion that he'll be around for 2008 and beyond, allowing him to still have relevance and authority in the locker room as something other than a lame duck.  

There still could be a meaningful contract extension that keeps Cowher in town indefinitely, but we doubt that it will happen.  To the extent the inability of the team and its long-time coach to work out a new contract to date has been driven by the reluctance of the Rooneys to pay Cowher his open market value, Cowher's open market value arguably has dipped from its offseason peak.  Still, if as Bouchette reported the last offer on the table included a salary north of $6 million in the out years of the deal, it's unlikely that Cowher will stay put when he's certain to get much more than that elsewhere.

And we've got no qualms about an NFL coach going for every last dollar he can get.  First, there's no salary cap for coaching staffs and front office personnel, so the Peyton Manning "little piggy" concept has no relevance here -- unless, of course, a coach doesn't want to come off as a hypocrite when imploring a key player to grant a hometown discount.  Second, these coaches have little or no down time, and they devote virtually every waking moment to their profession on a year-round basis, and they constantly are under stress and scrutiny.  They deserve the money they earn.

In Cowher's case, there's a cap on what that amount ever will be in Pittsburgh, because the Rooneys won't (but probably could) pay him $8 million or more per year.  So now that Cowher has won a Super Bowl title for the Steelers, he can make himself available in 2008 to the highest bidder.

Or, if he's going to be giving any more discounts of his own, he might be inclined to do so at his alma mater, which by the way is in the market for a new coach. 

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RADIO MONDAY

It's been several days since we've gotten the chance to do some live radio, a universe in which it's "frighteningly easy to screw up" according to Michael McCarthy of USA Today.  (Scroll down if you don't know what we're referring to.)

As we see it, the best rule of thumb for doing live radio/TV work (and we've got no real training in this regard so who knows if we know what we're talking about) is this one:  Pretend your grandma is in the audience.

We usually apply this standard when appearing in any "live" medium.  (But we rarely apply it when writing posts for the site.  After all, Me-Me couldn't read English very well.)

We'll get to spend some more time in this "frightening" and bizarre world of talking into a telephone while other people can hear what we're saying on Monday.  At 12:05 p.m. EST, we'll visit with the guys at AOL Sports Bloggers Live.  At 12:30 p.m. EST (or thereabouts), we'll chat with Paul Allen and Jeff Dubay of KFAN in Minneapolis.

We're also likely to make a stop by the Dino Costa Show on the Radio Colorado Network in the early afternoon hours.  We're still firming up the arrangements.

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SCHAAP TEES OFF ON MANNING

At a time when the powers-that-be at ESPN conveniently are overlooking a story that likely would receive wall-to-wall coverage if it had involved racially-charged statements made by an African-American commentator at another network, we must tip our hat to Jeremy Schaap for his "Parting Shot" on Sunday's The Sports Reporters, which took aim at another news item involving racial biases and prejudices, but that previously had been ignored by much of the national media.

We missed the show but heard about it from a reader.  Jeremy was kind enough to forward to us the text of his remarks regarding Bears cornerback Ricky Manning Jr., who was suspended for Sunday's game against the Patriots after pleading no contest several weeks back to felony assault arising from a now-infamous incident in a Westwood Denny's that started when someone made fun of the victim because he had a computer in the restaurant.

Here's what Jeremy had to say:  

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When the Bears play the Patriots today, they'll be without cornerback Ricky Manning, who leads the team in interceptions and convictions.  This week the NFL suspended Manning for one game for his most recent crime.  

In April, Manning and some friends were at a Denny's when they noticed another patron quietly working on his laptop.  For no known reason, Manning — already on probation for another assault — slapped the man in the face and allegedly called him an ugly Jew — and worse. Then Manning's friends beat the man — who by the way is not Jewish — into unconsciousness. 

Manning denied the slur — my lawyers are Jewish, he said — but in September he pleaded no contest to felony assault.

Regarding the suspension and its timing, Brian Urlacher said, quote, "It stinks." Urlacher's an outstanding linebacker, but perspective is clearly not his strength.  Neither he nor anyone else on the Bears said it stunk that Manning assaulted an innocent man — only that it stinks that he won't be in the team's nickel package today.  

For its part, the NFL was too soft on Manning, a repeat offender, an alleged bigot and a confirmed dope.  In just about any other line of work, Manning would have been fired for cause.  Instead, he'll be back on the field next week.  

Go Bears.

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Excellent.  Superb.  We couldn't have said it better ourselves.  (We know this to be true because we've been trying to say it better ourselves ever since word broke regarding allegations of racial and homophobic slurs documented in the police report, which first had been obtained by NBCSports.com.)

The fact that the victim isn't actually Jewish, and the fact that his lawyers actually are, is of no relevance to us.  Manning allegedly committed a hate crime, and by all appearances he's generally gotten a slap on the wrist at worst and/or a pass at best from the prosecution, the court system, his team, the league and, until Sunday, most of the mainstream media.

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LIVE BLOG TONIGHT

Yeah, the Packers-Seahawks matchup has a pretty good chance of sucking.  Much like it did the last time ESPN sent a few thousand employees to Seattle.  

But we're committed to the Monday night Live Blog, regardless of the teams involved.  Unless, of course, the game really does suck, at which time we reserve the right to pull the plug in protest.  Much like we did the last time ESPN sent a few thousand employees to Seattle.

We'll get the thing started at around 7:00 p.m. EST with periodic updates during the pregame show, and continuous thoughts and nonsense and other crap once the game gets rolling.

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THIS WEEK'S OVERT EFFORT TO DRIVE TRAFFIC TO ANOTHER PAGE ON THE SITE

We've already cobbled together our official, rules-based take on the ridiculous call of an illegal forward pass that contributed to the ninth loss of the season for the Oakland Raiders.  We'll be posting it as part of our Week Twelve Ten-Pack.

Why, you ask?  Because we realized last week that our decision to address the Michael Irvin-Tony Romo brouhaha in the Ten-Pack resulted in more eyeballs than ever checking out the popular supplement to the Rumor Mill.

If you're not checking out the Ten-Pack, you're missing our ten weekly takes on the most recent slate of games.  (You're also making us sad.)

So stay tuned for the new Ten-Pack.  You might not agree with our assessment of the rules relating to the fateful call, but we predict that you'll find yourself pondering our argument while you otherwise should be thinking about more important things, like work responsibilities and family issues.

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POSTED 4:19 a.m. EDT; UPDATED 4:55 a.m. EST, November 27, 2006

IRVIN APOLOGIZES, OFF THE AIR

Michael McCarthy of USA Today reports that ESPN analyst Michael Irvin has apologized for his comments regarding Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo.

The apology ends up in print a full week after the incident, and it conveniently was made off the air.

"It's clear I was joking around.  But I understand my comments were inappropriate.  I apologize for those comments," Irvin told McCarthy in a phone interview.

Irvin said last Monday on The Dan Patrick Show that one possible explanation for Romo's exceptional athletic ability is that one of his female ancestors mated with a slave.

Said ESPN spokesman Mike Soltys:  "Generalizations about heritage are inappropriate even in jest, and what Michael said was wrong.  We have spoken to Michael about it."

Even more inappropriate, in our assessment, is that there wasn't a hint of an apology until after an AP column ripping Irvin for his comments was published over the weekend.  So did ESPN not decide until before the conclusion of Sunday's two-hour pregame show that what Irvin had said was wrong?  Or was the network merely monitoring the extent to which the story grew (or, as they hoped, stagnated) before deciding when to pull the pin on the "I'm sorry" option?

Um, it's the latter.

Don't get us wrong on this.  It's good that Irvin apologized.  And the fact that the apology will appear in the Monday morning edition of a national daily that we've been reading on a near-daily basis since the early 1980s means that the story will finally get the widespread attention it deserves.

With that said, we were a little troubled by McCarthy's seemingly gratuitous dig at those (like us) who forced the story into the mainstream by complaining so loudly about it.

"[T]he stylized, Kabuki-style reaction to these media-driven controversies suggests there's hypocrisy to go around," McCarthy writes.  "Some critics screaming for Irvin's head are driven more by jealousy or animosity for a TV personality they don't like.  It's also frighteningly easy to screw up on live TV/radio."

As a preliminary matter, we're not sure that reference to a theatrical tradition in which performers paint their faces white is the best choice in this particular situation.  On a deeper level, we find it ironic that McCarthy would make Irvin's apology the focal point of his Monday submission and then shake a crooked finger at the very folks who helped keep the issue alive through a Holiday weekend in which many members of the "real" media were either on vacation or mailing it in.

Then again, McCarthy might have felt (consciously or otherwise) the need to express gratitude for the decision of Irvin and ESPN to hand-feed the apology to him.  Or maybe McCarthy's decision to take up for Irvin was simply part of the deal, if indeed a quid pro quo of any kind was negotiated (expressly or otherwise) for access to Irvin.

As to McCarthy's suggestion that it's "frighteningly easy to screw up on live TV/radio," that's all the more reason (in our view) that former players shouldn't be given unlimited license to appear on live TV/radio until they have proven that they understand, on an extemporaneous basis, the line between what is and isn't proper.  In Irvin's case, ESPN continues to throw caution to the wind because some focus group somewhere has opined that they "like" Irvin.  (And because Irvin delivers "exclusive" softball sessions with "troubled" NFL players who "identify" with the Playmaker.) 

Bottom line --  if Irvin isn't going to be held accountable for what he says on the air, then ESPN should be held accountable for putting him on it.

And McCarthy's lame-o excuse for Irvin's actions can be applied to any situation in which offensive words or conduct invade our ears or eyes.  "It's frighteningly easy," McCarthy might have said after halftime of Super Bowl XXXVIII, "for a breast to spring out of a shirt on live TV."

McCarthy closes out his column by noting that Irvin might have benefited from having a babysitter like ESPN partner Tom Jackson to reel him in.  But then McCarthy notes that, when Jackson tried to do so earlier this year by asking Irvin whether he was "retarded," Jackson became the subject of criticism.

First, Jackson wasn't criticized in very many spaces other than this one, so he really wasn't criticized in the "real" media sense. 

Second, what the heck is your point here, McCarthy?  Are you saying that it's okay for someone to say stupid and/or offensive things on live TV/radio in order to prevent someone else from doing so?  Or are you just merely making sure that the folks in Bristol are sufficiently pleased with the kid-gloves treatment you've given to an embarrassing issue that was destined to get out in widespread fashion after the AP pounced on it?

We've known for a while that ESPN/ABC/Disney owns pretty much every channel on the dial.  We must have missed the press release announcing Mickey Mouse's acquisition of USA Today.

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VICK APOLOGIZES, TOO

In contrast to ESPN's Michael Irvin, who apologized nearly a week after engaging in activities for which an apology became necessary, Falcons quarterback Michael Vick already has issued a hollow "I'm sorry" for flipping a dirty bird (or two) to fans who were jeering him as he walked off of the Georgia Dome playing surface after Sunday's loss to the Saints.  Closer review of replays of the incident also shows Vick mouthing "f--k you" once or twice to the fans.

The difference?  Vick's antics almost instantly became national news, giving the Falcons little choice but to do something to show deference to the folks who pay Vick's salary.

And, conveniently, the apology wasn't in the form of an interview.  Instead, it came via a statement released by the team.

"First and foremost, I would like to apologize for my inappropriate actions with fans today," the statement reads.   "I was frustrated and upset at how the game was going for my team, and that frustration came out the wrong way.  That’s not what I'm about.  That's not what the Atlanta Falcons are about.  I simply lost my cool in the heat of the moment.  I apologize and look forward to putting this incident behind me."

(We like how the lawyers and/or P.R. people threw in the "That's not what I'm about" line.  It makes the whole thing sound a lot less like it was written by lawyers and/or P.R. people.)

The irony of all of this is that Vick apparently had trouble accepting the copious apologies from coach Jim Mora regarding the much-publicized "coach killer" comments of his father.  Now, Vick will rely upon Falcons fans to demonstrate the same kind of understanding and charity toward him that he was reluctant to give to Mora and his father.

And Vick's actions, in our view, were far worse than the words of the elder Mora.

Fortunately for Vick and the Falcons, the team won't have to face the home crowd until December 16, a full three weeks after the incident.  That'll give owner Arthur Blank plenty of time to repair the damage via the purchase of full-page ads in the AJC and other obvious efforts to stave off a revolt.  But we've got a feeling that, unless the Falcons win both of their upcoming games at Tampa and at Washington in convincing fashion, there will be hell to pay when Vick and company return to town.

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POSTED 8:50 p.m. EST; UPDATED 9:13 p.m. EST, November 26, 2006

RAIDERS GET SCREWED!

We've received a flurry of e-mails from irate Raiders fans, and we've seen highlights of the play that has Raider Nation up in arms.

And we fully agree with them on this one.

With the Raiders leading (surprisingly) 14-7 and less than twelve minutes to play in the game, the Chargers were facing fourth down and two yards to go at the Oakland 40.  San Diego quarterback Philip Rivers threw a 13-yard pass to receiver Vincent Jackson, who got up and pulled a Plaxico Burress, spiking the ball without having been touched down.  (Just last week, the Colts believed that Cowboys tight end Anthony Fasano had done the same thing, but a replay review showed he was down by contact.) 

The Raiders recovered the ball.  So it was Raiders ball, right?

Wrong.

After a 10-minute discussion among the zebras, the ruling wasn't that Jackson had fumbled, but that he had thrown an illegal forward pass. 

An illegal forward pass!  Are you f--king kidding me?

End result?  The Chargers kept the ball, with a five-yard penalty.

It was, without question, the worst, stupidest, most bone-headed, nonsensical call we have seen in the NFL.  Ever.  We don't know whether the officials generally are out to screw the Raiders, but if they are we suggest a tad more subtlety.

And we suggest that the entire officiating crew summarily be fired.  Every one of them.  Mike Carey, Garth DeFelice, Steve Stelljes, Mark Perlman, Tom Fincken, Bill Schmitz, and Buddy Horton.  Though the referee is ultimately responsible for the decision, the fact that not one of the other officials was able to coerce some sense into Carey on such an obvious blunder means that none of them is fit to wear the black hat and the funky striped shirt.

[UPDATE:  The NFL is already circling the wagons on this one, with director of officiating Mike Pereira telling ESPN's Chris Mortensen that the call was correct.  ESPN.com claims that there is precedent for the call, pointing to the same Plaxico Burress blu