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:  

--------------------------------------------------------------

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.

--------------------------------------------------------------

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 blunder set forth above.  The only problem with that?  The Burress play was ruled a fumble.)

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POSTED 7:52 p.m. EST; UPDATED 8:09 p.m. EST, November 26, 2006

VICK FLIPS OFF FALCONS FANS

According to the Associated Press and NBC's Football Night in America (And On Tape Delay In Kazakhstan), Falcons quarterback Michael Vick made multiple obscene gestures to the fans at the Georgia Dome after Sunday's loss to the Saints.

Vick ran for 166 yards and passed for only 84 in the team's fourth straight loss after back-to-back wins that had many of the sock puppets ready to declare that Vick finally had arrived.

But after reaching one of the highest points in his career, Vick is now at the nadir of his NFL existence.  He stewed over recent comments from the father of coach Jim Mora, and we continue to believe, perhaps more strongly than ever, that Vick will ask for a ticket out of town after the season, barring an unexpected turnaround that vaults the Falcons into playoff position.

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EDWARDS GOES TURDISH ON FRYE

Television cameras on Sunday afternoon captured images of an animated Braylon Edwards chewing out and grabbing at the jersey of Browns quarterback Charlie Frye.

The incident occurred in the midst of the 30-0 pasting of the Browns at home by the Bengals, and will do nothing to stamp out rumors that G.M. Phil Savage is soon to have "former" affixed before his name.

And as for Braylon Edwards -- dude, shut up and keep your mitts to yourself until you've shown that you can play at the same level as the other wideouts who act like buttholes.  Even though NBC's Peter King reports that Edwards was upset with the offensive line and not with Frye, the guy needs to learn how to control himself.

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POSTED 5:16 p.m. EST, November 26, 2006

POLAMALU MIGHT HAVE "SIGNIFICANT" KNEE INJURY

In a throwaway "note" at the bottom of the story on the team's official web site regarding Sunday's 27-0 thumping at Baltimore, Teresa Varley writes that Steelers safety Troy Polamalu "may have a 'significant' knee injury."

With five games to play and the Steelers' playoff hopes likely dashed at 4-7, "significant" likely means "season-ending."  The bigger question, as we see it, is whether and to what extent any injury will impact his preparation for the 2007 season, which also happens to be the final year of his rookie contract.

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POSTED 11:54 a.m. EST; LAST UPDATED 12:58 p.m. EST, November 26, 2006

BLANK HAS HEART-TO-HEART WITH VICK

How bad has the situation gotten in Atlanta in the wake of Jim Mora, Sr.'s suggestion that the starting quarterback of the team his son coaches is a "coach killer"?  It's deteriorated to the point where, according to Chris Mortensen of ESPN, team owner Arthur Blank had a heart-to-heart discussion on Friday with said starting quarterback, Mike Vick.

Blank urged Vick not to hold Jim Mora, Jr. responsible for his father's comments, explaining that the team did not hold Vick responsible for the bone-headed actions earlier in the year of his brother, Marcus.

But there's a difference here, and Vick likely senses it.  The Moras surely talk from time to time, and the son surely is candid with his father regarding the state of the team that the son coaches.  So the father's opinions surely were influenced by the things he's heard over time from his son.

Should the elder Mora have refrained from comment regarding his son's team?  Probably.  But the issue here isn't whether the coach's father offended the coach's quarterback.  As we see it, the issue is whether the father's words provided a window into the coach's mind.

We think they do.  So no matter how hard anyone tries to deny it now, the cat is out of the bag and peeing all over the living room.

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BRONCOS IN DARK ABOUT CUTLER

Although the media generally knows that rookie quarterback Jay Cutler will get the start next week for the Broncos, Jay Glazer of FOX reports that coach Mike Shanahan has yet to tell the team that Cutler will get the nod.

This has prompted speculation within the locker room that Shanahan himself is the source of leaks to reporters regarding the replacement of veteran Jake Plummer with Cutler.

What it means to the organization remains to be seen, but an air of uncertainty and mistrust can't help a 7-4 team that has lost two in a row and could find itself not playing football in January, if Cutler stumbles.

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SUNDAY AFTERNOON ONE-LINERS

Giants G.M. Ernie Accorsi once called QB Eli Manning a "once-in-a-decade" player.  (Hopefully that's true, because the Giants couldn't afford to have two of them.)

Actually, both New York starting quarterbacks are slumping.

Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports that contract discussions between the Steelers and coach Bill Cowher maxed out at $6 million per year, at the back end of the deal.

Fins RB Ronnie Brown could be out "several weeks."

Packers LB Abdul Hodge will start in place of MLB Nick Barnett (hand) on Monday night.

The Steelers have elevated WR Walter Young from the practice squad.  (He's the dude who almost wiped out the Poobah during training camp.)

Vikings coach Brad Childress has a couple of impersonators.

Is Denny done?  (Does the Pope sh-t in the woods?)

Dolphins receivers coach Charlie Baggett is a finalist for the Michigan State job.

Bears LB Brian Urlacher has no sacks in 21 games, but he's doing a pretty good job while staying home in passing situations.

The pressure has turned up a few notches on the Soup Nazi and Coach Tiki.

Jesse Palmer, at only 28, is working as a game analyst for FOX.

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POSTED 11:34 a.m. EST, November 26, 2006

CUTLER IN, PLUMMER OUT

Chris Mortensen of ESPN reports that the Broncos have elevated rookie quarterback Jay Cutler to starter, and will stick with him for the rest of the season.

Adam Schefter of NFLN reported several days ago that the move to Cutler would have occurred for the Week Twelve game at Kansas City, if there had been a full week to prepare.  The Broncos played the Chiefs on Thanksgiving night, four days after a Sunday night home loss to the Chargers.

Per Mortensen, Broncos coach Mike Shanahan was tired of former starter Jake Plummer's "limitations and inconsistencies."

Mort also says that Plummer expressed during Thursday night's game "fatigue" over the coach's criticism of his play. 

Moving forward, Plummer won't have to worry about being criticized.

Cutler was the eleventh overall pick in the 2006 draft.  There have been reports that Cutler was rated as the top player on the Broncos' board.

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POSTED 11:23 a.m. EST, November 26, 2006

AP RIPS IRVIN

Although, to our surprise, not many Sunday columnists had anything to say about Michael Irvin's genetics lecture from six days ago, a writer from a little-known organization that is generally identified by the letters "A" and "P" has slammed Irvin for his comments in a column that already appears on nearly two dozen newspaper web sites.

Here is the relevant excerpt, from Tim Dahlberg:

POSTED 11:03 a.m. EST, November 26, 2006

WEEK TWELVE FANTASY PICKS AND PUNKS

While sulking through a Saturday evening after our Mountaineers lost to the alma mater of the Gramaticas, we forgot to post this week's Picks and Punks. 

We've now emerged from our funk (sort of), and we suppose it's better late than never to provide a head's up on who to use and who to ignore this weekend.  As always, the input comes from our pal Charch of Fanball.com, PFT's official fantasy partner.

First, the guys to use:

Matt Hasselbeck, quarterback, Seahawks:  The Packers are 31st against the pass, and Hasselbeck is itching to help the defending NFC champs get back on track.

Brett Favre, quarterback, Packers:  The Seahawks haven't faced many quality quarterbacks this year.  They'll get one on Monday night, and the scoreboard will be rolling for both teams.

Michael Robinson, running back, 49ers:  The Niners have scored five rushing touchdown in their last three games against Rams, and Robinson gets the goal-line touches.

Michael Turner, running back, Chargers:  Look for Turner to get plenty of reps in garbage time as the Chargers steamroll the Raiders, again.

Tim Carter, wide receiver, Giants:  Though the New York passing game has been in a funk of late, the Titans have allowed 10 touchdowns by air in the last four games.

Bernard Berrian, receiver, Bears:  The Pats' secondary is banged up and Berrian has been overlooked of late. 

Now, the guys to avoid:

Mike Vick, quarterback, Falcons:  Vick has only two touchdown passes in his last three games against the Saints.

Steve McNair, quarterback, Ravens:  Baltimore has topped 19 points in only one of the last six meetings against the Steelers, with only three touchdown passes against the boys from the 'Burgh since 2002.

Marc Bulger, quarterback, Rams:  With Orlando Pace out, this offense is the Greatest Show on Turd.

Willie Parker, running back, Steelers:  We're not saying he should be benched, but don't expect much from Parker against a quality defense on a surging team.

Edgerrin James, running back, Cardinals:  The Vikings held Ronnie Brown of the Fins to two yards last week; Edgerrin James could end up with negative-20.

Hines Ward, wide receiver, Steelers:  He's got only one touchdown in his last five games against the Ravens.

Randy Moss, wide receiver, Raiders:  The Former Freak had no catches last week, and the Raiders haven't topped 17 points in the last six games against the Chargers.

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POSTED 6:39 p.m. EST, November 25, 2006

MILLEN FIRED?

The rumors and rumblings and innuendo have intensified over the past few days, but there's still nothing concrete.  There's talk in league and industry circles that Lions President/CEO Matt Millen could be dumped after nearly six seasons of general ineptitude.

Terry Fostor of the Detroit News reports the existence of the rumors, but also says that Millen denies that any changes are coming.

An industry source with knowledge of the dynamics told us on Wednesday that a poor showing by the Lions in the team's annual Thanksgiving Day game at Ford Field might be the catalyst to get Millen out the door.  But since Thursday the source has heard nothing specific regarding a possible separation.

Though the cries for Millen's head have been rampant, the thinking had been that owner William Clay Ford, Sr. would stick with Millen indefinitely. 

Millen received an extension in 2005, and he has said that he would not pursue a buyout if he were released from the balance of his contract.

Meanwhile, at least one league insider has raised the question of whether Lions chief operating officer Tom Lewand also should be fired if/when Millen goes.  Lewand is one of the various NFL non-football business types who have their finger in the pot but who generally escape accountability when things go poorly because they're not "football guys."  Some believe that Lewand is a bigger part of the problem than Millen.

Indeed, it appears that Lewand and not Millen is ultimately responsible for the most recent embarrassment involving the franchise, which occurred when the Ford Field staff tried to stoke booing of former Lions quarterback Joey Harrington, who was making his first appearance in Detroit as a member of another team.  Although Millen carries the title of President/CEO, which suggests that anything and everything that happens is within his domain, the team's media guide expressly states that Lewand is responsible for the day-to-day operations at Ford Field.

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POSTED 8:52 a.m. EST; UPDATED 9:18 a.m. EST, November 25, 2006

HAVING NFLN DOESN'T MEAN GETTING NFL GAMES

Picture this.  You've spent all day eating food and watching football on television and eating food and watching football on television and drinking beer and watching football on television and eating food.  The extended family has finally cleared out of the house, the first two NFL games have ended, and the third one is getting started soon.

There's been plenty of controversy in the newspapers about the inability of the NFL and cable companies like Time Warner to strike agreements regarding the addition of the league's in-house network, but it's not an issue for you.  Your cable company has NFLN, and while 70 million households will be unable to watch the Chiefs and the Broncos, you'll be gnawing on some more dead turkey while Jake Plummer launches a few wounded ducks.

But then something happens.  It's time for the game to start, but it's not on.  You grab the remote and punch in the numbers for NFLN again, but instead of the Chiefs and Broncos there's an NFL Films production about some old team from Pottstown.

What the f--k? you shout.  Then your wife gently reminds you that your five-year-old son is sitting next to you.

That scene played out in more than a few households on Thursday night, due to the fact that NFLN imposes an additional fee to cable companies for the ability to broadcast live regular-season games, and some cable providers simply chose not to pay it.

The problem is that some of the cable providers who chose not to pay the extra fee apparently neglected to tell their customers that the Thursday night game would not be available.

NFL spokesman Greg Aiello confirmed via e-mail on Friday that an extra charge applies.  "Yes, fees were adjusted to reflect the value of NFL Network with NFL games, which are the highest-rated programming on television," Aiello said.  "Cable operators that carried NFL Network prior to NFL Network acquiring the rights to the games had two choices:  [(1)] Carry NFL Network with the game package on terms that 170 cable providers throughout the country have accepted as fair, reasonable, and a good value[; or (2)] Let customers know of their choice in time for them to do something about it.  A handful of cable operators apparently chose to do neither."

At a time when Congress already has expressed concern about consumer access to games aired on NFLN, this development is, to say the least, unfortunate.  Though we don't question the ability of the NFL to get fairly compensated for its immensely popular product, this strikes us as one of those situations in which the inability of the parties to resolve their differences in a satisfactory manner will result in a third party (i.e., the government) imposing a resolution on them.  

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ELI, TIKI "SCARED" BY MONDAY NIGHT SMACK TALK?

A league source tells us that, in the New York Giants most recent game against the Jacksonville Jaguars, members of the Jags' defense perceived that running back Tiki Barber and quarterback Eli Manning were "scared" in response to smack-talk from the opponents.  We're also told that, in response to the verbal attacks, none of the teammates of Barber and Manning intervened on their behalf.

The conclusion reached was that neither player is particularly well-liked in the locker room.  Manning, as we've previously observed, isn't a leader.  He has the personality of a radish, and he too often seems like he just doesn't care.

Barber is a different story.  Though no one on the team has shared publicly the locker room opinions of Coach Tiki, league insiders are becoming increasingly turned off by Barber.  Our guess is that his teammates are starting to feel the same way, especially after Barber's lame-ass excuse for publicly dissing the coaching staff for the second time in less than a year.

Said Barber in defense of his comments:  "You guys ask me questions and I tell you the truth.  I tell you what's on my mind.  I think if I said anything other than the truth, that would compromise who I am and that would be doing you guys a disservice."

These remarks have prompted a rebuke from a league source, who was shocked that Barber would be so disloyal to his team and teammates.

"So let me get this straight," the source opined to us, "based on these words, he as a greater sense of responsibility and loyalty to the media than he does the Giants' ownership, the Giants' coaches and his teammates?  Now, for a guy that is as smart as Tiki, couldn't he cobble together some reasonable quote without just trashing people?  Isn't he so much smarter than everyone else? 

"He is smart and cunning when it is in his best interests, but when he has an agenda he suddenly becomes holier than thou.  Hey, Mr. Integrity, did you tell the Giants that you were going to bail out on them before the end of your contract?  Did the Giants publicly trash you and leave you out to dry when you consistently led the league in fumbles?  So why not use your selective intellect to do something good for your team?

"He has always been a tremendous talent and skilled football player, but because of his selfishness, arrogance and me-me-me bullcrap, he never has and never will be a champion."

Amen, we say.  Why in the hell is Barber the least bit concerned about "doing a disservice" to the media?  It appears that he's simply thinking more about taking care of the members of his future industry than the guys who inhabit his current one.

Attention, Giants players and coaches.  Coach Tiki has just given you the green light to disclose anything and everything you want to say about him.  After all, failure to speak your mind on these topics would be a disservice to the media.

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POSTED 12:01 a.m. EST; UPDATED 12:45 a.m. EST, November 25, 2006

MORE ON PATS' SCALPING SUIT

We've rolled up our sleeves and tracked down some more information regarding the lawsuit filed on Tuesday by the New England Patriots against online ticket scalping company StubHub.

Okay, actually the stuff kind of fell into our laps but, hey, we take what we can get.

The action, as we understand it, isn't an effort by the team to attack the near-universal and long-standing practice of people selling tickets to sporting events for value greater than the price printed on the things.  Whether it's a guy with a computer or a laminated piece of cardboard with "I NEED TICKETS" in block letters, someone always will be looking to make a buck (or a few hundred) via the re-selling of seats.

The Patriots are focusing on a more specific dynamic -- the focused efforts of StubHub to induce season-ticket holders to engage in activities that violate their individual agreements with the franchise.

Put simply, the folks who have secured the ability to buy tickets to all Patriots home games agree not to re-sell the tickets at an increased price.  For individuals who can't use their tickets to a given game, the team maintains a waiting list of folks who can acquire the tickets at face value, plus a relatively small service charge from Ticketmaster.

StubHub, we're told, was placed on notice of these contractual rights and responsibilities, yet has continued to induce season ticket holders to breach their agreements via specific advertisements in publications like the Boston Globe, which ads contain messages like "Are you a Patriots season-ticket holder who can't sell your tickets?" 

The prevalence of the advertising efforts caused the organization to become concerned that the franchise is condoning the practice.  The other problem is that some of the tickets bought and sold through StubHub are counterfeit.  Per a source with knowledge of the situation, roughly 30 tickets per game purchased via StubHub end up being phony.  And although StubHub eventually refunds the money, the consumers typically must jump through multiple hoops to make it happen.

Thus, one of the claims in the lawsuit is that StubHub has tortiously interfered with the team's relationship with its season-ticket holders, and the primary goal is to get the company to stop the practice.  Any damages recovered will go to the Patriots Charitable Foundation, not to the team itself.

With all that said, the decision of the Patriots to pursue the action against StubHub creates a real risk that the media will begin to scrutinize more carefully the involvement of teams in the scalping of tickets -- including the widespread manner in which some teams turn profits on the sale of Super Bowl seats.  But it appears that StubHub backed the Patriots into a corner on this one, and it should prompt any NFL team that maintains a relationship with StubHub to re-examine the wisdom of dealing with a company that might have provoked a course of action that, depending on how the dominoes fall, could eventually make it harder to realize those late January windfalls.

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EARLY SATURDAY MORNING ONE-LINERS

Coach Kevlar isn't saying whether Jake Plummer or Jay Cutler will get the start on December 3.

Sal Paolantonio of ESPN.com suggests that Jeff Garcia is getting the nod over A.J. Feeley at quarterback in order to prevent a Feeley-or-McNabb controversy next season.

The Commish isn't ruling out the possibility of Kansas City becoming the permanent anchor for the Thanksgiving Day nightcap.

Dolphins RB Ronnie Brown is out indefinitely after having surgery Friday on a broken left hand.

It sounds to us as if Browns WR Braylon Edwards is trying to make sure he doesn't get the Brian Russell treatment from a member of the Bengals on Sunday.

Vikings S Darren Sharper was fined $15,000 for bumping a referee last week.

Seahawks C Robbie Tobeck has been hospitalized with an abscess in his left hip.

Raiders DT Warren Sapp insists that his food was tampered with during road trips while with the Bucs.  (Apparently, Sapp's strategy for neutralizing the poison was to chase the tainted food with lots of cupcakes.)

Pats P Josh Miller has been placed on IR with a shoulder injury.

Redskins WR Santana Moss (hamstring) is expected to play on Sunday.

Chiefs owner Lamar Hunt was unable to watch his team beat the Broncos on Thursday night because the Dallas-area hospital into which Hunt was admitted on Wednesday doesn't get NFL Network.

Sunday's Jags at Bills game will be blacked out in Buffalo.

Coach Tiki defended his decision to air the team's dirty laundry with this:  "You guys ask me questions and I tell you the truth.  I tell you what's on my mind.  I think if I said anything other than the truth, that would compromise who I am and that would be doing you guys a disservice."  (Gee, Tiki, how about saying something truthful like, "I prefer not to betray my coaching staff and teammates by talking publicly about private matters.")

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POSTED 3:29 p.m. EST, November 24, 2006

ROMO-GATE GAINING MOMENTUM

Although we initially believed that the Thanksgiving holiday might take some steam out of the storm that has developed regarding the Jimmy "The Greek"-style comments of ESPN's Michael Irvin, several publications have kept the story alive.

And the exceptional Thursday performance of the object of the remarks, Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo, could give the story legs heading into the weekend.

On Monday, Irvin explained on ESPN Radio's The Dan Patrick Show that Romo's supreme athletic skills could be due to a dalliance in days gone by between one of Romo's female ancestors and a slave.  The remarks initially went unnoticed, but by Wednesday several commentators (including Mike Freeman of CBSSportsline.com and Jason Whitlock of AOL) and web sites were shining a spotlight on the situation.

Says Chris Zelkovich of the Toronto Star:  "Joke or not, by my count, that's offensive to blacks, whites, grandmothers and humanity in general." 

Jay Posner of the San Diego Union-Tribune asks "Where's the outrage?" in a column that addresses the Irvin comments, in addition to other items.  Observes Posner:  "Irvin was laughing while he was talking, but ask yourself this:  What would the reaction have been if Steve Young had made those comments?  Why is this any different?"

Addressing the fact that the incident largely has been ignored, David Whitley of the Orlando Sentinel makes a great point:  "Whatever the reason, there's been no comment from ESPN, much less an apology/explanation from Michael the Greek. There's no need to comment, of course, because the incident hasn't made ESPN, ESPNU, ESPN Classic, ESPN.com, ESPN Texas Hold 'Em or any of the other tentacles.  It shows you the danger of media conglomeration."

So what next?  On Tuesday night, we asked Mac Nwulu, ESPN spokesman, for a comment via e-mail, but have not yet heard from him.  Though it could be that Nwulu is taking some well-deserved time off, we continue to hear that ESPN is petrified about the situation, and that the powers-that-be in Bristol hope that the story dies. 

"The thought of firing two of its commentators -- Rush [Limbaugh] and Irvin -- scares the crap out of them," said one source.  "Imagine if that happened.  It would be unprecedented in TV history to have two broadcasters from the same network fired for racial comments." 

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POSTED 11:48 a.m. EST; LAST UPDATED 12:29 p.m. EST, November 24, 2006

AL DAVIS HAS BEEN TRYING TO SELL

A league source with knowledge of the situation, but who has requested anonymity due to the sensitive nature of the discussions, tells us that Raiders owner Al Davis has been trying to sell a 30-percent stake in the team, with a path to control of the organization upon his demise.

Talks have occurred with "a bunch" of parties, but no deal has been consummated.

The problem, per the source, is that the clarity of the path to control is subject to debate.

Though identified as the "owner" on the team's official web site, Davis technically is the managing general partner of the Raiders.  (Actually, the legal title, as we understand it, goes like this:  "managing general partner of the general partner.")

Per the source, Davis doesn't own 51 percent of the team, but under the legal structure that has been in place for decades Davis is the guy who runs it.

So if Davis isn't in a position to provide a clear path to control upon his demise the question, as we see it, is whether he likewise has the ability to bequeath control upon his passing.  It could be that he doesn't, and the homework assignment for the members of the "real" media with the time, resources, and inclination to take the baton is to round up information as to the full gamut of persons who hold an interest in the team -- and to get access to documents that detail how it is that Davis has been in charge for so long, and how the power vacuum will be filled once he is no longer in position to run the team.

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EASING THE BLACK FRIDAY BLUES

As folks throughout the country work off the fried turkey with heavy gravy and pumpkin pie with real whipped cream and three glasses of wine with four more by pushing carts through crowds of fellow shoppers, we implore everyone to find an easier course to filling out the Christmas list this year.

Buy cell phones.  Specifically, Sprint phones or Nextel phones.

It's easy.  It's fast.  It doesn't require you to find a patch of grass on which to squeeze the SUV a half-mile from the mall, so that after making the long trek inside you can try to work your way around the large back sides of people who eat like every day is Thanksgiving Day in order to scavenge for stuff that already has been purchased by someone else.

So click on the Sprint ads on this page, and then let nature take its course. 

And for those of you who are in the process compiling lists of the things you want Santa to drop under the tree, make sure you put a Sprint phone at the top of the page.  Without Sprint, you won't have access to features like NFL Mobile, a free service that provides news, updates, fantasy tracking, and real-time stats and scores.

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SMOOT BENCHED, WILLIAMSON DEMOTED

The Vikings have benched cornerback Fred Smoot, according to Sean Jensen of the St. Paul Pioneer Press.  He'll be replaced by rookie Cedric Griffin.

The move calls into question Smoot's future with the team.  He was signed as a free agent prior to the 2005 season, but since the Vikings used a high-dollar roster bonus in lieu of a signing bonus, the bulk of the cap charge was taken in year one of the relationship.

Smoot's salary shoots from $800,000 in 2006 to $2.7 million in 2007.  He's also scheduled to earn $4.9 million, $5.6 million, and $4.9 million in 2008, 2009, and 2010, respectively.

Griffin, in contrast, will make $365,000, $445,000, and $530,000, respectively, in 2007, 2008, and 2009.

The move to Griffin isn't surprising, since the Cover 2 defense the Vikings now employ requires hard-nosed play and sound tackling from the cornerbacks.  Smoot is more of a finesse player in the mold of Deion "Don't Hurt Me" Sanders.  As legend has it, Smoot struggled to get a single rep on the 225-pound bench-press at the scouting combine in 2001. 

Jensen also reports that receiver Troy Williamson likely will have reduced snaps, due to his ongoing problems with catching the football.  The No. 7 overall pick in 2005 leads the league with 10 drops.  He was replaced by Marcus Robinson in the starting lineup in Week Eleven, and has faded badly after strong performances in the first two games of the season.

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POSTED 10:39 a.m. EST, November 24, 2006

LIONS ENCOURAGED BOOING OF JOEY

There's an old saying in Tennessee, I know it's in Texas, probably in Tennessee:  He who laughs last . . . is the last one to be laughing. 

Anyway, former Lions quarterback Joey Harrington is the last one to laughing now, after a return to Ford Field resulted in a victory by his new team, the Dolphins, over the franchise that made him the No. 3 overall pick in the 2002 draft.

But based on reports in the Miami Herald and at Mlive.com, it appears that the Lions went out of their way to promote booing of Harrington on Thursday.

For example, the Dolphins asked for their defense to be introduced, but the public address announcer called out Harrington's name prior to the game, prompting a loud chorus of boos.  And the video operator at Ford Field repeatedly displayed images of Harrington, which would provoke more boos for a crowd that otherwise was silent in yet another miserable performance by the home team, which saw a 10-0 lead melt into a 27-10 loss.

''I don't have a lot of respect for what they did,'' Dolphins coach Nick Saban said regarding the crowd's treatment of Harrington. "He's been respectful to them, and he did a good job today.

"I don't really see where there's a place for that in sports.  Nothing has to be that personal.''

In our view, it's yet another reason for the Ford family to sever ties with Millen.  He's not the General Manager of the team; he's the President and CEO.  So the buck stops on his TV tray whenever anyone in the organization does something stupid, classless, or uncalled for.

A year ago, security at Ford Field relentlessly chased and ultimately jacked up a guy who dared to display a grocery bag with the words "Fire Millen" scrawled on it.  Now, the same staff at the same stadium goes out of its way to encourage harassment of a guy who finally played a good game in the venue -- possibly because he was playing against the team for which he used to play.

And don't be surprised if there's renewed talk about change in the wake of Thursday's loss.  Regardless of the booing brouhaha, the Lions were embarrassed again on Thanksgiving Day -- and this time it came at the hands of one of their biggest draft-day failures.

Remember this.  It was a poor performance on Thanksgiving in 2005 that resulted in coach Steve Mariucci getting fired; in our view, this year's version of the now-annual Detroit Lions Turkey Day turkey sh-t performance should be the last act of a dreadful six-year reign.

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POSTED 8:37 a.m. EST, UPDATED 9:22 a.m. EST, November 23, 2006

PATS SUE STUBHUB

In a stunning move that could do more harm to the NFL than good, the New England Patriots have sued online ticket reseller StubHub for encouraging violation of the Massachusetts antiscalping laws.

The landmark suit also names 52 individuals who re-sold Patriots tickets via the StubHub service, and the Patriots seek as damages three times the revenue StubHub and the other defendants earned through the online sales of tickets to New England games, along with an injunction against further resale of Patriots tickets by StubHub.

The problem is that more than a few NFL teams currently are in bed with companies like StubHub, engaging in "partnerships" that indirectly funnel money realized via ticket scalping to owners.  A high-level executive with one team defended the practice in a conversation with us several months ago, explaining that for fans of modest income the ability of a season-ticket holder to sell seats at a markup to one game per year makes the total package of tickets affordable -- and it helps other fans willing and able to pay fair market value obtain access to NFL games.

The practical consequence of the Patriots' lawsuit could be the disruption (if not the evaporation) of these partnerships, since the league will likely be forced to conjure a consistent policy for all teams as to whether business arrangements with scalpers in cubicles is desirable or permitted.  The media also might begin to probe these transactions more carefully for evidence of abuse.

In September, for example, it was discovered that Cowboys-Eagles standing-room-only tickets were available on RazorGator.com, the Eagles' online ticket reselling partner, even though the tickets had not been made available for sale to the public.  The initial suspicion was that the team was funneling tickets on a preferential basis to RazorGator.  In the end, the fact was that RazorGator was selling seats that it had not yet acquired, prompting a cease-and-desist demand from the team.

But the mere fact that NFL teams do business with companies that are scalping tickets by high-tech means (and, as in the RazorGator case, allegedly taking improper liberties) should be a cause for alarm. 

To date, the warning signs have been ignored.  With the Patriots on the offensive against one of the leaders in the field, it'll be impossible (in our view) for the relationships between other teams and online scalpers to continue to escape scrutiny.

And there's another problem here that the team's legal action could inadvertently be exposing.

"What's the saying about people in glass houses?" said a league source regarding the lawsuit.  "Do the owners really want people poking around about the re-sale of Super Bowl tickets?  It might give exposure to something that most owners don't want seen."

Reports recently surfaced regarding a federal grand jury in Ohio, which is believed to be exploring the handling of Super Bowl tickets by members of the Browns organization.  And one of the league's dirty little secrets, as we understand it, is that some owners realize huge windfalls through the sale of "packages" that include the most coveted of all sports tickets.

In the end, the lid could soon be blown off of these practices, due in large part by the efforts of one team to prevent third parties from doing the very same thing that NFL types have been doing with Super Bowl tickets for years.

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WE'RE THANKFUL FOR YOU (AND FOR JOEY SUNSHINE)

As we pause the Holiday update so that the Poobah can get in a workout before heading to the dinner table like a hog on the hind end of a hunger strike, we'd like to say thanks.  To all of you.

We're thankful for every reader we have, because it's because of you that we've enjoyed five-plus years of growth, and that we can now tell our wives to shut up and count the money when they hound us about the amount of time we devote to this hobby turned part-time job turned second full-time job.  (We actually don't tell them to shut up.  We tell them to shut the f--k up.  Okay, actually they tell us that.)

Anyway, thank you.  To those who like us.  To those who hate us.  To those who are ambivalent but who nevertheless visit the site to make sure they're not missing something.

And we'd like to send out a special thanks to those who have purchased and who will purchase a Sprint or Nextel phone.  And Adam Archulete's "Freak of Training" workout video.  And Mike Freeman's new book.  And premium services at Fanball.com.

We're also thankful for the sport that we love:  squirrel fighting.  Oh, and football.  Though we routinely offer up criticism of players, coaches, agents, the NFLPA, and the league itself, we have a passion for the pro version of the sport and will always be here to offer news, rumors, and commentary about it.

So here's to what has been so far a great 2006.  We've got a feeling that the rest of the football season will make this one among the very best ever.   

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POSTED 7:38 a.m. EST, November 23, 2006

DIRECTV PLAYING DIRTY?

We'll admit that we haven't paid much attention to the ongoing feud between the NFL's in-house network and cable companies like Time Warner because, well, we've got NFLN, so the issue doesn't affect us. 

We're being facetious.  (Sort of.)  The issue is also pretty boring, with the main issue being NFLN trying to leverage the most possible money out of the cable companies by placing itself within the "basic" package and the Time Warners of the world wanting to put it on a higher tier, which necessarily would place it in less households.

So with NFLN preparing to air its first regular-season game on Thursday night, millions of American homes still don't have access to it.

This reality has prompted DirecTV to make a pitch for its satellite service via a full-page ad in Wednesday's USA Today.

"Thanksgiving is a time to give thanks," the ad proclaims in large letters, followed by this:  "You can thank Time Warner cable and Cablevision for not carrying NFL Network."

The ad then lists the eight regular season NFLN games that won't be available on cable systems that don't carry the station.  (And, by the way, the package of NFLN games looks better to us than the balance of the MNF slate.)

But the thing that caught our attention was a very misleading comment appearing at the bottom of a paragraph of text that appears at the bottom of the page.  "Playoffs are coming up," the ad reads, "so make sure you see them."

Huh?  Playoffs?  We're talking about playoffs?  On NFLN?

We know, we know.  The "them" to which the ad technically refers are the eight regular-season games to be aired on NFLN.  But to a casual observer, the "them" could be judged to be a reference to the word "playoffs." 

Oh, crap.  Playoff games will be on NFLN?  I'd better get a satellite.  Dish.  Thing.

Most people, we hope, will realize that playoff games have not yet been held back by the league for broadcast on its own network.  But some of them will be confused, and some of the confused will blindly dial up DirecTV to make a purchase and/or commence hassling their local cable provider.

At a time when Congress is already sniffing around the decision of the NFL to start its own television operation and to include within the content games that ordinarily would be available via broadcast networks or cable channels to which 99 percent of the country has access, we think it's incredibly stoopid for DirecTV to stoke the fire by making disingenuous suggestions in its print ads.

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POSTED 6:54 a.m. EST, November 23, 2006

WHAT NEXT FOR EAGLES?

There's plenty of talk in league circles regarding the future direction of the Philadelphia Eagles.  With a 6-10 performance in 2005 and a 5-5 mark through ten games this time around, the Eagles will now have to make a push for NFC prominence with quarterback Donovan McNabb on the sidelines again, due this time to a torn ACL.

If the Eagles fail to qualify for the playoffs (they're currently only one game out of the No. 2 seed), it could be the catalyst for change of the highest order.

The Andy Reid era could be over.

Reid has been the head coach since 1999, and he sports an 82-52 record.  But four straight NFC Championship Game appearances yielded only one Super Bowl, and exactly zero Lombardis.

Since making it to the last game of the football season (well, at least the last one that matters), the Eagles are 11-16.  The Terrell Owens debacle is someone's fault, and we've never heard that Reid was opposed to the acquisition of the talented-but-turdish receiver. 

So now the question is whether it's time for a fresh start for everyone.  Has Reid's message lost its bite?  Does the franchise need an infusion of "different"?  Would it be good for Reid to move on?

The other broad question, as we see it, relates to the quarterback position.  Though Donovan McNabb is signed through 2013 (with a salary that year of more than $16 million), it could be time for the Eagles to start thinking about the next generation at the position.

If so, how would they pull it off?  Selecting a quarterback on day one of the 2007 draft would be a shot through the bow for the 1999 first-rounder, who surely won't take kindly to the notion that he's being phased out.

But with so many young players locked up well into the next decade and with McNabb turning 30 on Saturday, doesn't it make sense to eventually (i.e., soon) rewind the age factor at the position?

It does, and we have a feeling that things are gonna get messy.

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WHAT NEXT FOR GRUDEN?

In light of our current items relating to the Eagles (scroll up) and the Falcons (scroll down), there's one guy who might be able to help the current roster of players in each town to squeeze the most toothpaste out of the tube.

Jon Gruden.

A league source tells us that the book on Gruden is that he will energize a team in the short term, firing up the troops and getting everyone focused and excited.  Over time, however, the message gets a little stale -- as it possibly is/has in Tampa.

Fans and media in Philly would welcome back Gruden, who served as the offensive coordinator in Philly from 1995 through 1997.  (Indeed, we've caught wind of unconfirmed rumors that owner Jeffrey Lurie regrets in hindsight that he didn't fire head coach Ray Rhodes after the 1997 season and elevate Gruden into the job.  Gruden took the head coaching gig in Oakland in early 1998, and Rhodes was out at the end of that season.)

Although we think it's not working for Gruden in Tampa, it perhaps would work in Philly.  For a few years.  Which might be enough to get the most out of Donovan McNabb before the rest of the gas runs out of the tank.

How about Atlanta?  Sure, Rich McKay is the G.M. of the Falcons and he wouldn't want the guy who pushed him out of Tampa coming to town.  But McKay was the G.M. of the Bucs five years ago, and he didn't want Gruden coming to town.  But McKay was overruled -- and if Blank thinks that Gruden is the best guy to make Mike Vick into something more than a running back with a decent arm then what McKay thinks won't matter, again.

But isn't Gruden under contract to the Bucs, you ask?  Sure he is.  But the process is already starting.  Reports of Gruden sending out "feelers" for possible openings have conjured memories among members of the Bay Area media, who have reminded us that similar rumors and reports surfaced in late 2001,when Gruden was leading the Raiders toward the playoffs.  First, the talk was that Gruden would land in South Bend.  "Then seemingly every week after that," a Bay Area media source tells us, "there was another rumor about Gruden going somewhere else." 

Along the way, Gruden constantly denied that he was looking to leave the Raiders, just as he has denied that he's looking to blow off the Bucs.  And then in the offseason Gruden jumped to Tampa.

So the handwriting is on the wall, and if Gruden can get out of Tampa, we have a feeling that he will.

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POSTED 6:09 a.m. EST, November 23, 2006

WRITE IT DOWN:  VICK WILL DEMAND A TRADE

We recently addressed the conundrum in which Falcons owner Arthur Blank presently finds himself.  Every owner has to choose between trying to make money and trying to win championships, and for now Blank is banking on the ability of quarterback Michael Vick to continue to fill up the coffers.

As a result, it's unlikely that the Falcons would ever consider the possibility of dumping Vick and elevating Matt Schaub to the position of starting quarterback, since to do so would create a revolt among the legion of local Falcons fans, and would cause all those dudes known as empty seats to begin to buy up their season tickets again.

But when we opined that the Falcons wouldn't ever trade or release Vick, we added a caveat.  The player could be the one to ask for a divorce, given heightening frustrations with the coaching staff regarding the direction of the offense that he directs.

And we're now convinced that, if the Falcons don't qualify for the postseason and win at least a game or two, Vick will want out.

The catalyst?  Recent comments from the father of coach Jim Mora, who called Vick a "coach killer," and Vick's reaction.

On Wednesday, Vick responded.  "Honestly, I don't even know what to say," Vick said. "I think it was inappropriate."

Apparently, many of Vick's friends and relatives agreed, since he had to turn off his cell phone due to the volume of calls he received.  "There must have been 50 people calling my number to ask if I heard that comment," Vick said.  "It starts to wear on you a little bit.  I finally had to cut my phone off.  I just want to block it out and come play football.  People can think what they want to think, say what they want to say.  I'm just Mike Vick.  I've got to keep doing what I'm doing -- love me or hate me."

Still, our guess is that more than a few of those people who called Vick regarding Mora's comments expressed opinions like, "You've got to get your ass out of there." 

If/when Vick raises the issue with Blank and says that he thinks the time has come for a parting of the ways, it's possible that Blank will decide to kill the coach.  But how would Blank hire a competent replacement if he sends a message to the football world that the elder Mora's comments were right?

We also believe that an offer to fire Mora wouldn't be enough to get Vick to change his mind.  We think that Vick will generally internalize his frustrations over the rest of the season, but that he'll continue to stew regarding the slight.  When the games are done, he'll make his move.

Write it down.  When the 2007 season starts, Vick has no more chance of wearing a Falcons helmet than another coach killer, Randy Moss, does of wearing a Raiders helmet.

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POSTED 10:25 p.m. EST, November 22, 2006

CUTLER ERA COMING?

Adam Schefter of NFL Network reports that the Broncos are likely to bench quarterback Jake Plummer and go with first-round rookie Jay Cutler on December 3.

Per Schefter, the Broncos would have made the switch from Plummer to Cutler for Thursday night's game at Kansas City, but with only four days between games there wasn't enough time to get him ready.

Broncos coach Mike Shanahan previously said that Cutler would not play this year.  But with the Broncos out of first place after a loss at home to the Chargers, Shanahan apparently has realized that Plummer has taken the team as far as he can.

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POSTED 7:26 p.m. EST, November 22, 2006

MOOCH DENIES LINK TO CARDINALS

Former 49ers and Lions coach Steve Mariucci denied moments ago on NFLN that he has had contact with the Arizona Cardinals regarding the team's looming head-coaching vacancy, despite reports to the contrary.

Mooch described the story as "irresponsible reporting."

For our part, we've yet to hear Mariucci's name in the discussions regarding possible replacements for Dennis Green, who's certain to be fired after the 2006 season.

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POSTED 6:51 p.m. EST; UPDATED 7:14 p.m. EST, November 22, 2006

ESPN "SCARED SH-TLESS" ABOUT IRVIN FLAP

An industry insider tells us that the powers-that-be at ESPN currently are "scared sh-tless" about the growing firestorm of criticism regarding Michael Irvin's recent genetics lecture on The Dan Patrick Show.

On Monday, Irvin suggested that the athletic prowess of quarterback Tony Romo of the Cowboys (who by all appearances is a half-shade lighter than Jim Nabors) might be attributable to some African-American ancestry.

Said Irvin of Romo, per our most recent Ten-Pack feature:  "He doesn't look like he's that type of an athlete.  But he is.  He is, man.  I don't know . . . some brother down in that line somewhere. . . .  I don't know who saw what or where, his great-great-great-great-grandma ran over in the 'hood or something went down."

Recognizing the idiocy of Irvin's comments, Dan Patrick said, "Oh, that's the only way he can be a great athlete?"

"That's not the only way, but it's certainly one way," Irvin said.  "If great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great grandma pulled one of them studs up out of the barn [and said], 'Come on in here for a second,' you know, and they go out and work in the yard.  You know, back in the day."

As of Wednesday morning, there was quiet outrage in league and media circles regarding Irvin's comments.  But now the poop is hitting the propeller, and it's going to be very hard for ESPN to ignore this one.

Mike Freeman of CBSSportsline.com, who latest book is advertised on this site, has made Irvin's comments the subject of an entire column. 

"I don't call for firings much," Freeman writes. "Not my style.  But if racial bomb throwers like Rush Limbaugh are penalized for their insensitive remarks, shouldn't Irvin be?"

Jason Whitlock of AOL has sounded off as well.  As have our friends at Deadspin.com, TheBigLead.com, and AOL's Fanhouse.

We know that the looming Thanksgiving holiday could take some of the steam out of this one.  But with prominent commentators like Freeman and Whitlock calling Irvin out for his comments, it could be that the time has come to dump the double standard that metes out punishment for racially discriminatory speech in a manner that discriminates on the basis of race.

Meanwhile, we've received more than 200 hundred reader e-mails about this topic, and we'll soon be posting some of them.  Many are calling for Irvin to be fired.  The guy has gotten away with plenty during his tenure in Bristol, and it's possible that one of the terms of his suspension from last year (when he failed to disclose an arrest for possession of drug paraphernalia) was that his next mistake would be his last.

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COACH TIKI STRIKES AGAIN

Several readers sounded off to us on Monday night when ESPN aired video and audio from the Giants-Bucs game, which included among other things running back Tiki Barber telling a member of the Giants coaching staff that backup Brandon Jacobs should be used for an upcoming series.

"Coach Tiki" is the moniker that emerged from the exchange, and Barber already has done something to cement that nickname.

On Wednesday, Barber publicly complained about the lack of touches that he received in the running game on Monday night against the Jaguars.

"We have to find a way to correct it," Barber said.  "That's the bottom line.  I talked about this earlier in the season; if you don't have balance you can't win in the NFL.  A disproportionate amount of teams that win, win it by running the football.

"That's football," Barber said.  "It's not complicated.  This is something that teams and kids and coaches do from 12 years old to college and beyond.  It isn't rocket science."

The reaction in league circles to Barber's most recent rant?  Opined one league insider:  "[Barber] is an arrogant asshole and I am so tired of his intellectual arrogance. . . .  He has this 'holier than thou" thing going on.   He thinks and acts like he is so much smarter than everyone else."

We agree.  Tiki -- shut up.  No one wants to hear it.  No one.  Especially not your teammates.

So do everyone a favor and close your upper jaw against your lower jaw, and hold it there. 

It's not rocket science.

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POSTED 2:52 p.m. EST, November 22, 2006

MANNING SUSPENDED ONE GAME

The Chicago Bears have announced that cornerback Ricky Manning Jr. has been suspended for one game by the league, pursuant to the NFL's Personal Conduct Policy.

The suspension is the result of a plea of no contest entered by Manning to felony assault charges arising from an incident at a Westwood Denny's in April.  

Per the Bears' official web site, Manning will not appeal the fine, and he will be eligible to re-join the team on Monday.

Meanwhile, the team is perpetuating the notion that, even though Manning pleaded contest, he's innocent of any crime.  "Manning did not plead no contest because he was guilty of the charges," writes Larry Mayer.  "He did so because he was on probation for a previous incident and wanted to avoid a trial that could have possibly forced him to miss a significant portion of the season."

Bullsh-t, we say.  When a guy pleads no contest he doesn't get to claim he didn't do it.  

And at a time when the league generally has gotten tough on cheaters, criminals and cheap-shot artists, we're disappointed that Manning didn't get a longer suspension -- especially since the victim of the crime that Manning didn't commit but to which he pleaded no contest alleged that Manning called him a "f--king Jew" and a "faggot."  Several weeks back, reports surfaced citing members of the Bears organization who didn't believe that Manning uttered those slurs because the victim technically isn't Jewish.  

So maybe that's why Tom Jackson didn't get in trouble in September for asking Michael Irvin whether he is "retarded"; if he's not really retarded, then it's not a problem.  (Okay, Irvin isn't the best guy to use in that example.)  

In our view, the whole thing stinks, and if Park Avenue is going to get tough, Park Avenue also needs to get tough even as to the incidents that, if exposed to the light of day, might harm the NFL's overall image.

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POSTED 12:45 p.m. EST, November 22, 2006

DUNN AGREES TO 18-MONTH SUSPENSION

Liz Mullen of Sports Business Journal reports that NFL agent David Dunn has resolved his long-term dispute with the NFLPA by accepting an 18-month suspension.  The deal represents a six-month reduction in the two-year ban that the union had imposed.

Dunn initially was suspended by the Players Association several years ago, based largely on testimony from the lawsuit filed against him by former partner Leigh Steinberg, who alleged that Dunn carried clients with him improperly when Dunn left the business.  The disciplinary action was stayed, however, when Dunn filed for bankruptcy.

Dunn emerged from bankruptcy after the verdict was overturned (a settlement was then reached), and Dunn and the union agreed to start the process from scratch.  At the time, Dunn hoped for a lesser penalty, based on the reversal of the Steinberg verdict.

But the union again hit Dunn with a two-year suspension.  Now, in lieu of resting his fate in the hands of an arbitrator, Dunn has accepted 75 percent of the full sanction.

"This suspension will take Dunn through two drafts and two free agency periods, so it is essentially equivalent to a two-year suspension," NFLPA general counsel Richard Berthelsen told Mullen.

We're glad to see that Berthelsen is still alive, since he has once again quit returning our e-mails.  Maybe it's something that we said.  Or maybe it's because we're willing to peel the onion a bit and explain, as in this specific case, that the ultimate penalty against Dunn is meaningless.

Although Dunn is now prevented from representing NFL players or receiving a piece of the fees generated, the extended period of time between the initial imposition of the suspension and its ultimate commencement has enabled Dunn to make the smoothest of temporary transitions of his clients from himself to one or more of the agents with whom he works.

Thus, most of the clients will remain in house, and Dunn will continue to be paid out of the broader pool of money into which player fees flow.    

And, surely, Dunn will be available for wink-nod consultations with Joby Branion, Mark Humenik, and Justin Schulman, the other NFLPA-certified agents who work for Athletes First.

So while on one hand we think it's great that the NFLPA is enforcing (some of) its rules, there really is no consequence for Dunn, other than the public rebuke.

But Dunn initially was rebuked many months ago, and he still has presided over a thriving practice.

End result?  Plenty of trees have died.  That's it.

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POSTED 12:24 p.m. EST, November 22, 2006

RICE FRIED FOR REST OF 2006

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have placed defensive end Simeon Rice on injured reserve.

Rice has been sidelined of late due to a shoulder injury.  It's the first time he has landed on IR in his 11-year career.

The former Cardinal and now long-time Tampa standout played eight games in 2006.  He finishes the year with only 14 tackles and two sacks.  

Rice has been the subject of trade rumors over the past couple of years, and his future in Tampa is squarely in question.  He is scheduled to earn $7.25 million in 2007, the final year of his contract.  With Dewayne White playing well, the Bucs might opt to part ways with Rice (via a trade or an outright release) and devote those cap dollars to re-signing the player with only four seasons of NFL pounding on his parts.

For his career, Rice has 121 sacks, second only to Michael Strahan (who has 131.5 plus a field date with Brett Favre) among active players.

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POSTED 10:07 a.m. EST; UPDATED 11:55 a.m. EST, November 22, 2006

RUMORS FLY OF COWHER TO 'SKINS

There are rumors -- we repeat, rumors -- snaking through the NFL grapevine linking Steelers coach Bill Cowher to the Washington Redskins.

These are only rumors, but they're definitely out there.

Part of the problem with any rumor mill is that the rumors aren't always consistent.  Last week, a league insider expressed to us in no uncertain terms that current Redskins coach Joe Gibbs is, by all appearances, fully intent on returning in 2007.

Earlier in the year, we'd heard rumors that Gibbs might pack in it after the 2006 season and return to his NASCAR racing interests.

And even if Gibbs retires from the 'Skins and Cowher retires from the Steelers and then Redskins owner Dan Snyder offers to double or triple Cowher's annual salary, the Steelers would have to be willing to release their rights to Cowher for the 2007 season.

In other words, a coach with time remaining on his contract can't jump to a new team merely by "retiring" and then a month or two later "unretiring."

Regardless of whether the current rumors have any validity, we believe that the Redskins are one of the teams that eventually could land Cowher's services.  Cowher is young, and we can't imagine a permanent "retirement" at age 49.  And the 'Skins definitely would pay Cowher market value, which currently is at least $8 million per year and could be as much as $10 million annually.

The only caveat?  Cowher's mentor, Marty Schottenheimer, had a bad experience in his single season with the 'Skins; thus, Marty might advise Cowher to look elsewhere.

Our guess?  Cowher will spend a year or two working in television, and then he'll be available to the highest bidder that is in a locale close to his new family home in North Carolina.

Hey, John Fox can't coach the Panthers forever, can he?

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QUIET (FOR NOW) OUTRAGE GROWS OVER IRVIN COMMENTS

We posted on Tuesday night in our weekly Ten-Pack feature an item regarding recent comments from ESPN's Michael Irvin on The Dan Patrick Show.  Several industry sources with whom we've communicated on the topic agree that Irvin crossed the line when attempting to attribute the athletic prowess of Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo (who is white) to a dalliance between one of Romo's ancestors and a black man.  One league source has expressed to us outright disgust regarding Irvin's words and message.

The full text of Irvin's comments can be seen right here, under item number 7.  And the audio is currently available through ESPN.com's Insider service, in the Dan Patrick archives.

From our perspective, we continue to be perplexed by the fact that, when a white man says racially insensitive things, there is an outcry.  But for Irvin (who earlier this year caught our attention on Patrick's show when he suggested that good white players get hyped by the media and good black players don't), there is no consequence.

It could be that people simply regard Irvin as stupid, not racist.  But couldn't that same excuse apply to Michael Richards?  I mean, isn't it possible to be stupid and a racist?  In this era when we all watch everything we say for fear of offending anyone who might possibly take offense to any potentially offensive words, common sense suggests that only stupid people will be stupid enough to make overtly improper remarks.

Though his words at times are jumbled and incomprehensible, Irvin's message is clear.  In his mind, a white man can't be a supremely gifted athlete absent special circumstances.  How is that any different from the mindset that killed the careers of guys like Al Campanis and Jimmy "The Greek"?

We want your thoughts on the subject, because frankly we can't figure this one out.

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RADIO UPDATE

We got tied up with other stuff this week and neglected to mention our friends in the radio bidness, who opt from time to time sully their airwaves by associating with us.

On Monday, we visited with Paul Allen and Jeff Dubay of KFAN in Minneapolis, Dino Costa of the Radio Colorado Network, and Mike Gill of ESPN Radio in Atlantic City.

On Tuesday, we spent time with Chris McClain of WFNZ in Charlotte, Steve Duemig of WDAE in Tampa, Brad Riter of WGR in Buffalo, Todd Wright of Sporting News Radio, and Glen Macnow of WIP in Philly.

On Wednesday, we've already had our weekly chat with our old friend Howard Balzer of ESPN Radio in St. Louis, and we're not completely certain of our remaining schedule for the balance of the day, due to the looming Thanksgiving travel crush.

We invite producers and hosts in other NFL markets who are interested in becoming a PFT Partner to drop us a line.  We're available year-round, and we enjoy the opportunity to engage in on-air banter, especially if it means squeezing in an occasional curse word.

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WEDNESDAY MORNING ONE-LINERS

Broncos S Nick Ferguson (knee) is out for the season.

Chiefs TE Tony Gonzalez (shoulder) will be a game-time decision on Thursday night.

The Soup Nazi is losing patience with Eli.

The next stiff NFL fine should be imposed on Giants TE Visanthe Shiancoe, who broke the ankle of Jags S Donovin Darius with a cheap shot on Monday night.

San Francisco has put together a last-ditch stadium plan to keep the 49ers in town, which one city official has proclaimed to be "[s]pectacular."  (Um . . . oh, never mind.)

The not-so-fabulous Bidwill boys might end up brawling over who the next coach of the Cardinals is.

Bears coach Lovie Smith, on whether QB Rex Grossman is the "weak link" on offense:  "This is a guy who has led us to a 9-1 record.  Look at a football team, and you look at the quarterback on most of them, and they will tell you how the team is doing.  Rex has led us to nine wins.  We love him being our quarterback.''

The Bears could learn as early as Wednesday whether CB Ricky Manning Jr. will be suspended for a no-contest plea to felony assault charges in April.

Lions WR Mike Williams will play on Thursday.

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POSTED 7:23 p.m. EST, November 21, 2006

NFL NAILS NALEN

After reviewing video of Broncos center Tom Nalen diving at the knees of Chargers defensive end Igor Olshansky on Sunday, one league source opined that Nalen should be fined twice the amount that Olshansky ultimately is fined for slapping Nalen upside the head in retaliation.

The NFL took it even farther than 200 percent.

Jay Glazer of FOXSports.com reports that the league has fined Nalen $25,000, but fined Olshansky only $10,000.

Olshansky was penalized and ejected.  Nalen's actions did not draw a penalty.

Nalen's actions came as the Broncos were in the process of spiking the ball in order to kill the clock.  The other Denver linemen did not engage any Chargers defenders on the play. 

Though Glazer reports that the Broncos are livid about the fine, we think that Coach Kevlar and company should, with all due respect, shut up.  Nalen clearly was in the wrong, and it's about time that the league gets tough on the cheap-shot tactics that the team has been teaching under Mike Shanahan for the past decade.

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POSTED 2:53 p.m. EST, November 21, 2006

BIDWILL LOOKING AT THREE

The talk in league circles is that Arizona Cardinals owner Bill Bidwill currently is floating three names as potential replacements for eventually-to-be-former head coach Dennis Green.

The candidates are USC coach Pete Carroll, Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops, and Bears defensive coordinator Ron Rivera.

Carroll would likely be the most expensive, and he would probably want total control over the football operations.  Stoops would likely be the most interested, because he doesn't generate the same aura in coaching circles that he did several years ago, and some thought his window of opportunity at the next level had closed.

We'd previously heard Rivera's name.  He'd need to lasso a strong offensive coordinator (we'd suggest Cal coach Jeff Tedford), in order to get the most out of a very talented set of skill-position players.

Stay tuned.

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POSTED 2:19 p.m. EST, November 21, 2006

BRYANT GETS BUSTED

Time to re-set the NFL player arrest clock to zero.

49ers receiver Antonio Bryant, whose team quietly is emerging as a legitimate NFC playoff contender, was arrested Sunday night for suspicion of drunken driving, resisting arrest, and speeding.  Bryant allegedly was driving more than 100 mph on Highway 101.  Per published reports, Bryant then became "belligerent."

"He was initially contacted for reckless driving and excessive speed . . .  but officers noticed signs that he was under the influence and tried to get him to cooperate," said Capt. Kevin Raffaelli of the San Mateo police.  "He was extremely uncooperative and belligerent to officers."

Bryant thereafter became "combative" and refused to get into the police cruiser.  "He ultimately had to be restrained and placed in the car. . . .  He was pretty verbally abusive and derogatory," Raffaelli said.

The entire exchange reportedly was audiotaped.

Reports regarding the arrest make no mention of whether Bryant was subjected to a field sobriety test, or a breathalyzer exam.  Absent such evidence, it will be very difficult (in our opinion) to make DUI charges stick.

Bryant signed with the 49ers after completing his rookie contract with the Browns.  He was traded to Cleveland a few months after an ugly incident with Cowboys coach Bill Parcells during offseason workouts in 2004.  This season, Bryant has 31 receptions for 546 yards and two touchdowns.

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POSTED 9:49 a.m. EST, November 21, 2006

LAMONTE BEHIND GRUDEN "FEELERS"?

The strong suspicion in league circles is that the recent report that Bucs coach Jon Gruden is putting out "feelers" regarding possible 2007 job openings originated with his agent, Bob LaMonte.

As one industry source told us on Monday, "LaMonte is always looking to leverage a better deal for his clients."  So even if Gruden genuinely has no desire to leave Tampa, putting out the word that he might be looking to leap could help get Jon more money.

Creating buzz when there is none is also a wise tactic for an agent when, as in this case, the heat might be turning up on his client.  Indeed, our initial reaction to the Sunday report in the Tampa Tribune regarding possible wanderlust by Gruden was befuddlement, since if anything the talk in league circles has been that Gruden might be wearing out his welcome in Tampa.

Coincidentally (or not), Bucs G.M. Bruce Allen said on Monday that Gruden is doing a great job.  "Within the last two football seasons, we've changed 50 percent of the coaches," Allen said on Monday.  "The good thing here is we don't need a change.  I look at facts.  Coach Gruden is one of the three head coaches who has won a division title four of the last six years.  Andy Reid and Bill Belichick are the others.  He's a good football coach."

Of course, a vote of confidence from Allen is hardly the same thing as a vote of confidence from Jerry Angelo or Ernie Accorsi or any other G.M. who actually has the power to hire and fire a coach.  Gruden doesn't report to Allen.  Indeed, if Gruden goes, Allen is in trouble, too.

So Allen wasn't endorsing Gruden.  Instead, he was covering his own ass.

Anyway, don't be surprised if something goes down in the offseason.  The one thing we're pretty sure it won't be is an extension and a raise for Gruden.

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POSTED 4:03 p.m. EST, November 20, 2006

FOX PULLS PLUG ON O.J. BOOK, SHOW

Bowing to pressure both from the public and from members of its FOX News subsidiary, News Corp. has announced that it will scrap the book containing O.J. Simpson's hypothetical confession to the 1994 murder of his ex-wife and her friend and the television show about the book featuring an interview with Simpson.

"I and senior management agree with the American public that this was an ill-considered project," said Rupert Murdoch, News Corp. chairman.  "We are sorry for any pain that this has caused the families of Ron Goldman and Nicole Brown Simpson." 

If, as some surely will believe, the entire episode was a stunt aimed at garnering publicity and positive press for the news and entertainment conglomerate, we hope that publisher Judith Regan was fairly compensated for the fact that she emerges from the fiasco looking like a buffoon.  Regan greenlighted the project, and she offered up a fishy eight-page statement last week when all Hell broke loose regarding the book and the accompanying television show.

In our view, there was no conspiracy at work.  Instead, we think that the powers-that-be were blinded to the stupidity of the project by its potential profits, and that Murdoch and his inner circle overestimated the degree to which American people would tolerate the incessantly sleazy efforts of a guy who clearly is guilty of double murder but who is walking among the free only because he had the money and fame to secure the best legal team ever assembled.

Don't forget that, despite his acquittal, Simpson was found responsible for the deaths in the civil court system, which does not use the high bar of "proof beyond a reasonable doubt."  So there's no "if"; a court of competent jurisdiction found that he did it.

Our only remaining hope is that he will do it to himself.

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POSTED 3:16 p.m. EST; LAST UPDATED 3:45 p.m. EST, November 20, 2006

NALEN NAILS IGOR

Although Chargers defensive tackle Igor Olshansky was ejected late in Sunday night's win over the Broncos, video courtesy of YouTube (via our friends at AOL's NFL Fanhouse) shows Denver center Tom Nalen diving at Olshansky's knees in the play that preceded the swinging of fists by Igor.

The only problem?  The play was a clock-killing spike into the ground by the Broncos, who were driving toward a potential game-tying score.  Thus, there was no reason for Nalen to hit Olshansky low, other than to attempt to injure him.

It was, in our view, a cowardly act by the anchor of a line that has injured many opponents over the years through legal-but-cheap blocking.  Though Olshansky should not have retaliated, what Nalen did to Olshansky isn't much better than what Albert Haynesworth did to Andre Gurode.  

And we hope that the NFL will take appropriate action against Nalen's take-home pay.

(Meanwhile, enjoy the clip while you can.  The NFL undoubtedly will soon be advising the fine folks at YouTube to take it down, since it is copyrighted material.)

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RODGERS' STATUS CONFIRMED

The Packers have announced that backup quarterback Aaron Rodgers will miss the rest of the 2006 season with a broken left foot.

Rodgers was injured on Sunday while playing for starter Brett Favre, who suffered an elbow injury.  Favre is expected to be available on Monday night, when the Packers travel to Seattle.

An industry source tells us that the Packers will bring in Todd Bouman, Bradlee Van Pelt, and J.T. O'Sullivan for a look-see.  Currently, the only other quarterback on the roster is Ingle Martin.

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LIVE BLOG TONIGHT

Don't forget to check us out tonight whilst you suffer through another substandard MNF broadcast from Clarence Thomas, Joey Sunshine, and Kornholio.  We'll be doing the Live Blog thing again as the Giants take on the Jag-you-ars in Jacksonville.

We usually get started with intermittent posts during the 90-minute (but it feels a lot longer) pregame, and then we'll be going full speed once a celebrity with a show on ABC and/or a movie, book, and/or album to pimp lifts the magic blue helmet and declares himself or herself football-ready.

Hey, at least there are different options on everyone's favorite four-letter network.  Unlike NBC, which has been using the same Pink routine every week followed by 90 seconds of the song that we think GMC eventually will attempt to have declared our new National Anthem, ESPN injects some variety into its plate of creamed crap. 

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POSTED 1:14 p.m. EST, November 20, 2006

UBERSTINE EXPLOITS LOOPHOLE IN SOLICITATION RULES

The Sports Business Journal reports that agent Gary Uberstine has taken advantage of a little-known loophole in the NFLPA's prohibition against agents soliciting players who are already represented.

Although an agent generally may not contact a player and ask him to make a change (which of course never happens), it is permissible for an agent to send out general advertising materials that aren't directed at a specific player.

In this case, Uberstine mailed a flier to all NFL players that reads "Is something missing from your paycheck?"  The envelopes in which the fliers were stuffed also contained multiple small gold dollar signs. 

Other agents are fuming about the maneuver, which surely is aimed at getting players to initiate contact with Uberstine about an agent change.

Our take?  Uberstine's competitors might not like it, but at least he's following the rules.  With so many agents breaking so many rules regarding solicitation of other players and/or actual or promised payments to college players, we think the venom is far better directed at the guys who are and who have been cheating -- or to the entity responsible for enforcing the rules. 

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POSTED 11:23 a.m. EST; UPDATED 11:59 a.m. EST, November 20, 2006

NFL CONCERNED ABOUT RAIDERS

There's talk on the NFL grapevine that the league office is becoming very concerned about the ability of the Oakland Raiders to be competitive, both in the short term and over the long haul.

Though the Raiders played fairly well against their arch-rivals in Kansas City on Sunday, Oakland lost the game and fell to 2-8 on the season.  

In hindsight, we're amazed that the team managed two wins.  

The problem, as we understand it, is a complete and total vacuum of leadership in the football operations.  Coach Art Shell, as one league insider told us, is regarded by the players as a "joke."  Per a league source with extensive experience in dealing with teams and players, there is an "unprecedented negativity" emanating from the locker room.

Beyond the coaching staff, there's a perception that the football types in the front office simply aren't getting it done, and there's a concern that the one guy who has a track record of ability when it comes to player acquisition -- Mike Lombardi -- has lost much of his influence.

The consensus in league circles is that the root of the problem is the uncertainty surrounding Al Davis and the future leadership of the team after his passing.  It's unlikely that Davis will relinquish the reins during his lifetime, and it's ambiguous at best as to what will happen when the team has a new person at the helm.

The reality, as we see it, is that the franchise might very well be at the front end of a protracted period of poor performance, and that the Raiders won't begin to re-emerge until a capable new owner revamps the entire football operation.

Until then, how will the Raiders be able to attract free agents?  Instead of the days in which the franchise was a haven for talented misfits, the Raiders could end up being the last refuge for players that aren't wanted anywhere else because of their relative lack of talent, along with the occasional marquee player to whom the team offers a lot more money that he'd otherwise get on the open market.

It's a shame, frankly.  Love them or hate them, this league needs a strong and competitive Raiders franchise.  With the Raiders fading into oblivion, the NFL for many fans will be like Star Wars without Darth Vader.  (Okay, we admit that it was sort of geeky to mention Star Wars, but we couldn't think of anything better.) 

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MONDAY MORNING ONE-LINERS

Is it the end of the line for both the 2006 Eagles -- and for Donovan McNabb?

Several FOX affiliates are refusing to run the O.J. Simpson interview.  (As an alternative, they'll run an old episode of a more highbrow offering, such as When Animals Attack America's Most Wanted Cops Who Want To Marry Joe Millionaire's Mother.)

Oh, Kramer, what has become of you?  

Texans QB David Carr finally gets his name in the record book for something other than the number of times he has been tackled by 300-pound men and lived to tell about it. 

Pats DL Richard Seymour was fined $7,500 for stepping on Colts OT Tarik Glenn on November 5.

The Detroit media is starting to call for the benching of QB Jon Kitna.  (How about giving Mike Williams a try?)

Former Eagles DB Andre Waters is dead at 44.

Cards QB Matt Leinart committed a faux pas when taking a knee on Sunday.

The Vikings are drowning in the kiddie pool.

The Panthers quietly are becoming one of the best teams in the NFC.

Said Packers TE Bubba Franks after Green Bay lost 35-0 at home to the Patriots:  "I don't think [teams] fear coming to Lambeau anymore.  We don't have that mystique.  We've been trying to get it all year.  We don't have it.  At all."

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POSTED 7:35 a.m. EST, November 20, 2006

RODGERS OUT FOR THE YEAR?

There's talk in league circles that the ankle injury suffered by Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers in relief of Brett Favre might sideline Rodgers for the balance of the season.

The move might require the Packers to bring in a veteran quarterback down the stretch, since the only other signal-caller on the roster is rookie Ingle Martin (or is it Martin Ingle?).

Rodgers replaced Favre on Sunday against the Patriots after Favre suffered an elbow injury.  Favre, who also has a groin problem, is expected to play on Monday night at Seattle, preserving his streak of 10,543 straight starts.

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POSTED 6:03 p.m. EST, November 19, 2006

GRUDEN DENIES "FEELERS" STORY

Our friends at PewterReport.com asked Bucs coach Jon Gruden about a report in Sunday's Tampa Tribune that Gruden has put out "feelers" regarding possible job openings elsewhere in 2007.

Obviously, Gruden can't admit that he's interested in other jobs.  (And as we reported earlier today we've heard that one of the positions is in Pittsburgh.)  The story, in our view, is that Gruden denied the report with typical um, Gruden character.

"Some [expletive] idiot wrote that article, okay?" Gruden said.  "I'm committed to being in the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.  It's the only job I've ever wanted.  I'd like to let you feel this right now – anybody saying that.  Do you know what I mean?  I'm here as long as the Glazers will have me.  It's the greatest franchise in football.  We're on our way up and we have a lot of young guys playing.  Somebody pointed that out to me and that's laughable, really.  I like the Tampa Tribune.  I subscribe to it, but whoever wrote that article needs to have his head examined.  I don't like that."

Bottom line?  Kudos to the Tribune (which we've criticized in the past) for going with a story that was sure to provoke a reaction from a guy who perpetually has a look on his face suggesting that he's just caught a whiff of uncontained fecal matter. 

Our take?  Wethinks Gruden doth protest too much.  Both as to the Tribune story, and pretty much all the time.

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POSTED 5:50 p.m. EST, November 19, 2006

McNABB OUT FOR 8-12 MONTHS

The Philadelphia Eagles have announced that quarterback Donovan McNabb has sustained a torn ACL.  He suffered the injury during the Eagles' loss to the Titans.

McNabb is expected to miss eight months to a year.  Thus, the injury kills the Eagles' 2006 season, and will render more challenging the team's preparations for 2007.

The other quarterbacks on the roster are Jeff Garcia and A.J. Feeley.

The loss of McNabb also has prompted cries of "Newman!" from 30 Rock, since next weekend's game between Philly and the Colts has been moved to Sunday night.

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POSTED 3:25 p.m. EST, November 19, 2006

FISHER DOING WHAT TUNA COULDN'T

Want some objective evidence to support those rumors that Cowboys owner Jerry Jones might try to finagle Titans coach Jeff Fisher away from the final year of his contract in Tennessee, if Bill Parcells packs it in after this season? 

Fisher is on the verge of doing that which the Tuna couldn't this year.

Specifically, Fisher led his current team to a win on the road against the Redskins, and is on the verge of knocking out the Eagles in Philly. 

Under Parcells, the Cowboys lost in each venue this season.

Does it mean anything?  To a guy like Jones, our guess is that it does.

Stay tuned.

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POSTED 2:44 p.m. EST, November 19, 2006

McNABB CARTED OFF WITH KNEE INJURY

Dreams of a return to the postseason by the Philadelphia Eagles might have gone "poof" on Sunday when quarterback Donovan McNabb suffered a knee injury during the second quarter of the team's game against the Tennessee Titans.

McNabb was carted off with a sprained knee.  He was replaced by Jeff Garcia.

Also injured in the first half on Sunday was Packers quarterback Brett Favre, who banged up an elbow.  Replacing him in the lineup is 2005 first-rounder Aaron Rodgers. 

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POSTED 11:38 a.m. EST; LAST UPDATED 1:01 p.m. EST, November 19, 2006

GRUDEN INTERESTED IN STEELERS GIG

In response to news that Bucs coach Jon Gruden is putting out feelers regarding potential job opportunities, a league source tells us that one of the teams in which Gruden is interested is the Pittsburgh Steelers.

It's widely believed that current Steelers coach Bill Cowher will retire after the 2006 season.  His wife has moved to a multi-million-dollar home in North Carolina, and Cowher has only one season remaining on his contract.  During a trip to Steelers training camp in August, we discovered that there is a common and open belief among the local media that Cowher will retire if the Steelers don't win a second straight Super Bowl.

Obvious candidates to replace Cowher would be offensive coordinator Ken Whisenhunt and offensive line coach Russ Grimm.  But with the offense struggling this season, it's possible that ownership will decide to make a dramatic change.

But is Gruden the answer?  We don't think so. 

He's not a Pittsburgh guy, and he has only one year on his resume that shows any connection to the Steel City.  (Assistant coach at Pitt, 1991.)  And with defense the key in Pittsburgh, continuity will be a strong suit for in-house candidates who come from the offensive side of the ball.  Really, what's better for the Steelers -- elevating Grimm or Whisenhunt and keeping Dick LeBeau as defensive coordinator, or hiring Gruden and potentially starting from scratch on the other side of the ball?

Another complication is that Gruden might want the same kind of personnel power that he currently wields in Tampa, and that Cowher currently exercises in the 'Burgh.  But we've got a feeling that there are plenty of folks in the front office who are looking forward to the possibility or wresting back from the coaching staff some of the day-to-day decision-making as to the shaping of the roster.

Finally, don't forget about the Rooney Rule.  There will be extra pressure on the Steelers to hire a non-white coach, given that the rule championing increased numbers of minority head coaches is named for the owner of the team.  Arguably, the Steelers can justify not making a minority hire if they merely promote Whisenhunt or Grimm.  If the Steelers go outside of the building, however, they might have to hire someone like, for example, Bears defensive coordinator Ron Rivera or Vikings defensive coordinator Mike Tomlin.

Bottom line -- Gruden might want Pittsburgh, but we can't see Pittsburgh wanting him.

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KNAPP ON THIN ICE, BUT COULD VICK WANT OUT?

The prevailing hypothesis in league circles is that, if the Falcons fail to make the playoffs, offensive coordinator Greg Knapp likely will take the fall.

It's obvious that something has to happen in Atlanta.  But the thinking is that owner Arthur Blank isn't ready to part ways with coach Jim Mora, and that Blank never would pull the plug on the Mike Vick experience.

The problem is that, for now, Blank is choosing making money over pursuing a championship.  Sure, he'd like to win a Super Bowl, but Blank wants to do it with the guy who fills up the stadium and sells plenty of jerseys and other stuff with a "7" on it.

So, for now, Blank likely will continue to try to get someone who can help Vick become a real quarterback, not a running back with a strong arm and, for short stretches at a time, the ability to throw the ball accurately.

Here's something to keep in mind.  Even if Blank would never choose to run Vick out of town, don't rule out the possibility that Vick might decide that it's time for a fresh start somewhere else. 

And if Vick demanded a trade, what would Blank do?  What could he do?  Tell him no?  Has Blank ever told Vick no?

That's the potential development to watch.  While everyone focuses on what the Falcons might do if the team finds itself in the wake of two straight seasons without a trip to the postseason, don't forget to keep an eye on Vick.

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NO PROGRESS ON GONZALEZ DEAL

Jay Glazer of FOX reports that five hours of recent negotiation resulted in no progress on a possible contract extension for Chiefs tight end Tony Gonzalez.

Glazer reported a few weeks ago that Gonzalez will be able to void the final two years of his current contract after the season and become a free agent.  The Chiefs are not expected to limit Gonzalez's ability to leave via the franchise tag. 

Gonzalez will miss Sunday's game with a shoulder injury.  But Glazer reports that Gonzalez will play on Thursday night against the Broncos.

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NFL TO NIX FIELD CHANGES

Jay Glazer of FOX also reports that the NFL is expected to enact a rule after the season that will prevent teams from changing playing surfaces during a season.

There was confusion this week regarding the rule when the Patriots decided to tear up a swirling bog of sand and mud and replace it with FieldTurf before the team's next home game against the Bears on November 26.  Several weeks back, AFC information manager Steve Alic said that a team could not make a change. 

This week, the NFL said that there is no such rule.

The key word?  Yet.

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SUNDAY AFTERNOON ONE-LINERS

The Redskins have placed TE Christian Fauria on IR, and have elevated WR Mike Espy from the practice squad.

The NFL and its piss men are involved in (you guessed it) a pissing match.

Did Joe Gibbs mishandle RB Clinton Portis in the season opener because of the high expectations for the 2006 season?

The Rams have signed the killer of Susan Gutweiler to a three-year extension. 

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POSTED 10:59 p.m. EST, November 18, 2006

GRUDEN LOOKING TO GET OUT OF TAMPA?

According to the Tampa Tribune, Bucs coach Jon Gruden is sending out feelers regarding potential job openings in 2007.

Gruden is signed through 2008, but recently there has been speculation from NFL insiders that Gruden could be in danger of being terminated, notwithstanding the Super Bowl trophy that the team won in his first season with the franchise.

So instead of firing Gruden and owing him the balance of his contract (less any money that he earns elsewhere as a coach), the Glazers might be in a position to hold up a potential suitor for a draft pick or two.

The problem, of course, is that Gruden's star has fallen a bit over the past few years.  No longer regarded as a hot-blooded up-and-comer, Gruden is now merely a grumpy middle-aged man with a mouth like a sh-t-sprayed sewer.

Really, who would want him, especially if getting him carries with it an obligation to work out a deal with his current team?  The Tribune identifies the Cowboys as a possibility, if Bill Parcells packs it in.  But we can't see Gruden and Cowboys owner Jerry Jones coexisting.  Other teams that might have vacancies after the season include, as we see it, the Ravens, Titans, Jaguars, Chargers, Falcons, Cardinals, and Seahawks.

The Cardinals would be an intriguing fit, given that rookie quarterback Matt Leinart is in desperate need of some quality NFL tutelage.    

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POSTED 8:09 p.m. EST, November 18, 2006

MOSS WANTS OUT OF OAKLAND

To those of you who thought we were crazy when suggesting in the offseason that the Raiders and Randy Moss were heading for a divorce -- we were right. 

For a change.

On Friday, Moss finally articulated in no uncertain terms a desire to get out of Oakland, after beating around the bush through multiple public comments over the past few months suggesting that it might be time for his second fresh start in less than two years.

Said Moss on FOX Sports Radio, only days after explaining that he's dropping passes because he's in a bad mood, "It's done sort of set in, man, and I'm tired of it.  I might want to look forward to moving somewhere else next year to have another start and really feel good about going out here and playing football."

Moss has stopped short of demanding a trade or a release, likely because he's smart enough (barely) to recognize that owner Al Davis would sooner pay him to rot on the bench (see Allen, Marcus) than to give Moss his way.  The only thing operating in the former Pro Bowler's favor is that he's due to earn $9.75 million in 2007 and $11.25 million in 2008.

Put simply, it might not make sense from a cap standpoint to keep Moss around.

The best move?  Trade Moss for a first-day draft pick.  This year, the Raiders might have been able to get a first-rounder if they'd tried to move Moss before the October 17 deadline.  If, after all, Deion Branch is worth a one, Moss should be, too.

But Moss has looked less like a star and more like a slug over the past month, and unless he steps up and catches balls and scores points over the last seven weeks of the season it'll be hard for anyone to justify making a deal.

Potential candidates, as we see it, are the Cowboys, if they part ways with Terrell Owens, the Redskins, and the Dolphins.  Maybe the Jets, if quarterback Chad Pennington can lobby the powers-that-be to make a move.  Maybe the Jaguars, if the Meathead can do the same.

Our money is on the Cowboys.  Owner Jerry Jones has long regretted his decision to pass on Moss in the 1998 draft, and Moss has had some of his best performances in Texas Stadium.

But until his fate is resolved, Randy's best move will be to shut his mouth and play football.

Then again, it might not matter that he's talking.  At one point in his career, if Moss burped the AP wire would report on what it smelled like.  His most recent inflammatory remarks have barely caused a ripple.

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POSTED 5:32 p.m. EST, November 18, 2006

WEEK 11 FANTASY PICKS AND PUNKS

It's that time of week again.  Saturday.  And as we keep one eye on the greatest . . . college . . . football . . . game . . . ever, we'll bang out the list of guys to start and the guys to bench as the fantasy season rockets toward the playoffs.

As always, the input comes largely, if not exclusively, from our pal Charch of Fanball.com.

First, the guys to use:

David Carr, quarterback, Texans:  Carr is listed as probable for Sunday's game against the Bills, and he has thrown six of his nine touchdown passes at home.  The Bills have allowed a touchdown pass in every game this year.

Bruce Gradkowski, quarterback, Bucs:  The Redskins have allowed one passing touchdown in every game this season, and seven passing touchdowns in the last three games.

Ladell Betts, running back, Redskins:  Tampa has allowed rushing touchdowns in three straight games, and the Bucs are 24th against the run.  With Clinton Portis out, Betts gets the bulk of the touches.

Anthony Thomas, running back, Bills:  The Texans have allowed rushing scores in six of nine games, and in four of the last five.  Also, five running backs have gained more than 50 yards receiving against the Texans since Week Two.

Eric Moulds, receiver, Texans:  Moulds could be motivated by a chance to burn the team that turned its back on him.  More importantly, he'll run free with Bills corner Nate Clements locked onto Andre Johnson.

Mark Clayton, receiver, Ravens:  With Derrick Mason drawing the attention of DeAngelo Hall and the rest of the Falcons defensive backfield busted and bloodied, Clayton could have a big day.

Now, the players to avoid:

Ben Roethlisberger, quarterback, Steelers:  The Browns have put together a quality defense this season, allowing only 160 passing yards per game and giving up multiple touchdown passes only once this season.

Chad Pennington, quarterback, Jets:  Pennington is having a good season, but the Jets play the Bears.  'Nuff said. 

Steven Jackson, running back, Rams:  Okay, maybe Jackson shouldn't be benched, but expectations should be reduced against a stout Carolina defense.

Cadillac Williams, running back, Bucs:  This one really isn't a stretch, given that Williams is a shadow of the guy he was in 2005.

Randy Moss, receiver, Raiders:  Kansas City hasn't allowed more than 100 yards to any receiver this season, and Moss simply no longer cares. 

Plaxico Burress, receiver, Giants:  Jags have a solid defense, and an injury-riddled receiving corps means that Jacksonville can focus on shutting him down.

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POSTED 10:56 a.m. EST; LAST UPDATED 12:29 p.m. EST, November 18, 2006

CARDS HAVE QUIT ON GREEN 

A source close to Cardinals quarterback Matt Leinart tells us that the team has quit on presumptive lame-duck head coach Dennis Green.

Per the source, the players were fighting among themselves and pointing fingers in the wake of the epic collapse against the unbeaten Bears on Monday night football -- and then after Arizona lost six days later to the previously winless Raiders, the Cardinals basically gave up.

In all, the team has lost eight straight games since opening the 2006 with a stadium-christening win against the 49ers, who are a surprising 4-4 since suffering the Week One loss.

Per the source, the common theme within the building is that no one is listening to Green because, as they see it, Green will be gone after the season.  (And that's one of the big reasons why a team should be willing to swallow the buy out and get rid of a coach who is doing the dead man walking routine.)  

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LEINART LOSES CONFIDENCE

As the Arizona Cardinals pack it in under coach Dennis Green, a source close to quarterback Matt Leinart says that the 2004 Heisman winner and the No. 10 overall pick in the draft is trying to prop up his teammates by telling them that things will get better, but he can get no positive response.  

The source also believes that Leinart's swagger from losing only three games in four years at USC is evaporating.  

"He is really rattled by the losing," said the source.  "He is searching for a way to get [the team] to buy in to his attitude, but it's getting harder because his confidence is almost gone."

The growing concern among those close to Leinart is that he'll end up as another David Carr, the No. 1 overall pick in 2002 who has been tossed around like a Chihuahua at a Doberman convention in five seasons with the Texans.  

"Lots of talent but too many sacks to realize the full potential," the source said.

In our view, it's all the more reason that the Bidwills should make a good decision about the future of the franchise, hiring a coach who can help give Leinart the confidence to be the on-field leader that this team hasn't had since the days of Jim Hart.

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NAMATH HAPPY ABOUT KOLBER KISS ATTEMPT

Former Jets quarterback Joe Namath is pleased that, while in a drunken stupor in 2003, he made an on-air pass at ESPN's Suzy Kolber, twice saying, "I want to kiss you."

"It was that incident that brought to light that I needed to do something, absolutely," Namath told 60 Minutes in an interview that will be aired as he commences the process of pimping his autobiography.  "And I'm glad [it happened].  I hated having to deal with that incident, the family, the friends . . . the fans.  I mean, that really hurt."

Of course, it didn't hurt at the time it happened, because Broadway Joe was feeling zero pain in his state of advanced inebriation.

We had audio of the incident shortly after it happened, in the prehistoric days before YouTube.  But fret not, fellow television dinosaurs, the Namath-Kolber incident is available on everyone's favorite source for clips.  

And if you watch the segment, note that in the old days the ESPN crew actually paused the interviews when a play was getting started.  Three years later, neither ESPN's pro nor college coverage defer to the action on the field once there's a visitor to the booth or to the sideline foofs.

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SATURDAY AFTERNOON ONE-LINERS

Aaron Brooks has secured the starting quarterback job for the Raiders on Sunday.  (To paraphrase the great philosopher Frank Barone, "What contest in hell did he win?")

The Bengals have downgraded CB Deltha O'Neal to doubtful for Sunday's game against the Saints.

The Jets and the Giants want a $300 million loan from the NFL for their new stadium.  (Yeah, and I want a Red Rider 200 shot carbine action range model air rifle with a compass in the stock.  And this thing which tells time.)

A week after playing with a gimpy hamstring, Redskins WR Santana Moss will miss another game due to the injury.

Assistant head coach Mike Tice has been called upon to help the Jaguars' receivers kick the habit of dropping passes.  (Perhaps the Meathead's hand-eye coordination drills include a rented boat and Fred Smoot's bag of toys.)

Packers QB Brett Favre is probable for Sunday with groin and ankle injuries.

Dookie the Dump Truck is leaving nothing in the hamper as part of the Steelers kick-return unit.

Titans coach Jeff Fisher says he isn't distracted by rumors linking him to the Cowboys.  

The Tuna says that his Patriots almost drafted WR Marvin Harrison in 1996, when the team instead selected WR Terry Glenn. 

With Clinton Portis out for the year, Redskins RB Ladell Betts gets his chance to be the go-to guy.

As it turns out, Fins FB Kyle Eckel was kicked out of the Navy, and he owes the U.S. government $96,229.56 for failing to fulfill his commitment.

Giants DE Michael Strahan (foot) showed up at practice in jersey and helmet on Friday to the surprise of his teammates, but Strahan merely rode the stationary bike and won't play on Monday.

Giants WR Plaxico Burress apparently has learned that it's smarter to speak well and not poorly about an upcoming opponent.

Giants rookie WR Sinorice Moss has played in only one game this year, due to a lingering quad injury.

Pats coach Bill Belichick believes there should be more consistency in camera angles for replay review.

From Bob Ford of the Philadelphia Inquirer, regarding the league's decision to allow coaches Mike Nolan and Jack Del Rio to wear suits this weekend despite contracts requiring the coaches to don official league apparel:  "The suits that Nolan and Del Rio will wear are made by Reebok, something that really has them fretting over at Armani and Bill Blass."

Browns RB Reuben Droughns (foot) will be a game-time decision on Sunday.

The Eagles were the last team whose players conducted a ratification vote on the new CBA.  (Gee, what were the chances of the rank-and-file voting against the thing?)

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POSTED 10:33 a.m. EST, November 18, 2006

GIBBS STAYING PUT FOR 2007?

Although we've heard rumors that Redskins coach Joe Gibbs will pack it in after the 2006 season, a league source tells us that the Hall of Fame head coach is openly talking about plans for the 2007 season.

The source believes, based on Gibbs' comments, that the coach will stick around for at least two more years.

In 2004, Gibbs surprisingly emerged from retirement after more than a decade out of the game.  At the time, there were rumors that Gibbs' wife nudged him back into coaching so that he could hire their son, Coy, as an assistant coach.  Mrs. Gibbs, as we'd heard it, wanted to get Coy out from behind the wheel of the Busch car he had been racing as part of Gibbs' highly-successful NASCAR venture.

In Gibbs' second year back with the team that he led to three Super Bowl wins, the 'Skins qualified for the playoffs and won on the road at Tampa before losing at Seattle.  Combining last year's success with a near-annual flood of big-name free agents and the hiring of offensive guru Al Saunders, the expectations for 2006 were sky high.

Like most Redskins teams over the past seven seasons that were saddled with high hopes, the 2006 version of the franchise has failed.  But Gibbs apparently won't be slinking away with a potentially tarnished legacy; look for him to stick around for at least one more season, probably two.  

Possibly, more.

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POSTED 7:33 p.m. EST; LAST UPDATED 10:27 p.m. EST, November 17, 2006

GRAY GETTING MORE REPS

As former Jaguars starting quarterback Byron Leftwich continues to recover from an ankle injury that he believes isn't bad enough to keep him from playing, and as backup David Garrard handles the duties at the position, word is that third-stringer Quinn Gray is getting more and more reps in practice.

Does it mean that Gray could supplant the guy who has supplanted the 2003 first-rounder?  At this point, it's too early to tell.  But with the team by all appearances finished with Fat Albert, and with Garrard struggling last week against the Texans, we wouldn't be shocked to find out that Garrard has developed an ankle injury, too.

Gray is scheduled to become a restricted free agent after the 2006 season.  Because he was undrafted, the Jaguars are expected to tender him at the new level that requires a team signing the player to sacrifice a second-round draft pick. 

If another team decides to give up a second-round pick for Gray (which is unlikely), the Jags' right to match any offer sheet he signed can easily be defeated with a poison-pill provision that, for example, makes the full value of a backloaded deal guaranteed if Gray's team plays four games in Jacksonville in any year of the contract.

In one career appearance, Gray completed eight of 14 passes for two touchdowns, generating a passer rating of 119.0.

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FRIDAY NIGHT ONE-LINERS

Giants RB Brandon Jacobs is appealing a fine imposed by the league for using the ball as a prop after scoring a touchdown because, as he claims, he wasn't celebrating the score. 

An arbitrator has ruled in favor of WR Ashley Lelie in connection with his grievance against the Broncos; his $220,00 award could be wiped out -- and then some -- when an arbitrator rules on the Broncos' grievance against Lelie.

Ravens LB Ray Lewis is out for Sunday's game against the Falcons.

The CFL might no longer be a safe haven for the NFL's turds.

The Raiders suddenly can't win on the field -- or in court.

Seahawks QB Matt Hasselbeck and RB Shaun Alexander will be game-time decisions on Sunday against the 49ers.

Eagles QB Donovan McNabb likes the team's no-huddle offense.

Doug Flutie is the CFL's greatest . . . player . . . ever.

Vikings FB Tony Richardson will be replaced by TE Jeff Dugan.

NFLN is counting down the 20 best Super Bowl teams.

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POSTED 1:58 p.m. EST, November 17, 2006

SCHEMBECHLER PASSES

Legendary Michigan coach Bo Schembechler has died at the age of 77.

Schembechler became ill while taping his weekly television show.  Four weeks ago, he experienced a similar episode.  He had a long history of heart problems.

Schembechler also served as athletics director at Michigan, and as president of the Detroit Tigers.  His passing comes only one day before 11-0 Ohio State faces 11-0 Michigan in one of the most-hyped college football games in the history of the sport.

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POSTED 11:18 a.m. EST, November 17, 2006

ALERT -- SCHEMBECHLER TAKES ILL, AND THERE ARE RUMORS HE HAS PASSED

Amid reports that legendary Michigan coach Bo Schembechler has been taken to the hospital this morning, there are strong rumors that Schembechler has passed away.

Hopefully, the rumors are incorrect.

Ohio State and Michigan meet on Saturday in the biggest game ever between the two schools.

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POSTED 8:22 a.m. EST; LAST UPDATED 10:13 a.m. EST, November 17, 2006

COLTS WANT TO FINISH STRONG

A league source tells us that members of the Indianapolis Colts don't want to take a rest during the final weeks of the season, assuming that the Colts have home-field advantage locked up for the AFC playoffs with games left to play.

Even if the team isn't pursuing a 16-0 regular-season record (and, frankly, we have a feeling that the unbeaten string will end this weekend in Dallas), the thinking is that recent down time down the stretch has left them cold for the postseason.

Last year, the Colts secured home-field advantage after running their record to 13-0.  The Colts played hard against the Chargers the following week, but lost at home.  The team then shut down the starters for most of the last two games, winning one and losing one.  Coupled with the sudden death of Tony Dungy's son, James, the team limped into the postseason and, after the bye week, the Colts lost at home to the Steelers.

The risk in using the starters for meaningless games, of course, is that a key player will suffer a multi-week injury in what amounts to a meaningless game.

This season, the Colts are likely to be in position to secure home-field advantage sooner rather than later.  They hold a three-game lead over the Pats (and a head-to-head tiebreaker), a two-game lead over the Ravens, a two-game lead over the Broncos (and a head-to-head tiebreaker), and a two-game lead over the Chargers.

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GIANTS PLAYERS CARPING ABOUT CARPET

We're told that multiple members of the New York Football Giants football team of guys who play football are concerned about the condition of the playing surface at Giants Stadium.

Players, we're told, are concerned that the FieldTurf has gotten too hard and lacks sufficient "give".  

The fact that the Giants currently are reeling from a rash of injuries could be contributing to the frustration, even though there's no specific evidence to link any of the injuries to the condition of the field.

We haven't heard whether any members of the Jets, who play on the same field, have concerns about the playing surface.  But we'll start poking around a bit.

FieldTurf is arguably the most popular of the various artificial surfaces that have been adopted within the past decade as an alternative to the rock-hard green cement on which teams used to play.  FieldTurf is intended to simulate a grass field, and features millions of blades of plastic grass and billions of tiny pieces of black rubber that are saturated into the surface to provide cushioning.

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PATS PLAYERS HAPPY TO BE GETTING NEW SURFACE

Regardless of concerns from Giants players regarding the FieldTurf surface that is in service at the Meadowlands, we're told that the New England Patriots players are thrilled with the fact that the team has torn up the green sand/slop/sh-thole at Gillette Stadium and is installing FieldTurf.

The condition of the "grass" at the Pats' home field was, frankly, an embarrassment to the team and to the league, and it made plenty of sense to make a change, even if the change was made during the middle of a season.

The new surface is scheduled to be ready for the team's next home game, November 26 against the Bears.  And for those of you who truly have absolutely nothing productive to do with your lives, you can monitor the installation via the FieldTurf web site.

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MESHAWN RAINS ON SUNSHINE

The Charlotte Observer recently reported that Panthers receiver Keyshawn Johnson gave ESPN's Joe Theismann a piece of his mind earlier this week, when the entire staff of ESPN's Bristol, Connecticut home base descended like 17-year locusts on North Carolina for the Monday night game between Tampa and Carolina.

Specifically, Johnson confronted Joey Sunshine during a production meeting prior to the game regarding some comments made after Johnson was sent home with pay for the last six weeks of the 2003 season.

"The guy called me an idiot a couple of years ago when I was de-activated in Tampa," Johnson said. "I just told him that's not acceptable.  I'm a guy with a degree from the University of Southern California.  Idiots don't get degrees.  Especially when you don't know what transpired within the organization, I'd just assume you would keep your mouth shut, because the next time that I'm an idiot on national television, I'm not going to be so nice.  That was pretty much the conversation." 

Um, Key?  Only an idiot would think that having a degree (especially a degree "earned" while on a football scholarship) means that the holder of the degree is not an idiot.

(Oh, crap.  We're actually sticking up for Joey Sunshine.  Quick, send us a virus.)

Of course, ESPN omitted any reference to Johnson's dressing-down of Joey S. during the actual broadcast of the game.  But why let discussion about a compelling moment from a pre-game production meeting get in the way of the Jeff Gordon interview, or the latest report from one of the sideline foo-foos based on "inside" information readily available via newspapers or the Internet?

Seriously, if Sunshine had any sack he would have called Keyshawn's bluff and said something like this:  "Three years ago, Tampa coach Jon Gruden sent receiver Keyshawn Johnson home with pay for the rest of the year.  At the time, I had some pretty strong words for Johnson.  I called him an idiot on the air.  Well, Johnson confronted me in a production meeting about what I had said in 2003, and he told that the next time he's called an idiot on national television, he's not going to be so nice.  I'll give him the benefit of the doubt, and I'll  assume that he wasn't trying to intimidate me into refraining from speaking my mind.  And I stand by what I said three years ago.  Are there two sides to the story?  Sure.  But there have only been two guys in the salary cap era who were ever sent home with pay for the rest of the season, and those two guys are Keyshawn Johnson and Terrell Owens.  I rest my case."

Finally, the fact that none of the other guys in the booth mentioned the incident only confirms our belief that there's no real chemistry between Sunshine and his on-air colleagues.  Sure, Clarence Thomas and Kornholio throw a careful barb his way every once in a while.  But we get the sense that there's a bright line they cannot cross, lest Sunshine turn green and start snapping leg bones other than his own. 

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SPRINT, MICROSOFT TEAM UP

Our primary sponsors, Sprint and Nextel, announced on Thursday a new partnership with an outfit that's slightly larger than PFT.

Sprint and Nextel phones soon will feature Microsoft's Internet search engine.  The tool will be available via a "Windows Live" search bar on the home page of the Sprint browser.

It'll be a quick and easy way for users to locate information on the go.   

"What restaurants are in this part of town?"  Done.

"Where can I get a good cup of coffee in this Godforsaken place?"  Answered.

"What's the name of that place where Dante hangs out . . . so I can be sure not to go there?"  Bingo.

The possibilities are endless.  Let's say you're at a football game, and the guy sitting in front of you can't think of the name of the prison where one of the players did time.  Punch in a few words, and you'll have the answer. 

And as we often/usually/always say, the best way to demonstrate your loyalty to and appreciation of this site is to demonstrate loyalty to and appreciation of the folks responsible for keeping the site and all of its content free.  You've all got cell phones; there's simply no reason that your service shouldn't be with Sprint or Nextel.  

The availability of a fast, simple tool for searching the Internet while away from a computer makes a move to Sprint and Nextel even more of a no-brainer.  (If in fact there are degrees of no-brainers.  We're not sure that there are.  Maybe that'll be the first thing we look up when we try out the new search service on our Sprint phone.) 

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FRIDAY MORNING ONE-LINERS

Did the Giants blow it by trading for QB Eli Manning?  (Actually, maybe they thought they were getting Eli Simms.)

Jerry Rice gets a proper sendoff from the Santa Clara 49ers.

The Saints-Steelers game last Sunday on FOX actually drew more viewers than the Bears-Giants game in prime time for NBC.

Steelers S Troy Polamalu (concussion) is expected to play on Sunday after making it through practice on Thursday.

Fins QB Daunte Culpepper says it "hurts [his] heart not to play."  (Unfortunately, it hurts our eyes to watch him play.)

Culpepper also thinks that members of the Vikings organization are trying to make him look bad.  (Actually, Daunte has done a pretty good job of that on his own.)

The Lions have brought back WR Corey Bradford.

Lions QB Josh McCown has been running pass patterns in practice.  (How long until he leapfrogs Mike Williams?)

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POSTED 5:31 p.m. EST, November 16, 2006

WALLACE EXTENSION WAS DONE IN AUGUST

Despite a flurry of reports suggesting that the Seahawks recently have signed backup quarterback Seneca Wallace to a contract extension through the 2007 season, Profootballtalk.com has learned that the extension actually was signed in August 2006.

In addition to previously-reported base salaries of $700,000 and $800,000 in 2006 and 2007, respectively, Wallace received a $700,000 roster bonus and a $4,400 workout bonus.  

The contract also includes $400,000 each season in so-called "not likely to be earned" incentives.

So it was, as ESPN.com's Len Pasquarelli declares, an "excellent" deal for the Seahawks, but only because Pasquarelli assumes that Wallace agreed to the extension after he generated a 2-1 record as the replacement starter for the defending NFC champions, without assistance from 2005 league MVP Shaun Alexander (who is injured) or All-Pro left guard Steve Hutchinson (who headed to Minnesota in the offseason).

We think it was a fair deal when it was signed, providing Wallace with more than $775,000 in new money in 2006 and a base salary of $800,000 in 2007, in exchange for his agreement to delay by one year his entry into the open market.

Wallace surely wouldn't sign the same deal now, with starter Matt Hasselbeck nearly ready to return from an MCL injury (which will limit the chances of Wallace suffering a serious injury), and with the potential demand for Wallace's services in 2007 on the rise, given a strong-but-not-spectacular performance this year.

It's part of the risk that a guy takes when he chooses to grab the coin.  As time goes by, the decision might look good, or it might look bad.  

If, for example, he'd turned down the money and then blown out an ACL in one of the Seahawks' preseason games, Wallace would have been kicking himself (with his good leg) for failing to take the payday when it was on the table.

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POSTED 2:41 p.m. EST, November 16, 2006

DEL RIO IS IN TROUBLE, HARRIS ISN'T

We continue to hear that Jaguars coach Jack Del Rio will be in serious trouble if the team doesn't get back to the playoffs in 2006.  But we're also hearing that V.P. of player personnel James "Shack" Harris is not in hot water, regardless of the outcome this season.

Per a league source, the powers-that-be in Jacksonville (i.e., owner Wayne Weaver and right-hand man Paul Vance) believe that the team has done a good job of amassing talent.  The problem is that the talent isn't translating into enough wins.

Del Rio is under contract through 2008, so if a decision is made to make a change after the season, Weaver will be required to eat two years of salary, minus any money that Del Rio might earn elsewhere as a coach. 

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SAVAGE EYEING TITANS' GIG?

There's a talk in league circles that Browns G.M. Phil Savage has an eye on the potential vacancy in Tennessee, if the Titans decide to part ways with long-time G.M. Floyd Reese, whose contract expires after the season.

The reaction, from at least one league insider?  "What has Savage done to deserve a mulligan?"

The reference is, of course, to Savage's short tenure with the Browns, in which his biggest accomplishment has been to fend off an effort by former team president John Collins to get Savage fired in late 2005.  Recently, there were reports that Savage might prefer a position that allows him to focus on his expertise of player acquisition, which prompted speculation that if he stays in Cleveland it might be in a different capacity, with a different General Manager.

But it could just be that Savage realizes that he's unable to successfully navigate the unique dynamics in Cleveland, where the fans are impatient and the former Browns players have more juice with ownership than in any other NFL city.

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HUARD WAS "PLAYING SCARED" AGAINST THE FINS

A league source tells us that the Chiefs decided to make the change from quarterback Damon Huard back to Trent Green due in part to the fact that Huard was "playing scared" against the Miami Dolphins.

Per the source, several Miami defenders perceived that Huard was tentative against a physical front seven, and they concluded that it negatively affected his performance.

A career backup, Huard started only six games in nine years before starting eight straight games in 2006.

Hey, no one who plays in the NFL is a coward (except for the members of the Gramatica family tree).  But it would be naïve to believe that some players aren't thinking (consciously or otherwise) about avoiding a hit.  ESPN broke down video a couple of weeks ago of Bengals quarterback Carson Palmer instinctively lifting his left leg prematurely in order to avoid exposing his new ACL to injury.  And Carson is no chicken.

These guys, after all, are human.  (Most of them, anyway.)  And human beings generally don't like to get the crap beat out of them.  Some of us are less inclined than others to take a pounding, and Huard's lack of live reps over the years might have caused him to land in that category. 

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POSTED 9:21 a.m. EST; LAST UPDATED 11:28 a.m. EST, November 16, 2006

PRIORITY, SPORTSTARS RECRUITING "EVERYONE"

A source in the agent industry tells us that Sportstars, Inc. and Priority Sports & Entertainment are working aggressively to tie up as many blue-chip prospects for the 2007 NFL draft as possible.

Most players will formally sign with agents after their college eligibility expires.  Many players already have made up their minds.

And some, as in every year, are and have been raking in cash and prizes from agents who are more than willing to cough up money in order to add the player to the agent's stable of clients.  We've heard accounts of one player who was thought to be a sure-fire first day pick receiving a lot of money from an agent who'll remain nameless -- and the kid has essentially fallen off of the board.

So there's definitely a risk for any agent who decides to make a huge financial investment in a college player.  There's a chance that the guy will end up revealing himself as a bust before he gets drafted, not after.

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MERRIMAN LOOKING FOR A NEW AGENT

As we explained last month, one of the reasons that the news of Chargers linebacker Shawne Merriman's positive steroids test leaked was because he has no agent.  So after he got the letter advising him of the outcome of the urinalysis, he talked with some of his teammates about the best strategy for proceeding, and some of his teammates talked about it to others, and it finally ended up in the ears of the media.

Perhaps because of the lesson that Merriman learned, we're hearing that Merriman is actively looking for a new agent, and a league source tells us that Tom Condon of CAA, Gary Wichard, and others are hot on the trail.  Wichard initially represented Merriman prior to the 2005 draft, and Merriman abruptly made a switch to the Postons after the Chargers selected him in the first round.

Merriman parted ways several months ago with the Postons.  His delay in hiring a replacement is unusual, since he will owe his new agent no fee unless and until Merriman signs a new contract.  By rule, the Postons still will receive their negotiated fee percentage on Merriman's rookie deal.

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LAWYER CLAIMS HE PAID JIMMY WILLIAMS

The Hampton Roads (Va.) Virginian-Pilot reports that Norfolk lawyer Carl La Mondue has filed suit against Falcons cornerback Jimmy Williams, alleging that La Mondue paid more than $55,000 to Williams while he was playing for Virginia Tech.

Williams, who played college football at Virginia Tech, has not responded to the lawsuit.

La Mondue also has sued NBA rookie Shawne Williams for more than $49,000.

Jimmy Williams allegedly received from La Mondue more than $46,000 in cash and $8,700 in merchandise, including clothes, shoes, phone service, hotel rooms, and a tattoo.  The benefits allegedly were provided to Williams between November 2004 and November 2005.

Williams' eligibility at Virginia Tech expired in January 2006.

Tim Parker, Virginia Tech's assistant athletic director for compliance, responded candidly to the lawsuit.  "Could it be a problem?  Yeah, I guess it could be."

Damn straight, Tim.  This is the Reggie Bush scandal, on a lesser scale.  The NCAA most likely will investigate, and the school could face sanctions if it's determined that the program knew or should have known about the payments.  If, of course, it's also determined that the payments were made.  

Per the NFLPA web site, La Mondue is not a certified football agent.  And that's a good thing for him, because he wouldn't be one for much longer based on the admission that he paid Williams.  NFLPA rules prohibit the use of cash or other things of value to induce a player to use an agent's services.

And that's why more agents don't sue guys to whom they've given money.  Really, any of the kids who take money from an NFLPA agent under a wink-nod promise to sign with said agent can sign with someone else and stiff the agent, since the agent would be sacrificing his livelihood if he tried to recover the money.

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THURSDAY MORNING ONE-LINERS 

The Cowboys are using the shotgun formation more frequently.

Former Cowboys DB Marcus Coleman is sorry (that he got caught).

Either this is an unfortunate typo from NFL.com, or Emmitt Smith is following in the footsteps of O.J. Simpson:

Arizona, which is hosting the 2008 Super Bowl, also plans to bid on the 2011 game.

Raiders DT Warren Sapp recently told a group of fifth-graders that his job is to "kill the man with the ball."  (And then one of the kids asked, "How do we give the ball to Art Shell?")

Bucs DE Simeon Rice might need surgery on an ailing shoulder.

Now that he's on IR, Redskins RB Clinton Portis will also have surgery to repair a torn labrum in his shoulder.

Redskins QB Mark Brunell is blue over his benching.  (Hey, Mark, it's kind of your own fault that you're not playing.)

The Redskins have an injured Cooley.  (Obvious?  Yes.  Funny?  Absolutely.  If you're eight years old.  Or us.)

Fins DT Keith Traylor is out indefinitely due to a right knee that has been carrying around his fat ass for far too long.

Should the folks in 'Frisco be thanking the Niners for helping to derail the city's efforts to host the two-week clusterfudge known as the Olympics?  (Hey, if nothing else it saves them from having to figure out who would have carried in that rainbow flag during the opening ceremonies.)

Holy crap -- the AJC now contains articles and columns that don't involve a chance encounter between the writer's tongue or the Falcons' butt.

Cards QB Matt Leinart on his recent subpar performances:  "Sometimes you get sloppy footwork, it affects your release, it affects your ball."  (He's talking about throwing passes, right?)

The Seahawks have extended QB Seneca Wallace through the 2007 season.  (NFLPA records reveal a salary of $700,000 in 2006 and $800,000 in 2007; we're tracking down the bonus money.)