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POSTED 10:12 p.m. EST,
November 7, 2007
SHACK ON THIN ICE IN JACKSONVILLE?
The recents arrest of two Jaguars players in
separate incidents on the same day, and the strong reaction from owner Wayne
Weaver, has prompted a buzz in league circles regarding the potential fate
of V.P. of player personnel James "Shack" Harris.
As the scuttlebutt goes, Harris could be out
the door soon, since he's the one ultimately responsible for acquiring
players.
Here's what Weaver had to say in the wake of the arrests: "I am
disgusted with the irresponsible behavior that some of our players have
demonstrated. They are embarrassing themselves, our organization, and
their peers. Anytime there is alcohol involved and being out in early
morning hours shows a lack of respect for the code of conduct we expect from
everyone in the Jaguars organization. These players will face
significant discipline and that discipline will be more severe for repeat
violators. Players are and will be subject to fines, loss of game
checks and not playing in our games."
Each of the recently busted players, offensive
tackle Richard Collier and linebacker Justin Durant,
have been suspended for two games by the organization.
In all, six Jaguars players have been arrested
since we launched our Turd Watch game on the day after Super Bowl XLI.
As a league source observed: "They are
almost as bad character-wise as the Bengals. If you go through it,
they have had as many if not more incidents. I wonder why [Shack
Harris and Bengals coach Marvin Lewis] are so willing to take such big risk
when it comes to adding players. It is not like the evidence is not there.
Every team in the league was aware that Durant, for instance, had some
auxiliary issues. Same thing with [Khalif] Barnes. Why bother?
It is just a matter of time before the owner uses all of the transgressions
as proof that changes should be made."
POSTED 8:42 p.m. EST;
UPDATED 9:04 p.m. EST, November 7, 2007
STILL NO WORD ON L.J.'S FOOT
A league source tells us that the Chiefs still
don't know the extent of the injury to the foot of running back Larry
Johnson.
Per the source, the foot is still swollen, and
that's preventing the doctors from making a definitive diagnosis or offering
up a prognosis.
We're told that it's obvious that Johnson
won't play this week. Beyond that, Johnson's status is unclear.
Johnson injured the foot during the Chiefs'
loss to the Packers.
Also, look for Johnson to be fined soon for
using a prop during a touchdown celebration. After taking a swing pass
and maneuvering into the end zone on Sunday, Johnson was handed a large
Chiefs flag, which he planted into the turf.
POLIAN DECRIES DISREPUTABLE
WEB SITES (AND I'M GLAD WE'RE NOT ONE OF THEM) Colts president and G.M. Bill
Polian has addressed on the team's official web site the controversy that
arose regarding the strange audio phenomenon that could be heard during the
broadcast of Sunday's game between the Patriots and the Colts. Here is the relevant portion
of
the question and answer session. Q: Can you comment
on the allegations that the Colts artificially piped-in crowd noise at the
RCA Dome Sunday? A: I'm not sure that
[Patriots Head] Coach [Bill] Belichick had any comments about crowd noise.
There were a number of comments made on what I would call disreputable
websites [Monday] morning. We reacted to it because we felt like it
was an affront to our fans and to the integrity of our organization. I
will read you a statement we issued earlier Monday. It says the
following: 'In reference to questions regarding the audio transmission
of yesterday's game, please refer to the following statement from the NFL:
CBS has informed us that the unusual audio moment heard by fans during the
Patriots-Colts game was the result of tape feedback in the CBS production
truck and was isolated to the CBS broadcast. It was in no way related
to any sound within the stadium and could not be heard in the stadium.
We close with the following sentence: We trust this will put an end to
the ridiculous and unfounded accusations that the Colts artificially
enhanced crowd noise at the RCA Dome in any way.' Q: Where do people
come up with these ideas? A: I have no idea.
These are people who in many respects just have axes to grind and have no
responsibility for what they write. They simply write innuendo and
rumor and garbage and then it gets picked up in the mainstream media.
The unfortunate part of blogs these days is that if something completely
unfounded, something completely untrue – as is the case here – is in a blog,
then someone in the mainstream media can pick it up and they use the excuse,
'Well, it was in a blog. So it was news, and we have to follow it.'
Well, you can follow this until the cows come home and there's nothing to
find. We didn't do anything. Hmmm. Where do people
come up these ideas? Let's see, Bill. The Colts have been
suspected in the past of pumping fake crowd noise into the RCA Dome.
The
Steelers accused the team of doing so two years ago. And, clearly,
there was a bizarre sound glitch on Sunday. Were disreputable web
sites supposed to ignore it? And, actually, the phenomenon
was first explained by the author of a certain disreputable web site in an
item published on a
somewhat reputable web site known as SportingNews.com. Here's what
the author of said disreputable web site said: "In the past,
teams that have visited the RCA Dome have questioned whether the
Colts pipe in artificial crowd noise in an effort to disrupt the
road team's offense. Though the Colts have denied any such
chicanery (thanks, Tiki), the suspicions remain. "And the
suspicions will only grow stronger after Sunday's game against
New England. During the first play of the fourth quarter,
the noise from the crowd contained a strange effect. It
almost sounded like my kid was working the 'Whammy Bar' while
playing Guitar Hero. "We don't know
whether that noise could be heard in the stadium, but it was
obvious on CBS' broadcast. And it invites speculation as
to whether the Colts are indeed piping in phony music -- and
whether there was a malfunction of some sort on Sunday that
offered proof of it." It was a fair
question to raise, in light of the history of suspicions and
given the odd noises from Sunday's game. And, amazingly, a
certain disreputable web site with an alleged ax to grind
nevertheless found a way to demonstrate some semblance of
objectivity by later posting (and embracing) an explanation from
a recording industry expert who swears that the sound was not
the result of any efforts by the Colts to artificially increase
the decibel levels in the dome.
POSTED 6:00 p.m. EST,
November 7, 2007
MICROFRACTURE FOR VILMA?
Tom Rock of Newsday reports that Jets
linebacker Jonathan Vilma
could be having microfracture surgery on his injured knee.
But the story is a bit deceptive. Rock
obtains input from a surgeon who isn't treating Vilma, and who is making his
conclusion based solely on the fact that the Jets placed Vilma on injured
reserve with more than half of the season to play.
The title of the article -- "Vilma could need
2 years to recover" -- is also misleading. The doctor merely said what
most NFL observers have come to realize: "[I]t takes about a year to
fully rehab from it and usually it's not until the second year that they're
back to their old self."
POSTED 5:44 p.m. EST,
November 7, 2007
FALCONS' BABINEAUX CLEARED OF ANIMAL
CRUELTY by Michael David Smith
Charges have been dropped against the other
Atlanta Falcon who was accused of a disturbing act of violence against a
dog.
Defensive tackle Jonathan Babineaux had been
charged with felony animal cruelty in the death of a pit bull that belonged
to his girlfriend, but today Gwinnett County District Attorney Danny Porter
dismissed that charge.
Pat McDonough, Babineaux's attorney, said
Babineaux acted in self-defense when an aggressive dog attacked him and his
5-month-old daughter.
"This
was a clear case of self-defense," McDonough said. "The dog had a
history of violence. ... Jonathan and his family did everything in their
power to make this dog part of their family."
Babineaux pronounced himself "just happy the
whole situation is over with."
After the charges were brought against
Babineaux, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals urged Falcons owner
Arthur Blank to suspend him. McDonough said the pressure on the Falcons to
dump Babineaux grew when Michael Vick was charged and pleaded guilty to
felony charges related to dog fighting.
POSTED 4:53 p.m. EST,
November 7, 2007
TESTAVERDE LIKELY TO START SUNDAY
by Michael David Smith
It's sounding like Vinny Testaverde will be
back at quarterback for the Panthers Sunday.
Testaverde was back on the practice field
today, while David Carr sat out with a concussion. Although Panthers coach
John Fox wouldn't say who will start Sunday against the Falcons, if
Testaverde has healed sufficiently from the Achilles' tendon injury he
suffered October 28 against Indianapolis that he can practice, it stands to
reason that he can play.
"I thought both he and Matt Moore looked
good," Fox said. "It
was a good practice. It was well executed."
Testaverde, who turns 44 next week, played
fairly well when forced into duty because of injuries to Carr and Jake
Delhomme, who is out for the season with an elbow injury. Moore is
inexperienced and has only been with the Panthers since the beginning of the
regular season, after the Cowboys cut him at the end of the preseason.
In addition to Carr, other injured Panthers
who missed practice included wide receiver Keary Colbert, tackle Jordan
Gross and center Justin Hartwig. Fox said he gave wide receiver Steve Smith
the day off, but that Smith is not injured.
POSTED 3:57 p.m. EST,
November 7, 2007
MCNABB: IT'S NOT ALL MY FAULT
by Michael David Smith
Seeming perhaps a little too defensive, Eagles
quarterback Donovan McNabb today said at his weekly press conference that he
shouldn't get all the blame for the Eagles' 3-5 record.
"It's easy to blame the quarterback when the
team loses, but
I'm definitely not the whole reason why we lost these games," McNabb
said, per the team's official web site. "I can definitely help -- yes I can
-- but I [shouldn't get the full] blame for everything that goes on around
here."
Those comments could be perceived as a dig at
his teammates -- the logical extension of saying he's not the whole reason
the Eagles lost five games is that some of his teammates also deserve blame.
Obviously, everyone knows that football is a
team sport, and that it's never all the quarterback's fault when a
team falls short of expectations. And since everyone knows that, McNabb
would be better off leaving it unsaid, as saying it makes him come across as
desperate to deflect criticism.
Earlier this week, Eagles coach Andy Reid was
questioned about whether McNabb could be benched in favor of rookie Kevin
Kolb, and although Reid said he supported McNabb, he added that "nothing is
guaranteed."
When asked about that today, McNabb said, "I'm
prepared to be the guy who can go out there and help us win games."
POSTED 3:16 p.m. EST,
November 7, 2007
FOX DENIES THAT SIRAGUSA PULLED A KINCHEN
In response to an earlier report in this space
indicating that sideline reporter Tony Siragusa apparently said "that's gay"
in response to an image of a man dressed as an angel during Sunday's
Redskins-Jets game, FOX has contacted us to deny that Siragusa uttered such
a statement.
FOX Sports spokesman Dan Bell sent us the
following e-mail explaining the company's position: "I enjoy your
website and read it frequently. Regarding the story below, I had to email
you today and let you know that Tony did not say 'That's gay' during the
Redskins/Jets game. "He said
'There's Kenny,' referring to play-by-play announcer Kenny Albert. I ask
you to please listen again closely to that segment. I did over 20 times and
I am completely confident that is exactly what he said. "As you
mentioned in your column, we take these accusations very seriously." We appreciate the
clarification, and I'll be firing up the DVR again tonight to listen to it a
few more times. I'll do so with an open mind, and if on further review
I conclude that he said, "There's Kenny," I'll say so. Meanwhile, I've asked Bell to
explore the possibility of posting the clip on YouTube, so that PFT Planet
can make its own decision as to what was said.
POSTED 3:03 p.m. EST,
November 7, 2007
CHRIS HENRY IN TROUBLE, AGAIN?
Recently, the other Chris Henry made waves
amid news that he is facing in a four-game suspension for violation of the
policy against anabolic steroids and related substances. After months
of relative calm, the original Chris Henry might be jumping back into the
fray.
Henry, the Bengals receiver who was suspended
for the first eight games of the 2007 season, is
facing accusations
of "menacing" and "harassment" in connection with an alleged attempt to
park his car for free.
Henry alleged went chest to chest with a valet
parking attendant, and said, "F--k you. . . . F--k this. . . . Don't you
know who I am?"
No arrest has been made, and there's a chance
that nothing will come of this. And if it's all a fabrication or an
exaggeration, Henry had better get used to it -- his past behavior makes him
a target for this kind of stuff.
POSTED 1:22 p.m. EST,
November 7, 2007 POINDEXTER WINS RE-ELECTION
by Michael David Smith
Gerald Poindexter, the prosecutor in Surry
County, Virginia who has been criticized for his handling of the Michael
Vick case, won re-election yesterday.
But the Virginian-Pilot reports that
although Poindexter's was the only name on the ballot, his victory was far
from a landslide.
Poindexter
got 1,657 votes, or 58.5 percent of the total. Another 1,173 votes, or
41.4 percent, went to a write-in candidate. A former commonwealth's attorney
in Hanover County, Ed Vaughn, ran a write-in campaign after deciding to get
into the race too late to get his name on the ballot.
We don't claim to be expert political
analysts around here, but when an incumbent is the only person on the ballot
and still can't manage to win 60 percent of the vote, that's a pretty good
sign that a lot of people in Surry County don't think he's doing a very good
job.
Poindexter has been the commonwealth's
attorney in Surry since 1995. He was criticized for dragging his feet when
the Vick case first came to light, and for frequently making confusing,
contradictory public statements about it. Vick was indicted on state felony
charges in Surry County in September, after pleading guilty to federal
charges.
POSTED 11:57 a.m. EST,
November 7, 2007 SURGERY TODAY FOR VILMA
by Michael David Smith
Tom Rock of Newsday reports that Jets
linebacker Jonathan Vilma will undergo knee surgery today, and Rock quotes
one orthopedic surgeon as saying it could be two years before Vilma is fully
recovered.
Although the Jets and Vilma have been
characteristically quiet about Vilma's injury (before he was put on injured
reserve, Vilma and Jets coach Eric Mangini disagreed publicly about whether
he was injured at all), Rock quotes Dr. Johnny Benjamin, chief of orthopedic
surgery at Indian River Medical Center in Vero Beach, Fla., as saying that
the little bit that has been made public indicates that Vilma will require
either micro fracture surgery or the insertion of a bio-absorbable screw
into the knee to hold the ligament to the bone.
Of course, no doctor who has actually seen
Vilma's knee is speaking about it publicly. Mangini wouldn't speculate on
when Vilma will return, and Vilma's agent, Mitch Frankel, says doctors
expect a full recovery.
Vilma has one year remaining on the five-year
contract he signed as the Jets' first-round pick in 2004. He's a much better
fit in the 4-3 defense run by his first coach, Herm Edwards, than he is in
the 3-4 defense run by Mangini. That means both the Jets and Vilma might be
interested in an off-season trade, which means both sides will want other
teams to think his knee will be just fine.
POSTED 11:16 a.m. EST,
November 7, 2007
PATS PEEVED AT OPIE & ANTHONY
The Boston Herald reports that the
New England Patriots are upset by Tuesday's phony rumor aired on the
Opie & Anthony show that quarterback Tom Brady is facing a four-game
suspension for failing a drug test.
The fake rumors was part of the show's "Make
Stuff Up Tuesday." But that, in our view, doesn't excuse it.
While we always fire off a string of phony
stories on April 1 of each year, we take great pains to ensure that the
false information doesn't put any of the parties involved in a negative
light. It's one thing to say that Barry Sanders is coming out of
retirement or that Nick Saban has quit the Dolphins to go work for a
second-tier college football program (oh wait that one was true). It's
quite another to pin the specter of drug abuse on a guy who has never been
tied to drug use.
But, apparently, the Pats aren't going to make
a big stink about it because they just want it to go away. WEDNESDAY MORNING
ONE-PER-CLUB ONE-LINERS
by Michael David Smith The Patriots
released TE Marcellus Rivers Tuesday. Bills QB Trent Edwards will
still
not be ready to practice today because of a sprained wrist. The Jets
released S Rashad Washington, who committed several costly penalties in
recent games. Says Dolphins coach Cam
Cameron, "I've
got to do a better job of making sure we eliminate penalties." Steelers DE Aaron Smith
could return
Sunday from a sprained knee. Browns QB Derek Anderson has
been
sacked only seven times in seven starts; Charlie Frye was sacked five
times in the first half in the Browns' opener. Ravens coach Brian Billick
says TE Todd Heap has "rounded
the corner" with his hamstring injury. Bengals RB Chris Perry has
been
medically cleared to practice for the first time since breaking his
ankle almost a year ago. The Colts have
the worst punt coverage in the league. The Titans have
signed DT Demetrin Veal. [Editor's note: I
think I had that once at Applebee's.] Jaguars P Adam Podlesh claims
he ran
a 4.41-second 40-yard dash in college. Texans CB Dunta Robinson is
holding off on knee surgery while he awaits a second opinion from Dr.
James Andrews. Asked about the play of Chiefs
QB Damon Huard, coach Herm Edwards didn't rule out benching him, but added,
"There are a lot of things we need to do better, and
it's not
just the quarterback." The Chargers' defense will
need to be better against Colts RB Joseph Addai than it was against
Vikings RB Adrian Peterson. As badly as the Broncos have
played lately, there's a good chance they'll be tied for
first place in the AFC West by Sunday night. Says Raiders coach Lane Kiffin
of QB JaMarcus Russell, "We're going to play him when we think he's ready to
play and when he can
help us win." The Cowboys like the way
rookie WR Isaiah Stanback performed in
his first game as a kick returner. Is it time to label Giants WR
Sinorice Moss
a bust? Says Redskins coach Joe Gibbs
of rookie S LaRon Landry, "He's
what we thought we were going after in the draft." Eagles coach Andy Reid says he
has no plans to bench any players, at quarterback
or any other position. Deion Sanders thinks the
Packers have the
best cornerback
tandem in the NFL. Lions coach Rod Marinelli gave
the players the day off Monday, but
many showed up anyway. Says Vikings WR Bobby Wade of
teammate Sidney Rice, "Sidney is progressing, I think,
better than
any rookie [receiver] I've seen." If there's any reason for the
Bears to be optimistic about the second half of the season, it's that
the schedule gets easier. Falcons GM Rich McKay
gets a lot of the blame for the team's lousy season. They're only a half-game out
of first place, and yet the Panthers look like a team
without much
hope for the rest of the season. The Saints will see their old
coach, Jim Haslett, when
they take on the Rams Sunday. Tampa Bay DE Kevin Carter says
of teammate Gaines Adams, "He's improving every week. He listens,
he works his butt off." Seahawks coach Mike Holmgren's
assessment of the team at the halfway point: "It's now an eight-game
season. . . . We're OK, but
we've got to fix this if we want to really do something." The Cardinals
signed OT Brandon Torrey to the practice squad and released QB Matt
Baker from the practice squad. If the 49ers had the 2005
draft to do over again, would they
still
choose QB Alex Smith first overall? The Rams are
juggling their roster after placing DE Leonard Little on injured
reserve.
POSTED 9:56 a.m. EST,
November 7, 2007
GOOSE PULLS A KINCHEN?
Last year, ESPN yanked college football
analyst Brian Kinchen, a former NFL player who said that something was "kind
of gay" during a game broadcast.
This year, FOX's Tony Siragusa has apparently
committed a similar on-air faux pas.
It happened during Sunday's Redskins-Jets
game, with 9:23 remaining in the third quarter. Returning from a
commercial break, the FOX cameras showed images of a couple of waving kids
who apparently were at the game with some of Siragusa's family members.
(Previously, there had been banter about the presence of Siragusa's brother
at the game.)
So play-by-plan man Kenny Albert says over the
shot of the children, "Another look at the Siragusa section. Tony did
you pay for those tickets?"
Goose says, "Yeah, I did. I did."
The camera then cuts to an image of a man
sitting elsewhere in the stands, and he's wearing some sort of an angel
costume, with a wig of long white hair.
And then Goose says, softly but audibly,
"That's gay."
(We need to thank the reader who pointed this
out. It took a while to find it on the DVR, but find it we did earlier
this morning.)
So what should FOX do? Regardless of
whether the comment merits termination, it reflects an unacceptable level of
stupidity and a lack of restraint. Then again, Siragusa doesn't
exactly strike us as a master of discretion, and the folks at FOX kind of
knew what they were getting when they opted to put him on the air.
Siragusa's shtick is that he does what he
wants to do. Unlike every other man that appears on one of these
network football broadcasts, Goose never, ever wears a jacket or a tie.
He says what he wants, when he wants, how he wants. (Kind of like,
say, Don Imus.) Some people like Siragusa's work if for no reason
other than it's different from what everyone else who covers the game does.
But this isn't his first brush with
controversy, either.
Three years ago, Siragusa apparently intimated
that he thinks quarterback Joey Harrington is gay.
"I
thought he was a little bit too overconfident," Siragusa said of a
pregame meeting with Harrington, who at the time played for the Lions.
"Just a different kind of guy. Not a meat-and-potato guy but a very
sophisticated man. That's as much as I can go into right now."
Last year, Siragusa was at
the center of a childish prank that was played on a Panthers fan, who
supposedly won a car during a game aired by FOX.
"The car is coming in right now," Siragusa said to the
winning fan. "Here it comes. Beautiful. It's white.
It's a Porsche."
And then Siragusa handed the guy a toy car.
Among those not amused was FOX Sports chairman
David Hill, who personally delivered to the fan the keys to a real Ford
F-150 pickup truck.
"I
take the reputation of FOX Sports very seriously and I don't want it to be
sullied," Hill said.
And that's just the stuff we know about.
With a guy like Goose, there's always a chance that there are plenty of
behind-the-scenes stories involving details that could constitute violations
of one or more company polices.
So regardless of whether Goose's most recent
remark would be enough standing alone to get him the Brian Kinchen
treatment, the fact remains that Siragusa has a history of saying and doing
stupid things on the air -- and there's a chance that he might have crossed
the line for the last time.
POSTED 9:08 a.m. EST,
November 7, 2007
LAKE SPILLS THE BEANS ON BUSH
Jason Cole and Charles Robinson of Yahoo!
Sports report that New Era Sports & Entertainment co-founder Lloyd Lake
met on Tuesday with NCAA representatives in connection with an ongoing
investigation into whether Bush and/or his parents received benefits while
Bush was still eligible to play college football.
If it's determined that Bush or his parents
(or both) were getting paid while Bush was playing for USC, Bush could be
retroactively declared ineligible, which could force him to surrender the
2005 Heisman Trophy.
Also, USC could be compelled to forfeit games
in 2004 and/or 2005. In turn, USC could lose its 2004 national
championship.
And it all would happen over a measly
$291,600.
Rather than settling with Lake, Bush has opted
to hunker down. And now that Lake has met with the NCAA, the real
damage might already have been done.
Bizarrely, Bush already has bought off Lake's
partner, Michael Michaels, who reportedly received between $200,000 and
$300,000 in exchange for an agreement not to talk to anyone (NCAA included)
about the situation.
So if Bush settled with one, why didn't he
settle with both?
Indeed, the settlement with Michaels is
worthless absent a settlement with Lake. The confidentiality provision
won't insulate Michaels from testifying in the Lake lawsuit, and the NCAA
will (or at least should) do everything in its power to get all of the
transcripts of the various depositions that will be taken -- and to sit in
the front row of the gallery at trial.
I've been practicing law for more than 16
years, and I've seen too many cases where a lawyer's ongoing decisions are
tainted by a desire to justify bad advice that was previously given.
Here, the Bushes should have been urged to make all of this go away before
April of 2006, when it first hit the fan. Since then, there have been
more opportunities to fix the situation, but the lawyer for Bush and his
parents (David Cornwell) has opted for defiance, hurling unfounded
accusations of extortion and stirring up an FBI investigation of Lake and
Michaels that died quickly on the vine.
Now that Lake has met with the NCAA, it might
be too late to make this right. Since Reggie has refused to give his
side of the story to the NCAA, the NCAA is justified in ignoring anything
Bush and his lawyers might say or do to denigrate Lake, and in accepting
Lake's version of the events as true and correct.
Meanwhile, Uncle Rico should think about
clearing some space on the mantle for the trinket that he soon could be
putting there.
POSTED 8:38 a.m. EST;
UPDATED 8:50 a.m. EST, November 7, 2007
BILLICK IN THE BALANCE?
Not too long ago, we heard on the NFL
grapevine that (to our surprise) Ravens coach Brian Billick would have one
more year to demonstrate that he has the competence to continue as a head
coach.
We're now hearing rumblings in the wake of
Monday night's 38-7 debacle in daBurgh, which wasn't nearly as close as the
final score suggests, that Billick could be gone after the season if the
team doesn't get back on track and make the playoffs.
Few people, if anyone, know what owner Steve
Bisciotti ultimately will do. The belief in league circles is that
Bisciotti kept Billick after the 2005 season because Bisciotti feared that
he wouldn't find anyone better than Billick to take his place. So, in
our view, that analysis will always apply to the question of whether
Bisciotti brings Billick back for yet another season.
Another factor in this regard could be whether
and to what extent Billick made the decision to cut quarterback Derek
Anderson, who is now flourishing in the town that the Ravens used to call
home, for the team that the Ravens used to be. It's ironic, to say the
least, that the Ravens' chronic inability under Billick to acquire and to
develop a high-end quarterback has included a decision to discard a player
who is turning into one before our eyes.
Then again, there's no guarantee that Anderson
would have developed under Billick. And that could be the real problem
here. Maybe the failure of quarterbacking play during Billick's tenure
hasn't been the fault of the string of quarterbacks, but of the coach.
Maybe Billick is a genius at figuring out how to make the O's run rings
around the X's on a chalkboard, but a nincompoop when it comes to
translating his genius to the guy pulling the trigger.
Regardless, it's becoming more and more
obvious that change is necessary in Baltimore. Last season, Billick
rose to the challenge after firing offensive coordinator Jim Fassel.
This year, Billick has faded badly as the guy calling the plays, and that
could be enough to get the Ravens to move on. PFT UNVEILS ITS MIDSEASON
AWARDS Now that we've passed the
nine-week mark of the 2007 season, it's time to hand out the electronic
hardware in a broad array of categories on both sides of the ball, and
beyond. The full list of 42 winners
(and losers) is right here. The one thing we didn't do is
name an MVP. The PFTV guys have narrowed it down for you. Watch
the following clip, and then send
us your thoughts on who the MVP should be. We'll announce the
winner on Friday.
POSTED 11:01 p.m. EST;
UPDATED 11:25 p.m. EST, November 6, 2007
SHULA GIVES PATS MORE MOTIVATION TO GO 19-0
In a recent Ten-Pack entry for
SportingNews.com, yours truly suggested (with all due respect and
discretion) that the 1972 Dolphins need to shut up.
As ESPN's Sal Paolantonio points out in
compelling fashion in his new book, The Paolantonio Report, the '72
Fins are among the most overrated Super Bowl teams of all time. Yeah,
they were 17-0. But their opponents were slightly above average at
best, and the Miami victories provided scant evidence of dominance.
But their desire to be the only NFL team to
ever make it through an entire season without a loss or a tie is obvious.
It's so obvious that the coach of the team is already trying to lay the
foundation for an argument that a 19-0 record for the 2007 Patriots
shouldn't count.
"The Spygate thing has diminished what they've
accomplished.
You would hate to have that attached to your accomplishments. They've
got it," Shula told the New York Daily News. "[Coach Bill] Belichick
was fined $500,000, the team was fined $250,00 and they lost a first-round
draft choice. That tells you the seriousness or significance of what
they found."
As to his contention that an asterisk should
be placed next to the Pats' perfect season (if/when it happens), Shula said,
"I don't know how people can't agree with that."
We don't agree with it, Don. Though we
believe that the evidence of videotaped defensive signals (and the
widespread rumors it spawned regarding more nefarious forms of cheating)
puts a cloud over the team's past accomplishments (including its three Super
Bowl wins), any past cheating means nothing in 2007. The incriminating
tape was confiscated at halftime of the first game of the season, against a
team that knows that the Patriots were videotaping defensive signals.
Surely, it wasn't a factor in Week One.
Nor should it be a factor in any of the other
game played this year. Only a complete ignoramus (and Mike Tice no
longer is an NFL head coach) would square off against the Pats in 2007 while
using defensive signals or any other signals that might have been recorded
by New England in the past.
So we think Shula is way off
base on this one. And we also think that his decision to tee off on
the team that presents the biggest threat to the feats of the '72 Fins will
serve only to give the Patriots extra motivation to finish the job.
UPDATE: A reader points
out that the Dolphins were nailed by the league for tampering in connection
with the hiring of Shula to be their head coach in 1970. The penalty
was a first-round draft pick. So if the head coach of the team that
went 17-0 two years later was hired through improper means, shouldn't the
team's accomplishments with said coach carry an asterisk, too? TOUGHEST TEST FOR PATS
MIGHT COME IN WEEK SEVENTEEN Speaking of the Patriots and
their quest for perfection, the schedule has a couple of potentially
significant hurdles. There's a Monday night game in Baltimore on
December 3, followed by a visit from the Steelers on December 9. But the biggest threat to
perfection could come in Week Seventeen, when the Pats return to the place
where the Spygate scandal was spawned for a game against the Giants. And while the Patriots would
have home-field advantage for the AFC playoffs clinched at 15-0, the Giants
could very well need a win to improve their playoff position. Here's more on the subject
from the guys from PFTV.
And here's the kicker.
The Pats-Giants game will be played on Saturday, December 29. Only on
NFL Network. You know what that means.
For folks not in Boston or New York, you'll need to have NFLN in order to
enjoy the game in the comfort of your own igloo. Don't like it? We don't
blame you. As always, you can make your voices heard by clicking the
links at the left side of the top of the page.
POSTED 10:05 p.m. EST,
November 6, 2007
ALLEGATIONS AGAINST COLTS WON'T DIE
A day after the Indianapolis Colts called
suspicions of enhanced crowd noise "ridiculous
and unfounded" and (as we hear it) G.M. Bill Polian chastised the media
during a radio appearance for giving credence to the claims of "disreputable
blog sites" (i.e., us), a photojournalist for WBZ-TV claims that a
security guard at the RCA Dome admitted that the Colts pump in artificial
crowd noise.
Specifically, Bryan
Foley shared with WCBS-TV this conversation that he had with the unnamed
security guard: "I asked
him, 'Do you go home at night with a headache? Because it's early in
the first quarter and my head is already hurting. He said, 'I don't
know if you know this, but
they
actually pick up the crowd noise and pump it back through the P.A."
So the question of whether the odd sound
phenomenon heard on television broadcasts when the Patriots had the ball
early in the fourth quarter was the result of a CBS equipment error doesn't
mean that the Colts don't use artificial crowd noise.
POSTED 9:31 p.m. EST,
November 6, 2007
NO EARLY REINSTATEMENT FOR PACMAN
In a move that should surprise no one who has
been following this story, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell has said that
he will not be reducing the one-year suspension imposed on Titans
cornerback Pacman Jones.
When issuing his decision in April, Goodell
said that he would review the situation after ten games. At Jones'
request, the two men met last week in New York.
Though Jones hasn't gotten in any new
off-field trouble (yet) since April, he has yet to escape jeopardy for
pending felony charges in Georgia and in Las Vegas. In fact, his
situation in Vegas had gotten worse since the suspension was imposed.
Moreover, Jones made a mockery of the
situation by attempting to become a pro wrestler during his suspension.
The Titans ultimately filed suit to prevent him from engaging in any
wrestling.
Jones will be eligible to re-join the Titans
when they commence their 2008 offseason workouts. The bigger question
is whether the Titans want him, and whether they'd be able to trade him to
another team that is willing to give the No. 6 overall pick in the 2005
draft a second chance. However, we can't imagine anyone taking a
chance on him until all pending legal issues are resolved.
Meanwhile, the PFTV guys sound off on the
development.
POSTED 6:22 p.m. EST;
UPDATED 6:25 p.m. EST, November 6, 2007
L.J. DONE FOR THE YEAR?
FOX 31 in Denver reports that Chiefs running
back
Larry Johnson is out for the year.
The report contains no wiggle room; it states
as an item of hard news that L.J. is done.
Per the report, the news that Johnson has a
broken bone in his foot was confirmed "by a source within the Chiefs
organization with direct knowledge of the situation."
The Chiefs are 4-4 and tied for the lead in
the AFC West. They host the 3-5 Broncos on Sunday.
UPDATE:
A source with knowledge of
the situation tells us that tests are not complete, and the team does not
yet know the extent of the injury. For now, the unofficial position
seems to be the team is unable to make any judgment about Johnson's
availability beyond this week.
POSTED 6:12 p.m. EST,
November 6, 2007
VIKES DUST OFF DETMER
A week after laughing off the possibility of
signing a washed-up, unemployed quarterback to prop up a pathetic depth
chart at the position, the Vikings have signed . . . a washed-up, unemployed
quarterback to prop up a pathetic depth chart at the position.
Specifically, the
Vikings have added Koy
Detmer, a former Eagles backup who eventually was re-signed to the team in
2006 not because he can play quarterback effectively but because he's a
competent holder.
Detmer, 34, has a career passer rating of
61.2. The guy whom coach Brad Childress publicly dissed last week,
Jeff George, is five years older -- and has a career passer rating of 80.4.
So when Vikings coach Brad Childress was asked
whether George is on the downside of his career and said,
"Downside would probably be -- I think -- kind," couldn't
Childress have said the same thing about Detmer?
Look, we're not saying that the Vikings
definitely should have signed George. But why not bring the guy in for
a look-see? We've always referred to George as having an arm by NASA
and a body by Lego. Even if he has lost a little speed off of the
fastball, he likely can still bring the heat with the best of them.
And it's not as if approaching his 40th birthday would have made him
significantly slower or less mobile.
Really, what better way to make a defense pay
for crowding the line of scrimmage to stop Adrian Peterson than to have
George take a three-step drop and rifling the ball to receivers in single
coverage?
Of course, it can never happen now, given that
Childress opted to gratuitously -- and foolishly -- dismiss the possibility
of kicking the tires on a guy who very well could be much more capable of
getting the job done than the guy whom Childress opted to sign.
POSTED 5:43 p.m. EST,
November 6, 2007
JENNINGS DONE IN SAN FRAN
Though many league insiders and observers are
skeptical about whether 49ers left tackle Jonas Jennings was placed on
injured reserve because he actually has an injury that prevents him from
playing or because the team decided he was a pain in the butt and didn't
want to give him the freedom that he likely craves, a league source tells us
that Jennings is legitimately injured -- but that Jennings' days with the
team are over.
Per the source, the team is happy to get
Jennings out of the locker room.
Jennings was signed to a seven-year, $36
million in 2005. He has played in only 21 of 40 games due to injury
and, in Week Five of the 2007 season, he missed a game due to
still-undisclosed personal reasons.
Last week, former Niners safety Ronnie Lott
ripped Jennings on KNBR for being a "disruptive
force" in the organization.
Because the 2006 Collective Bargaining
Agreement removed the right of NFL teams to send players home with pay, the
Niners' only ability to rid themselves of Jennings for the rest of the year
without cutting him was to put him on IR. Though we presume that
Jennings could challenge the injured reserve designation, he likely is
content to get the balance of his 2007 base salary of $3.65 million and then
hit the market again in 2008.
Signed through 2011, Jennings is due to make
base salaries of $3.45 million, $4.2 million, $4.3 million, and $5.15
million over the next four seasons. In theory, he could be traded.
But he likely would want more money from a new team, which could prevent a
deal from getting done.
POSTED 5:08 p.m. EST,
November 6, 2007
BENTLEY WON'T BE BACK THIS YEAR
The Cleveland Browns announced on Tuesday that
center LeCharles Bentley
will remain on the physically unable to perform list for the balance of
the 2007 season. The earliest that he'll play, then, is 2008.
Because his initial injury occurred in 2006,
Bentley won't be eligible for the PUP list next season. Instead, he'd
go on the non-football injury list if he cannot pass a physical at the
outset of next year's training camp.
The fact that Bentley won't play at all in
2007 could rekindle the team's consternation regarding Bentley's decision
not to have surgery on the new patellar tendon that was placed in his knee
after rupturing the original tendon on the first day of training camp in
2006. The new tendon was damaged by a staph infection, and Bentley was
considering having a new one inserted. If he had opted for that
approach, he would have potentially been ready to go with a fresh tendon in
2008.
As it now stands, Bentley has still missed all
of 2007, and if/when he plays again it will be with a damaged tendon.
Bentley was a big-money acquisition of the
Browns on the first day of free agency in 2006. At some point, the
team is likely to cut the cord on Bentley, if he can't return to the field.
He is scheduled to earn base salaries of $2.4 million, $3.4 million,
$5.9 million, and $5.9 million from 2008 through 2011, respectively.
POSTED 4:57 p.m. EST;
UPDATED 5:26 p.m. EST, November 6, 2007
STROUD SUSPENSION TAKES EFFECT
The NFL has announced that the four-game
suspension imposed on Jaguars defensive tackle Marcus Stroud
will become effective immediately.
Stroud will be eligible to return the day
after the team's December 3 game at Indianapolis.
We previously wrote that Stroud would be able
to return for the Colts game, based on reports that Stroud was considering
abandoning his appeal so that he could get back in time to face Indy.
As it turns out, however, Stroud would have had to cry "uncle" before
Sunday's game against the Saints in order to get back in time. We
apologize for the error.
Unlike the substance-abuse policy, which
entails various lesser forms of discipline before a four-game suspension,
the policy on anabolic steroids and related substances triggers an automatic
four-game suspension for an initial violation.
POSTED 4:46 p.m. EST,
November 6, 2007
MORGAN HEADS TO IR
For the second straight season, Panthers
middle linebacker Dan Morgan has
landed on
injured reserve.
This time around, however, it has nothing to
do with his chronic case of bumpus-on-the-nogginus. Instead, it's the
result of an Achilles' tendon injury that has not healed despite several
week of rest.
Morgan has not played since Week Three.
"It's obviously disappointing and frustrating
for Dan, and it's disappointing for us too," Panthers G.M. Marty Hurney
said, according to the Charlotte Observer. "He tried to
rehabilitate it for six weeks with no significant improvement, so he decided
to undergo surgery."
The Panthers have signed fullback Biller
Latsko from their practice squad to replace Morgan on the roster. The
vacancy on the practice squad was filled by former UCLA quarterback Drew
Olson.
POSTED 2:43 p.m. EST, November 6, 2007 LARRY JOHNSON UNLIKELY TO
PLAY SUNDAY by Michael David Smith
Chiefs coach Herm Edwards said today that he
expects running back Larry Johnson to miss Sunday’s game against the
Broncos.
POSTED 1:51 p.m. EST, November 6, 2007 CHARGERS' CASTILLO OUT SIX
WEEKS by Michael David Smith
San Diego Chargers defensive end Luis Castillo
had surgery Monday to repair a torn tendon in his ankle suffered during
Sunday's loss to the Minnesota Vikings. The team says
he'll miss six weeks and is targeting Christmas Eve against the Broncos
as his return date.
The injury to Castillo is a serious blow to
the Chargers' defense as San Diego prepares for Sunday's game against the
Colts. Jacques Cesaire will start in Castillo's place, and that represents a
significant drop-off in talent.
Castillo is a good player, but this is the
second straight season that he has missed significant time with an ankle
injury. He also suffered a serious elbow injury in 2004, his senior season
at Northwestern. He then tested positive for a banned supplement prior to
being drafted in 2005, and he sent a letter to all 32 teams saying he took
the supplement in an effort to help him train for the combine while
recovering from that elbow injury.
Castillo is
on the cover of the Spanish language version of Madden '08. Perhaps that
version has a curse associated with it as well.
POSTED 12:46 p.m. EST, November 6, 2007 JAGUARS SUSPEND DURANT,
COLLIER by Michael David Smith
Vito Stellino of the Jacksonville
Times-Union reports that Jaguars coach Jack Del Rio has suspended
linebacker Justin Durant and offensive lineman Richard Collier for Sunday's
game against the Titans.
Both players were arrested -- in separate
incidents -- early Saturday morning. Neither player made the trip to New
Orleans for the Jaguars' game against the Saints, and the Titans game will
constitute the second game of a two-game suspension for each player.
"We have talked through this thing and want to
make sure we send the message where the guys understand this type of
behavior isn't going to be tolerated in Jacksonville," Del Rio said. "We
need to get this thing tightened up."
Del Rio also said both Durant and Collier will
be fined an undisclosed amount, as will offensive tackle Khalif Barnes, who
sat out the first half Sunday after being late on Saturday. Barnes has had
multiple off-field problems, and when reporters asked Del Rio why he keeps
putting up with Barnes, the coach answered, "I evaluate all the time. If we
determine a guy can't be trusted and isn't dependable, at some point, we're
going to do the best to replace him."
The harshest words came from Jaguars owner
Wayne Weaver, who issued a statement saying he was "disgusted with the
irresponsible behavior that some of our players have demonstrated." Maybe
Weaver is sick of looking at the PFT
Turd Watch and
seeing the Jaguars always at or near the top of the standings.
POSTED 10:37 a.m. EST; LAST
UPDATED 11:10 a.m. EST, November 6, 2007
GET OUT OF JAIL FREE CARD FOR DUNN, BRANION?
Liz Mullen of the Sports Business Journal
reported on Monday that Andrew Kessler recently jumped from CAA to
Athletes First.
On the surface, the move isn't all that
significant. Kessler is a 27-year-old agent who is working his way up
the ladder in the ultra-competitive agent business. "He
came highly recommended by many teams and others in the industry and we are
glad to have him aboard for both his negotiating experience and recruiting
abilities," said Brian Murphy of Athletes First in an e-mail that he sent to
me on November 1. (Yeah, we had the story and we sat on it. Like
the idiots that we are.)
But the implications are
huge for guys like David Dunn and Joby Branion of Athletes First, whose
faces previously occupied the bull's-eye of the NFLPA's agent dartboard.
Dunn is currently serving
an 18-month suspension for conduct that came to light in his litigation with
Leigh Steinberg. Dunn also is being investigated, we believe, for
violating the terms of the suspension via suspected efforts to recruit new
clients and to continue to actively represent existing clients when he
otherwise should be disconnected from the business.
Branion also has been
suspended for a year due to the alleged violation of NFLPA agent regulations
in connection with a potential move by 49ers tight end Vernon Davis to
Athletes First. The Branion suspension is pending on appeal.
And Kessler is the son of
Jeffrey Kessler, the primary outside counsel for the NFLPA. It was
Kessler, for example, who insisted on strong language in the latest CBA
protecting players against sweeping bonus forfeitures and paid suspensions.
Kessler also handles most of the significant grievances, such as the T.O.
fiasco from November 2005.
As we hear it, Kessler and
NFLPA general counsel Richard Berthelsen are very close friends.
Berthelsen, as we also hear it, is the guy who primarily has been
responsible for the aggressive pursuit of Dunn and Branion.
Though none of this means
that Dunn and Branion will be able to avoid discipline that already has been
imposed, league insiders believe that it potentially throws a wrench into
any plans to pursue further charges against Dunn, Branion, or any other
Athletes First agents. Like any prosecutorial body, the NFLPA has a
wide swath of discretion, and can (if it so chooses) focus on disciplining
certain agents and likewise ignore the potential misconduct of other agents.
So the word on the street
is that, once the current problems experienced by Dunn and Branion are
resolved, the agents at Athletes First will be as immune from scrutiny as
CAA's Tom Condon (who represents NFLPA executive director Gene Upshaw) has
been.
Or will they? Maybe
the real plan is that, if enough of the other agents get suspended into the
next decade, Andrew Kessler can take the place over.
Either way, it's another
example of the tentacles that can -- and that do -- affect the manner in
which justice is dispensed by the NFLPA to the exclusive pool of persons who
have the ability to negotiate NFL contracts. CLARIFYING THE RECENT CAP
DEADLINE There's been some confusion in
the media (due in part to a report posted in this space on Monday) regarding
a supposed Tuesday deadline for contract extensions that utilize 2007 cap
room as salary or as bonus allocation. So we went to the ultimate
source to get the accurate information. NFL spokesman Greg Aiello told
me via e-mail this morning that the deadline relates only to the manner in
which salary increases are treated. Prior to the deadline, any base
salary increase would be counted only against the 2007 cap. After the
deadline, the increase is prorated as if it were a signing bonus. Aiello also said that the
deadline was Monday at 4:00 p.m. So it has already passed. Thus, if the Pats were to
extend the contract of receiver Randy Moss beyond the 2007 season, any
increase to his 2007 base salary aimed at chewing up 2007 cap room would
only partially count against the 2007 cap. Prior to Monday at 4:00
p.m., any 2007 salary increase would have counted only against the 2007 cap. TUESDAY MORNING
ONE-PER-CLUB ONE-LINERS
by Michael David Smith Asked about LB James Harrison,
Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said, "He played a spectacular game;
it speaks for itself." The Baltimore Sun
quotes Ravens CB Derrick Martin saying, "I
played like [crap]." Patriots coach Bill Belichick
says RB Corey Dillon
isn't in the team's plans. NBC moving Bills-Patriots to
prime time means
John Madden will go to Buffalo for the first time since 1996. [Editor's
note: They're already working overtime to prepare enough
wings.] Add Dan Marino to the list of
people who think
it's time for the Dolphins to get a look at rookie QB John Beck. Former Jets WR Wayne Chrebet
urged current Jets WR Laveranues Coles
not to rush back onto the field after suffering a concussion. ESPN will air a profile of
Browns TE Kellen Winslow tonight that will include
reading the love letters he wrote to his wife when they were 13 years
old. [Editor's note: "My Dearest Darling, I'm a
f--kin' soldier."] When asked who's to blame for
the Bengals' 2-6 record, coach Marvin Lewis said, "We've got enough ability
here, enough talent here, players and coaches alike, to be better than where
we are, so
that's my fault." The Colts could be
without five key players when they take on the Chargers Sunday. The Titans hope to have RB
Chris Brown
back from a sprained ankle before they lose RB Chris Henry to a
four-game suspension. Jaguars coach Jack Del Rio
says Paul Spicer is the only defensive lineman who's
doing a good enough job pressuring opposing quarterbacks. Texans head coach Gary Kubiak
and offensive coordinator Mike Sherman
have both been mentioned in connection with the head coaching job at
Texas A&M; Kubiak says he's not going anywhere, and Sherman won't comment.
Says Chargers LB Shawne
Merriman of Sunday's loss to the Vikings, "When I watched the film
I was almost sick." Chiefs RB Larry Johnson
underwent
an MRI Monday, but the team isn't saying how serious his injury is. Says Raiders coach Lane Kiffin
of K Sebastian Janikowski just missing a 64-yard field goal attempt, "I'm
sure
he's going to break the record some day." As the Broncos continue to
slide, is Mike
Shanahan's job on the line? Says Cowboys WR Terrell Owens
of a play on which the Eagles ran a cornerback blitz and Owens ran directly
into the spot vacated by it for a 45-yard touchdown, "I don't know why they
did it,
but it didn't work." Giants WR Plaxico Burress
continues to miss practice with an ankle injury. Redskins coach Joe Gibbs says
WR Brandon Lloyd is
still in the team's plans. When asked if Donovan McNabb
would be his quarterback for the rest of the season, Eagles coach Andy Reid
said, "We'll
see how things go here. I'm not going to put that out publicly."
The Packers signed TE Donald
Lee to a
four-year, $11.88 million contract extension just under the wire.
Lions K Jason Hanson is glad
he's no longer hearing comments from fans like, "Nice kick.
Your team stinks." Bears CB Nathan Vasher might
get back on the field Sunday after missing the last five games. The team that scoffed at the
notion of signing QB Jeff George will
bring in QB
Chris Weinke for a workout today. Said Buccaneers coach Jon
Gruden of rookie DE Gaines Adams' first start, "I thought he did some good
things.
We're going to need a lot more from him." When asked if QB Matt Moore is
ready to start, Panthers coach John Fox said, "It
depends on how you define 'ready'." Saints coach Sean Payton
has no plans to replace K Olindo Mare. Says Falcons coach Bobby
Petrino of DE John Abraham, "He puts a great deal of pressure on the other
teams' offense. You see them game planning with the protection with
their running backs and
he's still able to get pressure." Seahawks coach Mike Holmgren
says he needs to
call more passes. Cardinals WR Anquan Boldin
thinks some of his teammates are "not
paying attention to detail." The 49ers have placed LT Jonas
Jennings
on injured reserve. The Rams have
signed S Hank
Milligan.
POSTED 9:04 a.m. EST; LAST
UPDATED 10:03 p.m. EST, November 6, 2007
AUDIO GLITCH CAUSED BY CBS USING FAKE CROWD
NOISE?
CBS has taken the blame for the skipping sound
in the crowd noise early in the fourth quarter of Sunday's Pats-Colts game.
Some folks believe that the audio glitch was a direct result of attempts by
CBS to add crowd noises to the broadcast.
The audio of the incident is
right here.
As Chris Mortensen of ESPN mentioned during
Monday NFL Countdown prior to the Ravens-Steelers game, some networks
have been known to enhance their productions by adding their own canned
crowd noise.
We've heard from several sound experts over
the past day, and our research confirms that one of them is actually a big
wheel in the music and television industry. Here's what said unnamed
sound expert had to say about the phenomenon, without prompting:
"The sound was a glitch a digital playback
machine, which was providing additional crowd noise to be piped into the
broadcast to cover for the crowd's quiet spots, or to enhance the 'up'
feeling on a big play. Multiple types of demeanor or 'feels' are
available to be triggered, to properly match the game's mood. It does
not replace the live crowd, but is used for enhancement. The machine
(computer, actually) had a brain fart. It happens."
The problem, as the source pointed out, is
that CBS doesn't want to admit that it essentially does in our living rooms
what the Colts have been accused of doing at the stadium -- artificially
manipulating the live sound.
Still, there are questions as to whether the
odd sound effect could be heard in the stadium. Several readers have
raised the possibility of checking the radio broadcasts of the game.
The fact that the audio of the radio broadcast isn't already saturating the
Internet tells us that the phenomenon probably can't be heard in the radio
feed. (Still, a reader says that comedian Lenny Clark, who was at the
game, insisted this morning on WEEI radio in Boston that he heard the
vibrating crowd noise while at the game.)
Our source is nevertheless convinced that the
sound could be heard only on television.
"Here's how you can tell it was broadcast only
and not in the stadium," the source said. "If you listen closely,
there is zero ambience (echo/reverb) on the glitch. It's tight and
present, like a skipping CD. If that audio glitched and was in the
stadium PA, the repeats would be smeared and much less distinct. The
repeat would have it's own echo and ambient sound. It does not. So it
was not. For sure. It happened in the broadcast truck. And
the dude at the audio console was freaking out, I'll guarantee you.
Been there, done that. Not fun."
So it looks like the Colts aren't cheating.
Apparently, CBS is. OPIE AND ANTHONY SPREADING
A PHONY BRADY RUMOR? Several readers are reporting
to us that the Opie & Anthony radio show is reporting that Pats quarterback
Tom Brady failed a drug test. We don't buy it at all, and if
there's a joke buried in there somewhere, we don't get it. It sounds like they're just
trying to gratuitously stir the pot. If Brady had failed a drug test,
Opie & Anthony wouldn't be the ones breaking the news. UPDATE:
Other readers are telling us that Opie & Anthony do something like this
every Tuesday, and it's all fake. We suggest that they report next
week that Terry Bradshaw is dead. STEVE YOUNG NEEDS A PIECE As captured by the official
PFT Palm Trēo 755p (available exclusively from Sprint), the image pasted
below of Steve Young from Monday night's ESPN pregame festivities reveals
that the Hall of Famer is currently opting to rearrange the hair that he
still has in an effort to cover up the spots where it ain't. When using this approach on
television, there are two things to keep in mind. First, you need to
have enough hair to cover the spots where the hair isn't. Second, you
need to refrain from allowing the camera to capture an image of the hole in
the corn field. Steve, lose the vanity.
You're not on television because you're pretty, but because you've got
useful, intelligent things to say. Usually. ESPN DISSES THE NATIONAL
ANTHEM One of the most troubling
images from Monday night was the sight of Emmitt Smith, Steve Young, and Stu
Scott making their game predictions while someone in the background was
butchering the melody of the National Anthem, almost as badly as Emmitt
would likely butcher its lyrics. Here's the video, which was
harvested by our friends at Awful Announcing.
So how in the world does this
happen? We know that the show must go on and that specific time
constraints apply, but how in the world did ESPN and the folks at Heinz
Field not get together to ensure that Bristol wouldn't be making a toss to
the remote desk during the one moment in each major sporting event when we
honor the way of life that allows us to enjoy these pastimes as a free and
self-governing people? The burden to avoid such
outcomes is, as we see it, on ESPN, since the network that wants to have
live shots from the home team's stadium is the entity that is disrupting the
pre-existing routine at the venue. Though we like a lot of the people
at ESPN and generally respect their work, stuff like this is beyond
embarrassing for everyone at the network.
POSTED 8:05 p.m. EST,
November 5, 2007
GREEN CLUMSILY CLARIFIES REMARKS
In response to our mention of comments from
the son of former Vikings coach Dennis Green regarding the use of canned
crowd noise by the Vikes in the 1990s, Sean Jensen of the St. Paul
Pioneer Press has contacted Jeremy Green for more information.
"I've been to 60 some games [at the Metrodome],"
Green said. "My opinion is, they pipe in crowd noise.
I'm not saying I have factual information, or documents, or that my dad ever
told me that."
Please.
The initial comments from Jeremy Green sure
don't read like opinion, and Green's relationship with the head coach at the
time puts him in a great situation to know the facts.
The mere fact that Green would try to
backpedal in such lame fashion tells us all we need to know.
POSTED 6:59 p.m. EST,
November 5, 2007
COWBOYS ACTIVATE TANK JOHNSON
by Michael David Smith
Tank Johnson, the defensive tackle whose
career appeared to be in jeopardy this summer after his off-field problems
got him suspended by the NFL and cut by the Bears, is close to getting back
on the field.
The Cowboys added Johnson to the 53-man roster
today after the league took him off the suspended list, with the Cowboys'
Sunday night game against the Eagles representing the final game of his
eight-game suspension. Coach Wade Phillips said Johnson will play Sunday
against the Giants.
Dallas made room on its roster by placing
rookie fullback Deon Anderson, who suffered a torn rotator cuff against the
Eagles, on injured reserve.
POSTED 5:22 p.m. EST,
November 5, 2007
LEONARD LITTLE LIKELY DONE FOR SEASON
by Michael David Smith
Steve Korte of the Belleville News-Democrat
reports that Rams defensive end Leonard Little will likely be placed on
injured reserve at the recommendation of a foot specialist he saw during the
team’s bye week.
“The doctor said it wouldn’t heal on its own,
and
it wasn’t going to feel any better if I did come back and try to play,’’
Little said.
Korte reports that Dr. Robert Anderson told
Little that the torn ligament in his foot would not improve without surgery,
although Little hasn’t scheduled surgery yet. Little said he'll have to
rehab the toe for four months after the surgery.
Little said he took a painkilling shot and
some pain pills before the Rams’ game against the Seattle Seahawks on Oct.
21, but that the pain in his foot was still too much for him to play.
Little has just one sack this year -- and
that's the play on which he injured his foot.
POSTED 4:59 p.m. EST,
November 5, 2007
CUTLER INJURY NOT SERIOUS
by Michael David Smith
An MRI today revealed that the leg injury
suffered by Broncos quarterback Jay Cutler Sunday is not serious, and
Broncos coach Mike Shanahan didn't rule him out for Sunday's game against
the Chiefs.
"There's no stress fracture," Shanahan said. "He's
a little sore. ... We'll see how sore it is. We'll see how he feels on
Wednesday."
Cutler injured his lower left leg in Detroit
on Sunday when he was sacked in the second quarter. He was carted to the
locker room, then watched the second half from the sideline. Patrick Ramsey
played, and played badly, for the rest of the game.
Unless they're certain Cutler can play Sunday,
the Broncos will likely sign a quarterback this week. Cutler and Ramsey are
the only quarterbacks on the roster, and wide receiver Rod Smith, who would
ordinarily be the emergency third-string quarterback, is out for the season
with a hip injury.
So desperate are the Broncos for a third
quarterback that long snapper Mike Leach warmed up on the sideline during
Sunday's game and would have taken snaps if Ramsey had gone down. The
Broncos do have a quarterback, Darrell Hackney, on their practice squad, but
they would have to move someone else if they wanted to add Hackney to the
53-man roster.
POSTED 4:28 p.m. EST,
November 5, 2007
DOLPHINS STICK WITH CLEO LEMON
by Michael David Smith
As the Miami Dolphins come off their bye and
prepare to play the Buffalo Bills Sunday, coach Cam Cameron announced today
that Cleo Lemon will remain the Dolphins' starting quarterback for at least
another week.
When they chose Beck with the 40th pick in
this year's draft, it was the highest the Dolphins had chosen a quarterback
since they took Dan Marino in the first round in 1983, and there's talk that
Dolphins owner Wayne Huizenga would like to see what Beck can do this year.
It makes sense that Huizenga would want to
know what his team's long-term future looks like at the game's most
important position, but it's also understandable that Cameron doesn't want
to go down in history as the first coach to lead a team to an 0-16 record.
If Cameron just wants to win a game, the more experienced Lemon gives him a
better chance than Beck.
POSTED 2:24 p.m. EST,
November 5, 2007
CBS TAKES BLAME FOR SOUND GLITCH
Adam Schefter of NFL Network reports that CBS
has taken responsibility for the bizarre sound glitch that has prompted
speculation that the Colts were caught red-handed in the act of piping phony
crowd noise into the RCA Dome.
Per Schefter, the vibrating sound as the Pats
were driving at the start of the fourth quarter was the result of tape
feedback in the CBS production truck. Schefter says that the sound
could not be heard in the stadium.
We've spoken to some radio folks who also
believe that the phenomenon was not the result of a glitch during the use of
artificial crowd noise.
Oh well. Controversy is a lot juicier.
But even when the truth isn't sexy, we've still got to respect it.
POSTED 2:08 p.m. EST,
November 5, 2007
JONATHAN KRAFT ACCUSES COLTS OF CHEATING
Jason Cole of Yahoo! Sports reports that
Patriots president Jonathan Kraft, the son of owner Bob Kraft, has
accused the Colts of pumping artificial crowd noise into the RCA Dome
during Sunday's game between the Patriots and the Colts.
Per Cole, the younger Kraft approached NFL
V.P. of Security Milt Ahlerich after Kraft and his parents emerged from the
team's locker room after the game. Jonathan Kraft reportedly was
angry, and he told Ahlerich that the matter needs to be explored.
Coincidentally, Ahlerich confiscated the
videotape of defensive signals made by the Patriots during a We | ||||||||||||||||