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."

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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.

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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:

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."

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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.

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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.

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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.

"Athletes who have those do quite well," Benjamin said, per Rock, "but it 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."

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. 

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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?

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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.

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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.

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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.

 

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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.   

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

“It will be difficult for him to play this week,” Edwards said, per Randy Covitz of the Kansas City Star. “He’s got a swollen foot … that’s not good.”

Covitz reports that Johnson will continue to be evaluated, and he might miss more than just this weekend's game.

With Johnson out, Priest Holmes is expected to make his first start since October 30, 2005, the day that Shawne Merriman drilled him with a brutal hit that caused a head and neck injury that could have been career ending. Rookie fifth-round pick Kolby Smith, who has never carried the ball in an NFL game, will back up Holmes. The Chiefs might be wishing right now that they hadn't traded Michael Bennett, who started the year as Johnson's backup, to Tampa Bay.

The good news for the Chiefs is that the Broncos rank last in the NFL in rushing yards allowed per game.

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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.  

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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.

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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.

"He will be part of our rotation," Phillips said. "I think he'll help us."

Johnson has been practicing with the Cowboys for two weeks, learning to play the nose in Phillips' 3-4 defense. All of his previous experience is as a 4-3 tackle.

Johnson spent two months in jail during the off-season and was suspended for eight games in June. At that time he vowed to become a model citizen, but the Bears cut him a few weeks later after he was pulled over at 3:30 a.m.

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.

There has been a great deal of speculation that rookie John Beck, the Dolphins' second-round draft pick, would take over the job for the 0-8 Dolphins, who have started Lemon since Trent Green was lost for the season with a concussion.

"We have two guys who don't have a lot of experience," Cameron said. "We're going to need them both."

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.

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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