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POSTED 6:39 p.m. EST, December 15, 2006
VIKES INK E.J.
Minnesota Vikings linebacker E.J. Henderson, not long ago considered a second-round bust, has blossomed in the team's Tampa 2 defense, earning a five-year extension worth more than $25 million, including $10 million in bonuses.
Henderson, a fourth-year pro from Maryland, already has 108 tackles in 2006, a career high.
Perhaps more amazing than Henderson's turnaround is the fact that the new agreement was reached between the Vikings and agent Kevin Poston. Previously known for making ridiculously high demands and then forcing his clients to languish on the shelf while other players got paid the big dollars, Poston now sounds almost, gulp, reasonable.
"There really was no reason not to [do the deal], Poston said. "They liked him, he liked them, the number was fair. . . . What E.J. was seeking was a fair market value deal."
Henderson was scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent after the 2006 season.
POSTED 3:33 p.m. EST, December 15, 2006
MORA TRIES TO SCRAPE THE POO OFF HIS SHOE
Faced with a brush fire regarding comments that he made on Thursday to KJR-AM in Seattle, Falcons coach Jim Mora has apologized for creating the distinct impression that he would fly the coop in a nanosecond to become the head coach at the University of Washington.
"First
and foremost, I'm sorry," Mora said in a statement released by the team.
"Despite my off-the-cuff intentions, what I said was not appropriate for my
players, the Falcons organization and our fans, and [current Washington coach] Tyrone
Willingham. I got too relaxed with the radio talk show host who is a
former college roommate, and I got carried away with the banter.
"I want
every fan in
Mora separately told ESPN.com that he was joking.
"I want to be here in Atlanta forever," Mora said. "This is where I want to raise my family. Our 10-year-old, she's how many years away from college, and she's already trying to decide whether she wants to go to Georgia or Georgia Tech. I guess you've got to watch what you say to anybody anymore. I'm doing an interview with my best friend, joking around, and all of a sudden it's a big story. Believe me, there's nothing to it."
Look, we like Jim Mora, but we think the guy has huffed too much ammonia. We've listened to the interview a dozen times, and it's obvious to us that he was speaking from the heart.
Some of you might be wondering why Mora would now say he wants to stay in Atlanta. First of all, he needs a job until the Washington gig comes open again, and the one he currently has pays pretty well. Second, his open declaration of an intent to potentially breach his contract with the Falcons could, based on the specific text of the agreement, allow the Falcons to fire him without owing him any future salary. Third, Mora likely realizes that he comes off as horribly disloyal to his current employer, which could ultimately make the folks at Washington leery about ever hiring him.
We realize that there was/is no good way out of this mess for Mora, but we don't think he has made the situation any better by lying about his true intentions.
On a brighter note for the team, Michael Vick's single-finger salute to fans at the Georgia Dome from last month will now be a distant memory come Saturday night, when the doors re-open for the Falcons home game against the Cowboys.
POSTED 12:40 p.m. EST; UPDATED 1:26 p.m. EST, December 15, 2006
MORA READY TO BOLT TO UW?
A few weeks back, comments from former NFL coach Jim Mora Sr. caused some commotion in Atlanta. Now, comments from current NFL coach Jim Mora Jr. are certain to send shock waves through the South.
In a recent radio interview with KJR-AM radio in Seattle, Mora says bluntly and candidly that he would leave his current team in a heartbeat to become the head coach at the University of Washington, his alma mater.
The interview apparently occurred on Thursday, December 14.
"I don't care if we're in the middle of a playoff run," Mora said. "I'm packing my stuff and going back to Seattle. . . . The further I get away from it, the more I'm drawn to it. That's the job I want."
Asked if he would leave the Falcons for that job, Mora said, "Absolutely."
At first, it sounds like Mora is kidding around. By the end, it's obvious to us that he's dead serious.
We've received the clip from several different readers, but we'd love to get more information regarding the date of the interview and the hosts of the show on which Mora appeared. (They're vaguely familiar to us, but hell it's easier for Michael Scott to tell two Benihana waitresses apart than it is for us to distinguish radio voices.) If anyone knows more about this, please let us know.
POSTED 12:03 p.m. EST, December 15, 2006
PORTER BLAMES MEDIA FOR FINE
Steelers linebacker Joey Porter, who seems to always use his mouth to deal with situations caused by the use of his mouth, is blaming the media for the $10,000 fine imposed on him for twice calling Browns tight end Kellen Winslow a "fag" after a December 7 game between the two teams.
"There was enough publicity about it," Porter said. "Y'all keep talking about it. Y'all going to make them do something. If y'all wouldn't have just kept talking about it, [the fine] wouldn't have happened. Y'all need a story so you keep talking about it. So they say, all right, let's fine him then because everybody seems to be upset about it."
It's not the first time Porter has refused to take full responsibility for his statements. Earlier this year, he huffed and puffed about the things he planned to say to President Bush during a team Super Bowl trip to the White House. Because the media: (1) heard his words; and (2) reported them, Porter was pissed off.
But, to our surprise, Porter actually makes a pretty good point in comparing the fine for calling a guy a "fag" to the penalty for violation of the substance abuse policy.
"I just don't understand how you can get a DUI or fail a drug test and nothing happens," Porter said. "You say something, you get fined. That just don't make any sense.
"You'd think if you get a DUI or something, you should get fined. If you fail a drug test, you should get fined. But for saying a word, you get fined. That's kind of backward to me."
Of course, failing multiple drug tests or having multiple DUIs can be a problem. A minor one. Just ask Ricky Williams. Or Onterrio Smith. Or Koren Robinson. Or Odell Thurman.
But we agree with Porter's observation that there should be a stiffer penalty for a first offense under the substance abuse policy.
Then again, it's possible that guys who fail drug tests or drive drunk have some type of an actual disease. For Porter, the most he can claim is a chronic case of creamed caa-caa of the cake hole.
POSTED 8:53 a.m. EST; LAST UPDATED 10:46 a.m. EST, December 15, 2006
POLLACK DONE?
The Bengals' much-heralded 2005 rookie linebacker duo from Georgia will, by all appearances, never take the field again in Cincinnati.
Odell Thurman, the team's second-round pick, has been banished from the NFL, and is eligible to seek reinstatement next year. To qualify, he'll have to successfully avoid the same demons that have put him out of the game. Even if he does, there's no guarantee that coach Marvin Lewis will want him back.
And now David Pollack, the first-round selection, looks to be finished, due to injury. The C-6 vertebra that he fractured in Week Two has not healed, which means that surgery will be required. And Pollack previously has acknowledged that surgery to repair the fracture likely will mean the end of his football career.
"It's a very real possibility that I won't play again," Pollack said last month. "At the end of it, if the doctor says I'm five percent more likely to get injured again, there's a zero percent chance I'll ever play again. That's a fact."
Pollack was a beast with the Bulldogs before becoming the 17th overall pick in last year's draft. A holdout and injuries limited him as a rookie, but he showed flashes of promise. He suffered a leg injury in the offseason (apparently while playing pickup basketball), and a hamstring injury kept him out of the first game of the 2006 regular season. He suffered the neck injury the next week.
ENJOY "TWELVE DAYS OF POWER SHOPPING" WITH SPRINT
Every Friday, we tell you to buy a Sprint phone. Well, we're not going to do it today.
Okay, we are. Buy a Sprint phone.
But we also want you to buy some accessories for the folks already on your Christmas list, as part of Sprint's "Twelve Days of Power Shopping" campaign.
For starters, how about a Motorola NFL Bluetooth headset, which comes with the logos of all 32 teams?
Sprint also has Bluetooth headsets from Samsung, Jabra, and Plantronics. The Jabra model allows the fashion-conscious cell phone user (like Dante) to sport up to 33 different designs. (Dante also wants a pack of peel-and-stick crystal gems and charms, which he thinks will make him feel "special" when affixed to his phone.)
For folks who don't like to walk around with that big plastic doohickey attached to an ear, Sprint sells a Motorola Bluetooth hands-free speaker.
Other possible gifts (for others or for yourself) include the Sprint 2-in-1 charger, which can be used both to beef up the battery while driving and while near an outlet, and the Energizer Energi to Go, which will charge your phone wherever you might be.
Or how about a Body Glove Sport stereo headset or Sprint portable mini-speakers, for those Sprint phones that double as music players?
And if you plan to buy any of this stuff (and buy plenty of this stuff you should), make it easy on yourself. Don't head to the mall and stand behind that big sweaty guy who smells like your Aunt Ethel's house. Click the Sprint ads on this page, and follow your nose to the Accessories section.
TEN-PACK TAKES ON MERRIMAN
In this week's PFT Ten-Pack, we take a look at the question of whether Chargers linebacker Shawne Merriman should be considered for the Pro Bowl or any other postseason award, based on the fact that he missed 25 percent of the season due to violation of the league's steroids policy.
We raise the point because an alarming number of "real" media types have given Merriman a complete pass, either by ignoring the fact that he was suspended or by accepting his lame-o explanation (in our opinion) that he took a supplement that was spiked with nandrolone.
In our view, the penalty for violation of the steroids policy should include disqualification from consideration for any postseason honors.
The Ten-Pack also offers up our late-season playoff and Super Bowl predictions (Ravens fans might be keenly interested in what we have to say on the topic), and we present a usual smattering of takes regarding the things that we saw and heard during Week Fourteen.
PLAX RUNS HIS YAP, AGAIN
Giants receiver Plaxico Burress, who has yet to understand the connection between the things he says about the opposing team and the manner in which the opposing team thereafter performs, is again saying stuff that could rile up the members of the defense he'll be facing.
Baited into addressing whether the Eagles will be able to shut him down, Burress said, "I don't see that happening. They would be crazy to think they could do it. I'm just going to go out and do what I've been doing, go out and make some plays."
Yeah, he has said worse in the past. But shouldn't he have learned his lesson by now? When it comes to the players he'll be facing on Sunday, this guy shouldn't be saying anything.
So while the Eagles try to come up with a way to shut him down, the Giants would be wise to come up with a way to shut him up.
POSTED 10:09 p.m. EST; UPDATED 10:20 p.m. EST, December 14, 2006
JOHNSON FACING GUN CHARGES
Bears defensive tackle Tank Johnson is facing six misdemeanor charges resulting from the possession of six guns without appropriate Illinois paperwork.
The charges, as we see them, are not much more significant than a six-pack of parking tickets. But given that Johnson is already on probation, he could be facing hot water if the authorities argue that Johnson has violated the terms of said probation.
It's unlikely, in our view, that any such consequences would keep Johnson out of action over the balance of the 2006 season. The Personal Conduct Policy is triggered only by a conviction, a guilty plea, or a plea of no contest, and our guess is that the team won't take action against him.
Bottom line -- it's a distraction for the Bears, but not a big one.
BEARS JOINING BENGALS, BOLTS?
Folks around the league are reacting to the arrest of Bears defensive tackle Tank Johnson with a shrug of the shoulders.
As one league source told us, Johnson was regarded as a potential problem coming out of college, and multiple teams removed Johnson from their respective draft boards.
Johnson isn't the first member of the team to raise eyebrows. The source with whom we spoke expressed concern regarding the potential for misbehavior from defensive tackle Tommie Harris, defensive end Alex Brown, linebacker Lance Briggs, and cornerback Ricky Manning, who was suspended several weeks ago after pleading no contest to felony assault charges. The source also opined that rookie cornerback/punt returner Devin Hester can be "a handful."
On offense, there's center Olin Kreutz, who jacked the jaw of teammate Fred Miller at an FBI shooting range last year, and running back Cedric Benson, who had a brush with the law in college.
"I've wondered how Lovie [Smith] has kept this group together," said the source, who added that Smith fully deserves to be named coach of the year again for leading the team to an 11-2 mark, and for avoiding the rash of arrests that teams like the Bengals and Chargers have seen.
MARCUS EMULATES MICHAEL
In early 2005, Falcons quarterback Michael Vick was sued for giving his girlfriend herpes. Now, his little brother Marcus is also facing a civil suit involving alleged sexual misconduct.
The AP reports that a 17-year-old girl claims that she had a two-year sexual relationship with Marcus Vick, starting when she was 15 and he was a quarterback at Virginia Tech.
The suit alleges that the girl in question is the same girl with whom Vick allegedly had sex in January 2004. Vick was convicted at the time for contributing to the delinquency of a minor for giving underage girls alcohol. But because the girl refused to testify, Vick was not charged with statutory rape.
We don't know what the criminal statute of limitations is in Virginia for claims of that nature, and it's arguably possible that Vick could still be prosecuted.
The lawsuit seeks $6.3 million in damages. Vick currently is making $250,000 as a bottom-of-the-roster free agent with the Dolphins.
POSTED 4:36 p.m. EST, December 14, 2006
JOHNSON'S HOUSE RAIDED FOR DRUGS
New reports indicate that the home of Bears defensive tackle Tank Johnson was raided by law enforcement officers on Thursday who were looking for -- and who found -- drugs.
We've confirmed via a league source that Johnson was not in the house when it was raided. He was with the team at Halas Hall.
Stay tuned.
POSTED 4:18 p.m. EST, December 14, 2006
TANK JOHNSON IN BIG TROUBLE?
Multiple published reports indicate that police executed a search warrant on Thursday, apparently at the home of Bears defensive tackle Tank Johnson.
The items sought in the warrant were recovered. A 26-year-old man, a 25-year-old woman, an infant, and a toddler were present at the home. A man (presumably Johnson) was later led away in handcuffs.
Yikes.
Few other details are available. We've heard scuttlebutt that a SWAT team was involved in the enforcement of the warrant.
Stay tuned.
POSTED 11:29 a.m. EST; UPDATED 12:32 p.m. EST, December 14, 2006
COACH CHIN NOT COMMITTING TO '07
Steelers coach Bill Cowher says that he'll determine his future with the team he has led since 1992 shortly after the 2006 season.
"There will be something at the end of the year," Cowher said during a Wednesday conference call with reporters. "I'll sit back and put a lot of thought into it and make a decision accordingly."
Some think (us included) that Cowher will "retire" after the season, spend some time working in television, and then re-emerge to the highest bidder in 2008 or 2009.
We have believed for a while that he's destined to coach the Redskins after Joe Gibbs retires.
There's a sense in some circles that Cowher won't leave the Steelers on a sour note. But a late surge has pushed the 'Burgher meisters back to 6-7, and an 8-8 finish could be good enough to allow Cowher to conclude that his legacy won't be tarnished upon his departure.
Our money is still on Cowher leaving, and the real cause is that he'll never get the real money in Pittsburgh. With the guy who lost last year's Super Bowl making $7.5 million per year, Cowher could be the first eight-figure head coach, especially if he goes to work for Dan Snyder.
And if Cowher sticks around, we think he's got one more year at most in him. Thus, everyone will be better off (in our view) if he packs it in sooner rather than later.
THURSDAY AFTERNOON ONE-LINERS
Lawyer Bob Fitzsimmons (who practices in the Poobah's hometown of Wheeling, West Virginia and who frankly is one of the very best attorneys in the nation) has stuck it to the NFL and the NFLPA regarding the disability claim of late Steelers C Mike Webster.
Falcons QB Mike Vick is doing his best to manipulate the Georgia Dome faithful into not booing him when he returns for the first time since flipping off some of them last month.
Pats QB Tom Brady thinks that some of his teammates have their fingers in their ears and are saying, "La la la la la la la."
Lions RB Kevin Jones had surgery Wednesday on a "severe" Lisfranc injury.
Pats DT Vince Wilfork (ankle) is unlikely to play on Sunday.
The Pats have signed TE O.J. Santiago. (They couldn't find Dave Casper's number.)
Former G.M. Ron Wolf will be added to the Packers' Ring of Honor.
Why did it take the "real" media three days to notice the content of the T.O. interview from Sunday NFL Countdown?
The lawsuit filed against Falcons CB Jimmy Williams by a Norfolk, Virginia lawyer who claimed he gave Williams money in college has been dropped.
Should the Bears put Devin Hester on offense?
Bears QB Rex Grossman has a "chip on his shoulder." (Maybe that's why he's having trouble throwing the ball accurately.)
Bears RB Thomas Jones has a bad ankle, which could increase reps for RB Cedric Benson.
The Chargers are expected to sign WR Az Hakim.
Boston College has received permission to speak with Giants quarterback coach Kevin Gilbride.
Chiefs coach Herm Edwards is taking up for LB Kendrell Bell, the latest former Steelers linebacker who was a star in Pittsburgh but a bust with his next team.
POSTED 10:12 a.m. EST, December 14, 2006
GILBRIDE A B.C. CANDIDATE?
A league source tells us that Giants quarterbacks coach Kevin "Buddy Ryan's Biatch" Gilbride is a candidate for the head-coaching gig at Boston College.
"He better hope he gets it," the source said. "Because he is getting canned at the end of the season."
Gilbride has been the quarterbacks coach of the Giants since 2004, Tom Coughlin's first season as head coach of the team. And, coincidentally, 2004 was the first season for quarterback Eli Manning, who to date has been inconsistent at best.
Prior to getting hired by the Giants, Gilbride spent two seasons with the Bills as offensive coordinator. He was out of football in 2001. Before that, he spent two years as the offensive coordinator of the Steelers. Before that, he spent two years as the head coach of the Chargers. Before that, he spent two seasons as offensive coordinator of the Jaguars. Before that, he spent six seasons with the Oilers, where he famously was punched in the head by defensive coordinator Buddy Ryan in January 1994.
Before that, Gilbride coached at the college level for 15 years.
The connection between Gilbride and B.C. possibly comes from Giants quality control assistant John DeFilippo, whose father, Gene, is the Athletics Director at Boston College. If Gilbride leaves, the younger DeFilippo possibly gets promoted.
As the "it is what it is" crowd now says, "We're not saying. We're just saying."
POSTED 8:43 a.m. EST; UPDATED 9:35 a.m. EST, December 14, 2006
LAMAR HUNT PASSES
Chiefs owner and founder Lamar Hunt, one of the most important figures in the rise of the modern NFL, has died at age 74, of complications from prostate cancer.
Spurned by the NFL, Hunt created the Dallas Texans in the early 1960s. He moved the team to Kansas City and renamed it the Chiefs in 1963.
Hunt coined the term "Super Bowl" for the AFL-NFL Championship Game, and his Chiefs played in the first one, and won the fourth one.
The Kansas City Star has a lengthy tribute to Hunt, who became the first AFL figure inducted to the Pro Football Hall of Fame, in 1972.
MARSHALL MOVIE A MUST-SEE
As if there was any doubt as to whether hard-core football fans would check out "We Are Marshall" over the holidays, we're prepared to put the official PFT stamp of approval on the effort.
We saw the movie last night at a special advance screening, and it was excellent. Not "excellent" in the foofy Oscar sense, but "excellent" in the way that it plays on the emotions like Itzhak Perlman on a Stradivarius.
For anyone who doesn't own a television, the film deals with the 1970 Marshall plane crash and, more specifically, its aftermath. The school was prepared to suspend the program, but decided to re-start it, basically from scratch, the next year.
Frankly, the acting is good, but not great. The script is good, but not great. The attention to the football detail was, as usual in Hollywood, a little lacking, with for example the Marshall home field carpeted in FieldTurf, not green cement. (There also was talk of the nickel defense, which we doubt was in wide use at the collegiate level in the late 1960s.)
But the message was powerful and the film was uplifting and we'll probably see it again when it's officially released on December 22 and we'll surely own the DVD when it comes out, probably next August as another football season prepares to launch.
POSTED 10:05 p.m. EST; UPDATED 10:20 p.m. EST, December 13, 2006
FINS FOR SALE
Our Florida sources have tipped us off to a looming development that, in our view, makes Dolphins coach Nick Saban's disinterested interest in the Alabama job understandable.
The Fins, as we hear it, are in the process of being sold.
Per a source with knowledge of the transaction, advertising executive Jordan Zimmerman, a co-owner of the NHL's Florida Panthers, will become majority owner of the Dolphins.
Also involved in the new ownership will be Papa John's founder John Schnatter.
Since it was Huizenga who hired Saban, Saban might be interested in keeping his options open. And that's why, we believe, Saban declined an opportunity (when pressed by Peter King of SI) to state unequivocally that he will not under any circumstances pursue the Alabama job. Saban, in our opinion, will be looking for either an extension from the new ownership, or a ticket out of town.
Coincidentally, Zimmerman's clients include Papa John's and the Miami Dolphins.
'BAMA PISSED AT SEXTON
Speaking of Alabama, a league source tells us that the powers-that-be in Tuscaloosa are miffed (to put it mildly) at agent Jimmy Sexton, whose list of high-profile clients includes Nick Saban.
Per the source, Sexton led 'Bama to believe that Saban was interested in the vacancy created when the son of former Fins coach Don Shula was fired. Then, after Alabama made an offer to Saban, he rejected it.
Really, why would Alabama have made an offer to Saban unless Alabama had some reason to think that the offer might be accepted? Rejection is not good for the image of a college program, and the notion that Saban already has turned down a much more lucrative deal arguably contributed to the decision of West Virginia's Rich Rodriguez to stay put.
With all that said, and as explained above, Saban is still in play for the Alabama job.
POSTED 8:31 a.m. EST; UPDATED 8:58 a.m. EST, December 13, 2006
PORTER "APOLOGIZES" FOR SLUR
Steelers linebacker Joey Porter has apologized for calling Browns tight end Kellen Winslow a "fag" after last Thursday's game between the two teams.
Actually, Porter hasn't apologized to Winslow. Porter has merely said that "it was a poor choice of words" when he referred to Winslow with that word.
"I didn't mean to offend nobody but Kellen Winslow," Porter said. "Pretty much, that's it about that." (Under that reasoning, of course, Michael Richards only meant to offend the guys who were heckling him.)
Porter also expanded on Michael Irvin's recent "I was just trying to give the fans a taste of how we talk in the locker room" explanation for his Tony Romo family tree exercise by noting that Porter's "poor choice of words" was merely a reflection of his, well, usual choice of words.
"I guess how we used that word freely, me growing up using it, I didn't think nothing of it like that," Porter said.
So let's envision a day in the Porter household, circa 1989.
"Hey, Mom -- who's the fag that ate my cupcake?"
"Dad, when you hug me it makes me feel like a real fag."
"Hey, little brother, if you wear that pink shirt to school people will think you're a fag."
Memo to anyone out there who feels a need to apologize for anything. Don't offer up a contemporaneous (thanks, Tiki) excuse while apologizing. It makes the apology sound more like a justification. Just say you're sorry (you don't really have to mean it), and then move on.
In Porter's case, the best approach might be to not say anything. Ever.
FINS DIDN'T BREAK ANY RULES
The NFL says that the Miami Dolphins broke no rules by securing New England Patriots game tapes with audio in preparation for Sunday's 21-0 drubbing of the AFC East leaders.
Per Jeff Darlington of the Miami Herald, the league said that the Fins' efforts to determine the tendencies of Patriots quarterback Tom Brady regarding pre-snap protection adjustments do not constitute cheating, even if the Dolphins "purchased" the tapes.
''It's on TV,'' coach Nick Saban said on Tuesday. "You always try to get the other team's cadence. I'm sure they try to get ours, so when you know when a guy's checking off, when he isn't checking off. When a team does as much presnap stuff as they do, you're always trying to find out exactly why they're doing it.''
We're nevertheless intrigued by the manner in which the Dolphins acquired the tapes. Saban's explanation suggests that they merely recorded the CBS broadcast of the game, which would not have required the team to "purchase" anything, if someone in the organization has DirecTV and a DVR.
So did Miami acquire raw video with field audio from the networks that have carried New England games this year? (NBC has aired two New England games, ESPN has televised one, FOX has televised one, and CBS has carried the balance.)
If so, did the Fins pay for it? If so, how much?
Did the transaction(s) occur between the Fins and the networks, or between the Fins and someone with access to the information, on an "under the table" basis?
Did they also pay someone from one of the networks to "synch up" the audio and video?
Have the Dolphins acquired similar tapes for other teams on their schedule?
We're not suggesting that this matter should launch an investigation along the lines of tracking down the origins of a plate of radioactive sushi, but based on the clip we saw last night on NFLN of Saban explaining the situation we developed a distinct feeling that the process was slightly more involved than Nick calling up the wife and asking her to fire up the TiVo for the game between the Patriots and the Bills.
POSTED 10:05 p.m. EST; LAST UPDATED 11:09 p.m. EST, December 12, 2006
GOODELL OFFERS TO HELP BENGALS
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell reportedly has offered his assistance to Bengals president Mike Brown in connection with a rash of player arrests this year.
Here's something you can do, Commish -- implement a system in which teams face a penalty of some sort every time one of their guys is arrested, regardless of whether there ultimately is a conviction or a guilty plea. And we'd suggest an increasing level of penalties for each arrest, up to and including the forfeiture of draft picks.
We also advise the Bengals to make character a bigger factor in screening players. As to many of the guys who have gotten on the wrong side of the law in Cincy, it's not as if they suddenly experienced a dramatic change in their personalities.
Once a turd, always a turd. And several of the players who have been arrested were turds long before they took a tour of the Queen City in the back seat of a cruiser.
NFLN MAKES A WISE P.R. MOVE
Attention, football fans. The NFL has just said "uncle."
Sort of.
Mired in a battle with cable giants Time Warner and Cablevision regarding the specific placement of the league's in-house network on their respective systems, the NFL is attempting (we believe) to score points with consumers by making NFLN available for free later this month.
Coincidentally, the so-called "free view" will include the Texas Bowl, featuring Rutgers and Kansas State. But for the "free view," plenty of New Jersey residents would be unable to see the game.
"We are trying to accommodate consumers, our fans and the fans of Rutgers, to let them know we are trying to resolve this issue," said Commissioner Roger Goodell.
Surely, NFLN didn't lock up the right to televise two college bowl games so that it could merely give the broadcasts away. Instead, the bowl games were intended to help leverage the Time Warners and Cablevisions of the world to bend over for the NFL when the time came to put NFLN on their systems, as part of the basic package.
More than P.R., the league's ultimate goal in offering up the Texas Bowl for free could be to take some of the steam out of current efforts in Congress to revoke the league's antitrust exemption.
Cablevision will air the Rutgers game only, and no other programming for the week. Time Warner has yet to decide what to do.
But if anyone in Jersey can't see the Rutgers game, it now won't be the NFL's fault.
TUESDAY NIGHT ONE-LINERS
Chiefs owner Lamar Hunt continues to fight for his life.
The Pats have taken a sledgehammer to WR Doug Gabriel; the former Raider had been acquired earlier this year in a trade with Oakland.
Lions RB Kevin Jones is on IR with a Lisfranc injury.
Packers offensive coordinator Jeff Jagodzinski has interviewed for the job at B.C.
God will be able to watch the Cowboys at their new stadium (but only if He cooperates).
Will Giants DE Michael Strahan play again this year?
Will Mike Vick and Matt Schaub be on the field at the same time?
Uncle Rico graces the cover of SI.
Greg Knapp and Jim Fassel are among the candidates for the Stanford gig.
The Fins have signed QB Shane Matthews. (They first tried to call Sid Luckman but he's, you know, dead.)
POSTED 6:29 a.m. EST, December 12, 2006
WILL HARRIS BE MISSED?
Amid reports that Bears defensive tackle Tommie Harris will miss the rest of the season with a hamstring injury that requires surgery, the real question is whether the 11-2 NFC North champs will miss him.
Some league insiders think that the answer is a resounding "no," given that Harris essentially disappeared after being anointed as the Cover 2 heir to Warren Sapp.
The Cover 2-style attack relies on all four defensive linemen to rush the passer effectively, and Harris was doing it well through the first four games of the season, notching five sacks.
In the eight games in which he played since then?
None.
Before Harris went down with the hamstring injury on December 3, a league insider asked us: "Have you noticed that since the 'real' media proclaimed Harris the greatest defensive tackle in the history of the NFL, he has done literally nothing since then? People are speculating that he might be sick, hurt, or reading his own press clippings but no one seems to know."
Our source guessed that Harris merely was believing the hype, and the hamstring tear (which as we understand it is similar to the injury suffered last year by Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis) intervened before Harris could turn it around.
TUESDAY MORNING ONE-LINERS
Former Cowboys RB Ron Springs (father of Redskins CB Shawn Springs) will get a kidney from former teammate Everson Walls.
It's looking more like Lions RB Kevin Jones' absence due to his foot injury will extend into 2007.
Lions QB Dan Orlovsky recently spoke to his mother -- for the first time in two decades.
Fins QB Daunte Culpepper won't play again this season. (Did anyone think he would?)
Seahawks WR Darrell Jackson (toe) won't play on Thursday night against the 49ers.
Why does a team that blows a late lead insist on talking of "revenge" when it's time to play the team that benefited from the blowing of the lead?
Giants DE Michael Strahan has missed five weeks and counting.
Redskins coach Joe Gibbs says that his top assistants -- Gregg Williams and Al Saunders -- will be back in 2007.
The Packers are 4-3 on the road, 1-5 at home.
The Pats are screwed if DT Vince Wilfork is out for an extended period of time.
The Fins bought New England game tapes with sound in an effort to decipher Tom Brady's pre-snap protection calls, and the Fins think it worked.
The Steelers will be bounced from playoff contention if the Jags and Bengals win this weekend.
Steelers S Troy Polamalu is doubtful and WR Hines Ward is questionable with knee injuries.
Coach Chin says that quarterbacks coach Mark Whipple will finish the season with the team if he gets the Boston College gig.
The Big Show is pissed off about playing on Thursday night after a Sunday road game.
POSTED 8:55 p.m. EST, December 11, 2006
'BAMA SNIFFING AROUND HAZ?
Our friends (okay, work acquaintances) at CFT tell us that the word on the grapevine is that Alabama is exploring whether Rams defensive coordinator Jim Haslett might be interested in taking over the Crimson Tide football program.
Haslett most recently served as the head coach of the Saints. He has not coached at the college level since 1990, when he worked at the University of Buffalo.
We're also told by the folks at CFT that several Alabama boosters are urging the school to delay the hiring process until after the season, and to then make another run at Dolphins coach Nick Saban.
POSTED 2:57 p.m. EST, December 11, 2006
RABACH HAS HAND SURGERY
A league source tells us Redskins center Casey Rabach had surgery Monday to repair a broken bone in his hand. Rabach is not expected to miss any time, since the injury was sustained by his left (non-snapping) hand.
The veteran center suffered the injury in the fourth quarter. Interestingly, the departure of Rabach indirectly contributed to the sputtering of what could have been the go-ahead drive, since a penalty for having too many men in the huddle was assessed as a replacement package was shuttled onto the field for third and goal from the Eagles' three yard line. The Redskins later were forced to take a field goal, which cut the Philly lead to two points. The Eagles then chewed up the remaining four minutes and 52 seconds of the game on offense.
"We're putting ourselves in good positions," Rabach said after the game, "and we just kind of screw ourselves."
POSTED 9:06 a.m. EST; UPDATED 9:15 a.m. EST, December 11, 2006
JONES HAS LISFRANC FRACTURE?
An industry source in the Detroit area tells us that the Lions currently fear that running back Kevin Jones suffered a Lisfranc fracture in his foot against the Vikings on Sunday, which would wipe out the remainder of his 2006 season and call in question his availability for 2007.
Per the source, Jones was exhibiting symptoms of the Lisfranc fracture on Sunday night. More testing will be done on Monday to determine the specific extent of the injury.
Though the organization is hoping for the best, the source says that there is "definitely concern" about the situation within the building.
ANOTHER DUI ARREST
Drunk driving isn't a phenomenon that is limited to NFL players. Coaches are also getting in on the act.
The most recent suspect? Vikings defensive backs coach Joe Woods, who reportedly was arrested Friday night on suspicion of drunk driving. Coach Brad Childress says that he didn't know enough about the incident in time to make a decision regarding Woods' status for Sunday's 30-20 win over the Lions.
Specifically, Childress says that he wasn't even aware of the incident until Sunday morning.
Um, if the guy got busted Friday night and kept it quiet from the boss for more than 24 hours, isn't that failure alone enough to warrant swift, decisive action from Childress?
"That will be between Joe and I," Childress said on Sunday regarding the overall incident. "I don't know enough about it to talk about what's going on. I was just made aware of that this morning."
Woods came to Minnesota with defensive coordinator Mike Tomlin, who previously served as defensive backs coach in Tampa. Woods worked with Tomlin as a quality control assistant.
POSTED 5:56 a.m. EST; UPDATED 6:30 a.m. EST, December 11, 2006
ONE MORE YEAR FOR MILLEN?
Despite yet another loss on Sunday in one of the few remaining games on the schedule that were potentially winnable, we're hearing that Lions President/CEO Matt Millen will get one more year to make the chronically crappy team into a playoff qualifier.
And, as we hear it, it's that simple. If Detroit makes the playoffs in 2007, Millen continues. If Detroit misses the postseason (again), Millen finally will be out the door.
Of course, there's always a chance that Millen will decide to walk away on his own. Bob Wojnowski of the Detroit News pleads with him to do so on Monday, calling it "the only honorable thing to do."
The Lions are now 23-70 under Millen. And that helps us to understand why four fans held up pieces of a sign that read: "Matt Millen Fan Club" during Sunday's 30-20 loss to Minnesota.
The fans in question were wearing Vikings jerseys.
MONDAY MORNING ONE-LINERS
Lions RB Kevin Jones could be lost for the season with a broken foot.
Is Yeremiah Bell the key to the Dolphins' turnaround?
The Pats lost TE Ben Watson and DT Vince Wilfork to injury on Sunday.
Pats CB Ellis Hobbs is miffed that he was demoted on Sunday.
Jeff Garcia, elite quarterback?
Bills RB Willis McGahee had 16 carries, 125 yards, a touchdown, a ham sandwich, and a vomit. (Not in that order.)
The Panthers have fallen to 6-7; how long until owner Jerry Richardson starts firing people?
The 'Skins have clinched . . . last-place in the NFC East.
Inside joke alert: One of the ESPN sock puppets said to Sean Salisbury that it's a shame he's not available to take home on DVD. (But you can get a picture of "him" on your cell phone.)
Redskins WR Brandon Lloyd is in the doghouse.
Before Sunday, the Chiefs hadn't lost at home in December since 1996.
Steelers WR Hines Ward (knee) says he'll be able to play next weekend at Carolina.
Redskins WR Antwaan Randle El finally showed up on offense for the 'Skins, only 14 weeks into the season.
Did the Dolphins offensive line get dressed in the wrong locker room on Sunday?
Lord Favre is 11-1 against the 49ers.
This KGB might be putting polonium on Cullen Jenkins' pepperoni pizza.
The Packers used a full-house backfield against San Fran.
Steelers quarterbacks coach Mark Whipple has not yet been hired by Boston College, but he was interviewed for the job on Sunday.
POSTED 7:19 p.m. EST, December 10, 2006
L.T. SETS THE RECORD
Chargers running back LaDainian Tomlinson has set the single-season touchdown record.
With three full games left to play.
Tomlinson broke the mark set a season ago by Seahawks running back Shaun Alexander, who scored 28 times. With three touchdowns against the Broncos on Sunday, including two in the fourth quarter, Tomlinson now has 29.
The record-breaker came with less than four minutes to play, after linebacker Shawne Merriman recovered a fumble deep in the Denver end of the field. Tomlinson's teammates hoisted him in celebration of the accomplishment.
The new L.T. is a lock to win the NFL's Most Valuable Player award. We recommend against, however, Tomlinson agreeing to appear on the cover of Madden 2008.
Oh, and by beating the Broncos, the Chargers have locked up the AFC West. They also have the inside track to home field advantage throughout the playoffs.
And next up for Tomlinson? The all-time scoring record of 176 points, set by Paul Hornung of the Packers in 1960. With one more touchdown, L.T. will get it.
POSTED 4:26 p.m. EST, December 10, 2006
RICO ON THE RUN
Titans quarterback Vince Young (a/k/a Uncle Rico) showed his hometown fans in Houston what he can do in the NFL by beating the Texans at Reliant Stadium on Sunday.
And Rico capped off the win with a 39-yard touchdown run out of shotgun formation in overtime, catapulting the Titans to a 26-20 victory.
Though the play wasn't as exciting as Michael Vick's overtime touchdown run from four years ago against a Vikings defense that looked more like the Keystone cops than an actual professional football team, it was the crowning moment of a Tennessee Trifecta that featured the Titans coming from 21 down to beat the Giants, from 14 down to beat the Colts, and from eight behind to beat the Texans.
The Titans are now 6-7.
The Texans took plenty of flak in Houston for passing on Young and selecting North Carolina State defensive end Mario Williams with the first pick in the 2006 draft. With Young landing in the same division two spots later, we've got a feeling that the Houston fans will be seeing this kind of stuff from Young every year for the next decade or so, if not longer.
POSTED 1:00 p.m. EST, December 10, 2006
OWENS MAKES ANOTHER ATTENTION GRAB
Cowboys receiver Terrell Owens, who apparently can't stand not being the first player talked about whenever his team is mentioned, has made yet another attempt to get his name back in the conversation.
And maybe this one will finally prompt the Cowboys to get rid of him.
The key word, as ESPN's Tom Jackson noted after the interview that ran on Sunday NFL Countdown, is "contradiction."
While insisting that he's happy with the Cowboys, T.O. pissed and moaned about things like, for example, the fact that coach Bill Parcells "didn't say anything" after Owens' accidental suicide attempt.
"He never asked how were you?" asked Michael Irvin in response.
"I found it very odd that he wouldn't be concerned," Owens said.
Regarding the stream of issues and distractions in which he has been involved this season, Owens insisted, "I'm doing nothing any other football players that has doing [sic] or done around the league."
Let's see. Milked hamstring injury. Drug overdose. Public spat with position coach. Falling asleep in meetings. Tuning out head coach. Dropping easy passes. Yeah, pretty much every pro football player does that.
And Owens admits that the media scrutiny to which he was subjected caused him to lose his focus. "I'm not really into it. It's like I'm almost kind of faking it. . . . it was affecting my game."
He now blames his rash of dropped passes on these external events. Which really isn't surprising, since he finds an external target for pretty much anything that ever goes wrong in his life.
The most shocking statement? A direct slap at head coach Bill Parcells. Owens says he loves being a Cowboy "despite Bill's coaching style."
(Ironically, Owens' last sit-down with Irvin, which was aired in June, included gushing from Owens regarding how much he likes Parcells and how much he thinks they'll get along, because they both want to win.)
After the segment, the guys on the Countdown set teed off. Jackson called Owens a "dangerous teammate," and later wondered aloud whether Parcells might soon come to the same conclusion regarding Owens that Parcells did regarding kicker Mike Vanderjagt.
Ron Jaworski (who's wearing the ladies' frames this weekend) called Owens' admitted failure to pay attention to Parcells' speech to the team on Monday "disgusting and inexcusable."
And Mike Ditka put it best. "There's an old saying in life. Either you be a leader -- and he's not a leader. You either be a follower -- and he's not a follower. That only leaves you one alternative. Get the hell out of the way and let this team go where it's got to go. And believe me he's in the way right now."
Amen. Our guess? If/when owner Jerry Jones asks Parcells to come back for another year, the Tuna will have one request.
"Get the player the f--k out of here."
POSTED 12:20 p.m. EST, December 10, 2006
REX ON HALF-BY-HALF LEASH
Jay Glazer of FOX reports that the Bears will evaluate the performance of quarterback Rex Grossman on a half-by-half basis and that, if he stumbles in any 30-minutes stretch between now and the end of the regular season, Brian Griese will get the call.
Per Glazer, the Bears still think that Grossman is the better quarterback, but the team doesn't have the time to help him work through his recent struggles with the postseason approaching.
Grossman arguably was exposed as a guy who can be rattled by pressure during the Monday night epic against the Cardinals, which the Bears came back to win notwithstanding an awful performance by Grossman.
The poor play of Grossman highlights the importance of the Chicago defense, which in our view can stake a legitimate claim to "best ever" in light of the fact that it is overcoming such poor play on the other side of the ball.
POSTED 12:12 p.m. EST, December 10, 2006
SABAN STILL IN PLAY IN 'BAMA
ESPN's Chris Mortensen reports that Dolphins coach Nick Saban still could end up coaching at the University of Alabama, if the Crimson Tide have yet to roll out a new coach before the end of the NFL regular season (assuming the Fins don't make the playoffs).
Mort says that the 10-year offer to Saban was worth $35 million to $40 million, far less than the ridiculous reported number of $57 million, which most likely was floated (in our opinion) by Saban's agent, Jimmy Sexton.
Our guess? If Alabama doesn't have a new head coach by Christmas, they'll make one more hard run as of New Year's Day at Saban, who (we think) will use their interest to leverage a better deal for himself in Miami, if Fins owner Wayne Huizenga bites. Smarting from the dissing dished out by WVU's Rich Rodriguez, Alabama needs to make the kind of hire that will re-energize a staggering program.
POSTED 12:04 p.m. EST, December 10, 2006
WEEK 14 FANTASY PICKS AND PUNKS
One more time -- our guys to use and guy to lose for this weekend's fantasy games. Courtesy of Fanball.com's Charch.
Jeff Garcia, quarterback, Eagles: Garcia is better than most believe, and the Redskins defense is giving up plenty of yardage and scoring.
Vince Young, quarterback, Titans: Rico comes home and has a big game against the team that passed on him.
Warrick Dunn, running back, Falcons: Atlanta has been able to run over Tampa for the past three years, and it's a good chance for an underperforming runner to get some big numbers.
Cadillac Williams, running back, Buccaneers: Another underachiever who plays well against Atlanta, which hasn't been stopping the run well lately.
Randy Moss, wide receiver, Raiders: Who? Exactly. But today against the Bengals could be his best shot at a big game before his time in Oakland ends.
Lee Evans, wide receiver, Bills: A hot-and-cold guy who could get very hot on Sunday at home against the Jets.
And here are the guys to avoid:
Matt Hasselbeck, quarterback, Seahawks: MVP is back to form, and Hasselbeck isn't.
David Garrard, quarterback, Jaguars: Up-and-down performer on up-and-down team.
Joseph Addai, running back, Colts: Indy runners don't score much against the Jags, who don't give up many points at home.
Jamal Lewis, running back, Ravens: Facing a tough Chiefs defense on the road.
Reggie Wayne, wide receiver, Colts: Usually a no-brainer, Wayne has no touchdowns and an average of 46 yards per game in his last six against the Jags.
Roy Williams, wide receiver, Lions: Detroit receivers have been shut out in five of seven games against Minnesota. (However, Williams was tearing them up in a game at Minnesota earlier this year before getting hurt.)
POSTED 9:30 a.m. EST; LAST UPDATED 10:32 a.m. EST, December 9, 2006
WHIPPLE DEPARTURE A HUGE LOSS FOR STEELERS
Reacting to the news that Steelers quarterbacks coach Mark Whipple is heading to Boston College, a league source tells us that Whipple's departure is going to hurt.
"He's a great coach and a big loss for the Steelers," said the source. "One of the best coaches nobody talks about. He'll be an NFL head coach in five to seven years."
To get there, he'll have to prove himself at Boston College, in the same way that Tom Coughlin did before becoming the coach of the Jaguars.
Regardless, the Steelers will be facing even more challenges for the rest of the season.
"What has been a bad year for Big Ben has become a really bad year," said the source.
SATURDAY MORNING ONE-LINERS
Redskins coach Joe Gibbs might consider adding a General Manager (which could mean subtracting a Vinny Cerrato).
Time Warner won't be able to sue DirecTV for telling New Jersey folks that they won't see Rutgers' bowl game without a deesh.
Eagles DE Darren Howard is trying to get back to full health.
Pats TE Ben Watson is looking to avoid catching the ball with his body.
Is Bill Belichick under contract for 2007?
With six wins, the Steelers won't have the worst record of a defending Super Bowl champion.
The Jets players are forbidden from reading the NFL standings.
Falcons K Morten Andersen is seven points away from the all-time scoring record.
With Giants K Jay Feely nursing a sore foot, the team brought in a few kickers on Friday, none of whom with the name "Vanderjagt."
The Packers will be putting DE Aaron Kampman on the field less in the hopes that he will have more success.
The Lions are breaking in a new mascot for 2007. (Is Matt Millen wearing the suit?)
Redskins WR Santana Moss (hamstring) is back to full strength.
Texans coach Gary Kubiak says that the next four games won't decide QB David Carr's future.
John McClain of the Houston Chronicle is lecturing Texans fans who might be tempted to root on Sunday for Titans quarterback Vince Young.
Is Phil Richards of the Indianapolis Star suggesting that Cris Carter wasn't a loudmouth?
Jags DE Bobby McCray is a speed rusher (even when he isn't driving his car).
The Human Joystick has become the Human Punching Bag.
Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald still doesn't realize that someone is making him look like a fool with that trumped up Alabama offer to Nick Saban.
Sid Hartman thinks that Vikings QB Brad Johnson will start, but that Tarvaris Jackson could get the call to replace him if Johnson struggles.
Hollis Thomas apparently is full of crap. (And asthma medicine. And performance-enhancing drugs.)
When Kevin Kaesviharn played in the XFL, our guess is that the back of his jersey read "He Can't Spell My Name."
Due to a rash of injuries at wideout, Chargers CB Cletis Gordon might be forced to catch passes.
49ers CB Walt Harris was surprised to learn that he was the NFC's defensive player of the month for November. (We were surprised to learn that he's still in the league.)
Rams DE Leonard Little was fined $5,000 for hitting Cardinals QB Matt Leinart at the knees.
Bucs RB Cadillac Williams will be working on his pass-catching in the offseason.
Titans offensive coordinator Norm Chow is still in the mix to become the head coach at Arizona State.
POSTED 8:06 a.m. EST, December 9, 2006
ANOTHER DUI ARREST, ANOTHER BENGAL BUSTED
We've complained in the past about: (1) the number of DUI arrests of NFL players; and (2) the number of Bengals players who have been arrested in the last 12 months.
And, of course, we've now learned that another Bengals player has been arrested, for DUI.
Specifically, Cincy cornerback Deltha O'Neal was busted at a DUI checkpoint early Saturday morning.
When will the NFL or its teams take real action to prevent its high-profile employees from putting the lives of local citizens at risk? Susan Gutweiler already has died due to the drunk driving of Rams defensive end Leonard Little (who is still earning millions more than eight years later). How many more have to be killed or maimed until the NFL wakes up?
Attention, "real" media. Please start speaking out about the NFL's failure to take action despite clear evidence that too many of its players have a bad habit of drinking booze and driving cars.
POSTED 7:35 a.m. EST; UPDATED 7:54 a.m. EST, December 9, 2006
B.C. WHIPS OUT A PRO COACH
FOX 25 in Boston reports that Boston College soon will name Steelers quarterbacks coach Mark Whipple to replace Jim O'Brien as the head coach of the Eagles.
Whipple has been with the Steelers for three seasons. He replaced Tom Clements, who was the first quarterbacks coach that the Steelers had since the 1970s.
The new coach of B.C. has strong ties to New England. He went to college at Brown, and he has coached there, too. He also spent six seasons at UMass, winning a Division I-AA title in 1998.
Given the importance of recruiting, Whipple most likely will leave sooner rather than later, leaving the team without a position coach for Ben Roethlisberger over the last three games of the regular season.
TIME WARNER SUES DIRECTV
The increasingly nasty battle between the NFL and Time Warner regarding the placement of NFL Network on the cable giant's dial has enveloped on of the NFL's television partners.
Time Warner is suing DirecTV for using allegedly deceptive advertising in local markets suggesting that fans won't see their home teams on NFLN if they don't have DirecTV.
"These false ads were obviously targeted at markets where DirecTV believes that loyalty to the local football team will drive consumer purchasing decisions," the suit says.
A couple of weeks back, we noted that a full-page DirecTV ad in USA Today seemed to imply that fans would miss playoff games without NFLN, even though the league's in-house network won't be in a position to air playoff games until 2012, at the earliest, given the terms of the current broadcast rights contracts. We've also been told by a reader in Tampa of advertising efforts in Central Florida suggesting that fans who don't have NFLN will miss Buccaneers games, despite one minor detail.
Tampa isn't scheduled to play on NLFN this year.
Time Warner also claims that commercials featuring William Shatner and Jessica Simpson suggest that DirecTV provides better picture quality than cable. And we recently noticed somewhere on the Internet a bizarre ad that compared the pictures from DirecTV and cable. The DirecTV image was clear, and the cable image was grossly pixilated.
We've got both Time Warner and DirecTV, and there's no difference between picture quality. Ditto for HD -- we've seen both, and they are the same.
Except when it's snowing or raining really hard.
POSTED 8:21 p.m. EST; LAST UPDATED 9:34 p.m. EST, December 8, 2006
BETTS DEAL A BAD ONE?
Several league insiders have spoken out regarding the contract extension signed by Redskins running back Ladell Betts, who was only four games away from getting a chance to test the free-agent market.
The deal, per the Associated Press, is worth $11 million over five years. A league source tells us that the contract pays out $7.5 million over the first three seasons, and includes a $3 million signing bonus.
Those numbers are nothing to sneeze at. But with Betts so close to hitting the open market, why not see what he could get to go somewhere else and be the starter?
LaMont Jordan did that very thing two years ago. A backup with the Jets, Jordan snagged from the Raiders a five-year, $25 million contract that pays twice the amount Betts will make over the first three years.
Chester Taylor, a backup with the Ravens, inked a four-year, $14.1 million deal in March to become the go-to guy with the Vikings.
Teams that might be in the market for a tailback for 2007 include (as we see it) the Jets, the Browns, the Texans, the Broncos, the Giants, and the Packers.
We realize that, because Betts has been carrying the load of late, there was an increased chance that he might get injured in December, which could have killed his value in March. Still, he possibly left a lot on the table by taking the money now.
DUKES IS STEALING OUR SHTICK
We'll admit that we'd never heard of Jamie Dukes before he showed up on NFLN over the past few months, part of a revolving door of player-analysts that has included guys like Ken Norton, Jr. and Seth Joyner and Terrell Davis and Lincoln Kennedy over the past few years. A couple of our league sources complained about Dukes' habit of spouting off apparently for the sole purpose of spouting off, and we really don't like those segments that he does with the camera zooming in an out while he pontificates.
But our real beef with Dukes is that he has swiped without any apparent attribution the name we coined for Packers quarterback Brett Favre roughly a year ago.
Lord Favre.
A few readers told us that they recently heard him refer to Favre with that moniker, and we witnessed it with our own ears Friday night.
We know we don't own the trademark, but show some integrity, dude. You lifted it, you know it, and all those folks at NFLN who read our site know it, too.
FRIDAY NIGHT ONE-LINERS
It's looking more likely that the Panthers will have to show off their Weinke.
LB Junior Seau might spend another season in New England.
Broncos LB Al Wilson might play on Sunday.
Meshawn will be required to fork over $5,000 for pitching his helmet after Monday night's game.
The criminal case against Bengals rookie WR Reggie McNeal now includes a drug charge.
The Cardinals have re-signed DT Kenny King.
What if the Cardinals had signed MVP?
The Falcons have begun discussing a contract extension with DE Patrick Kerney.
With B.J. Sams out for the year, WR Mark Clayton will return punts for the Ravens.
Bills S Donte Whitner suffered a hamstring injury during practice on Thursday, and is questionable for Sunday.
Eagles CB Lito Sheppard knew that a fade route was coming during crunch time on Monday night.
Despite 175 yards on Monday night, Panthers rookie RB DeAngelo Williams is getting elbowed out by DeShaun Foster.
If Bears QB Rex Grossman stinks it up on Monday night, Brian Griese might get the call.
Ocho Stinko is heaping praise on the Raiders defense.
Browns C LeCharles Bentley might have another surgery that would knock him out for the entire 2007 season.
The salary cap moves to $109 million in 2007 and $116 million in 2008.
The Cowboys have claimed S Tony Parrish off of waivers from the 49ers.
Lions WR Mike Williams is 20 pounds heavier than where the team wants him to be.
POSTED 4:59 p.m. EST, December 8, 2006
ROD STAYS PUT
What a week it's been.
Seven days ago, rumors surfaced that WVU coach Rich Rodriguez was heading to Alabama. Rodriguez tried to throw water on the talk by declaring on a statewide radio show an intention to remain the poobah in Morgantown for the rest of his career.
By Tuesday, however, Rodriguez was meeting with Crimson Tide athletic director Mal Moore, and the wheels appeared to be in motion for a job offer. On Thursday, an offer was indeed made, and by Thursday night word had broken that Rodriguez and Alabama had reached an agreement in principle. ESPN pounced on the information, and the story soon took on the air of a done deal.
We were, frankly, very upset by the developments. Yours truly goes to most of the Mountaineers home games, and we'll be in Jackonsville for the Gator Bowl. To have Rodriguez deny any interest in leaving before flirting openly with another school was very tough for lots of West Virginians to stomach.
So we were a little rough on Coach Rod last night. But we said what we said and we're not going to conveniently wipe any of our stories or opinions off of the site. He created the monster and he should realize that folks would be miffed by the appearance that he wasn't being truthful.
At the end of the day, however, we're glad that he decided to stick around and continue his excellent work on behalf of the Mountaineers.
We're told that the package of eleventh-hour promises made to Rodriguez includes a commitment to add roughly 10,000 seats to the stadium, a hefty raise for Rodriguez and his staff, a new locker room, an airplane for recruiting, and other improvements to the facilities. We've specifically heard from friends and family members a salary figure of $1.87 million, but we can't find any online story corroborating this amount.
In the final analysis, Rodriguez's statement regarding his career plans might have been truer than he ever meant them to be. Now that he has left Alabama at the altar, further undermining a program that has been in steady decline for the last decade, no one will be knocking on Rodriguez's door for fear that he'll use the opportunity to once again leverage a better deal in his current situation.
At a minimum, any future suitors will be very leery.
Bottom line -- we don't like how it all came down, but we're glad that Rodriguez is sticking around. Now that the issue is behind him, it's time to start figuring out a way to keep Georgia Tech receiver Calvin Johnson in check on New Year's Day.
POSTED 9:11 a.m. EST, December 8, 2006
LIMITED VACANCIES IN 2007?
With four weeks left in the 2006 regular season, it very well could be that only one NFL franchise is looking for a new head coach for next season.
The process might begin and end with the Arizona Cardinals.
Other struggling teams that might (and we emphasize "might") fire their head coaches are the Browns and the Raiders. There also could be some surprise moves, if for example the Chargers flame out in the playoffs or the Ravens stumble down the stretch, lose the division to the Bengals, and/or drop a first-round playoff game (or fail to qualify at all).
In the NFC, the Giants, Panthers, and Falcons could pull the trigger on a change, with the Bucs also a possibility.
And the fact that there might not be many vacancies could be the final factor in getting some teams to make a change. Last year, it widely was believed that Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti kept Brian Billick because Bisciotti couldn't be sure that, with so many jobs open, he'd find someone better.
If there's only one or two jobs this year, a team that makes a move will have a broader pool of candidates, and less competition for snaring them.
POSTED 8:40 a.m. EST, December 8, 2006
PORTER CALLS K2 A BAD NAME
After Thursday night's yawn-inducer on NLFN between Cleveland and Pittsburgh, Steelers linebacker Joey Porter reportedly referred to Browns tight end Kellen Winslow with "a slur that is associated with a person's sexual orientation."
"It was late," Porter said in reference to a hit from Winslow after a play, "that's what [slur] do. He's soft. He wants to be tough but he's really soft."
And the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review actually printed the word "slur" in brackets in place of the word. But why not "f--" or "h---" or "f--- packer" or "a-- pirate" or something that will give us a clue as to what he actually said?
Our money is on "f--".
Porter also refused to shake Winslow's hand, before or after the game.
"We're not friends," Porter said. "He's out there talking mess during the game and trying to get late hits and acting like he did something good. You don't get praise for trying to hit someone late."
Based on the league's 2006 schedule of fines, it appears that Porter should be nailed with a $5,000 fine for his words. Stay tuned.
POSTED 8:13 a.m. EST; UPDATED 8:27 a.m. EST, December 8, 2006
ROD SAYS HE HASN'T AGREED TO ANYTHING
The soap opera involving the Alabama football program and two men from Marion County, West Virginia simply won't go away.
As rumors persist that Miami Dolphins coach Nick Saban has not privately told the Crimson Tide "no", WVU coach Rich Rodriguez says that he hasn't told them "yes."
According to the Charleston Gazette, Rodriguez said early Friday that he hasn't accepted the job, in principle or otherwise.
"Where do they get this stuff?" Rodriguez said after seeing the report on ESPN, citing the Birmingham News, that he is headed to Tuscaloosa.
Most telling in this regard is that Rodriguez spoke to the Gazette from his Morgantown residence. Per reports indicating that the deal was done, Rodriguez was supposed to fly from Jacksonville, where he attended a Gator Bowl press conference, to Alabama to be introduced as the new coach. Instead, he traveled from Florida back to his home.
Rodriguez said that his agent "was getting information, that's all I know. I've not agreed to anything."
Of course, Rodriguez hasn't said that he won't take the job, just that he hasn't already done so.
Then again, he said less than a week ago that he plans to remain at WVU for his entire career, which would suggest to the average truth-telling person that he'll eventually pass.
With all that said, we doubt that the Birmingham News was making stuff up, unless there are influential people in Alabama who don't want Rodriguez, and who think that a premature report of a done deal might drive a wedge in any eventual agreement.
Or maybe someone who wants Rodriguez to take the job is trying to force his hand.
We really don't care at this point. Like a playoff game that had dragged into a second overtime, we just want the thing to be over, regardless of the outcome.
But if you choose to stay at West Virginia, Coach Rod, don't read anything below this item. None of it will interest you. Trust us on that.
ANOTHER REASON TO GET (AND USE) A SPRINT PHONE
Attention, all you cell phone users who might have been restricting, subconsciously or consciously, the use of your device because you feared that over time the contraption might cause a golf ball to grow on the inside of your head.
A 21-year Danish study of more than 420,000 cell phone users has concluded that there is no increased incidence of cancer.
In fact, the cancer cases found in the study group were slightly lower than the cancer rate in the general population.
Prior studies also have concluded that there is no connection between cell phones and cancer.
So get a Sprint phone and use a Sprint phone, without concern. (Except when driving a car. Or landing a plane.)
And don't forget that a cell phone makes for a much better stocking stuffer than a candy bar, a pack of crayons, or a box of rusty paper clips.
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