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POSTED 10:55 p.m. EST, February 15, 2007

BENGALS TAG SMITH

The Cincinnati Bengals have slapped the franchise tag on veteran defensive end Justin Smith.

Smith, the team's first-round pick in 2001, would have been an unrestricted free agent in March.

The franchise tag gives the Bengals the ability to match any offers extended to Smith. If the Bengals opt not to match, they receive two first-round draft picks as compensation.

It's rare, however, that a team gives up two first-rounders for a franchise player. It's far more common for the player to be traded from under the franchise tag.

If Smith accepts the tender, he'll receive a guaranteed one-year salary of $8.6 million. If he doesn't sign the tender, the tender can be revoked at any time.

The Bengals last used the franchise tag two years ago on running back Rudi Johnson, and subsequently signed him to a long-term deal.

POSTED 9:40 p.m. EST, February 15, 2007

BLANK IS A BOZO

We're generally big supporters of the NFL and we don't want to gratuitously piss off any of the 32 owners, but we have to call it like we see it.

Falcons owner Arthur Blank is, by all appearances, a doofis.

If the porn star moustache wasn't evidence enough, take a gander at his effort to 'splain away Mike Vick's misadventures with a water bottle with a secret compartment that allegedly smelled of marijuana but, fortunately for Vick, contained none of it at the time.

"The incident in Miami was unfortunate," Blank said, "but as we found out it was a water bottle. It might have been a trick water bottle, but it was a water bottle and it was filled with water and that's what it was filled with."

Oh. My. Favre.

Either Blank thinks we're all stupid, or Blank himself is stupid. Or a little of both.

Hell, it sounds like something Michael Scott would say.

"It was a water bottle and it was filled with water and that's what it was filled with."

Of course, Blank concedes that it was a "trick" water bottle, making it sound like an Aquafina container that when you turn it upside down it makes a farting noise. (Wow. Not a bad idea.)

It wasn't a "trick" water bottle. It was a water bottle for concealing substances and it is marketed on the Internet as a way to conceal pot and this specific bottle smelled of pot.

And by offering up a naive explanation, Blank is enabling what could be a very real marijuana habit by his star quarterback.

We're not saying that Vick has a marijuana habit, but if he was our employee we don't think we'd be quite so cavalier about the possibility.

POSTED 7:30 p.m. EST, February 15, 2007

JAMMAL GETTING OFF ON A TECHNICALITY?

Saints left tackle Jammal Brown, a first-time Pro Bowler in 2006, likely will avoid any criminal penalties for an incident from last year in which his wife alleged that he roughed her up.

Brown's estranged wife, Megan, now lives in California and is unwilling to testify against him. On Thursday, a judge ruled that prosecutors will not be able to use the audiotape of a 911 call that she made, during which she accused Brown of abuse.

During the call to 911, Megan Brown said that Jammal Brown grabbed her by the throat, pushed her, and struck her in the head with a cap.

Jammal Browns says that none of it is true.

Megan Brown has filed for divorce, and she has not alleged abuse in those proceedings.

Here's our take on it. We're always skeptical when the wife or significant other of a football player retracts allegations of abuse. Why? Because if the football player is playing for the Mean Machine, who'll be making the payments on the Mercedes?

In Brown's case, the absence of a victim and the inability to use the tape of her phone call leaves the prosecution only with photos of Megan Brown after the incident.

"And in my opinion, they don't show anything," said Brown's lawyer.

POSTED 3:42 p.m. EST, February 15, 2007

THE CHIN IS IN

Former Steelers coach Bill Cowher wasn't unemployed for long.

As it turns out, Cowher will be back to work later this year, as the newest member of The NFL Today on CBS. And here's the kicker -- no one is getting the boot to make room for the Chin.

But how can that be? Will CBS use a five-man set? Or will one of the guys currently with a seat at the grown-ups' table be "reassigned" to handle interviews or features or something else that will remove him from the regular discourse?

Our guess? (And it really is just a wild guess.) Shannon Sharpe (a/k/a Sharparo) was in real danger of being "outplaced," but CBS opted not to make Shannon the second Sharpe brother in less than 72 hours to be fired from a network gig. When NBC hired TiVi Barber (nod to reader who suggested the nickname), Sterling's career was, well, tarnished.

Ironically, it was Sharparo who jokingly tried to talk Cowher out of taking a TV gig when he did what apparently was an on-air audition for the job, during a segment of the four-hour Super Bowl XLI pregame show. Sharparo reminded Cowher that talking on the boob tube doesn't pay the same as being a coach or a player. In response, Cowher said, "I can't lose a game up here."

If they don't move one of the guys from the big desk, then the move affects all of the analysts (Cowher, Sharparo, Dan Marino, Boomer Esiason) equally, because it will give each one less time to hear himself talk.

POSTED 9:09 a.m. EST; LAST UPDATED 10:21 a.m. EST, February 15, 2007

FLETCHER-BAKER TO BE IN DEMAND

In what's either a sign that the free-agent market will be lighter than usual in 2007 or that there's a sudden demand for thirtysomething linebackers who are a couple of inches shy of six feet, London Fletcher-Baker of the Bills is already on the shopping list for at least two teams.

On Wednesday, the Washington Post reported that the Redskins plan to make a play for both Fletcher-Baker and Bills teammate Nate Clements, a cornerback. We've also heard that the Lions intend to take a flyer on Fletcher-Baker in the early stages of free agency.

The winner in the process will be Fletcher-Baker. We don't want to knock the guy's abilities, and we're impressed that he has never missed a game in nine NFL seasons. But the apparent fact that two teams who are notorious for overpaying in the early days of the Super Bowl supermarket plan to make a run for him means that he'll likely end up with far more money in his pockets than he objectively would merit.

Statistically, Fletcher-Baker had one of the best years of his career in 2006, his fifth season with the Bills. He registered 104 tackles, 42 assists, two sacks, four interceptions, seven passes defensed, and a touchdown. He also spent four seasons with the Rams, and started all 16 regular season games as St. Louis made an improbable run to the NFL Championship.

USC RECRUITS ARE SOL?

Several readers have asked us whether the kids who signed letters of intent to play football at USC have any recourse if coach Pete Carroll skedaddles for San Diego in the coming days and/or weeks.

Though we initially believed that the recruits were out of luck, the outlook might not be so bleak for players who believe that they were hoodwinked into thinking that Carroll would be there.

Here's how the process works. An incoming freshman recruit signs a letter of intent. The letter of intent process is not governed by the NCAA itself, but by a separate organization to which most if not all of the NCAA schools belong.

By signing a letter of intent, the student agrees to attend the school for one year, and the school agrees to provide certain financial aid (usually, for the guys who sign on the first day of the process, a full ride). The penalty for a player who does not honor the letter of intent is the loss of one year of eligibility, plus a requirement that the player sit out a year (it's technically known as a "year in residence").

If, then, running back Joe McKnight decides to rescind his letter of intent with USC and attend LSU, he would not be able to play in 2007, and as of 2008 would only have three total years of eligibility.

But there's also an appeals process, which potentially allows a player to revoke the signed letter of intent with reduced penalties, or no penalties at all. Relief may be granted based on proof of "extenuating circumstances." Typically, this involves illness of the student, illness or death of a parent, or financial hardship.

So what if the player alleges that his head coach had a secret intention of leaving the university after the letters of intent for the coming year were signed, and that the player would not have signed the letter of intent if he had known the truth? If something like that could be proven, it's possible that the player would be able to get out from under the obligation, without penalty.

And that's another reason why Pete Carroll needs to stay under the radar for as long as possible, if he ultimately plans to take the Chargers job. Given the timeline, with Marty Schottenheimer fired only five days after the blue-chippers signed their letters of intent, things could get very interesting if one or more of the incoming recruits decide to file an appeal in an effort to attend other schools.

Finally, the schools have the option of releasing the letters of intent, and if Carroll is coaching the Chargers by the end of the month we think that it would be the right and fair thing for USC to do. But terms like "right" and "fair" don't always get honored in an industry that involves millions of dollars flowing to the institution in exchange merely for a free education that plenty of the "students" don't really want, anyway.

TIKI HAS HIS FACTS WRONG

Our good friend Howard Balzer of the Sports Xchange and ESPN Radio in St. Louis has raised an interesting point regarding Tiki Barber's recent rant about his former field boss, Tom Coughlin.

Said Barber earlier this week, regarding Coughlin's demanding ways: "There'd be days where I couldn't move on Tuesday or Wednesday at practice, and he'd get mad at me for going half-speed. And I told him, 'Coach, I can't do it. I'm gonna be out here, I'm never gonna miss a practice, but I can't give you what you want all the time.' And he understood."

Said Balzer to us in response: "Hmmm. Wonder if Tiki can give us a review of those Tuesday practices, since that's the players' day off."

Great point.

Though Tiki surely would conjure an excuse (maybe it was just a Joe McKnight-style misspeak), he said what he said. And for a guy who now plans to try to become a "real" journalist with NBC News, accuracy is almost as important as not fumbling all the time.

Maybe, in time, Tiki will publicly criticize the executive at NBC who teaches him that lesson, in the same way that he's now disrespecting the guy who tought him how to hold onto the damn football.

THURSDAY MORNING ONE-LINERS

It's Players v. Players, Inc.

Richard Justice of the Houston Chronicle says that there's no way QB David Carr will be a Texan when the season starts.

Packers coach Mike McCarthy wants FB William Henderson to return.

The Jets are bogarting Pats assistant coach Brian Daboll.

Lions CB Dre' Bly says it wasn't his idea to leave Detroit.

Sam Farmer of the Los Angeles Times, citing an unnamed Chargers source, says that Pete Carroll won't be the next coach of the team. (Unless the unnamed source is named "Dean" and "Spanos" -- in that order -- we're not ready to pull the plug on the possibility.)

The man accused of killing Tank Johnson's bodyguard says he didn't do it. (And the sun will set in the west today.)

Here's some potentially ominous news for one or more Steelers veterans: "We were an 8-8 team," director of football operations Kevin Colbert said Wednesday. "For us to think we can stand pat and be any better than that, I think would be naive on our part."

WR Donte' Stallworth wants to stick with the Eagles.

Big Sexy thinks the Chiefs should consider trading L.J. (for Jeff George).

Former Cowboys S Charlie Waters won't return as a radio analyst for the team's games.

The Ravens might not have the cap room to slap the franchise tag on LB Adalius Thomas.

The Chargers still haven't asked the Lions for permission to interview offensive coordinator Mike Martz.

POSTED 8:52 p.m. EST; UPDATED 9:54 p.m. EST, February 14, 2007

LIONS TO LET HALL, BELL SHOP AROUND, TOO

A member of PFT Planet has alerted us to media reports that the Lions, who have invited cornerback Dre' Bly to find a trade partner, have likewise asked defensive end James Hall and defensive tackle Marcus Bell to do the same.

Bell is signed through 2007, and he is scheduled to earn a base salary of $950,000.

Hall is signed through 2008, at salaries of $2.75 million in 2007 and $3 million in 2008.

Permission to seek a trade is often a precursor to a guy getting cut.

WEDNESDAY NIGHT ONE-LINERS

Attention, Raiders -- WR Calvin Johnson recently ran a 4.33.

The Raiders have re-signed DT Terdell Sands to a four-year, $17 million deal.

Packers QB Brett Favre will undergo ankle surgery to clean out bone spurs.

Lions RB Kevin Jones thinks he'll be ready for the 2007 season opener, despite surgery to repair a Lisfranc injury in his foot.

The Browns won't make a run at Marty Schottenheimer.

The Giants have cut RB/KR Chad Morton.

4-3 or 3-4 in the 'Burgh?

The Fred Smoot era is likely to end in Minnesota.

Nepotism is in the air in Dallas.

Iowa defensive line coach Ron Aiken is heading to Arizona.

The Packers gave CB Al Harris a new deal, but with no guaranteed money.

The 'Skins are expected to target LB London Fletcher and CB Nate Clements in their annual effort to overpay a handful of guys who won't be on the team in two seasons.

To make it happen, QB Mark Brunell will have to take a haircut.

POSTED 4:38 p.m. EST, February 14, 2007

SCHEFTER GIVES LIFE TO OUR SMITH PREDICTION

Adam Schefter of NFL Network reports that the San Diego Chargers might part ways with G.M. A.J. Smith after the April 2007 draft.

This reports meshes with our prediction that Smith will be let go for his role in the dysfunction that resulted in the termination of coach Marty Schottenheimer.

It also bolsters the mounting speculation that USC coach Pete Carroll is being, or has been, privately courted by the Chargers. Carroll most certainly would want final say over the roster, and if Smith couldn't get along with a head coach who didn't have final say, he'd never be able to work for one who does.

Still, if Carroll gets the job, the biggest challenge will be for him to hire a personnel guru who can do the job right. It's no coincidence that college coaches who have made the leap to the NFL in the post-salary cap era have struggled. It's one thing to recruit 25 blue-chippers every year and line 'em all up three deep on the depth chart. It's quite another to engage in the Peter-robbing, Paul-paying world of the NFL, where there are only so many quality players that can be signed without going over the total spending limit.

Though Carroll surely has Pat Kirwan on speed dial, Kirwan's specialty is cap and contracts. Besides, he has been out of the league for a while now. Carroll needs someone with the skills to find the right players at the right price, and then Carroll will be required to take that talent and coach it up in a way that will allow the team to overcome a playing field far more level than the raw talent gap Carroll has enjoyed in at least seven or eight games per year at USC.

POSTED 4:00 p.m. EST, February 14, 2007

THE CHIEFS ARE ON THE BOARD

It's been a slow few days for Turd Watch, which is good for the NFL but bad for our traffic. (We'll gladly do without the extra traffic if it means less guys getting arrested and/or copping pleas.)

On Wednesday, however, the Chiefs have jumped into the fray, courtesy of defensive end Jared Allen.

Allen pleaded no contest to a charge of drunken driving, and received a two-day jail sentence.

If there's any good news to report, it's that none of the Turd Watch entries to date are the result of arrests occurring since the game started on the Monday after the Super Bowl. Instead, all of the teams "earning" points did so due to the resolution of criminal charges that were filed prior to the commencement of the inaugural standings.

POSTED 12:03 p.m. EST; UPDATED 12:14 p.m. EST, February 14, 2007

RUMORS SPREAD THAT CARROLL-TO-CHARGERS IS A DONE DEAL

There is increasing talk in league circles regarding suspicions that the San Diego Chargers already have a secret deal in place with USC coach Pete Carroll.

Folks are pointing to some of the same facts we outlined on Monday night, after word broke that Marty Schottenheimer had been fired. Some think that the most convincing proof was/is USC assistant Steve Sarkisian's abrupt about-face with the Raiders, followed days later by the decision of his former Trojan colleague, Lane Kiffin, to take the job.

Why else, the theory goes, would Kiffin take a job that Sarkisian didn't want unless they both knew that Carroll wasn't long for the USC gig, and that Sarkisian, not Kiffin, had been hand-picked to replace him?

Others are pointing to the fact that the first guy to be interviewed is Bears defensive coordinator Ron Rivera, who has no head-coaching experience but who helps the Chargers satisfy the Rooney Rule quickly, in the event that the Pete Carroll cat gets out of the bag prematurely and none of the minority candidates agree to sit for the job. (See Detroit Lions and Steve Mariucci.)

We're also told that there is worry among the incoming class of USC recruits regarding the possibility that Carroll is leaving. But Pete has opted not to even address the situation publicly.

If he were not going to be the San Diego coach, he could easily say so. The fact that he has said nothing at all speaks volumes, in our view. Especially since he now has a couple dozen nervous high school seniors who signed papers seven days ago under the assumption that the head coach would be sticking around for at least the next month.

Stay tuned. We predict that the Chargers will go through the motions with several candidates, and that Carroll will then swoop in out of the blue as the guy.

If that happens, look for Pat Kirwan to soon follow him -- and for G.M. A.J. Smith to definitely get the boot after the draft.

MARTZ TO GET AN INTERVIEW, MAYBE

Word out of San Diego is that Lions offensive coordinator Mike Martz is pushing hard for an audience with team president Dean Spanos regarding the vacant head-coaching gig.

Though, as we hear it, the lower-level staffers are telling Martz's people that Martz will get a shot at the job, the Chargers have yet to request permission to talk to him.

There's no way, in our view, that Martz could ever co-exist with G.M. A.J. Smith. And Martz, in our view, doesn't presently have the juice to make the Chargers decide to turn the keys over to him.

POSTED 10:13 a.m. EST, February 14, 2007

TIKI TEES OFF ON TOM

If you're sick and tired of Tiki Barber, raise your hand.

We'll now try to type the remainder of this item with only five fingers.

On Tuesday, Tiki Barber used the press conference introducing his arrival at NBC to blame his former boss for his premature retirement from the NFL.

"Coach Coughlin is very hard-nosed, and I didn't get a lot of time off, couldn't sit down and rest myself, and so it was a constant grind -- a physical grind on me that started to take its toll," Barber said. "The grind took its toll on me and really forced me to start thinking about what I wanted to do next. And that's not a bad thing. That's a good thing, for me at least. Maybe not for the Giants, because they lose one of their great players, but for me, it is."

What an ass.

Look, Tiki. You played football. Football is a physical sport. Plenty of guys see their bodies get battered. Just ask Jerome Bettis next fall, when you're watching games with him at 30 Rock and you're using words like "bloviate" and he's thinking to himself, "Does that mean 'fart'?"

We do not feel sorry for you at all, Tiki. You chose to sign a contract extension when Coughlin was the coach. So you chose to stay in New York (and to continue to lay the foundation for your new career) instead of landing with a team that wasn't coached by Coughlin.

Here are more of Tiki's quotes from Tuesday:

"There'd be days where I couldn't move on Tuesday or Wednesday at practice, and he'd get mad at me for going half-speed. And I told him, 'Coach, I can't do it. I'm gonna be out here, I'm never gonna miss a practice, but I can't give you what you want all the time.' And he understood.

"We were in full pads for 17 weeks, and with the amount of injuries that we had, it just takes a toll on you. You just physically don't want to be out there when your body feels the way you do in full pads. And while it probably doesn't have a really detrimental effect on how you practice or how you play, it does on your mind. And if you lose your mind in this game, you lose a lot. And that's something that he has to realize. And I think he does [now]."

Just the other day (scroll down), we posted a blurb reporting that, throughout the 2006 season, Barber was pissing and moaning about Coughlin to the players in the locker room and to management.

And it's possible that Barber even tried to suggest to ownership that, if Coughlin were to get fired, Tiki might stick around.

Or maybe he didn't -- and maybe this is all just a way for Tiki to make himself seem even more sympathetic (instead of just pathetic), so that the New York fans won't blame him for leaving early . . . and so that he might be able to politick his way into the Hall of Fame with less than Cantonesque credentials.

WE GOT BUMPED IN BEANTOWN

Our apologies to any members of PFT Planet who tuned in to WEEI in Boston at 9:05 a.m. EST for the Poobah's guest spot.

The good folks at EEI had former Pats linebacker Ted Johnson in the studio for an extended interview, so they asked us to move the spot.

We'll be on Thursday at 8:40 a.m. Unless Roman Phifer or Andy Katzenmoyer show up.

POSTED 9:35 a.m. EST, February 14, 2007

TEXANS TRYING TO BUILD MARKET FOR CARR?

Texans G.M. Rick Smith says that David Carr is still the team's starting quarterback. But Smith also says that he has fielded inquiries from other teams about Carr's availability.

Of course, Smith isn't saying who has called, so for all anyone knows, no one has called.

Our take? The Texans want to dump Carr but they desperately need to get something of real value in exchange for him, especially since their decision a year ago to pay an $8 million option bonus that kept him from becoming a free agent took them out of the market for perhaps the real Michael Jordan from the 2006 draft class, Titans quarterback Vince Young.

Already, the locals who love Uncle Rico, a Houston native, have plenty of ammunition to complain about the move, given that Young was the first rookie quarterback to ever play in a Pro Bowl. (Dan Marino was named to the AFC team in 1983, but did not play due to an injury.) If, one year removed from essentially picking Carr over Young, the Texans throw the No. 1 overall pick in the 2002 draft out the door with nothing in return, Bob McNair might need to install a moat at Reliant Stadium.

If the Texans trade Carr before June 1, they'll take a $4 million cap charge. If the Texans cut Carr before June 1, they can process the move as a June 2 transaction, which would result in a $2 million charge in 2007 and a $2 million charge in 2008. Trading him as of June 1 will also split the cap hit between 2007 and 2008.

TODAY'S CBA LESSON: TRADES AND RELEASES

The Houston Texans' options for handling quarterback David Carr provide us with yet another opportunity to wax ineloquently regarding certain important but mundane aspects of the Collective Bargaining Agreement -- details which, frankly, some members of the "real" media don't fully understand.

Under the old CBA, a trade at any time of the year resulted in a full acceleration of any remaining bonus payments that had been spread over time. If, for example, a player was traded in the second year of a four-year contract that paid a $4 million signing bonus, the remaining $2 million allocation for years three and four hit the cap in year two, pushing the total bonus allocation for year two to $3 million.

The same result occurred under the old CBA if the player was cut on or prior to June 1.

For players cut after June 1, the cap hit was (and still is) divided into two seasons. For the current year, the team would carry only the portion of the payment that applied to the current season. Then, the rest of the hit would be taken in the following cap year.

In the above example, a termination after June 1 of the second year of the deal triggers a $1 million cap charge for the current year (which the team would have taken anyway if the player were still on the roster) and a $2 million charge in the next cap year.

Under the new CBA, there are two significant changes. First, trades after June 1 are now treated like cuts made after June 1. As a practical matter, this provides a greater incentive for teams to explore trades as the season approaches and unfolds, since they won't be handcuffed by a huge cap hit in the current league year.

Second, up to two players per team (per year) can be released before June 1, and the move will be processed, for cap purposes, as of June 2.

But here's the catch. The team still carries the player's base salary on the books until June 2. So if a team is trying to get under the salary cap before the start of the league year and hopes to dump a player's salary while at the same time maximizing the net cap savings by pushing part of the bonus acceleration into the next league year, this new device won't get the job done, because the team will still carry the player's full salary until June 2.

We know it's confusing. But here's how it would work. If the player in the above example has a $5 million base salary, cutting him before June 1 of the second year of the contract would result in a new cap savings of only $3 million. Why? Because the $1 million bonus allocation applies regardless of whether he's on the team or not, and the remaining $2 million that accelerates into the current year offsets the $5 million salary that was dumped.

Cutting him after June 1 would result in a $5 million cap savings for the current year, and $2 million in dead money the next year.

The bottom line is that there's absolutely no financial benefit to the team for having the ability to do post-June 1 cuts before June. So if there's no benefit to the team, why would a team ever do it?

In David Carr's case, would the Texans cut him early enough in the offseason to master a new offense with a new team, so that the Texans would look like even bigger morons for: (1) keeping Carr last year; (2) not taking Vince Young; (3) cutting Carr this year and getting nothing in return; and (4) watching him become an instant Pro Bowler elsewhere?

Unless and until the CBA is further revised to allow teams to dump the player's salary before June 1 but process the bonus consequences as of June 2, we can envision no circumstances in which a team would cut a player early under this new twist in the rules.

Okay, now wake up and keep scrolling.

POSTED 8:08 a.m. EST; UPDATED 8:25 a.m. EST, February 14, 2007

HANDLING OF STAFF WAS FINAL STRAW FOR CHARGERS

The league grapevine advises us that the ultimate catalyst for the decision of the San Diego Chargers to end their relationship with coach Marty Schottenheimer wasn't the desire of Schottenheimer to interview his brother, Kurt, for the vacant defensive coordinator position, but the refusal of the team to allow two more members of Schottenheimer's rapidly shrinking staff (he must have been in the pool) to interview for positions with the Cowboys, now coached by former Chargers defensive coordinator Wade Phillips.

As we understand it, Marty was trying to take care of his guys by giving them opportunities to get better security elsewhere, since Schottenheimer was signed only through 2007 and the assistants generally were under contract through 2008. But G.M. A.J. Smith and team president Dean Spanos wanted to slam the door on the departures.

With that said, the impasse between Smith and Schottenheimer regarding Marty's desire to interview Kurt was, as several others have reported (and as we surmised on Tuesday without realizing that others had reported on it) a big factor.

Of course, all of this presumes that the recent events weren't used as a pretext by the Chargers to clear out Marty, so that the team could turn to Pete Carroll, who just one week ago formally signed his incoming freshman class.

CHARGERS SEARCH UPDATE

With the San Diego Chargers in an unprecedented scramble to find a new head coach so close to the scouting combine and the launch of free agency, the information is flowing like water from Jack Del Rio's garden hose.

Here's an update as to the latest developments.

USC coach Pete Carroll is not talking about the vacancy. At all. (Which is a much better approach than: "I'm not going to be the Alabama coach.")

Former Falcons coach Jim Mora, who in a roundabout way got his wish to get back to Seattle, is a candidate for the job.

Ditto for Mike Zimmer, the new Falcons defensive coordinator who made the jump to Atlanta from Dallas last month.

And two of the California candidates for the Cowboys job that was filled by former Chargers defensive coordinator Wade Phillips are also in the mix -- 49ers offensive coordinator Norv Turner and 49ers assistant head coach Mike Singletary.

Other candidates, as reported on Tuesday, are Ravens defensive coordinator Rex Ryan, Bears defensive coordinator Ron Rivera, and Saints defensive coordinator Gary Gibbs.

To date, Turner is the only known candidate who specializes in the offensive side of the ball.

POSTED 6:58 a.m. EST, February 14, 2007

BLY OUT OF MOTOWN?

The Detroit Lions have given cornerback Dre' Bly permission to seek a trade, according to the Detroit Free Press.

“I have a tremendous amount of respect for Matt and Rod allowing me the opportunity to find a home for Dre' Bly that is more conducive to his Pro Bowl skill set,” said Kennard McGuire, who represents Bly.

Bly has made it to the Pro Bowl twice, in 2003 and 2004.

The problem is that Bly is a cover corner, but the Lions have installed the Tampa 2 defense, which requires corners to play a lot of shallow zone defense and provide solid support against the run.

Bly signed with the Lions in 2003 after spending the early years of his career with the Rams. In 2007, Bly is scheduled to earn a salary of $4.2 million.

Because 2007 is the last year of his contract, the Lions will take no cap acceleration by trading or releasing Bly.

The one thing that isn't clear is whether this was Bly's idea, or whether the Lions have decided to get rid of him, but are first hoping to get something for him in lieu of cutting him loose.

The Lions went through that same exercise a year ago with quarterback Joey Harrington. He was going to be released absent a trade, but the Lions were able to send him to Miami for a second-day pick.

It's fitting, then, that Bly could be suffering the same ultimate outcome in Detroit as Harrington, given that Bly publicly blamed Harrington for the termination of former coach Steve Mariucci.

"We're all at fault, but I just feel like Joey's been here four years, and being the No. 3 pick in the draft, he hasn't given us anything," Bly told the Free Press at the time. "He hasn't given us what the third pick in the draft should give us."

POSTED 7:49 p.m. EST, February 13, 2007

A.J. THE NEXT TO G.O.?

Now that Gregg Easterbook of ESPN.com's TMQ has called us out twice in his annual list of bad predictions, we're ready to give him some fodder for next year's edition.

We predict that, after the draft, the Chargers will fire G.M. A.J. Smith.

Here's all the evidence we need. In his carefully-crafted statement from Monday evening, team president Dean Spanos called the relationship between Smith and former coach Marty Schottenheimer "dysfunctional." That's a two-way street, folks, and the fact that Spanos did not exonerate Smith for his role in the dysfunction does not bode well for him, in our view.

So why wasn't he fired now? Because the scouting combine is a fortnight (thanks, T) away, free agency starts in three weeks, and the draft is looming. Our guess is that Spanos will lead Smith to believe that a solid showing in free agency and the draft will save him.

And then after the draft Spanos, we believe, will cut him loose.

Make no mistake about it. The Monday decision from Spanos was his effort to re-assert control over the franchise, and Smith has been part of the problem. He won't be, in our view, part of the solution.

POSTED 5:43 p.m. EST; LAST UPDATED 6:04 p.m. EST, February 13, 2007

SEAN'S EXIT STRATEGY?

Several readers have pointed out to us over the course of the day that ESPN analyst Sean Salisbury is making a big push for the Chargers to hire former Cardinals coach Dennis Green.

Said Salisbury: "The Chargers have a perfect candidate right in San Diego -- Dennis Green. He's an excellent candidate for a veteran team like the Chargers and probably won't demand the type of power that other more established coaches will try to get from San Diego."

We're compelled to make a few points.

First of all, anyone who believes that Green wouldn't immediately begin trying to get G.M. A.J. Smith and every other member of the current front office fired wasn't paying attention to Green's exploits when he was the coach of the Vikings.

Second, Green isn't going get back into coaching until he cashes out his severance pay from the Cardinals. As it stands, he now gets $2.5 million to do something other than coach football in 2007, and if he takes any other football job paying $2.5 million or less for 2007, he'll essentially be working for free.

Third, what has Green done in the past seven years to persuade anyone that he's still got the tools to be a successful NFL head coach? His mojo evaporated when the Vikings were trounced by the Giants, 41-0, in the 2000 NFC Championship game. From a wins and losses perspective, Green's career has yet to recover.

Fourth, we think that Sean's statements are a not-so-thinly-veiled effort by him to put himself in line for another job offer from Green if/when Green ever becomes an NFL head coach again. When Green was hired by the Cardinals, he offered the position of quarterbacks coach to Salisbury, who opted at the time to stay put. But maybe Sean would be more inclined to entertain the opportunity the next time it comes around, so what better way to ensure that he'll stay on Green's good side than to push him for a job that, as a practical matter, he'll never get?

Why would Sean leave ESPN, you ask? Well, for starters, our guess is that he's holding a quiet grudge regarding the decision to suspend him for a week in 2006, given our impression that Salisbury isn't real big on accepting responsibility for his mistakes. We also suspect that he thinks the boys in Bristol didn't do enough to back him up over that whole "chew or Jew" thing from last month. And maybe Salisbury realizes that, sooner or later, ESPN will have an opportunity to hire someone who is: (1) younger; (2) better; (3) prettier; (4) more articulate; (5) not an aimless loudmouth blowhard (in our opinion); (6) actually played NFL football in the past decade; and (7) actually played in more than a few NFL football games.

CULLEN GETS PROBATION

Lions defensive line coach Joe Cullen, arrested on separate occasions within the course of eight days last summer for driving sober but naked and driving clothed but drunk, has been sentenced to two years probation. He also must attend Alcoholics Anonymous meetings twice per week.

Cullen previously pleaded no contest to the charges of disorderly conduct and impaired driving.

More importantly, the imposition of the sentence does not result in any Turd Watch points for the Detroit Lions. Since the arrests and the pleas of no contest occurred prior to the Super Bowl, the incidents do not count toward year one of our effort to track the actual and alleged criminal misconduct of NFL players and team employees.

RADIO UPDATE

Though the season is over, there's still plenty of NFL news and nuggets to discuss. And we'll be doing so both in this space and over the airwaves.

Later tonight, we'll catch up with our buddy Todd Wright of Sporting News Radio, at 10:25 p.m. EST

[UPDATE: We previously forgot to mention that we'll also be talking to another one of our long-time radio friends, Brad Riter of WGR at 8:00 p.m.]

On Wednesday morning, we'll chat with Joe Rose of 790 The Ticket in Miami at 8:25 a.m., and Dennis and Callahan of WEEI in Boston at 9:05 a.m. It'll be our second visit in the past month or so with Rose and our very first time with the morning drive-time crew at WEEI.

Earlier today, we re-connected with our pal Dino Costa of the Radio Colorado Network, and we spent some time with Matt Perrault of Big Sports 590 in Omaha.

POSTED 4:03 p.m. EST, February 13, 2007

LOWER VOLUME, BIGGER WORDS ON SUNDAY NIGHTS

Lost in the hoopla regarding the decision of former Giants running back Tiki Barber to join NBC, where his duties will include a spot on the primetime pregame show titled Football Night in America (and Per The League's Long-Term Strategic Planning Eventually Mars and Venus, Too), is the fact that Barber's gain is Sterling Sharpe's loss.

The press release announcing Barber's arrival at NBC specifically states that Tiki will join Bob Costas, Cris Collinsworth, Jerome Bettis, and Peter King.

There's no mention of Sharpe.

So what does it mean? Well, from our perspective it means that the bloviator will replace the blowhard, with Tiki and his smugly-delivered ten-dollar words filling the seat previously occupied by Sharpe and his "if I feel like I'm losing the argument I'll make up for it by TALKING REALLY LOUD" approach to NFL analysis.

What else does it mean? In our view, the Bus shouldn't get too comfortable. Eventually, another former player with designs on getting paid to sit around with the guys and watch football all day and then talk about it for an hour or so is gonna come along, and NBC will decide that it's time for a fresh face. Sure, Bettis is a likeable guy, but there's nothing special about his on-air performances -- and that means that he's merely keeping the seat warm until the next flavor of the month comes along.

POSTED 3:44 p.m. EST, February 13, 2007

CHARGERS TO INTERVIEW RIVERA, RYAN, GIBBS

Jay Glazer of FOXSports.com reports that the Chargers have received permission to interview Bears defensive coordinator Ron Rivera, Ravens defensive coordinator Rex Ryan, and Saints defensive coordinator Gary Gibbs for the position abruptly vacated on Monday when the Chargers fired coach Marty Schottenheimer.

Rivera will interview for the job within the next 48 hours. He was a finalist for the Steelers job. Word on the street, however, is that he has not been interviewing well.

Also, Glazer reports, citing team sources, that USC coach Pete Carroll is not regarded as viable option "at this point."

We're intrigued by the whole "at this point" thing. If, as we vaguely suspect, a wink-nod deal already has been done with Carroll, and if the team's objective is to keep it all under wraps while a seemingly legitimate interview process unfolds, wouldn't it make sense for the Chargers to put out the word that Carroll isn't in the running until several other candidates have been "interviewed"?

We apologize for being so skeptical. But, the last time we checked, this business was full of people who are full of it. (And we all know what "it" is . . . don't we, Nick?)

POSTED 10:41 a.m. EST, February 13, 2007

REX RYAN A CHARGERS CANDIDATE

One name that quickly has emerged as a potential candidate for the sudden vacancy in San Diego is Ravens defensive coordinator Rex Ryan.

Ryan, the son of former Eagles and Cardinals coach Buddy Ryan and the twin brother of Raiders defensive coordinator Rob Ryan, has spent the last eight years with the Ravens. He replaced Mike Nolan as defensive coordinator when Nolan was hired by the 49ers.

Look for Ryan to be one of the first guys interviewed for the job.

POSTED 7:08 a.m. EST; LAST UPDATED 9:04 a.m. EST, February 13, 2007

UNION TARGETING DUNN PARTNER

Liz Mullen of SportsBusiness Journal reports that the NFL Players Association has issued a disciplinary complaint against agent Joby Branion, the most experienced agent at the Athletes First agency other than David Dunn.

Dunn currently is serving an 18-month suspension due to actions taken when he left Leigh Steinberg's firm several years ago.

Branion allegedly interfered with the contractual relationship between 49ers tight end Vernon Davis and Lock, Metz, and Malinovic. The charges apparently arise from the failed efforts of Zeke Sandhu to leave the Lock agency and carry Davis to a new shop.

We previously explained that, based on our understanding of the rules, Athletes First was blameless if the contact was initiated by Sandhu, since Sandhu was one of the agents named on the Vernon Davis representation agreement.

The NFLPA, however, apparently views matters differently.

Of course, it's possible that the NFLPA is taking an aggressive position regarding this matter because of concerns that Dunn isn't exactly behaving as if he has been suspended. There have been reports of Dunn participating in the recruitment of players entering the NFL from college.

Also, based on a January 25 item in the Rocky Mountain News, it appears that Dunn is still serving as the agent for Broncos quarterback Jake Plummer. At one point in the article, the News says that G.M. Ted Sundquist has had "preliminary discussions with Dunn" regarding Plummer's future (or lack thereof) with the team.

FRANCHISE TAG VERSUS TRANSITION TAG

As the free agency period approaches, a question from a reader has prompted us to conclude that it would be a good idea to post periodically items regarding some of the key concepts of free agency.

Today's lesson: the difference between the franchise tag and the transition tag.

Both designations are available to teams as a means for limiting the movement of players who otherwise would be unrestricted free agents. (A player becomes an unrestricted free agent if he has four or more years of accrued service, and if his contract has expired.)

The franchise tag gives the team the right to match any offers made to the player and, more importantly, two first-round draft picks as compensation if the team opts not to match. The transition tag gives the team only a right to match any offers, and no compensation.

To use the franchise tag, a team must extend a one-year offer equivalent to the average wages of the five highest-paid players in the league at the same position. Alternatively, the franchise player must receive an offer equivalent to 120 percent of his wages in the prior season, if that number is greater than the average wages of the five highest-paid players in the league at the same position.

For the transition tag, the tender offer is based on the average of the ten highest-paid players in the league at the same position or 120 percent of the player's wages in the prior season, whichever is greater.

Events of the past year have made the transition tag obsolete, as a practical matter. First, the rule previously was that the transition tender did not become fully guaranteed if it were accepted by the player. In contrast, the franchise tender converted to a guaranteed one-year salary as soon as the player signed it.

Now, both tenders are guaranteed fully once the player puts his John Henry Johnson on the dotted line.

Second, and more importantly, the poison-pill device used by the Vikings on the Seahawks (and then the Seahawks on the Vikings) provides an easy way to craft an offer sheet that can't be matched. For example, if the Bears were to put the transition tag on linebacker Lance Briggs, a team like the Vikings could put together a blockbuster deal with a provision that the entire package becomes fully and completely guaranteed if in any year that Briggs is not the highest-paid linebacker on the team (he most certainly would be No. 2 behind Brian Urlacher in Chicago) and/or if Briggs plays at least five games in any season in the State of Illinois.

With no right to compensation, then, it makes no sense to use the transition tag. At all.

One last point on the poison pill. The NFL and the union tried to hammer out a deal that would have gotten rid of the form-over-substance tactic, but an impasse was reached as to what the players would get in return. So if teams in a position to use the poison pill fail to do so, count on the union to make a swift claim of collusion.

Make no mistake about it: the league hates the poison pill. But it's now fair game when it comes to free agency, and since it promotes player movement the union loves it.

And this means that it would be a shock for anyone to use the transition tag, unless and until the poison pill is wiped off of the books.

HELP PFT, GET AN NFL EXTRA POINTS CARD

You've likely noticed by now that ad at the top of the page, which offers up the NFL Extra Points credit card. As we mentioned last week, this is a great way for the loyal members of PFT Planet to help fund the operation . . . AT NO COST.

Just sign up for the card. That's it. There's no annual fee, an introductory annual percentage rate of, um, nothing, and an opportunity to get all sorts of free NFL stuff by earning points through using the thing.

Our guess is that plenty of you plan to do it, when you "get around to it." But, please, do us a huge favor and get around to it right now. If every card-carrying member of PFT Planet were to be carrying an NFL Extra Points Credit Card, we would suddenly find ourselves in a position where we could justify spending a lot more time pumping more and more stories and rumors and speculation and links onto this page.

WOODY TO GET STIFFED BY LIONS

A source with knowledge of the situation tells us that the Detroit Lions very soon will be cutting center Damien Woody.

Woody jumped to the Lions from the Patriots in 2004, signing a six-year, $31 million contract with a $9 million signing bonus. His salary is scheduled to jump from $1.75 million in 2006 to $4.5 million in 2007.

He played 16 games in 2004 and 16 games in 2005, but was injured in the fifth game of the 2006 season and did not return.

Woody was fined multiple times for being overweight, and was accused of harassing a 28-year-old woman for whom he'd allegedly promised he'd leave his wife.

NORV TO CHARGERS?

A name we failed to mention last night while listing various potential candidates for the suddenly-vacant Chargers job is 49ers offensive coordinator Norv Turner. A week ago, Turner had the inside track to succeed Bill Parcells as coach of the Cowboys.

Turner served as offensive coordinator of the Chargers in 2001, and is best known for turning former Cowboys quarterback Troy Aikman into a Hall of Famer. But Turner also has been fired twice from head-coaching gigs, with the Redskins and the Raiders.

If Norv lands in San Diego, the irony would be that, if Turner had left San Fran for Dallas, new Cowboys coach Wade Phillips wouldn't have left the Chargers, and Schottenheimer would most likely still be employed.

And if it's true that Norv told Cowboys owner Jerry Jones that he didn't think Jason Garrett was ready to be an NFL offensive coordinator, and if it's true that this prompted Jones to target Phillips instead of Turner, then the fate of Marty Schottenheimer was sealed when his former offensive coordinator, Cam Cameron, opted to allow Garrett to leave the Dolphins for a move that easily could have been blocked.

So, basically, it's Cameron's fault that Marty is unemployed.

ANOTHER INTERESTING CHARGERS THEORY

A reader raised a great point with us this morning regarding the possible manner in which the Marty Schottenheimer termination went down.

Five days ago, the Chargers lost defensive coordinator Wade Phillips. So the team was suddenly scrambling to find a replacement, only a couple of days after no one thought Phillips would be leaving for Dallas.

What if, then, Marty wanted to hire his brother, Kurt Schottenheimer, to make the jump from the Packers to replace Wade?

Kurt has coached with Marty in the past, but had never joined him in San Diego. It could be that G.M. A.J. Smith was staunchly and continuously opposed to Marty's desire to bring his brother to town, and that the issue finally came to a head when Marty found himself without a defensive coordinator, and very much interested in giving his brother a shot at the job.

That's the kind of dispute that might have prompted the kind of camel's-back-breaking knock-down, drag-out between Marty and A.J. that would prompt team president Dean Spanos to finally and permanently separate them.

Or maybe this was an inside job all along, and the Chargers were going to fire Marty after Pete Carroll signed his last class of recruits at USC.

Either way, it's fun stuff to ponder during one of the rare times of the year when things momentarily have ssssslowed down in the NFL.

TUESDAY MORNING ONE-LINERS

Steelers coach Mike Tomlin isn't bothered by the fact that G Alan Faneca wanted Russ Grimm.

RB/KR Chad Morton wasn't cut on Monday by the Giants, but will be.

We have a feeling that NBC will eventually regret hiring Tiki Barber. (Or, at a minimum, his co-workers will.)

The Dolphins plan a slight change to their uniforms, and will study broader alterations.

The Chargers denied the Cowboys' request for permission to speak to secondary coach Brian Stewart and assistant linebackers quality control coach John Pagano. (But the Cowboys are now welcome to talk to Marty Schottenheimer.)

How many assistant coaches are the Rams gonna hire?

Titans receivers coach Ray Sherman is meeting with the Cowboys.

Rumors that Super Bowl L will be played at Lambeau Field are not true. (Given the specific Roman numeral of that game, we think the prime candidates to host it should be the Cardinals and the Lions.)

POSTED 11:01 p.m. EST, February 12, 2007

CARROLL ALREADY A DONE DEAL?

Early speculation in some league circles is that the Chargers already have a wink-nod deal in place with USC coach Pete Carroll to succeed Marty Schottenheimer.

Consider the evidence.

After it was announced that Schottenheimer would return to the Chargers, John Czarnecki of FOXSports.com reported that the Chargers would have cut Schottenheimer loose if they could have lined up the guy that they wanted to take his place. Czar didn't name the mystery candidate, but our guess was/is that it is/was Carroll.

Four weeks later, Carroll was able to lock up another class of recruits, who signed their letters of intent on February 7.

Also, remember how Steve Sarkisian abruptly pulled out of the running to coach the Raiders? He said at the time that he wants to be a head coach at the college level, prompting speculation that he'd been given a wink-nod of his own that, if/when Carroll leaves, Sark will get the Trojans' gig.

And that might have prompted USC co-offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin to look elsewhere so soon after Sarkisian said "no thanks" to the Raiders.

Then there's the looming Reggie Bush mess, which could eventually cause serious problems for USC. But it's generally accepted at the college level that the NCAA doesn't come down as hard on a program if the coach who presided over the mess is gone when the poop hits the propeller.

If the Chargers didn't have a damn good idea who they'd be hiring before firing Schottenheimer so close to the scouting combine and the onset of free agency, then they're just plain stoopid. How in the world can an NFL franchise commence the process of shaping their roster for 2007 without the benefit of knowing who the head coach will be, and what systems he will run?

Still, if the Chargers don't already have an officially unofficial deal in place with Carroll, the other possibilities are intriguing.

How about Jon Gruden? We heard last month that his situation in Tampa is not fully resolved, and the Chargers are just close enough to the top of the mountain to benefit from the short-term jolt he can bring to the table.

Or Ron Rivera? The Bears' defensive coordinator is a California native, and is almost certain to get an interview under the Rooney Rule.

Ditto for 49ers assistant head coach Mike Singletary. He is widely respected in league circles, and many believe it's only a matter of time before he becomes a head coach.

Other possible candidates (in our view) include Chargers receivers coach James Lofton, former Chargers tight ends coach Rob Chudzinski, former Chargers linebackers coach Greg Manusky, Texans assistant head coach Mike Sherman, former Cardinals coach Dennis Green, and former Giants coach Jim Fassel.

Here's a curve ball -- former Chiefs, Rams, and Eagles coach Dick Vermeil. Sure, he's "retired." But we think the lure of taking a 14-2 team to the next level could be enough to coax him to come back.

POSTED 9:12 p.m. EST; LAST UPDATED 9:29 p.m. EST, February 12, 2007

SCHOTT FIRED

The San Diego Chargers, their coaching staff decimated by the loss of offensive coordinator Cam Cameron, defensive coordinator Wade Phillips, and linebackers coach Greg Manusky, have fired head coach Marty Schottenheimer.

The move comes nearly four weeks after it was announced that Schottenheimer would be back for 2007.

And now that a new crop of recruits have signed on to attend USC, we wouldn't be surprised to see the Chargers court, and land, Trojans coach Pete Carroll.

In a statement issued by the team on Monday night, president Dean Spanos attributed the move to a "dysfunctional situation," and that an "intense search" for a successor will begin.

"Our fans deserve to know what changed for me over the last month," Spanos said. "When I decided to move ahead with Marty Schottenheimer in mid-January, I did so with the expectation that the core of his fine coaching staff would remain intact. Unfortunately, that did not prove to be the case, and the process of dealing with these coaching changes convinced me that we simply could not move forward with such dysfunction between our head coach and general manager. In short, this entire process over the last month convinced me beyond any doubt that I had to act to change this untenable situation and create an environment where everyone at Charger Park would be pulling in the same direction and working at a championship level. I expect exactly that from our entire Charger organization in 2007."

Although G.M. A.J. Smith has not yet been fired, keep in mind that the bulk of a front office's work is done in the days leading up to free agency and the draft. Come early May, we've got a feeling that Smith will be sent packing, too.

Back to Carroll, we're not swayed by the fact that Spanos promises an "intense search." If he says now that Carroll is the guy, the Chargers will never be able to comply with the Rooney Rule, which requires that at least one minority candidate be interviewed for the job.

Regardless of where the team goes next, the move marks a stunning end to an otherwise stellar season.

POSTED 5:03 p.m. EST; UPDATED 5:17 p.m. EST, February 12, 2007

REINFELDT FINALLY LANDS IN NASHVILLE

As expected, the Tennessee Titans have hired Mike Reinfeldt to be the team's new General Manager. Reinfeldt replaces Floyd Reese, who resigned at the end of the season.

Not long thereafter, oft-unpredictable owner Bud Adams indicated that the resignation was not voluntary.

Reinfeldt played for the franchise years ago, when it was located in Houston -- and when it was known as the Oilers. He most recently served as V.P. of football operations with the Seahawks.

The fact that Reinfeldt is more of a cap-and-contracts guy (which is somewhat unusual since former players who become front-office types usually gravitate toward scouting) means that someone will inherit some of the authority over personnel that Reese formerly wielded. It could land with coach Jeff Fisher or it could end up with one of the current members of the front office, or the Titans could try to hire someone not presently in the organization.

GIANTS DUMP EMMONS, NOT MORTON

Well, two out of three ain't bad.

We reported a little while ago that the Giants had cut linebacker LaVar Arrington, left tackle Luke Petitgout, and running back/kick returner Chad Morton. As it turns out, the trio of now-former Giants is Arrington, Petitgout, and linebacker Carlos Emmons.

"These are difficult decisions," Giants head coach Tom Coughlin said, according to the team's official web site. "But as [G.M.] Jerry [Reese] and I looked at the roster, they are decisions we felt we had to make as we start to compose our team for the upcoming season. Luke has been a tough competitor here, and he was really playing well before his injury last season. Carlos gave us everything he had, but his injuries the last couple years kept him from being the kind of player we know he is. LaVar was only here a short time, but as a coach, I couldn't have asked for more from a veteran player in terms of his desire and his enthusiasm."

So Chad Morton's career in New York is still alive. We apologize for the error.

POSTED 3:47 p.m. EST; UPDATED 4:02 p.m. EST, February 12, 2007

GIANTS CHOP THREE

A league source tells us that the New York Giants have cut linebacker LaVar Arrington, offensive tackle Luke Petitgout, and running back Chad Morton.

Arrington gave up $4.4 million in earned but unpaid bonus money from the Redskins last year at this time for the ability to hit the free-agent market early. But his agents, the Postons, overpriced him, and he missed out on the early cash rush.

Arrington eventually signed a trumped-up seven-year, $49 million deal with the Giants, which was low on guarantees and high on incentives. A chronic knee problem marred the early stages of the season, and then he popped an Achilles' tendon and was lost for the year.

Petitgout, the team's starting left tackle at the start of 2006, fractured his leg on November 5 against the Bears and didn't return for the rest of the season. The Giants' first-round pick (19th overall) in 1999, Petitgout was under contract for the next two seasons, at salaries of $5 million per year.

Morton tore an ACL late in the season, the second such injury he has suffered in three years. He was signed through 2009, and was scheduled to earn a salary of $720,000 in 2007.

POSTED 10:58 a.m. EST, February 12, 2007

REID TAKING A LEAVE OF ABSENCE

The Philadelphia Eagles have released the following statement: "Philadelphia Eagles President Joe Banner today announced that Andy Reid will take a leave of absence from his duties as head coach/executive vice president of football operations in order to attend to personal matters involving his family. The leave of absence will last until approximately mid-March, 2007. At that point, Reid will return to his regular duties with the Eagles."

Reid's leave of absence undoubtedly arises from the recent legal troubles of two of his sons, both of whom are in their 20s.

Banner will meet with the media at 1:30 p.m. EST to answer any questions regarding the situation.

Speculation already has begun that the leave of absence is the first step in what could be Reid's resignation from the job. Though there's no hard evidence on which to base such a conclusion, a leave of absence is rare for any NFL coach. The only other leave of absence that we can recall since we've been following this stuff every single day involved Rams coach Mike Martz, who had a bacterial infection in his heart during the 2005 season. Martz was fired after the season ended.

POSTED 9:09 a.m. EST; LAST UPDATED 10:52 a.m. EST, February 12, 2007

TIME FOR JAGS TO "CLOSE UP SHOP"

A league source recently pointed out to us a news item in which the Florida Times-Union reported that Tom Condon, who represents Jaguars quarterback Byron Leftwich, recently met with new Jacksonville offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter to have a "football discussion" regarding Leftwich. (We'd run a link to it but the Times-Union site is down as of this posting.)

The source's response to the news that a team is allowing an agent to participate in "football discussions" with the coaching staff?

"The day an agent is telling you or suggesting how you should do business, close up shop, because it's over."

We agree. Indeed, we can't think of any situation in which an agent has insinuated himself into the football discussions with any team. Neither could the source.

[UPDATE: The Times-Union site is now up again, and the story actually says that Leftwich and Koetter met. However, the story also says that Condon will be meeting with Del Rio at the scouting combine. There's no reason, however, for Condon and Del Rio to meet if the purpose is to talk business regarding Leftwich's future. That's why the Jags have a front office.]

And it's a specifically dangerous practice in this case, given that Leftwich plays for the team that has been the top threat to the Colts over the past few years in the AFC South. The Colts are quarterbacked by Condon's prize client, Peyton Manning.

If the Jags opt to go a different way with Leftwich, does anyone think that Condon won't spill the beans to Manning as to anything he picked up while having a "football discussion" with the Jags regarding their plans for 2007?

The Jaguars widely are expected to part ways with Leftwich, their first-round pick in 2003. Though the former Marshall product has played acceptably at times, he is hurt too often and he has not been able to bust through as a premier passer. Also, his relationship with coach Jack Del Rio has been strained of late, and this is the last thing that Del Rio needs as his rear end is squarely atop Del Hot Seat for the coming season.

Other quarterbacks in contention for the starting job in Jacksonville are David Garrard and Quinn Gray. Gray is a restricted free agent, and probably will receive the new second-round tender. Since he was not drafted, the Jags would receive no compensation under the lowest tender, if someone else were to sign him to an offer sheet that the Jaguars chose not to match.

WHERE'S DWAYNE?

Our initial 2007 mock draft already has attracted plenty of attention -- and has resulted in a flood of e-mails to PFT headquarters.

"Where is USC receiver Dwayne Jarrett?" is the question posed by hundreds (okay dozens . . . okay one dozen) members of PFT Planet.

Given that we have six receivers listed in our first crack at the first round, most have presumed that we merely overlooked Jarrett.

Though we've been guilty of such stoopidity in the past, this time around the omission was intentional. Why? Because the network of scouts and league insiders with whom we collaborated in preparing the first crack at the first round believe that Jarrett will run a 4.6 or slower in his Pro Day workout, which will cause him to fall out of the first round.

Obviously, if/when Jarrett runs faster than 4.6, we'll reassess our position. For now, though, we think that Dwayne Jarrett will be this year's version of former Trojan teammate LenDale White.

TIKI WON'T BE MISSED BY TOM

A league source tells us that one of the loudest voices against Giants coach Tom Coughlin this past season was running back Tiki Barber.

Per the source, Barber routinely complained about Coughlin in the locker room, until other players politely told him to shut the f--k up. There's a strong suspicion, however, that Barber continued to bad-mouth Coughlin to the front office.

Barber apparently continued his attack on Coughlin last week in Hawaii, where Barber reportedly told the NFL Network that Coughlin is too "old school" and is out of touch with today's players. Barber also reportedly questioned Coughlin's habit of criticizing players and having the team practice all season in pads.

Hey, maybe the recently-retired Tiki should go into coaching. We have a feeling that he'll connect well with today's players, especially when he starts whipping out all them big words.

THE 'BURGH WENT BONKOS LAST YEAR

A reader recently sent us a couple of telling pictures regarding the difference between the celebration in Indy following the Colts' victory in Super Bowl XLI and the parade in Pittsburgh after the Steelers won Super Bowl XL.

First, Indianapolis.

Now, Pittsburgh.

Slight difference.

And the more we think about it, the better we understand the funk in which the Steelers found themselves in 2006. The celebration of the Super Bowl championship was a prolonged party in Pittsburgh last year, and the players were constantly greeted with congratulations and praise and worship. Though there were other factors at work (such as Ben Roethlisberger's misadventures with a motorbike and his infected appendix), the players might have lost their edge a little bit in 2006 due to the fact that the Super Bowl win was met with such a profound sense of euphoria and, for the fans who had waited since 1979 for some thumb jewelry, relief.

We're not knocking the fans for enjoying the ride. But the lesson to be learned for future Super Bowl winners is that the extent to which the prize is celebrated locally could make the players a little soft in the following season. The challenge for the coaching staff is to find ways to keep the team focused, and the challenge for the front office is to bring in a couple of veterans who haven't won a Super Bowl of their own, and whose hunger for that same prize will help to propel the team to make a serious run at repeating.

MONDAY MORNING ONE-LINERS

ESPN has a bulging disc for its 30,000th SportsCenter show.

Former Chiefs quarterbacks coach Terry Shea, who was a disaster as the Bears' offensive coordinator a few years ago, could get both titles with the Dolphins.

This is perhaps the best critique we've ever seen of Cowboys owner Jerry Jones. (And we suspect that the writer's designated seat in the press box at the team's new stadium will be inside a bathroom stall. Right next to the fat guy who has been on a chili-only diet.)

The Chargers are trying to make chicken salad out of the fact that so many coaches have flown the coop.

The 12th Man in Seattle apparently thinks that the designation is more than ceremonial.

The Colts aren't forgetting about the Titans.

Is the guy who replaces Bill Parcells doomed to fail?

Bengals QB Carson Palmer had "fun" at the Pro Bowl.

POSTED 8:29 p.m. EST, February 11, 2007

STEELERS FEARING PLAYER BACKLASH

In the wake of recent quotes from Pro Bowl guard Alan Faneca, who said that he wanted Russ Grimm to be the next coach of the team, a league source tells us that the Steelers front office is bracing itself for a backlash from veteran members of the team, who believed that either Grimm or Ken Whisenhunt should have gotten the job.

The concern, as we're told, is that some in the organization fear that the veteran players will not immediately respect new head coach Mike Tomlin, a 34-year-old with only one year as a defensive coordinator.

We're not shocked by this news, and the practical result is that the challenge will be for Tomlin to win their respect.

And we think he will.

The resistance is natural, in our view. Grimm and Whisenhunt were key components on a coaching staff that led the team to a Super Bowl victory just a year ago. The notion that neither of them was the best choice to replace former head coach Bill Cowher fairly could be interpreted as a no-confidence vote as to the players, too.

FIRST MOCK DRAFT OF THE YEAR IS UP

We don't quite understand the whole mock draft fascination, um, thing. Folks love them. No matter how unrealistic or premature or flawed they are.

Just one pick out of place can screw up the whole flow, and the team's plans can change dramatically based on who they sign, and who them lose, during the coming free-agency frenzy.

But, hey, you want it means you got it. We've tapped a portion of our network of sources and have cobbled together our first mock first round of the season. We'll update it from time to time, often with no apparent rhyme or reason.

POSTED 4:29 p.m. EST; UPDATED 5:15 p.m. EST, February 11, 2007

BENGALS TO TAG SMITH

A league source tells us that the Cincinnati Bengals plan to slap the franchise tag on defensive end Justin Smith.

Smith, the Bengals' first-round pick in 2001, completed his rookie contract during the 2006 season, making a salary of $2.08 million. Under the franchise tag, Smith would be eligible for a one-year deal worth $8.3 million. The total becomes guaranteed if/when Smith accepts the tender.

But accepting the tender puts him under contract and compels him to attend mandatory minicamps and training camp. If he so chooses, Smith could skip all offseason activities and training camp and sign the tender on the eve of the regular season and still make $8.3 million, guaranteed.

Withholding services is the only leverage Smith has to force a long-term deal. The risk, however, is that the team will withdraw the tag after other teams looking for defensive ends address their needs.

Smith, 27, has played in all but one game during his six-year career. He bagged 7.5 sacks in 2006 and has 41.5 for his career, which equates to an average of just under seven per year.

SUNDAY AFTERNOON ONE-LINERS

Somehow it's fitting that the former dirtiest player in the NFL would have a guardian angel who swings a golf club. (And who has man boobs.)

Last year, Steelers logos were all the rage in Pittsburgh-area tattoo parlors. (This year, "Mom" has made quite a comeback, but some of those folks up there spell it with a "u".)

Roy Cummings of the Tampa Tribune is right to think that the Bucs would benefit from having two running backs carrying the load, but he's nuts if he thinks that the team should invest two top-five picks in three years into one of the most fungible positions in the game.

We like Mike Felger of the Boston Herald, but we have to disagree with his assessment that the franchise tag was meant only for superstars; if that were the case, the union would have severely limited its use a long time ago.

Pats LB Don Davis says that what gets pro athletes in trouble is "nightlife, [hanging out with] buttholes, drinking and fraternizing with women."

Uncle Rico was the first rookie quarterback in NFL history to play in the Pro Bowl. (Meanwhile, Mario Williams played some video games this weekend.)

Incoming Hall of Famer Bruce Matthews recalls what a teammate told him about the Pro Bowl: "'[I]t's pretty relaxed, but once you get into the fourth quarter and some money is on the line and guys start thinking about how much money their families spent during the course [of] the week, it becomes serious.'"

Phil Sheridan of the Philadelphia Inquirer takes a look at what Eagles coach Andy Reid currently is going through.

Ugh. More nice guys coaching NFL teams. (Maybe they'll eventually make the game two-hand touch and replace the ball with a Snickers bar.)

We'll see how nice Wade Phillips is after a year of T.O.

Mike Ornstein is trying to convince the Loozianans that Reggie didn't help persuade a local tailback to ditch LSU for USC.

Chargers S Terrence Kiel will likely soon be free to sign with the Bengals.

POSTED 1:53 p.m. EST, February 11, 2007

PACK ANGLING FOR ADALIUS

Regardless of whether the Green Bay Packers eventually make an effort to trade for Raiders receiver Randy Moss, the more immediate objective for the Favre Franchise is to land Ravens linebacker Adalius Thomas.

Thomas, a sixth-round pick in 2000, will hit the open market unless the Ravens slap the franchise tag on him. And, as we're told, one of the first teams to ring his phone will be the Packers. Per a source with knowledge of the situation, Thomas is the clear-cut top target for the Packers in free agency.

The Pack plan to make Thomas, a hybrid linebacker/defensive end in the Baltimore defense, into a full-time defensive end. And that could be very bad news for current Packers defensive end Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila, whose star has faded in the years since he was regarded as an up-and-coming sack master. KGB fell behind Cullen Jenkins on the depth chart in 2006, and Gbaja-Biamila's $5 million salary for 2007 could cause him to fall off of the roster entirely.

If the Ravens plan to use the franchise tag on Thomas, they'll need to have the cap room to do it. And that could ensure the release of running back Jamal Lewis, who re-signed with the team as an unrestricted free agent in 2006 and who is owed a $5 million roster bonus next month, and a $5 million salary in 2007.

POSTED 11:36 a.m. EST; LAST UPDATED 11:57 a.m. EST, February 11, 2007

CLOSE CALL FOR BREES

Saints quarterback Drew Brees suffered a dislocated elbow during the second series of the Pro Bowl. Though the injury is expected to be healed in six-to-eight weeks, it was a blunt reminder of the reality that, for those who earn the "privilege" of playing in a meaningless mid-February football game in Hawaii, disaster is lurking like a volcano poised to blow its stack.

What if Brees had torn an ACL or suffered another serious injury to his throwing shoulder? With a $12 million option bonus coming due in a few weeks, the Saints would have faced an unwelcome dilemma.

And Brees, in the end, could have been S.O.L.

Eventually, it's going to happen to someone. Especially with guys like Sean Taylor dishing out Pete Rose-style hits to punters.

For many of the guys who play in Honolulu, it's been six weeks since they've last laced up the cleats. Frankly, we're surprised that more players don't get hurt.

It's inevitable that someone will. And badly. One of these years, an ACL will pop or an Achilles' tendon will rupture or a rotator cuff will shred. And with more and more of the preparations for the next season occurring earlier and earlier in the offseason, the guy who suffers the injury will fall way behind as he rehabs.

For players who are poised to become free agents, it's also an expensive proposition to suffer an injury three weeks before hitting the market. Is it a coincidence that Bears linebacker Lance Briggs, who looked fine seven days ago in the Super Bowl, pulled out of Saturday's "game"? He's either going to be slapped with the franchise tag (and make millions) or hit the open market (and make millions). But with a torn ACL, Briggs would have been left to languish on the shelf until June or July, and if his recovery was coming along well he might have gotten a multi-year deal that essentially would have been a one-year, low-pay, "prove that you're healthy" contract.

Sure, maybe Briggs really was hurt, making his absence from the post-postseason soiree acceptable. But even if Briggs was healthy as a pre-Preakness Barbaro, we never, ever, ever would have let him play in the Pro Bowl.

It's all the more reason, in our opinion, to name the team but not play the game. Though it's a write-off vacation for many of the NFL muckety-mucks and media folks, it's potentially a far more grave affair for the men whose livelihoods can be devastated during a dog-and-pony show about which most on the mainland don't give a carton of kukae.

TAYLOR HIT CROSSED THE LINE

Although the Pro Bowl hit from Redskins safety Sean Taylor on Brian Moorman was fun to watch, there's a strong feeling in league circles that Taylor's decision to blow up the Bills punter violates an unwritten rule that applies to the NFL's annual exhibition game in Hawaii.

Despite the fact that Moorman is being magnanimous (thank you, Tiki) about the whole thing, Taylor had no business slamming his body at full speed into Moorman.

As it has been explained to us, the code among players in the Pro Bowl is to tackle, but not hit. The same approach applies in other All-Star Games. Why else would both the NHL and NBA versions of the meaningless midseason game involve so much scoring?

But since Moorman wasn't hurt, maybe we should cut Taylor some slack. As one reader suggested, maybe Moorman reminded Taylor of the guy who stole Taylor's ATV in June 2005. Besides, it's not as if Taylor, you know, spit on him.

WE SUPPOSE WE SHOULD START WATCHING THE PRO BOWL

We've never liked the Pro Bowl, and over the past few years we have refused to go out of our way to watch it. But if guys are going to be slamming each other into the ground and/or suffering dislocated body parts, we probably should check the thing out.

There's another reason to watch it, as we have now realized. The fact that the game itself is boring doesn't make the coverage of it any less entertaining.

As we've been told by several readers, Shannon Sharpe of CBS was working the sidelines for Saturday's game. At one point, he apparently used the word "mango" when he meant to say "tango." And another reader tells us that Sharpe pissed off Ocho Stinko and called out Michael Irvin.

If anyone has the clips from YouTube, send them to us before the NFL invokes their copyright.

POSTED 7:27 a.m. EST, February 11, 2007

FAVRE'S PAST WORDS PUT MOSS RUMORS INTO CONTEXT

When we addressed last Sunday the rumors linking Raiders receiver Randy Moss to the Packers, we mentioned that we recalled a negative reaction from Packers quarterback Brett Favre to Randy's "I play when I wanna play" comments from November 2001.

Thanks to one of our friends in the "real" media, we've obtained the text of the article. (We also tried to purchase the article on the New York Times web site. We paid our $4.95, but after completing the transaction we still couldn't get beyond the one-line abstract. We wonder how many others have had this problem -- and how many thereafter have taken the time to track down the $4.95 they handed over to the Times.)

The article was published on December 16, 2001, and it was written by Mike Freeman, a friend of PFT who has advertised two of his books -- Bloody Sundays and Jim Brown: The Fierce Life of an American Hero -- in this space.

Here's what Favre told Freeman in response to the the Moss admission of lollygagging.

"I was sitting there getting taped, and he popped into my thoughts and I don't know why," Favre said. "I guess because we don't have anyone on our team like that in terms of what seems to be a poor attitude and work ethic. And don't get me wrong. There is no one in this league who puts fear in people more than Randy Moss. I think what players around the league like me who read some of his comments get upset about is that he can dominate any one game but I don't know if he has what it takes mentally to dominate all the time.

"If I was Randy I would feel bad about what I said," Favre added, "because he was given a lot of money to be a professional and his comments are not something a true professional would ever say. . . . I'm sure I'm speaking for a lot of players when I say this, that what he said doesn't just make him look bad, it makes players in general look bad. Some fans may think other players feel the same way he does, and that couldn't be further from the truth.

"I don't know Randy, but at some point in the future he'll regret what he said. If he doesn't, he's not a smart guy."

Favre also explained what would have happened if Moss had made such comments as a member of the Packers: "Our veterans would step up and take care of the problem. It wouldn't happen on this team. On this team there are no individuals, no selfish players, and if they become that way, they're gone. Every team in this league has a superstar. Some have five and some have 10. But the great franchises that have been successful, including this one, they pull for each other.

"He's a great player, but the only way to be great, play after play and game after game, and be a great team player, is to constantly work hard. That's the key."

Five years later, Moss is far worse than he was in 2001 when it comes to selfishness and pouting and not playing hard all the time, if ever. It could be a product of his unhappiness with the fact that his current team isn't winning games and he isn't making highlight-reel touchdown catches.

But there's no guarantee that he would regain in Green Bay the form that made him one of the best receivers in the league for the first seven years of his career. And if he doesn't, he could quickly revert to his turdish ways.

Sure, he might be all smiles and good attitude when coming through the door -- just like he was in Oakland two years ago. Before long, however, Moss could be showing his ass to the same fans that he pretended to moon during a playoff game after the 2004 season, if he isn't the focal point of Favre's fastballs.

Bottom line -- he's not worth the risk, especially since it appears that he has lost a lot of the magic that he used to be able to display.

When he wanted to.

POSTED 11:32 a.m. EST; UPDATED 2:36 p.m. EST, February 10, 2007

CAVEAT ON CAP NUMBERS

A league source has contacted us regarding the accuracy of the cap numbers that we posted earlier today. Although those numbers currently are accurate, it turns out that the numbers are incomplete.

Per the source, the current numbers do not reflect several key pieces of information that will reduce the cap room available as of March 1.

First, the "official" numbers have not yet been adjusted by the league to reflect so-called "not likely to be earned" incentives that players achieved in 2006. By definition, these payments do not count against a team's 2006 cap number. They hit the cap in 2007.

A prime example in this regard is Jets quarterback Chad Pennington. With doubts swirling last year at this time regarding his ability to return to form, he slashed his salary for 2006 but remained in position to earn most if not all of it back through incentive payments.

And he did. Those extra payments to Pennington will thus eat into the $20 million in cap room available to the Jets.

Likewise, the $3 million bonus earned by Panthers defensive end Julius Peppers for making it to the Pro Bowl this year is not reflected. And that's bad news for Carolina, since without this extra charge the team is already $2.5 million over the $109 million limit.

Second, any "likely to be earned" incentives that were not met in 2006 result in a cap credit for 2007. Teams with surplus cap money in 2006 but no plans to use it often will insert such incentives that, although categorized as "likely to be earned" are, as a practical matter, not earned. Because these incentives count against the 2006 cap, the money carries over to the next year if the incentive is not earned.

Third, any 2007 salary escalators triggered by players in 2006 are not yet reflected. If, for example, a player's 2007 salary based on his contract is $1 million but his performance numbers pushed his salary to $2 million for 2007 due to an escalator clause, that extra million has not yet been wiped off of the books for the purposes of the 2007 cap numbers.

Fourth, the Giants will get a cap credit from Tiki Barber's retirement, since his $4.15 million salary for 2007 is currently on the books, and thus reflected in the cap numbers.

SATURDAY AFTERNOON ONE-LINERS

The 49ers are in talks with DT Bryant Young regarding the possibility of staying with the team in 2007.

The Commish is impressed with Chargers LB Shawne Merriman.

The guy whose name is on the ball also is a fan of Uncle Rico.

Steelers coach Mike Tomlin likes hockey.

The Steelers have signed QB Bryan Randall.

Former Oilers DB Bubba McDowell has joined the staff of Art Briles at the University of Houston.

The son-of-a-son-of-a-Bum has yet to talk to the Cowboys about a job.

FB Mike Alstott plans to play for the Bucs in 2007.

The Chiefs are selling the naming rights to their stadium, but the new moniker will still include "Arrowhead." (We suggest, then, that they give first dibs to the makers of Viagra, Cialis, and/or Levitra.)

A week later, former Pats LB Ted Johnson is singing a slightly different tune.

Ravens LT Jonathan Ogden is still thinking about packing it in.

The Cowboys will use a more aggressive version of the 3-4 under Wade Phillips.

If the Browns don't draft a high-profile quarterback, Charlie Frye and Derek Anderson apparently will compete for the job.

Pro Bowl special-teamer Kassim Osgood apparently wishes he was better at receiver.

For roughly two-thirds of the seats at the Metrodome, prices for Vikings tickets will either stay the same or drop in 2007.

Former Titans G.M. Floyd Reese has a new job -- but not the kind of new job he had hoped for.

POSTED 9:16 a.m. EST, February 10, 2007

NINERS IN POSITION TO SPEND BIG BUCKS

We've gotten our mitts on the pre-free agency 2007 salary cap figures, and the list features an unprecedented number of franchises with more than $30 million in space under the $109 million spending limit.

The 49ers lead the way, with a surplus of $38 million.

Next up, the Bills, Titans, and Cardinals, who each have $33 million.

On the other end of the spectrum, only three teams currently have to slash cash before the start of the new league year in early March.

The Panthers are $2.5 million over the limit, the Ravens are $1 million over the limit, and the Redskins are $100,000 over the max.

The full list is right here.

POSTED 8:53 a.m. EST, February 10, 2007

MILLEN, MARTZ AT ODDS?

Although, as we've previously reported, the Detroit Lions have locked onto Wisconsin tackle Joe Thomas with the No. 2 overall pick in the draft, we're now hearing that CEO Matt Millen is at least considering the possibility of using the selection on a blue-chip quarterback in the spot after the Oakland Raiders.

The reason? Starter Jon Kitna will be 35 years old when the 2007 season begins, and he was hardly a superstar in his first season with the team.

But offensive coordinator Mike Martz is bristling at the possibility, we're told. Martz wants to stick with Kitna, and the short-term interests of the team (and of Martz, who wants to be a head coach again) would be served by drafting a guy who can step right in and play as a rookie.

Millen, however, is looking over the long term, even if he might not be part of it.

The key might come down to how much either JaMarcus Russell or Brady Quinn distinguish themselves as franchise quarterbacks in their pre-draft workouts. And don't rule out the emergence of someone who currently isn't in the conversation as to who will be claimed from the draft board first.

And let's also keep in mind the realities of disinformation at this time of the year. Even if Millen doesn't want a franchise quarterback, a team behind the lines might want the quarterback that the Raiders don't select, which could put the Lions in position to trade down and pick up an extra pick or two. The Browns at No. 3 (if they win the coin toss with the Bucs), for example, might want Brady Quinn, and might be willing to flip-flop with the Lions in order to get him.

POSTED 8:15 p.m. EST; UPDATED 9:45 p.m. EST, February 9, 2007

FORMER LEAGUE OFFICIAL SUES

A former supervisor of NFL officials has sued the league, claiming that his employment termination was based on complaints from minority officials that his grades of them were racially biased.

Earnie Frantz, who is white, claims that he was fired because of his race.

But allegations of reverse discrimination are difficult to prove, and in some jurisdictions the legal standards are higher when the plaintiff is a member of the majority race.

Another hurdle Frantz might face is the presence of a mandatory arbitration clause in his contract. The NFL uses this device in various other contexts to avoid exposure to a jury trial. An arbitration clause puts the dispute in the hands of one or three lawyers who hear evidence in a less formal setting and then decide the case.

FRIDAY NIGHT ONE-LINERS

Uncle Rico is getting a free education.

Bears defensive coordinator Ron Rivera plans to return to the team.

The Saints have re-signed LB Scott Shanle to a four-year contract.

Texans WR Andre Johnson wants to make the Pro Bowl every year.

Steelers G Alan Faneca says that he wanted Russ Grimm to be the next coach of the Steelers.

Indy and Dallas are squaring off for Super Bowl XLV hosting privileges.

LSU assistant coach Todd Monken is the new receivers coach of the Jaguars.

Here's a look at the Chiefs' cap situation and free agents.

The Pats get a sixth-round pick from the Cardinals for the preseason trade of OL Brandon Gorin.

POSTED 7:49 p.m. EST, February 9, 2007

TROUBLE FINDS REGGIE, AGAIN

The University of Southern California might have violated NCAA regulations by allowing former Trojans running back Reggie Bush to put a high-profile recruit's mind at ease about the question of whether Bush's alleged receipt of cash and other benefits might result in sanctions for the school.

The facts aren't entirely clear, but it primarily involves whether high-profile running back Joe McKnight misspoke on Wednesday when he said that he heard Bush explain to coach Pete Carroll the situation that has brought the program under NCAA scrutiny.

Predictably, McKnight and Carroll now say that Bush was not involved in the recruitment of McKnight.

But how does a guy misspeak when he says he heard the 2005 Heisman winner explain away his situation to Carroll? He either did, or he didn't. So we're not prepared to take the explanation at face value, and we hope the NCAA isn't, either.

POSTED 5:16 p.m. EST, February 9, 2007

WADE KEEPING SEAT WARM FOR GARRETT?

At a time when plenty of Cowboys fans are hoping that new coach Wade Phillips is a short-term solution while the team plots a push for former Steelers coach Bill Cowher, the talk in league circles is that Phillips is holding the spot until Jason Garrett is ready to roll.

Garrett is the Cowboys' new offensive coordinator, and widely has been regarded as an up-and-comer in the coaching ranks.

And it appears that Norv Turner's belief that Garrett wasn't ready to be an offensive coordinator might have been the thing that kept Turner from being the two-time loser who got a third chance to coach an NFL team.

As one league source explained to us on Friday afternoon: "The Phillips hiring makes no sense to anyone. They tried to get him cheap, which is historically true for any non-player that the Cowboys hire. They love Garrett but know he's not ready. So they bring in some stiff who's dying for the job until Garrett can do it."

POSTED 4:50 p.m. EST, February 9, 2007

REINFELDT EVENTUALLY TO BECOME TITANS G.M.?

A league source tells us that the Seattle Seahawks fully expect Mike Reinfeldt to leave the organization to become the General Manager of the Tennessee Titans.

Whether that actually happens remains to be seen.

The process has been delayed of late, due at least in part (we hear) to the fact that the salary Reinfeldt would receive from the Titans isn't much of a jump over what he's making with the Seahawks.

There's also a school of thought that Reinfeldt is and will be reluctant to leave Seattle unless it is a perfect situation for his family.

Likewise, there are some concerns in Tennessee, we hear, regarding the fact that Reinfeldt is more of a cap-and-contracts guy than a traditional personnel guy.

One league source with knowledge of the situation told us that he wouldn't be surprised to see talks between Reinfeldt and the Titans break down. Still, the thinking in Seattle is that it's going to get done, at some point.

POSTED 10:40 a.m. EST; UPDATED 11:14 a.m. EST, February 9, 2007

FITZ-TO-VIKES "RUMOR" NOT EVEN THAT

We often are accused of making something out of nothing or, in some cases, simply making stuff up. We're sensitive to these charges, because it's one of the tools used by some members of the "real" media to discredit us.

But there's a "rumor" sweeping the Internet right now that isn't even a rumor, and it was the result not of reporting but of raw speculation.

In an item that apparently was written by Charley Walters of the St. Paul Pioneer Press, Walters muses about the possibility of the Vikings making a play for a high-profile Minnesota native in the trade market.

"It will be interesting to see whether the Vikings, seeking reasons for season-ticket holders to renew, try to trade their No. 7 overall pick in April's draft, plus a player or two, for Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald Jr. of Minneapolis," the paper writes.

We've got no problem with that statement. It's pure speculation, but it makes sense. Though we don't think the seventh overall pick and "a player or two" would get it done, the notion of the Vikings trying to bring home their local ball boy made good has a lot of appeal.

But it's not a rumor or a report.

The problem arose when SI.com added the story to the top of its "Truth & Rumors" section, with a link from its NFL front page that implied that it was more than speculation. The title of the page for February 8 was/is "Vikings may trade for Larry Fitzgerald Jr."

So now we're getting flooded with e-mails from Vikings fans asking us what we know about this "rumor" that the Vikings are going to try to trade for Fitzgerald. But there is no rumor. There never was. There might be in the future. But not now.

We're not upset about this. We like getting e-mails from the members of PFT Planet, even if 100 of them all say the same thing. But before anyone pooh-poohs this site because we go beyond the function of reporting fact, it's important to keep in mind that plenty of other non-Internet outposts are doing the same thing.

FRIDAY MORNING ONE-LINERS

Cowboys owner Jerry Jones took a backhanded jab at the Tuna when Jones said on Thursday, "There will be less walking on eggshells."

The guy that Norv Turner didn't think was ready to be an offensive coordinator will have even more juice under a defensive-minded head coach in Dallas.

The Vikings will blitz more under defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier. (Gee, guys -- why not just hand out the playbook to the other 31 teams, too?)

Vikings coach Brad Childress "retracted" his prior statement that the team has no plans to take a quarterback with the No. 7 pick in the draft. (Brad apparently is learning that, even if he doesn't want a quarterback, he needs to make the teams drafting around him think that he does in order to help the guy he really wants to slip through the cracks.)

Childress has apparently learned from his loose-lippedness, because he's presently attempting to downplay the team's widely-rumored pursuit of QB Jeff Garcia in free agency. (Psst, Brad, Garcia is still under contract with Philly so you shouldn't be saying anything about him at all.)

Chargers LB Donnie Edwards, on the trading block for much of 2006, is expected to hit the market in March.

Bob Sansevere of the St. Paul Pioneer Press thinks that new Vikings defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier won't be in the job for very long.

Former NFL coach Bum Phillips explained that his boy Wade is no wimp by citing Bum's mother: "She knew I loved her, but she whupped me when I needed it, too. I think Wade is the same way. He's not a screamer or hollerer . . . but he might pull someone aside and give him an earful." (Okay, so the last coach was like T.O.'s grandma, and the new one will be like his own grandma?)

Colts defensive assistant Diron Reynolds is the new defensive line coach in Miami.

From the "Guys Who Apparently Got Around More Than We Ever Realized" file, new Cowboys coach Wade Phillips says that receiver Terrell Owens is "part of my family."

POSTED 7:53 a.m. EST; UPDATED 8:19 a.m. EST, February 9, 2007

MORE ON WHY TAGS DIDN'T GET IN THE HALL

In the wake of our report regarding the failure of former NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue to advance from the list of 17 candidates to the next level of 11, we've tracked down some more information regarding the manner in which the fate of the long-time league boss was decided.

Here's what we've gathered.

First, the West Coast uprising that we mentioned on Thursday was not a significant part of the debate. But it definitely was part of the debate. The problem? There are three "crumbling" stadiums in California, no franchises in Los Angeles, and no plans to return a Super Bowl to San Diego or anywhere else in the State of Schwarzenegger.

Second, there was concern about unfinished work that Tagliabue left behind, and that these issues could ultimately affect how he is viewed. The new CBA was nothing more (in our assessment) than a Band-Aid with bad glue, and there are concerns about the rise in off-field incidents and a steroids program that currently has an HGH loophole big enough to drive Peyton Manning's free Cadillac through.

Third, one sentiment was that there was no need to rush to put Tagliabue into Canton, especially when a spot for him consumes the spot of a deserving player (or, as the case may be, Michael Irvin).

And there was concern that guys like Charlie Sanders and Roger Wehrli would have fallen "into the abyss" if they had not been elected in 2007. We're told that this factored into the decision of many regarding Tagliabue.

Fourth, as to the creation of the free-agency model that we trumpeted on Thursday, it has been pointed out to us that Tagliabue refused it for years, and that a system was created only after the union decertified and individual players filed an antitrust lawsuit. So it might have been the product not of sweeping vision but of damage control.

Fifth, the issues of Tagliabue's perceived coziness with NFLPA chief Gene Upshaw and Tagliabue's personality were not factors in the decision-making process, we're told. For some, the perceived treatment of the media by the NFL was also not a consideration. (For others, as explained below, it was.)

Sixth, as to the debate itself, the thinking of some is that Peter King did not fail (even though he says that he did) in presenting Tagliabue's merits. There was other support for Tags.

Seventh, there's a sense that Tagliabue will get in soon, possibly as soon as next year if the logjam of players isn't too extensive.

Eighth, as to the tone and content of the debate, we're told that it was thought-provoking and for the most part civil. It only got heated when some of the Tagliabue supporters sensed that it wasn't going to happen. (More on that below.)

Ninth, although the proceedings are supposed to be strictly confidential, there has been a surprising amount of commentary by some of the voters who were in the room. Writes Paul Zimmerman of Sports Illustrated: "Blood was flowing at the Hall of Fame enshrinement meeting Saturday morning. I don't want to go too deeply into this thing because there were heavy repercussions. The Paul Tagliabue discussion set a record of 58 minutes. Two speakers began matters by endorsing him. I was the first of the anti voices. One of my points was that under his stewardship, and without his intervention, the rights of the press were eroded almost beyond recognition. Later I was told that I was a bit over the top. Maybe so."

And Ira Miller had this to say: "While the entire meeting lasted for just a shade over five hours, a record, the only highly volatile discussion involved Tagliabue. Thirteen different people spoke on his candidacy, and the debate lasted 58 minutes. That was even longer than the discussion on [Al] Davis, whose role in various lawsuits had made him a highly controversial figure. The difference, however, is that Davis was elected and Tagliabue was not.

"It was a debate worthy of Old England. There were raised voices approaching anger on both sides of the debate, to the point where I suggested returning civility to the discussion. By then, however, Tagliabue supporters had said that if he were not enshrined this year, his first year as a finalist, the committee would look 'small, petty, dumb, irresponsible' and that, to not vote for him, a selector would have needed to be an 'asshole.'

"I don't believe I am all of those things. I am still open to Tagliabue's candidacy in future years. I just was not swayed to vote for him in this round."

Sheesh. It's a good thing the proceedings are so thoroughly cloaked in secrecy.

Anyway, our opinion is still the same. Tagliabue deserves to get in. And some of the folks in the room apparently believed that, and strongly, last Saturday. The problem is that not enough of their peers agreed.

GET A SPRINT . . . MOBILE BROADBAND CARD

We've been telling you for months to get a Sprint phone, and many of you have done so. For that, we thank you.

So we'll pause for a moment from the phone pimping and urge you to get a Sprint mobile broadband card.

At a time when Internet access is becoming a bigger and bigger part of our everyday lives, and when more and more of those once unsecured wireless networks are now sealed by passwords, everyone needs a consistent, reliable path to connect laptops to the web when they're not at home.

And the Sprint network is constantly expanding, which means (duh) that the broadband card will work in more and more places all the time. Currently, the service is available in 220 markets and 878 airports.

For more information, check out the Sprint Connectile Dysfunction Center. And buy a mobile broadband card. The hardware is currently free, after a $49.99 mail-in rebate.

POSTED 8:12 p.m. EST; UPDATED 10:35 p.m. EST, February 8, 2007

GRUDEN EYEING RETURN TO PHILLY?

There's persistent talk in league circles that Bucs coach Jon Gruden is hoping to become the head coach of the Eagles if/when Andy Reid packs it in.

And given the current travails of Reid's sons, which are prompting all sorts of speculation that Reid might call it quits, Gruden's opportunity could come sooner rather than later.

But let's be clear. We're not reporting that Reid is out, or that if he's out Gruden is in. All we're saying is that the talk in league circles is that Gruden wants the job, if/when the job comes open.

THURSDAY NIGHT ONE-LINERS

49ers offensive coordinator Norv Turner is loving the one he's with.

Former NFL RB Tom Rathman, out of the league in 2006, will coach the Raiders' running backs in 2007.

Bills CB Nate Clements plans to hit the market.

Redskins LB Marcus Washington has had hip surgery . . . and now he's calling everyone "man". (Yeah, we use that one once a year or so.)

Now that the season is over, the Bears are loading up on cannon fodder.

The Browns keep hiring more coaches.

AFL RB Matt Pagel was killed in a car accident on his way to practice with the Columbus Destroyers.

Broncos CB Champ Bailey and S John Lynch both wanted to wear No. 27 in the Pro Bowl, but the league opted to allow all players in the game to wear a decal with the number 27 on the backs of their helmets.

The holder for the NFC team in the Pro Bowl will be Tony Romo.

POSTED 7:47 p.m. EST, February 8, 2007

WADE GETS THE GIG

Chargers defensive coordinator Wade Phillips is the new head coach of the Dallas Cowboys.

Phillips is only the seventh coach in the history of the franchise. He's the next guy in a line that featured Tom Landry, Jimmy Johnson, Barry Switzer, Chan Gailey, Dave Campo, and Bill Parcells.

The first three won five Super Bowls; the next three appeared in none.

Keeping with widespread scuttlebutt that owner Jerry Jones was looking primarily for a guy who would do his bidding, a league source told us: " Jones finally got his wish. He gets to coach the team. I know there are many people in the league who can't stop laughing.

"Dallas has relegated itself to the bottom of the NFC East for years to come," the source added. "They might even start competing with Detroit. Wade does not have a strong personality and he will be eaten up by Jones. Dave Campo will look like an all-time great before this is over."

Ouch. But given that Phillips and the other finalist for the job, 49ers offensive coordinator Norv Turner, have both been fired twice from NFL head-coaching gigs, many believe that Jones intentionally aimed low so that he would be able to impose his will on the coach.

Of course, Jones arguably did just that with Switzer, and won a Super Bowl with that formula. Then again, Switzer took over a team that featured Troy Aikman, Emmitt Smith, Michael Irvin, and a dominant offensive line. Even Rich Kotite or Dave Shula could have won with that group.

THE BEARS ARE ON THE BOARD

It's Day 4 of Turd Watch, and three teams already are in the points column.

Joining the Titans and the Chargers are the Bears, thanks to defensive tackle Terry "Tank" Johnson.

Johnson pleaded guilty to violating the terms of a 2005 probation. (Though we didn't factor charges of probation violation into the scoring system for the inaugural edition of our little game, a guilty plea or a conviction on such charges will count as a point.)

Johnson will be sentenced on March 15. And the judge refused to lift Johnson's home confinement so that he can work out at the team's facility in the interim.

Defensive line coach Don Johnson testified on Johnson's behalf at a Thursday hearing, and was fired by the team later in the day.

POSTED 3:25 p.m. EST; UPDATED 3:38 p.m. EST, February 8, 2007

'BOYS LOW-BALLED WADE

A league source tells us that the Dallas Cowboys have indeed made an offer of the team's head-coaching job to Chargers defensive coordinator Wade Phillips. But the source says that the 'Boys put on the table a substandard financial package.

And that's the reason for the delay in the formal announcement. The Cowboys have indeed chosen Phillips, but there is no deal.

Yet.

The source expects a deal to be done. "They know he wants [the job] bad so they made him a very low offer," said the source.

TIDE ROLLS SABAN'S STUFF OUT OF SOUTH FLORIDA

In an act that is the equivalent of pouring a cocktail of rock salt, Merthiolate, and vodka into a festering wound, the property of former Dolphins coach Nick Saban was moved out of his Ft. Lauderdale home by a large tractor-trailer emblazoned with the images of Alabama Crimson Tide football.

Video of the truck appears on the web site of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel.

Surely, there was a better way to move Saban's stuff to Tuscaloosa.

POSTED 1:49 p.m. EST, February 8, 2007

COWBOYS CLAIM THEY HAVEN'T OFFERED JOB TO ANYONE

Amid multiple published reports that the next coach of the Dallas Cowboys will be Chargers defensive coordinator Wade Phillips, the team officially is saying the status quo hasn't changed.

"The job hasn't been offered to anyone," said Cowboys director of public relations Rich Dalrymple.

This all sounds eerily similar to the final throes of the Steelers head coaching search, which featured dueling reports that Mike Tomlin and Russ Grimm were getting the job, along with statements from the team that the position had not been filled.

POSTED 1:28 p.m. EST; UPDATED 1:39 p.m. EST, February 8, 2007

VIKES FINALLY HIRE A DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR

The Vikings finally have filled the spot that was created when defensive coordinator Mike Tomlin became the head coach of the Steelers.

On Thursday, the Vikings hired Colts defensive backs coach Leslie Frazier to replace Tomlin. Frazier also served as a special assistant to coach Tony Dungy (which sounds to us like a fancy term for "mail opener").

Frazier spent two years with the Colts. Previously, he served as defensive coordinator of the Bengals (2003-04) and defensive backs coach of the Eagles (1999-02).

Though his current online bio doesn't disclose this specific fact, Frazier was fired as defensive coordinator in Cincinnati following the 2004 season. The move reportedly was due in part to the defense's inability to stop the run.

Frazier played for the Bears from 1981 through 1986, and was a starting cornerback on the Super Bowl XX-winning team in 1985.

The Vikings used the Tampa 2 defense under Tomlin, and the Colts employ the same attack. It's possible, however, the Frazier will use a hybrid approach, since he has had the benefit over the years of employing a conventional 4-3 unit in Cincinnati and a 46-style defense in Philly.

SALISBURY LOSING HIS RADIO GIG?

Ed Sherman of the Chicago Tribune speculates that former Bears receiver Tom Waddle, a new hire at WMVP-AM in Chicago, soon will replace Sean Salisbury in the 9:00 a.m. to noon time slot.

Salisbury currently hosts the three-hour show with Steve Rosenbloom.

Waddle will debut on the station's 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. show on February 26, but is not expected to keep that spot for long.

Salisbury's reaction to the news? "If Devin Hester returns a kick for a touchdown in the Super Bowl, I guarantee that I'll still have my job." (Okay he didn't really say that but we wouldn't be surprised to learn that he said something similarly asinine.)

POSTED 11:03 a.m. EST, February 8, 2007

DISSING OF TAGS RUFFLES LEAGUE OFFICE FEATHERS

We hear that the failure of the Hall of Fame voters to include former NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue in the first cut from 17 to 11 candidates on Saturday has caused some hard feelings toward the panel of voters at the league office.

The debate regarding Tagliabue lasted nearly an hour, and it started with a presentation from Peter King of Sports Illustrated on Tags' behalf.

"I failed miserably," King wrote this week in his Monday Morning Quarterback column. "We are prohibited from discussing publicly what was said in the room about the candidates, so I can't tell you exactly what I said or what Tagliabue's detractors said."

But King's weekly NFL news and notes item shares these insights: "There seems to be a movement to wait a year or two or six to judge Tagliabue's tenure and maybe he wasn't the great facilitator and leader of the most prosperous sports league on the planet that for years the public has believed him to be. Waiting for perspective on Tagliabue is odd, seeing that Hall voters installed Pete Rozelle in 1985, with four years left in his term. Had they waited until the end of his term, voters, after putting Rozelle in, would have seen a strike, replacement games, flat TV contracts for three straight years to consider with him. Even if the current labor deal falls apart, there will be football until 2010, four years after Tagliabue left office."

We're hearing (and not from King but from others) that the biggest knock on Tagliabue is the perception that he didn't create the golden goose, but that he merely fell into it. A "right place, right time" deal.

It's hard to disagree completely with that. When the fruit is hanging so low that it's falling into the basket as the cart goes by, it's often difficult to determine what the guy running the show has added to the end result.

Also, Tagliabue has a somewhat aloof, aristocratic air about him. Stuff like that isn't received well by guys who are busting their butts for far less money than what the people they write about are making.

Still, there are signs of deeper problems that festered on Tagliabue's watch. The revenue-sharing mess that pits high-revenue franchises against low-revenue franchises still hasn't been solved -- it merely has been tabled. It very well could hit the fan during Roger Goodell's tenure, especially in light of the fact that the most recent CBA revision allows either side to opt out of the deal early.

Speaking of the CBA, there's still a perception in some circles that Tagliabue was too cozy with NFLPA chief Gene Upshaw. Last year at this time, for example, some eyebrows were raised regarding the union's insistence that the issue of revenue-sharing must be solved by the owners as part of any new agreement. The suspicion was that Upshaw was doing Tagliabue's dirty work by forcing an issue about which, in theory, the union shouldn't really care.

Then there's the ongoing problem of bad behavior. Not long ago, Tagliabue and company bristled at ESPN's fictional portrayal of pro football in the short-lived Playmakers series, arguing that the crime and violence presented an unrealistic depiction of NFL players. Now, Playmakers can fairly be called unrealistic only because it was too tame.

The mere fact that Goodell is regarded as having launched a crackdown on those who violate the substance abuse policy and the steroids policy and the personal conduct policy implies that, previously, things were looser. Over the past year or so, the product of that air of lenience has been a mind-boggling number of player arrests.

With all that said, and with all things considered, we think Tagliabue deserves to be in the Hall of Fame. Under his leadership, the NFL crafted a long-term solution to the free-agency conundrum, which (perhaps inadvertently) gave rise to a hot stove league that has transformed pro football into a sport with no real offseason. The new system made players partners with the teams, earmarking a significant chunk of the gross revenues for the funding of their wages. And the installation of a salary cap has created a level of competition that no other professional sports league enjoys, with more teams in the hunt for the playoffs deeper into the season than ever before (and, thus, more people attending the games and watching them on television).

Tagliabue also has been a huge proponent of marketing the product to the billions of people who don't live in the United States. As the Dolphins announced on Wednesday, the first overseas regular-season game drew more than 500,000 ticket requests in 72 hours.

Multiple franchises are worth at least $1 billion, and the television contracts continue to break records every time they are renewed.

So what happened? As one league insider told us Thursday morning, it's a "classic case of a bunch of sportswriters being clueless."

And that brings us back to the point that one of our readers made recently. Why is it that sportswriters are the ones to decide who gets in and who doesn't?

In this specific case, we have a feeling that if the owners had a voice in the process, Tagliabue would have been the first one through the door last weekend.

POSTED 7:13 a.m. EST, February 8, 2007

'BOYS HIRING WADE

More than two weeks after coach Bill Parcells resigned, the Dallas Cowboys have settled on a new coach.

And it's not Norv Turner.

Instead, the next coach reportedly will be Chargers defensive coordinator Wade Phillips.

Phillips, a former coach of the Broncos and Bills and interim coach of the Falcons, was regarded as an early favorite for the job. He dropped off of the map, however, as the evidence began pointing directly to 49ers offensive coordinator Norv Turner.

But reports surfaced recently that Turner didn't believe Jason Garrett was ready to be an offensive coordinator, which likely prompted owner Jerry Jones to conclude that Turner wasn't going to be the kind of know-his-place puppet that Jones wanted, a possibly welcome contrast to the last four years that Jones has experienced with the admirably strong-willed Parcells.

So Turner's hard-headedness apparently prompted Jones to turn his attention to someone who would take the staff as Jones has assembled it, and who wouldn't question the decisions made and to be made by the guy who signs the checks.

And this fits with everything we've heard about Jones' intended approach moving forward. He wants someone who will do what Jones wants him to do. Period.

Since Phillips, who like Turner drew zero interest for any of the other vacancies this year (or last year . . . or the prior year), will most likely be happy just to get a third chance to be the head coach, he's most likely willing to do whatever Jones wants him to do.

Meanwhile, we think those odds making the Chargers the favorites to win the Super Bowl need to be revisited. San Diego has lost both of its coordinators to head-coaching jobs, and will be breaking in new ones as it tries to build upon a 14-2 record in 2006. On top of that, coach Marty Schottenheimer is a lame duck who reportedly would have been fired if the Chargers could have landed the guy they were trying to land in the days after the team's season came to an abrupt end in the playoffs.

POSTED 12:02 a.m. EST; UPDATED 12:13 a.m. EST, February 8, 2007

MANNING SHOULDN'T HAVE BEEN THE MVP

We'll freely admit that we're not charter members of the Peyton Manning fan club. Originally, we had no opinion about him. But once we learned of allegations that he dropped his "naked butt and rectum" on the head of a female trainer while in college, we soured on the guy.

So we'll likewise admit that we weren't thrilled to see Manning win the Pete Rozelle Award, given to the Super Bowl MVP.

But it was more than our own biases. Manning's performance didn't strike us as MVP-caliber, and we suspect that many agree with us.

So we took a close look at the stats, and we did some research.

As it turns out, we were right. If history is a guide, Manning shouldn't have won the award.

Do we have your interest on this one? If so, check out Item No. 7 in our Super Bowl XLI Ten-Pack, which makes the full case for our belief that someone other than Manning should have received this honor.

FINALLY, A PEYTON MANNING WE LIKE

A guy in Illinois declared on Friday that, if the Bears lose to the Colts in the Super Bowl, he'd change his name to Peyton Manning.

So Scott Wiese, a 26-year-old employee of a Dunder Mifflin-style company, now has the ultimate icebreaker for those sales calls.

He's following through on his promise. A judge still must approve the request, but Wiese has already filed the appropriate paperwork.

"I think I kind of represent all Bears fans," he said. "Not that I'm saying they're all idiots like me, but I represent their passion because I really care about my team, you know?"

In hindsight, Wiese would have been really daring if he'd promised to change his name to Rex Grossman.

POSTED 7:45 p.m. EST, February 7, 2007

PURPLE DRANK PIRATE COPS A PLEA

Chargers safety Terrence Kiel has pleaded guilty to felony and misdemeanor charges relating to his 2006 arrest for delivering prescription cough syrup to Texas.

Under the increasingly popular PFT Turd Watch, this gives the Chargers two points, vaulting them past the Tennessee Titans.

As part of the plea deal, Kiel was ordered to undergo counseling for gambling and to perform 100 hours of community service. If he complies, and if he stays out of trouble, the felony conviction will be dismissed on August 7 and Kiel will be placed on probation.

The most troubling aspect, as we see it, is the notion that Kiel has a gambling addiction. Apparently, Kiel lost a bunch of money through gambling, and he resorted to trafficking in cough syrup (the key ingredient in "Purple Drank") as a means of supplemental income.

Though the losses reportedly came at a casino, we wonder whether Kiel might have been betting on a sport of which he might have slightly more knowledge?

POSTED 5:22 p.m. EST; UPDATED 5:24 p.m. EST, February 7, 2007

T.O. BLAMES MEDIA, AGAIN

A member of PFT Planet advised us a little while ago that there was a battle brewing on WIP in Philly between Howard Eskin and former Eagles receiver Terrell Owens.

Among other things, Owens claims that he wasn't criticizing former coach Bill Parcells when he compared Parcells to his grandmother, and that any suggestion that it was a criticism of Parcells is a result of manipulation by the media.

Owens' reasoning, apparently, is that because he loves his grandmother, then any comparison of Parcells to his grandmother cannot be a criticism.

It was a spirited debate between Eskin and Owens, in which Owens argued that his numbers were lower this year than they would have been because he was being double-teamed and triple-teamed this season. Owens also disputed the notion that he has trouble getting off of the jam at the line of scrimmage.

Owens also said that he fully expects to be with the Cowboys in 2007, and that if for some reason he's not playing for the Cowboys, he'll definitely be with another NFL team.

POSTED 4:54 p.m. EST, February 7, 2007

THE BRITS NEED A BIGGER STADIUM

The Miami Dolphins have announced that, in the first 72 hours after Commissioner Roger Goodell announced that a regular-season game will be played in London between the Giants and Dolphins, more than 500,000 tickets have been requested for the game.

The requests came from more than 160,000 fans.

"This is an overwhelming response and endorsement of the NFL's decision to play the first regular-season game outside North America in London ," said Alistair Kirkwood, managing director of NFL United Kingdom. "Nearly all these requests have come from UK-based fans. These figures do not take into account the allocation of tickets for Dolphins and Giants fans from the United States . We anticipate a quick sellout when tickets go on sale in early March."

The game will be played on October 28 in Wembley Stadium. The venue, which currently is being refurbished, is expected to have a capacity of 85,000 to 90,000.

POSTED 2:02 p.m. EST, February 7, 2007

PHILLIPS WADING BACK TO THE SHORT LIST

At a time when it had seemed like all signs were pointing to Norv Turner as the next coach of the Dallas Cowboys, we're now hearing that Chargers defensive coordinator Wade Phillips is suddenly a top candidate again.

The apparent reason? Norv reportedly has been balking about Jason Garrett's readiness to be an NFL offensive coordinator.

Of course, Norv has little leverage in this regard, since there's no one else clamoring for his services right now as a head coach.

So it doesn't surprise us that owner Jerry Jones would decide to look to Plan B. Hey, if one twice-fired NFL head coach isn't ready to do whatever it takes to line himself up for chance No. 3, there's surely another twice-fired NFL head coach who'll answer the door when opportunity knocks for what very well could be the last time.

POSTED 12:03 p.m. EST; UPDATED 12:40 p.m. EST, February 7, 2007

NORV A BEGGAR OR A CHOOSER?

ESPN.com reports that 49ers offensive coordinator Norv Turner doesn't think that Cowboys offensive coordinator Jason Garrett is ready to be an offensive coordinator, and that this concern apparently is the source of the delay in Turner becoming the next coach of the Cowboys.

Per the report, Turner prefers that offensive line coach Tony Sparano should be the offensive coordinator, and that Garrett should be reassigned.

Garrett was hired by the Cowboys a couple of weeks ago to serve as offensive coordinator, and he technically remains a candidate to become the head coach of the team.

So what the hell is Norv doing? He has been fired twice as a head coach, and at last check no one other than the Cowboys has interviewed him for an opening. He's not, simply put, in a position to dictate terms to anyone.

Moreover, a growing number of league insiders believe that Turner is only getting a serious sniff in Dallas because owner Jerry Jones wants a guy whom he can bully, so that Jones can act like the quasi-coach of the team. If this is true, then it's unlikely that Jones will give in to Turner's reported request.

Either way, something's gotta give here, and soon. The 49ers need to make plans for the 2007 season, and if Turner isn't going to be back as the offensive coordinator, then the Niners probably would like to know about it.

BUY A SPRINT PHONE, WITH YOUR NEW EXTRA POINTS CREDIT CARD

We're pleased to roll out today a new partnership with the NFL Extra Points credit card, which comes with the logo of any of the 32 NFL franchises.

[No true Colts fan would buy all that new Colts NFL Champions gear without a Colts credit card.]

There's no annual fee, and the introductory APR is a Grossmanesque zero-point-zero. Plus, you'll receive an Official NFL Pullover Windjacket with your first qualifying transaction.

And here's the deal. We get paid based on what we can deliver. So make us proud, PFT Planet, and sign up for that NFL Extra Points credit card. It's the best -- and cheapest -- way to show loyalty to the site that brings you NFL news, rumors, and speculation 365 days per year, multiple times per day.

Once you get your NFL Extra Points credit card, you can use it to buy a Sprint phone. Or the Adam Archuleta training video. Or the products of any of our other current and future sponsors.

POSTED 7:08 a.m. EST; UPDATED 8:11 a.m. EST, February 7, 2007

GARCIA WANTS TO GET PAID

While Eagles quarterback Jeff Garcia says that he is "very optimistic and open-minded" about the possibility of re-signing with the team that he led to the divisional round in 2006, Garcia made it clear that he'll need a contract well in excess of the one-year deal for the veteran minimum that he received a year ago.

"It's tough for me to sit here and say that I'm going to close all doors because there might be something out there that is either going to be interesting to me or force Philadelphia to not just think they can get away with giving me the same thing they gave me this past year," Garcia said.

Translation: Garcia plans to hit the open market and force the Eagles to match (or come darn close to matching) the best offer he can get.

And that means, in our view, that he won't be back. We can envision an offer to Garcia in the range of $3 million per year, maybe more. And that's something that the Eagles simply won't touch.

Though we're inclined not to believe the predictable stream of "all is well" coming from the Eagles, Garcia, and starter Donovan McNabb regarding the ability of the two quarterbacks to coexist, if it's true that McNabb would welcome a return by Garcia then the Eagles should have signed Garcia to a longer-term deal in 2006.

But the lure of the twist in the rules regarding the signing of veteran free agents was too strong for the Eagles, who have shown an affinity over the years for staying well under the salary cap. By inking Garcia to a one-year contract worth $710,000, the Eagles carried a significantly lower cap charge.

And now that his contract is set to expire after one of his best performances of his career, Garcia is looking to turn that success into cash, as he rightly should. "I realize what's best for me and I realize what's more comfortable for me," Garcia said. "I know being here will be a great thing for me, so in no way will I turn my back on that, but in no way do I want to be taken advantage of for my hard work and dedication and for what I bring to the team.''

Garcia has been linked most prominently with the Vikings, since Minnesota uses the same offense that Garcia operated in Philly. Other teams that have been mentioned as possible destinations include the Broncos and the Bears.

CARR HEADING TO THE JUNKYARD?

A year after the Houston Texans eschewed (thanks, Jim and Phil) an opportunity to draft hometown hero Vince Young by exercising an $8 million option to keep quarterback David Carr, the first overall pick in 2002 could be out of a job.

Owner Bob McNair was noncommittal about Carr on Tuesday, explaining that the former Fresno State signal-caller is being evaluated.

"David has been inconsistent, and we've said that," McNair told the Houston Chronicle. "We've got to get better consistency there, either with David or some additional help.

"A lot depends on what the options are," McNair said. "It's not just a question of, 'Are you totally satisfied with the results at that position?' The real question is, 'What can I do to improve myself at that position?' If I'm not in a position to get someone who is better than the person who is in that position, you're going to continue doing what you've been doing."

Though the market for starting quarterbacks will be a little slim this season, one guy to watch is former Broncos starter Jake Plummer. His days in Denver are done, and the only question at this point is whether he'll be traded or cut.

Plummer could find refuge in Houston, where former Broncos offensive coordinator Gary Kubiak is the head coach.

And that's precisely what John McClain of the Houston Chronicle believes will happen. "I'm constantly amazed that Texans fans have listened to or have read comments by McNair, Kubiak and [G.M. Rick] Smith and are convinced that Carr will return," McClain writes.

WEIRD WEEK FOR LLOYD'S SON

The child of former NFL linebacker Greg Lloyd is in for a strange few days. On Wednesday, Greg Lloyd Jr. will sign a letter of intent to play college football at Connecticut.

On Saturday, Lloyd will become 18, and a protective order preventing his father from having any contact with him will expire.

"I can't protect him anymore," his mother, Rhonda Lloyd, told the Hartford Courant. "That's a scary thought for me."

"I'm living great without him in my life," Greg Jr. said. "I don't have to be scared every day. That's much better than the way I was living back when he was around."

The elder Lloyd was accused of sticking a gun in his son's mouth in 2001, apparently due to the child's school grades. Two trials on criminal charges arising from the incident resulted in hung juries. The issue did not go to trial a third time.

The younger Lloyd isn't interested in rekindling a relationship with his father. "If he said he wanted to try again, I would say no," Greg Jr. said. "It's too late for that."

Lloyd was an All-Pro for the Steelers in the 1990s. He pleaded no contest in 2004 to pointing a gun at his wife's head.

WEDNESDAY MORNING ONE-LINERS

The Redskins are looking to restructure the contract of CB Shawn Springs; Springs is set to earn $4.875 million in salary in 2007.

Tim Cowlishaw of the Dallas Morning News calls out unnamed media types for "fawning" over Norv Turner as if he is the "offensive version of Bill Belichick."

Terence Moore of the AJC raises a good point regarding whether Bobby Petrino is merely the next Nicktator.

The agent for Redskins T Jon Jansen says that his client's five-year contract "was not a cap deal" but a brand new contract. (It's a matter of semantics, in our view; the reality is that Jansen was set to earn $4.25 million in 2007 and $4.75 million in 2008, which means that $9 million of the new deal is not new money.)

The Fins have signed seven guys who'll eventually be cut with roughly the same fanfare.

Former Miami defensive line coach Dan Quinn has joined the Jets.

Cowboys C Andre Gurode fittingly will finish the season in which his forehead was made to look like it had been raked by a pineapple with a trip to Hawaii; the Cowboys now have seven players in the Pro Bowl.

There's a catfight brewing between Arizona and Miami; regarding whether the next Super Bowl will be an upgrade over the most recent Super Bowl, Glendale Mayor Elaine Scruggs says, "We know it will be a better experience, because we have a roof."

The official mascot of the next Super Bowl is an oversized football wearing both sunglasses and eye black. (So then the name of the thing is "Matt Leinart After a Long Night in Vegas," right?)

Chris Matthews dropped the F-bomb on Imus this morning.

Former Falcons assistant Tom Cable is the new offensive line coach of the Raiders.

Newly-hired tight ends coach Richie Anderson will move to receivers coach in Arizona, and Freddie Kitchens has been hired to handle tight ends; the Cards have hired three other assistants, bringing their total staff to 14.

Rick Gosselin of the Dallas Morning News predicts that the Colts will host the Saints or the Patriots to start the 2007 season on a Thursday night.

POSTED 10:17 p.m. EST, February 6, 2007

MISSOURI MIGHT TAKE ON NFL

The State of Missouri could be taking that whole "Show Me" deal to a new level by forcing the NFL to allow local television cameras back onto the sidelines of NFL games.

The move to block local TV coverage of games slipped quickly through an ownership meeting in 2006, with little debate and no dissent. While reaction to the move was strong in some circles, the league has not relented.

In Missouri, where the Chiefs and Rams play their home games, the NFL might have no choice.

And we like it. Pro football is a matter of public interest, especially in stadiums financed by public money. The league shouldn't block local television stations from the sidelines, and there's no shame in the NFL admitting that its new policy is wr-wr-wr-wr-wr-misguided.

POSTED 6:45 p.m. EST; LAST UPDATED 7:20 p.m. EST, February 6, 2007

'SKINS EXTEND JANSEN

The Washington Redskins have cleared some space for their annual early March spending spree by signing tackle Jon Jansen to a five-year, $23 million extension.

Jansen had two years remaining on his current deal, and was due to earn salaries of $4.25 million and $4.75 million in 2007 and 2008, respectively.

The new deal pays Jansen, 31, more than $10 million in bonus money.

TURD WATCH IS UP AND RUNNING

We've posted the official PFT Turd Watch standings and, wouldn't you know it, there's an early leader.

Congratulations to the Tennessee Titans.

HAVEL GONE FROM PRESS-GAZETTE WEB SITE

We reported last week that Chris Havel no longer works for the Green Bay Press-Gazette. The only fact that contradicted our story was that Havel's name still appeared on the newspaper's online contact list.

Update: Not anymore.

We're otherwise done with this story, and we'll leave it for others (if so inclined) to track down the whys and the wherefores.

POSTED 5:50 p.m. EST, February 6, 2007

SNICKERS YANKS MAN-KISS AD

One of the most bizarre Super Bowl commercials in Super Bowl commercial history has died a quick death.

The spot in question was for Snickers, and it involved two male auto mechanics who got their mouths onto a chocolate bar and ended up in a Lady and the Tramp-style kiss.

For some, it was the most troubling candy bar moment since Judge Smales' wife saw Carl Spackler sink his teeth into a chlorinated Baby Ruth.

Per the Associated Press, the company that makes Snickers bars has pulled the plug on the commercial, and on a web site featuring video of NFL players reacting to the inadvertent lip-lock.

"This type of jeering from professional sports figures at the sight of two men kissing fuels the kind of anti-gay bullying that haunts countless gay and lesbian school children on playgrounds all across the country," Human Rights Campaign president Joe Solmonese said in a statement.

The company apologized, sort of. "We know that humor is highly subjective and understand that some people may have found the ad offensive. Clearly that was not our intent," said Masterfoods spokesperson Alice Nathanson in a statement.

We've got a full take on the wisdom (or lack thereof) of the ad, and we'll roll it out in our Super Bowl XLI Ten-Pack.

POSTED 5:56 a.m. EST; LAST UPDATED 7:19 a.m. EST, February 6, 2007

BROWNS "REPORT" HAS NO NEW INFO

Our eyes and ears in Cleveland tell us that the much-hyped WOIO-TV report regarding the possibility that Browns owner Randy Lerner might sell the team was merely a rehash of existing information.

The focal point of the story was the decision of Lerner to buy an English soccer team. The story also looked at the recent back-and-forth squabble between the Cleveland Plain Dealer and the team, in which a Browns exec hinted in extremely vague fashion that there could be a new owner.

The story, as we're told, was rooted in speculation, not fact. And given that the story was hyped during the station's broadcast of the Super Bowl, we've got a feeling that the station aimed simply to stir up ratings during the February sweeps period -- and to stir up sh-t with the team that abruptly pulled its preseason broadcasting rights from the station in 2006.

JONES INTERVIEW OF RIVERA A RUSE?

A report on ESPN.com suggests that the decision of Cowboys owner Jerry Jones to interview Bears defensive coordinator Ron Rivera for the head-coaching gig in Dallas is aimed at giving Jones access to Rivera during the two-week period after the Super Bowl that Rivera remains under contract with the Bears.

After the expiration of Rivera's contract, he'll be free to go to work for anyone, and the speculation is that Jones will hire Norv Turner to be the head coach and then target Rivera to run the defense.

But bringing Rivera to Dallas could create the same conundrum that the Steelers are facing, given than Rivera has been running a Tampa 2 defense and the Cowboys have been compiling personnel for the 3-4.

TUESDAY MORNING ONE-LINERS

Former Steelers defensive backs coach Darren Perry has taken the same position with the Raiders.

Will former Broncos QB John Elway run for the Senate?

Colts gear is flying off of the shelves in Indy.

Several key Chicago coaches and front-office personnel have contracts expiring in the near future.

Indy, Dallas, and Arizona are in the mix for the 2011 Super Bowl.

Time Warner 1, DirecTV 0.

Cards QB Matt Leinart has a new squeeze.

Peyton Manning thinks that his brother Eli will get a Super Bowl ring of his own. (We agree, if Eli buys one on eBay.)

Folks in Philly are bracing for the possibility that Eagles coach Andy Reid will step down in the wake of his sons' legal troubles.

Super Bowl XLI had the second most viewers, behind only Super Bowl XXX (which drew a nation of Cowboys fans, Steelers fans, and a bunch of folks who didn't realize that "XXX" was a Roman numeral).

The guy who got the brunt of the orange Gatorade bath intended for Tony Dungy was Jaguars V.P. of communications Dan Edwards.

Tony Dungy sounds like, sort of, that he'll back back in 2007.

Archie Manning wants the Bears to stick with QB Rex Grossman (since that means the Bears will be one less team that Eli Manning's Giants will have to worry about over the long term).

Broncos CB Domonique Foxworth is still struggling with the death of Darrent Williams.

We're watching John Mellencamp on Imus; when did the guy become Brodie the bootlegger from Seinfeld?

Chiefs coach Herm Edwards doesn't watch the Super Bowl unless he's in it, which means that he'll never watch another Super Bowl ever again.

The Chiefs new quarterbacks coach is a guy named Dick Curl (which also is the technical term for a phenomenon from which many men are suffering in the ongoing sub-zero wind chill).

POSTED 9:31 p.m. EST, February 5, 2007

PIERCE GETS A CHANCE TO LOBBY BRIGGS IN PERSON

Not long ago, Giants linebacker Antonio Pierce made it known that he'd like Bears linebacker Lance Briggs, a soon-to-be free agent, to join him in New York.

Pierce, who made the jump from the Redskins two years ago, has been added to the NFC Pro Bowl roster as a replacement for Bears middle linebacker Brian Urlacher, who suffered a toe injury in the Super Bowl.

Briggs will hit the market on March 2 if the Bears don't sign him before then, or if the Bears choose not to slap the franchise tag on him.

SUPER BOWL TEN-PACK COMING

Several members of PFT Planet have asked why we haven't said much today about the football game that was played last night.

We've got two reasons. Or, as the case may be, excuses.

First, we spent 8.5 hours doing the Live Blog thing, and we got a little burned out on the whole Super Bowl experience.

Second, we're outlining a Ten-Pack that could be, dare we say, the best one we've compiled, in at least three weeks.

It's coming soon. Possibly in two parts, possibly all at once. But it's coming.

Meanwhile, thanks to everyone who visited the Super Bowl Live Blog. We had a great time doing it, and we'll be back with a non-stop session on draft day.

POSTED 4:12 p.m. EST; UPDATED 5:32 p.m. EST, February 5, 2007

PHONY STORY HAMPERING SABAN?

A reader has tipped us off to a growing brouhaha in Alabama and Louisiana as the 2007 recruiting period enters the final stages of the stretch run.

We've been listening to Paul Finebaum, who hosts a four-hour daily radio show in Alabama. Finebaum said that the Opelousas Daily World, which is owned by Gannett Newspapers, had an item posted on its web site (and likely printed in its Monday edition) attributing all sorts of inflammatory statements to Alabama coach Nick Saban regarding his SEC rivals. The story reported that the comments were made last month by Saban on Finebaum's show.

The only problem? The interview never happened. Instead, there's a phony version of the interview making the rounds on the Internet, and the paper in Louisiana apparently ran a column on the thing as if it were real.

Here's a link to what appears to be a version of the fake story.

Also, the Daily World has posted an apology.

This football love triangle gone bad is getting very messy. We suggest that anyone who attends a football game between LSU and Alabama for the foreseeable future wear body armor. And we're only partially kidding.

Meanwhile, we like this Finebaum guy. Though we've got little or no interest in Alabama football, he's got a good voice and a professional, engaging demeanor.

Oh, and he's also calling for the termination of ESPN Radio's Colin Cowherd for using the term "tornado bait" last week when discussing the whole coon-ass conundrum. The deaths and destruction occurring in Florida due to multiple F3 twisters after Cowherd made his remarks make them seem more than a little insensitive in hindsight.

But, hey, we currently reside in the fringes of the pro-Cowherd camp. On Wednesday, he cited with approval our story about the Bengals and their one-man scouting band. And since there aren't many out there who like us and will admit to it publicly, it's hard for us to be objective about the few who do.

MONDAY AFTERNOON ONE-LINERS

Mike Reinfeldt is in line to become the next G.M. of the Titans.

Edgerrin James is doing his best to pretend that he's not dying inside about blowing his shot at winning a Super Bowl.

Phil Mushnick of the New York Post takes ESPN to task for on one hand criticizing the Bengals for having turds in the locker room and on the other hand hiring Ray Lewis of the famed "I didn't see nothin'" double murder in Atlanta of seven Super Bowls ago. (One minor point, Phil -- those two guys whose lives ended far too early weren't felled by bullets but by blades.)

The Bucs have worked out LB Peter Boulware and DE Andre Wadsworth. (So we suppose Charlie Bednarik turned them down?)

After the Super Bowl, Colts coach Tony Dungy wouldn't commit to returning in 2007.

As usual, the Super Bowl draws eyeballs.

QB Doug Johnson has re-signed with the Bengals.

It's a three-glove party in Indy. (And if you don't know what the term "three-glove" means then you've never had to, ahem, thaw something after a 10-mile run in 10-degree weather.)

POSTED 3:17 p.m. EST, February 5, 2007

LERNER SAYS BROWNS NOT FOR SALE

WKYC-TV in Cleveland reports that the Cleveland Browns are not for sale.

"I can definitely, positively, and categorically say that the Cleveland Browns are NOT up for sale," owner Randy Lerner told the NBC affiliate.

The story on the WKYC-TV web site characterizes the teasers run on Sunday by WOIO as "attack ads," and Lerner contends that the CBS affiliate is out to get him.

"They have gone on a steady mission to try to embarass [sic] or denigrate me and the Cleveland Browns. I have never spoken with anyone from Channel 19, and I have no idea where this story came from."

Last year, the Browns yanked the preseason broadcast rights from WOIO after the station aired a 911 tape of Lerner's sister calling for help after her child had drowned.

Though the item on WKYC is sketchy, it appears that the WOIO report is based on a letter indicating in some way the possibility of a sale.

"There is no letter that I know of stating that fact. I adore this team," Lerner said. "I am working feverishly to make this a better team, and you can quote me.

"There are no plans to sell this team. I have never met with anyone, never corresponded with anyone to sell the Cleveland Browns. I have had several offers over the years, but turned them down."

Stay tuned. The WOIO story is due to be aired tonight.

POSTED 10:55 a.m. EST, February 5, 2006

SIGNS POINTING TO NORV IN DALLAS?

Although we're not yet ready to completely rule out a last-ditch effort by Cowboys owner Jerry Jones to lasso Lovie Smith of the Bears, the signs over the weekend pointed clearly to Norv Turner as the next coach in Big D.

The obvious evidence? It came as the announcement was made that Cowboys receiver Michael Irvin will enter the Hall of Fame in August. There was Jones in the green room, right next to Norv.

More telling, in our view, is the fact that Jones attended an exclusive pre-Super Bowl party over the weekend, one to which he could take only one guest.

And his guest, we're told, was Norv Turner.

Jones said last week that the team would name its new head coach after the Super Bowl. Bears defensive coordinator Ron Rivera could emerge as a candidate for the job or, given that his contract with the Bears is expiring, he might be considered for a lateral move to Dallas.

POSTED 10:30 a.m. EST, February 5, 2007

A CHIN IN THE FOX HOUSE?

We were initially reluctant to use this one because it's a fairly obvious connection to make, given that former Steelers coach Bill Cowher now lives in North Carolina. And perhaps his new proximity to Charlotte is fueling the rumors.

Regardless, there's talk in league circles that Coach Chin already is sniffing for the Panthers' head-coaching gig, and would be interested in taking over the team if/when John Fox is fired.

Fox is a prime candidate for the 2007 Hot Seat list, given the fact that the team horribly underachieved in 2006. In our view, the dismissal of offensive coordinator Dan Henning simply moved Fox into the line of fire, and we'd be shocked if Fox survives another non-playoff year.

Especially with Cowher just down the road in Raleigh.

With that said, we're not sure that owner Jerry Richardson would pay Cowher what he can get elsewhere. We suspect that, once Joe Gibbs retires as coach of the Redskins, owner Dan Snyder will throw a package worth $10 million a year at Cowher, who figures to be at the top of the list for any team with a vacancy come 2008.

For now, though, it's increasingly clear that Cowher will spend a season working in television. He declared his intentions to do so publicly during the four-hour CBS Super Bowl pregame show, and Shannon Sharparo then reminded him that players and coaches don't make as much as analysts (so, in other words, Sharparo was saying "please don't try to take my job, Bill").

We used to think (as in last week at this time) that Cowher could be the next John Madden. But, as we realized during his segment on CBS, that Pittsburghese of his is tolerable in small doses only; we can't imagine a full game of it.

Our guess? In a year or two, he'll be back on the sidelines. But not in Charlotte. For what the Panthers would be willing to pay him, he could have stayed with the Steelers.

POSTED 9:41 a.m. EST, February 5, 2007

BROWNS FOR SALE?

Our friends in and around Cleveland tell us that the local CBS affiliate has been running a teaser for an "exclusive" story regarding the possibility that Browns owner Randy Lerner is looking to sell the team.

The teaser, we're told, pointed to statements from a Browns exec during a recent war of words with the Cleveland Plain-Dealer, in which the ever-ominous (and adolescent) phrase "be careful what you wish for" was uttered in connection with the question of whether Lerner should cash in his chips.

It was Lerner's late father, Al, who secured the rights to the expansion franchise, after the original Browns fled to Baltimore and became the Ravens. Originally, Art Modell's team was going to make the move as the "Browns," but through negotiations between the city, the team, and the league, the relocation was allowed with the understanding that the Browns name and records would remain -- and that there would be a new version of the longstanding franchise put in place.

The Browns have struggled, however, since their return. One of the major problems has been the squandering of high draft picks, such as quarterback Tim Couch, defensive end Courtney Brown, and defensive tackle Gerard Warren. The jury is still out on more recent top-ten picks like tight end Kellen Winslow and receiver Braylon Edwards.

And Randy Lerner has hardly distinguished himself as an owner. The team has struggled, the front office has at times been dysfunctional, and there's a general sense that the franchise is caught in a funk from which it might never emerge absent change at the top of the organization.

So maybe this is good news for the good folks of Cleveland, who deserve much more than they have gotten from Art Modell, the league, and the Lerners over the past 10-plus years. Maybe there's someone out there like a Bob Kraft or a Jeffrey Lurie -- someone who has the money to buy the team and at the same time has the ability to balance the ability of realizing a quick return on his investment against the importance of putting a consistent contender on the field.

As we've said, it's easy to make money in the NFL. The hard part is building a team that always competes. Some teams never do, like the Lions and the Cardinals. So far, the Browns under Randy Lerner have fallen into this category, and could stay there for the foreseeable future.

POSTED 12:10 p.m. EST, February 4, 2007

MOSS TO PACK?

There have been increasing rumors that the Packers might make a move for Raiders receiver Randy Moss. The most concrete evidence of the possibility came earlier today, when ESPN's Chris Mortensen included the rumblings within one of his Sunday NFL Countdown reports.

We can't see this happening, for three reasons.

First, "I play when I wanna play."

Moss uttered this infamous phrase in 2001, and we distinctly recall (but we can't find a link to) a pointed reaction from Favre along the lines of "I wouldn't put up with that kind of sh-t here."

Moss hasn't changed. Unless Favre has, this marriage wouldn't work.

Maybe Favre has changed. After all, he was boo-hooing for Koren Robinson last year after Robinson was suspended for a year due to his inability to stay away from alcohol.

Second, remember Moss pretending to show his ass to the folks at Lambeau Field two years ago? Does anyone really think that the Cheeseheads are clamoring for him?

Third, we can hear Moss right now. "Why do I catch passes from some old man?"

So if this one happens, we'll be shocked.

POSTED 11:39 a.m. EST, February 4, 2007

CHEATERS WON'T PROSPER

Well, it looks like the NFL is going to adopt the "Shawne Merriman" rule.

Per ESPN's Chris Mortensen, any players who test positive for performance-enhancing substances will be prevented from appearing in the Pro Bowl in the same season in which the positive test occurs.

A reader tells us that NFL commissioner Roger Goodell made a similar disclosure during a Sunday appearance on Face the Nation.

The rule is expected to be implemented in the 2007 season.

We think it's a great idea, as anyone who has been coming to this site already knows.

The issue came to a head this year because Chargers linebacker Shawne Merriman made the Pro Bowl despite missing four games after being suspended for violation of the policy against steroids and related substances. Though some writers have explained that this is the same kind of off-field stuff that isn't supposed to be considered when voting on who'll make the Hall of Fame, the reality is that this is one area in which what is done off of the field (i.e., the consumption of steroids) has a direct effect on what happens between the lines.

And make no mistake about it. Folks who use steroids aren't looking for a quick Popeye-style boost of energy. The idea is to speed recovery from workouts so that more workouts may occur, allowing the body to grow faster than it normally would. So if a guy has been using steroids, he'll be bigger than he fairly should be. Even if the 'roids are out of the player's system.

Coincidentally (or not), we're hearing chatter that Merriman is noticeably smaller than he was during the season. We'll all get a look at him next weekend in Hawaii (and this might prompt us to actually watch the Pro Bowl).

In all fairness to Merriman, he claims that he did not intentionally consume a banned substance, and that it was in a supposedly "clean" supplement he was taking. But Merriman to date has refused to identify the supplement, and he has admitted that he no longer has the package that supposedly contained the spiked material.

POSTED 6:07 a.m. EST; LAST UPDATED 11:17 a.m. EST, February 4, 2007

DECISION TO GIVE VICK MORE CONTROL CRITICIZED

The early reaction in league circles to the decision to give Falcons quarterback Mike Vick the ability to change plays at the line of scrimmage is trickling in to PFT headquarters.

The prevailing thought: Why?

Why continue to cater to a guy who has not lived up to his potential?

Why declare to the world in February such an important strategic wrinkle that would have had a lot more impact if sprung upon opponents in September?

And some league insiders share our belief that coach Bobby Petrino is giving Vick the ability to act like a real quarterback so that Vick will show that he can't, thereby allowing the team to persuade the fan base after the 2007 season that it's time for Vick to go.

Think of it this way. If the decision was purely strategic in nature, would Petrino have blurted it to the media? If, on the other hand, the purpose of the change is to give Vick a full and fair chance to publicly fail, would the team have kept the decision under wraps?

HERE'S ONE TO WRITE DOWN

We've heard ESPN's Sean Salisbury declare on a couple of occasions this week that if Bears rookie Devin Hester returns a kick or punt for a touchdown on Sunday, the Bears will win. Guaranteed.

But there really isn't a strong correlation between taking one to the house and winning the Super Bowl.

The first kick return for a score came in Super Bowl XVII, when Fulton Walker went 98 yards to paydirt for the Fins against the Redskins.

It didn't lead to a Miami win.

The next one came in Super Bowl XXIII, when Stanford Jennings of the Bengals galloped 93 yards for a score after a San Fran field goal knotted the game at six. In the end, the Niners took the trophy.

In Super Bowl XXIX, rookie Andre Coleman scored on a 98-yard kickoff return. For the Chargers. Who lost by 23.

The only kickoff return for a score that came from the member of the winning team? In Super Bowl XXXI, Desmond Howard secured MVP honors in part by delivering a 99-yarder after the Pats had narrowed the gap to 28-21.

Two years later, Tim Dwight went 94 yards for a score in a Falcons' loss to the Broncos.

Two years later, Ron Dixon went 97 yards for a score in a Giants' loss to the Ravens. Jermaine Lewis answered for the Ravens with an 84-yard return for a score.

The total tally? Teams that converted a kickoff into six points are 2-5 in the Super Bowl.

We're not saying that if Hester scores the Bears are likely to lose; that would be irresponsible and, well, stupid. But it's just as stupid for anyone to declare that if Hester scores on a punt or kick return the Bears definitely will win.

And that's the thing that irks us the most about Salisbury. He speaks too often in absolutes, and because his views are verbalized and not printed there is little or no accountability when he's just flat wrong.

We know that shows like SportsCenter and NFL Live need to have talking from the talking heads in order to fill up the broadcast. But wouldn't the viewers be better served by opinions that are a bit more tempered and realistic?

We don't care much about Sean's suspension or whether he said "chew" or "Jew" nearly two weeks ago. Our beef with the guy is that he's just a blowhard with little or no brain power reflected in his rants.

And, for the record, Sean doesn't think that Hester will score on Sunday, and thus doesn't think the Bears will win.

Thanks, Sean. Now we can call our bookie.

POSTED 5:32 a.m. EST, February 4, 2007

ROSENHAUS PARTY WAS THE PLACE TO BE

Our spies in Miami tell us that the place to be on Saturday was the party hosted by Drew Rosenhaus at the former Versace Mansion.

It was so much the place to be that, apparently, the fire marshal shut the bash down.

But from what we hear it sounds like it was a helluva good time while it lasted.

LET'S GET THE OTHER PARTY STARTED

We've got a bad case of Super Bowl insomnia, and we can't wait for the game to get started.

For most folks, the arrival of the Super Bowl is a tad bittersweet, since it marks the end of another football season. But for us the Super Bowl is like the Daytona 500, because it kicks off our busiest time of year -- the offseason.

As the "real" media directs more resources and time to sports about which we don't care, we'll continue to focus on pro football.

Every day. Non-stop. Around the clock.

As they say on NFLN, football season never ends. The same theory applies here, and even though there won't be games there will be plenty of action and intrigue until training camps open. We hope you'll be one of the ever-growing members of PFT Planet as the 2007 "offseason" begins.

POSTED 10:15 p.m. EST, February 3, 2007

OUR PICK? BEARS

We'll kick this one off by freely admitting that we're pulling a Joey Sunshine here. Roughly a week ago, we advised readers to bet the farm on the Colts.

But it's been a bad week for horsies (i.e., Barbaro), and as Super Sunday has gotten closer we've come to the conclusion that the Bears will at a minimum cover the spread, and likely will win.

We say this because we believe that the Bears have constructed a game plan that will focus on chewing up the clock via the efforts of running backs Thomas Jones and Cedric Benson. Patience will be the key, with the Bears using as much time as possible between snaps in order to limit the amount of time that the Colts and quarterback Peyton Manning have the ball.

It worked for the Texans late in the regular season, as they limited the Colts to six total possessions.

Besides, the Bears have the better defense, and we remember hearing somewhere that defense wins championships.

The most intriguing aspect of this game is that, since both head coaches are masters of the Tampa 2 defense, the coach that wins will be the coach who can best figure out how to beat the defense they each know so well. There has been much talk regarding the ability of the Colts to exploit the weaknesses down the middle of the field, but we think that Bears middle linebacker Brian Urlacher will have a thing or two to say about whether Dallas Clark and/or Ben Utecht get a shot at catching the ball without taking a shot to the face.

The best best for the Colts will be to score early and put the Bears in a hole. Time and again, we've seen teams collapse under the pressure of falling behind in the Super Bowl. For Bears quarterback Rex Grossman, who feeds off of success and can't shake failure, a 10-0 or 14-3 deficit will be hard to overcome.

We see a close, hard-nosed, old-school game. A possible classic, but not a shootout. It'll be a nail-biter, we think (hope). And it might come down to Peyton Manning driving for the win with time running out.

In the end, we'll go with Bears 20, Colts 14, with Urlacher being named the MVP.

MIKE GOLIC REALLY IS KIND OF DUMB

ESPN has served up an impressive 21-person slate of expert picks for Super Bowl XLI. (Curiously, the panel includes several folks of whom we've never heard, but omits Sean Salisbury.)

The most ludicrous projection comes from Mike Golic of Man-Girl and Meatball in the Morning.

Golic thinks that the Colts will win the game by the score of 31-23. Fine. Nothing wrong with that.

But Golic projects that Colts kicker Adam Vinatieri will be named the MVP.

Based on a final score of 31-23, how in the hell does Vinatieri win the Pete Rozelle Award? By adding that key extra point when the Colts score a touchdown that pushes the score to 31-20? By kicking a total of eight field goals?

Vinatieri's only realistic shot at being named the MVP will come if he kicks the game winning field goal in a driving snowstorm. So, barring a sudden and dramatic reversal in that whole global warming thing, we don't see it happening.

And there's no way Vinatieri is the MVP if the Colts win by eight.

POSTED 3:13 p.m. EST; LAST UPDATED 3:30 p.m. EST, February 3, 2007

IRVIN OVER MONK SENDS A BAD MESSAGE

Now that Cowboys receiver Michael Irvin has leap-frogged Redskins/Jets/Eagles receiver Art Monk into Canton, we think it's high time for everyone who appreciates the talents of someone who does their job, does it well, keeps his mouth shut, and stays out of trouble to stand up and shout: "Why!?!"

Monk made it through 16 NFL seasons, and finished with 940 catches, 12,721 yards, and 68 touchdowns. He won three Super Bowl rings with three different quarterbacks (none of whom are or ever should be in the Hall of Fame) throwing the passes.

Irvin played 12 years, and caught 750 passes for 11,904 yards and 65 touchdowns. He won three Super Bowls with Hall of Famer Troy Aikman distributing the pill.

The only real difference between the two? Irvin was a loudmouth on the field, and a turd off of it. Monk was neither.

We know. We know. A player's off-the-field exploits are not to be considered, per Hall of Fame bylaws. Well, why hasn't it occurred to someone to change the damn bylaws?

What message does it send to kids out there when a receiver who acts responsibly and humbly on and off the field gets passed over by a guy with lesser career stats? And what happens if/when Irvin (who from time to time appears to be incoherent on the air) dishonors the assembly of busts (which per John Madden come to life at night and talk to each other) if/when Irvin gets arrested again?

We've been to Canton, and it's weird to see O.J. Simpson's bust among those of all of the non-murderers. In his case, though, no one had an inkling that he might someday treat his ex-wife and her friend like a couple of Thanksgiving turkeys. For guys like Irvin, will anyone be surprised if/when he does something that will tarnish the entire body of players who represent true excellence in the sport?

When a team drafts a guy with a history of misconduct and the player commits further misconduct after joining the team, the team that selected him rightly is criticized. We think that the organization and its selection committee fairly should face the same scrutiny if/when Irvin casts shame on the Hall of Fame.

SAINTS, STEELERS KICK OFF 2007 SEASON

The good news? The 2007 NFL season will get started with the Saints and the Steelers in the Hall of Fame game.

The bad news? The game will be televised on the NFL Network.

The announcement came from NFLN's Rich Eisen during the press conference that followed the announcement of the new class of Hall of Famers.

We love NFLN, but we don't like the fact that it's not available throughout the USA. And the NFL and the cable companies share the blame, since they have been to date unable to work this thing out.

By placing the first game of the preseason on NFLN, the league is risking further scrutiny from Congress, if the league and the cable companies can't get their differences ironed out.

THURMAN HAS A SWEATING PROBLEM

Chris Berman never knew how right he was when he started calling Thurman Thomas "Thermal" in the late 1980s.

We were watching Thomas talk to the press at the media center, and the dude was sweating more than Rayfield Wright under a heat lamp.

Thomas had a towel at the ready, and he periodically wiped it across various portions of his head.

Meanwhile, former Lions tight end Charlie Sanders pulled a Michael Irvin by explaining (as tactfully as possible) that Cardinals cornerback Roger Wehrli was underestimated during his playing days because he was white. Imagine the uproar that would have ensued if someone had said that 2006 Hall of Famer Warren Moon wasn't highly regarded when he first arrived to the NFL because of the color of his skin.

POSTED 2:41 p.m. EST; UPDATED 2:51 p.m. EST, February 3, 2007

SIX NEW GUYS GET INTO THE HALL

The new class of Hall of Famers is . . . .

Gene Hickerson, Michael Irvin, Bruce Matthews, Charlie Sanders, Thurman Thomas, and Roger Wehrli.

Hickerson was an offensive lineman with the Browns from 1958 to 1973, and a six-time Pro Bowler.

Irvin, a receiver, played for the Cowboys from 1988 through 1999. He went to five Pro Bowls and was on three Super Bowl champions.

Matthews played offensive line and was a 14-time Pro Bowler with the Oilers/Titans from 1983 through 2001.

Thomas, a running back, played in the NFL from 1988 through 2000. He was a five-time Pro Bowler, and appeared in four Super Bowls.

Sanders played tight end for the Lions from 1968 through 1977. He went to seven Pro Bowls.

Wehrli was a cornerback for 14 seasons with the Cardinals, and made it to seven Pro Bowls.

Of the six new members, Irvin is the only one who won a Super Bowl ring.

POSTED 2:29 p.m. EST, February 3, 2007

CHURCH CALLS NFL'S BLUFF

Despite the league's position that group viewings of the Super Bowl at locations other than bars must be limited to one screen with a maximum size of 55 inches, one church is daring the NFL to stop them.

Second Baptist Church in Indianapolis will ignore the league's commandment, and will show the game via a rear-projection device.

"The NFL implied that it has a problem with the venue and medium that local churches conduct ministry," said the Rev. David Greene. "We want to save souls by any means necessary. Football, traditional service, street ministry -- it doesn't matter."

Greene also explained the situation in a letter to his congregation. "I believe that God's people have to take a stand," Greene said. "If the church continues to compromise with the world, it will soon have no influence on the world that God has instructed us to reach in His Great Commission as directed in St. Matthew 29:18-20."

The NFL has defended its position because "it's the law."

It's time for the folks who make the laws to do something about this one.

POSTED 11:42 a.m. EST; UPDATED 12:12 p.m. EST, February 3, 2007

A.J. TALKS TOUGH ON TURDS

As the San Diego Chargers continue to deal with a burgeoning bad boy problem that has prompted us (and others) to consider them the Bengals West, G.M. A.J. Smith says that turds won't be tolerated moving forward.

"We're being compared with the Bengals!" Smith told the San Diego Union-Tribune. "And I'm going to do something about it. Some of these things may be obvious to people when they're no longer around. When they look back and see what I've done, they'll know there's been a quick cleanup here and they've been moved out of town. If not, wait by the phone to see if you still have a job. This has brought negative attention to this organization. And it's valid.

"We're a one-year operation," Smith also said. "If you want to be a Charger, conduct yourself properly on and off the field. We've had a difficult year. We had a bad year. We have a lot of terrific people, but there have been a handful of incidents and a couple guys with multiple problems."

That's bad news for guys like safety Terrence Kiel, who recently followed his arrest for allegedly trafficking in the active ingredient in "Purple Drank" with a little yellow spray in a public place. It also would be bad news for linebacker Steve Foley, but his playing career probably is over anyway after taking multiple bullets to the leg last September.

Still, while Smith isn't required to draft or sign bad guys, there's only so much that any team can do once the guy is on the team. Technically, NFL franchises aren't allowed to cut players who have engaged in actual or alleged misconduct off of the field. The most that any team can do is suspend a player for up to four games without pay for conduct detrimental to the team. The NFL's Personal Conduct Policy allows the league to impose greater sanctions after a conviction, guilty plea, or plea of no contest has been entered.

We're nevertheless encouraged by Smith's willingness to clean up the mess. And it's the least he can do, since he's the one who made the mess by giving character a back seat to talent.

OFFICIAL RULES FOR "TURD WATCH"

We're introducing on Monday our new tool for keeping track of the NFL's bad boys.

We'll call the feature "Turd Watch."

The top of the page will feature a set of standings, but instead of wins, losses, and ties, Turd Watch entails arrests for felonies, misdemeanors, and convictions (which also includes guilty pleas and pleas of no contest).

Everyone in the organization is eligible. Players, coaches, owners, front-office employees, etc. If the person works for the team and is arrested, the points will be assigned.

And the term "players" includes players on the roster, the practice squad, and any of the various "reserve" lists (with the exception of "reserve-retired").

The scoring system is simple. Seven points for a felony arrest. Three points for a misdemeanor arrest. One point for a conviction.

If there are are multiple charges, the points will stack, too.

Though we realize that, in the legal system, the only thing that really matters is a conviction or a guilty plea, we think the league's bigger problem from an image standpoint is the unending string of arrests. Besides, most people realize that pro athletes can afford the legal talent necessary to ultimately give rise to "reasonable doubt," and too many of these guys get special treatment even when the lawyers can't get them off.

As we see it, people who aren't turds don't just find themselves in the back of a police cruiser for no reason. Usually, men (and women) who end up in cuffs were doing something they shouldn't have been doing at a place where they shouldn't have been at a time when they should have been at home.

The challenge, as we see it, isn't just to avoid crossing the line. It's to know where the line is -- and to stay the hell away from it.

The "Turd Watch" page also will contain a chronological list of all arrests that occur from the end of the Super Bowl. The game ends at the conclusion of next year's Super Bowl.

One last point. The points accrue when the arrest is made and/or the conviction is finalized. So if a guy allegedly did something in 2006 but is arrested for it in 2007, it counts in 2007. And if a guy is arrested in 2007 and convicted in 2008, the points for the arrest apply this year, and the point for the conviction applies next year.

This could be fun. (Hopefully, it will be boring.)

And the ultimate irony, of course, would be if an NFL player gets arrested for taking bets on "Turd Watch."

POSTED 10:59 a.m. EST; UPDATED 11:11 a.m. EST, February 3, 2007

RICO GOING HAWAIIAN

The NFL has finally named a replacement for Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers in the Pro Bowl.

And it's not Tom Brady, the first alternate at the position. Or Steve McNair, whom as we reported was the next man in line behind Brady.

Instead, it's Uncle Rico a/k/a Vince Young, the Titans quarterback who became the starter a month or so into the season and ended up as the NFL's offensive rookie of the year.

So what happened? Brady apparently couldn't be persuaded to give up his date at the Pebble Beach Pro-Am, and McNair apparently handed off the assignment to Young.

The two quarterbacks have a close relationship; when Young missed the team flight to Philly during the season and refused (as we heard it) to fly commercial, McNair hooked him up.

McNair apparently has hooked him up again.

And McNair still might get a free trip to Hawaii. If Colts quarterback Peyton Manning opts out of the Pro Bowl due to a thumb injury suffered in the AFC title game, another spot will open up.

POSTED 9:39 a.m. EST; LAST UPDATED 11:11 a.m. EST, February 3, 2007

NO DECISION YET ON FAVRE ANKLE SURGERY

Although Packers quarterback Brett Favre has decided that he's returning for the 2007 season, there is no decision as to when or if Favre will have surgery to repair an ankle problem that has been bothering him for the past several years.

"I don't think anything's scheduled," said G.M. Ted Thompson, "but it's something that, like Mike [McCarthy] explained earlier in the year, it's something that he's played with. But I think it's something that he might do. But if he does, I'm sure you'll know about it."

Favre's reluctance to go under the knife could be related to his past struggles with painkillers. As he recovers from surgery, does he gnaw on a bullet, or does he risk awakening the monster that nearly derailed his career before it ever blossomed? (We know that the media isn't supposed to ever make reference to anything negative about Favre, and that's another reason why we're glad we're not the media.)

There also has been no firm decision as to the extent of Favre's participation in offseason workouts. But we've got a feeling based on things we've heard that Favre will do whatever it takes to enhance his timing and on-field interaction with teammates for the coming season. This squad really is in good shape to be very competitive in 2007, and Favre knows it.

LONDON GAME RAISES TAX ISSUES

A league insider raised an interesting question with us on Friday night. With the NFL committed to playing games in other countries on an annual basis as of 2007, how do the players deal with the tax consequences of earning 1/17th of their annual salaries in a foreign land?

So we posed the question to another league insider with experience in issues of this kind. And here's the answer.

For starters, the players will still be responsible for U.S. federal taxes on the earnings realized from the game. The United Kingdom also might assess taxes to the players for the game, and the teams would be required to withhold the taxes and pay them to the powers-that-be in England. The players then will get a foreign tax credit against their domestic return.

The alternative would be for the NFL to finagle an exemption for the players, which could have been part of the negotiations that culminated in the game coming to London. (There's also a treaty between the two countries, but it appears that only earnings of less than $20,000 are exempt. Under the NFL's current salary structure, this would encompass only rookies earning the minimum salary. We're still looking into this one.)

If there ultimately is a tax obligation, the NFL or the teams involved (the Giants and the Dolphins) could pay the taxes on the players' behalf. Such a payment, however, would count as additional income under the player's U.S. return.

Hey. Wake up. We got more stuff here.

WHY NOT A GIANTS' HOME GAME IN LONDON?

Several readers have asked us why the Giants-Fins regular-season game in London counts as a home game for Miami. After all, the Giants picked up an extra home game in 2005 due to hurricane Katrina. And the New York area gets 16 home games per season, given the presence of the Jets and the Giants.

The idea is that every team will eventually will give up a home game as the NFL exports its product. And maybe the thinking was that Miami gives up its home game now because it's picking up an extra game of some marginal significance tomorrow night.

And despite the travel involved, being the road team for a foreign game is a plus, since it won't be quite the same thing as setting foot on another team's home turf.

POSTED 8:41 p.m. EST; LAST UPDATED 10:46 p.m. EST, February 2, 2007

PETRINO TO GIVE VICK SOME FREEDOM

Falcons running back Michael Vick will be allowed to act more like a real quarterback in 2007.

Specifically, he'll be allowed to (gulp) call audibles, an ability that he didn't possess under the West Coast offense that the team ran while Jim Mora was the head coach and Greg Knapp was the offensive coordinator.

"We're going to put it all on him," Petrino said on Friday. "It's new to him, but he's excited about the challenge. I think that's the way you train a quarterback."

Previously, Vick possessed only the ability to change the protection scheme or to flip the side of the field to which the play would be run, like in Madden.

But giving Vick the ability to think on his feet doesn't mean that he'll be able to do it effectively. Based on his reluctance to give up his water bottle with the hidden hooch hole last month, which only triggered suspicions of him, we're not so sure we trust Vick's ability to think on his feet.

And our cynical nature makes us wonder whether the grander plan might be to empower Vick to show that he's not quarterback material, thereby making it easier to sever ties with him in 2008.

FRIDAY NIGHT ONE-LINERS

"Big Play" could be heading to the Big House.

Shack Harris won't talk about Fat Albert.

The Titans are conducting a second round of interviews for their G.M. gig.

The Colts have a few Barbaros on the roster.

The Commish will Face the Nation. (And he'll probably be asked plenty of questions about NFL players who end up playing Face the Wall. Or Drop the Soap.)

WR David Boston has re-signed with the Bucs.

Mike Ditka isn't giving up a Super Bowl ring after all; instead, it's the 1975 NFC Championship ring he won with the Cowboys. As an assistant coach. (Gee, maybe he'll also throw in a few pairs of game-worn underwear.)

G.M. Randy Mueller is sticking with the Dolphins.

Trent Dilfer is still pissed off at Brian Billick.

Pacman swears that he won't return to court. (And fortunately for him he wasn't under oath when he said it.)

Cowboys LT Flozell Adams is heading to Honolulu.

Bears QB Rex Grossman thinks the media is ignorant.

Why wasn't Mike Ditka bitching about player pensions when he was working for one of the league's 32 owners?

We guarantee that Bears LB Lance Briggs guaranteed a win without guaranteeing it. Guaranteed.

Joe Montana is pissed at the NFL.

By saying that he would have rooted for the Colts over the Saints, Archie Manning is as stupid as his son is ugly.

Phil Simms and Jim Nantz have something else in common -- they both have crushes on Peyton Manning.

POSTED 4:29 p.m. EST, February 2, 2007

COMMISH WANTS TO KEEP PLAYERS, TEAMS ACCOUNTABLE FOR CRIMES

In his first "State of the League" address, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell addressed the growing problem of players doing things off of the field that they shouldn't be doing.

"We have to educate our players to the issues out there," he said Friday. "We are raised to a higher standard in the NFL. We must make sure the players are more accountable and our clubs are more accountable."

Looks good in writing, but what does it mean? "Education" only goes so far. Goodell, after all, met with the Bengals during the season and talked about the importance of avoiding trouble. Yet trouble still found too many of them.

We would have preferred an announcement from Goodell of a new league-wide policy that holds teams accountable for players who engage in criminal behavior, through a system of fines and, ultimately, lost draft picks.

It's the only way to give the teams a real incentive either to avoid drafting or signing players with a history of misconduct or to nip the problem in the bud if/when the player crosses the line.

We also would have liked to hear the Commish explain that the league plans to commence immediately a dialogue with the NFL Players Association aimed at giving teams a greater ability to "fire" employees who get arrested or otherwise act like turds. Currently, a team can't cut a player for reasons unrelated to performance without risking liability for the balance of the player's salary.

But why shouldn't teams have the right to get rid of a guy that they don't like? Sure, there are certain legal rights that would have to be respected (i.e., a team shouldn't be allowed to fire a guy because he decides to become a Muslim). But, generally speaking, if a player does something to bring public shame to his employer, the employer should be allowed to make a change.

And for the same reason that NFLPA executive director Gene Upshaw doesn't care about retired players, he likewise shouldn't care about guys who get cut because they were driving drunk or carrying a water bottle with a secret compartment that smells of marijuana or playing real-life Rock-'Em-Sock-'Em robots with the mother of his children. For each dues-paying player who is released, a fresh dues-paying player takes his place.

Though a system that would allow teams to discipline or discharge players who are merely arrested would require protections to prevent the abuse of this power, we think it's in the interests of the league, every team, and every player to take real steps toward imposing real sanctions about those who choose not to comply with the same rules of society that 99.9 percent of the rest of us observe every day.

POSTED 2:25 p.m. EST; UPDATED 2:52 p.m. EST, February 2, 2007

BILLICK DISPUTES CONTRACT REPORT

Ravens coach Brian Billick disagrees with a recent report from the Baltimore Sun that his recent contract extension with the team was a one-year deal worth $5.4 million. Under those terms, Billick would be signed through 2008 only.

"None of it's correct," Billick said Thursday night.

Though Billick wouldn't reveal the details, he called the contract a "substantial commitment" that "[a]bsolutely" extends beyond the 2008 season.

The Sun says that the Ravens, Raiders, and Patriots are the only three teams who keep quiet the basic terms of their coaches' contracts.

"We don't ever want my contract to be an issue for the organization or the players," Billick said. "It's best for the team for it not to be an issue."

SECRECY MAKES NO SENSE

Okay, so Ravens coach Brian Billick thinks that not disclosing the terms of his contract makes his contract not an issue for the organization or the players. But the mere fact that the terms of his contract are cloaked in secrecy make it an issue by inviting speculation and conjecture about the unknown terms.

It's far better, we believe, to make the terms of the coach's contract known. The fans of an NFL franchise have much emotion (and in a lot of cases plenty of money) tied up in this diversion, and basic facts like how long the coach of their team is under contract and how much he's making are fundamental information that should be available.

Put simply, if the 32 NFL teams want us to open our wallets on a continuous basis, it's inherently unfair for any of the teams to close their mouths as to pertinent data that will help us all to gauge when, whether, and to what extent we should be calling for the guy to be poop-canned.

Pro football isn't a private enterprise. It's a public trust, and for the same reasons that the salaries of politicians are available for anyone to see, the wages paid to the men who lead the sports teams that bear the names of 32 cities, states, and/or regions should likewise be out in the open.

Twenty-nine of 32 NFL teams see it that way. And that's more than enough votes to make disclosure of this information by all teams mandatory.

POSTED 12:04 p.m. EST, February 2, 2007

FAVRE COMING BACK FOR 2007

Packers quarterback Brett Favre will play in 2007. On Friday, Favre told the Biloxi Sun-Herald of his intention to return.

"I am so excited about coming back," he said. "We have a good nucleus of young players. We were 8-8 last year and that's encouraging.

"My offensive line looks good, the defense played good down the stretch. I'm excited about playing for a talented young football team."

We heard just yesterday that several players expected Favre to be back. And why shouldn't he? Last year, there was a dark cloud hovering over the franchise like a UFO at a trailer park, and no obvious effort in the offseason to infuse big-name talent onto the roster.

Favre eventually opted to come back, and his decision initially looked like a bad one. But then the team began winning games, got itself into the playoff hunt, and wrapped things up with a New Year's Eve drubbing of the Bears.

In a conference that is more watered-down than the mixed drinks at a bar owned by George Costanza, the Packers have a great chance to make it to the playoffs in 2007. And who knows? Maybe Favre will get a chance to pull a John Elway and ride into the sunset with his second Lombardi in tow.

Meanwhile, are we the only ones who think that there wasn't a coincidence between the timing of Favre's decision and the impending appearance of the Packers' chief rivals in the Super Bowl?

POSTED 10:59 a.m. EST, February 2, 2007

SNEAK PEAK AT A SUPER BOWL COMMERCIAL

Since the commercials aired during the Super Bowl broadcast are as much of a part of the cultural experience that is the Super Bowl as the game itself, we've finagled from our friends at Sprint a teaser for a commercial to be aired on Sunday.

You can view it exclusively (sort of) right here.

And please remember to always show your loyalty to this here site by showing loyalty (and, you know, cash) to our official telecommunications sponsors, Sprint and Nextel.

As to the commercial itself, we'll have our eyes peeled for it while doing the Live Blog thing on Super Sunday. We hope you'll be joining us. We plan to start the party early.

POSTED 8:58 a.m. EST, February 2, 2007

JOHNSON CLAIMS BELICHICK FORCED HIM TO PRACTICE HURT

Former Patriots linebacker Ted Johnson claims that coach Bill Belichick required him to practice, and subjected him to hard hits, while Johnson was recovering from a concussion in 2002.

"There's something wrong with me," Johnson told the New York Times. "There's something wrong with my brain. And I know when it started."

Okay, time out. Because to the extent that the Times or anyone else has decided to anoint Johnson as the new poster child for the very real problem of player health after their playing days end, we don't think Johnson is the right guy to carry the flag.

Because Johnson was contemplating returning to the Patriots in 2006.

So let's be realistic about this. Johnson apparently realizes that the family of former Steelers center Mike Webster recently cashed in (and deservedly so) for a claim that his chronic depression was caused by football injuries. And Johnson, like other former football players who don't make nearly as much money after their playing careers end, could be tempted by the lure of a nice score.

We're not saying the Johnson isn't impaired in some way or that his doctors are embellishing his condition. But there's a danger that someone who really isn't in bad shape will try to get a Mike Webster-type payday via exaggeration and/or fabrication.

And the fact that Johnson is bitching about Belichick barely a month after he was musing about returning to the team that Belichick coaches fairly calls Johnson's overall motives into question. Why would the guy even consider returning to the Patriots in 2006 after Junior Seau was hurt if he believes that Belichick contributed to Johnson's current plight? And why not mention when explaining that he was expecting to get a call from the Pats that there were some things that happened in the past that might make him uncomfortable about going back?

Maybe Johnson didn't say anything about it because he still hoped his phone would ring. And maybe because it didn't ring Johnson is now mad, and thus is lashing out at the team.

We're not saying that this is what's happening, but the circumstances clearly suggest that these are fair questions to raise.

POSTED 7:45 a.m. EST; LAST UPDATED 8:17 a.m. EST, February 2, 2007

CHAD QUESTIONED IN MURDER INVESTIGATION

Various published reports indicate that Bengals receiver Chad Johnson has been questioned by police in connection with a recent murder in Miami.

The story was broken by the Miami Herald on Thursday night.

The victim, Curtis Tavares Dopson, was shot and killed last Friday. He has twice been convicted of felonies relating to the sale of cocaine and marijuana, and Johnson reportedly knew Dopson from "around the neighborhood."

The specific reason for the meeting between police and Johnson was not known.

Said Miami Detective Delrish Moss: ''In any investigation of this magnitude, you have to talk to everybody, no matter how seemingly insignificant they may or may not be.''

But Johnson tells the Cincinnati Post that he has no useful knowledge. "I don't know anything about [the murder]," Johnson said. "I know of him because that's my area, that's where I grew up. I got the call [from the police] and I rushed down there and talked to them."

The Bengals also have released a statement on the matter: "Chad has confirmed to the Club that he cooperated with the Miami Police earlier this week as part of an investigation. Police have characterized this as a routine procedure and have stressed that Chad is not a suspect or even a person of interest in this case."

(Apparently, the team's policy not to comment on pending legal matters is more flexible than it would appear.)

Our take? Wait and see. Though we've got no reason to believe that Johnson is under any type of scrutiny, we really don't expect anyone to say so at this early stage of the situation.

NEW FEATURE COMING MONDAY

Inspired both by a reader e-mail and the decision of the NFL to ignore the problem while at the same time smacking down a church's efforts to give its congregation a booze-free venue for watching the Super Bowl, we're launching a new feature on Monday, the day after the big game with the sacred name.

We'll give everyone (even the Bengals) a clean slate, and we'll start tracking the arrests of every NFL player on every NFL team just like wins and losses. The champion of each division, conference, and the entire league will be crowned by us on Super Bowl XLII. The next day we'll re-set the thing to zero.

We're focusing only on arrests, with one standings point per charge, separated by felonies and misdemeanors.

So we urge every member of PFT Planet to keep us posted whenever they catch wind of an arrest. Send us the link to the story, and we'll take it from there.

We do not endorse or condone the use of this tool for gambling purposes. It is for amusement only. (And, hopefully, it'll provide these guys with a little external motivation to stay out of trouble.)

SPRINT MAKES TEXT MESSAGING EASIER

Though this whole text messaging phenomenon makes us feel even older than we really are, there can be no doubt that it is now a major communication tool in our society. Even if the conversation often consists of something like this:

>what u doin

>nothin what u doin

>nothin

>ok ttyl

Hey, it's not for us to judge how the technology is used. But it is within our jurisdiction to let everyone out there know that such scintillating conversations can now be conducted more inexpensively with Sprint.

Now, folks with Sprint Power Pack plans can send unlimited text messages. For individual plans, unlimited text messaging is available for only $10 per month. On family plans, unlimited texting can be had for only $20 per month.

So if you don't have s Sprint phone, get one. And if you have one, get the unlimited texting. You might never use it, but your kids will. Heck, they already are; why not save some cash by purchasing the unlimited ability to send them?

POSTED 10:08 p.m. EST; UPDATED 11:07 p.m. EST, February 1, 2007

BUSH HANDLER CAUSES RUCKUS AT ESPN SHOW

One of our spies in Miami tells us that ESPN was forced on Thursday to pull the plug on the taping of a football show featuring an appearance by Reggie Bush. Per a source who witnessed the incident, a Bush handler (that doesn't sound too good) specifically told the ESPN crowd that there should be no questions about the whole USC/New Era deal.

So then the cameras start to roll and, of course, someone eventually asks Bush about the whole USC/New Era deal.

The Bush handler (actually, we could get used to that phrase . . . it's catchy . . . like "coon-ass") interrupts the show and basically shuts the thing down, ranting about the fact that the topic was supposed to be off limits.

Man, we gotta start going to these things.

THURSDAY NIGHT ONE-LINERS

The Bears had a "spirited" practice on Thursday. (But have they ever had an ostrich burger?)

Chargers linebackers coach Greg Manusky is the new defensive coordinator in San Fran.

The Cowboys will hire their new head coach next week.

Peter King of SI looks at the Hall of Fame field.

Andy Reid's son Garrett has admitted to a heroin habit.

Korey Stringer's wife gets a rare victory in Court.

Prince conducted a 10-minute concert to end a Thursday press conference. (Is "Erotic City" an acceptable song for the halftime show?)

The Giants and Fins will play in London, where Eli Manning will make Prince Charles look like Johnny Rotten.

The NFLPA realizes that something needs to be done about the behavior problem in the NFL.

NFLPA executive director Gene Upshaw's contract was extended through 2010.

The Fritz Pollard Alliance is turning its attention to the NCAA.

Steelers C Jeff Hartings is retiring.

The Steelers have the worst grass in the league. (And that's why the Bengals hate to go there.)

The NFL is cracking down on counterfeit Super Bowl tickets and unlicensed merchandise in Miami. (And a pack of blue-haired Baptists in Indianapolis.)

Mike Ditka is donating his Super Bowl ring to the cause of helping former NFL players. (Not the '85 Bears ring, but the one from the '71 Cowboys team that no one really cares about. Or remembers.)

POSTED 9:44 p.m. EST, February 1, 2007

SALISBURY MEETING WITH CBS EXECS

Our spies in Miami spotted ESPN's Sean Salisbury meeting with CBS muckety-mucks on Thursday night.

Salisbury apparently was attempting to be incognito, sporting a Red Sox cap.

The purpose of the meeting isn't known, but the obvious speculation is that he's talking to them about a j-o-b. Sean recently has been in hot water in Bristol. He was suspended for a week by ESPN last year, and it has been reported elsewhere that the infraction involved a cell phone and his Salisbury stake.

And just last week, Salisbury inadvertently (we believe) said the word "Jew" on the air, and then tried to claim that he actually said "chew."

Perhaps Salisbury is being eyeballed for a job as a game analyst, or maybe he's under consideration for a spot on the CBS pregame show. Or maybe one of the dudes wants to compare notes with him on cell phone photography. Or maybe they wanted to see him try to say with a straight face that he didn't say "Jew."

POSTED 7:57 p.m. EST, February 1, 2007

PACMAN DODGES ANOTHER BULLET

Titans cornerback Pacman Jones, who has had his share of arrests over the years, has again escaped jail time.

On Thursday, a judge tossed out assault charges arising from allegations that Jones spit in the face of a woman on October 26. The judge concluded that there were too many inconsistencies in the woman's testimony.

"I'm just happy it's over with and the truth always comes to the end," Jones said. "Everybody wants something out of my situation."

That might be true, but shame on Jones for putting himself in the position to be accused of doing things that are against the law. He's a target, and he needs to understand it and conduct himself accordingly.

And that means no loud arguments with women in nightclubs, no hanging out in a hotel room with a guy who has weed, no playing indoor baseball with pool cues.

To his credit, Jones has been a good boy over the last several months. But now that he's gotten off the hook for his most recent legal entanglement, he might be tempted to go back to behaving like a butthole.

POSTED 3:53 p.m. EST; UPDATED 4:26 p.m. EST, February 1, 2007

NO LITTLE DEBBIE CAKES FOR DARLINGTON

The "coon-ass" controversy has taken another turn.

Per the Miami Herald, a reporter from the Miami Herald is responsible for leaking audio of the off-the-record comments from January 4 in which former Dolphins coach Nick Saban used the term that Saban since has acknowledged as a term that he does not use or condone (except when quoting someone else in an off-the-record setting).

As it turns out, Jeff Darlington of the Herald shared the audio file with radio host Orlando Alzugaray, under the assumption that Alzugaray would not broadcast it.

But broadcast it he did, and that's how word of the slur got out.

"In poor judgment, I decided to e-mail another journalist an audio sampling of an interview that took place in Nick Saban's office,'' Darlington said. "Though I did not expect the clip to be used, it was still my responsibility to make sure the audio was never published in any way. I apologize for my bad decision."

Our guess? Saban and/or his agent, Jimmy Sexton, went bonkos on the Herald, and demanded that the newspaper acknowledge the kind of blunder that "real" journalists aren't supposed to commit.

Meanwhile, LSU board member Charlie Weems has admitted to Bryan Lazare of TigerBait.com that Weems is the one who told Saban the story that started it all. And though Saban says he merely was repeating the story in the manner in which it was told to him, Weems says that he didn't use the "F" word.

The real question is whether Weems used the word "coon-ass." Because Saban's excuse is based on the notion that he was quoting the guy verbatim, and if Weems didn't say "coon-ass" (just like he didn't say the "F" word), then maybe this is another example of Nick being full of crap.

FAVRE MIGHT BE BACK, BUT HAVEL APPARENTLY WON'T BE

First Barbaro, now this?

One of the worst-kept secrets in league circles is that Chris Havel and the Green Bay Press-Gazette have parted ways.

Details are very sketchy regarding the manner in which the relationship ended, but several sources with knowledge of the situation have advised us that Havel is no longer working there.

We got into an e-mail battle with Havel last year regarding his failure to disclose in an interview with Brett Favre that he has written two books with him. A link to the back-and-forth with Havel is right here.

With that said, the paper's web site still lists Havel as an employee. But it appears based on a search of Google News that his most recent column was published on January 7.

Press-Gazette sports editor Mike Vandermause has not responded to our e-mail or voice message to him seeking official confirmation of Havel's status. (Ewwww, that sounds like "real" journalism.)

POSTED 2:00 p.m. EST; UPDATED 2:13 p.m. EST, February 1, 2007

SOME PLAYERS THINK FAVRE COMING BACK

Last year, we reported for most of March and April that teammates believed that Packers quarterback Brett Favre would be back for the 2006 season.

We've now heard that some of the Green Bay players believe, based on things Favre has said to them, that he will be back again in 2007.

We can't get into any more detail than that for now. But stay tuned. We might have more on this one.

THOMAS PICKS ALL PRO SPORTS

Wisconsin tackle Joe Thomas, regarded by many as a top-five pick in the draft, has signed with All Pro Sports & Entertainment, based on an e-mail message sent by the firm to all NFL teams by agents Peter Schaffer and Lamont Smith.

We reported last month that the Lions are focusing on Thomas with the No. 2 overall pick in the draft.

Thomas, at 6'8" and 305 pounds, was a consensus All-American in 2006.

POSTED 12:01 p.m. EST; UPDATED 1:17 p.m. EST, February 1, 2007

BILLICK EXTENSION A BAND-AID

When reports surfaced within days after the Ravens' one-and-done playoff performance that coach Brian Billick had received a contract extension, we were skeptical.

Why? Well, because we're always skeptical. And because the lack of any details (such as, you know, the length of the deal) made us think that the announcement was made in part to throw water on the perception that Billick is on the hot seat.

Jamison Hensley of the Baltimore Sun reports that the extension is in reality a one-year deal, worth $5.4 million. As a result, Billick won't be a lame duck in 2007, and is under contract through 2008.

"I'm just playing by the rules," owner Steve Bisciotti said on Tuesday, regarding his decision not to disclose details. The Patriots and Raiders are the only other NFL franchises, per the Sun, who follow this "rule."

"We are comfortable going forward," Bisciotti added. "I told you guys a few years ago I wanted Brian to be my coach for the next 15 years. We put a good chunk of that on the table, and I think he's capable of being that coach."

Of course, if Bisciotti really felt that way, Billick would be under contract for more than the next two seasons.

THURSDAY AFTERNOON ONE-LINERS

Finally, a member of the Bengals wearing a coat and tie in a place other than a courtroom.

The Fins fired defensive line coach Dan Quinn, after offering him a contract extension.

What can former players with chronic injuries do to get the attention of the NFL? (Maybe they should rent out a church and show the Super Bowl on a screen bigger than 55 inches.)

Colts CB Nick Harper is "pretty iffy" for Sunday. (We didn't know his wife was in Miami with her cutlery.)

The Super Bowl officiating crew features four Eye-talians. (And, like a coon-ass calling a coon-ass a coon-ass, it's okay for us to call them Eye-talians.)

Cardinals RB Edgerrin James is rooting for the Colts.

Our friends at PewterReport.com report that Bucs LB Jamie Winborn might exercise his ability to buy out the balance of his contract and become a free agent.

Lovie Smith wants to have his ass crowned.

Bears defensive coordinator Ron Rivera is still a candidate for the head-coaching job in Dallas. (But he also could land there as defensive coordinator.)

The Steelers have hired a strength and conditioning coordinator who was out of football in 2006. (That's good, because the Steelers pretty much were, too.)

WR Donte' Stallworth wants to return to the Eagles, but plans to hit the free-agent market.

Eagles RB Brian Westbrook says that he "could" retire.

Eagles QB Donovan McNabb says that all is well (now that he's been told, we suspect, that Jeff Garcia won't be back with the team next season).

So why didn't McNabb talk sooner? Our guess is that the folks from Campbell's asked him to hold his tongue in order to build buzz for their brand.

Chiefs RB Larry Johnson will make only $850,000 in 2007, but isn't complaining. Yet.

Falcons coach Bobby Petrino has thrown a block to the back of Alex Gibbs' knees.

The Bills are getting a fancy schmancy HD video screen. (Hopefully, Ralph Wilson will be able to figure out how to work the remote.)

POSTED 10:32 a.m. EST; UPDATED 10:53 a.m. EST, February 1, 2007

PROOF THAT FAVRE IS RETURNING?

A couple of weeks ago, many interpreted Brett Favre's cancellation of his membership in a local country club as proof that he intends to call it quits and retire.

Per the Appleton Post-Crescent, Favre recently renewed his contract to serve as the pitchman for Bergstrom Automotive for another year.

Of course, the deal could contain a provision that renders it terminated if/when he retires. Even if it doesn't, we don't think that the development has any bearing on whether Favre is or isn't coming back.

But plenty do.

Our hunch? He'll be back. But we've heard nothing one way or the other as to which way he's leaning.

WORST SUPER BOWL MOMENTS . . . EVER

Don't forget to spend a little of the time that you otherwise would be devoting to something like, you know, work by checking out the worst moments in each of the first 20 Super Bowls.

And to those of you who have been with us for a couple of years and recognize this feature, we freely admit that it's pretty much the same thing as it was in past years. Sure, there are minor changes, but unless and until the league goes back and re-plays the first 20 Super Bowls, the worst moments from each of the first 20 Super Bowl really won't be changing much.

Still, what better time of year than to take a trip down memory lane? At a time when everyone is talking primarily about all the great things that happened from Super Bowl I through XL, someone has to wallow in the poo.

POSTED 8:37 a.m. EST; LAST UPDATED 10:22 a.m. EST, February 1, 2007

RUSSELL ANOTHER LEFTWICH?

At a time when many NFL observers are expecting LSU quarterback JaMarcus Russell to be the first quarterback, and likely the first player, drafted on April 29, some scouts are concluding based on films of the six-foot, six-inch flamethrower that he's another Byron Leftwich.

We're not saying Leftwich is bad, but his lack of mobility has caused him not to fulfill the promise that made him a top-ten draft pick in 2003.

And that's the early concern with Russell.

When scouts discuss mobility, it's not just about pulling the ball down and taking off when the receivers are covered up, but it's the ability to elude the pass rush by moving around in and out of the pocket. Some guys, like Tony Romo and Ben Roethlisberger, can buy more time in or out of the pocket. Others, like Tom Brady, can buy time with a well-timed step or twist or turn.

So at a time when many who are smitten with the guy who dismantled an overmatched Notre Dame team in the Sugar Bowl, the challenge is to set aside the hype and engage in an objective assessment of Russell and Brady Quinn, who has lost much of his luster, perhaps because he has spent so much time in the sunlight.

As to the Raiders, who hold the No. 1 pick, we've said it before and we'll say it again -- Georgia Tech receiver Calvin Johnson is the guy around whom to build a franchise.

After, of course, flushing the bowl of guys like Jerry Porter and Randy Moss.

NFL TAKES ON GOD

At a time when the powers-that-be who are in charge of the sport that we love are sitting on their hands (thumbs pointing north) regarding the burgeoning problem of crooks in Riddell helmets, it's good to know that they've found something to occupy their time.

Such as, for example, bullying a house of God.

Somehow, the Fall Creek Baptist Church in Indianapolis has secured a blip on the NFL's radar screen. Somehow, the NFL caught wind of a plan by the church to host a Super Bowl party that entailed a small fee for snacks.

Somehow, the NFL actually gives a sh-t about this.

So the church received a letter from the NFL, demanding that they cease and desist using the name of the lord of the greatest of all sporting events in vain.

But even though the church opted to drop the fee and to quit using the forbidden term, the NFL said that the church can't project the game onto a 12-foot screen, and that the maximum size of the single permissible viewing screen that the church may use for a group viewing is 55 inches.

Of course, it's okay for folks to go to a bar and watch the game. And that's what makes no sense about any of this.

Said pastor John D. Newland, according to the Indianapolis Star: "It just frustrates me that most of the places where crowds are going to gather to watch this game are going to be places that are filled with alcohol and other things that are inappropriate for children. We tried to provide an alternative to that and were shut down."

Look, the NFL is allowed to exercise and enforce its legal rights in any way it sees fit. But from a P.R. perspective we think the league is taking a huge risk here, especially since a big chunk of the American football-viewing public are also members of the American church-going public.

Then again, maybe the NFL realizes that we're all addicted to its product, and that no amount of unsavory behavior will drive us away.

Still, we think the league's better approach on this issue would have been to look the other way. Just like it does when yet another player is arrested.

SUPER BOWL TIDBITS

Man, are these two Super Bowl teams boring. It makes us long for the days of Jim McMahon showing his butt to a news helicopter and Eugene Robinson showing something else to an undercover cop.

It's good for the teams to have nothing unusual going on, but it's bad for the horde of media who have to conjure up something to justify their junket to South Florida.

Even though we've opted to stay in the dead-of-winter Utopia in which our feet are perpetually cold and our nose is perpetually running, we're still picking up a couple of nuggets about the goings-on.

First, the Indianapolis staff employees in Miami have gotten only a couple of items of free stuff, we're told. Usually, the teams and their employees get all sorts of corporate goodies. Unless the giveaways have gone the way of the Hollywood award party swag bags, someone is hoarding the stuff.

Also, we're told that while the Colts have followed the usual practice of flying team employees to the site of the Super Bowl for free, the Colts placed restrictions on the ability of immediate family members to make the trip. As we understand it, teams in the past usually have allowed immediate family members to make the trip at no charge. For the Colts, some immediate family members had to find another way to Miami.

That's all for now. Too bad the Bengals didn't win the AFC Championship.

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