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Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports that the Steelers and quarterback Ben Roethlisberger will commence talks on a long-term deal this week.

Roethlisberger, the eleventh overall pick in the 2004 draft, has two years remaining on his six-year rookie deal.

The financial objectives of Roethlisberger are unknown, but it's highly unlikely that he'll get the kind of deal from the Steelers that he'd fetch on the open market.

Roethlisberger is scheduled to earn a base salary of $1.35 million in 2008, and $1.7 million in 2009.

POSTED 7:33 a.m. EST, February 10, 2008

HOWIE'S SON RISING

Adam Schefter of NFL Network reports that there's a growing buzz that Virginia defensive end Chris Long, son of Hall of Famer Howie Long, will be the first overall pick in the draft.

The widespread thinking is that the Miami Dolphins ultimately will regard Chris Long as entailing the least risk in return for a contract that will carry roughly $35 million in guaranteed money.

Of course, Long's prospects could change if the Dolphins obtain an acceptable trade offer for the top pick.

Other names that have been pegged as the potential top pick include Boston College quarterback Matt Ryan, LSU defensive tackle Glenn Dorsey, and Arkansas running back Darren McFadden.

POSTED 11:38 p.m. EST, February 10, 2008

CHRIS BERMAN ON SMUGGLING

Another day, another clip emerges of ESPN's Chris Berman in previously unseen off-air, on-camera commentary that doesn't paint him in a positive light.

In the latest clip, Berman talks about how to smuggle Canadian over-the-counter codeine into the U.S.

We imagine that at some point this will get old. But not yet. Not yet.

POSTED 11:08 p.m. EST, February 10, 2008

NO SIDELINE REPORTERS ON MNF

Though the official word out of Bristol is vague as to whether or not ESPN's Michele Tafoya or Suzy Kolber will serve in their same capacities on Monday Night Football, we have learned that, indeed, both have been dropped from the position of "sideline reporter" in 2008.

In fact, there will be no sideline reporters at all on MNF next season.

It's being described as a "non-traditional approach," which in theory will give ESPN the flexibility to allow either of them to chime in with an in-game report if the situation warrants.

Frankly, that kind of stuff rarely happened in the past. Typically, Tafoya and Kolber offered up pre-planned stuff that had nothing to do with what was occurring on the field.

So, clearly, they are out of their prior roles. And while they apparently are being offered a face-saving bone, it remains to be seen whether either of them wants to jump from city to city from September to December for the privilege of being one of the many on-screen pregame faces, or for the opportunity to ask one of the star players after the game "what was going through your head" during that key play.

POSTED 10:56 p.m. EST, February 10, 2008

"FINAL SAY" ISSUE A PITCH TO COWHER?

One of the more intriguing aspects of the Redskins' stunning decision to hire Jim Zorn to serve as the team's next head coach is that Zorn also will have final say over the roster.

Supposedly.

"Our coach has the final say on the roster, has the final say in the draft room and free agency," owner Daniel Snyder said on Sunday. "If they don't want 'em, we don't bring 'em in."

Amid rumblings in league circles that Zorn is merely holding the spot until Bill Cowher decides to return (and to receive at least $10 million in salary from the 'Skins), it could be that Snyder's comments are intended to send a message to Cowher that, if/when he ever decides to join the team, he'll truly get to run the show.

Most league observers had presumed that Executive V.P. of Football Operations Vinny Cerrato would now have final say over personnel. If that were the case, however, it would be difficult for Snyder to dump Zorn and keep Cerrato if/when Cowher comes aboard. As it now stands, Zorn has the ultimate authority -- and the ultimate accountability.

It will remain to be seen what if any position Cerrato would have under Cowher. When Cowher's mentor, Marty Schottenheimer, was the head coach of the Redskins in 2001, Cerrato got Schott-canned. Under Cowher, it could be that Cerrato would slide into a Rich McKay-style role, with a big title but no real football-related job to do, since Cowher would bring in guys like Kevin Colbert and/or Omar Khan to handle player selection and contract negotiation.

POSTED 10:44 p.m. EST, February 10, 2008

ZORN TO GET $3 MILLION PER YEAR

In a move that nudges upward the curve for new head coaches with no prior experience, the Redskins will pay head coach Jim Zorn a total of $15 million on a five-year deal, according to ESPN's Chris Mortensen.

That's $3 million per year.

It's roughly what the Ravens were prepared to pay to Cowboys offensive coordinator Jason Garrett. John Harbaugh, who ultimately got the job, reportedly is making slightly more than $2 million per year, on a four-season deal.

Meanwhile, Zorn was introduced on Sunday, and he promptly committed a faux pas by describing the team's color as maroon and black, instead of burgundy and gold. He later sounded a bit like Chris Farley in referring to the December 2 missing-man formation that honored the late Sean Taylor as "pretty awesome."

POSTED 9:29 p.m. EST, February 10, 2008

CLEARING THE AIR ON PRE-JUNE 1 TRADES

With the CBA now permitting each team to cut two players per year before June 1 and to treat the transaction for cap purposes as a post-June 1 move, there's confusion as to whether a team can trade a guy before June 1 and treat the move for cap purposes as something done after June 1.

The uncertainty has been exacerbated by items from other media outlets suggesting that, for example, the Giants could trade tight end Jeremy Shockey prior to June 1 and pretend that the trade happened after June 1.

In the interests of clarity, the relatively new ability to cut a guy prior to June 1 and then treat the move as a post-June 1 move DOES NOT APPLY to trades.

Prior to June 1, a trade or a release requires the team to take the full acceleration for any remaining signing bonus money and other prorated payments. After June 1, either move requires the team to carry the cap proration that would have applied if the player were on the team that season, and then to take the rest of the cap hit in the next cap year.

Before the 2006 amendments to the CBA, a trade always resulted in a full acceleration. And that's one of the reasons why not many trades happened.

POSTED 8:48 p.m. EST, February 10, 2008

PFT HEROES 2007: THE DARRELL GREEN AWARD

Today's prize goes to the top corner of 2007, and its named for the guy who played the game at a high level beyond his 40th birthday.

So who's the first recipient of the Darrell Green Award?

Click here to find out.

OLD CHRIS BERMAN VIDEO THAT IS CREEPY FOR DIFFERENT REASONS

Over the past week or so, someone who has access to some embarrassing off-air video of Chris Berman, and apparently dislikes him intensely, has been putting the clips on YouTube.

But in poking around for some old clips of Darrell Green on Sunday night, we found this 20-plus-year-old footage of Boomer, which is creepy for entirely differently reasons.

It's right here.

POSTED 7:55 p.m. EST, February 10, 2008

PETERSON CAPS STELLAR ROOKIE SEASON

Though he didn't make it to the playoffs as a rookie with the Minnesota Vikings, running back Adrian Peterson closed things out in style by winning the MVP award at the Pro Bowl.

Peterson rushed for 129 yards and scored two touchdowns in a 42-30 NFC win.

The award also could have gone to Terrell Owens, who caught eight passes for 101 yards and two scores.

"The true MVP is Sean Taylor," Peterson told Brian Baldinger of FOX after the game. "This is also in honor of him and dedicated to him." Taylor died in November, and all of his former Redskins teammates wore No. 21 in his honor on Sunday.

POSTED 6:08 p.m. EST, February 10, 2008

ESPN ADDRESSES MNF SITUATION

ESPN has issued a statement in response to our report that Michele Tafoya and Suzy Kolber have been dumped from the Monday Night Football broadcast.

"Michele and Suzy will still be assigned to our multiplatform Monday Night Football presentation, including the game, pre-game and post-game," the statement says. "Their precise roles are currently being determined."

Also, we've been told by an ESPN spokesperson that Tafoya and Kolber will continue to travel to the site of each game.

So what does any of this mean? Clearly, something is up. Otherwise, there would be nothing about their roles to "determine." Also, ESPN might be holding out hope that they opt to give up their assignments to MNF, so that in the end it will appear that they weren't removed from the team.

Said one of our sources in response to the statement, "It's bullshit . That's all I can tell you. Utter bullshit. They are no longer sideline reporters."

POSTED 4:56 p.m. EST, February 10, 2008

MEDIA TYPES UP IN ARMS OVER MNF MINI-MASSACRE

The big buzz on the first Sunday after the end of the football season (the Pro Bowl doesn't count) is the decision of ESPN to drop sideline reporters Michele Tafoya and Suzy Kolber from the Monday Night Football team.

Several rumors are flying. These are not hard news items, but only rumors.

First, we're hearing a rumor that the duo initially were asked to voluntarily step aside, and they were told that if they didn't their use during games would be dramatically limited. They decided not to quit, and instead of merely having their face time cut during broadcasts they were dumped.

Second, there's a rumor that ESPN management wants to make the broadcast booth work at all costs, and the belief was that dumping the sideline reporters would help.

Third, and contrary to the notion that the move was about not diluting the work of the booth, there's a rumor that Andrea Kremer of NBC (and formerly of ESPN) and/or Jay Glazer of FOX could be pursued to handle the in-game journalism role, which frankly neither Tafoya nor Kolber really actually served.

Fourth, there's a rumor that Tony Kornheiser doesn't care for Suzy Kolber, and a belief that their relationship played a role in the move.

We're also told that there is "outrage" among on-air types regarding the treatment of Tafoya and Kolber.

Stay tuned for more.

POSTED 4:28 p.m. EST, February 10, 2008

SMITH DROPS A HINT?

Eagles tight end L.J. Smith might have dropped a big hint regarding the team's looming turmoil at the quarterback position.

Slapped with the franchise tag, Smith can't participate in any voluntary or mandatory workouts until he signs the one-year tender offer worth $4.522 million. Asked about whether he'll sign the tender, Smith said, "I've never been the type to [sit out]. I know what it takes for me to be ready, but me sitting at home and not working out with whoever the starting quarterback is, I'm not really cool with that. I just have to talk to my agent and see what he thinks we should do."

But why is there a question in Smith's mind about who the starting quarterback is? It's one thing for the guy who drives a cab in Philly to talk like that -- it's another thing for one of McNabb's teammates on offense to say it.

POSTED 1:17 p.m. EST, February 10, 2008

DEVANEY FLEES THE FALCONS

In a move that surprises no one (except maybe Rams fans), former Falcons assistant G.M. Billy Devaney has left the team and accepted a position with the Rams.

Devaney will be the Executive Vice President of Player Personnel in St. Louis. He has been installed above V.P. of player personnel Tony Softli, who was expected by some league insiders to be fired after a dismal 3-13 season.

But just as Devaney left Atlanta after he got a new boss, it's possible that Softli will now look for other opportunities, especially since he has essentially been demoted.

As one league source explained it, Devaney left the Falcons due to the perceived change in culture that will occur now that Tom Dimitroff has taken over as the team's G.M. Former G.M. Rich McKay, who has retained the title of team president, is expected to eventually depart as well.

POSTED 12:46 p.m. EST, February 10, 2008

ZORN HIRE ALL ABOUT VINNY?

There's a theory making the rounds in league circles that the promotion of offensive coordinator Jim Zorn to head coach in Washington has more to do with Vinny Cerrato than it did with Zorn.

As the theory goes, Zorn was deemed to be the least likely of the candidates to challenge Cerrato's authority as the new Executive V.P. of Football Operations.

"For as long as he has been in D.C., Vinny has been second fiddle to the coach," one league source said. "This time, he gets promoted and hires an inexperienced coach who will not make waves. . . . Mooch and Fassel would have threatened Vinny because of their past success and experience. The fact that Vinny was promoted before the head coach hire was a veiled sign that Vinny would be making the call. In the end, it was own insecurity that made for the hire of Zorn."

It was believed that Fassel was the leading candidate primarily because he would likely be so grateful to get a job that he'd defer to Vinny. But if Fassel had had any success on the job, that might have changed.

POSTED 12:11 p.m. EST, February 10, 2008

TAFOYA, KOLBER OUT AT MNF

A media source tells us that ESPN are relieving Michele Tafoya and Suzy Kolber of their duties on Monday Night Football.

Both served as sideline reporters. Tafoya worked in the same role with ABC when the ESPN sister company last aired MNF. Kolber likewise reported from the field with ESPN's former Sunday night package. When the Monday night broadcast moved to ESPN for a whopping $1.1 billion per year, Kolber and Tafoya were both assigned to the show.

Their performance has been the subject of some criticism, especially in this space. The reports at times were heavy on pre-planned content, and light on in-game information. Also, it's never been clear why two of them are needed.

It remains to be seen whether this is a first step in an effort to reduce costs by shrinking the cast of characters who cover the Monday night game for ESPN. Several analysts are stationed in Bristol, a trio of talking heads have a desk inside the venue where the game is played, and multiple reporters typically swarm the stadium in the three or four hours before kickoff.

We presume that Chris Berman will express his own regrets by sending Michelle and Suzy a bottle of Chardonnay that is cheaper than it tastes.

POSTED 11:55 a.m. EST, February 19, 2008

NO NEW DEAL FOR WINSLOW?

Browns tight end Kellen Winslow wants a new contract. But what he wants and what he gets likely will be two very different things.

As one league source told us on Saturday, "His body is deteriorating at a rate faster than his performance is going to improve."

And that's really the issue. The "smart" organizations don't pay players for past performance if there's no reason to be absolutely confident that such performance will continue. In Winslow's case, he has put in a couple of solid years, despite injuries arising from his misadventures on a motorcycle. He at times has willed himself to play (after all, he's a "f--king soldier"), but sooner or later his will won't be enough. His body will eventually betray him.

So with Winslow under contract for three more years, there's simply no reason to give him a pile of new money.

But the broader question is whether the Browns are willing to do something with the deal in order to keep Winslow happy. A new deal that pushes some of his future salaries forward ($4 million in 2008, $4.5 million in 2009, $4.75 million in 2010), and that plugs in new incentives would be a way to throw him a bone without taking too big of a risk.

Though we typically believe that players need to honor their deals, there's a certain amount of wisdom in rewarding a guy who has played through pain as heroically as Winslow has for the past two seasons. If there's a way to satisfy him without setting a bad precedent, it makes sense for the Browns to explore it.

POSTED 10:47 p.m. EST, February 9, 2008

WALSH WON'T TALK

Little more than a week after his initial comments sent shock waves throughout the NFL, former Patriots video employee Matt Walsh is suddenly saying nothing.

Hounded by an NFL media corps that coincidentally in spending the week in the distant state where Walsh now resides, the man who might (or might not) have used a camera at the Rams' final walk-through practice before Super Bowl XXXVI is telling the press little more than "Aloha."

Recently, Walsh answered a string of questions from an Associated Press reporter by declining to answer them. Politely, but definitively.

The inescapable conclusion? Walsh has a lawyer, and Walsh is listening to his lawyer.

Still, if the NFL is going to indemnify Walsh against any potential liability that might apply to potential violations of his confidentiality agreement with the Pats, Walsh eventually needs to tell his story to a camera, for all to hear. Whatever he knows, or whatever he thinks he knows, needs to be known by anyone who wants to know it.

POSTED 10:24 p.m. EST, February 9, 2008

GOLISANO INTERESTED IN KEEPING BILLS IN BUFFALO

With Bills owner Ralph Wilson making noise about his belief that Toronto is ready to gain an NFL franchise and Buffalo is ready to lose one, a Western New York billionaire is interested in keeping the Bills in their current town, if/when the team is put up for sale.

Tom Golisano, who owns the NHL's Buffalo Sabres, confirmed that he'd be a potential suitor for one of the AFL's original franchise, which Wilson has owned since day one.

"I realize what the issue is," Golisano said on Saturday. "I think I realize how important that organization is to the Buffalo area. And I'll say the same thing I've said before: If the situation arises, I would do what I can to try to keep the team in the area."

Wilson's family isn't expected to keep the team after the 89-year-old owner passes. Some league observers believe that Wilson's flirtation with Toronto is aimed at creating a foothold for the team there, given the possibility that Buffalo might not be able to continue to financially support an NFL franchise over the long haul.

Beyond Golisano, Hall of Fame quarterback Jim Kelly says that he has a financial backer who is ready to purchase the team and keep it in Buffalo.

Either way, it's great news for Bills fans. The best-case scenario is that the team will stay where it is. Worst-case? A short move to Toronto. Seemingly out of the question is a cross-country trek to Los Angeles.

POSTED 8:07 p.m. EST, February 9, 2008

PFT TAKES OVER YAHOO

Screw Microsoft. The computer-related company that really plans to take over Yahoo is PFT. As soon as we can convince someone to float us a $44.6 billion loan with collateral that consists of a third-hand Ford Fiesta and some Batman comic books from the 1970s that got a little wet once in a flood.

Until then, we'll have to settle for our latest SportingNews.com column being picked up by Yahoo -- and put on its front-freaking-page.

As Glenn Quagmire would say, "Allllllright."

POSTED 7:00 p.m. EST, February 9, 2008

A ZORN IS BORN

Jason La Canfora of the Washington Post, and the Washington Times, report that the Redskins have hired offensive coordinator Jim Zorn to serve as the team's next head coach.

Wow.

Zorn had never drawn any interest for any head-coaching vacancies, and he has never actually worked as an offensive coordinator.

Per the Post, owner Daniel Snyder and Executive V.P. of Football Operations Vinny Cerrato "fell in love with him" over the past two days.

Not that there's anything wrong with that.

Hey, maybe Zorn will now hire Jim Fassel to be the offensive coordinator.

POSTED 6:52 p.m. EST, February 9, 2008

ZORN TO GET THE 'SKINS GIG?

Plenty of league observers believe there's a mystery candidate for the Redskins' head-coaching job. Apparently, it's true. But it's not someone who's not currently working for the team.

According to Adam Schefter of NFL Network, new Redskins offensive coordinator Jim Zorn is under serious consideration to become the team's next head coach.

Schefter reports that owner Dan Snyder's jet has picked up Zorn and his family and brought them to Washington. Zorn declined comment to Schefter, but Schefter separately has confirmed that the search is zeroing in on Zorn.

Zorn, 55, played for the Seahawks from 1976 through 1984. He spent 1985 with the Packers, 1986 in the CFL, and 1987 with Tampa Bay. He coached at the college level from 1989 through 1996, returned to the Seahawks in 1997, spent three years with the Lions, and then rejoined the Seahawks in 2001.

He has never served as a coordinator -- with the exception of the past few weeks.

It's unclear at this point how Zorn has emerged, and whether if he gets the job another offensive coordinator will be hired.

POSTED 2:42 p.m. EST, February 9, 2008

PANTHERS EXTEND LEWIS

Adam Schefter of NFL Network reports that the Carolina Panthers have signed defensive tackle Damione Lewis to a new three-year contract.

Lewis joined the Panthers in 2006, signing a two-year deal. He earned a base salary of $1.2 million last season.

A first-round pick of the Rams in 2001, Lewis has become a backup in Carolina. He started two games in 2007, and recorded 3.5 sacks.

The free-agency period opens on February 29. Expect more deals like this to be reached over the next few weeks.

POSTED 12:15 p.m. EST, February 9, 2008

RETURN OF THE EMMITT?

At a time when most folks who pay attention to the television coverage of the NFL believe that Emmitt Smith will be "blowed up" by ESPN, a media source tells us that the current plan in Bristol is to bring Emmitt back for 2008.

Said the source, "ESPN isn't crazy about Emmitt but the network feels like if they let him go, they would have been bullied into doing so."

The source cautions that the decision isn't set in stone. "People change their minds there every other second," the source said.

And an objective review of Smith's performances points inescapably to the conclusion that he should not be employed in the TV business. He cannot speak extemporaneously, and his analysis has the depth of a desert puddle.

He's so terrible that he provides unintended comic relief. In fact, the only good thing about a possible return engagement is that it'll give us -- and many others -- plenty of things to talk about next season.

POSTED 12:02 p.m. EST, February 9, 2008

BIG 2008 CAP NUMBER FOR BRADY

A reader has asked us to resolve an apparent conflict between available information regarding the 2008 cap number of Pats quarterback Tom Brady.

On closer inspection, there is no conflict. But, still, Brady has a huge cap number for 2008.

As ESPN.com's Mike Sando reports, Brady is due to earn $8 million in salary and bonuses this year. We've learned that Brady's salary is $5 million, and he's due to receive a $3 million roster bonus.

But as accurately pointed out at PatsCap.com, Brady's full cap number includes another $6.62 million in bonus proration, pushing the total to a whopping $14.62 million. A lot of it comes from Brady's 2007 renegotiation, which dropped his cap number by cutting his salary to $720,000. The rest of his salary for 2007 was converted to a guarantee, pushing a large portion of the cap charges into future seasons.

The Patriots could nudge two-thirds of Brady's 2008 pay above the minimum salary into 2009 and 2010, the final two years of his contract, via another simple renegotiation. But it also might be prudent at this time to adjust the league MVP's pay by signing him to a new deal that extends well into the next decade.

Even though Brady likely is still willing to give the Pats a hometown discount in order to allow the team to have enough money available to sign other key players, even something on the low end of fair for Brady requires a nine-figure commitment, and at least $30 million in guaranteed money.

POSTED 11:13 a.m. EST, February 9, 2008

HARD HEADS STICK WITH GRASS FIELD

The Pittsburgh Steelers have decided to keep the same field configuration that treated the nation to images of a moss-covered tar pit during a late November Monday-nighter with the Dolphins.

But for a late field goal by the Steelers, we might have seen the first scoreless tie since 1943, and the first ever in the era of overtime.

The stated reason for the decision not to install the fake stuff? The players want grass.

But which players? Two years ago, a vote conducted by the NFL Players Association concluded that Heinz Field has the second-worst playing surface in the league.

Steelers chairman Dan Rooney recently said that the decision to stick with grass was motivated in part by safety, and he blamed running back Willie Parker's broken leg on the FieldTurf in St. Louis.

With all due respect, we don't buy the notion that the new fake turf causes injuries of that type. Besides, if the Steelers were so concerned about safety, why did they allow their guys to play on green cement for more than thirty years at Three Rivers Stadium?

POSTED 10:49 a.m. EST, February 9, 2008

A QUICK TOUR OF OFFSEASON POSSIBILITIES

From the "It Must Be A Very Slow Weekend In Sports" file, the current lead item on SportingNews.com is an offering from some Internet hack who looks at ten things that could happen in the 2008 offseason.

The full list is right here.

And while we're on the topic of the quickly resurging national sports web site that has quietly rounded up a small army of Internet scribes (and at least one hack), we need to mention this week's Sporting News magazine. The Super Bowl XLII coverage includes an all-access look at the FOX broadcast from Mike Nahrstedt, who gives us a rare glimpse inside the broadcast booth during a big game.

POSTED 10:32 a.m. EST, February 9, 2008

LAKE LAWSUIT HEADED FOR FAILURE

Well, it was interesting while it lasted. But it might not be around for much longer.

A source with knowledge of the dynamics of the lawsuit filed by Lloyd Lake against Saints running back Reggie Bush tells us that Lake has responded to nearly 200 specific requests for documents supporting his claim by asserting the fifth amendment Constitutional protections against self-incrimination as to each of them.

Though the fifth amendment can be asserted in civil actions, doing so typically gives rise to an adverse inference against the party who raises it. When that party is the plaintiff, a decision needs to be made -- abandon the privilege, or abandon the case.

Lake's deposition is set to commence on February 12. Bush's lawyers could choose to postpone the deposition while they seek a Court order forcing the requested documents to be produced. Alternatively, Bush's lawyers could proceed with the questioning of Lake, and leave the deposition open for further questioning after the documents are obtained.

The smart move would be to press forward with the questioning of Law, since he likely will try to take the fifth in response to the tough questions that surely will be posed to him.

We're also told that the list of privileged documents that Lake has refused to produce includes reference to the tapes of the conversations with Bush that Lake secretly recorded and the transcripts of said tapes. But Lake has already played portions of the tapes for the media. This makes his refusal to produce them in the context of his lawsuit something that falls between "freakin' bizarre" and "downright stoopid."

POSTED 9:29 a.m. EST, February 9, 2008

SOMEONE DOESN'T LIKE CHRIS BERMAN

An odd phenomenon has been unfolding over the past couple of weeks. Someone doesn't like Chris Berman, and that someone has access to eight-year-old on-camera footage of him saying things that he (presumably) never intended a mass audience to see.

Via SportsByBrooks, we give you Berman and the F-Bombs:

Also via SportsByBrooks, here is Berman playing the role of the middle-aged creep, who uses his same on-air vocal inflections and hand gestures while hitting on the help:

As our own TacoBill observed, "You're with me, Jeans Jacket."

UPDATE: A reader points out that, after Jeans Jacket mentions the Japanese restaurant, Berman comes dangerously close to doing something that could be perceived as racially insensitive.

POSTED 11:36 p.m. EST, February 8, 2008

PFT HEROES 2007: THE DERRICK THOMAS AWARD

Our next postseason award is dedicated to the linebacker position, and the award is named for Derrick Thomas, whose life ended eight years ago today.

To read more about Thomas and the first recipient of the award named for him, click here.

We'll continue to announce the PFT Heroes awards over the coming days.

POSTED 10:59 p.m. EST, February 8, 2008

THE CASE FOR FASSEL

With the hiring of former Giants head coach Jim Fassel to succeed Joe Gibbs in Washington possibly coming in the next few days, league observers expect a torrent of criticism if/when the move is finalized.

But would the criticism be appropriate?

Though some league insiders believed that Fassel would never again be an NFL head coach, a strong case can be made for giving him another chance.

In his seven years with the Giants, the team won two NFC East titles and advanced to the Super Bowl once. In his first season with the Giants, Fassel was named the NFL coach of the year for taking a team that had been 6-10 the year before his arrival to the playoffs.

In all, Fassel won 51.2 percent of his games. Under Steve Spurrier and Joe Gibbs, the Redskins have won 44 percent of their games.

Some league observers believe that Redskins owner Daniel Snyder is delaying a final decision because he's contemplating the possibility of making a so-called "sexy hire." But who's out there that would fall into that category? And what big-name coach would accept a job with both the offensive and defensive coordinators already selected for him?

And as we've previously pointed out, five of the final eight teams in 2007 are coached by men who have been fired at least once by another NFL franchise.

So fear not, Redskins fans. If Fassel performs as well in Washington as he did in New York, the 'Skins will be better than they've been over the past six seasons.

POSTED 7:58 p.m. EST, February 8, 2008

FAVRE WATCH '08

The annual game of will-he-or-won't-he continues in Green Bay. (We'd prefer Hungry Hungry Hippos.)

Quarterback Brett Favre, who has toyed with the emotions of Cheeseheads throughout the globe since first musing about retirement more than five years ago, still hasn't decided whether to come back for another season.

Coach Mike McCarthy says that Favre's decision is still "probably a couple of weeks away."

Two years ago, Favre paralyzed the Packers well into April before deciding to come back. Last year, his decision to play came fairly quickly.

Most league observers presumed that he'd return for 2008, given the youthful manner in which he played during 2007. But in the immediate wake of the team's surprising loss to the Giants in the NFC title game, Favre expressed concern that the Packers will enter next year with high expectations, and could lay the same kind of egg that the conference finalists from the prior season dropped onto the field in their first campaigns after achieving greatness.

So the question for Favre is whether to ride into the sunset with a far-better-than-expected 2007 season, or to risk ending it all after a potentially disappointing 2008.

He also might be thinking that this team will be better off without him sooner if he leaves now, while plenty of young guys are on the fringes of their primes.

We were sure that he'd return, but now we're wondering whether he will.

POSTED 3:02 p.m. EST, February 8, 2008

LEGAL TROUBLE FOR STINKO

Our own Taco Bill tracked down a recent TV news item from WCPO in Cincinnati regarding a lawsuit pending against receiver Chad Johnson. There are 20 plaintiffs in the action.

We vaguely recall writing something about this one in the past. It arises from promises made by Johnson in conjunction with weekly appearances at a local comedy club in 2006. Prizes were offered to entice folks to come to the club, but Johnson allegedly didn't follow through on his promises.

The most valuable prize was a Lexus, which was to be given away on December 12, 2006.

After 300 tickets were sold to the event, Johnson announced that he was giving the Lexus to his girlfriend.

Says Johnson regarding the decision to give the car to his girlfriend and not to the people who bought , "They only showed up for a car, for one. . . . I gave it to someone who was appreciative of it, who didn't complain about it."

Asked if he saw anything wrong with that, Johnson said, "Not al all."

Here's the full clip:

POSTED 1:44 p.m. EST, February 8, 2008

ANOTHER TAKE ON CINCO STINK

On Thursday, Alex Marvez of FOXSports.com reported that Bengals receiver Chad Johnson shoved a league media relations employee in an effort to get away from national reporters assembled in Hawaii to get some sound from him.

John Clayton of ESPN.com characterizes the incident in tamer terms, saying merely that Ocho Stinko "brushed aside" the employee. But Clayton also raises the fact that Johnson's refusal to make himself available to the media could result in a fine.

In our view, Johnson should be fined -- for the refusal to talk to the media, and for his treatment of the league-office employee.

We've got no problem with a guy who wears his emotions on his sleeves. But there's a line, and Johnson has crossed it.

The excuse for his behavior?

"Consistently, I've done it," he told NFL Network, the one news outlet with whom he'll converse. "I haven't done it perfect, but consistently at a high level. I get out of line at times, but what great one doesn't? What great one doesn't get emotional? Find me a great one who hasn't done it like that and I'll be quiet."

Here's one, Chad. His name is Art Monk.

Now shut your f--king mouth.

POSTED 12:00 p.m. EST, February 8, 2008

INTRODUCING BRETT FAVRE

YouTube is arguably the greatest innovation in the history of the world. Except for maybe the wheel. And fire. And Casual Friday.

The latest nugget, which comes to us by way of a reader who found it on BratsandBeer.com, which found it in a posting from our own MDS on AOL, is compelling to us for several reasons.

First, the video came right on the heels was the football world's introduction to Brett Favre in a 1992 last-second victory by the Packers over the Bengals. A young, fresh-faced, brown-haired Favre, who apparently had a pinch between his cheek and gum while he was interviewed after the game, had come off of the bench for an injured Don Majkowski to throw the decisive touchdown pass. Sixteen years later, Favre has yet to relinquish the job.

Second, the NBC post-game crew spewing out some excellent X's-and-O's analysis was Bob Costas, Buddy Ryan, and O.J. Simpson. Of the three, Ryan would have drawn the lowest odds in the "most likely to commit double murder within two years from today" pool.

Third, Bob Costas . . . never . . . ages. Never. Ever. Somewhere in his attic, there's a portrait of him that currently looks like a wax figure of Gilbert Gottfried after five hours in a steam room.

Anyway, here's the clip.

POSTED 11:38 a.m. EST, February 8, 2008

COULD SPYGATE II SNARE A TUNA?

Our own MDS (yeah, AOL, we're claiming him) makes an astute observation regarding the still-unfolding drama known in these parts as Spygate II.

If (and we know that's a big "if") it's ultimately proven that the Pats spied on the Rams' final walk-through practice prior to Super Bowl XXXVI, who besides New England coach Bill Belichick will have both legs knee deep in doo-doo?

As MDS points out, Jets coach Eric Mangini, Browns coach Romeo Crennel, and Raiders defensive coordinator Rob Ryan were all on Belichick's staff at the time (and they worked for the Patriots, too -- man, we can never get enough of that adolescent humor). To the extent that the Pats were using knowledge of plays that the Rams would run from specific formations, those three defensive coaches might have known something about it.

But let's take this a step farther. As the rumor in NFL circles goes (and it's only a rumor), Belichick warned NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell last year that if the Spygate issue ever comes up again Belichick will tell all that he knows about cheating in pro football. Even if that rumor isn't true, it's hard to imagine that any cheating (if it's happening) started in New England at the beginning of the current decade.

If he did it, Belichick likely learned it from someone else. And one of those potential someones is now the V.P. of football operations in Miami.

Belichick was Bill Parcells' defensive coordinator for two Super Bowl wins with the Giants, and later worked for him again with the Jets. Ironically, Belichick was the Steve Spagnuolo 17 years ago of a Giants team that somehow topped an AFC East team with a high-octane offense.

Look, we're not saying what will, would, or should happen here. But if Belichick gets called to the principal's office again, this time he might sing (if, of course, he has anything to sing about -- or, as the more fastidious in the crowd would say, about which to sing). And if/when he does, we can't only look at the guys who worked for him; we also need to look at the guys for whom he once worked.

FRIDAY MORNING ONE-LINERS by Michael David Smith

Giants DE Michael Strahan might go to the Pro Bowl, because teammate Osi Umenyiora might head home with what a league spokesman called "a bad, bad case of the flu."

Giants defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo, the highest-paid defensive coordinator in the league, might want to remember that the two highest-paid defensive coordinators last year, Miami's Dom Capers and Washington's Gregg Williams, both lost their jobs this offseason.

Patriots CB Asante Samuel says there's a good chance he'll return: "The organization loves me and, hopefully, we can work it out." [Editor's note: Samuel might want to get confirmation on that emotion in light of the interception he dropped one play before the Shawshank Reception.]

Patriots LB Mike Vrabel says coach Bill Belichick did nothing wrong in leaving the field early: "I think Bill did what any coach would do. He graciously gave them the victory." [Editor's note: And then he abandoned his team while there was still one more snap to be taken.]

Cris Collinsworth said he was surprised by HBO's decision to axe Inside the NFL, which he learned of the day before the final taping.

U.S. Senator Charles Schumer had a chat with Bills owner Ralph Wilson about keeping the team in Upstate New York, rather than relocating to Toronto. [Editor's note: Tim Russert also was in on the call, and he said that fears a move by the franchise to Florida Florida Florida.]

The Dolphins' coaching staff will spend time evaluating personnel before deciding whether the base defense will be a 3-4 or a 4-3.

Says Ravens RB Willis McGahee of playing in the Pro Bowl, "It's very nice, but my next goal is winning the Super Bowl. I think we can make a quick turnaround. We're much better than 5-11."

The Browns have four offensive players in this year's Pro Bowl; they had a grand total of one offensive player in the last 19 Pro Bowls.

Agent Drew Rosenhaus says of Broncos unrestricted free agent DE Ebenezer Ekuban, "The Broncos want him back and we hope something works out."

Cowboys LB DeMarcus Ware is disappointed that his position coach, Paul Pasqualoni, has left for Miami.

Says Eagles TE L.J. Smith of getting the franchise tag, "I definitely would have preferred a long-term deal."

Should the Bears be nervous about the health of Brian Urlacher, who recently had neck surgery?

The Lions have promoted Sam Gash from assistant special teams coach to running backs coach.

Former Packers G.M. Ron Wolf thinks current Packers G.M. Ted Thompson has done a stellar job.

Says Vikings coach Brad Childress of third-string RB Mewelde Moore, who becomes a free agent at the end of the month, "Moore had a good year for us last year and did some good things. He'd like to play more, and I can't begrudge a guy an opportunity to do that."

Falcons RB Warrick Dunn is scheduled to count $6.2 million against the team's salary cap in 2008.

Panthers LB Dan Morgan and QB David Carr both could get cut in the coming weeks.

The Buccaneers have hired former Rams offensive coordinator Greg Olson as their new quarterbacks coach.

The agent for Cardinals QB Kurt Warner would like the team to round up in determining Warner's bonus money; he had a passer rating of 89.9 and his contract calls for a $500,000 bonus if he had a passer rating of 90.0.

Cardinals G.M. Rod Graves says the enormous salary owed WR Larry Fitzgerald is handcuffing the team: "I think a lot will depend on Larry Fitzgerald's deal, whether or not we can get something in place that will allow us some flexibility. If not, we could very well be faced with some very tough decisions."

The 49ers have raised ticket prices.

POSTED 9:26 a.m. EST, February 8, 2008

WHERE WILL INSIDE THE NFL LAND?

With the last episode of Inside the NFL now in the viewing rotation on HBO, it's unclear where the show will resurface in 2008.

A source with knowledge of the show tells us that HBO was paying NFL Films a whopping $8 million per year for the rights to use the highlights of NFL games. Add to that estimated annual production costs of $20 million, and that's a hefty price tag for any network to pay.

Still, it's a relatively cheap way to bring the NFL to a network that currently doesn't have it, especially in light of what it costs to televise actual games.

The cash influx resulting from the rights fee makes it unlikely that the show will land on NFL Network, and more likely that we'll see it on TBS or TNT or some other network that currently isn't airing NFL games.

Another factor nudging the show to something other than CBS or NBC or FOX or ESPN/ABC is the potential for controversy arising from some of the story lines. For example, the source believes that a recent item on how the 1925 NFL Champions, the Pottsville Maroons, have been screwed by the league wouldn't have been aired by one of the broadcast partners during Super Bowl week because it embarrassed the Bidwills, who own the team that hosted the big game.

POSTED 8:59 a.m. EST, February 8, 2008

WINSLOW WANTS A NEW DEAL

Browns tight end Kellen Winslow squandered much of the potential millions to be paid under his rookie contract when he wrecked his motorcycle in May 2005. The team could have taken back even more of his money, but they cut him a break.

Now, after two solid seasons during which Winslow played through injury and pain, the "f--king solider" is asking for an increase in his C-rations.

"When I got hurt [in 2005], the contract got renegotiated, so some things changed, but I think I've proven these past two years that I'm one of the elite tight ends," Winslow told Sirius NFL Radio on Thursday.

"My value on the field, they put in an extra DB in the game, and that really changes the whole game. They have to guard me kind of like a wide receiver so, you know, yeah, gotta get that new money."

We saw this one coming last year, when Winslow dumped the Postons and hired Drew Rosenhaus. When a player changes agents in the middle of a contract, the new agent doesn't get paid until a new deal gets done.

Winslow currently is signed through 2010. But any decision to extend the contract of a player with three years left on his contract could cause problems elsewhere on the team, especially since receiver Braylon Edwards is signed only through 2009.

The other reality is that, even though Winslow has performed admirably over the past two years, the knee he injured in that motorcycle crash continues to bother him. After undergoing microfracture surgery in a year ago, Winslow recently said that he needs more knee surgery in the 2008 offseason.

So why would the Browns want to break the bank on a guy who might not be able to bring it over the long term? With the player under contract for three more years, the Browns have no reason to rip up the deal -- and that ultimately could cause another Ocho Stinko-style controversy to unfold in Ohio's other NFL city.

But the Browns only have themselves to blame or this one. By giving coach Romeo Crennel an extension with two years left on his contract and not even one playoff appearance to show for his three years on the job, the Browns have already created an environment that will invite more folks to ask for more money -- even though the team has yet to accomplish squat.

SPRINT EXPANDS FAMILY LOCATOR FEATURE

Nearly two years after introducing a service that allows parents to check the whereabouts of their kids through their cell phones, Sprint has expanded the Family Locator service to all Sprint handsets with Web access.

"Sprint has always been proud to offer Sprint Family Locator on a wider range of phones than similar services from competitors, and now we've expanded it even further so customers have more choice for themselves and their children," said Kevin Packingham, vice president of wireless data for Sprint. "By offering the most open wireless family locator service with the fewest device and plan limitations, we're allowing more families to take advantage of this valuable tool. Our customers are telling us that this is a life-saving service that can be used not only for children, but also for elderly relatives, or even just to find a lost phone."

The service also now includes a Safety Checks feature, which provides automatic notification when the phone (and thus the person carrying the phone) passes by certain pre-identified landmarks such as school, home, a friend's house, etc.

Click here for more information on the Family Locator service.

Sprint, by the way is the official telecommunications partner of ProFootballTalk, and Sprint's support of the site has allowed us to continue to provide full and complete coverage of the NFL at no cost of any kind.

POSTED 7:48 a.m. EST, February 8, 2008

T.J. KNOWS A STORM IS BREWING

As Bengals receiver Chad Johnson continues to escalate his campaign to get out of Cincinnati without ever saying that he wants out, one of his teammates hints that things will get worse before they get better.

Said Bengals receiver T.J. Houshmandzadeh regarding the ongoing efforts by Johnson to land in a new team, "I'm not surprised by anything; perception is reality. I talk to Chad all the time, so I kind of know what's coming so it doesn't surprise me."

We've got a feeling that we'll see something controversial from Johnson during the Pro Bowl. Maybe, if he scores, he'll take off his Bengals helmet and spit on it. Or maybe when he'll troll the sidelines wearing the helmets of the different teams represented in Hawaii.

Hey, it might actually be enough to actually get us to watch the game. We might even do a Live Blog of it.

POSTED 7:34 a.m. EST, February 8, 2008

AS EXPECTED, BARBER CLAIMS CREDIT FOR GIANTS WIN

We recently observed -- half-jokingly -- that former Giants running back Tiki Barber would find a way to claim credit for his old team's victory in Super Bowl XLII.

And our sort-of joke ended up being sort of right.

Though the article reads like it's the idea of William C. Rhoden of the New York Times and that Tiki is only partially agreeing, the gist of the item is obvious -- his departure and ensuing criticism of men like coach Tom Coughlin and quarterback Eli Manning helped the team get to a level that it never was able to achieve with Tiki on the team.

Rhoden launches into his theory with this: "Retiring star players often set the foundation for future success."

Huh? We've been following sports for a long time now, and we can't think of many dynasties that were launched because a key player left. In fact, the only situation we can think of was Don Mattingly leaving the Yankees a year too early, but we can't recall anyone suggesting that his departure actually helped the team get over the top.

Then Rhoden says this: "Barber laid the foundation for what happened this season, from taking on Coughlin, to challenging Manning to step up, to tutoring Brandon Jacobs."

Said Barber, when asked about it by Rhoden: "[E]ven criticizing someone is a way of getting them to think about themselves." As to whether his criticism of Eli Manning was helpful, Barber said, "In this case, it made him stand up and I guess become aware."

We agree with Barber, but it's important to remember that he didn't do what he did to help the team win. Every action he took and word that he spoke was an act of selfishness, and the fact that it had a positive effect on the team was coincidental, and ironic.

What's not ironic is Barber's decision to turn the attention back to himself. That's his normal approach, and he's happy for the spotlight, even when being in it by all rights should be an embarrassment.

POSTED 11:37 p.m. EST, February 7, 2008; UPDATED 6:52 a.m. EST, February 8, 2008

OCHO STINKO SHOVES LEAGUE EMPLOYEE

Try as agent Drew Rosenhaus might to keep the efforts of Bengals receiver Chad Johnson to finagle a trade out of town behind the scenes, the player known in this space as Ocho Stinko can't avoid wearing his emotions on his sleeves.

And that puts his career on the same trajectory as T.O., circa 2005.

Owens wanted out of Philly, and Rosenhaus opted to go public with it. The campaign pushed the Eagles into a corner, and resulted in an ill-advised Plan B, which was premised on Owens being a complete pain in the butt until he got his way.

For Johnson, we've believed ever since his romp down radio row that, regardless of any efforts to the contrary, Johnson eventually is going to engage in behavior that results in fines and/or suspensions for conduct detrimental to the team.

And it might already be happening.

According to Alex Marvez of FOXSports.com, Johnson shoved nfl media relations employee Michael Lipman as Lipman was trying to make Johnson available to Marvez and another reporter. Johnson then "stared down" Lipman before leaving.

In addition to any discipline that the team might impose, the NFL could nail Johnson under the Personal Conduct Policy. Though the policy primarily applies to criminal activity, it also prohibits "[v]iolent or threatening behavior among employees, whether inside or outside the workplace."

Regardless of whether it's the league or the team, something needs to be done about this guy. Without discipline, Johnson's behavior will only get worse.

[Editor's note: In a prior version of this story, we described Lipman as a Bengals employee. We apologize for the error.]

POSTED 6:46 p.m. EST, February 7, 2008

SNYDER PLANE RUMORS REFUTED

In response to reports that one of Daniel Snyder's private planes is en route to Arizona, presumably to retrieve Jim Fassel, a source with knowledge of the situation tells us that it isn't true.

So it is, or is isn't. That should cover us.

Stay tuned.

POSTED 5:19 p.m. EST, February 7, 2008

FASSEL HIRE COMING?

A league source tells us that the private plane of Redskins owner Daniel Snyder currently is on the way to Scottsdale, Arizona.

It's believed that the goal of the flight is to retrieve Arizona resident Jim Fassel, and to bring him back to Washington for introduction as the team's next head coach.

Stay tuned.

POSTED 5:15 p.m. EST, February 7, 2008

BROWNS, ANDERSON AT A "STANDSTILL"

James Walker of the Columbus Dispatch reports that contract negotiations between the Cleveland Browns and quarterback Derek Anderson "have reached a standstill."

Walker also reports that the three-year offer made by the Browns last month had a total value of $16 million, including $11 million in guaranteed money. Anderson's people rejected the offer, and are seeking a deal of at least five years in duration.

Absent an agreement, Anderson will become a restricted free agent later this month.

In 2007, then-Falcons quarterback Matt Schaub was traded to the Texans while in restricted free agency, and he received a six-year, $48 million deal. Anderson has more playing experience, and the market has matured for another year.

The Browns are expected to place the highest available restriction on Anderson, which would give Cleveland the right to match any offer made, and a first-round and third-round pick as compensation for his services. Anderson would receive from the Browns a non-guaranteed one-year offer of roughly $2.5 million. Technically, the Browns could instead use the franchise tag, but the requisite one-year contract would entail guaranteed money in the range of $10 million.

Our guess? The Browns will be happy to keep him for another year at $2.5 million, or to trade him for a first-round pick. If he goes, 2007 first-rounder Brady Quinn would take over at quarterback.

POSTED 4:58 p.m. EST, February 7, 2008

EAGLES TAG SMITH

The Philadelphia Eagles wasted no time. Thursday is the first day on which teams can apply the franchise tag. And apply it the Eagles did to tight end L.J. Smith, according to Adam Schefter of NFL Network.

As a result, the Eagles must offer to Smith a one-year contract with a value equal to the average of the five highest-paid tight ends in 2007, which is $4.522 million. In return, the Eagles will have a right of first refusal as to any offers made to Smith.

Then again, no offers are likely to be made to Smith, since the Eagles would be entitled to two first-round draft picks if the offer isn't matched.

Smith was a second-round draft pick in 2003, and earned a salary of $920,000 in 2007.

The team can remove the franchise tag at any time and make Smith an unrestricted free agent. If he signs the one-year tender offer before it is revoked, the money becomes fully guaranteed.

POSTED 3:00 p.m. EST, February 7, 2008

NEAR-MISS AT THE SUPER BOWL

During a Thursday afternoon visit with our pal Dino Costa and his Denver-based radio show that is piped to 87 percent of Colorado, Dino mentioned this item from the East Valley Tribune regarding a Tempe man's chilling plan to open fire outside the Super Bowl.

Only a last-minute change of heart kept Kurt Havelock, 35, from attempting to pump 200 rounds into the crowd via an assault rifle.

His motivation? The Tempe City Council had rejected the application for a liquor license for a proposed restaurant and bar with a Halloween theme.

He turned himself into authorities on Sunday, and he previously had mailed copies of a manifesto outlining his plans.

"I will test the theory that bullets speak louder than words," he wrote. "I will slay your children. I will shed the blood of the innocent. No one destroys my dream. No one."

Of course, it's unclear whether Havelock would have been able to carry out his plan. We get the impression that the Super Bowl is a fairly secure event, and we doubt that all 200 bullets would have been fired. Still, we're hoping that the NFL has included potential threats like this in its overall planning, and that even more attention will be paid to this type of incident as preparations are made for future Super Bowls.

POSTED 1:12 p.m. EST, February 7, 2008

SALISBURY GETS PERSONAL WITH CLAYTON

A year after getting in trouble for supposedly showing cell-phone pictures of his manhood to colleagues, ESPN's Sean Salisbury could be in hot water once again.

Last week, he did one of those phony on-air debate segments with John Clayton. The idea is to get one guy to take a position and then have the other guy to disagree. It makes for lively discussion, and it uses conflict to keep folks watching.

This time around, Salisbury crossed the line in his debate with Clayton, mocking the veteran NFL reporter's appearance with the kind of attack that is supposed to come only from someone outside the organization like, you know, us.

Here it is:

Note that anchor Jay Harris laughs hard enough at the name used by Salisbury to suggest that it's the term used behind Clayton's back in Bristol. Clayton's facial expression makes it obvious that he is not amused by Salisbury's antics.

John, the next time you do one of those, we think you should say something like, "Sean, I know you have a brain. I once saw a picture of it on your cell phone."

Hat tilt to the Big Lead.

POSTED 12:57 p.m. EST, February 7, 2008

SPAGS TO BE HIGHEST-PAID DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR

Adam Schefter of NFL Network reports that, as part of his decision to remain with the Giants, defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo is now expected to become the highest-paid defensive coordinator in the NFL.

The specific dollars have not yet been reported. Jason Garrett of the Cowboys is the highest-paid offensive coordinator, with a salary that some say is $3 million per year. We've heard that it's more like $3.5 million or $4 million.

And Garrett and Spagnuolo have each spent only a single season as coordinators.

POSTED 12:11 p.m. EST, February 7, 2008

SPAGS STAYING PUT

Well, they flirted. And maybe they kissed. But they didn't get married.

Multiple media outlets are reporting that Giants defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo will not be the next head coach of the Redskins. Instead, Spagnuolo will remain with the Giants for a second year.

The reports, from Mike Garafolo of the Newark Star-Ledger, David Elfin of the Washington Times, and Adam Schefter of NFL Network, are presently short on details. We know that Spags is staying put, but we don't know much more.

It recently was reported by Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News that the Giants were prepared to give Spagnulo a raise, more years on his contract, and the title of assistant head coach -- but only if the Redskins were to offer him the job that was vacated last month by Joe Gibbs. It appears that Spagnuolo wasn't offered the job, and it's unclear whether the Giants had to cough up any cash or other stuff to get him to pull his name out of the running.

Absent a collapse by the Giants in 2008, Spagnuolo is poised to be the Jason Garrett of the next hiring cycle. And unless the Giant become the first NFC team since the 1996-97 Packers to qualify in back-to-back years for the Super Bowl, Spags might be available next year to be hired with more than one job left.

The three known candidates for the Redskins job are Jim Fassel, Steve Mariucci, and Ron Meeks. The smart money is on Fassel.

Then again, the smart money four days ago was on the Patriots.

POSTED 11:03 a.m. EST, February 7, 2008

GIANTS THE NEXT PATS?

Giants G.M. Jerry Reese already has said that he wants his team to be an annual contender, like the Patriots.

"That's what you want to do," Reese said earlier this week. "We have a really young team. We just don't want to go away. New England set the bar really high. The league is not built for one team to stay on the top long."

That's a respectable goal. The challenge, however, will be to manage the salary cap over the long haul. For now, the Giants reportedly are $20 million under the spending limit for 2008. But that will change once the guys who contributed to that shiny silver trophy start getting in line for new contracts.

The key to emulating New England will be to get the core players to play for less money in New York than they could get elsewhere. With the Pats, the hometown discounts begin with quarterback Tom Brady, who arguably is the most underpaid player in the history of the game.

In New York, then, the pace will need to be set by quarterback Eli Manning. But if he approaches his next contract like his brother Peyton did in Indy, Eli will go for the biggest piece of the pie that he can get. And that will make it hard to keep a highly competitive team on the field over the long haul.

But with Eli coming into his own on the field, maybe he'll develop into his own man off the field, too. Maybe he'll look at how Brady handles his contract and how Peyton handles his, and maybe Eli will decide to do it like Brady.

Regardless of how it turns out, it'll be interesting to watch.

POSTED 10:40 a.m. EST, February 7, 2008

FOR THE RECORD, WE DON'T LIKE TAMPERING

Several readers have pointed out an apparent inconsistency between our recent focus on Spygate II and our comment in a Thursday story about Randy Moss regarding the widespread tampering that goes on at this time of the year.

Though we recognize that cheating and tampering are both wrong and shouldn't happen, the fact remains that tampering is rampant, in large part because the NFL doesn't do anything to stop it.

Several years ago, safety Lawyer Milloy faced a "take a pay cut or take a hike" ultimatum from the Patriots. He admitted to Peter King of SI that the Redskins had contacted his agent before the Pats released him. Once it was clear to Milloy that he shouldn't have said that, he claimed that he'd been misquoted -- and the league did nothing about it.

Part of the problem with tampering is that a team must make a formal complaint before the league will even investigate. And that rarely happens.

As to game-related cheating, it appears that investigations will occur, and action will be taken, even if the team that was cheated doesn't push the issue. Regarding Spygate II, for example, the league will be investigating without any type of a complaint from the Rams regarding Super Bowl XXXVI.

We think that the league should take steps to prevent cheating and tampering, but when we make comments like "everyone does it and no one ever gets in trouble for it," it's not a statement of our opinion. It's a fact.

So how should the league stop tampering? As a practical matter, it's impossible to do it without policing every communication made between teams and agents. Still, it makes sense for the league to periodically investigate and act whenever evidence of tampering arises -- if for no reason other than to ensure that the tampering won't be blatant.

THE SHAWSHANK RECEPTION?

We've been pondering for the past three days a catchy title for the play that was the turning point of Super Bowl XLII, not to mention one of the greatest plays in NFL history.

A reader suggested this one on Tuesday -- "The Shawshawk Reception." We like it, and until someone comes up with something better we're going to use it.

If you have other ideas, let us know. Hopefully, a couple of them will be good enough for us to steal.

POSTED 10:20 a.m. EST, February 7, 2008

MAAS GETS PROBATION

The fall of a former NFL star and television analyst is now complete. But he's still better off than Mike Vick.

Former All-Pro defensive lineman and FOX broadcaster Bill Mass has received two years of probation after pleading guilty gun and drug charges.

Maas was busted last year with a lady friend . . . and a loaded gun, some coke, and a bag of "E". Maas pleaded guilty to unlawful use of a weapon, and she pleaded guilty to one count of possession of a controlled substance. All other charges were dropped.

In September 2007, a gun was found in a carry-on that Maas was carrying on (duh) to an airplane. He was not charged with any crimes in that incident.

At one point, Maas was regarded as a rising star in the broadcasting world. But he lost his fastball, dramatically, and he was phased out by FOX before being dropped completely prior to last year's arrest.

THURSDAY MORNING ONE-LINERS by Michael David Smith

Super Bowl XLII referee Mike Carey says of Giants QB Eli Manning's last-minute pass to WR David Tyree, "I anticipated a sack. I didn't assume it was going to happen, but rarely do you see a quarterback escape when he's got that much weight on his back."

Several Giants players attended the Knicks game at Madison Square Garden Wednesday night; they were cheered while the Knicks were booed.

The Patriots will want to renegotiate the contract of LB Rosevelt Colvin, who has a cap number of $7.6 million for 2008.

Bills Chief Operating Officer Russ Brandon said of playing games in Toronto, "We're doing everything in our power to keep this franchise financially viable in our marketplace."

Ravens defensive coordinator Rex Ryan acknowledged that the raise he got this offseason is less important than finding the money necessary to keep LB Terrell Suggs: "I would have given money to Suggs to keep him and then thrown me a bone afterwards."

Former Houston Oilers linebacker John Grimsley was found dead Wednesday, apparently from an accidental gunshot wound.

New Jaguars defensive coordinator Gregg Williams says he has joined "a very, very good team and a tremendous opportunity."

Former Titans DT Rien Long has been discharged after two weeks in the hospital following a single-car crash; he will not be ticketed even though police say Long's reckless driving caused the crash.

Asked about Bob Slowik getting the defensive coordinator job, Broncos CB Champ Bailey said, "To tell the truth, I think this is a year too late. Nothing against [former defensive coordinator Jim] Bates, but Slowik is the right fit for this defense."

Chiefs defensive coordinator Gunther Cunningham says the team can't afford to lose free-agent DE Jared Allen.

The Panthers could place the franchise tag on OT Jordan Gross, but Gross expects to get a deal done before then.

Falcons GM Thomas Dimitroff says, "Right now we have not concluded if we need to go for a left tackle, running back, safety or whatever in the draft and free agency."

New Falcons head coach Mike Smith has brought a secondary coach with him from Jacksonville.

Seahawks coach Mike Holmgren says of Jim Mora's status as his successor, "The continuity a move like this provides can only be a good thing moving forward."

POSTED 8:43 a.m. EST, February 7, 2008

GIANTS WILL TRY TO KEEP SPAGS

On the heels of a stunning Super Bowl run, Giants defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo could end up being offered the head-coaching job in Washington.

But the Giants plan to do what they can to keep him. According to Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News, however, there are limits to the team's generosity.

If the Redskins offer the job to Spagnuolo, the Giants will offer him a raise, a contract extension, and the title of assistant head coach. But they won't offer the one-year coordinator the kind of deal that the Cowboys gave to offensive coordinator Jason Garrett, and they won't promise Spagnuolo the head-coaching job after Tom Coughlin leaves.

Vacchiano also reports that several members of the Giants organization have warned Spagnuolo against taking the job in D.C., given that the team already has hired both an offensive coordinator and a defensive coordinator. Still, Vacchiano says it's believed that Spagnuolo will accept the job, if it's offered to him.

POSTED 8:21 a.m. EST, February 7, 2008

SHAW, GOODELL TALK ABOUT SPYGATE II

Rams president John Shaw met with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell in Los Angeles on Monday, and Goodell brought up the new allegations that the Patriots videotaped the Rams' final walk-through practice prior to Super Bowl XXXVI.

"The commissioner told me that there was no new information that would suggest anything contrary to what was said by the Patriots," Shaw said on Wednesday, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispach. "But he said it was something that he would continue to investigate."

Shaw said that he believes the league will investigate the matter thoroughly. The first step apparently will be to meet with former Pats employee Matt Walsh, whom the media has been chasing for months.

In our view, the Rams are walking a fine line on this one. They surely aren't happy about the possibility that they were cheated out of a second Super Bowl trophy, but they likewise are at a tenuous juncture, with looming changes in ownership that might ultimately require the approval of a sufficient number of the 31 other owners. With Pats owner Bob Kraft now one of the most powerful and influential owners in the league, the Rams can't afford to upset him.

POSTED 8:03 a.m. EST, February 7, 2008

PATS TO PLAY TAG WITH MOSS?

As free agency approaches, one of the biggest questions is whether the New England Patriots will retain for 2008 the services of receiver Randy Moss. Because Moss reduced his contract in April 2007 after being traded to New England, the Collective Bargaining Agreement reportedly prevents the team from signing him to a new deal before the start of the new league year, on February 29.

This means that Moss will technically become a free agent before he can ink the deal.

As a practical matter, the Pats can work out a verbal deal with Moss before February 29. But the contract would be unenforceable until Moss signs it. Thus, someone else could swoop in and offer him a knee-wobbling contract when the clock strikes midnight on Friday, February 29. And even if he has an unwritten deal with the Pats, Moss could still choose to go elsewhere.

Before February 29, other teams could be making hypothetical overtures to the Moss camp about hypothetical offers that hypothetically could be made to a hypothetical receiver who currently has a non-hypothetical restraining order issued against him. Sure, it's tampering -- but everyone does it and no one ever gets in trouble for it.

So the Pats could end up getting the same kind of surprise that the Giants experienced two years ago, when defensive tackle Kendrick Clancy (who couldn't do a new deal with New York until the first day of free agency because he'd signed a one-year deal for the veteran minimum) bailed on a supposed verbal deal to stay with the Giants, and jumped instead to Arizona.

The only way for New England to avoid this outcome would be to use the franchise tag on Moss. And many assume that they will. But we've consistently heard that it's highly unlikely that the Patriots would tie his hands with the franchise tag, because to do so could potentially disrupt that very delicate balance that keeps him from being a pain in the butt.

Here's an idea. The Pats could strike a verbal, unenforceable deal with Moss that the franchise tag will be applied, and that it will be removed if a long-term deal isn't reached within the first seven days of free agency. This approach would potentially scare off those teams that might be tempted to try to flirt with his agents over the next few weeks, and it would ensure that no one else could sign him without being prepared to give up two first-round draft picks.

Moss might not go for that approach, however. The money flows freely in the first days after free agency launches, and if Moss isn't on the shelf a team that might have overpaid for his services (e.g., the Cowboys) could spend that money on someone else.

Regardless of the approach, Moss needs to ask himself whether he wants to win, or whether he wants to get paid. On one hand, this likely is his last shot at another big-money deal. On the other hand, if he plays for any team other than the Patriots there's a chance that he ends up in a situation like the one he experienced in Oakland.

Finally, there's always a chance that no one else will be willing to make a huge financial investment in Moss, since it's fairly obvious that Moss will thrive only in the Foxborough environment. In that case, maybe it's better for the Pats if Moss realizes that the huge money just won't be available.

POSTED 9:13 p.m. EST, February 6, 2008

GOODELL SPEAKS ON SPYGATE II

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell spoke with Adam Schefter of NFL Network regarding the new Spygate controversy, which engulfed the league in the days prior to the Super Bowl.

The allegation? According to the Boston Herald, the Patriots taped the Rams' final walk-through prior to Super Bowl XXXVI.

The response? Goodell told Schefter that the league had no evidence to support the contention and that, in reality, the league has evidence to the contrary.

Meanwhile, Jay Glazer of FOXSports.com reports that Goodell will come down hard on Belichick, if the NFL gets information that the allegations are true. The punishment would be harsh because, as Glazer explains, Belichick signed paperwork last year stating that he had come clean regarding any and all cheating.

POSTED 8:58 p.m. EST, February 6, 2008

2007 PFT HEROES: THE ALAN PAGE AWARD

As promised, we've commenced the process of rewarding one player at each position for his performance in 2007. The reward encompasses regular-season and postseason performance, and it won't necessarily be driven by stats or wins or other objective measures.

The first award goes to a defensive lineman, and we're naming it for Hall of Fame defensive tackle Alan Page, who was tearing up the league when yours truly first caught wind of the NFL back in the early 1970s.

Click here for more about Page, and to find out who won the first installment of the award.

POSTED 8:13 p.m. EST, February 6, 2008

NO RULE PREVENTED SHOCKEY FROM BEING ON THE SIDELINES

Plenty of Giants fans who are in denial about the potential rift between the team and tight end Jeremy Shockey have insisted to us via e-mail that Shockey wasn't on the sidelines during Super Bowl XLII because league rules prevent injured players from being on the sidelines during games.

Um. Wrong.

A league source tells us that Pats running back Sammy Morris was on the sidelines at the game. And with the team all week. And present for media day.

As teammate Kevin Faulk said of Morris before the Super Bowl: "Even though it's tough for him, he was always in the meetings with us. He always watched film and he was always around to interact with us and support us."

Shockey, in contrast, spent little or no time with the team since suffering a broken leg and ankle on December 16.

POSTED 8:02 p.m. EST, February 6, 2008

TORONTO BILLS?

Tim Russert's hair is suddenly standing on end. (Oh, wait a minute . . . it looks like that all the time.)

Anyway, Bills owner Ralph Wilson thinks that Toronto is ready for an NFL team. And he thinks that Buffalo might be getting ready to lose one.

"It reminds me of my trip to Dallas a few months ago," Wilson said of the city where the Bills will play eight games over the next five years. "They're building in Dallas, Texas, everywhere, cranes, brand-new structures. And I see the same thing here in Toronto."

"It's no secret, Buffalo is diminishing in size," Wilson added.

But the 89-year-old owner of the Bills wouldn't comment on what might happen in the future. His family is expected to sell the team after he passes, and it could be that interests in Toronto purchase the franchise and move it there permanently.

POSTED 7:47 p.m. EST, February 6, 2008

BODDEN BEATS THE RAP

Browns cornerback Leigh Bodden has been acquitted on multiple charges arising from a run-in with police at Hopkins International Airport in Cleveland.

Bodden had been charged with failure to comply with a police order, disorderly conduct, and resisting arrest. During the three-day trial, the charge of resisting arrest was dismissed.

The move doesn't result in a reduction of the Browns' total points in Turd Watch I; separate points arise for the arrest and for any ensuing conviction.

POSTED 7:23 p.m. EST, February 6, 2008

MOOCH OUT OR IN?

Amid reports that former Niners and Lions coach Steve Mariucci is no longer in the running to become the next head coach of the Redskins, Adam Schefter of NFL Network reports that Snyder and Mariucci spoke after the news broke, and that Snyder assured Mooch that he's still in the mix.

The other candidates for the job are former Giants coach and Ravens offensive coordinator Jim Fassel, Giants defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo, and Colts defensive coordinator Ron Meeks.

It is believed in some circles that Fassel is the favorite. We agree with that assessment, and we believe that the Redskins are kicking tires on other candidates so that they'll be able to claim that they did their homework, and that Fassel was the right man for the job.

POSTED 5:11 p.m. EST, February 6, 2008

NFL WILLING TO INDEMNIFY WALSH

Chris Mortensen of ESPN reports that National Football League Commissioner Roger Goodell said on Wednesday that the league would give indemnification to former Patriots employee Matt Walsh in order to enable him to tell Goodell what he knows about the Patriots' alleged spying practices.

Indemnification is a convoluted lawyer word meaning, in this case, that the league would cover Walsh financially for any expenses he might incur if the Patriots were to sue him for talking to the league.

It'll be interesting to know whether the league's commitment to indemnify Walsh extends to, say, an interview that he might eventually give to 60 Minutes. Because if Walsh talks only to the league and no one else, the chances of anyone else knowing what he said are roughly equivalent to the chances of scoring tickets to a screening of the tapes that were destroyed in September.

Meanwhile, some league observers are curious as to why the Patriots won't simply grant a partial release to Walsh of the confidentiality agreementh, allowing him to talk about anything that he might know regarding any filming of practices or other cloak-and-dagger stuff that might have been going on. Other league observers wonder why a confidentiality agreement is even necessary for a video operator.

Still, it would be awkward (to say the least) for the Pats to essentially sue the league if/when Walsh talks.

Meanwhile, several readers tell us that Michael Holley of WEEI in Boston claims that there is no truth to the Boston Herald report that someone from the Patriots' organization videotaped the Rams' final walk-through practice before Super Bowl XXXVI. Holley cites multiple sources for his report; if, however, the sources are Bill Belichick and/or Ernie Adams (more on him later tonight), would we expect them to say anything other than "it's not true"?

Also, a league source tells us that it "absolutely" would be useful to have access to a team's walk-through practice. At a bare minimum, the information tells the opponent the play that will be run out of a specific formation. Thus, when the team uses that same formation in the game, it's a strong clue as to the play that is coming.

POSTED 4:30 p.m. EST, February 6, 2008

TIME TO PLAY TAG

With free agency only three weeks away, the time is coming for NFL teams to decide whether to use the franchise tag on any of the unrestricted free agents (or restricted free agents) to be.

According to Adam Schefter of NFL Network, the franchise-tag period opens on February 7, and continues until February 21.

The tag gives the team a right of first refusal as to any offer sheet signed by the player. If the team chooses not to match the offer, the team gets two first-round draft picks as compensation.

To use the franchise tag, the club must offer the player a one-year deal with a salary equivalent to the average of the five highest-paid players at his position in the league. The pay is determined not by 2007 salary, but by cap number.

There are two levels of franchise tag -- nonexclusive and exclusive. The exclusive version (which the Colts used on Dwight Freeney in 2007) prevents the player from negotiating with other teams. However, his one-year salary is then based on 2008 cap numbers, not 2007.

Schefter reports that, based on talk in league circles, the following players could be franchised in the next two weeks: Cardinals linebacker Karlos Dansby, Panthers tackle Jordan Gross, Raiders cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha, Titans defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth, Patriots receiver Randy Moss, and Seahawks cornerback Marcus Trufant.

Other potential tag-wearers include Chiefs defensive end Jared Allen and Ravens linebacker Terrell Suggs. Given the value of a quality defensive lineman (see Super Bowl XLII), Allen, Suggs, and/or Haynesworth could all get the exclusive version of the tag.

TRANSITION TAG HAS BECOME MEANINGLESS

The 1993 Collective Bargaining Agreement created the concept of the franchise tag. The CBA also introduced us to the term "transition tag."

This lesser restriction provides only a right of first refusal, but no compensation. The one-year tender offer is equal to the average of the ten highest-paid players at the position.

In 2006, the Seahawks used the transition tag on Steve Hutchinson -- making it easier for the Vikings to swoop in and claim him with a poison-pill offer sheet that the Seahawks couldn't afford to match.

A franchise player's one-year salary becomes fully guaranteed if he signs the tender offer before the team revokes it. Before 2006, there was no similar procedure for converting the transition tender into a guaranteed amount. As a result of the March 2006 CBA revision, however, the transition tender now becomes guaranteed when accepted, making it a less attractive option for NFL teams -- especially since it's so easy to overcome a right of first refusal with a poison pill that, for example, makes the entire amount of the offer guaranteed if the player plays at least five games in the home stadium of his current team in any year of the deal.

POSTED 2:49 p.m. EST; UPDATED 2:53 p.m. EST, February 6, 2008

HBO WHACKS INSIDE THE NFL

Less than a year after the show that glamorized organized crime ended its run on HBO, one of television's longest-running sports series will soon be sleeping with the fishes.

After 31 years, the final episode of Inside the NFL will debut on Wednesday night.

"Inside the NFL has been a hallmark program for three decades on HBO," HBO Sports President Ross Greenburg said in a statement. "It has been a terrific franchise . . . but the television landscape has changed quite a bit over the last 30 years and we have to recognize the realities of the business. I'm not sure we had more than one competitor when the show launched."

Actually, there was no true competitor in 1977. In those days, halftime of Monday Night Football was the only place to get highlights for any game other than the one involving the team covered by the local television stations.

Now, highlights are everywhere, and analysis is available from just about any two-bit Internet hack.

NFL Director of Corporate Communications Dan Masonson says that the weekly highlight show will move to another network, but no further information was provided.

The move results in one less television gig for Bob Costas, Dan Marino, Cris Collinsworth, and Peter King. Cris Carter also appeared on the show.

UPDATE: Courtesy of SportsByBrooks comes a reminder of a certain "Emmitt moment" that then-rookie Dan Marino experienced in 2000.

POSTED 1:05 p.m. EST, February 6, 2008

LOFTON FINALLY A DONE DEAL

A league source tells us that the Raiders have finalized the hiring of former Chargers receivers coach James Lofton. The Hall of Fame wideout, who twice interviewed for the head-coaching job in Oakland, will serve only as the receivers coach. The hiring likely will be announced later today, tomorrow at the latest.

Current receivers coach Charles Coe is expected to be reassigned, possibly to a position not on the coaching staff.

Per the source, and contrary to far juicier reports that the move was made without the knowledge or involvement of head coach Lane Kiffin, Kiffin was involved in the interview and hiring process.

The addition of Lofton fills all of the major positions on the coaching staff, and results in a much less significant offseason shake-up than some had expected.

There were signs, for example, of a potential offensive overhaul, amid reports that the team had requested permission to interview former Redskins associate head coach-offense Al Saunders. As we hear it, however, permission never was sought to speak with Saunders. Instead, the issue arose only after the Redskins sought permission to speak with a member of the Raiders' staff, presumably for the offensive coordinator position in D.C. In response, the Raiders mentioned that, if the coach in question had been hired by the Redskins, the Raiders might then be interested in Saunders.

Moreover, the Raiders didn't pursue Saunders after he was fired by the Redskins.

POSTED 11:21 a.m. EST; UPDATED 11:59 a.m. EST, February 6, 2008

44-YEAR-OLD "ROOKIE" TO GET A PRO DAY WORKOUT

Last year, a 43-year-old man named Jim Davis finagled a tryout with the San Francisco 49ers in the wake of a short-lived television show intended to give folks a shot at realizing their dreams. Nothing ever came of it, but it wasn't for lack of effort or will by Davis.

This time around, Davis tells PFT that he has secured an invitation to the Northern Iowa Pro Day workout, where he'll get a chance to show what he can do against guys who generally are half his age.

The workout begins on March 27 at 8:00 a.m. Though the chances of Davis landing with an NFL team are still Powerball remote, we admire his ambition and drive, and we wish him the best.

WEDNESDAY MORNING ONE-LINERS by Michael David Smith

Giants RB Derrick Ward, who is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent, is working on a contract extension.

Giants WR Amani Toomer suffered a hand injury during the Super Bowl but said, "I didn't feel it till after the game."

Although Tom Brady and Randy Moss are skipping the game, five Patriots attended Pro Bowl practice Tuesday.

Mike Vrabel and Adalius Thomas may be the only two linebackers on the Patriots' 2007 roster who will return for 2008.

The Bills have added Ray Brown as their assistant offensive line coach.

The Ravens have added two more assistant coaches.

Bengals P Kyle Larson becomes an unrestricted free agent at the end of the month; the team has signed P Danny Baugher as a potential replacement.

Former Browns S Kenny Konz died Tuesday at the age of 79.

If the Giants can go from 8-8 to winning the Super Bowl, can the Texans do the same thing next year? (Probably not.)

The Titans have opened contract talks with WR Justin Gage.

Broncos DE Jarvis Moss is off crutches and making progress in rehabbing his broken fibula and torn ankle ligaments.

Asked whether S John Lynch will come back next season, Broncos CB Champ Bailey said, "I haven't bugged him yet about it. I want to, and I will, but I'm just waiting to ask him about it."

At the Pro Bowl, FB Lorenzo Neal might be wearing a Chargers helmet for the last time.

The only job opening left on the Cowboys' coaching staff is at linebackers coach.

Said former Redskins WR Gary Clark of his old teammate Art Monk getting into the Hall of Fame, "It's the first time I've heard that much emotion in his voice."

Las Vegas Sports Consultants says the Lions' odds of winning the Super Bowl are 60-1. (We're betting the farm on the 1-60 against.)

The Packers expect their 39-year-old long snapper Rob Davis to return for one more season.

The Falcons have cut the price of upper-level end-zone season tickets from $280 to $250.

POSTED 9:37 a.m. EST, February 6, 2008

WOLF CALLS HIMSELF AN "IDIOT" FOR HOLMGREN REMARKS

Former Packers General Manager Ron Wolf regrets his decision to blame Packers coach Mike Holmgren for the team's loss in Super Bowl XXXII.

"For something like that to come out 11 years later makes me look like an idiot," Wolf told the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel.

Wolf didn't deny the harsh quotes about Holmgren's in-game coach, which were attributed to Wolf last week. "You guys know me well enough, when you ask me a question, I’m going to answer the question," Wolf said.

Wolf called Holmgren to apologize after the words hit the fan. "I told him quite frankly," Wolf said, "that if he never spoke to me again I could understand it."

So was the Big Show pissed off?

"When I talked to him, no, because he hadn’t seen the article. After he saw that article that could change, but I don't know that."

POSTED 8:00 a.m. EST, February 6, 2008

SPAGS USING 'SKINS FOR LEVERAGE?

Giants defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo is interested in the head-coaching job in Washington.

And if it means getting a big raise in our current job, we'd be interested, too.

David Elfin and Ryan O'Halloran of the Washington Times report that the Giants are preparing a contract offer that would include "a substantial pay raise" for Spagnuolo, who spent one year running the New York defense after eight years with the Eagles. Prior to that, Spagnuolo worked for a variety of colleges, with the exception of a one-year stint in Barcelona of the defunct NFL Europe (or whatever it was called in 1992).

Our take? Spags will be next year's Jason Garrett, if the Giants don't get blown off of the field in 2008. So why not wait to pick a job later instead of taking the last job left in the current hiring cycle?

The deciding factor could be cash. Redskins owner Daniel Snyder might be willing to pay Spagnuolo more of it than he could reasonably expect to make a year from now.

But control could be a big factor, too. In Washington, Vinny Cerrato is entrenched as the personnel chief and the coaching staff already has been hired for whoever gets the job next.

Through it all, Chris Mortensen of ESPN reports that Jim Fassel is still the favorite for the gig, and we agree. In our view, the entire exercise of interviewing other candidates is aimed at allowing Snyder and Cerrato to claim that the organization performed its due diligence before deciding that the otherwise disregarded Fassel is the right man for the job.

POSTED 7:40 a.m. EST, February 6, 2008

SHOCKEY SKIPS PARADE, RALLY

Giants tight end Jeremy Shockey didn't attend the parade and rally for the team on Tuesday.

It's not really surprising. Instead of being on the sidelines with his team during Super Bowl XLII, Shockey was double-fisting drinks in a luxury suite. And he has been not around at all for much of the team's improbable run to the NFL title.

We realize that a guy who suffers a season-ending injury immediately acquires plenty of emotional baggage, especially if his team suddenly thrives in his absence. But Shockey's posture smacks of selfishness, and the fact that the Giants galvanized as a team without him will make it harder for him to re-integrate into it, especially if he spends most of the offseason working out in Miami, as usual.

And if Shockey senses that the team is looking to move on, don't be surprised if he starts working the back channels for a trade.

Receiver Plaxico Burress also missed the Tuesday parade due to the knee injury that almost kept him out of Super Bowl XLII. But Burress caught up with the team for the rally at the Meadowlands.

POSTED 7:14 a.m. EST, February 6, 2008

GLAZER RESPONDS TO RUMORS THAT HE HAS MORE TAPES

There was a rumor making the rounds on the Internet on Tuesday that FOX's Jay Glazer, who somehow obtained the confiscated videotape from the Pats-Jets game in Week One, has in his possession some of the additional tapes surrendered by the Patriots to the league office. As the rumor goes, Congress wants the cage-fighting NFL insider to step into a very different kind of ring to explain what he knows.

Glazer denied the rumor on FOX Sports Radio.

"It's been reported that I've agreed to go to the Senate and give up the Patriots' spy tapes. I was contacted this morning about this, [and] that's the dumbest thing I've ever heard in my life. I do have Spygate tapes at my house, absolutely, and it will be shown, but, only for my next party. I have not been contacted by anybody in the NFL, nobody in the Senate or by anybody in Congress. People have even told me I have to get a legal team. . . . This is just not true. Nothing could be further from the truth. . . . If they want to see it at the next party I have, they can come see it."

(We're pretty sure he's kidding about actually having other tapes.)

Glazer's acquisition of the Pats-Jets tape was one of the stated reasons for the league's decision to destroy the information turned over by the Patriots in the wake of Spygate I. The concern, supposedly, is that some of the things given up by the Pats would make their way into the mitts of the media. Plenty of folks still have misgivings, however, about the notion that the stuff was eliminated because the league didn't think it was sufficiently competent to safeguard it.

POSTED 9:42 p.m. EST, February 5, 2008

ANDREWS (ALLEGEDLY) HAD A HALF-POUND OF POT

The potential problems for Patriots defensive back Willie Andrews are slightly more serious that first believed.

Andrews wasn't simply busted for possession of marijuana. He had three bags of it, and no means to smoke it.

As a result, he has been charged with possession with intent to distribute.

Ironically, Andrews previously told John Tomase of the Boston Herald that a 10-day stint in jail had scared him straight.

"That gave me my first sense of being in the real world, when your parents can't do anything for you and you have to face your actions and be a man," Andrews said after being drafted in 2006. "It was really a turning point for me and helped get me where I am today. I didn't want to be in their position and go back there. That was really eye opening."

Before too long, Andrews could be getting a thorough refresher course.

CHECK OUT CFT ON SIGNING DAY (AND EVERY DAY)

With our own MDS, named one of SI.com's mainstream sports bloggers of the year for his work at AOL.com, back from his stint in Phoenix for Super Bowl week, he's ready to roll up the sleeves and keep you up to date on all of the commitments made on Wednesday, as part of the national letter of intent day.

Traffic to CFT already has tripled in just a day, and we anticipate that we'll set our all-time CFT traffic record on February 6.

Click here to check out CollegeFootballTalk.com, now updated regularly by MDS.

PFT HEROES DEBUT ON WEDNESDAY

Starting tomorrow, we'll be rolling out our first year-end awards. Yeah, for a change, we'll actually be recognizing and rewarding good things about NFL awards.

The prizes will be determined by position, and each one will be named for someone who previously played that same position.

The categories are defensive line, linebacker, cornerback, safety, kick returner, kicker/punter, offensive line, tight end, receiver, running back, quarterback, and head coach.

POSTED 9:02 p.m. EST, February 5, 2008

'HAWKS MAKE MORA THE FIRST HIRE OF '09

The Seattle Seahawks have designated assistant coach Jim Mora to assume the reins after head coach Mike Holmgren retires following the 2008 season, according to Jay Glazer of FOXSports.com.

Mora currently is the secondary/assistant head coach in Seattle.

Technically, the move does not violate the Rooney Rule, if (as we presume) the future promotion has been added to Mora's contract. Under the league provision that requires at least one minority candidate to be interviewed for each head-coaching vacancy, an exception applies where a team elevates a member of the current staff via a pre-determined deal.

But the Fritz Pollard Alliance is likely to balk. Last month, chairman John Wooten indicated that the Alliance did not believe that it would be permissible to add such a clause to the contract of an assistant coach already in the building. NFL spokesman Greg Aiello disagreed, explaining that if the promotion becomes part of the written contract of a current member of the staff, the Rooney Rule is not implicated.

Our guess is that the Mora case will result in a refinement to the rule. For example, the league might require in the future that the promise to promote the in-house candidate occur before the current head coach announces his plans to leave.

POSTED 7:33 p.m. EST, February 5, 2008

BELICHICK READY TO FOCUS ON 2008

New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick sounds like a man who has quickly made the adjustment after his previously 18-0 team failed to finish the deal in one of the most stunning Super Bowl outcomes in NFL history.

"It's a disappointing end to a lot of good things that happened this season," Belichick said on Tuesday. "We played a lot of good football, but we're certainly disappointed about the way it ended. We came so close, but it just didn't work out.

"It's time to move on. I'm not going to sit here and dwell on anything, good or bad, that happened in the past. It is what it is. We played our last game of the '07 season."

Belichick also addressed his controversial decision to enter the field, embrace Giants coach Tom Coughlin, and then high-tail it to the locker room with time left on the clock.

"I wasn't really sure of the time," Belichick said. "Everybody started on to the field and then I got over there and I wanted to congratulate Tom. I've been in that situation before after the game. I wanted to get over there and congratulate him and congratulate him on the championship. There really wasn't much left at that point."

Even if Belichick "wasn't really sure of the time," folks like referee Mike Carey were trying to tell him that the game wasn't over. And Belichick treated Carey as if he were invisible.

Regardless of any explanation that Belichick now provides, the incident will be a permanent part of his legacy -- and a fixture of Super Bowl legend and lore.

And before Belichick can truly move forward, the NFL and other interested parties need to find out what if anything Matt Walsh knows about the new "Spygate II" allegations, which could ultimately result in a season-long suspension for Belichick.

POSTED 5:14 p.m. EST, February 5, 2008

WALSH WILL GET A CHANCE TO TALK

On Friday, the New York Times introduced us all to Matt Walsh, a former Pats employee who might (key word: might) be able to shed considerable light on allegations of more extensive cheating by the team than previously revealed.

Senator Arlen Specter (R-Pa.) has now reached out to Walsh, and NFL Security reportedly plans to talk to him as well.

As some Internet hack explains in a new SportingNews.com column, there's also a chance (albeit remote) that a zealous U.S. Attorney could decide to launch an investigation into whether the Economic Espionage Act of 1996 was violated by, for example, the videotaping of the Rams' walk-through practice prior to Super Bowl XXXVI.

Meanwhile, Specter and NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell will be meeting next week to discuss Specter's concerns as to, among other things, the league's decision to destroy the materials surrendered by the Patriots in the wake of "Spygate I."

Regardless of how everything turns out, we think it's in the best interests of all parties for this matter to get wrapped up as soon as possible.

POSTED 4:31 p.m. EST, February 5, 2008

EMMITT VERSUS BERMAN

Inevitably, someone has slapped together the Emmitt Smith 2007-08 "highlights" with the Chris Berman rant (as Emmitt would say, "Boomer blowed a fuse).

The end result is right here.

Thanks to our pal Chris Mottram at SportingNews.com for pointing it out.

POSTED 4:19 p.m. EST, February 5, 2008

CAP HIT FOR TRADING CHAD WOULD BE MANAGEABLE

Mark Curnutte of the Cincinnati Enquirer reports that the Bengals would face a cap charge of $8.03 million by trading receiver Chad Johnson. But Curnutte doesn't address two important details that would reduce the practical consequences in 2008.

First, assuming that the number quoted by Curnutte reflects only the gross cap acceleration, the net hit would be $4.78 million, given that the Bengals wouldn't have to pay Johnson his $3.25 million salary in 2008.

Second, much of the acceleration can be deferred if Johnson is traded after June 1. Under the pre-2006 CBA, this wasn't the case; any trade resulted in a full acceleration of all remaining signing bonus money. Under the current labor contract, only the current year's bonus allocation applies if the player is traded after June 1. The rest of the unallocated signing bonus money would hit the cap in the next year.

Also, we need to pick a fairly minor nit with Curnutte's report. He says that Johnson would forfeit his $3.25 million salary if he is traded or released. If he is traded, however, the new team would inherit Johnson's contract, and would owe him $3.25 million in 2008.

Finally, even if the full cap hit were $8.03 million, we're talking about the Bengals here. Trading or cutting Johnson before June 1 would make it easier for the cost-conscious Bengals to satisfy the mandatory salary floor without having to spend all of the requisite dollars in the current cap year.

POSTED 4:08 p.m. EST, February 5, 2008

FINS "WIN" TURD WATCH I

With the Monday after the Super Bowl now in the rear-view mirror, it's time for us to hand out the Turd Watch I hardware. And though we'd planned to name the non-existent knick-knack for the left-hander who's currently loitering in Leavenworth, the Turd Watch champion will receive the Jerramy Stevens Trophy.

The first "winner"? The Miami Dolphins.

The Fins reeled in 77 points, which is 13 points more than the Jaguars.

The final standings are right here.

Meanwhile, we're starting the next "game" as of today. And, ironically, one of the only teams to come out of Turd Watch I with zero points, the New England Patriots, is the first team on the board for Turd Watch II.

POSTED 2:13 p.m. EST; UPDATED 2:34 p.m. EST, February 5, 2008

REPORT: GREGG WILLIAMS TO JAGS by Michael David Smith

Jacksonville radio station 1010XL is reporting that the Jaguars have added former Redskins assistant head coach-defense Gregg Williams to their coaching staff.

Williams will reportedly get the title of defensive coordinator and assistant head coach. He replaces Mike Smith, who left Jacksonville to become head coach of the Atlanta Falcons.

According to the station, the team is not planning to make an official announcement for at least another day.

A Buddy Ryan disciple, Williams has long had a reputation as one of the best defensive game planners in the business. Williams spent the last four seasons as Joe Gibbs' top assistant with the Redskins and was at one point considered the front-runner to get the head-coaching job when Gibbs retired, but after multiple interviews for the job, he and Redskins owner Daniel Snyder agreed that Williams would go elsewhere.

Several other teams, including the Cowboys, were said to be interested in adding Williams to their coaching staffs.

POSTED 1:23 p.m. EST, February 5, 2008

PATRIOTS' ANDREWS BUSTED FOR POT by Michael David Smith

Patriots defensive back Willie Andrews was arrested today, two days after playing for New England in the Super Bowl, multiple media outlets are reporting.

According to the Associated Press, Andrews was arrested during a traffic stop on charges of possession of marijuana and driving an unregistered motor vehicle.

The arrest took place in Lowell, Massachusetts at 9:30 a.m. today, a day after the team returned from Arizona. Andrews is scheduled to be arraigned today in Lowell District Court.

Andrews was the Patriots' seventh-round pick in the 2006 NFL draft. He plays primarily on special teams and scored a 77-yard kickoff return touchdown against the Dolphins in October.

We will re-set the days without an arrest meter to zero, and the Patriots will get an early boost on the 2008 Turd Watch.

POSTED 12:34 p.m. EST, February 5, 2008

MOON PLEADS NOT GUILTY TO DUI by Michael David Smith

Hall of Fame quarterback Warren Moon pleaded not guilty Monday to driving under the influence charges stemming from a December arrest.

Moon, who played for the Oilers, Vikings, Seahawks and Chiefs and currently works as a Seahawks radio broadcaster, was arrested on December 28 after refusing to take field sobriety and breath tests. A pretrial hearing has been scheduled for March 31, and a judge instructed Moon not to consume alcohol and to cooperate with any request that he take a blood or breath test.

The arrest was the second time in 2007 that Moon was in trouble for driving incidents involving alcohol. Moon pleaded guilty to negligent driving after an April arrest in which a police officer said Moon took "unusually shaky and deliberate steps" during a field sobriety test. Although Moon told the officer he had been drinking, he was not charged with DUI in that incident because his breath test registered .068 and .067, below the .08 legal limit for driving.

Seahawks officials have said they are conducting their own investigation of Moon. It is not known whether Moon will be retained as a team radio broadcaster.

POSTED 11:30 a.m. EST, February 5, 2008

RAVENS DENY MCNABB TALKS by Michael David Smith

Ravens General Manager Ozzie Newsome says a report that the team is considering a trade for Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb is untrue.

"We have not had one meeting to discuss any personnel on our team or anyone else's team," Newsome said yesterday, per Jamison Hensley of the Baltimore Sun. "We've been very busy hiring assistant coaches."

ESPN's Chris Mortensen reported on Sunday that the Ravens were considering making the Eagles a trade offer for McNabb. The deal could make sense because the Ravens need a quarterback, and their new head coach, John Harbaugh, has been an Eagles assistant for McNabb's entire career.

The Eagles' front office has insisted that McNabb will be the starter in 2008, but the team's decision to use its first draft pick in 2007 on quarterback Kevin Kolb has led to much speculation that it's just a matter of time before McNabb departs.

The Ravens could choose to stand pat with the three quarterbacks already on their roster, Steve McNair, Kyle Boller and Troy Smith, but it seems more likely that they would acquire a veteran and jettison McNair, Boller or both.

But for now, Newsome says only this about who his quarterback might be: "We have not had any dialogue about our personnel. We don't have a quarterback coach yet."

POSTED 10:06 a.m. EST, February 5, 2008

VERMEIL DOUBTS CHEATING HELPED PATS BEAT RAMS by Michael David Smith

The coach who led the Rams to a Super Bowl win in 2000 doesn't believe the Patriots' spying led the Rams to lose the Super Bowl in 2002.

Dick Vermeil, who coached the Rams to the title against he Titans in 2000, tells the Associated Press that he doubts any type of cheating is the reason the team lost to the Patriots when Mike Martz was the coach in 2002.

"Personally, I don't think it had any effect on the game," Vermeil said. "That stuff's been going on forever and I don't think you gain from it. But if people are doing it they must think it's making a contribution."

Vermeil was responding to the Boston Herald report that a member of the Patriots' staff taped the Rams' final walkthrough before the Super Bowl. The next day, the Patriots upset the Rams 20-17.

The 71-year-old Vermeil, who said suspicions of teams taping their opponents have gone on as long as he's been in football, said he thought any information a team could get from spying on an opponent's final practice would be limited, and that it could even be counterproductive in that it would cause the team to over-emphasize what it discovered in the walkthrough.

But, as Vermeil noted, any coach who engages in spying wouldn't do it if he didn't think he was gaining a competitive advantage from doing it.

POSTED 8:46 a.m. EST; UPDATED 9:41 a.m. EST, February 5, 2008

NEWS FLASH: BRADY WAS HURT

The absence of any reference to Tom Brady's ankle on the Super Bowl injury report prompted many to conclude that he wasn't injured. Especially since the report did mention that persistent shoulder problem of unknown origin, which by all appearances has never actually affected his performance.

And Brady's personal passing guru, Tom Martinez, now tells the New York Daily News that Brady's performance in the Super Bowl suggests that the ankle was indeed bothering him.

"He had chances and he had guys open, but in an atypical way, the ball wasn't getting there," Tom Martinez told the Daily News. "[The coaches] didn't move the pocket much to get him outside the pocket. They didn't do some things they've done in the past. That led me to believe there was some kind of problem with the ankle.

"I saw a different approach from them," Martinez added. "They're so smart, and yet it was kind of shocking they didn't have a few more answers. I felt like -- and I have to be careful with what I say -- that they stayed too long with what they were doing.

"They weren't really aggressive the way they went about it. In the second and third period, it's like they were trying to hang on, 7-3. That led me to believe that something internal was going on. It wasn't typical. Those coaches always have answers to the people who give them problems."

If Brady really was injured, it makes us wonder whether the ruse to make him appear to be just fine actually hampered his physical preparation for the game. For example, after he was spotted in a walking boot in Manhattan 15 days ago, he was quick to create video of himself walking around without the boot, perhaps at a time when he needed to be wearing the boot. And he took every rep in practice last week, even though maybe he should have been spending that time not testing an ankle that needed to further heal.

To their credit, the Pats aren't using Brady's condition as an excuse. Then again, they really can't. By declaring his ankle to be healthy via the injury report, any suggestion that it wasn't could prompt the NFL to come down hard of them.

After all, the purpose of the injury report is to ensure that there will be no inside information to which gamblers might try to get access by, for example, paying off players or other team employees. In this case, the apparent health of Brady would have made New England minus-12 appear to be a good bet. For anyone who knew the truth, the Giants getting the points was the smart play.

TUESDAY MORNING ONE-LINERS by Michael David Smith

Giants rookie WR Steve Smith showed promise in the playoffs and Super Bowl after an unproductive regular season.

At his Super Bowl MVP press conference, Giants QB Eli Manning was more interested in talking about his teammates than he was in talking about himself.

Patriots fans greeted their team in Foxboro after the players returned from their Super Bowl loss.

Former Bills WR Andre Reed has been eliminated on the first Hall of Fame ballot for two straight years.

The Dolphins have hired Dan Henning as their new offensive coordinator.

New Cleveland defensive coordinator Mel Tucker grew up a Browns fan.

Steelers vice president Art Rooney Jr. has written a book that honors his father, the founder of the franchise.

Former Broncos QB John Elway doesn't think the 1997-98 Broncos get enough recognition as one of the all-time great teams.

Raiders S Jarrod Cooper spent his four-week steroid suspension volunteering at an animal shelter.

Chargers CB Antonio Cromartie says his goal for 2008 is to set a new NFL record with 15 interceptions.

Watching a team they beat twice win the Super Bowl is tough for the Cowboys.

Bears fans may feel some hope for QB Rex Grossman's future after watching Eli Manning's performance in the Super Bowl.

The Falcons are rounding out their defensive coaching staff.

Says Panthers DE Mike Rucker of deciding to keep playing, "I looked at playing again like a puzzle, with a bunch of pieces. When enough of the pieces fit, I made a decision."

The Rams are working on boosting their season ticket sales.

A new stadium for the 49ers will be the subject of two November ballot initiatives.

POSTED 6:46 a.m. EST, February 5, 2008

HOBBS PLAYED WITH SPORTS HERNIA

Alex Marvez of FOXSports.com reports that Patriots cornerback Ellis Hobbs will undergo surgery to repair a sports hernia and a groin injury suffered earlier in the season.

Hobbs played with the injuries, but aggravated the groin problem in the first quarter of Super Bowl XLII.

Since December 1, Hobbs appeared on the injury report only once. The Pats did the same thing a couple of years ago, when it was learned after the season that quarterback Tom Brady played for much of the year with a sports hernia that never showed up on the injury report. There was no punishment of the Pats for the Brady situation, and the league likely will take no action as to Hobbs' injury.

However, the fact that Brady appears every week on the injury report with a right shoulder injury that has never limited his performance makes it curious at best when other actual injuries are concealed by the team. Indeed, few believe that Brady's ankle wasn't bothering him during the Super Bowl, but Brady's ankle was never mentioned on the injury report, indicating that it was fine.

As to Hobbs, the fact that he was injured makes even more questionable the decision to put him in single coverage on Plaxico Burress on the play that resulted in the final score of Super Bowl XLII.

POSTED 9:23 p.m. EST; UPDATED 9:31 p.m. EST, February 4, 2008

WALSH'S RING FOR SALE?

A reader has pointed out to us that a Super Bowl ring from the Pats-Rams game six years ago currently is available on eBay. (You can "buy it now" for only 125 large.) And there's speculation that the ring belongs to former Pats employee Matt Walsh.

Evidence that it's not Walsh's ring? The address of the seller is Fall River, Massachusetts.

Evidence that it is Walsh's ring? One of the pictures of the ring shows the designation "STAFF" on one side.

Regardless, someone who worked for the team six years ago is selling a ring. And if we only had an extra $125,000 laying around, we'd be half tempted to buy it.

Another rumor making the rounds over the weekend was that Walsh actually made the trip from Hawaii to Arizona for the Super Bowl. Given that many members of the NFL media will be spending much of the week covering the Pro Bowl in Hawaii, it might be wise for Walsh to stay in Arizona for a few days.

TRUE FOOTBALL FANS WON'T READ THIS POST

We realize, reluctantly, that football isn't the only sport played in the universe. And we also realize, reluctantly, that some of our business partners have business interests tied to one or more of those other sports.

With these realities in mind, we offer those of you who don't spend every free moment following the NFL an opportunity to enhance your preparations for fantasy baseball leagues by getting your mitts on the RotoWorld Baseball Draft Guide.

Click here to buy it. And click only here to buy it. (Otherwise, we won't be able to persuade RotoWorld that we can put asses in the seats.)

POSTED 9:09 p.m. EST, February 4, 2008

REFS GOT IT RIGHT ON BLACKBURN CALL

We've gotten plenty of e-mails from Giants fans regarding a superficially odd second-half call during which Pats coach Bill Belichick used the red challenge flag to trigger a reply review as to the question of whether Chase Blackburn of the Giants got off the field before the snap on a punt. The outcome was significant, because the five-yard penalty gave New England another first down.

Our simple answer? "Hey Giants fans -- you won the damn game. Why are you bitching about a call that doesn't matter?"

The more involved answer is that the procedure, and the call, were accurate. The same issue came up during a Week Sixteen game between the Vikings and the Redskins. Under the rules, replay can be used in that circumstance. Under Rule 15, Section 9, part (c), item 5, one of the expressly-listed reviewable plays is: "Number of players on the field."

It doesn't mean that all missed penalties can now be detected via replay. It simply means that this is one of the specific issues for which replay can be used.

POSTED 6:49 p.m. EST, February 4, 2008

McFADDEN PICKS AN AGENT

Liz Mullen of SportsBusiness Journal reports that Arkansas running back Darren McFadden has selected Ian Greengross to be his contract advisor.

Greengross was picked after he and five other agents traveled last week to Arkansas to meet with McFadden and others, including lawyer David Cornwell.

Mullen also reports that former Olympic triple-jumper Mike Conley officially has been hired to handle McFadden's marketing deals. We heard several weeks ago that this one was a done deal.

POSTED 5:10 p.m. EST, February 4, 2008

NO WINDFALL COMING FOR TYREE

So what will making the biggest catch in Super Bowl history this side of Lynn Swann mean to receiver David Tyree?

Financially, not much.

Beyond the $78,000 paycheck that he'll get for being a member of the winning team (which is nearly nine percent of his full-year salary of $875,000), Tyree won't be the next Larry Brown or Dexter Jackson or Desmond Howard.

Each of those men parlayed big performances on the biggest stage in sports into big-money deals, because each became unrestricted free agents weeks after coming up big in the Super Bowl. But Tyree is already under contract through 2010, at salaries of $925,000, $1.1 million, and $1.3 million over each of the next three years.

As far as history is concerned, the money is irrelevant. Tyree's third-down catch will be remembered for as long as the Super Bowl is played as one of the great moments in NFL history. He first pinned the ball against his helmet with his right hand after Pats safety Rodney Harrison pushed it out of Tyree's hands. Then, as he was falling backward to the ground, Tyree got his left hand back onto the ball and, most importantly, kept it from touching the ground.

And if the ball had touched the ground, the replay review would have been intriguing, to say the least. Under the so-called Bert Emanuel rule, the ball can touch the ground if the receiver otherwise has (and maintains) control of it. Given the way that Tyree was holding the ball, it's hard to think that it wouldn't have at least moved a little if it had struck the turf.

But strike the ground it didn't, and it really was one of the best plays in the 42-year history of the Super Bowl.

POSTED 4:36 p.m. EST, February 4, 2008

UPSHAW OPPOSED TO MOVING PRO BOWL

As the 2008 Pro Bowl approaches, NFLPA executive director Gene Upshaw is speaking out about possible plans to move the game back to the mainland.

Says Upshaw in his weekly "100 words" item posted on the union's web site:

"Pro Bowl selection is an honor. For players who choose not to participate, I believe it's due more to injuries than date/location. But the NFL wants to make changes:

"1. Location: The NFL suggests moving it from Hawaii to the Super Bowl city. I believe the experience in Hawaii cannot be replicated elsewhere.

"2. Date: The NFL wants the game moved from Sunday after the Super Bowl to Saturday or Wednesday before. This means Super Bowl participants -- and some players who just lost the Championship -- wouldn't be able to play. How can we promote an all-star game without our stars?"

(By the way, it really was 100 words. Exactly. In ten words, that's really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really impressive.)

Upshaw's position has a few flaws. First, plenty of players don't make the trek to Hawaii because of "injuries" that would never keep them from suiting up for a practice or a game that actually matters. So the suggestion that players choose not to participate because of legitimate injuries is just flat untrue. Second, given the number of players who routinely treat playing in the Pro Bowl like July jury duty in a courthouse without air conditioning, does it really matter if the players from the two Super Bowl teams are automatically exempt?

Since we're not aware of Upshaw ever questioning a possible move of the Pro Bowl, this could be evidence of an effort by Upshaw to begin to oppose things that the league wants to do, merely in the interests of taking an opposite position to the league. Upshaw has been criticized by guys like Bryant Gumbel for being too cozy with management. With a possible labor problem in the offing, maybe Upshaw has decided not to be the league's lap dog any longer.

POSTED 4:15 p.m. EST, February 4, 2008

ANOTHER ARGUMENT FOR RETREADS

As the Washington Redskins continue their search for a new head coach via a process that is considering two guys (Jim Fassel and Steve Mariucci) who previously have been fired by other teams, here's something else to consider when considering retreads.

With the Giants and coach Tom Coughlin winning Super Bowl XLII, nine of the last eleven NFL Championships have been captured by coaches on their second NFL head-coaching jobs. And only one of them (Jon Gruden of the Bucs) hadn't been fired. (Okay, it would have still been nine-of-eleven if the Pats had won, since New England coach Bill Belichick is on his second gig, too.)

As we've previously mentioned, five of the final eight teams from the 2007 playoffs were coached by men who have been fired at least once. Including Mike Holmgren of the Seahawks, the coaches of six of the final eight are on at least their second team. Two of the eight are on their third.

Meanwhile, the 'Skins also will interview Giants defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo, whose stock has come a long way since the team gave up 80 points in two weeks to start the season.

But Spagnuolo might be wise to sit tight for a year. With the Giants likely to be just as good on defense in 2008, Spags likely will have more options come January. And he'd likely be able to hire both his offensive coordinator and defensive coordinator (and other members of his staff) if he waits a year. If he becomes the next coach in Washington, much of the table will already be set for him in this regard.

POSTED 3:45 p.m. EST, February 4, 2008

ROSENHAUS SAYS CHAD DOESN'T PLAN TO HOLD OUT

The agent for Bengals receiver Chad Johnson denies an ESPN report that the player periodically known as "Ocho Cinco" will sit-o out-o in 2008.

But here's the kicker. While Drew Rosenhaus says that "Chad will play football in 2008," Rosenhaus wouldn't say that it will be for the Bengals.

"Our plan is for Chad Johnson to play football in 2008," Rosenhaus told the Cincinnati Enquirer. "That is how I will respond to the report."

Clearly, Johnson wants out of Cincy. Even more clearly, Rosenhaus has learned from the T.O. debacle of 2005, when the Eagles season "got debacled" (thanks, Emmitt) by Owens' antics in an effort to be traded or cut.

But none of this means that the Bengals will do anything to let Johnson get his way. The Bengals have Johnson under contract through 2011, and can choose to not trade him. His choice, then, would be to play for the Bengals or not at all. If he doesn't play at all, he'll owe the Bengals the signing bonus money that applies to the 2008 season.

And if O.C. takes a page from T.O. and reports for work with a stick up his butt, the team will have the ability to suspend him for up to four weeks for conduct detrimental to the team. The only difference between 2005 and 2008 is that he can't be sent home with pay.

Meanwhile, with Pats receiver Randy Moss pulling out of the Pro Bowl, Johnson is now on the roster. We wonder how he feels about wearing a Bengals helmet in Honolulu?

Our guess is that he'll gladly tolerate it, since it gives him a chance to continue to campaign, not-so-quietly, for a new home come September.

POSTED 3:14 p.m. EST, February 4, 2008

SPECTER NOT GOING AWAY QUICKLY

Pennsylvania Senator Arlen Specter is an Eagles fan. And one of the NFL's top cable nemeses, Comcast, is headquartered in Philly. And Comcast has contributed plenty of money to Specter's campaigns. (Actually, a corporation by law can't make political contributions; the money is given by its employees and/or the company's political action committee.) And Specter is now making the New England Patriots cheating scandal one of his pet projects.

Though it's easy to decry Specter for putting his nose where it doesn't belong and/or for doing the bidding of Comcast by "sticking it" to pro football generally, these are just some of the practical consequences of the NFL becoming a huge national player with operations in many states. Indeed, the NFL has been using the political process to pressure the Comcasts of the world to carry NFL Network as part of standard, non-premium packages. Why shouldn't the Comcasts of the world use their clout to push back a bit?

And regardless of whether Specter picked last week to start picking on the Pats in order to get maximum attention for the story (by the way, it worked), we were all eventually going to learn the name "Matt Walsh," and then someone in the House or the Senate would have been sure to seize on the story as a way to squeeze the NFL.

But while some might have concluded that Specter's stance would soften a bit in the wake of Sunday night's loss in the Super Bowl, he seems to be emboldened. Though we haven't seen the video, we hear that Specter was talking tough on NBC 10 in Philly last night. And he did the same on WIP in Philly this morning.

Specter now says that he is interested (predictably) in finding out whether his Eagles were cheated in Super Bowl XXXIX three years ago. He also is troubled by Commissioner Roger Goodell's explanation regarding the prompt destruction of the materials surrendered by the Patriots in the days after Spygate I.

"If they were filming the walk-though in 2002 and they were stealing the signals in 2007, what happened in 2005 with the Eagles?" Specter told our friend Angelo Cataldi on WIP's morning show. "It's part of a bigger picture," he said. "The league really needs some accountability, and I intend to push for it."

The "bigger picture" is much more than the instance of one team cheating and the league possibly not doing enough to investigate the team's broader cheating practices, if any. Specter also mentioned issues like copyright infringement, public funding of stadiums, and the diversion of NFL games to an in-house network not widely available on a national basis.

As to those other issues, we've really got no position. But we recognize that the NFL's presence as the dominant sports league in America makes it fair game for Congress to look into things about which it may be concerned, even if there's an argument to be made that the Senator or House member in question is doing the bidding of one of his major contributors.

If, in the end, there's merit to the matters into which the Arlen Specters of the world are delving, the motives are immaterial. We all have a reason to be concerned that the current stewards of the game are doing things the right way, and we all have a right to demand that they do.

POSTED 12:54 p.m. EST, February 4, 2008

ACCORSI SHOULD GET A RING

We believe that the New York Giants should give former G.M. Ernie Accorsi a Super Bowl ring, even though he's no longer employed by the team. (Most recently, he was working as a consultant for the Falcons.)

But while his now-vindicated trade for Eli Manning and other efforts to collect talent helped build the team that won the Super Bowl, Accorsi's decision to step aside also had a role in the team's victory.

In past years, the Giants struggled because Accorsi had acquired talent without regard to whether the players would interact effectively. There were too many chefs or chiefs, or whatever the cliche' is.

Frankly, Accorsi was the mad scientist who concocted a stew of strong personalities, and expected a quarterback who still can't grow a full beard to lead them. It was a mistake, and it wasn't until Tiki Barber left and Jeremy Shockey got hurt that this team came of age.

Besides, we can't imagine Accorsi pulling off a better 2007 draft than Reese's: Aaron Ross, Steve Smith, Jay Alford, Zak DeOssie, Kevin Boss, Ahmad Bradshaw. Wow.

Sure, Reese also traded running back Ryan Grant for a case of Ramen noodles. But there so many backs on the preseason depth chart that Grant might have gotten cut. At least Reese got something for him.

So while Accorsi had a positive impact on the Super Bowl XLII champs, there's definitely a bit of addition by subtraction that occurred when he left.

POSTED 12:36 p.m. EST, February 4, 2008

VICK CAN KEEP HIS BONUS

Judge David Doty, who presided over the landmark litigation that resulted in free agency and still retains jurisdiction over certain aspects of the administration of the 15-year-old system, has ruled that Falcons quarterback Mike Vick may keep more than $20 million in bonuses paid to him as part of his December 2004 contract extension.

The decision reverses the ruling of Special Master Stephen Burbank, whose decision to allow the Falcons to pursue the money was regarded as a surprise in the wake of a prior decision from Burbank regarding former Broncos receiver Ashley Lelie.

The ruling arises from a conclusion that roster bonuses are money earned in the year in which they are paid. In contrast, a signing bonus is earned over the period of years in which the money is allocated under the salary cap.

The twist in the Vick case was that the team reserved the right to convert the roster bonus payments to guaranteed amounts, which then triggered proration. But the fact that the money was paid out as a roster bonus, according to Judge Doty, exempts it from forfeiture.

In the Lelie case, Burbank found that an option bonus was not subject to forfeiture, even though an option bonus is essentially a signing bonus that comes due at some date after signing. The second time around, Burbank focused on an argument that the league didn't make in the Lelie case in finding that a roster bonus is subject to forfeiture.

The Falcons have the ability to appeal the decision to the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit. A notice of appeal must be filed within 30 days. Thereafter, the appellate court would set a briefing schedule, and argument would follow several months later. Ultimately, the losing party may attempt to persuade the United States Supreme Court to take up the issue. However, the Supreme Court takes up only a small percentage of proposed appeals.

Vick currently is serving a prison term for violation of federal conspiracy laws relating to gambling and dog fighting.

POSTED 7:20 a.m. EST, February 4, 2008

EMMITT'S PARTING SHOT?

With the 2007-08 NFL season now officially over (except for the -- yawn -- Pro Bowl), the question in Bristol becomes whether it will be one-and-done for Emmitt Smith, one of the worst high-profile analysts we've ever seen and heard.

If the Sunday night/Monday morning SportsCenter ends up being Smith's swan song, at least he left us laughing.

Emmitt, you see, has come up with another new word. In explaining that the New England offense was shut down against the Giants, Emmitt said, "The Patriots strength got debacled."

Yes, that's what he said.

But at least he got LL Cool J's name right this time, even though we could see the gears grinding in his head as he tried to be sure that he wasn't going to pull another "L Cool JJ."

POSTED 7:15 a.m. EST, February 4, 2008

WHAT NEXT FOR SHOCKEY?

With rookie tight end Kevin Boss showing that he can step right in for veteran Jeremy Shockey, it'll now be very interesting to see what the Giants do with Shockey moving forward.

Shockey broke a leg and ankle in December, and as we've heard it he wasn't happy with the fact that the team was doing so well without him. He also wasn't around much for the stunning, historic Super Bowl run -- and even though he attended the game he wasn't on the sidelines with his teammates. Instead, he was double-fisting drinks in a luxury suite.

We've said it before, we'll say it again. It's time to let him go. Tiki Barber did the Giants a favor by leaving after the 2006 season; the Giants now need to do themselves a favor by moving Shockey to another team.

Really, is it a coincidence that quarterback Eli Manning has finally come of age after Shockey was no longer there to call for the ball and berate anyone and everyone when he didn't get it? It isn't. And even though Eli's personality won't allow him to make a play to shed Shockey, G.M. Jerry Reese and the rest of the organization need to realize that Eli's long-term interests are better served with Boss as the starting tight end.

POSTED 7:00 a.m. EST, February 4, 2008

PATS GAVE GIANTS SOME IN-GAME MOTIVATION

Forget about the news that the Pats applied prior to Super Bowl XLII for a trademark on the term "19-0." The team that previously was 18-0 got the Giants more riled up with some of the things that they said during the game.

''They were inviting us to their parties after the game,'' receiver Amani Toomer said. ''They showed us no respect.''

If that's true (and we have no reason to think it isn't), the notion that the Patriots would chatter like that during a game that the Pats never controlled at any stage of it is amazing. Maybe, like the rest of the world except the Giants and their fans, the Pats believed that their victory was inevitable.

The word "inevitable" apparently needs a new definition.

POSTED 6:23 a.m. EST, February 4, 2008

BELICHICK DRAWS CRITICISM FOR EARLY EXIT

When Patriots coach Bill Belichick took to the field after his team came up short in its bid to force overtime in Super Bowl XLII, we initially assumed that referee Mike Carey would simply run the final second or two off the clock and call it a game.

We became even more convinced of it after Belichick acted like Carey was invisible while Belichick tried to give his former colleague with the Giants, Tom Coughlin, a quick post-game hug. Then, Carey's body language after getting blown off by Belichick seemed to indicate that there would be no need to proceed.

As Belichick made his way off the field, however, it became obvious that one final play was required. But Belichick didn't return.

Though we can understand why he left, and why he'd want to get the hell out of there, he should have stayed.

Still, we don't view what he did as the equivalent of that infamous early exit from receiver Randy Moss in the 2004 regular-season finale. The Vikings still arguably had a sliver of hope in that game; for the Patriots, there would be no Miracle in the Meadowlands. The last snap was a victory formation formality, nothing more.

If Belichick had left before the fourth-down play that preceded his exit, it would have been very, very different.

That said, Belichick is a guy who has never had any regard for perception. It's one of his few flaws, but it's a big one. In his world, many of the things that the rest of us regard as important simply aren't, and he either doesn't realize (or doesn't care) that folks might think ill of him based on the otherwise meaningless things that he says or does.

It's something that he needs to change. And if Giants coach Tom Coughlin can change, anyone can.

POSTED 6:02 a.m. EST, February 4, 2008

PLAX PLAYED WITH SPRAINED MCL

Bart Hubbuch of the New York Post reports that Giants receiver Plaxico Burress played not only with a torn ligament in his ankle but also with a sprained MCL, suffered in a hotel-room shower mishap on Monday.

"Until this morning, I honestly didn't think I would be able to go, and it broke my heart," Burress said after the game.

So Burress played almost the entire year with the ankle problem, and then found a way to gut it out with a knee injury of previously unknown origin. He didn't contribute much throughout the game, and that might have contributed to the fateful decision of the Pats to use Ellis Hobbs in single coverage against him in the red zone.

POSTED 5:49 a.m. EST, February 4, 2008

BRADSHAW DIDN'T CURSE

We received 100 or so e-mails from readers who swear that Terry Bradshaw of FOX dropped an "F" bomb during the Super Bowl pre-game show. The readers believe that, as partner Howie Long was modeling a Red Sox hat as part of his pick of the Pats to win the game, Bradshaw said something about putting the hat on his "big f--king head."

Here's the clip.

We think that he said "bucket head." He likes to come off as a backwoods bumpkin, but he's smart enough not to say something like that on the air.

POSTED 5:39 a.m. EST, February 4, 2008

BEST WISHES TO LEN

We've been advised that ESPN.com's Len Pasquarelli underwent quintuple heart bypass surgery on Saturday at St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center in Phoenix. We wish him a quick and full recovery.

A source who was in the room tells us that Len was showing all of the symptoms of heart trouble during the Hall of Fame voting on Saturday -- shortness of breath, pale, shivering.

"He was absolutely suffering through the voting, and he stayed in that room," the source said. "I begged him to just fill out his ballots, leave, and get to a hospital. But he not only stayed, he wrote a story on the voting afterward. When he finally sought medical help, he was rushed into surgery."

We've had our differences with Len, and a lot of it was in our early days, when we were looking to get noticed. But the guy is a grinder, and he truly has a passion for the NFL and the work that he does. His willingness to disregard how he was feeling in order to take care of business is something we respect, and we hope he'll be back on the job very soon.

We're not saying we're never going to disagree with him. But we definitely have a much different view of him.

We've also been told that Peter King of Sports Illustrated was hospitalized on Sunday with bronchitis, and was unable to attend the game.

POSTED 5:27 a.m. EST, February 4, 2008

GIANTS' CONFIDENCE OVERCOMES BULLETIN BOARD FODDER

We said it all week -- if the Giants can beat the 18-0 Pats after telling the 18-0 Pats that they were going to beat them, it will be time to re-think the entire Lou Holtz poor-mouth approach to pre-game commentary regarding an opponent.

For the modern athlete, at every level, the Giants' ability to turn their boasts into the biggest upset in Super Bowl history (after sleeping on it, we're now convinced that this one was even bigger than Super Bowl III), it just might be that the benefits of bravado outweigh the burden of giving the opponents some bulletin board material.

In this case, it started with Osi Umenyiora and continued with co-owner Steve Tisch and then peaked last week with Plaxico Burress, who predicted a 23-17 win, and Michael Strahan claiming that history will be made.

Then again, the Giants were helped tremendously by the report in the New York Post that the Patriots had applied for trademarks on two variations of the phrase 19-0. That single incident of institutional audacity (and stupidity) surely helped get the Giants' juices flowing, allowing them to pull off what Emmitt Smith might call a "Samson and Goliath" outcome.

So kudos to the Giants for paying homage to Babe Ruth by calling their shot and delivering. It was amazing to watch.

By the way, the third down play by Eli Manning, who looked like a guy who wore number 10 for the Giants (and Vikings) a long time ago and David Tyree, who hauled in a 32-yard pass by pinning it against his helmet while Rodney Harrison was pulling him to the ground, was in our view the biggest single play in Super Bowl history. It was a thing of beauty; we've watched it a dozen times already. More amazing than anything else is that, while the FOX announcers kind of marveled at the thing, they failed to recognize its obvious historical significance, if the Giants were to win the game.

POSTED 6:17 p.m. EST, February 3, 2008

ROTH BUSTED IN IOWA?

Though we can't presently confirm that Matt Roth of the Miami Dolphins with a date of birth of October 14, 1982 was arrested in Iowa on Friday for public intoxication, a man of the same name and with the same date of birth was arrested there on Friday for public intoxication.

Roth, coincidentally, played college football at Iowa.

He was a second-round draft pick in 2005. If/when the arrest is confirmed, he'll get a final three points for the Fins before we re-set the clock to zero for every team.

New V.P. of football operations Bill Parcells has said that he doesn't want any "thugs and hoodlums" on the team.

POSTED 4:58 p.m. EST, February 3, 2008

CANTON APPARENTLY DIDN'T GET THE MEMO

On Saturday, six new players were elected for enshrinement in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. And the official Hall of Fame web site already has updated its web site to reflect the new members.

But, apparently, something got lost in the translation.

Per the Hall of Fame web site, the list of members by positions now includes Cris Carter, Randy Gradishar, Bob Kuechenberg, Randall McDaniel, Russ Grimm, Derrick Thomas, Richard Dent, and Marshall Goldberg.

But, well, none of them made it in on Saturday.

The error is balanced out by the fact that some of the guys who made it, such as Gary Zimmerman, Fred Dean, and Andre Tippett, aren't listed.

POSTED 3:47 p.m. EST, February 3, 2008

BELIEVE ESPN.COM, MISS TWELVE MINUTES OF THE GAME

A reader pointed out to us that the front page of ESPN.com contains this image:

The only problem? The game kicks off not at 6:30 p.m. EST, but at 6:18 p.m. EST.

Maybe it's simply a mistake. (A big mistake, but a mistake nonetheless.) Or maybe it's just a passive-aggressive approach by ESPN to make known the general displeasure with the fact that their $1.1 billion per year for the Monday Night Football package doesn't result in a Super Bowl for ESPN or ABC or any other network owned by Disney.

The rotation is CBS, FOX, NBC. ESPN and ABC are, for the past two seasons and the next six, SOL.

And because ESPN signed and eight-year deal and the other networks executed six-year contracts, ESPN/ABC might be frozen out the next time around, too.

POSTED 3:17 p.m. EST, February 3, 2008

RODNEY HARRISON HAS AN ODOR PROBLEM

With a pregame show chock full of important information about the Super Bowl and the teams playing in it, FOX has treated us to this gem, from Pats safety Rodney Harrison:

"As a kid growing up, my brother named me 'Dootie,' because I used to have really bad gas. Pretty, pretty stinky."

Thanks?

Folks, we like laughing about farts as much as anyone. But when the Super Bowl pregame is using anecdotes regarding boyhood flatulence in order to fill up four hours, it might be evidence that the show is a couple of hours too long.

SUPER BOWL LIVE BLOG PLANS

Okay, we've made a decision about the game. There will not be a Live Blog via the Cover It Live service. Not because we think that the traffic will cause the Cover It Live server to crash (the guy who runs that company hates it when we say that, and thus we continue to do so), but because I'm going to pretend to have a life tonight and watch the game with family.

But I'll have the official PFT laptop and the official PFT Sprint air card. We'll be running an old-school Live Blog with fewer, but hopefully more meaningful, updates.

Meanwhile, our good friends at SportingNews.com will have three separate Live Blogs going -- one for the commercials, one for the television broadcast, and one for the game itself.

POSTED 2:43 p.m. EST, February 3, 2008

RUCKER WILL RETURN

A league source tells us that, despite much speculation about his possible retirement, Panthers (for now) defensive end Mike Rucker will return for the 2008 season.

But Rucker, 32, will be a free agent on February 29, one day after he turns 33.

With Jared Allen of the Chiefs and Terrell Suggs of the Ravens expected to be slapped with the franchise tag, Rucker could end up being one of the most attractive players at the cash-rich position of defensive end.

Rucker was a second-round pick of the Panthers in 1999. Though he played in every game in 2007, Rucker had his lowest sack total (3.0) since becoming a full-time starter. Then again, that might have had something to do with an uncharacteristically poor season from Julius Peppers, who had only 2.5 sacks in 14 games.

POSTED 1:54 p.m. EST, February 3, 2008

WOMAN WHO DIED IN GRANT INCIDENT WAS PREGNANT

Adam Schefter of NFL Network reports that the woman who was shot and killed during a Saturday incident that resulted in the stabbing in the neck of Saints defensive end Charles Grant was pregnant.

So, just like the situation that ensnared Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis eight years ago, it's a double-homicide case in Georgia, and Grant is in the thick of it.

As we understand the situation, there are many more details to come, and the details might not be good for the overall interests of Grant.

POSTED 1:49 p.m. EST, February 3, 2008

WORST SCANDAL SINCE THE BLACK SOX?

Most Patriots fans dismiss the opinions of ESPN.com's Gregg Easterbrook regarding "Spygate I" and/or "Spygate II" (which is the first sequel that actually was a prequel). And, at times, we've disagreed with the zeal he has displayed in criticizing the Patriots' actual and suspected cheating and the league's handling of the situation.

But Easterbook's latest column regarding the allegation that the Patriots videotaped the Rams' final walk-through practice prior to Super Bowl XXXVI is the best analysis of the situation that we've seen.

If the new allegations are true, Easterbrook thinks it will be the biggest sports scandal since the Black Sox incident in baseball. We hadn't thought about where this one would rank in the history of pro sports (even though we've been aware of the rumor since the days after Spygate first broke), but we think that we agree with Easterbrook's assessment.

Which scandal would be bigger? Maybe Pete Rose betting on baseball. Maybe steroids, which is actually more of a generational problem than a one-time incident.

As football goes, it would be the most embarrassing moment in league history, if it's proven that the Rams' practice was videotaped. And we really don't care if others have done it. We're sure that there are plenty of other dirty things that have happened in sports about which the general public isn't aware. Should that make evidence of secret taping of an opponent's practice any less shocking?

And while many are suggesting that this latest mess is all the fault of Arlen Specter, the Senior Senator from Pennsylvania's huffing and puffing merely coincided with the far more significant revelations contained in the New York Times item from Friday that brought Spygate back to the front burner. Regardless of whether Specter opted to grandstand in the days preceding the Super Bowl, the Matt Walsh story eventually was going to surface. Tthe Times merely opted to use what it could from Walsh on the same day, possibly because the Times feared that the Specter story might prompt other media outlets to introduce the world to Walsh, even if Walsh still really hasn't said anything on the record.

So Specter's power play apparently prompted the Times to go with what it could on Walsh, which has in turn caused all hell to break loose, which will give Specter more ammunition for his quest to hold hearings on the Patriots' practices.

Regardless of how or when we've gotten to this point, it was inevitable that Walsh was eventually going to talk. As we've said several times now, the only way to put this thing to rest is to provide Walsh with a forum in which he can say what he knows (or what he thinks he knows) and so he can be questioned fully and fairly by all interested parties.

POSTED 1:09 p.m. EST, February 3, 2008

IF WALSH HAS VIDEO, BELICHICK DONE FOR A YEAR

ESPN's Sal Paolantonio reports that, if it turns out that former Patriots employee Matt Walsh has in possession video of the Rams' final walk-through practice from Super Bowl XXXVI, New England head coach Bill Belichick will be suspended.

For a year.

Wow.

If Walsh has a such a tape, and if Belichick knows or suspects that he does, it could have a profound affect on Belichick as he prepares for the final act in a possible 19-0 season. We're not saying that it'll affect his coaching in any way; it might actually make him more focused and determined. But the knowledge that this game could be his last one for 19 months, and possibly his final time on the sidelines with the Patriots ever, is likely something that not even the modern-day Bud Grant would be able to conceal.

Indeed, if Belichick knows that he's toast, he might opt to retire before "Spygate II" hits the fan. And he'll be carrying those thoughts somewhere in his brain throughout the day and night in Phoenix.

And given that the Patriots have issued a statement calling Saturday's report from the Boston Herald "absolutely false," evidence to the contrary might compel owner Bob Kraft to fire his head coach on the heels of a fourth Super Bowl win in seven seasons.

Though plenty of folks are questioning the timing of these new disclosures, the fact is that if there's any truth to the report and that truth comes out, the guy who'll pay the biggest price is Belichick.

Either way, this is something that needs to be investigated quickly, so that if there's nothing to it the Pats and Belichick can have the cloud of suspicion removed.

POSTED 12:48 p.m. EST, February 3, 2008

CHAD TO SIT OUT 2008?

ESPN's Chris Mortensen reports that Bengals receiver Chad Johnson might sit out for the entire 2008 season if he is not traded by the team.

Per Mort, Johnson is upset by, among other things, the fact that coach Marvin Lewis hasn't spoken to him for several months.

And while some believe that Johnson was only kidding as he went from radio station to radio station last week to muse about playing in the city that each station serves, we think that the notion that it all was a joke is a lame effort to try to cram a fat-assed genie back into one of those mini-bar bottles of booze.

As a league source has explained it to us, Johnson definitely wants out of Cincinnati. But the plan is (was) to not go public with the matter, and to try to finesse a trade behind the scenes. Johnson, in our view, erred badly by wearing his emotions on his shirt more visibly than a heavy white dose of that Degree antiperspirant he was pimping all week in Phoenix.

Also, we've been told that the Bengals won't budge and that, if Johnson wants to sit, they'll let him.

So even though the plan might be to avoid another T.O. spectacle, we think that Johnson won't be able to stop himself from creating a spectacle that could in the end be even bigger than the Owens mess.

POSTED 12:27 p.m. EST, February 3, 2008

BERMAN POKES FUN AT HIS 2000 RANT?

We've been closely watching the ESPN pregame show for any hint of an acknowledgement by Chris Berman of that priceless off-air but on-tape blowup from eight years ago, which surfaced on the Internet for the first time this week.

Here it is.

So near the end of the first 60 minutes of a three-hour marathon, Berman was talking and the camera had not come back to him. When it finally did, he said with hand beckoning, "Don't be afraid to come over here now."

It likely was a coincidence, but it definitely takes on new meaning in light of Berman's profanity-rich rant.

POSTED 12:20 p.m. EST, February 3, 2008

RAVENS PONDER A RUN AT McNABB

It's a theory that many Ravens fans (and more than a few Eagles fans) were peddling to us two weeks ago, after former Eagles assistant coach John Harbaugh landed in Baltimore as the new coach of the local football club.

Could the Ravens try to make a trade for Philly quarterback Donovan McNabb?

The potential move has some superficial appeal, given the Ravens' ongoing struggles to find a quarterback who can consistently play effectively. But why would Baltimore want another aging quarterback with a propensity to get injured? They tried that approach with Steve McNair in 2006, and it really hasn't worked out too well.

Regardless, ESPN's Chris Mortensen reports that the Ravens are pondering a play for McNabb.

If the Ravens decide to go forward, the challenge will be coming up with a trade package that the Eagles would accept. We've suspected for months that Philadelphia has been pretending that they plan to keep McNabb in an effort to hijack someone for a couple of first-round picks. Then again, if Harbaugh is privy to what the Eagles plan to do, he might be in position to help get something done for fair value to all involved.

POSTED 12:12 p.m. EST, February 3, 2008

THE PFT SUPER BOWL SCHEDULE

Though our plans for the day are still somewhat fluid, the current intention is to sit here at the official PFT Commodore 64 and post blurb after blurb during the three-hour ESPN pregame show and the four-hour FOX offering.

Then, the tentative plan is to flip the switch on a Live Blog via the Cover It Live software, exclusively through the PFT beta site.

But we're not sure whether it's worth the effort to do a Live Blog of the Super Bowl, since most folks are at parties and otherwise, you know, interacting with other humans. Let us know whether you want a Live Blog.

POSTED 12:04 p.m. EST, February 3, 2008

JAWS IS "OKAY WITH IT"

In an admission that left us as apoplectic (thanks, Tiki) as Jerry Seinfeld when he found out that, as to a certain indecent proposal he made to a girlfriend, "she's into it," ESPN's Ron Jaworski has no qualms with an NFL team sneaking into an opponents' practice and videotaping the plays.

"I'm okay with it," Jaworski said during the network's three-hour pre-game extravaganza.

WHAT?!?!?!?!

Jaws' justification? "It's going on."

Okay, Jaws. Murder is "going on," too. Should it be legalized? Plenty of bad things are "going on." Does that make them okay?

Sure, those examples are extreme. But they are the logical application of Jaworski's shrug-of-the-shoulder approach to practices that are, and should be, forbidden.

Look, Jaws is great with the X's and O's and, even though his speaking style is at times annoying and repetitive, he does a nice job on Monday Night Football. But these beliefs suggest to us that the man has at some point lost his soul.

How can he be "okay with it"? It's cheating and it's wrong. The notion that it's okay because everyone does it is a horrible example to set for our kids, and it's a very weak way to defend the indefensible.

POSTED 11:54 a.m. EST, February 3, 2008

GRANT STABBED IN ATLANTA

Eight years after an infamous Super Bowl night stabbing in Atlanta, there's been another knife incident involving an NFL player.

This time around, however, the player was on the wrong end of the blade.

According to Adam Schefter of NFL Network, Saints defensive end Charles Grant was stabbed in the neck during a Saturday night fight in an Atlanta nightclub. A woman was shot and killed during the melee.

Grant is expected to be okay, but police will want to interview Grant, if they haven't already, regarding the events that ultimately claimed a woman's life.

More details are expected to come in as the day unfolds.

POSTED 11:49 a.m. EST, February 3, 2008

COMMISH MEETING WITH WALSH SOON?

On Super Bowl morning, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said on ESPN Radio that the league will "absolutely" investigate the "Spygate II" allegations, and that Goodell will "absolutely" meet with former Pats video employee Matt Walsh.

As Chris Mortensen of ESPN points out, Goodell will be heading to Hawaii soon for the Pro Bowl. And Walsh lives in Hawaii.

The media covering the Pro Bowl also will be on its way to Hawaii as well, and we have a feeling that Walsh will be feeling a little bit like Britney Spears over the next few days.

POSTED 11:41 a.m. EST, February 3, 2008

WILLIAMS TO COWBOYS?

Adam Schefter of NFL Network reports that the Cowboys could be hiring former Redskins defensive coordinator to run the defense.

Per Schefter, discussions already have occurred, and will continue on Monday.

Since the Cowboys already have a defensive coordinator, Williams would likely have a position similar to his title in Washington, where he served as assistant head coach-defense.

The other curiosity about Williams' candidacy is that the Cowboys currently run a 3-4 defense. Williams used a 4-3 approach in D.C.

Williams, who was interviewed more times than Chad Johnson on radio row for the head-coaching job in Washington, was ultimately fired. Williams has interviewed with the Jaguars for the defensive coordinator vacancy created by the departure of Mike Smith, the new head coach in Atlanta.

POSTED 7:39 a.m. EST, February 3, 2008

DID LOOMING LOGJAM DRIVE 2008 HOF VOTE?

Our first reaction to the list of guys who'll formally enter the Hall of Fame come August was that the Selection Committee wanted to take care of previously forgotten guys like Art Monk and Fred Dean and Andre Tippett and Gary Zimmerman before the coming crush of big-name Hall-eligible players arrives.

Guys like Emmitt Smith and Jerry Rice and Jerome Bettis and Curtis Martin and Tim Brown and I'm sure I'm missing someone(s) are coming up for consideration over the next few years. So, if some of the guys who have been hanging around the back of the room for several cycles didn't get in now, they might not make it at all -- unless and until they get a nomination from the Seniors' Committee.

We ran that theory by a few with knowledge of the process, and found that there might be some appeal to that line of thinking.

One source agreed, but cautioned with respect to the 40-member selection committee that "it's always dangerous to draw a conclusion from a group that has not much in common."

Another source said that there's "some merit" to this notion, but pointed out that the disparity between offensive (105) and defensive (58) players elected since 1960 helped persuade the Committee to try to correct the imbalance with this year's class, which features four defensive players and only two from the other side of the ball. Also, "[t]his was the best chance for many of the pass rushers who have been languishing on the ballot to get in, and Zimmerman just seemed long overdue."

So while on the surface it's obvious that Cris Carter (and perhaps Andre Reed) and Derrick Thomas are more worthy of Canton than Monk and Dean/Tippett respectively, Carter, Reed, and Thomas will have a better chance of not getting lost in the shuffle as the big names of the '90s and the early part of the present decade come closer to Canton.

POSTED 8:39 p.m. EST, February 2, 2008

WARNER CALLS FOR INVESTIGATION OF "SPYGATE II"

It's becoming increasingly obvious that, before former Pats employee Matt Walsh talked to the New York Times about things he claims that he knows but won't talk about, other members of media were chasing the story of whether Walsh videotaped the final walk-through practice of the St. Louis Rams prior to Super Bowl XXXVI.

Indeed, Mike Fish of ESPN.com already had quotes from then-Rams quarterback Kurt Warner about the situation. In a new report on ESPN.com, Fish shares some of what Warner said.

"It is obvious that it wasn't as thorough as it could have been," Warner said regarding the original investigation into the question of cheating by the Patriots, which did not include an interview of Walsh. "I don't have any information on why they didn't talk to him or how far back they went, but just knowing that there was somebody that was involved in that [video department], and he wasn't talked to or they didn't go back that far -- I guess it is disappointing. You would think that if they do an investigation for the integrity of the game, that they would try to do everything possible. And maybe they did, and they just missed it. But as a purist and someone who wants to see the integrity of the game stay where it is, it is a little disappointing that they didn't [look] under every rock to figure this out and to do something to make sure it doesn't happen again."

And though the Rams won a Super Bowl after the 1999 season, he recognizes that the loss two years later had a profound effect on himself and on the franchise.

"Let's just say, for instance, that what they did had an effect on the second Super Bowl that I played in," Warner said. "And then to see the course of my career from that point forward -- there was some dramatic changes. Had I won two Super Bowls, some of the things may not have happened through the course of my career.

"After we lost the Super Bowl, the organization went into a little bit of a downward spiral, as you see with a lot of teams that lose the Super Bowl. You see how career situations were altered after losing that game. You look at Mike Martz. If he is a Super Bowl winner, that is a whole different thing. Or just maybe guys, that was their only chance to be in a Super Bowl. And to go away losing it instead of winning it, that is a huge deal.

"So if [the Patriots] did something that affected that game, I would hope that all the parties involved would do everything they could to make sure that it doesn't happen again. And to make sure that something that somebody earned wasn't taken away from them in any way, shape or form by somebody not doing or abiding by the league rules."

As explained below, the Patriots claim that the report that the Rams' walk-through was videotaped is "absolutely false." The Rams have no comment on the matter.

POSTED 8:26 p.m. EST, February 2, 2008

MORE KNEE SURGERY FOR WINSLOW

In 2007, Browns tight end Kellen Winslow make a remarkable return from microfracture surgery on a right knee that he originally injured in May 2005, when he crashed a motorcycle while performing stunts in a parking lot.

Now, Winslow apparently needs further surgery on the same knee.

"I'm definitely going to have a surgery done on my knee," Winslow told a Phoenix radio station on Friday. "My shoulder might be strong enough . . . I'm just really worried about my knee. Your legs are your life. I need my knee."

Winslow has consistently played injured, and presumably in pain, ever since returning from the injury that knocked him out for all of the 2005 season. Then again, what else would we expect from a f--king soldier?

POSTED 8:09 p.m. EST, February 2, 2008

PATS CALL NEW ALLEGATIONS "ABSOLUTELY FALSE"

The New England Patriots have spoken regarding a Boston Herald report that the organization taped the Rams' walk-through practice prior to Super Bowl XXXVI.

"The suggestion that the New England Patriots recorded the St. Louis Rams’ walkthrough on the day before Super Bowl XXXVI in 2002 is absolutely false," said the Patriots in a statement. "Any suggestion to the contrary is untrue."

If Matt Walsh was the unnamed source for the Herald story, and if Walsh has hard proof to confirm his version of the events, now would be the time for Walsh to come clean. In our view, the fact that the Patriots have said that the allegations are untrue would make it even more difficult from a P.R. standpoint for the franchise to take legal action of any kind against Walsh.

Either way, he needs to say what he knows on the matter. If he knows nothing, the Pats likely would appreciate it if he says so.

POSTED 4:35 p.m. EST, February 2, 2008

HALL OF FAME CLASS OF 2008 ANNOUNCED by Michael David Smith

The Pro Football Hall of Fame selection committee concluded its annual meeting today and chose six new members.

Fred Dean, Darrell Green, Art Monk, Emmitt Thomas, Andre Tippett, and Gary Zimmerman will be enshrined in Canton in August.

The biggest story of the day is Monk, who had been passed over repeatedly, infuriating Redskins fans. But there will be a big Washington contingent in Canton this year, with both Green and Monk present.

In a bit of an upset, wide receiver Cris Carter was eliminated on the second ballot. In Phoenix this week, I talked to several selection committee members and was surprised to learn that many of them didn't consider Carter a lock. I was even more surprised to learn that some didn't consider Green a lock. Green got in; Carter didn't.

Potential Hall of Famers who will become eligible for the first time next year include Bruce Smith, Rod Woodson and Shannon Sharpe. By rule, between four and seven candidates are chosen each year.

POSTED 9:30 a.m. EST, February 2, 2008

REPORT: PATS FILMED RAMS WALK-THROUGH

When it rains, it freakin' pours.

After a bizarre day in which Spygate unexpectedly reappeared on the league's radar screen and strong hints of previously undisclosed cheating emerged, John Tomase of the Boston Herald reports that the Patriots videotaped the walk-through practice of the St. Louis Rams prior to Super Bowl XXVI.

Here's the key excerpt from Tomase's report:

"According to a source close to the team during the 2001 season, here's what happened. On Feb. 2, 2002, one day before the Patriots' Super Bowl game against heavily favored St. Louis in New Orleans, the Patriots visited the Superdome for their final walkthrough.

"After completing the walkthrough, they had their team picture taken and the Rams then took the field. According to the source, a member of the team's video staff stayed behind after attending the team's walkthrough and filmed St. Louis' walkthrough.

"At no point was he asked to identify himself or produce a press pass, the source said. The cameraman rode the media shuttle back to the hotel with news photographers when the Rams walkthrough was completed, the source said."

Though the Herald doesn't identify the cameraman, it doesn't take a genius to suspect that it was Matt Walsh, the video employee who has been quietly but doggedly pursued for nearly five months. It also doesn't require much gray matter to realize that Walsh likely gave Tomase the green light to cite him as an unnamed source.

A walk-through practice usually involves execution of the plays that are in the team's offensive game plan, out of the specific formations that each play will be called. Having access to that information would provide an enormous advantage to the opposing team.

In Super Bowl XXXVI, the ordinarily high-octane Rams offense struggled in the first half to move the ball, and trailed the underdogs from New England 14-3 at intermission. Seven of the Pats' points came when cornerback Ty Law jumped a route and took an interception to the end zone. After making halftime adjustments, the Rams came back, tying the game at 17 before the Pats won the game on a late field goal.

What does it all mean? For starters, much of the media assembled to cover the Super Bowl will soon swarm upon key figures from the 2001 Rams, searching for quotes that might support the notion that the Pats seemed to know exactly what the Rams were doing on offense. Guys like former coach Mike Martz and his offensive assistants (Henry Ellard, Bobby Jackson, Jim Hanifan, John Matsko, Wilbert Montgomery, and John Ramsdell) can expect to be pestered. Players like quarterback Kurt Warner and running back Marshall Faulk and receivers Isaac Bruce and Torry Holt will be pursued, too.

For now, however, we're even more convinced that the Patriots will win Super Bowl XLII by a huge margin. If the inflammatory remarks of various members of the Giants' organization weren't enough, the calling into question of the game that sparked the New England dynasty will surely drive the team to prove to the world that they win games based on talent, preparation, and execution.

Even if, six years ago to the day, they supplemented their skill and sweat with something else.

POSTED 8:59 a.m. EST, February 2, 2008

PFTV PREVIEWS THE SUPER BOWL

How big is the Big Game? So big that one a single PFTV segment isn't enough to do it justice.

So we've got two of them. One focuses on the game when the Pats have the ball, and the other when the Giants are on offense. The second one also contains the predictions of the PFTV mouth-breathers (we both had colds).

Here's the first one.

And here's the second.

POSTED 8:52 a.m. EST, February 2, 2008

WALSH IS PAST THE POINT OF NO RETURN

After months of being chased by the media, former Patriots video employee Matt Walsh finally has spoken on the record, initially to the New York Times. As one writer told us on Friday, Walsh's "life has changed forever."

The media requests will continue, and the efforts of the most persuasive and diligent investigative reporters will continue until Walsh tells everything he knows. Eventually, camera crews will head to Hawaii.

Even if he never fully breaks, we think that the mystery of Matt Walsh's knowledge could be enough to enable Senator Arlen Specter to persuade his colleagues on the Judiciary Committee to convene a hearing, and to summon Walsh to Washington.

And as Walsh continues to talk, he'll continue to provide the world with clues as to what he really knows.

Mike Fish (it's always good to find someone else with the unfortunate initials of "M.F.") of ESPN.com has penned a lengthy article regarding Walsh, and it's obvious that Fish has been working on the guy for a while. Though Fish was compelled to justify his effort by wrapping a bunch of prose around quotes from the subject of the story, some of the words of Walsh have greater impact once the filler (it's well-written filler, but it's filler nonetheless) is removed.

And when focusing on Walsh's words, it becomes increasingly obvious that he knows something (or at least thinks he knows something) that hasn't already been publicly disclosed. It's also clear that Walsh is troubled. He rambles. At times, he makes little sense. Through it all, he seems less interested in doing the right thing than about what's in it for him.

"Maybe after this whole thing," Walsh told Fish, "you don't think I have a conscience because of the people I was exposed to and what they had me doing."

Maybe Walsh said that because he fears that his stance on the matter is a reflection that he truly has no conscience. He also doesn't have very good judgment, either. Why talk on the record at all unless he's ready to tell the whole story? And why authorize the New York Times and ESPN.com to print his first quotes on the matter in the days leading up to a historic Super Bowl?

It creates an impression that Walsh is indeed a disgruntled employee. He told Fish that he was fired in 2003 after working for one year as a scout. If Walsh didn't have a burr in his caboose over what happened five years ago, why would he be creating a disruption now?

So we're skeptical about this guy. It doesn't mean that he doesn't have solid information, and there's a strong sense that he has videotapes, but it's hard to give his cryptic comments much credibility unless and until he's ready to back them up with details.

Our free advice (he'll definitely get his money's worth) to Matt? Tell what you know, or shut the hell up. If the evidence is persuasive and significant, the Patriots won't risk the P.R. damage that would be done by suing a man who tells the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth about such a serious matter.

POSTED 10:01 p.m. EST, February 1, 2008

BURRESS QUESTIONABLE FOR SUPER BOWL

The final injury report is out for Super Bowl XLII.

Giants receiver Plaxico Burress is questionable due to ankle and knee problems. He did not practice at all in the week leading up to the game.

For the Pats, quarterback Tom Brady is probable with a right shoulder injury. Once again, there was no reference to any ankle or foot problem.

Three Giants are also listed as probable, including defensive end Osi Umenyiora, who missed practice on Friday with a thigh problem.

POSTED 9:50 p.m. EST, February 1, 2008

MOOCH TO INTERVIEW ON SUNDAY

David Elfin of the Washington Times reports that the Redskins will interview former Niners and Lions coach Steve Mariucci on Sunday before kickoff of Super Bowl XLII.

Mooch has been linked to the job for nearly a week. There was an erroneous report a couple of days ago that the interview had already occurred.

Mariucci was fired by the 49ers after the 2002 season, and then fired by the Lions during the 2005 season.

POSTED 9:37 p.m. EST, February 1, 2008

FRIDAY'S CHAD JOHNSON UPDATE

Receiver Chad Johnson continues his quest for a trade -- without asking for a trade.

How desperate is Johnson to get out of Cincy? So desperate that on Friday's Rome is Burning on ESPN he made a pitch to be acquired by . . . the Raiders.

Also, the Cincinnati Enquirer reports that an effort to contact Johnson to discuss his recent radio row campaign for love from other NFL cities resulted in this pleasant reaction: "I haven't spoken to you all year. Why you calling my [expletive] phone? Why you calling my phone?"

Asked about what he has said on the radio, Johnson said, "I don't care what you heard on the radio."

Obviously, Johnson wants out of Cincinnati. Even more obviously, his agent, Drew Rosenhaus learned via the T.O. experiment three years ago that public wrangling for a trade will likely lead nowhere.

So, ideally, Johnson will say nothing. But he can't help himself. He's stopping short of saying he wants a trade, but he's making it clear that he wants to be traded.

Our guess? Chad's antics are going to get the people in Cincy even more pissed off than they'd be if he'd simply come out and ask for a trade.

POSTED 6:45 p.m. EST, February 1, 2008

A GIANT ARREST IN PHOENIX

With the first annual PFT Turd Watch game ending in three days, one of the few remaining teams with no arrests or convictions since the Monday after the last Super Bowl has avoided a shutout.

Hooray?

Giants reserve defensive end Adrian Awasom was arrested on suspicion of drunk driving on Friday. He has been sent home by the team.

The arrest again prevents the "Days Without an Arrest" meter from hitting double digits.

Awasom has spent three seasons with the Giants. He currently is on injured reserve.

POSTED 4:32 p.m. EST, February 1, 2008

THE WALSH BASHING BEGINS

Now that former Pats employee and Hawaii resident Matt Walsh has pulled the pin on the grenade and is holding the thing in his hand with the lever pressed against the steel, he is suddenly public enemy No. 1 of Patriots nation.

Maybe it's a good thing for him that he lives a long, long way from Boston.

Already, we're being flooded with e-mails from readers who have caught an inconsistency between Friday's article in the New York Times and the three-plus-year-old item from the Providence Journal announcing Walsh's marriage.

The Times says that Walsh worked for the Patriots until 2003. The Journal says that he left in January 2002. (The Journal article also paints a courtship story that conjures images of Kramer and his pint-sized pal Mickey fighting over the two girls whose names they'd gotten confused.)

If the dates in the Journal are accurate, then Walsh would have left the Patriots before Super Bowl XXVI, which was played on February 3, 2002. He also wouldn't have been with the team on February 1 or 2, during which final preparations (such as walk-through practices) are made.

It's a key point, and it will go directly to Walsh's overall credibility, if he claims to know about things that happened after he had left the team's employ.

And it's possible that Walsh merely is a disgruntled employee with an axe to grind. It'll therefore be important to know whether he left willingly, or whether he was fired. Was he then unable to find other work in the NFL, or did he simply choose to work for a team in NFL Europe because he thought it would be fun to live overseas during the tense months after 9/11?

Walsh, we believe, will soon regret saying anything on the record to the Times. His words paint a sufficiently ominous tone to prompt those who support the team to begin to try to discredit him. In this specific case, then, showing the sword will likely have the same net effect as using it.

UPDATE: Walsh's online bio at his current place of employment says that he worked for the Pats from 1996 through 2003.

POSTED 3:50 p.m. EST, February 1, 2008

GOODELL EXPLAINS DESTRUCTION

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell addressed during his annual "state of the league" press conference the question posed recently by Senator Arlen Specter (R-Pa.).

Why did the NFL destroy the materials surrendered by the Patriots in the wake of the Spygate scandal? Because the original tape that gave rise to the brouhaha had landed in the hands of Jay Glazer of FOX.

"We thought we had locked it up. And it got out, five days later," Goodell said.

It's not a surprise, because it's really the only semi-plausible explanation that could be offered for intentionally destroying evidence. If/when Goodell is getting grilled by U.S. Senators on the issue, however, he can expect a few of them to be perplexed by the notion that the league office is so unable to secure sensitive information that the better approach is to shred it.

A summary of the rest of the remarks is right here.

POSTED 12:29 p.m. EST, February 1, 2008

MEET MATT WALSH

Buried in the Friday New York Times article regarding the desire of Senator Arlen Specter are the first on-the-record comments regarding Spygate from Matt Walsh.

Who's Matt Walsh, you ask? He was an employee of the New England Patriots from 1996 through 2003, spending most of his time there in the video department.

Matt Walsh is now an assistant golf pro in Hawaii. And the Times sent a reporter all the way there to interview him.

As talk goes among some of the folks we know in the NFL media, Walsh knows something. Something big.

We're not reporting at this time that Walsh knows anything. But we know for a fact that multiple members of the media were chasing Walsh in the wake of Spygate, trying to get him to talk on the record about what he knows. One came fairly close, but it ultimately didn't happen.

Why? Because Walsh is scared. And rightfully so. He's scared of getting sued into Mike Tyson-style bolivian.

"After speaking to my lawyers and whatnot, I can't really talk to you about anything," Walsh told the Times. "And I can't show you anything. If someone wanted me to talk and tell them things, I would craft an agreement where they would agree from now until the end of my existence to pay for any legal fees that came up in regards to this, whether I'm sued by the Patriots, the [NFL], anybody else."

Wow.

Folks, guys don't say things like that when they don't know anything, or when they don't think that what they know is important.

And though we don't know what Walsh knows, we know what a couple of writers think that he knows. If they're right, and if Walsh talks, it could have huge ramifications.

We know that our bread is partially buttered by the NFL, and we appreciate the relationship. But every owner, G.M., coach, and player is a steward of a game that hopefully will continue for centuries after we're all gone. So we're committed to holding today's stewards of the game accountable for their actions, even if it makes said stewards of the game upset with us. One way or another, Walsh needs to have a forum to tell what he knows. He might collapse like a wet cracker under cross examination, or his story might be flimsier than a kite made out of Kleenex. But this guy has a story to tell, and it needs to be heard.

"If I ever got brought in for a deposition or something, then I would just face the whole gauntlet of questions," Walsh said. "There would be things I'd be forced to answer that some people haven't taken responsibility for."

POSTED 11:45 a.m. EST, February 1, 2008

NFL IS STRONG, BUT COULD BE STRONGER

On the same day that NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell offers up his take on the current state of the league, some Internet hack does the same thing for SportingNews.com.

Specifically, said hack of the Internet offers up five ways to improve an already great game.

Here it is.

POSTED 11:04 a.m. EST, February 1, 2008

PATS APPLY FOR "19-0" TRADEMARKS

Uh-oh.

At a time when the Patriots were giving the Giants no bulletin board material -- and the Giants were foolishly giving the Pats plenty -- the 18-0 AFC champs have gone and done it.

According to the New York Post, the Pats already have applied for federal trademarks on the terms "19-0" and "19-0 The Perfect Season."

In response, the Post applied on Thursday for the rights to "18-1."

This is far different from the City of Boston planning a parade or the Boston Globe taking early orders on a book commemorating a season capped by a win in a game that has yet to be played. This is the team itself -- the Patriots -- engaging in presumptuous activities that became part of the public record.

But while the Post also chastises the Pats for the fact that championship gear is already being sold at NFLShop.com, the league's online store is taking orders for jerseys and hats and other stuff based on either team winning.

Regardless, we're amazed by the Patriots' slip, and it might make us re-think our current belief that the Pats will win the game, 42-10.

POSTED 10:52 a.m. EST, February 1, 2008

SPECTER WANTS AN EXPLANATION FROM GOODELL

At a time when most of the country has moved past the Spygate controversy, Senator Arlen Specter (R-Pa.) hasn't.

On Thursday, Specter told the New York Times that he wants NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell to testify before the Senate Judiciary Committee regarding the destruction of the materials that the Patriots surrendered in connection with the investigation that followed a finding that a team employee had been videotaping defensive coaching signals, in violation of league rules, during a Week One win over the Jets.

"That requires an explanation," Specter told the Times. "The [NFL] has a very preferred status in our country with their antitrust exemption. The American people are entitled to be sure about the integrity of the game. It's analogous to the [CIA] destruction of tapes. Or any time you have records destroyed."

Specter sent one letter in November 2007 and one in December 2007. Appearing on The Dan Patrick Show on Friday morning, Specter explained that the November letter was sent as the Patriots were preparing to play the Philadelphia Eagles, who fall within Specter's jurisdiction. Specter said that he wanted to know whether cheating might have tainted New England's three-point win over the Eagles in Super Bowl XXXIX.

The December letter sought an explanation as to why the materials confiscated by the league were destroyed. He finally got a response this week, and he describes the league's explanation for the delayed response as "untrue."

"It's the same old story," Specter told the New York Times. "What you did is never as important as the cover-up. This sequence raises more concerns and doubts."

Specter told Patrick on Friday that there are several matters to be discussed with Goodell. Specter wants to know, first and foremost, why materials were destroyed. He also wants to know whether there were other kinds of cheating that were discovered, beyond merely the videotaping of defensive coaching signals.

As the rumor mill tells the story, the NFL's position is that the materials were destroyed due to a concern that they could not adequately be secured. After all, Jay Glazer of FOX somehow got his mitts on the actual Spygate tape. But the rumor mill also suggests that the real reason for the decision was that Belichick included in the submission to the league all information available to him regarding other teams engaging in similar tactics.

Regardless of the reason, destruction of evidence always raises eyebrows, regardless of the context. And though it appeared for a while that the only legal complication would be a class-action lawsuit brought on behalf of Jets ticket-buyers that, to our knowledge, has gone nowhere, the league might eventually have to answer tough questions in a public forum about the conscious decision to spoliate evidence.

POSTED 9:57 a.m. EST, February 1, 2008

THE BEST OF EMMITT

Emmitt Smith forged his post-football television career via ABC's Dancing with the Stars, where he proved that he can cut a rug.

As a result, he's now a fixture on ESPN, where he often talks as if he's cut his tongue.

We wonder how Emmitt feels about his current employer's sister network, ABC, poking fun at his shortcomings as a broadcaster. Specifically, Jimmy Kimmel recently stuck it to Emmitt, with a highlight reel of some of Smith's verbal gaffes. Here it is, courtesy of our friends at Awful Announcing.

Though the prevailing thought has been that Emmitt will be one and done in Bristol, the folks at ESPN who hired him might not want to admit defeat by firing him so quickly.

And maybe, just maybe, they've decided that Emmitt is actually good for business. Heck, plenty of our own readers now are glued to the TV whenever Emmitt is on the air, in order to witness his next verbal gem. He's a modern day Yogi Berra, and there's room for a guy like that on television, if Emmitt is able to realize that Kimmel's audience wasn't laughing with him.

POSTED 9:42 a.m. EST, February 1, 2008

HALL OF FAME GETS NEW MEMBERS ON SATURDAY

Though it's not official until August, the new members of the Pro Football Hall of Fame are selected on the Saturday before the Super Bowl.

This year, there are 17 finalists. Two of them -- Emmitt Thomas and Marshall Goldberg -- are the nominees of the Seniors Committee.

The field initially will be cut to seven. Then, at least four and as many as seven will get in, based on an affirmative vote of 80 percent.

Redskins cornerback Darrell Green is a lock. Receiver Cris Carter should get in, too. Beyond that, things gets murkier. Receiver Art Monk has far better numbers than many guys who already have secured admission, not to mention three Super Bowl rings. Receiver Andre Reed also has the numbers, but the lack of a championship and a looming logjam at the skill positions could leave him out in the cold, if he doesn't make it now.

Linebacker Derrick Thomas, whose stellar career was cut short by a car accident that resulted in paralysis and, later, untimely death was as good as any defensive player of his era.

Ray Guy would be the first pure punter in Canton. If any will ever get in, it should be him.

The finalists are due to be announced on Saturday at 4:30 p.m. EST.

The fates of the finalists will be determined by Kent Somers (Cardinals), Len Pasquarelli (Falcons), Scott Garceau (Ravens), Mark Gaughan (Bills), Charles Chandler (Panthers), Dan Pompei (Bears), Chuck Ludwig (Bengals), Tony Grossi (Browns), Rick Gosselin (Cowboys), Jeff Legwold (Broncos), Mike O'Hara (Lions), Cliff Christl (Packers), John McClain (Texans), Mike Chappell (Colts), Sam Kouvaris (Jaguars), Bob Gretz (Chiefs), Edwin Pope (Dolphins), Sid Hartman (Vikings), Ron Borges (Patriots), Pete Finney (Saints), Vinny DiTrani (Giants), Paul Zimmerman (Jets), Frank Cooney (Raiders), Paul Domowitch (Eagles), Ed Bouchette (Steelers), Bernie Miklasz (Rams), Jerry Magee (Chargers), Ira Miller (49ers), Clare Farnsworth (Seahawks), Ira Kaufman (Buccaneers), David Climer (Titans), David Elfin (Redskins), Charean Williams (PFWA), and the following at-large voters: Howard Balzer, Jarrett Bell, John Clayton, John Czarnecki, Nancy Gay, Dave Goldberg, Peter King, Bob Oates, Len Shapiro, Vito Stellino, and Jim Trotter.

Maybe someday an Internet hack or two will be on that list.

Yeah, right.

USE YOUR SPRINT PHONE TO VOTE FOR THE SUPER BOWL MVP

Unlike the Hall of Fame voting process, which doesn't give a voice to the folks without whom there would be no game because no one would care to watch it be played, the NFL encourages the fans to make themselves heard regarding the MVP of the Super Bowl.

Voting can be accomplished via your Sprint or Nextel phone. To do so, text the player's first name and last name to 99777.

The fan's winner will get 2.5 votes in the overall selection process. The second-place player gets one vote. And the third-place player receives half of a vote.

Last year, Colts quarterback Peyton Manning won the popular vote, and also won the official vote.

Sprint is the official telecommunications partner of ProFootballTalk.com, and Sprint has made a strong commitment to the NFL. Sprint customers with PowerVision data plans can watch NFL Network at any time of the day, and Sprint's exclusive SEE TV is all over Phoenix in preparation for the Super Bowl.

POSTED 8:58 a.m. EST, February 1, 2008

UPSHAW THINKS OWNERS WILL TERMINATE DEAL

The guy who runs the NFL Players Association thinks that the league's owners will decide to pull the plug early on the landmark 2006 Collective Bargaining Agreement that narrowly averted a year without a salary cap.

"It's very clear to us from what we see in the tea leaves the owners will terminate the deal in November," Upshaw said on Thursday. "I have prepared the players for the worst."

To the extent that the owners will try to reduce the percentage of total football revenue paid to players, Upshaw won't go for it.

"We will not agree to a rollback," Upshaw said. "They are not hockey players and they are not hockey owners. We're getting 60% of the revenue. When all is said and done, we're not giving any of it back. I don't want the owners to believe there is a Santa Claus. There is not one. At the end of the day, there will be a deal. I think they have to learn to survive on their 40%."

Ouch.

Then again, it's hard to blame the union for not wanting to give up the gains that it has made. The owners are still rich, the teams are still profitable, the sport is still strong, and the game is still played by the players.

If the owners are serious about pulling the plug prematurely on the labor deal, they need to start making their case for doing so. Broncos owner Pat Bowlen tried to do it a couple of weeks ago, but it was hard to take seriously his laments about the free-agency system given that he has a head coach with a propensity to give too much money to too many players who don't deserve it.

This week, Pats owner Bob Kraft gave Bowlen's words some credibility. "The CBA is a very one-sided deal right now, under the new arrangement," Kraft said. "It's something that has to be addressed. We've been able to work things out for close to 20 years and I hope we will continue that."

In other words, Ralph Wilson was right. In voting with Bengals owner Mike Brown against the new deal, Wilson said that the owners moved too quickly. "I didn't understand it," Wilson said at the time. "It is a very complicated issue and I didn't believe we should be rushing to vote in 45 minutes. I'm not a dropout . . . or maybe I am. I didn't understand it."

But the sticking point among the owners wasn't the amount of total football revenue that would be paid to the players. The struggle was coming up with a procedure for sharing unshared revenues that would be factored into the new salary cap calculations, thereby increasing the expenses of the teams that realize far less revenue than others.

The other problem with the CBA is that the league accepted without any counter-proposal the union's noneconomic terms, which have made it harder for teams to discipline players, taking away among other things the ability of a franchise to send a player home with pay.

As a practical matter, the looming unrest should make the debate on Saturday regarding former Commissioner Paul Tagliabue's candidacy for Canton a brief one. If there's a problem with the CBA, then there's a problem with Tagliabue's legacy, since he's the one who pushed the deal through.

If the owners opt to terminate the deal two years early, 2010 will be an uncapped year, which is intended to put pressure on the owners to get a deal done. But if enough owners are willing to short-circuit the hard-fought CBA early, they probably also are willing to tolerate a season without a salary cap -- even if Upshaw swears that once the cap is gone it won't be coming back.

POSTED 8:07 a.m. EST, February 1, 2008

WOLF BLAMES BIG SHOW FOR SUPER BOWL XXXII

Former NFL General Manager Ron Wolf still likes to inject himself from time to time into the post-Ron Wolf NFL. In his most recent effort to remind folks that he was once relevant to the game, Wolf throws the head coach with whom he brought the Lombardi Trophy back to where it belongs under the proverbial bus.

Specifically, Wolf blames Mike Holmgren for the Packers' failure to win a second straight Super Bowl, to cap the 1997 season.

Wolf told the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel in August that the Big Show failed to make adjustments to account for a blitz-happy Denver defense.

"Certain calls were to be made that weren't made," Wolf said. "Mike Holmgren refused those calls. There would have been an adjustment on the blocking scheme and it would have been over.

"One of the great things about playing the game of football is you have to adjust. When you fail to adjust in critical situations you're going to lose, and that's what happened here. To be pig-headed about it, I mean, to have the answer and then not apply it, that's a little different."

Wolf claims that he knows about the refusal of Holmgren to adjust because two Packers coaches told Wolf so.

"I found this out about four years ago," Wolf said. "Two people told me about it that were in a position to know. I could tell you who they were but they wouldn't tell you. They were coaches."

So why is Wolf still thinking about it a decade later? "I'm probably still not over it. It's like a dot in history now, and one of the teams was a one-year wonder. But for somebody to bring it up and explain to you what could have been done and what should have been done, it rekindles the fire every once in a while."

Wolf expressed the same sentiment on the night that the Packers lost to the Broncos: "We're a one-year wonder, just a fart in the wind."

For his part, Holmgren didn't respond to an interview request. We have a feeling, however, that he won't be silent once he sees what Wolf had to say.

The balance of Bob McGinn's article delves into the he-said/he-said debate as to whether the Packers properly addressed the blitz. But the most stunning revelation remains Wolf's decision to publicly blame Holmgren for the team's failure to win a second Super Bowl. It comes off as petty, even if Wolf is right.