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POSTED 11:02 p.m. EDT, June 30, 2006

FRIDAY NIGHT ONE-LINERS

A marketing foof from video game company Midway, which makes the Blitz game, claims that it ditched the NFL, not vice-versa.

From the "How Not to Secure Sympathy from the Jury Pool" file, Steve Atwater said on Friday that losses due to the alleged negligence of the NFL and the NFLPA might limit his ability to take his family on vacations to Cancun.

Here's the full soundtrack for Madden '07 (and, as usual, we've never heard of any of the artists or their songs . . . why can't they just put Rock and Roll All Nite on there . . . every year?).

The Steelers have cut RB Mike Jemison.

Are the Fins ahead of schedule?

POSTED 12:57 p.m. EDT; LAST UPDATED 4:14 p.m. EDT, June 30, 2006

SAINTS' PATH OUT OF BIG EASY GETS EASIER

Lost in an AP report regarding the $15 million that the State of Louisiana will save by cutting subsidy payments to the NFL's New Orleans Saints and the NBA's New Orleans Hornets is that the reduction of the Saints' annual chunk of charity change from $15 million to $2.5 million constitutes a potential breach of the ten-year agreement signed in 2001 to keep owner Tom Benson from moving his football team.

The real story here is that, once the State of Louisiana puts the Saints officially on notice of the $12.5 million haircut, all hell could break loose.

But there's no mention of that possibility in the AP account, which reads, frankly, like an adroitly-crafted effort to win public support for the notion that Louisiana is doing nothing wrong by shorting the Saints and that, if the Saints balk, they'll look like insensitive a-holes.

Jeff Duncan of the New Orleans Times-Picayune reports that the team has declined comment on whether it will accept the reduced payment.

Though the folks who run the Superdome seem to think that the Saints can get the lost money from their business interruption insurance policy, our experience with insurance carriers is that they don't like to give money away unless they absolutely have to. (Even then, they still are inclined at times to try to find ways to avoid paying up.) In this case, if the insurance carrier concludes that the State of Louisiana owes the money to the team and that the reduced payment isn't justified by any fine print in the contract, there's no way that the insurance company will cough up a dime.

So then the question becomes whether the Saints will eat the $12.5 million loss, sue the State of Louisiana for the money, or declare a breach and move the team out of town.

That's the news item that the AP should be pimping. Even though the NFL has successfully managed to keep a muzzle (and perhaps a straitjacket) on Benson for most of calendar year 2006, getting stiffed on his money might be all that it takes to get him to affix a "For Sale" sign on the fleur-de-lis -- raking in a cool billion or so from an L.A. ownership group that would bring not only pro football back to L.A. but also, more importantly, Reggie Bush.

AMPHETAMINE CHANGES NO BIG DEAL

Earlier this week, the NFL announced that amphetamines would be moved from the substance abuse policy to the steroids policy, resulting in stiffer penalties for any positive tests.

But as at least one league source tells us, amphetamines aren't much of a problem in the NFL, so thus the change in the rules isn't causing much consternation for players.

Why, then, did the NFL change the rule? Though we've yet to fully develop the ability to, you know, read minds, our semi-edumacated guess is that the timing of the release was not coincidental. The last week of June is traditionally the ssssslowest news week on the NFL calendar. As a result, the announcement of the change in the policy was sure to get maximum exposure, thereby creating the impression that the NFL is serious about keeping the sport clean, thereby placating (hopefully) the folks in Congress, who seem to always manage to find something else to do other than the things that really need to be done.

And by creating the impression that everything is under control when it comes to substance abuse in the NFL, the league can continue to keep its head in the sand regarding the very real Human Growth Hormone problem that will continue to exist until the league implements some type of testing aimed at detecting it. Most recently, the NFL and the NFLPA have indicated that the league won't be using Olympic-style blood testing for HGH, based on the notion that the test isn't reliable. But if/when Congress decides to stick its nose into the situation, Congress will be far more likely to conclude that if it's good enough for the Olympics, it's good enough for pro football, too.

WHAT ABOUT DEION?

We got a kick out of a Thursday item on the Bengals' official web site in which ESPN.com's Len Pasquarelli, notorious trader of slurping for scoop with NFL agents, gives an on-the-record quote in conjunction with a story that surely will be included within the materials used by Jason Chayut of Sportstars in his ongoing efforts to sign more and more college players.

The article creates the impression that Chayut and his colleagues get deals done early, rarely holding out their clients. That dynamic is of particular relevance to the Bengals this year, since they selected Chayut client Johnathan Joseph in round one of the draft.

"Our game is not to hold out guys," Chayut said.

But Chayut and his firm apparently use a separate playbook when dealing with their veteran clients. Chayut, after all, represents Patriots receiver Deion Branch, who recently skipped out on a mandatory minicamp -- which often is a harbinger of a training camp boycott.

And there's a big difference. Players who have yet to sign a contract have every right to holdout until they get the deal that they like; players like Branch who have signed a contract need to honor it.

Of course, mentioning the Branch situation would have reduced the puff factor in the piece, which in turn could have disrupted the mood that the Bengals' official web site is trying to set before negotiations commence in earnest between Chayut and Mike Brown's band of penny pinchers.

FRIDAY AFTERNOON ONE-LINERS

Here's one from the Michael Irvin/Randy Moss/Greg Brady line of excuses -- Pats DT Johnathan Sullivan says that the marijuana found in his car wasn't his.

Sullivan's agent promises to "rigorously defend" his client against the criminal charges. (Um, we think he meant to say "vigorously," unless the plan is to hire Al Gore or John Kerry to handle the case.)

Shame on the folks at the Tampa Tribune for omitting reference to PewterReport.com as the source of the news that Bucs TE T.J. Williams has a ruptured Achilles tendon, pointing instead to "Internet reports."

Bears LB Hunter Hillenmeyer seems to realize that he got his contract extension due in part to the refusal of LB Lance Briggs to take the team's best long-term offer.

Mike Ornstein's 10-point plan for bolstering Reggie Bush's image before he holds out of training camp would make Karl Rove proud.

The Bucs have cut WR Ben Nelson and OT Stefan Rodgers.

By picking a string of stoopid fights with Packers LB Nick Barnett, Green Bay officials are giving the other 31 NFL teams great ammunition for the future recruitment of African-American free agents.

How can we blame the Cardinals for missing out on a clear revenue stream like parking charges when they've never really had many cars at the stadium in the past?

New Panthers director of college scouting Don Gregory spent three years working with G.M. Marty Hurney in San Diego.

Virginia LB Ahmad Brooks visited the 49ers on Thursday; Niners coach Mike Nolan was the only NFL head coach present for Brooks' recent Pro Day workout.

Hopefully, Bengals QB Carson Palmer won't be doing any cornholing on the golf course.

POSTED 7:41 p.m. EDT; LAST UPDATED 8:52 p.m. EDT, June 29, 2006

QUINN CAMP FEARS THE FAT MAN

A source with knowledge as to the dynamics regarding the Brady Quinn agent search process tells us that Notre Dame coach Charlie Weis has a big hand in the elimination of candidates because, put simply, the Quinn camp is afraid of pissing Weis off.

The source confirms that Weis has told multiple seniors (including Quinn) to get the decision "narrowed down" over the summer, so that the agent search won't be a distraction once the season starts.

Initially, Quinn's people -- his mom, dad, and two uncles -- interviewed 15 agencies over a two-day period. When the time came to narrow the list, they submitted names to Weis, who told them to eliminate various of the agents that they otherwise liked.

Weis told them (we're told) that Quinn needs a "power broker," and that they opted not to risk alienating the coach who has put Brady in position to be the No. 1 overall pick in the 2007 draft.

So the list of finalists was crafted in large part with the influence of Weis, due in large part to the fact that the kid who'll earn a large bonus owes a large amount of his profile to the large man who has helped to put him in the "living large" position he now enjoys.

WEIS TOLD SENIORS TO BE CAREFUL

The source for the story posted above tells us that Notre Dame coach Charlie Weis has impressed upon quarterback Brady Quinn and other seniors the importance of avoid the making of even a verbal commitment to a prospective agent.

Per NCAA rules, even an oral agreement between a player and an agent that the agent will represent the player in the future is enough to render the player ineligible.

As several of our sources accurately have surmised, then, Weis was smart enough to advise his players as to the risks of narrowing down the list of potential agents before the season.

Though there's talk in league circles that Quinn has settled on agent Don Yee, the source says that the party line is that nothing has been decided.

THURSDAY NIGHT ONE-LINERS

The 49ers formally have added P Tom Rouen, and have released rookie P Tom Malone, who did more peeing than P-ing during his time with USC.

The Buc have signed TE Matt Kranchick.

The Bears have signed LB Hunter Hillenmeyer to a five-year extension.

The Fins' 2006 training camp schedule features plenty of night practices. (Dual benefit -- keeps the players cool and otherwise occupied during prime spouse-slapping hours.)

Lesley Visser will be the first woman recognized by the Pro Football Hall of Fame. (What's next? A gay former player invited to speak at the rookie symposium?)

Bengals WR Chris Henry is scheduled to be tried on charges of giving booze to underaged girls on September 26.

Len Pasquarelli apparently is now regarded as a source for on-the-record agent slurping.

Michael Silver of SI.com has compiled an impressive ranking of the NFL's 32 owners. (Even more impressive is that Silver wrote an article about NFL owners without mentioning Eddie DeBartolo one time. Or seven.)

The Panthers have gone outside the building for the replacement to Tony Softli.

MasterCard is forgetting the Alamo. (We know it's technically an item for our sister site, Collegefootballtalk.com, but since Joe Collegio is grinding away with those two updates per week we thought we'd help lessen his load.)

The plaintiffs in the lawsuit against the NFL and NFLPA will meet with the media on Friday.

The Jags have released DE Omari Hand and TE Greg Estandia.

The message of the new Peyton Manning commercial for DirecTV's NFL Sunday Ticket is basically this -- "If you get Sunday Ticket you'll have options when the games pumped into your home viewing market suck."

POSTED 10:20 a.m. EDT; LAST UPDATED 12:35 p.m. EDT, June 29, 2006

SULLIVAN SECURES HIS ALL-TURD TROPHY

Although Patriots defensive tackle Johnathan Sullivan isn't the guy who recently asked for a trophy to commemorate his addition to the PFT 2006 All-Turd Team, we're now in the market for a bronzed pile of poo in light of Sullivan's recent arrest on charges of marijuana possession, running two stop signs, not wearing a seat belt (does the fact that it doesn't fit him constitute a defense?), and playing his music too loud.

According to the New Orleans Times-Picayune, Sullivan was busted on those charges Sunday morning in Griffin, Georgia.

Per the report, an officer saw Sullivan drive through two stop signs, without stopping. After pulling him over, the officer asked Sullivan if he had any weapons. Sullivan said "yes," and he gave a handgun to the officer. The officer then asked whether there was anything illegal in the car. Sullivan said "no" -- and then he gave the cop permission to search the car.

To borrow a line from one of the best movies we've seen in years, "Tractors is so dumb."

We say that because, while searching the car with Sullivan's permission, the officer found a bag of marijuana.

Earlier this month, the Patriots acquired Sullivan, the sixth overall pick in the 2003 draft, from the Saints for receiver Bethel Johnson, a second-round selection that same year. Though Johnson was a bust and it made sense for the Pats to move him, the team now faces the relatively unusual problem of having on the roster a bona fide turd.

Our guess is that he won't be on the roster for very long.

In adding Sullivan to our All-Turd Team earlier this week, we wrote: "Ate his way out of New Orleans. Will surely find a way to squander his second chance in New England."

So thanks, Johnathan, for making us look like we know what we're doing. It might be your biggest accomplishment since joining the NFL, which based on your overall body of work doesn't mean much.

NINERS TO ADD ROUEN

A league source tells us that the 49ers have agreed to terms with veteran punter Tom Rouen, who recently was released by the Seahawks.

Per the source, the Niners will announce the acquisition later today.

Rouen has spent 13 seasons in the NFL, with the Broncos, Steelers, and Seahawks. He punted for two Super Bowl championship teams in Denver. He averaged 41.6 yards per punt in 2005.

The other punters on the team's roster are Andy Lee, who has held the job for the past two seasons, and rookie Tom Malone, who didn't incur much wear and tear while serving as the punter for the USC Trojans.

THURSDAY AFTERNOON ONE-LINERS

PewterReport.com reports that the Bucs have signed QB Jay Fiedler to a one-year deal.

Shelly Anderson of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette argues that an arrest of a player should result in a one-game suspension; the only problem is that there's a little thing called "the presumption of innocence." (But we generally agree with the idea that there needs to be tougher penalties for turdish behavior.)

The Bears have booted a guy who got burned by Steve Smith in the playoffs last year. (Of course, if that was the standard for getting cut, there wouldn't be many cornerbacks with jobs in the NFL.)

Giants DE Michael Strahan allegedly has had some type of cosmetic surgery. (Unless the intent of the procedure was to make him uglier, he should demand a refund.)

Lord Favre is learning new phrases this year. (Yeah, like "We really suck" and "If we win five games this year I'll eat my own poo" and "That linebacker we drafted really does look like the guy from the movie Mask.")

More efforts by Reggie Bush to get people not to pay attention to the questions still swirling in San Diego.

Here's a new twist -- Titans RB LenDale White has put $26,000 worth of something in his mouth that won't be swallowed and digested (unless, of course, he gets really hungry).

The Bills have released DB LaShaun Ward.

POSTED 8:57 a.m. EDT, June 29, 2006

BUSH BLEW OFF TEXANS

As we continue to catch up on some of the stories that have gone generally quiet over the past few weeks, a league source tells us that the decision of the Texans not to select Reggie Bush with the first overall pick in the draft was fueled by the fact that, when the team first tried to contact Bush for an explanation regarding rumors that his family had received free rent from a San Diego firm that wanted to handle his marketing rights and, via NFLPA-certified agent David Caravantes, his football contract, Bush ignored the Texans for three days.

Previously, we reported that the Texans ultimately opted to turn tail on the Trojan tailback because, when he finally talked to them about the situation, they concluded that he was not being truthful.

Meanwhile, we continue to hear rumblings in league circles that cause us to believe that, if the NCAA, the Pac-10, and/or the "real" media continue to dig, they'll find that the situation involving Bush is far more complex than what already has been reported.

Said one source: "[It] makes you wonder what all the West Coast scouts, General Managers and so on were doing when scouting Bush. They make such a fuss on character, but really have no clue when it comes down to it at times. This was as clear as day."

So keep digging, "real" media. You've done a nice job so far -- don't let the trail go cold.

CORNWELL BROUGHT IN THE FEDS

In another twist regarding the ongoing Reggie Bush saga, we're told that the FBI has gotten involved in the matter at the behest of Bush family lawyer David Cornwell. Apparently, one of Cornwell's cronies is a former FBI agent, and he got with some of his old friends on the federal payroll after the situation with New Era Sports & Entertainment started to turn uglier than the love child of Ben Roethlisberger and A.J. Hawk.

It appears, however, that the FBI situation is going nowhere, at least for now. Jim Trotter of the San Diego Union-Tribune reported on June 28 that, as of June 27, New Era had not been contacted by the FBI. Moreover, it's our understanding that Cornwell specifically leaked the FBI story, and it's starting to look like Cornwell was merely trying to scare off the New Era folks.

Though there's been no lawsuit filed yet for $300,000 in expenses incurred by New Era in connection with the agency's alleged belief that Bush was going to hire it, New Era's lawyer told Trotter that suit will be filed in late July.

If late July comes and goes and no suit is filed, it might be time to start thinking that maybe, just maybe, Cornwell's efforts to defuse the problem (which came way too late for his client's own good) were effective.

HEROCK DRAFTED, TRADED FAVRE

In the wake of our criticisms of recent statements made by former NFL exec Ken Herock regarding his former "Pro Prep" client Santurdio, we've been reminded by several readers of one of the more memorable (or, as the case may be, forgettable) chapters in Herock's football career was that he drafted, and then later traded, a certain quarterback known in this neighborhood as Lord Favre.

As legend has it, Herock blames then-Falcons coach Jerry Glanville for the decision to trade Favre, and Glanville blames Herock. In an excellent piece penned by Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel in 2005, the clear impression created is that Glanville forced Herock's hand by refusing to use Favre.

But even Herock -- who had once seen his hometown Steelers give up on Johnny Unitas -- seems to recognize that it was a mistake: "Maybe I lost sight of the thing," Herock told Silverstein. "Everyone was telling me how bad he was. That's all I kept hearing. And there was a possibility we could recover a first for a guy we drafted with a second. There was nothing there that said, 'Ken, you're right and they're wrong.' Everything was working against me."

The story of how Favre came to be a Packer is intriguing, if you can get past the perfunctory Ron Wolf "I am the greatest personnel man in sports history" sound bites. Wolf had Favre (as Wolf claims) rated as the top player in the 1991 draft. (Actually, we tend to believe Wolf's contention in this regard, given that the players taken in round one of the 1991 draft included Hall-of-Shamers like Bruce Pickens (who went third overall to Herock's Falcons), Mike Croel, Charles McRae, Antone Davis, Mike Pritchard (taken by Herock's Falcons at No. 13), Leonard Russell, Huey Richardson, Dan McGwire, Bobby Wilson, Vinnie Clark, Randal Hill, and Todd Marinovich.)

But Wolf's Jets didn't have a first-round pick in 1991, and Herock's Falcons plucked Lord Favre one spot in front of Wolf's Jets, with the sixth pick in round two.

When Wolf was willing to give up a first-round pick a year later for a guy on which his Jets didn't have a chance to pass in 1991, Herock should have sensed that something was up. Then again, the Falcons were riding a wave of momentum in early 1992, driven by a rare playoff appearance in 1991 and the presence on the bandwagon of M.C. Hammer. (I mean, with a guy like Hammer on board, this franchise was destined for greatness, right?)

Besides, King Doofis was coaching the team at the time, and he apparently wasn't going to use Favre unless and until every other guy on the depth chart was eating fried peanut-butter-and-banana sandwiches with Elvis in that great Greasy Spoon in the Sky.

So we're not going to smack Herock too hard for trading Lord Favre. What Herock said recently about a guy who had paid for Herock's service was a more clear reflection of stupidity -- so we'll just rely upon that in support of our conclusion that he's a numbskull.

POSTED 10:41 p.m. EDT; UPDATED 11:36 p.m. EDT, June 28, 2006

INJURED ROOKIES STILL GET PAID

Our pals at PewterReport.com were the first to report that Bucs rookie tight end T.J. Williams popped an Achilles tendon during a minicamp practice on June 22, and he likely will miss the entire 2006 season.

The injury has prompted several readers to ask us whether Williams will still be paid in 2006, even though he had not yet signed a contract with the team.

The simple answer is yes. The more complex question is the amount of money that Williams will receive.

Here's how it all works. Unsigned rookies sign injury protection letters prior to engaging in offseason workouts. But the contents of the letter are often a matter of negotiation.

Typically, the team promises to pay the player a signing bonus based upon the amount received by the guy taken in the same spot in the prior year's draft. The question of whether that means the same round and selection or the same overall spot (due to compensatory picks) is also subject to bargaining between team and player.

The agents need to be sharp in this regard. Generally speaking, it's better to base the bonus on the spot in the round if there are more compensatory picks in front of the player in the current draft than there were in the prior year's draft. But another factor that will influence the final decision is the quality of the deal that the player taken in that specific spot received in the prior year. Sometimes, a player's hands are tied by a crappy deal done in the corresponding spot in the prior year.

Other issues for discussion include the length of the deal in the event of a season-ending injury. Sometimes, teams will convert a three-year deal to a four-year deal in the event that the player's rookie season is wiped out.

Similarly, teams will at times insist that a player who has not received a credited season due to injury will be paid at the rookie minimum in year two.

Sometimes, players balk at the notion of signing an injury protection letter. Although the guy gets a signing bonus, the fact that it's based on the prior year's contracts makes the bonus amount lower.

In 2005, for example, Chargers linebacker Shawne Merriman refused to participate in offseason workouts due to the contents of the team's standard injury protection language. The team refused to deviate, so Merriman refused to participate.

In this case, Williams will still get paid notwithstanding his injury. The specific amount he'll get depends on the outcome of the dickering that was done between his agent and the team before the injury protection letter was signed.

WEDNESDAY NIGHT ONE-LINERS

Steelers LB Larry Foote is trying to get custody of a 10-year-old son that he didn't know he had until two years ago. (Hey, it's better than watching her get lipo-wit-yo-money.)

The Bears have signed RB Adrian Peterson to a three-year extension.

The Bears have inked former Seahawks WR Alex Bannister.

There will be no negotiations on a contract for Coach Chin once the season starts.

The Vikes have waved buh-bye to CB Marvin Ward.

Adam Schefter of the NFL Network reports that QB Kerry Collins plans to play in 2006, and that his likely destination is Tennessee.

Asked one attendee at the rookie symposium of former NFL defensive lineman Esera Tuaolo: "Is it offensive if I call you a faggot if you are a faggot?" (Yeah, pro football is really ready for an openly gay player.)

The Dolphins have claimed WR/KR Jamall Broussard on waivers from the Bengals.

The best highlight show starting in 2006 will be on the NFL Network.

The Fins are auctioning off a Randy McMichael practice jersey. (The winning bidder also gets the cell phone that he threw at his wife in 2005.)

The Chiefs have signed WR Kyle Brown to a two-year contract (which is roughly the amount of time it will take for us to figure out who in the hell Kyle Brown is).

POSTED 5:15 p.m. EDT, June 28, 2006

WHAT ABOUT CHAD?

As more and more folks are expressing concern regarding the decision of the Pittsburgh Steelers to draft, via a trade up from No. 32 to No. 25, receiver Santurdio in round one of the 2006 draft, more and more folks are asking why the Steelers didn't sit tight and take Florida receiver Chad Jackson.

Instead, Jackson went to the Patriots (who traded up with the Packers) at No. 36.

If the Steelers had stayed at No. 32 (and assuming that the Pats wouldn't have traded into the bottom of round one to get Jackson), the Steelers could have had Jackon instead of Santurdio -- and kept the third-round and fourth-round picks that were sent to the Giants for the ability to move up by seven spots.

At first blush, the reason for picking Holmes over Jackson is simple: Holmes has superior punt-return and kick-return credentials, and the Steelers needed a replacement for Antwaan Randle El. But the fact that the Steelers took return specialist Willie Reid in round three suggests that Holmes was selected primarily for his potential contributions to the passing game.

Though Jackson wasn't regarded as a choir boy, the Pats obviously concluded that he'll respond well to strong on-field and off-field leadership from guys like quarterback Tom Brady and coach Bill Belichick. Jackson has proven himself worthy of the team's trust so far, in light of his strong performances during the helmets-and-underwear practices of May and June.

And perhaps the real difference between Jackson and Santurdio is that, because Jackson didn't attend a school that finishes its classes in June, he was able to join his NFL team early enough for said strong leadership to slap him upside the head, if necessary. For Santurdio, isolation from the team through early June due to the stoopid rule aimed at placating college coaches might have contributed to his Memorial Day weekend arrest, which in turn might have contributed to the overall stress that resulted in him allegedly roughing up one of his baby mamas.

But shouldn't the Steelers, who apparently were aware of potential concerns regarding Santurdio, have considered the fact that he'd be off limits (but for one weekend minicamp) well into June? Our guess is that some members of the organization took that into account, and that others either chose to ignore it -- or to disregard it.

In the end, the best play for the Steelers might have been to address another position at No. 32, or to trade out of the spot. It's not as if the Steelers in the Cowher era have found high-quality, high-character receivers in round one (see Troy Edwards, Plaxico Burress).

At this point, any strategy other than the one on which the team embarked would have been a better one, especially in a town that has low tolerance for turds.

HEROCK IN THE CROSSHAIRS

Several league sources have sounded off regarding the decision of former NFL executive Ken Herock to talk publicly -- and negatively -- about one of the players to whom he provided consulting services in preparation for the 2006 draft.

As the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported on Wednesday (scroll down for the story), Herock said that Steelers receiver Santurdio was "ready to explode."

"He was dirt poor, all of a sudden he's got a little money, you get a little rambunctious," Herock said. "Add it up -- no money, poor family background, three kids already -- something's going to happen."

Said one league source in response to Herock's comments: "What an absolute idiot."

"He's got a good gig working and he screws it up by mouthing off about one of his clients," said the source. "It's not like he's the only person providing this type of service. Why he'd speak publicly about one of his players is beyond reason. I can't believe agents would use Herock anymore to prep their player. Holmes' agent [Joel Segal] has got to be pissed beyond measure."

How good of a gig is Herock jeopardizing? As another league source opined to us, "He finally found a job that he can be successful at because the results can never be disputed. He sure as f--k could not put an NFL roster together or evaluate talent."

Though we know nothing about Herock's abilities as a personnel exec, we agree with the notion that it was incredibly stupid for Herock to say anything negative about one of the guys he was paid to help get ready for interviews and other interactions prior to the draft. Our guess is that Herock got caught up in the notion that his efforts helped Holmes to be selected despite his flaws at a high spot in the draft, and that Herock didn't think that his candor might not be appreciated by Holmes or by Segal.

Another league insider suggested that perhaps Herock is retaliating against Santurdio because Herock either was fired or stiffed out of his fee. Still, Herock's words send a very bad message to players and agents who might use his services in the future -- and he has given his competitors plenty of ammo to convince others not to.

POSTED 10:14 a.m. EDT; LAST UPDATED 12:14 p.m. EDT, June 28, 2006

MORE BAD PRESS FOR SANTURDIO

Though he hasn't been arrested or pulled another muscle this week, there continues to be a stream of bad press for Steelers rookie Santurdio, who recently was busted twice in a three-week span.

In the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, former NFL personnel executive Ken Herock says that he believed Santurdio was "ready to explode."

"I had an impression of the kid, where he was from, such a tough area, but soon as he told me he had three kids I knew it was going to be a problem," Herock said. "He was dirt poor, all of a sudden he's got a little money, you get a little rambunctious. . . . Add it up -- no money, poor family background, three kids already -- something's going to happen."

Herock, who previously worked for the Raiders, Falcons, and Packers, now has a service called "Pro Prep." He helps players prepare for pre-draft interviews, and he worked with Santurdio in January.

(Is it just us, or does Herock's decision to talk publicly -- and negatively -- about a guy who paid for Herock's services reflect incredibly poor judgment? Maybe Herock's inability to realize that he should have been a bit more discreet also traces to "no money, poor family background, three kids already.")

Meanwhile, the executive director of the Pittsburgh Women's Center and Shelter is asking the Steelers not to provide a financial windfall to a guy accused of roughing up the mother of one of his children.

"I would suggest the Steelers slow down and look at the whole issue before they sign the guy, allowing for due process to take place," Shirl Regan said during a Monday appearance on ESPN 1250 in Pittsburgh. "What kind of example will Bill Cowher, the Rooney family and the Steelers set if they invite Santonio Holmes to sign a contract?"

Apparently, she's not alone. In a recent poll conducted by ThePittsburghChannel.com, 71 percent of the respondents said that the Steelers should cut Santurdio loose. (Amazingly, the guy who'll wear No. 10 for the Steelers already has become even more despised in Pittsburgh than the last guy to wear that jersey.)

Though such an extreme outcome is unlikely unless Santurdio gets busted again before signing his contract, his problems apparently have renewed debate in the front office regarding whether he should be a member of the team. As we've recently explained, there were some members of the organization who didn't want to draft him -- and there likewise are some now who are advocating a hard line for a guy who has shown that he doesn't yet "get it."

Adding to the frustrations of some members of the Steelers front office is the fact that Holmes recently has pulled a hamstring. We reported the injury on Sunday, and there's been no mention of it by the "real" media, apparently because so many of them are taking well-deserved vacations. (We keep hearing people use this word "vacation," but we don't quite understand what it means.)

But have faith, PFT readers. Word of Santurdio's bad hamstringio will come out soon enough, even as the powers-that-be in Pittsburgh rack their brains trying to figure out how we got our mitts on the info.

MORE INFO ON AGENT SELECTION PROCESS

In response to our recent string of stories regarding the unusually early agent selection process of Notre Dame quarterback Brady Quinn, an NFL source with knowledge of the manner in which college players pick agents has shared with us some more information regarding how it all happens.

And since it was news to us, we figured it might be news to some of the readers, too. (Besides, the flow of offseason news and information has slowed to less than a trickle from pap-pap's pomegranate-sized prostate, so we're glad to be able to fill the space.)

The source tells us that, at several major colleges, the coach will bring in agents during slow times in the season (such as a bye week). In some cases, three or four agents -- hand-picked by the coach -- will be available to meet with the players. This gives the coach greater control over the process, and likewise helps the coach feel more confident that the agents who get special access won't do anything to screw up a kid's eligibility.

For example, Neil Cornrich has gotten access in the past at Iowa and Wisconsin, and Tom Condon has gotten access at Boston College.

"This has been going on for years," said the source. "It seems like Notre Dame is starting earlier, but [coach Charlie] Weis is probably trying to avoid the spotlight that his program is going to receive this year. They have a lot of good senior players and their visibility is going to be off the charts."

Another source tells us that, even if Weis and the Irish are accelerating the selection process before the season starts, Weis is smart enough not to do anything that would jeopardize a player's eligibility. And in the case of Quinn, who we've heard has selected agent Don Yee, the source believes that both the Quinn camp and Yee are smart enough to keep the thing from blowing up.

Still, all it takes is one screw-up to cause a big problem. Maybe said screw-up never happens. Regardless, we'd be far more inclined to do things the way that they've been done in the past by many other schools. Acting in a manner out of the ordinary usually attracts attention, and this seems to be a subject on which as little attention as possible is preferred.

ALL-TURD TEAM A HIT

We've received dozens of e-mails from readers regarding our 2006 All-Turd Team -- and most of them are positive. We've also received solid feedback regarding the list during several of our regular radio appearances.

Most intriguingly, we've received a request from one member of the inaugural team for a trophy.

Unfortunately, trophies aren't in the budget, especially since the costs of a custom-made plastic dude in gold paint taking a dookie would likely be significant, what with the price of gasoline and everything.

Still, we appreciate the inquiry, and we're glad to know that at least one of the guys has taken the thing in stride. (Our preference would be that inclusion on the team would have prompted him to, you know, change his ways, but we prefer nonchalance to other possible reactions, such as blowing up our car.)

WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON ONE-LINERS

Vikings S Willie Offord has pleaded guilty to DUI; he'll get 32 hours of community service, pay a $600 fine, and receive strong consideration for belated addition to the All-Turd Team.

Titans seventh-round CB Cortland Finnegan apparently has a taste for Hennigans.

Lord Favre sees the glass as half empty? (Or is he merely continuing to sandbag regarding his team's chances in the piss-poor NFC North?)

QB Jay Fiedler will pick from one of three teams -- the Bucs, the Giants, and a club that wishes to remain anonymous (for fear of facing public ridicule for actually being interested in him).

Our guess is that the Steelers are keeping Fiedler on standby as they monitor the progress of QB Ben Roethlisberger and his busted face.

Speaking of Big Ben, his future endorsements won't include motorcycle companies. (We're still waiting for that Chiclets deal to come through.)

The Cowboys have a meatball hoagie in their pockets for rookie TE Anthony Fasano.

Saints RB Reggie Bush still has nothing to say about allegations that he and/or his family received benefits from a prospective agent in violation of NCAA rules. (Only two months ago, Bush said of the brouhaha, "We have nothing to hide.")

The Giants and Jets are looking to get a whopping $25 million per year for the stadium naming rights; the current leader is the Texans, which receive $10 million per year for Reliant Stadium.

The Pats reportedly are $15.5 million under the salary cap.

POSTED 9:29 p.m. EDT; UPDATED 10:00 p.m. EDT, June 27, 2006

TAZ SEEING GREEN AFTER REED DEAL?

As an astute reader pointed out to us on Tuesday night, the new contract signed by safety Ed Reed with the Ravens could spell trouble for the Pittsburgh Steelers come 2008.

In March of that year, the team's supremely talented Tazmanian Devil, Troy Polamalu, will become an unrestricted free agent, unless he signs a long-term deal before then or the team applies to him the franchise or transition tag.

Polamalu, the team's first-round pick in 2003, is under contract for the next two seasons at salaries of $827,000 and $1.088 million.

Meanwhile, a league source tells us that Reed's new deal is believed to pay a total of $13 million over the next year, via a $7 million signing bonus and a $6 million roster bonus due in 2007, most likely in March.

And with Reed's six-year extension worth a reported $40 million, the question becomes whether the Steelers will venture into that same ballpark for Polamalu and, if not, whether Polamalu will play for less in order to stay with the team that has helped make him into a star.

If the Steelers intend to use the franchise tag in 2008, they might have trouble deciding whether to slap the tag on Taz -- or whether to use it on tailback Willie Parker, who'll likewise be eligible for unrestricted free agency after the 2007 season.

Throw in Coach Chin's contract, which expires after the 2007 season, and Big Ben's rookie contract, which expires after the 2008 campaign, and things could get very interesting in the 'Burgh over the next few years.

TUESDAY NIGHT ONE-LINERS

Dan Marino and Mark Cuban might buy the Pittsburgh Penguins.

The penalty for a second violation of the steroids policy will be increased from six games to eight games. (As if the shrunken ballsack wasn't sufficient deterrent.)

Another former NFL turd might be signing with the Blue Bombers.

Bonnie Bernstein has officially joined ESPN and ABC to do pretty much the same thing she was doing before she left CBS, but only for lesser-profile sports.

Anheuser-Busch will continue to have exclusive commercial rights for the Super Bowl broadcast.

POSTED 6:02 p.m. EDT, June 27, 2006

OTHER NCAA PROGRAMS TELLING PLAYERS TO SELECT AGENTS EARLY

Though we get a real kick out of all of the nasty and profane e-mails we've received from fans of the highest-profile Catholic university in the world, we've learned that Notre Dame isn't the only institution that is advising its football players with NFL aspirations to start the process of selecting agents sooner rather than later.

A source with knowledge of the trends regarding the recruiting of college players by NFL agents tells us that decision of Irish quarterback Brady Quinn to narrow his list from an initial cut of 15 down to "a few" with more than two months to go before the start of his senior season will eventually become the rule and not the exception.

The key for any player inclined to make an agent selection early is for the player to not tell the agent about the selection. Otherwise, the player could be ruled ineligible for reaching a verbal agreement with the agent for future services -- even if no agreement is signed an no money or other thing of value changes hands.

As a practical matter, most players will know to stop short of actually tapping the agent on the shoulder and saying "you're the one I'm going to later hire." And even those who make the mistake of telling the agent that he or she is the guy or gal who'll get the gig won't get in much trouble, since it'll be very hard for the NCAA to prove ineligibility if the player and the agent deny once an investigation has been launched that any such agreement was made. For both parties, there's zero incentive to 'fess up.

So even though Weis and any other coach who tries to minimize the in-season distractions that can arise from a player getting countless phone calls from potential agents is nudging their guys closer to the line of ineligibility by instructing them to narrow the field and/or make a "tentative" selection by August, it appears that Weis and his coaching comrades realize that, unless someone says or does something incredibly stupid, it will be hard to show that the player has picked an agent.

Even if he really has.

POSTED 5:25 p.m. EDT, June 27, 2006

REED GETS PAID

According to the Baltimore Sun, the Ravens have signed safety Ed Reed to a six-year contract extension, which reportedly will pay him $12 million to $15 million in guaranteed money. Per the Sun, Reed will be the highest-paid safety in the league.

Reed was scheduled to make $1.983 million in 2006, the final year of his rookie contract.

Reed was the team's first-round pick in 2002, and he was named the NFL's Defensive Player of the Year in 2004. He has been politicking for a new deal since then, but was stuck behind guys like Todd Heap and Jamal Lewis (who never got a long-term deal and re-signed with the team only after no one else offered him big money).

Reed's contact is likely to cause even more tension between linebacker Ray Lewis and the team, since Lewis has been campaigning for more money even longer than Reed. Indeed, there have been rumors in the past that Reed's success has created a quiet rift with Lewis, since Reed was in line to get more money before him.

POSTED 12:23 p.m. EDT; UPDATED 1:20 p.m. EDT, June 27, 2006

QUINN CAMP CONCEDES NARROWING AGENT LIST TO "A FEW"

In another story sparked by recent reports originating right here regarding whether and to what extent Notre Dame coach Charlie Weis has told his seniors with NFL aspirations to pick agents before the start of the season, the South Bend Tribune reports that quarterback Brady Quinn has cut his list of potential representatives from 15 to six to "a few."

(We've previously heard that Quinn has cut his list a "a one" -- agent Don Yee.)

The overriding point to all of our reports on this topic is that the process of meeting with agents and narrowing the field months before the start of a player's senior season is risky, because it puts the player closer to the line of potential ineligibility. Obviously, no one from the Quinn camp will be dumb enough to say that they've settled on Yee, or that Yee has been given a wink-nod indication that he's the guy (so that, for example, he won't try to recruit another top-ten quarterback prospect for 2007).

Likewise, we don't expect Weis or anyone from Notre Dame to admit that players like Quinn were told to pick their agents now.

But what Weis and Notre Dame can't control are statements made to prospective NFL agents like "we're talking to you now because Coach Weis told us to pick our agents before the start of the season."

Of course, neither Notre Dame nor the Quinn camp will give any credence to the possibility that we might be onto something, since if we are onto something it creates a distraction even bigger than the distraction Weis was trying to avoid by telling the kids to get their agents picked before the season starts.

So instead we get attacked.

"Typical freaking Internet," said Notre Dame associate athletic director in charge of compliance Mike Karowski. "It's a joke."

Karowski took the "kill the messenger" thing a step farther, mocking us for relying upon the very kinds of NFL sources who are in position to hear from players that Weis has told them to pick their agents now. "My sources in the NFL," Karowski said. "Yeah, great, what sources? First of all your sources should be with the kid, the agent and the university. We're the ones who know what's going on."

But, as mentioned above, none of those sources can be relied upon to tell the truth if the truth were to trigger a finding that Quinn has lost his eligibility by selecting Yee to be his agent.

(And thanks to the reader who pointed out to us the possible slip committed by Karowski when speaking of "the kid, the agent, and the university." Karowski's quote implies that there's only one agent to talk to, which possibly implies that one agent has been chosen.)

Weis clearly has, at a minimum, encouraged Quinn to get a long head start on picking his agent. We hear that other players have been told to do the same thing. Whether they are doing so remains to be seen.

The fact is that Quinn's efforts, at a minimum, to get a long head start on picking his agent have prompted credible sources within the NFL agent community to conclude: (1) that the process is more widespread than Quinn; and (2) that Quinn already has picked Yee. Whether Notre Dame chooses to react to this reality by taking potshots at us for exposing it or by hiding under the bed and hoping nothing comes of it doesn't really matter to us.

Nevertheless, we figure that the whole "we're Notre Dame, so the NCAA won't mess with us" mentality made Weis and the athletic staff willing to let guys like Quinn take steps toward potential premature ineligibility -- and that guys like Karowski are reacting negatively because someone has dared to acknowledge the possibility that Emperor Charlie might be riding down the street butt-naked on a burro.

TUESDAY AFTERNOON ONE-LINERS

It's been 20 years since Browns DB Don Rogers died from a cocaine overdose.

Titans QB Billy Volek plans to get together with his receivers in Arizona.

The guy who allegedly cut the arm of Fins DE Jason Taylor with a screwdriver has pleaded not guilty.

Pats CB Asante Samuel has been training with Eagles DE Jevon Kearse.

The Rams requested permission to interview Tom Dimitroff of the Patriots for the position filled by Tony Softli, but the Pats declined.

Amphetamines and meth have been moved from the league's substance abuse policy to the steroid policy, triggering greater sanctions.

The Vikings have had preliminary discussions with each of the team's six draft picks.

Giants DE Michael Strahan testified that he was embarrassed when his now-estranged wife cussed him in front of his father. (Why didn't he just handle the situation like other NFL players and punch her in the face?)

Titans coach Jeff Fisher says that rookie DT Jesse Mahelona is "flashing" -- which apparently doesn't mean that Mahelona is showing off his "my bologna."

The agent for LB Ahmad Brooks says that his client is "drug-free and 100 percent healthy." (Just once we'd love to hear one of these guys say something like, "My client has more crack than bus full of plumbers.")

Mike Ditka likes Ozzie Guillen . . . and pretty much anyone else who is working hard to develop mainstream acceptance of the word "fag."

John Ryan of the San Jose Mercury News lists some of the menu selections at the smoothie franchise opened by Raiders WR Randy Moss.

"I wonder if anyone can tell that I pissed in this."

POSTED 8:36 a.m. EDT, June 27, 2006

NOTRE DAME DENIES THAT WEIS TOLD PLAYERS TO PICK AGENTS

According to the Fort Wayne (Ind.) Journal Gazette, Notre Dame denied on Monday that coach Charlie Weis has told his senior players with NFL aspirations to select agents prior to the start of the 2006 football season.

After reporting last week that quarterback Brady Quinn has honed in on agent Don Yee (at, as we've heard, the urging of both Weis and Patriots quarterback Tom Brady), we were told by a league source that Weis has given his guys the directive to pick their agents before the season begins, in order to minimize distractions. The mere fact that Quinn, who potentially will be the No. 1 overall pick in the draft, has spent time (as reported elsewhere) narrowing the universe of potential agents to six (and as we've heard unofficially cutting the list to one) tends to support the notion that Weis has put out such an edict.

But Notre Dame associate athletic director for compliance Mike Karowski says that any such suggestion is "far-fetched."

"Did I find it a little ridiculous? Yeah," Karowski told the Journal Gazette. "No one from the site has called me or Charlie or anyone else asking how anything is handled."

But so what if we haven't called Charlie or Karowski? Either Weis has told his guys to pick agents early or he hasn't. The fact that we haven't dialed up someone for a self-serving perfunctory denial doesn't mean that what we've heard isn't true.

Says Karowski: "We told them they can't make the final decision or any overtures. Are some of our kids working with a list of 10 as opposed to 30, sure, it’s permissible."

"We have every confidence that Charlie knows the rules, has communicated the rules and that our compliance people are in complete concert as to what can be done and what can’t be done," added Notre Dame associate athletic director for media relations John Heisler.

The issue likely has become a sore spot in South Bend because (as we realized after hearing that Weis is telling the kids to pick agents) even a verbal agreement to retain the agent upon completion of the player's eligibility renders the player ineligible.

And it's obvious that something out of the ordinary is happening, given that Karowski has conceded at least "some of our kids" have narrowed the list of potential agents more than two months before Touchdown Jesus settles in with His popcorn for the first game of the year. If any one of those kids makes a final decision, communicates the decision to the agent, and the agent explicitly or implicitly accepts the representation, the kid technically has rendered himself ineligible.

That's why the entire notion of narrowing the list of potential agents before the start of the season seems like a bad idea to us. First of all, the flow of news is pretty slow right now for the folks who cover college football, and the fact that some Notre Dame players are whittling down their list of potential agents could prompt all sorts of sniffing around that wouldn't happen if the lists was being narrowed in October or November when the journalists are otherwise consumed with, you know, covering football games. Second, the wisest approach in any endeavor requiring compliance with rules is to figure out where the "line" is -- and to stay the hell away from it. Third, USC's experiences from April and May suggest that more and more folks are now inclined to pay attention to potential rules violations that previously were ignored.

Of course, the real question here is whether the NCAA would ever take action against its golden child. Barring blatant misconduct, we seriously doubt that the Irish would ever find themselves on the short end of an investigation -- and our guess is that the school took that reality into consideration when advising players as to the do's and dont's for getting a head start for picking an agent.

POSTED 11:23 p.m. EDT, June 26, 2006

NFL, NFLPA SUED IN CONNECTION WITH HEDGE FUND FAILURE

Margaret Cronin Fisk of Bloomberg News reports that seven current and former NFL players have sued both the league and the NFL Players Association, alleging that both organizations approved unfit financial advisors that cost the players $20 million in losses.

In a suit filed in federal court in Atlanta on June 23, the players alleged that the NFL and the NFLPA approved Kirk Wright and Nelson Keith Bond, heads of the bankrupt hedge fund International Management Associates LLC, without conducting background checks.

The plaintiffs are Steve Atwater, Blaine Bishop, Marco Coleman, Ray Crockett, Clyde Simmons, Al Smith, and Carlos Emmons. Of the group, only Emmons is still playing.

Though we've yet to eyeball the complaint, our guess is that the primary claims are that the NFL and the NFLPA negligently failed to gather information that would have suggested a problem with Wright and Bond. The key to making such allegations stick is the existence of a legal duty to exercise due care.

In other words, is the NFLPA or the NFL required by law to undertake a reasonable investigation of the financial advisors?

For the union, it might be easier to establish a duty of due care, since the NFLPA "certifies" financial advisors and requires players to select one from the approved list. Indeed, NFLPA-certified agents who use non-approved advisors for their clients face the possibility of discipline from the union.

As a result, as the argument likely goes, the NFLPA has undertaken a duty to exercise reasonable prudence in screening the financial advisors. It might not be enough to simply collect the certification fee and gather basic information; by restricting the universe of potential financial advisors, the union arguably has assumed a responsibility to the players to ensure that the eligible advisors know what they're doing.

As to the NFL, it might be harder for the players to establish a legal duty. After all, the union not the league is the exclusive agent of the rank-and-file. Although it is alleged that several of the plaintiffs asked the NFL for information about the advisors and that the NFL reported that there were no "red flags," we're not sure that this is enough to give rise to a legal duty on the part of the NFL to find red flags.

Moreover, the NFL could argue that the negligence of the NFLPA in certifying the advisors supersedes any actions of the NFL in, by all appearances, gratuitously providing information to the players. Thus, by pointing the finger squarely at the union, the NFL and its army of high-priced lawyers could end up being a powerful ally for the players by helping them prove out their case against the union.

POSTED 10:56 a.m. EDT, June 26, 2006

EAGLES TICKET SCALPING CONTROVERSY CONTINUES

Dave Davies of the Philadelphia Daily News reports on an issue of which we first caught wind earlier this month, when multiple disgruntled Eagles fans who tried to purchase single-game tickets found that the seats were sold out nearly instantaneously -- but that plenty of seats were available (at a premium) via RazorGator.com.

The problem, as Davies observes, is that the team's web site openly pimps for RazorGator, even though some of the tickets offered via the "brokerage" are priced at more than 25 percent above face value, which violates the Pennsylvania anti-scalping law.

"When this happened, we got a flood of calls from people who said the ticket sales [from the Eagles web site] were closed in a matter of seconds, literally seconds," WIP-AM sports-talk host Angelo Cataldi told the Daily News.

Although Eagles president Joe Banner labels as "crazy" speculation that the organization funnels seats that otherwise would be sold to the general public to RazorGator.com, the team has invited such speculation by hopping into bed with a high-class, high-tech ticket scalping operation.

What's next? Partnerships between pro football teams and dot-com escort services?

And the circumstantial evidence doesn't help the team's cause, in our view. "What's difficult to believe is that hundreds and hundreds of Eagles fans independently would decide to sell their tickets for the Cowboys game, the biggest of the year, and by coincidence sell them through RazorGator," WIP host Glen Macnow told the Daily News.

Banner deftly avoids the real issue by castigating those who would dare to raise a rather obvious question regarding the real link between an NFL team and a ticket scalping agency. "The cynicism and distrust in that question is offensive," Banner said, "and I wonder why it's not asked of anyone else."

So let's get this straight. It's okay for the Eagles to set up a partnership with a company that sells tickets to its games at well above face value, it's okay for the Eagles to direct members of the general public who can't get tickets to Eagles games at face value to the team's ticket-scalping "partner," but it's not okay for anyone to complain about the appearance that this creates unless they're also going to crack down on every guy who owns a laminated "I NEED TICKETS" sign?

The NFL is obsessed with its image, yet the Eagles are creating the kind of issue that'll make the white collars at Park Avenue cringe like a kid who caught his parents making out. So we're amazed by the fact that the league allows this kind of stuff to go on, given that it causes plenty of average fans to conclude that their favorite teams are up to something shady.

Even if they really aren't.

ALL HAIL THE ALL-TURD TEAM!

After weeks (okay, hours) of careful thought and deliberation, we've unveiled the first annual PFT All-Turd Team.

And before you ask why guys like O.J. Simpson and Rae Carruth have been omitted, keep in mind that this is only the list of current NFL players who qualify for a spot on the squad. We're presently compiling the All-Time All-Turd Team, which we plan to release on July 4.

We're still taking nominations for the All-Time Team.

We'll also induct the charter class into the All-Turd Hall of Fame on the weekend of the NFL's Hall of Fame game.

MONDAY MORNING ONE-LINERS

Former NFL DE Dexter Manley underwent an 11-hour surgery to remove a cyst from his brain that had been there since 1986.

Thanks to Tom Brady, every team that drafts a quarterback in round six thinks they've found a keeper.

Bucs QB Chris Simms, on Big Ben's decision to commandeer a crotch rocket: "That's just dangerous."

Titans QB Vince Young has made "monumental" progress . . . now if he could only figure out how to put on the team's helmet.

Offensive coordinator Norm Chow tells Vince Young: "Son, the facemask goes in the front."

From the "Is It Too Late To Publicly Fund That Stadium?" file, a study shows that NFL games actually reduce sales tax revenues.

POSTED 6:22 p.m. EDT, June 25, 2006

SANTURDIO PULLS A HAMMY

A league source tells us that Steelers receiver Santurdio (known elsewhere as Santonio Holmes) has pulled a hamstring. As the source remarked, "He apparently wasn't running fast enough from his police or his significant other."

The source characterized the injury as something that "should be the last straw, but won't be" for the troubled rookie, who has been arrested twice in the past four weeks. Most recently, 22-year-old Santurdio was busted for allegedly busting up the mother of one of his three children.

As we've recently reported, there was a difference of opinion in the front office as to whether Holmes should be selected with the 25th overall pick in the draft. We've also heard that Santurdio is on "thin ice" with the Steelers, who (we're told) were warned about him prior to the draft.

But Santurdio still has the favor of folks in high places with the club (i.e., Coach Chin), and there won't be (for now) an effort to cut ties with Holmes or to make him a low-ball offer that he'd be likely to refuse, forcing him to sit out the entire season and re-enter the draft.

Look for his agent, Joel Segal, to wait until the guys in front of him and behind him in round one have been signed -- and then to argue that Santurdio should get something right in the middle. But if Santurdio screws up again between now and then, he might have to take a one-year, $275,000 deal or otherwise not play at all this year.

POSTED 12:15 p.m. EDT; UPDATED 1:08 p.m. EDT, June 25, 2006

WEIS, IRISH FLIRTING WITH DISASTER?

A league source with intimate knowledge of the applicable NCAA regulations tells us that Notre Dame coach Charlie Weis might have rendered quarterback Brady Quinn and other incoming seniors ineligible if, as we previously have reported, Weis has directed the seniors with designs on pro football to pick their agents before the start of the 2006 season.

Rule 12.3.1 of the NCAA bylaws states that "[a]n individual shall be ineligible for participation in an intercollegiate sport if he or she ever has agreed (orally or in writing) to be represented by an agent for the purpose of marketing his or her athletics ability or reputation in that sport." Rule 12.3.1.1 elaborates on the general principle set forth in Rule 12.3.1: "An individual shall be ineligible per Bylaw 12.3.1 if he or she enters into a verbal or written agreement with an agent for representation in future professional sports negotiations that are to take place after the individual has completed his or her eligibility in that sport." A screen shot of the relevant page from the on-line NCAA manual appears below.

So what does it all mean? If Quinn or any other of his teammates actually pick a football agent before the completion of their eligibility, their eligibility might be completed far sooner than they realized.

The key is that eligibility evaporates per Rule 12.3.1.1 even if there's only a verbal agreement between, for example, Quinn and agent Don Yee that Yee will represent Quinn, and that a written agreement for the representation will be signed later. Although it might be difficult for the NCAA to prove that there's a violation if Quinn and Yee mutually agree to claim that there was no agreement, the fact that Quinn is going through the process of interviewing agents and narrowing the field before his final season of college ball is strong circumstantial evidence of an intention to pick his agent while still otherwise eligible. The fact that Yee and others are participating in the process is likewise circumstantial evidence of an implicit agreement that they'll agree to represent Quinn, if picked to do so.

The broader question is whether the NCAA will dare to do anything that might result in killing the goose that lays beneath the golden dome. Our guess? The powers-that-be will stick their heads in the sand on this one, content in spewing the party line that no final selections have been made by any of the Notre Dame seniors.

Still, it's a risk that Weis would have been wise not to take, in light of the plain language of the relevant bylaws (unless, of course, he got advance approval from the NCAA that it's okay to tell his guys to pick their agents if they merely don't tell the agents they've been picked).

And what does Weis really gain by forcing the players to pick agents now? Although some league insiders think it's a brilliant strategy for minimizing distractions, it's also a possible means for fomenting resentment from players who would have preferred not to be rushed. Many factors still need to be determined, and an agent who looks to be the right choice in June might not ultimately be a player's best bet come January.

As one league insider told us on Sunday, "Weis isn't doing the kids any favors by sheltering them. He instead should be educating them so that they can make good decisions at the right time."

Indeed, the only college players who talk to agents during the seasons are the college players who want to. Really, why should Weis or any other coach tell the players that they can't use what little free time they have talking to potential agents?

Stay tuned. At a time when the media ripped ferociously into various scandals that emerged in April regarding USC, we figure that there's enough blood in the water to prompt a few of them to take a hard look at whether the efforts of Charlie Weis to minimize distractions have inadvertently created a big fat one.

NEW ERA BROCHURE SHOWS CARAVANTES AS KEY PLAYER

Speaking of the USC scandals, we've gotten our mitts on the marketing brochure used by New Era Sports & Entertainment in connection with its efforts to recruit new client. New Era, as you might recall, is the agency that wanted to secure the representation of former Trojan tailback Reggie Bush, and that allegedly funneled money and free rent to Bush's family in an effort to make it happen.

One of the issues that arose in the immediate wake of the Bush scandal was whether and to what extent NFLPA-licensed agent David Caravantes was involved in the agency. Predictably, Caravantes took a hands-off approach to New Era, since any association with a group that was potentially giving money or other things of value to a prospective client could get Caravantes in hot water.

If the New Era brochure accurately describes Caravantes' relationship with the agency, he's well on his way to taking a skinny dip in a steaming lobster pot.

For starters, the brochure identifies Caravantes as the "Chief Executive Officer" of New Era, calling him the "nucleus" of the agency.

New Era, a firm that supposedly was in its infancy, claims in its brochure that it has a "track record of success in negotiating NFL contracts," that it has "built a reputation for negotiating superior contracts structured to receive maximum compensation and guaranteed payment," and that it has "negotiated some of the richest contracts in the NFL, including contracts for the top three draft picks and record-breaking free agent deals."

The brochure also creates the impression that New Era negotiated big-money deals for players like Antonio Freeman, Darren Sharper, Gerard Warren, Rod Gardner, T.J. Duckett, William Joseph, Tony Parrish, Mark Roman, Todd Pinkston, Rogers Beckett, Jerry Porter, and Pino Tinoisamoa.

But most if not all of these players were represented not by New Era, but by Joel Segal, with whom Caravantes previously worked.

Coincidentally, Segal ultimately was hired to represent Bush.

Bottom line? Just because the story has gotten quiet over the past few weeks doesn't mean it's gone away. And unless Caravantes can persuade the NFLPA that the folks at New Era cobbled together the brochure without his knowledge, input, and/or approval, and if there's ever a determination that money was given by New Era to the Bush family, it might be time for Caravantes to consider a new career.

SUNDAY AFTERNOON ONE-LINERS

Pats WR Chad Jackson has looked good in offseason workouts; as Mike Felger of the Boston Herald points out, the team needs him to carry his helmets-and-underwear performance into the 2006 season.

It shouldn't be surprising that a guy who got a six on the Wonderlic would have trouble reading traffic signs in Tennessee.

Does Jake Plummer have an ulterior motive for his charity work?

"Dude, you wanna check out my ride? Honda Element, baby."

Says Titans coach Jeff Fisher: "There are going to be some players under lock and key throughout training camp."

Elizabeth Merrill of the Kansas City Star posits ten questions about the Chiefs. (No. 11 -- "Does anyone give a sh-t?")

Let the Wade v. Marino debate begin in South Florida. (And even if Dwayne comes out on the losing end, keep in mind that he's already won something that Dan could never muster.)

New Packers coach Mike McCarthy is "very personable." (Man, we'd hate to see how many guys would have stayed away from voluntary workouts if Mike was a "real prick".)

Deion Branch will only be getting "Reggie Wayne money" if he starts cutting Reggie Wayne's grass.

Is K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune just figuring out now that "voluntary" doesn't really mean "voluntary"?

Bucs RB Michael Pittman has auctioned off his motorcycle. (But does he still own the Hummer that he used to bash his wife's car . . . while his wife was in it?)

POSTED 3:32 p.m. EDT; UPDATED 6:44 p.m. EDT, June 24, 2006

STEELERS NOT INCLINED TO PAY COWHER BIG MONEY?

A source with knowledge of the intentions of the Steelers organization regarding the salary of its head coach has indicated to us that the team won't increase Bill Cowher's salary to the range of $7 million per year.

The bar was set at that level when Microsoft gazillionaire Paul Allen signed Seahawks coach Mike Holmgren to a two-year extension worth a reported $7.5 million to $8.5 million per year.

Cowher has two years left on his current deal. In the past, his contract typically has been extended before he embarks on the next-to-last season of the deal. This time around, an extension presently is looking like a long shot.

Complicating matters are indications that Cowher might retire after either the 2006 or the 2007 season. Some league insiders believe that Cowher's current year-to-year stance coupled with the relocation of his wife to a $2.5 million home in North Carolina is part of an elaborate leverage play by the veteran coach. Others think he's laying the foundation for a graceful exit, which won't create the appearance that he's making a run for the big money. After all, hard-core blue-collar Steeler fans don't quite comprehend the difference between $4 million and $7 million per year.

On the other hand, we're all "worth" precisely that which someone will pay us, and if a high-revenue team like the Redskins is willing to throw $8 million, $9 million, $10 million or more at Cowher come 2008, it'd be hard to fault him for securing his family's future.

In the end, the question for Cowher is whether he really wants to continue grinding it out and, if so, whether he's willing to take less to do it in a place where his legacy could only be tarnished only by an ugly separation.

SATURDAY NIGHT ONE-LINERS

The Packers have signed seventh-round DE Dave Tollefson.

Rams RB Marshall Faulk might be having more knee surgery, sitting out the 2006 season with pay, working for the NFL Network, and returning for another season of football in 2007.

Former Titans QB Steve McNair made a surprise appearance at Jeff Fisher's charity softball game.

Says Titans coach Jeff Fisher: "Steve, take me with you. Please."

Titans G.M. Floyd Reese won an award from the Pro Football Writers Association for making the jobs of NFL journalists easier (he always gives us something to write about by doing something stoopid).

A criminal case against Chiefs S Greg Wesley has been dismissed.

Jason Cole of the Miami Herald reports that LB Ahmad Brooks was dismissed from the Virginia football team after failing multiple drug tests.

The Fins are nevertheless interested in Brooks (hey, they've got plenty of experience with guys who like the ganja).

Can Brian Billick get his edge back?

The Cardinals plan to extend the contracts of certain veteran players (given a mandatory salary floor that will hit at least $95 million in 2007, the team needs to either pay them now -- or pay them later).

POSTED 12:38 a.m. EDT, June 24, 2006

BLUE BOMBERS BOTTLE UP BONG BOY

The Winnipeg Blue Bombers held Toronto running back Ricky Williams to 14 yards on eight carries in a 16-9 defeat of the Argos on Friday night.

Meanwhile, Blue Bombers' tailback Charles Roberts carried 32 times for 133 yards.

Roberts said before the game that he wanted to gain more yards than Ricky. He did it by a ratio of 9.5 to 1.

BONNIE IS BACK?

The Los Angeles Times reports that former NFL sideline reporter Bonnie Bernstein is close to signing with ABC/ESPN. Bernstein left CBS earlier this year without another job lined up.

She was believed to be looking for something in hard news, or a talk show. Instead, she'll work Sunday night baseball games and college football in the fall.

A spot with the sister networks opened when Sam Ryan left for CBS.

Meanwhile, Bernstein's official web site continues to pimp her consulting services via the entity known as "Velvet Hammer Media." Perhaps, for $1,250 an hour, she can explain to aspiring broadcasters why she gave up a gig covering the most popular sport in the country with no plan B in place, only to surface months later covering B-level sports.

POSTED 11:59 p.m. EDT, June 23, 2006

SANTURDIO ON "THIN ICE"

A source with knowledge of the Pittsburgh Steelers' current attitude toward first-round draft pick Santurdio tells us that the former Ohio State wideout is on "thin ice" with the team.

Though the source didn't

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