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POSTED 10:33 p.m. EDT; UPDATED 10:45 p.m. EDT, September 28, 2007

PATS HIT WITH CLASS-ACTION LAWSUIT

A pair of lawyers in New Jersey have filed a class-action lawsuit in federal court on behalf of all Jets season-ticketholders who paid for seats to watch the Patriots and at the Meadowlands during the eight-year Bill Belichick era.

The action arises from the finding earlier this month that the Pats were secretly videotaping the defensive signals sent from the Jets' assistant coaches to the players on the field.

Alleging that the cheating violated the federal RICO laws and the New Jersey Consumer Fraud Act, the lawsuit seeks $184 million in damages.  The number comes from the $61.8 million paid for tickets to the game, which is trebled under the theories alleged.

"How many times have the Patriots done this? We find it hard to believe they did it just once," attorney Carl Mayer said, according to the Associated Press.  "We just want to get to the truth of the matter of what the Patriots did to the Jets.  I think the ticket holders are genuinely concerned about it.  This is a type of misrepresentation."

Cases of this nature -- which some might call aggressive and others might describe as frivolous -- hinge initially on the identification of one or more legal theories that, if the facts alleged are proven to be true, will support a claim for the relief sought.  On that point, we plan to track down a copy of the complaint and give it a fair and objective analysis.

If the lawsuit can survive an initial challenge based on what's known in the profession as a "motion to dismiss for failure to state a claim" under Rule 12(b)(6) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, then the question becomes whether the plaintiffs can prove the alleged facts.

And the problem for the Patriots is that the evidence of historical cheating was given to the NFL, which promptly destroyed it.

Um, that's a potential problem.

The suit also will expose Belichick and his current and former assistant coaches and all current and former employees of the football operations to depositions under oath.

That's a potential problem, too.

Stay tuned on this one.  The primary battleground will be the motion to dismiss.  Because once the pre-trial discovery process begins, things could turn very ugly, very quickly.

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FRIDAY INJURY REPORT

It's the weekly out-doubtful-questionable-probable day.

So here's the link to the Friday injury report.

For amusement purposes only.  And health care education.

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POSTED 5:01 p.m. EDT, September 28, 2007

STEINBERG SAYS RICKY STILL HAS IT

Alex Marvez of FOXSports.com takes a look at the coming reinstatement application of Dolphins running back Ricky Williams.  Agent Leigh Steinberg tells Marvez that Williams plans to apply for reinstatement on October 2, and that Williams could spent a lot more time in the NFL.

"He's only 30 and could have six or seven more productive years," Steinberg said.  "Because of how incredibly disciplined he is with his diet and training, he could have five years of being among the league leaders in rushing and a franchise-builder for a team."

The only problem is that, with Williams one Grateful Dead concert away from an indefinite banishment, who could afford to take that risk?  Indeed, Williams' "incredible discipline" when it comes to his diet and training has hardly been matched by his "incredible discipline" when it comes to keeping prohibited substances out of his system.

In the past three years, Williams has spent one season in retirement, 75 percent of one season playing football, and (as of Sunday) one season and a quarter of another on suspension.  So the concern remains in league circles that Ricky might like smoking weed more than he likes playing football.

With former Saints G.M. Randy Mueller, who traded Williams to the Dolphins five years ago, running the show in South Florida, we can't imagine the Fins giving Ricky yet another second chance.  If he's reinstated before the October 16 trading deadline (which is highly unlikely), we suspect that the Dolphins would try to ship him out of town.  If he's reinstated after October 16, the team could cut him -- unless his reinstatement comes with only a handful of regular-season games left to play.  In that case, they'd likely hold his rights and trade him in March.

But none of that is relevant if he isn't reinstated.  He failed to secure reinstatement in May, reportedly because he failed a drug test.  Given his history, we think that staying clean for the duration of the extension to the suspension would be an Appalachian State-style upset.

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POSTED 3:22 p.m. EDT; UPDATED 4:11 p.m. EDT, September 28, 2007

NO ADRIAN FINE FOR HEAP HIT

Adam Schefter of NFL Network reports that the league will not be fining Cardinals safety Adrian Wilson for giving Ravens tight end Todd Heap a blow to the head after Heap made a key catch during Baltimore's game-winning drive in Week Three.

Officials flagged Wilson for unnecessary roughness on the play.

Also escaping league-imposed penalty is Falcons cornerback DeAngelo Hall, who went bonkos during the team's loss to the Panthers, chalking up 67 yards in penalties on one drive.  Per Schefter, the league won't be fining Hall because the team already has imposed, reportedly, a six-figure fine.

Not so luck in this regard was Chargers safety Marlon McCree, who will be $7,500 lighter after being fined for a helmet-to-helmet hit on Packers receiver Donald Driver.

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POSTED 11:27 a.m. EDT; UPDATED 1:49 p.m. EDT, September 28, 2007

ANOTHER BANK SUES VICK

Days after a bank in Canada slapped suspended Falcons quarterback Mike Vick with a $2.3 million lawsuit aimed at collecting on the proceeds of a loan, a bank in South Bend, Indiana has filed a similar claim against one of Vick's business interests.

More than $2 million in loans were made to Divine Seven, LLC, to finance automobiles for a car-rental firm in Atlanta.  According to the South Bend Tribune, suit was filed in federal court on Wednesday. 

Media reports say that court papers list Vick as the chief financial officer of Divine Seven, LLC.  Information that we found on the Georgia Secretary of State's web site indicates that Vick was the organizer, initial member, and president of the company, which was founded in December 2006.

As a reader pointed out to us recently, the act of filing suit will likely give the banks a better place in the line of Vick creditors, in the event that Vick files for bankruptcy protection.

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FRIDAY AFTERNOON ONE-PER-CLUB ONE-LINERS by Michael David Smith

The Cowboys' offense doesn't seem to miss injured WR Terry Glenn.

Asked about his sore right ankle, Giants WR Plaxico Burress said, "No question.  I will play."

Eagles DE Jevon Kearse hasn't done much that shows up in the stats this season, but defensive coordinator Jim Johnson says, "I can see on the film that the pressure's there at times, the technique is good.  He'll break out of it.  I have confidence in him."

The Redskins will bring in free agent WR Keenan McCardell for a workout next week.

In Chicago, there's already speculation about who will start at quarterback for the Bears in 2008.

The Lions give out championship belts for the best player on the team in everything from dominos to rock-paper-scissors.

Although Packers G Jason Spitz has completely healed from the strained calf he suffered Week One, he has lost his spot in the starting lineup to Julius Coston.

Vikings S Darren Sharper says the Vikings' defensive players all know that Packers QB Brett Favre is just three interceptions away from breaking George Blanda's all-time interceptions record and says, "We're all planning to get that third pick."

Falcons rookie DT Trey Lewis, a sixth-round pick from Washburn, will make his first start Sunday.

With Dan Morgan nursing a shoulder injury, the Panthers have moved OLB James Anderson to the middle.

Dr. James Andrews operated on both of Saints RB Deuce McAllister's knees Thursday, performing a minor arthroscopic procedure on his right knee in addition to repairing the torn ACL in his left knee.

Buccaneers RB Cadillac Williams says he knows coach Jon Gruden will bench him if he doesn't stop fumbling.

Cardinals WR Anquan Boldin missed practice Thursday but said his sore hip is "a lot better."

Rams rookie RB Brian Leonard says he's ready to go in place of injured RB Steven Jackson.

With Vernon Davis out with a knee injury, the 49ers will split time at tight end between Delanie Walker (on passing downs) and Billy Bajema (on running downs).

The Seahawks and CB Marcus Trufant have had some discussions about a contract extension; Trufant's contract expires after this season.

Bills backup QB Craig Nall isn't thrilled that he was cut before the season and re-signed this week:  "It's a little awkward, but I have to kind of swallow my pride because I'm basically taking a pay cut to be in the same situation that I would have been in had they kept me."

Dolphins MLB Zach Thomas says of the lingering effects of a concussion, "Everything goes from HD to regular TV."

The Patriots' defense has given up a touchdown all five times the opposing offense got into the red zone.

Jets coach Eric Mangini thinks highly of backup FB Stacy Tutt.

Ravens WR Mark Clayton thinks his teammate, rookie Yamon Figurs, could be a better kick returner than Devin Hester.

Browns P Dave Zastudil punted in practice for the second straight day Thursday after missing two games with a strained oblique.

The streak of 64 consecutive games played by Bengals RB Rudi Johnson is expected to come to an end.

Steelers WR Hines Ward and TE Matt Spaeth missed practice again Thursday.

Texans WR Jerome Mathis missed practice Thursday but insists that his leg injury is "nothing major."

The Colts and DE Dwight Freeney appealed to the Elias Sports Bureau to award him a half-sack for the final play of last Sunday's game; Elias decided to award the whole sack to Robert Mathis.

A Jaguars spokesman says DT John Henderson was cleared by the medical staff to return to the field against the Falcons in Week Two; he then received a second blow to the head.

The collisions on kickoffs in the NFL are, says Titans S Donnie Nickey, "like a car wreck."

DE Simeon Rice says he'll be a difference-maker when the Broncos play the Colts.

Chiefs RB Larry Johnson has a sore hamstring but will play against the Chargers.

Chargers S Marlon McCree was fined $7,500 for a hit on Packers WR Donald Driver.

The Raiders' offensive line still isn't very good, but it's better than last year.

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POSTED 11:12 a.m. EDT, September 28, 2007

BULGER, JOHNSON PROVE THE VALUE OF A HOLDOUT

Although we continue to believe that a player under contract should honor that contract, there definitely are situations in which a holdout can be effective.

In pro sports, withholding services is a player's only true leverage, regardless of whether or not the player is already a party to a contract requiring him to provide such services.

In the cases of quarterback Marc Bulger, who was entering the final year of his contract with the Rams, and running back Larry Johnson, who was embarking on the last season of his rookie deal with the Chiefs, the decision to stay away from the start of training camp helped both of them get the kind of deals now that they might never have seen otherwise, given their performances to date in 2007.

As one league source opined to us this week, "Bulger would be SOL right now if he hadn't pushed the issue" by not showing up when camp kicked off.

Ditto for Johnson, especially since there is speculation in league circles that the football world might never again see the bruising back who churned out near-dominant performances in 2005 and 2006.  There's a lot of wear on the tires, and the offensive line is diminished.  Though the contract pushes enough money to the out years to somewhat protect the team in the event that L.J.'s fastball is gone, Johnson's decision to take a stand has helped him to get money that simply might not have been there in March 2008, from the Chiefs or from anyone else.

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ROMO'S BEST BET IS TO HOLD OUT, TOO

We mentioned last night that the Cowboys plan to simply slap the franchise tag on quarterback Tony Romo if his agent, Tom Condon, continues to insist upon more than $30 million in guaranteed money for the undrafted signal-caller turned budding superstar.

But this strategy presumes that Romo will sign the one-year tender and report for duty.  If he chooses not to sign the tender and stay away from training camp, the preseason, and up to ten weeks of the regular season, the Cowboys will be screwed for 2008.

The smart move for Romo, from a money standpoint, would be to stay away.  From a football standpoint, the question is whether he'd be able to fend off his desire to play.

And, as a reader pointed out to us this morning, the fact that the Cowboys are reluctant to pay Romo more than $30 million guaranteed even though he has proven his abilities in an era where the No. 1 overall pick in the draft gets more than that without ever putting on an NFL helmet highlights the serious problems with the player compensation system.

For the Cowboys, they could get to pay two guys that much money in 2008, since they hold Cleveland's first-round pick as a result of the trade that allowed the Browns to draft Brady Quinn.

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POSTED 9:30 a.m. EDT; LAST UPDATED 9:53 a.m. EDT, September 28, 2007

UNCLE RICO WANTED THE HEISMAN

Titans quarterback Vince Young has the potential to become, we believe, the next great NFL quarterback.  As further explained in this week's PFTV discussion on the subject.  (Humor us and watch the thing, please.)

And part of his motivation apparently arises from the fact that he didn't win the Heisman Trophy in 2005.

"I was angry about that situation . . . .," Young says in a 60 Minutes profile that will air on Sunday.  "And I wanted to show the world that I was the real Heisman Trophy winner.  But on paper, Reggie Bush is the Heisman Trophy winner.  I am not taking nothing from him.  He knows he's a phenomenal athlete. . . .  I always feel like I'm better.  Always."

Hey, whatever it takes to get it going for Young is a good thing.  Young translated his frustration into one of the greatest college football performances of all time against Bush's Trojans for the national championship.  Perhaps he's using that scar to drive him to become one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL.  (And we think he already is.) 

Of course, if the NCAA had an effective and meaningful investigation protocol, Young might end up with the Heisman, because Bush would potentially be declared ineligible for all or part of the season in which he won it.  Published reports indicate that Bush and/or his family received financial benefits from a prospective marketing agent as early as 2004. 

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PFT PLANET OFFERS UP ADVICE FOR BENGALS

In response to Thursday night's item, courtesy of the Cincinnati Enquirer, regarding a request by the Bengals to go Carl Spackler on the pigeons that are pooping on the patrons of Paul Brown Stadium, PFT Planet has responded.

 

Apart from the usual (and funny) smart-ass remarks, such as "maybe they can borrow the guns from the players," several readers have pointed to an option that has not yet been mentioned by the team -- hawks or other predatory birds that will keep the pigeons away, or subject them to the realities of the food chain.

It's not enough to keep the pigeons away permanently, but it would be an effective game-day device for replacing mass amounts of pigeon poop with a periodic plop or two from the hawk patrol.

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MOST UNINTENTIONALLY HILARIOUS CLIP, EVER

A reader sent this YouTube clip to us moments ago.  My first reaction was to laugh my ass off.  My second reaction was to think that, given the injuries suffered by Kevin Everett, it might not be appropriate to post it here. 

But then I watched it again and laughed my ass off again, primarily because of the anchor's reaction -- and the perfect timing between the anchor's words and the on-screen "action."

We think that even Everett would laugh his ass off over this one.  Enjoy.

 

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POSTED 9:13 a.m. EDT, September 28, 2007

MESSAGE SENT TO RONNIE BROWN?

After a sssslow start to the 2007 season, Dolphins running back Ronnie Brown blew up on Sunday against the Jets, with 211 yards from scrimmage and three touchdowns against the Jets.

The sudden emergence of Brown has prompted strong speculation in and around the team that coach Cam Cameron intentionally held Brown back in the first two games in order to coax him into playing up to his potential.

If that's accurate, then the Fins could be 1-2 right now, if Brown had gotten more than 11 carries against the Redskins in Week One.

Still, the message apparently has been received, and Brown might finally become the South Florida version of Cameron's most recent stud tailback, LaDainian Tomlinson of the Chargers.

Brown gets a chance to build on last week's success on Sunday against the Raiders.

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POSTED 8:33 a.m. EDT, September 28, 2007

SLOW GOING FOR LEFTWICH

A month ago, Byron Leftwich was the starting quarterback of the Jacksonville Jaguars.  Now, he's buried at No. 3 on the Falcons' depth chart behind a guy no one else wanted and another guy who was out of football for . . . three . . . years.

A league source tells us that Leftwich, who signed with the Falcons after a Week Two loss to his old team, is having a hard time climbing the depth chart because he's learning the offense too slowly.

Part of the problem, as we see it, is that the Leftwich acquisition has all the signs of an ownership decision that was forced upon the front office and the coaching staff.  If G.M. Rich McKay and/or coach Bobby Petrino genuinely wanted Leftwich, they would have made a play for him earlier than they did.

If that's true, the coaching staff has no real incentive to bust their butts to get Leftwich ready to play, since the coaching staff didn't want him in the first place.  So, in our view, Leftwich likely won't play unless and until ownership makes it abundantly clear that ownership wants to see Leftwich on the field.

Officially, there's currently no specific schedule for Leftwich to replace Harrington.  "We really haven't set any timetable yet,'' coach Bobby Petrino said Thursday. 

Meanwhile, Leftwich likely isn't going to get on the good side of the coaching staff by bellyaching about his status.  "It was the first time in my life I've been in that situation,'' Leftwich said in reference to his role as the No. 3 quarterback against the Panthers in Week Three.  "It was difficult because you're so used to being out there.  Your back gets to hurting, your legs get tight.  It was just a different feeling that I wasn't used to.''

Leftwich might want to get used to that feeling.  Because, for now, his primary job will be to continue to stand around.

"Joey is our quarterback right now because we believe he's going to give us the best chance to win," said offensive coordinator Hue Jackson.

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POSTED 8:11 p.m. EDT, September 27, 2007

BENGALS WANT TO GO HUNTING

There's a bit of a pigeon problem at Paul Brown Stadium in Cincinnati.

As it turns out, the pigeons have been dropping their business on fans, and in their food and beverages.  (We presume that no version of the five-second rule applies when something like that happens.)

The Bengals have a low-tech solution to the problem.  They want to shoot them.  With guns.

According to the Cincinnati Enquirer, Eric Brown, the managing director of Paul Brown Stadium Ltd., has suggested hunting the pigeons as a "cost-effective way to get this problem under control."

Fan noise on game days used to drive the pigeons away, but the birds have adapted.  The bang-bang alternative, per Brown, "would be done discreetly during times when there is little activity in the stadium."

Look, we realize that it's a problem that needs to be solved.  But at a time when the NFL is still reeling from the fallout of the Mike Vick case, which involved fighting dogs to the death and the killing of dogs that were deemed unworthy of fighting to the death, shouldn't the Bengals exhaust every other possible option before suggesting the killing of the birds?

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POSTED 7:40 p.m. EDT; LAST UPDATED 7:54 p.m. EDT, September 27, 2007

CONDON MAKES A MOONSHOT FOR ROMO

A league source tells us that agent Tom Condon has requested on behalf of Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo a contract including guaranteed money in excess of $30 million.

Such a deal would give Romo more guaranteed money than Colts quarterback Peyton Manning, who pocketed 30 million when signed a long-term deal several years ago.  Manning was also represented by Condon.

As we hear it, the Cowboys aren't biting.  Though they've concluded that Romo is for real and deserves to be paid accordingly, owner Jerry Jones isn't prepared to fork over that kind of money yet.

Still, Jones could have gotten Romo a lot cheaper before the season started.  As another one league source tells us, Condon and Romo would have accepted package in the vicinity of Matt Schaub money (six years, $48 million with $7 million guaranteed and $20 million over three years) if something had gotten done earlier.  After three very good games, the price tag has shot up.

The current thinking is that the Cowboys will simply use the franchise tag on Romo in 2008.  As Charley Casserly of CBS reported last Sunday, the one-year franchise tender for the quarterback position is expected to be $10.7 million, which actually is a decrease from 2007. 

The Cowboys might have to use the exclusive version of the franchise tag to hold him in place, however.  With good quarterbacks hard to come by in the draft, two first-rounders for a proven commodity who could end up playing in both the Pro Bowl and the Super Bowl could be viewed as a very fair deal.

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PFTV IS BACK ON THE AIR

We've scuttled the game previews (since no one was watching them very much) and have gone back to debating and discussing specific issues.

For starters this week, PFTV takes a look at what wrong with the New Orleans Saints. 

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WEEK FOUR THURSDAY INJURY REPORT

It's time to take a look at who practiced, who didn't, and who sort of did on Thursday.  (The Wednesday information is included as well.)

Click here for the info.  Coming Friday . . . the Friday injury report. 

Imagine that.

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POSTED 2:26 p.m. EDT; LAST UPDATED 2:49 p.m. EDT, September 27, 2007

WILFORK FINED $12,000

Adam Schefter of NFL Network reports that Pats defensive tackle Vince Wilfork has been fined $12,000 for his elbow to the knee of Bills quarterback J.P. Losman during Sunday's game between the two teams at Gillette Stadium.

Video of the play shows that Wilfork was blocked toward Losman, but that Wilfork also threw his elbow toward Losman's knee.

Losman left the game two plays later, and is expected to miss two more weeks.

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MAKE YOUR WEEK FOUR PFT PICK CHALLENGE PICKS

Only four of your -- four -- found a way to best me last week.  (The fact that I nailed 13 of 16 games made it a little harder.)

Here's how it works.  Each week, you make your picks.  You don't have to play every week, but playing every week is the best way to max out your total entries in the season-ending drawing for the grand prize of two tickets to the Football Game of Some Significance that will be played in Glendale, Arizona on the first Sunday in February 2008. 

(The tickets have been made available to us at face value by our friends at NFL.com, who also will be supplying to the winner and a guest invitations to NFL.com events in the days leading up to said Football Game of Some Significance.)

Every correct pick that you make is another entry into the grand-prize drawing.  So if you play every week and get an average of eight games correct, that's 136 total tickets in the drawing for the tickets.

Weekly prizes are awarded based on three categories.  First, it's the "Meathead of Fathead?" game, where everyone who gets more total game picks correct than yours truly (it's not hard to do) is eligible for a random drawing.  The winner of the drawing gets a free Fathead product.

Next, the folks with the highest total number of correct picks per week will be entered into a separate drawing, the winner of which will receive a free one-year subscription to Sporting News. 

Under our "Refer A Friend" program, every reader who (duh) refers a friend who plays in Week Four is entered into a drawing for a free online 2008 fantasy draft guide and season pass package from our friends at Rotoworld.com.

Also, as of Week Two, every contestant who correctly predicts the outcome of the Steelers game (this week, its Steelers at Cardinals) will be entered into an additional drawing, and the winner will get a free copy of the The Bus:  My Life In And Out Of A Helmet.  The books have been made available to us at no charge by Jerome Bettis and by Doubleday Books. 

So click this link, and make your picks for Week Four.

My picks are the Packers, Dolphins, Jets, Falcons, Lions, Ravens, Cowboys, Panthers, Seahawks, Chargers, Steelers, Colts, Eagles, Patriots.

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THURSDAY AFTERNOON ONE-PER-CLUB ONE-LINERS by Michael David Smith

There's not much sentimentality in the NFL:  The Bills have cleaned out Kevin Everett's locker and given it to G Brad Butler.

Jets WR Brad Smith is getting more plays on offense, at the expense of WR Justin McCareins, but coach Eric Mangini says that doesn't mean McCareins is in his doghouse for dropping a potential game-tying touchdown pass against the Ravens.

Dolphins LB Zach Thomas (concussion) was held out of contact at practice Wednesday and it's not clear whether the medical staff will clear him to play Sunday.

Patriots RB Laurence Maroney is battling a groin injury.

Says Ravens LB Ray Lewis of former teammate and current Browns RB Jamal Lewis, "Jamal knows who he has to deal with, so if there's a weakness, tell him to come find it.  We'll be waiting for him Sunday."

The Browns are giving up an average of 176 rushing yards a game.

The Bengals have signed CB Blue Adams and waived CB Keiwan Ratliff.

Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger isn't a fan of his old offensive coordinator, Cardinals coach Ken Whisenhunt, and says of the problems Cardinals QB Matt Leinart is having, "I know what Matt's going through."

When asked if he wants to stick it to his old team, Whisenhunt said, "Every Sunday we play a ... team, we want to stick it to that team."

Everybody loves Texans LB DeMeco Ryans.

Colts LB Rob Morris expects to return from an abdominal injury Sunday against the Broncos.

Jaguars VP of Player Personnel James Harris won't come right out and say it, but it's obvious he has some pretty big disagreements with coach Jack Del Rio.

The Titans' cornerbacks are emphasizing playing the run.

Broncos QB Jay Cutler is practicing on a tender ankle.

Chiefs LB Donnie Edwards doesn't want to reflect on what it will be like to return to Qualcomm Stadium to play against the Chargers.

Raiders QB Josh McCown says of his toe injury, "I'm going to try every day and see if it's tolerable.  Once it gets tolerable, I'm playing.  I want to get back out there."

Chargers RB LaDainian Tomlinson has been held to three yards or fewer on 42 of his 57 carries this season.

Cowboys LB Greg Ellis could make his 2007 debut Sunday.

Giants RB Brandon Jacobs says, "I'm getting very close" to getting back on the field after his Week One knee injury.

Eagles S Brian Dawkins is likely to play Sunday, but CB Lito Sheppard is likely out.

The Redskins have their bye this week; if they were playing, WR Santana Moss would almost surely be out with a groin strain.

The Bears are trying to figure out how to match up with the Lions' four-receiver sets with both starting cornerbacks likely to miss the game.

The Lions have signed LB Donte Curry and released RB Aveion Cason.

With the Packers off to a 3-0 start, hardly anyone has noticed that their first-round draft pick, DT Justin Harrell, is looking like a bust.

Vikings QB Tarvaris Jackson practiced on a limited basis Wednesday.

He won't play Sunday, but Falcons DT Rod Coleman is making progress in his rehab from knee surgery.

It's looking more and more like David Carr will start at quarterback for the Panthers on Sunday.

The Saints' defense still hasn't sacked anyone this year.

Bucs WR Michael Clayton recounts his sideline conversation with coach Jon Gruden after being pulled from Sunday's game: "I told him, 'Don't do that to me.'  Hell no, I don't ever want to come out of a game again." (Then, Mike, maybe you should play better.)

Rams LB Pisa Tinoisamoa expects to return from an ankle injury and play Sunday at Dallas.

Says 49ers coach Mike Nolan of WR Darrell Jackson, "His personality, he acts like a hippie in the late '60s as a laid-back guy."

The Seahawks defense is expecting to see a lot of 49ers RB Frank Gore.

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POSTED 2:08 p.m. EDT; UPDATED 3:33 p.m. EDT, September 27, 2007

THEISMANN OUT AT ESPN

ESPN spokesman Mac Nwulu tells us that Joe Theismann is no longer affiliated with the network.

Here's the official statement:  "We have reached a settlement with Joe Theismann to end his association with ESPN.   We thank Joe for his many years of work for us and wish him well."

The move isn't surprising.  After taking Theismann out of the Monday Night Football booth, ESPN refused to fire Theismann, since to do so would have required the network to buy out his contract.  And Theismann wasn't going to quit, since taking whatever piddly assignments that ESPN threw his way -- and getting paid a salary based on being on MNF -- was a lot more financially attractive than getting nothing.  So after several months of each side waiting for the other side to blink, a deal was reached.

Presumably, Theismann will get some of the money that remained to be paid under his contract, but not all of it.

So ends a relationship that extended over more than three decades.  And it came about without a party or a press conference or any other proclamation.  Instead, ESPN replaced Theismann with Seth Wickersham on the expert picks page of ESPN.com, and apparently presumed that no one would notice.

The fact that ESPN had nothing to say about the departure before the departure was detected by visitors to ESPN.com tells us that ESPN isn't particularly happy about how the relationship ended.  The fact that Theismann spent a good bit of his time whining on the record, and on the air, about his removal from MNF probably had something to do with that.

UPDATE:  Nwulu says that, under the deal, Theismann is free to work immediately with any other media company.  (Maybe he'll send us an application.)

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POSTED 12:19 p.m. EDT, September 27, 2007

HARRIS SUED BY STRIPPER

Packers cornerback Al Harris was investigated for sexual assault in 2005 in connection with an incident at a strip club in Florida.  He was cleared of any wrongdoing.

But Harris has been sued by the woman, now a "former" stripper, in civil court.

Agent Jack Bechta said that, because Harris was never charged, the civil suit "seems like extortion."  But we disagree; the standard of proof is lower in civil court.  The fact that the authorities didn't think that they could establish that Harris was guilty beyond a reasonable doubt doesn't mean that something bad didn't happen.

The bigger potential problem is that the suit apparently was filed more than two years after the alleged assault.  In most states, the statute of limitations on such claims is only two years.

Per published reports, the action was filed last week in Broward County, Florida.  The club at which the incident allegedly occurred also is named as a defendant.

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POSTED 10:55 a.m. EDT, September 27, 2007

SUNSHINE FADES EVEN FURTHER

First, it was his Monday Night Football gig.  Now, Joe Theismann a/k/a Joey Sunshine has suffered yet another professional humiliation.

Theismann is no longer a member of ESPN.com's weekly expert picks panel.

In his place is Seth Wickersham of ESPN The Magazine and ESPN.com.  (Wick's far bigger claim to fame is that he is a participant in the PFT Media Fantasy Challenge.)

Strangely, the expert picks page has been revised to remove any reference to Theismann, instead using Wickersham's picks from prior weeks in place of the picks that Theismann had made.

And thanks to the handful of readers who alerted us to this one, since we don't regularly look at that specific page on the ESPN.com site.  (But, given that yours truly outperformed all of them last week by picking 13 games correctly, maybe we should.)

We're trying to find out how this happened, and whether it means that Theismann finally has quit or been fired.  ESPN spokesman Mac Nwulu told us in a Wednesday e-mail that he'd have some information on Thursday.  So don't go anywhere.  Even if you have to "go".

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POSTED 10:31 a.m. EDT, September 27, 2007

WINSLOW'S STATUS UNKNOWN

After finally getting the knee that he fubared via a motorbike Superman routine in May 2005 fully fixed, Browns tight end Kellen Winslow has a new injury that could cause him to miss some playing time.

As it's being generally described in the media, Winslow suffered a partial shoulder dislocation.  Technically, Winslow has a subluxation, which is a fancy doctor word for when the shoulder kind of pops out and then pops back in on its own.

Redskins running back Clinton Portis sustained the same injury in the 2006 preseason opener.  The question is whether and to what extent damage was done in the process of the bone popping out and pushing back in through all of the stuff that's in the joint.  The team should separately be concerned because a subluxation can be the result of a damaged rotator cuff.

The injury came on the team's final drive against Oakland on Sunday, when Winslow fell on the shoulder after making a 23-yard reception.  "When he came down on it, boom, he hit it pretty hard and it moved just a little bit," coach Romeo Crennel said on Wednesday.

Winslow missed practice on Wednesday, and his status for Sunday currently is unknown.  But Winslow said that he plans to play.  "You think he'd miss a game?" receiver Braylon Edwards said.

We believe Winslow.  He played week in and week out a year ago on a knee that needed microfracture surgery.  He sure as hell won't let a dinged-up wing slow him down.

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POSTED 10:12 a.m. EDT, September 27, 2007

BIG BLUE COULD BE WITHOUT BURRESS

Giants receiver Plaxico Burress, who has performed like a Pro Bowler through three games this year, could miss the Week Four showdown with the Eagles due to a chronic ankle problem.

The loser of the contest between 1-2 teams will land in the basement of the NFC East.

Burress flew to Charlotte on Wednesday for an examination by an orthopedic specialist.  The team calls the injury a sprain.  Burress played through the condition on Sunday, when he delivered the game-winning catch-and-run against the Redskins.

If Plaxico can't go, quarterback Eli Manning isn't worried.  Or so he says.

"I don’t think it changes much," Manning said.  "We just got to do our offense and just go out there.  Whoever's in there at his spot has to perform well for us."

Bull, we say.  Burress is a genuine game-breaker, and it suddenly becomes a lot harder for the Giants to beat Philly -- or anyone -- if Burress isn't on the field.    

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POSTED 9:12 a.m. EDT, September 27, 2007

CARDS HAVE A REAL QUARTERBACK CONTROVERSY

Though Arizona coach Ken Whisenhunt is trying his best to avoid the appearance that he'll periodically bench starting quarterback Matt Leinart when the time comes to break out the no-huddle, multi-receiver attack, the truth is that a real quarterback controversy is brewing in Arizona -- and that Whisenhunt is managing it for now by going to Kurt Warner only when necessary.

So while Leinart is still the starter, he'll be the finisher only if the team has the lead late in the game.  And if Warner can continue to come off of the bench and erase deficits with performances that remind us of his efforts from years gone by, Whisenhunt eventually won't wait until the Cardinals are down by 10 or more points to make the switch.

And that would be a welcome change for many on the team.  As a league source told us on Wednesday, a lot of the players privately want to see Warner in the game.  "There's a strong sentiment that Warner should be the guy," the source said.  "He's not as good as Warner right now.  Warner is more effective at running the offense."

To the extent that the handwriting is on the wall, Leinart hasn't noticed it.  "I'm not worried about what anyone else is saying," Leinart said, according to the Arizona Republic.  "I know that this is my team.  I know I'm the quarterback of this team.  I'm competitive.  I'm not just going to throw in the towel and give in to what everyone is saying.  I'm going to go out there, work harder."

We're not sure that the primary goal of this effort is to get Leinart to take his job more seriously, but it doesn't hurt.  Still, the bigger issue, for now, is that Warner is the better guy, for now, to help the Cardinals win.

Maybe it's because of Warner's experience.  Or maybe it's because Warner is a better fit for Whisenhunt's offense.  If it's the latter, and if Leinart doesn't adapt to the offense or vice-versa, the only possibly long-term solution will be for Leinart or Whisenhunt to find a new job.

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POSTED 10:50 p.m. EDT; UPDATED 11:06 p.m. EDT, September 26, 2007

BUSH WIDELY VIEWED AS OVERRATED

Our pal Mike Freeman of CBSSports.com (who is a much better writer than he is a fantasy football owner) nails it regarding the Legend of Reggie Bush in a new column comparing the No. 2 overall pick in the 2006 draft to Tony Mandarich, the overhyped left tackle who didn't do squat in the NFL.

Writes Freeman:  "Defensive coordinators have told me this season that Bush may be seen as a superstar to the general public but he is not someone who keeps them awake at night.  They say he's not as fast as he looks, can be covered by a linebacker one-on-one and gets shy around contact."

The fact that Bush is widely regarded as a superstar is actually causing folks in the league to take a dimmer view of him than they would if he was a third-down back taken on the second day of the draft.

As one league source told us on Wednesday, an "amazing number of people" in the league think Bush is overrated.  And more and more folks are concluding that the Texans knew what they were doing when passing on Bush with the No. 1 selection.  (Not drafting Vince Young, however, is quite another story.)

It's not going to get any better for Bush.  Though many assume that he'll get a chance to become an every-down back (and potentially blossom) now that Deuce McAllister is out for the season, don't be surprised if backup Aaron Stecker ends up inheriting most of the touches that would have gone to McAllister.

And Bush's sinking star could have a negative impact on the draft stock of WVU running back Steve Slaton, who has already drawn comparisons to the 2005 Heisman winner.  The problem, as we see it, is that guys like Bush and Slaton have the speed to run around, and away from, college defenses that, at most, have one or two guys with the skills to even have a chance at stopping them.  But when some 120 major NCAA programs funnel the best of the best into the NFL, most teams have more than enough guys to neutralize the speed and elusiveness that guys like Bush demonstrated before playing with the big boys.

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WEDNESDAY INJURY REPORT

You know the drill by now.  Wednesday.  First day for the injury report. 

Here are the goods.  We moved it to a separate page because it was taking up too much space in the Rumor Mill.

We'll post the full report every Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday.

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POSTED 8:36 p.m. EDT; UPDATED 8:55 p.m. EDT, September 26, 2007

POSITIVE TEST EXPOSES VICK TO SUBSTANCE-ABUSE POLICY

Even though Falcons quarterback Mike Vick currently is serving an indefinite suspension after pleading guilty to federal conspiracy charges relating to dog fighting, his positive marijuana test generated in connection with the monitoring of his actions while on bond exposes him to sanctions under the league's substance-abuse policy.

NFL spokesman Greg Aiello told us via e-mail on Wednesday that Vick remains subject to the policy, and thus to any consequences that a positive outcome might trigger.

Because a player's status as to the substance-abuse policy is confidential, it's not known whether Vick already is occupying one of the various stages of the program.  It's possible that a four-game suspension will be triggered, or that the positive test is only his first strike.  Or something in between.

The most intriguing aspect of this development is that Vick most likely will be subject to NFL-imposed random testing while he is in jail.

And Vick could be in jail sooner rather than later if he tests positive again.  His codefendant, Quanis Phillips, was sent straight to jail after testing positive several weeks ago.  Phillips was immediately incarcerated because his criminal history exposed him to stricter sanctions.  So Vick is now on deck for similar treatment if he can't stay away from green leafy substances that typically aren't served in a salad.    

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PFT PICKS WINNERS ARE UP

Information as to the weekly winners of the PFT Pick Challenge is now available.  Just click on the "contest" link in the upper right corner after logging in.

For Week One, the winner of the drawing from the folks who got the most picks correct was "martysommer."  The "Meathead or Fathead?" winner was "jchoenst."

For Week Two, the most correct picks prize went to "dlosch."  The "Meathead or Fathead?" winner was "ussmgeense."

For Week Three, the pool for the most picks was only four people -- they each got 14 of 16 games right.  Since yours truly got 13 of 16 picks for the week, those same four folks were the only ones eligible for the "Meathead or Fathead?" contest.

The total correct picks winner was "Juice."  (We hope it's just a coincidence.)  And the "Meathead or Fathead?" winner was "vires90."

Also, the winner of the Jerome Bettis book, which goes to the winner of the drawing based on all of the folks who picked the correct outcome of the Steelers game, was "pipes11983."

You can make your picks for Week Four now, but I'll be making mine on Thursday morning.       

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POSTED 8:16 p.m. EDT, September 26, 2007

BILLS BACKERS STILL UP IN ARMS OVER LOSMAN HIT

We've gotten a bunch of e-mails since Sunday's Bills-Pats game, during which New England defensive tackle Vince Wilfork knocked Buffalo quarterback J.P. Losman out of the game with a low hit.

Though it appears that Wilfork was blocked into Losman's leg, it also looks like Wilfork deliberately aimed an elbow at Losman's knee.

Really, who breaks their own fall by throwing out an elbow?  Have a look.

 

We like Wilfork but that was a bush-league move, and he should be fined.  If he is, maybe he can dig some gold out of his nose to pay it.

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POSTED 7:45 p.m. EDT, September 26, 2007

JACKSON WANTS HIS JOB BACK

Adam Schefter of NFL Network reports that Vikings quarterback Tarvaris Jackson participated in practice on Wednesday and is determined to return to the field after missing Week Three's loss to the Chiefs with a groin injury.

Schefter reports that Jackson could start on Sunday, but that the team is comfortable with the efforts of Kelly Holcomb, who replaced Jackson on Sunday.

After playing the Packers at home on Sunday, the Vikings have a week off before facing the Bears in Chicago.

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POSTED 7:39 p.m. EDT, September 26, 2007

FALCONS FLY INTO SECOND PLACE ON TURD WATCH

Lost (by us) in the bizarre non-indictment of Falcons quarterback Mike Vick on animal cruelty charges is the fact that Vick has been indicted on two dog-fighting felonies. 

This re-sets the "days without an arrest" counter, and the ensuing 14 points vaults the Falcons into second place in our patented (not really) Turd Watch standings.

The Falcons get the points for the felony charges because Vick is still a member of the team, even though he is on suspension.

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POSTED 5:20 p.m. EDT; UPDATED 5:55 p.m. EDT, September 26, 2007

PFT PLANET SPEAKS, VIRGINIA A.G. SENDS OUT FORM LETTER

Several (actually, more than several) of you have communicated your thoughts to Virginia attorney general Bob McDonnell regarding  the non-indictment of Mike Vick on animal cruelty charges in Virginia, despite an admission that he participated in the killing of at least six dogs in Virginia during April 2007.

And a reader has forwarded to us the response received from Mr. McDonnell's office.  Here it is:

POSTED 3:41 p.m. EDT, September 26, 2007

BEARS PLAYERS EXHALE OVER GROSSMAN BENCHING

Though some members of the team still believe that Rex Grossman is still the best quarterback on the team, a league source tells us that the general sense in the locker room over the benching of Grossman is relief.

Actually, it's more than relief.  The players, as it was described to us, are elated by the move, since it removes a major distraction for them.

It was frustrating, the source said, for the players to listen to the constant criticism of Grossman, which had consumed the local media and was becoming a major issue at the national level.

"They don't think he's a bad player," the source said.  "He has a lot of tools.  [He has] a good arm and a nice release."

But the negatives were far outweighing the positives, and the fact that something has been done is being viewed as a positive development in the locker room.

Meanwhile, we think it's fair to ask the question of whether Grossman is solely responsible for his poor performance, or whether it's a failure of coaching to design schemes and game plans aimed at getting the most out of Grossman's skills, and minimizing his weaknesses.  Quarterbacks coach Wade Wilson took the fall after 2006, but offensive coordinator Ron Turner has to date not caught any of the blame.

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POSTED 2:55 p.m. EDT, September 26, 2007

CROUCH FINDS ANOTHER LEAGUE TO QUIT FROM

Heisman trophy winner Eric Crouch is making yet another comeback.

Specifically, Crouch will play for the AAFL, a new league that will begin play in 2008.

Crouch was selected by the Rams in the third round of the 2002 draft, and promptly converted to receiver.  He "retired" from the NFL not long after his career began. 

The former Nebraska Cornhusker resurfaced in Canada, playing quarterback for the Toronto Argonauts.

The AAFL initially will field six teams in Arkansas, Alabama, Florida, Texas, Tennessee, and Michigan.  Unlike the UFL, which plans to launch in 2008 during the conventional football season, the AAFL will play in the spring.

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POSTED 1:21 p.m. EDT; UPDATED 1:41 p.m. EDT, September 26, 2007

APPARENTLY, VICK STILL HAS POT MONEY

With his NFL career in shambles and his marketing potential in the O.J. Simpson ballpark, Falcons quarterback Mike Vick apparently has enough cash on hand to afford to tango from time to time with a Mexican girl named Mary Jane.

Per published reports, Vick has tested positive for marijuana.

Vick is subject to testing as one of the terms of his release on bond while awaiting sentencing for federal conspiracy charges, to which he pleaded guilty last month.  His failure to maintain a bladder full of clean urine is somewhat surprising, since he knows that he is subject to testing.

And, like a guy who tests positive at the scouting combine, the fact that Vick tested positive when he knew he was going to be tested means that either Vick is really stupid, or that he has a problem.  (Some would say "both.")

Specifically, a specimen that Vick submitted on September 13 generated a positive result.  As a result of the result (man, I need to get a thesaurus), Judge Henry Hudson has ordered Vick to home confinement from 10:00 p.m. until 6:00 a.m., and has required him to wear a certain piece of jewelry on his ankle that will alert the authorities if Vick should leave his residence.

And he won't be able to carry this piece of jewelry in his water bottle with the secret compartment -- unless he can fit his foot and leg in there, too.

We've yet to research whether the positive test has an impact on the application of the federal sentencing guidelines that Hudson will use to determine the penatly to impose on Vick come December 10.  But regardless of whether the incident factors into the equation that will control the number of months that Mike will spend as a guest of Uncle Sam, Vick's failure to stay away from smoking pot during this critical juncture of his life won't be likely to persuade Judge Hudson to exercise any discretion in Vick's favor.

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WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON ONE-PER-CLUB ONE-LINERS by Michael David Smith

Dolphins WR Chris Chambers will plead guilty to speeding and have DWI charges dropped; Chambers was arrested July 14 in Charlotte when he was clocked doing 74 mph in a 45 mph zone.

Patriots WR Randy Moss hasn't been talking to the media, but his agent says Moss loves Tom Brady.

The Bills have signed CB Jerametrius Butler.

It may be time for the Jets to abandon the 3-4 defense.

Ravens WR Derrick Mason says he won't stop complaining:  "I think it's just a receiver's nature, whether it be complaining to the media or complaining behind closed doors, you're always open."

Bengals RB Rudi Johnson might miss Monday's game against the Patriots with a hamstring injury.

Browns coach Romeo Crennel gave this assessment of his defense against the Raiders:  "We weren't very good.  We didn't cover.  We couldn't stop the run."

Two Steelers starters, WR Hines Ward and C Sean Mahan, have sprained knees; Ward is more likely to miss Sunday's game.

Says Texans coach Gary Kubiak of injured RB Ron Dayne, "I think Ronnie is going to be fine."

Colts president Bill Polian says backup DE Josh Thomas "had a phenomenal game" Sunday.

Jaguars LB Mike Peterson says not many people know his real name is Porter Peterson, and that of the few people who do know, "They'll tease me about it every now and then."

The Titans have won eight of Vince Young's last 10 starts; the two losses were to the Patriots and Colts.

The Broncos had LB A.J. Nicholson in for a workout Tuesday; Nicholson was waived by the Bengals during the off-season after a domestic violence arrest.

Chiefs coach Herm Edwards says he's being patient with his offense.

With the Oakland A's season about to end, the Raiders are glad they're about to get grass put over the dirt infield at McAfee Coliseum.

Chargers RB LaDainian Tomlinson was asked whether the Chargers could win without running well and answered, "We haven't been able to run the ball in three games and we're 1-2.  So I think that answers your question."

Cowboys WR Terrell Owens was rushed to Baylor University Medical Center at Dallas with a painkiller overdose one year ago today.  (Had you fooled there for a second, didn't we?)

Giants RB Derrick Ward is on pace to catch more passes this season than Tiki Barber ever did.

Eagles defensive coordinator Jim Johnson says second-year DT Brodrick Bunkley is "miles and miles ahead" of where he was as a rookie.

The Redskins are using the Cover 2 more than they ever have before.

The Bears are worried about their depleted secondary as they prepare to face the Lions.

Lions LT Jeff Backus could miss a start for the first time since seventh grade.

Former Packers G.M. Ron Wolf prefers watching old football films to live games: "I liked sports a lot better in the days before ESPN."  (Possible translation:  "I've been trying to get those bastards to give me a job for five years now, and they won't.")

Vikings coach Brad Childress says LT Bryant McKinnie wasn't entirely to blame for Chiefs DE Jared Allen getting two sacks Sunday. 

Falcons coach Bobby Petrino says his players "have to learn how to win the game." (Isn't that the coach's job?)

Panthers coach John Fox is expected to wait until game time to decide whether QB Jake Delhomme will start.

Saints CB Jason David won't get burned by any opposing receivers for the next four to six weeks.

Buccaneers coach Jon Gruden is high on S Jermaine Phillips.

The no-huddle -- with QB Kurt Warner running it -- will be a part of the Cardinals' offense all season.

The Rams' last three games have represented one of their worst scoring droughts since the franchise moved to St. Louis.

The 49ers have signed kick returner Michael Lewis.

Will Seahawks coach Mike Holmgren play backup QB Seneca Wallace at wide receiver?

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POSTED 10:00 a.m. EDT; UPDATED 10:40 a.m. EDT, September 26, 2007

MARTIN PLAYS THE MUNSON CARD

On Wednesday, we called out ESPN.com legal analyst Lester Munson for recklessly floating the notion that the Virginia charges to be pursued against Mike Vick unfairly duplicate the federal crime to which he has pleaded guilty.

Though Munson has since corrected himself, Vick's lawyer, Billy Martin, is echoing Munson's flawed contention that Vick is now being charged for the same crime that he faced in federal court.

On Wednesday, Martin said that he plans to "aggressively protect [Vick's] rights to ensure that he is not held accountable for the same conduct twice."  In a statement, Martin also said, "We are disappointed that these charges were filed in Surry County since it is the same conduct covered by the federal indictment."

But it's not the same conduct.  Vick was charged only with conspiring to violate federal laws against interstate gambling and interstate dog fighting.  He was not charged with Virginia laws against gambling, dog fighting, or animal cruelty, and he was not charged with interstate gambling or interstate dog fighting.

Indeed, the reference in the federal action to the killing of dogs was completely irrelevant to the charges Vick and his cohorts faced.  They were never charged with killing or conspiring to kill dogs.  Unfortunately, however, a grand jury in Surry County, Virginia has opted to ignore the admissions of Vick, Purnell Peace, and Quanis Phillips that they had killed the dogs, refusing to indict them for animal cruelty.  Thus, to the extent that there is any argument to be made that the state charges in any way duplicate the federal charges, and if a judge in Virginia agrees with Martin's argument, Vick could avoid any and all responsibility for the clear, admitted violations of Virginia law that were unrelated to the federal charges to which he pleaded guilty.

The whole thing makes us even more curious as to whether Surry County prosecutor Gerald Poindexter took a dive on the animal cruelty charges.  And we're even more convinced that Virginia attorney general Bob McDonnell should take over the investigation and prosecution.

If you agree with us, let McDonnell hear about it directly.   

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OKAY, SO POINDEXTER ISN'T A COMPLETE IDIOT

We (and many others) were confused on Tuesday by the suggestion from Surry County prosecutor Gerald Poindexter that he wasn't present in the grand jury room during the non-indictment of Mike Vick, Quanis Phillips, and Purnell Peace for killing dogs that they have admitted to killing.

As courts reporter Tom Jackman of the Washington Post advises us, however, Virginia law states that the prosecutor may not enter the grand jury room unless the prosecutor is a witness.

Per Section 19.2-201 of the Virginia Code, "Except as otherwise provided in this chapter, no attorney for the Commonwealth shall go before the grand jury except when duly sworn to testify as a witness, but he may advise the foreman of a regular grand jury or any member or members thereof in relation to the discharge of their duties."

Virginia's approach in unusual; in the federal system and in many states, the prosecutor is present to marshal the evidence presented to the grand jury.

Though Poindexter would have been wise to make it clear to the reporters who accosted him on Tuesday that, by law, he can't be in the room at all, we think that Poindexter still had far more control over the outcome than his comments from Tuesday suggest.

For starters, he has every right to prep the witnesses who testified regarding the points that they needed to make, in order to introduce sufficient evidence that a crime was committed.  Also, and as Section 19.2-201 makes abundantly clear, Poindexter had the power "to advise the foreman of a regular grand jury or any member or members thereof in relation to the discharge of their duties."

That's a broad and important power, which typically isn't available to prosecutors who are present with the grand jury when evidence is presented.  Under this clause, Poindexter could have simply told them that these men have admitted to killing dogs, and that they cannot properly discharge their duties without indicting them.

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POSTED 9:18 a.m. EDT, September 26, 2007

JONES IN HOT WATER WITH SEC

Former NFL player, broadcaster, agent, and Raiders front-office employee Sean Jones is in hot water with the SEC after allegedly failing to run over records relating to his investment advisory business.

The action against Jones, pursued administratively by the SEC under the Investment Advisors Act of 1940, relates to a defunct company known as Amaroq Asset Management.  The official release regarding the matter can be viewed right here.

Jones allegedly failed, repeatedly, to respond to inquiries from the SEC, and he later claimed that the records the SEC was seeking had been destroyed in a fire or inadvertently sold by a storage company (or eaten by Mike Vick's dogs). 

He faces no criminal sanctions, but could be slapped with civil penalties, which in lay terms means "writing a big-ass check." 

The story was first reported by the San Francisco Chronicle. 

Over the past few years, Jones has lost his NFLPA license, and has been required to pay nearly $400,000 to former NFL player Cris Dishman for allegedly recommending unsuitable stocks and making unauthorized trades.  Jones currently faces 12 counts of bank fraud, each of which carries a maximum sentence of up to 30 years in prison.

Along the way, Jones was also fired by the Raiders.  According to Raiders lawyer Jeff Birren, the termination had nothing to do with Jones'  legal issues.  Birren said Jones was fired  because "we went 2-and-14 last year."

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POSTED 8:53 a.m. EDT, September 26, 2007

NO SUSPENSION FOR HALL

ESPN.com reports that the Atlanta Falcons won't be suspending cornerback DeAngelo Hall in the wake of his Sunday meltdown against the Panthers.

Len Pasquarelli reports that the fine will be less than a game check of $182,941, but more than $100,000.

"If it's a suspension or a fine, especially if it's a suspension, I take it in full stride," Hall recently told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.  "It don't feel good to be the reason your team loses a game."

Under the Collective Bargaining Agreement between the NFL and the NFLPA, teams can suspend a player for up to four games without pay for conduct detrimental to the team.  Any suspension or other penalty is subject to the grievance procedure, and punishments can be overturned or reduced if the player and the union can show that the penalty is not consistent with the team's past practices.

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POSTED 9:07 a.m. EDT; LAST UPDATED 10:26 p.m. EDT, September 25, 2007

KICK RETURNS GETTING MORE HAZARDOUS

Through three weeks of the 2007 NFL season, there have been four serious neck injuries during kick returns.

Four.  In three weeks.

Two of them were well publicized.  In Week One, Kevin Everett of the Bills fractured his C-3 and C-4 veterbrae.  In Week Three, Cedric Killings of the Texans suffered a fracture of the C-4 vertebra in his neck.

The other two have not received much attention.  And they happened on the same play.

Per a league source, Packers guard Tony Palmer and Giants defensive end Adrian Awasom collided during a kick return in Week Two.  Palmer's injury was reported as a "small-bone fracture in his neck," and Awasom's was dubbed a "fractured transverse process."   

The source tells us that both men actually broke the C-4 facet bone (whatever that means) during their violent collision.

Palmer and Awasom never lost feeling in their extremities, but we're told that they both were millimeters away from an outcome like Everett's.

What is it with kick returns and neck injuries?  Part of the problem is that the players generate maximum momentum as the coverage unit roars down the field.  So when the players come together and instinctively dip their helmets just before collision, they ultimately are placing maximum pressure on the most delicate of regions in this bodies, and putting their lives in peril.

So what can be done?  Some league insiders advocate outlawing the "wedge," a blocking formation that attempts to take out as many defenders as possible in the hopes of springing the ball carrier toward the end zone.  One source thinks that only one substitution per team should be allowed after a kick off, with the kicking team replacing the kicker and the receiving team bringing in the quarterback, in order to encourage coaches to be less reckless with the health and welfare of the guys who engage in this inherently dangerous activity.  If, the theory goes, a team's starters are on the field, greater care will be taken to ensure that guys don't throw caution completely to the wind in an effort to get noticed.  

Other possibilities include moving the kickoff back up to the 35, reducing the amount of distance over which the players can gather momentum.  Or requiring the players covering the kick to assume a three-point stance before the kick, eliminating the CFL-style running start.  Or expanding the game-day active roster so that players who dress out due to injury concerns on the offensive line, for example, aren't pressed into service on special teams when it's not one of their strong suits.  Or instituting a weight limit for kick coverage and return teams, since the four guys who suffered neck injuries in three weeks were all larger men.  Or, more generally, finding ways to make the outer shell of the helmet less hard, since players will continue to use the protective device as an weapon of choice.

But the goal of this piece isn't to identify a definitive solution -- it's to highlight the problem.  And the problem seems real to us, and to others.    

As one league source told us on Tuesday, "Plenty of people got worked up about the Bill Belichick situation, but cheating isn't going to put any of these players in wheelchairs."

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EASTERBROOK PUSHING SPY STORY

Though the constant, week-by-week flow of game action is nudging the Patriots spying scandal farther into the background, Gregg Easterbrook of ESPN.com is trying to push the story forward.

In his weekly Tuesday Morning Quarterback column, Easterbrook addresses the prompt destruction of all evidence of past spying that the Pats surrendered last week, and he chronicles his e-mail exchange with NFL spokesman Greg Aiello regarding whether the surrendered materials included evidence of secret videotaping during one of the team's three Super Bowl wins.

The full story is right here.  To summarize, Easterbook suggests that Aiello was being evasive.  At one point, Easterbrook hints that Aiello might have been playing word games when stating that no evidence of cheating during the Super Bowl exists, since Aiello's representation was made after any evidence of the cheating had been destroyed.

We're not prepared to endorse the notion that Aiello is relying on the tenses of verbs in order to obscure the truth.  Despite the league's obvious desire to move forward, we don't think that Aiello would tell an outright lie about this.  It would be far easier to simply refuse to answer, as he did with several of Easterbrook's other questions.

The reality here is that no amount of questioning posed to Aiello or anyone else in the league is going to advance the ball as to the full extent and potential ramifications of any cheating that occurred.  The only way to really push the story is to find current or former Pats employees who can provide persuasive, first-hand accounts of what the team did and how they did it.      

Unless and until that happens, this story has found its final resting place.

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BREES TORE DEUCE'S ACL

One of the consequences of the Steve Blass-style disappearance of Drew Brees' passing skils is that Brees has contributed directly to the rupture of Deuce McAllister's ACL.

Though our recollection of last night's injury to McAllister was that he didn't suffer any awkward twisting of his knee on impact with the Titan who tackled him after McAllister caught a short pass, the replay suggests that McAllister tore the ligament after leaping to catch the ball, and landing a bit awkwardly on his left leg.

If Brees had merely delivered the ball lower, McAllister wouldn't have had to unnecessarily jump.

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POSTED 7:53 p.m. EDT; UPDATED 7:59 p.m. EDT, September 25, 2007

TERANCE MATHIS TO GET A VISIT FROM THE FEDS?

As we watched the 90-minute ESPN special regarding the Mike Vick situation, we've been receiving e-mails from readers who were appalled by the apparent bias in favor of Vick.  But we didn't really spot a lot of bias on the stage; instead, the pro-Vick crowd seemed to be heavily represented in the audience, and willing to make themselves heard.

Early in the show, comments from former NFL receiver Terance Mathis caught our ears.  Mathis said that he spoke to Vick recently, that he told Vick he'd be coming on the show, and that he said to Vick, "What do you want the people to know?"

Vick told him, "If I'm guilty of anything, it's being loyal to friends and to family."

The next thing Mathis was, in our view, particularly interesting.  "He said to me, 'I have never, ever picked up a gun and killed anyone or anything in my life," Mathis said.  "I love animals.'"

First of all, Vick has admitted to participating in the killing of dogs.  Second, a federal judge soon will be sentencing him on conspiracy charges, and federal agents currently are working on a pre-sentencing report.  If the extent to which Vick is genuinely accepting responsibility for his conduct is a factor in determining the specific duration of his sentence, and if Vick is saying things that are contrary to his guilty plea, his sentence could be longer than it otherwise would have been.

As a result, the feds might be paying a visit to Mathis to confirm that Vick said what Mathis said he said.

Also, why would Vick say that he has "never, ever picked up a gun and killed anyone"?  No one has ever accused him of that.

Officially.

Recently, there were reports linking Vick's Bad Newz Kennels to a guy who was found shot and killed.  So is Mike feeling a little nervous about the possibility of an eventual murder charge?  If not, why would he talk about guns and killing people in a case that has at no time involved either subject?

Bottom line -- we think there are still plenty of potential layers to this whole thing. 

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THE ORIGIN OF UNCLE RICO

We've seen an increase in our traffic by more tha 100 percent since last year at this time, and as a result many readers don't understand the nature of some of our nicknames.

One of them is the label we've applied to Titans quarterback Vince Young.  We call him "Uncle Rico."

For those of you who are confused by the reference, we offer up this clip from the film Napoleon Dynamite. 

Uncle Rico is the guy who threw the steak with the same sidearm motion as Young.

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POSTED 6:58 p.m. EDT, September 25, 2007

EAGLES, WESTBROOK RESOLVE PAY ISSUE

One of the more bizarre business snafus of recent memory has finally been worked out.  We think.

According to Adam Schefter of NFL Network, the Eagles and running back Brian Westbrook have reached an agreement regarding an overpayment in the amount of $3 million.

Under the deal, the Eagles will withhold a big chunk of Westbrook's $2 million base salary.  He also has repayed roughly $1 million of the money.

The situation involves complex issues regarding taxes, since Westbrook is expected to pay back money he never actually receiver -- i.e., the money that was sent from the Eagles to the IRS as part of the company's obligation to collect employment taxes. 

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POSTED 6:42 p.m. EDT, September 25, 2007

GROSSMAN TO THE BENCH

Adam Schefter of NFL Network reports that the Bears will be benching quarterback Rex Grossman.  In his place will be veteran Brian Griese.

Grossman has generated a 45.2 passer rating in three games this season.

Griese, a third-round draft pick in 1998, has played for the Broncos, Dolphins, and Buccaneers.

It remains to be seen whether Grossman will be dropped to No. 2 or No. 3, behind Kyle Orton.  We also wonder whether Grossman will be traded (if anyone wants him) or released.

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POSTED 4:20 p.m. EDT; UPDATED 4:39 p.m. EDT, September 25, 2007

POINDEXTER MUST GO

Today, we publicly call upon Virginia Attorney Bob McDonnell to relieve Surry County, Virginia prosecutor Gerald Poindexter of any further involvement in the prosecution of Mike Vick.

We base our position in this regard upon startling video of Poindexter being peppered with questions from the press while leaving the Courthouse on Tuesday, after a grand jury failed to indict Vick on six counts of killing dogs -- even though Vick has admitted to participating in the killing of at least six dogs in April 2007.

"I don't know what was actually put before them," Poindexter said, in reference to the grand jury.  "I know what should have been put before them, but I don't know what they actually had before them."

Poindexter bristled at questions regarding his incredible lack of knowledge about this core aspect of his job duties.

Said one reporter, "Did you put before the grand jury their own admission that they killed dogs?"

"I only put a piece of paper before the grand jury," Poindexter said.

Another reporter made it even more simple:  "Michael Vick confessed to killing six to eight dogs. . . .  Did you put that before the grand jury, yes or no?"

Said Poindexter:  "I'm sure it was put before the grand jury."

Reporter:  "You're the prosecutor . . . was it or was it not?"

Poindexter then tried to suggest that he had little or no control over the introduction of evidence, suggesting at one point that he's not even allowed to be in the grand jury room. 

Folks, this smells bad.  Real bad.  Prosecutors are always part of the grand jury process.  As one prosecutor explained it to me this afternoon, the prosecutor is essentially the quarterback of the procedure.  Though the prosecutor doesn't testify, he's the one to ask the questions and to present the exhibits.  (And if the procedure somehow is different in Virginia, we call on the members of the bar there who read this site to let us know.)

There's simply no way that a grand jury could have rejected indictments charging Purnell Peace, Quanis Phillips, and Mike Vick with killing at least six dogs based on their admissions -- unless the grand jurors opted to ignore the oath they they took at the outset of the process, or unless Poindexter bungled the situation so badly that the grand jurors didn't know what to do.

Either way, McDonnell needs to step in.  Now.  Double jeopardy does not apply to grand jury proceedings.  Thus, a second effort can be made to secure an indictment. 

If McDonnell won't intervene, then the citizens of Surry County need to get behind the write-in candidate who is running against Poindexter in November. 

Unless, of course, they're comfortable with having a complete buffoon as their primary law enforcement official.

---

MUNSON CORRECTS HIMSELF

After declaring on the ESPN cablewaves that the Virginia prosecution of Mike Vick necessarily will fail because Vick "will be charged twice with the same crime," ESPN.com Lester Munson has corrected himself.

Without, of course, ever acknowledging that he was wrong.

Writes Munson, in his usual "ask myself a question and then answer it" style:

"How can Vick be prosecuted twice for the same crime? Isn't it double jeopardy, and isn't that barred by the U.S. Constitution?

"The legal phrase 'double jeopardy' is shorthand for the rule that a citizen can be prosecuted only once for the same crime.  But the idea of 'dual sovereignty' might trump the idea of 'double jeopardy.' In a case known as Heath v. Alabama, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in 1985 that a man who hired two thugs to kidnap and murder his wife could be prosecuted twice, once in Georgia and once in Alabama.  It's a case that has prompted argument among legal scholars, but it is a basis for Poindexter to file a second set of charges against Vick.  The theory espoused by then-Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, who delivered the majority opinion, was that if two states had distinct sources of their power from their own constitutions, each state could prosecute its own case.  It's a scary legal precedent for Vick.  His lawyers will try to stop Poindexter from pursuing Vick. They will argue 'double jeopardy,' but they will run up against the ruling of the nation's highest court.  And Vick, like the guy in the Supreme Court case, could end up with two convictions and two jail sentences."

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POSTED 2:19 p.m. EDT, September 25, 2007

YET ANOTHER BEARS STARTER IS HURT

In addition to the injuries suffered on Sunday by Bears defensive tackle Tommie Harris, cornerback Nathan Vasher, and linebacker Lance Briggs, a league source tells us that safety Adam Archuleta (a sponsor of this site, but not our source) has a broken hand.

The injury occurred during the Week Three loss on Sunday night, Archuleta will play with a cast on his hand.

Harris, Vasher, and/or Briggs might not be so lucky.  

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POSTED 1:21 p.m. EDT; LAST UPDATED 1:56 p.m. EDT, September 25, 2007

VICK INDICTED, AGAIN

Falcons quarterback Mike Vick was indicted on Tuesday by a Surry County, Virginia grand jury on charges arising from his involvement in dog fighting.

Vick, Purnell Peace, Quanis Phillips, and Tony Taylor were indicted on one count each of organizing dogfighting, and fighting and beating animals.

Amazingly, the grand jury indicted no one on charges of killing the dogs -- even though Peace, Phillips, and Vick admitted to it.  In writing.

But how could that have happened?  The law is the law, and any prosecutor with any ounce of competence could have gotten an indictment on animal cruelty counts.

Unless, of course, the prosecutor didn't want to get an indictment on those counts. 

There's no way to prove any of this, since grand jury proceedings are conducted under a thick veil of secrecy.  But the failure of Poindexter to obtain an indictment on those charges causes us to believe that he's either too incompetent to hold his job, or that (as many of our readers have suspected) he's corrupt.

We're not saying he's corrupt.  We're not even expressing that opinion.  We'll give him the benefit of the doubt for now and presume that he's simply inept.

UPDATE:  Updated news reports indicate that Vick was indicted on one count of killing dogs.  But since he has admitted to participating in the killing of 6-8 dogs, why not six counts?

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POSTED 11:37 a.m. EDT; LAST UPDATED 1:16 p.m. EDT, September 25, 2007

LESTER MUNSON HAS LOST ALL CREDIBILITY WITH US

ESPN.com legal analyst Lester Munson generally did a great job throughout the whole Mike Vick ordeal.  But now Munson has gone and stepped in a pile of some of the stuff that one of Vick's pit bulls left on Mike's property.

Reacting to the news that Surry County, Virginia prosecutor Gerald Poindexter will seek an indictment of Vick on charges relating to the now-defunct dog-fighting ring, Munson declared on one of the various ESPN networks that Vick is about to be charged with the same crime twice.

Speaking clearly and unequivocally, Munson says that Poindexter plans to charge Vick "for exactly the same things that he was charged with in the federal court," and that this "almost never happens in the American legal system."

Thanks to ESPN's YouTube-style video service, you can check it out for yourself.

 

Munson claims that Poindexter is acting now because he was "embarrassed and humiliated" by the federal investigation and prosecution of Vick, and that Poindexter is motivated only by his desire to get re-elected in November.

"Vick will be charged twice with the same crime," Munson says.  "It's highly unusual, and I would expect Vick's lawyer to be able to dispose of this very favorably, very soon."

But you're wrong, Lester.  Completely wrong.  Unbelievably wrong.  Emmitt Smith wrong.

Vick is not being charged with the same crime twice.  In federal court, he was charged with conspiracy to violate multiple federal laws.  And conspiracy to violate the law is a separate and distinct crime.

In Virginia, he'll be charged not with conspiracy to commit a crime, but with the actual underlying violations of Virginia law.

It's not all that unusual, it's not forbidden, and an argument that Vick has already been charged with "the same crime" won't fly.

Frankly, Munson's error is the biggest mistake we've ever seen from a legal pundit.  Ever.  And the problem with it is that it will provide false fodder for those lingering Vick supporters who think that he is being treated unjustly.

So, Lester, we're begging you to submit an item to ESPN.com that acknowledges, and corrects, your error.  Now.

UPDATE:  Here's a look at Poindexter's opponent, who's running on a write-in basis.  And who doesn't even live in  Surry County.  Munson mentions none of these facts in his argument that Poindexter is motivated only by a desire to avoid losing the election.  (Thanks to Taco Bill for finding the link.)

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TUESDAY AFTERNOON ONE-PER-CLUB ONE-LINERS by Michael David Smith

The Titans have won a franchise record five straight road games.

QB Drew Brees says the Saints' bye week is coming at the perfect time.

Cowboys coach Wade Phillips plans to talk to NFL head of officiating Mike Pereira about the handling of the clock at the end of the first half Sunday night; the Cowboys appeared to lose out on a chance to take a shot at a late score.

CB Aaron Ross appears to have moved ahead of Corey Webster on the Giants' depth chart.

Eagles coach Andy Reid says it's too soon to tell about the seriousness of the abdominal strain suffered by RB Brian Westbrook Sunday.

Coach Joe Gibbs says he has no regrets about the decisions he made late in the Redskins' loss to the Giants Sunday.

Rex Grossman's teammates say they still think he's the Bears' starting quarterback, but coach Lovie Smith won't say.

Lions WR Calvin Johnson is day-to-day with a back bruise.

Coach Mike McCarthy says he's happy with the Packers' pass-heavy offensive approach, but he adds, "I think over the long term it's probably not the healthiest way to go."

Vikings QB Tarvaris Jackson's status is uncertain for Sunday against the Packers; if Jackson can't play, Kelly Holcomb will.

The Falcons' doctors held out CB Lewis Sanders after he suffered a concussion Sunday.

Panthers DE Julius Peppers still doesn't have a sack, but coach John Fox insists he's fine.

Earnest Graham played well in place of Cadillac Williams Sunday, but Bucs coach Jon Gruden reiterated Monday that Williams is still the starting running back.

Cardinals WR Anquan Boldin is already No. 8 on the team's all-time career receptions list.

Rams defensive coordinator Jim Haslett likes the way his defense is playing -- until the fourth quarter Sunday.

TE Vernon Davis is expected to miss the 49ers' next two games with a sprained MCL in his right knee.

Seahawks coach Mike Holmgren and QB Matt Hasselbeck have become best buddies after clashing at times in the past.

With J.P. Losman out two weeks, the Bills have signed QB Craig Nall.

The Dolphins will welcome their old friend Daunte Culpepper to town when the Raiders visit Miami Sunday.  (He'll also get to chill with Vikings coach Brad Childress later in the season.)

Patriots P Chris Hanson had punts that went just 29 and 30 yards, but coach Bill Belichick says, "Chris did what we asked him to do" -- kick away from Bills returner Roscoe Parrish.

Jets QB Chad Pennington had 124 yards on Sunday -- the lowest total in a winning effort in his career.

Ravens TE Todd Heap suffered a "mild concussion" but is expected to play Sunday.

Bengals QB Carson Palmer said Qwest Field was the loudest stadium he's ever played in.

Browns TE Kellen Winslow could miss a week after suffering a bruised shoulder Sunday against the Raiders.

He had a game-high 82 receiving yards Sunday, but Steelers TE Heath Miller was more focused on the touchdown catch he missed after failing to get both feet down inbounds.

Texans C Steve McKinney is out for the season with a torn ACL.

Colts coach Tony Dungy says of rookie LT Tony Ugoh, "He's been just what we thought he'd be so far."

Jaguars TE George Wrightster says of criticism of the team's running game, "We took that personally."

Broncos WR Brandon Stokley calls last season with the Colts, "the most miserable football year that I've had."  (We should all be so unfortunate to be a member of the organization that wins the Super Bowl.)

Chiefs RB Larry Johnson says his teammates urged him to say something to the coaches about the ineffective play calling against the Vikings.

The Raiders are currently keeping four quarterbacks on the roster; one will likely be gone by Monday, when Dominic Rhodes' four-game suspension ends.

Chargers RB LaDainian Tomlinson says he didn't have an argument with QB Philip Rivers on the sideline Sunday; they just had a "competitive conversation."  (Florio chimes in:  "And I didn't take a dump last night -- I engaged in a deliberate deweightening.")

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POSTED 9:50 a.m. EDT, September 25, 2007

BEARS DEFENSE COULD BE LOSING THREE MORE STARTERS

In a Week One loss to the Chargers, the Chicago Bears saw safety Mike Brown and defensive tackle Dusty Dvoracek suffer season-ending injuries.

In a Week Three collapse against the Cowboys, the Bears might have lost three more starters on defense.  Though they're not expected to be out for the season, they each could be gone for multiple weeks.

Defensive tackle Tommie Harris has a left knee injury.  Linebacker Lance Briggs and cornerback Nathan Vasher have groin problems.  (And they've both injured muscles in that area.)

Their official availability for Week Four will be disclosed on Friday.  

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POSTED 9:40 a.m. EDT, September 25, 2007

ANOTHER ACL TEAR FOR McALLISTER

Two years after tearing the ACL in his right knee during garbage time of a blowout loss to the Packers, Saints running back Deuce McAllister tore the ACL in his left knee during a Monday night play that appeared to be routine.

There was no twisting or tweaking or torquing of McAllister's left knee when he was tackled after catching a pass for a one-yard gain during the first half of the Week Three loss to the Titans.  It has made us (and at least one of our readers) wonder whether the ACL was already torn.

The loss of McAllister, a first-round pick in 2001, likely means that Reggie Bush will get more touches.  It also could result in additional work for Aaron Stecker.  

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POSTED 9:09 a.m. EDT; LAST UPDATED 9:31 a.m. EDT, September 25, 2007

VIRGINIA CONVICTION OF VICK A NO-BRAINER

We weren't surprised to see that Surry County, Virginia prosecutor Gerald Poindexter plans to seek on Tuesday multiple indictments arising from the dog-fighting operation that previously was headquartered at Vick's property.  The fact that Poindexter said last week that he likely won't proceed on September 25 should have made it clear to us that, in light of his past wishy-washedness, he would ultimately go forward.

But setting aside (for now) the erratic, unpredictable manner in which Poindexter has handled this matter, it seems to us that securing a conviction of Vick and his Bad Newz Kennels cohorts should be as easy as drowning dogs in a barrel.

Vick has admitted to involvement in illegal gambling, dog fighting, and animal cruelty in a "summary of facts" that he signed last month in connection with his guilty plea to federal conspiracy charges.  The document provides Poindexter with everything he needs to get an indictment.

And the trial, if there ever is one, should be a one-day affair, during which Poindexter would read the summary of facts to the jury, and then would play video of Vick's various public statements since the matter first arose in April 2007:  the interview with ESPN at the 2007 draft, during which he denies everything; the defiant "everybody loves Michael Vick" remarks that he made while in the Cayman Islands for the 2007 Quarterback Challenge; and the August 27 apology for his involvement in dog fighting.

That's all Poindexter needs.  Though Vick cannot be compelled to testify in a trial involving his liberty interests, his past words can and will be used against him.

But to even have a trial would mean that Vick would plead have to plead not guilty to the charges.  Unless Vick is indicted not for dog fighting, gambling, and cruelty to animals but for robbing a Kwik-E-Mart, how can he plead not guilty?

It's the one significant reality that most of the sock puppets ignored last month when debating when Vick will get his shot at NFL redemption.  Before Vick is even able to play pro football, he needs to be not, you know, in jail.  And at up to five years per count for cruelty to animals and five years per count for dog fighting and no sentencing guidelines to reel in a judge who might have a soft spot for Shitzus, Vick could be breaking rocks, banging license plates, and doing the shower room limbo in the custody of the Commonwealth for a long, long time.

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VICK SUED BY BANK

The Newport News Daily Press reports that the Royal Bank of Canada has sued Mike Vick for more than $2 million.

The lawsuit is intended to recover the balance of a $2.5 million loan extended to Vick in January 2007 so that he could invest in real estate.  The bank claims that his suspension from the NFL violated the repayment contract.

This recent legal action seems to have slightly more merit than the crackpot claim made against Vick by a South Carolina prison inmate several weeks ago, which we didn't mention in this space for the same reason that the networks won't show video of a drunk guy running on the field.

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DON'T CHANGE THE RULES ON CALLING TIME OUTS

There's almost a presumption among members of the media that the NFL will alter the rule that allowed both the Broncos and, a week later, the Raiders to pull a Jedi mind trick on the Raiders and, a week later, the Browns by calling a late time out just before the snap of a critical, late-game field-goal attempt.

In both cases, the play proceeded after the time out was called, and the kicks were good.  And, in both cases, the "real" attempt resulted in failure.

But why tinker with the rule simply because two coaches used it well on consecutive weekends?  In either case, the first attempt could have resulted in a miss, giving the kicker an unexpected second chance to make it.  And if that had happened, Mike Shanahan and/or Lane Kiffin would have been viewed as idiots, not geniuses.

Also, cutting it close in the calling of a time out is an art form, akin to driving a car with the needle on "E".  Why take that layer of intrigue out of the game?

So don't listen to the sock puppets, NFL.  Keep the rules the way they are.  Sooner or later, the move will blow up in someone's face.  And that'll give the coaches something more to think about as they wrestle with the decision of whether to call a time out as a team is lining up to kick a key field goal. 

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POSTED 8:59 p.m. EDT, September 24, 2007

POINDEXTER WILL SEEK DOG FIGHTING INDICTMENTS TUESDAY  by Michael David Smith

Gerald Poindexter, the local prosecutor for the area of Virginia where Michael Vick ran a dog fighting operation, now says he plans to present bills of indictment to a grand jury on Tuesday.

"Yes, I'm presenting matters to the grand jury that involve dog fighting at 1915 Moonlight Road," Poindexter told the Associated Press Monday night, referring to the address of Vick's property.

Although Poindexter did not give any specific details of what kinds of indictments he will pursue, it appears that he will rely largely on the sworn confessions that Vick and his co-defendants entered into when they pleaded guilty to federal charges related to the dog fighting ring.  It's hard to imagine what kind of defense Vick would mount after already admitting to an involvement in dog fighting, which is a felony in Virginia.

"Most of the matters that I'm presenting have already been admitted in sworn statements authored by the defendants in the federal proceedings," Poindexter told the AP.

Poindexter has changed his mind multiple times and given contradictory public statements about this case, so at this point everything he says should be taken with a grain of salt, but if he has serious plans to bring an indictment, that would be very bad news for Vick and his Bad Newz Kennels buddies.  Under Virginia law, a conviction on dog fighting or felony animal cruelty charges could result in a five-year prison sentence for each animal killed.  In his written plea, Vick admitted helping kill six to eight pit bulls.
 

POSTED 7:20 p.m. EDT, September 24, 2007

REX IN TROUBLE?

ESPN's Chris Mortensen reports that the Bears will decide on Tuesday or Wednesday whether quarterback Rex Grossman will be benched.

On Sunday night, coach Lovie Smith said that Grossman "is our quarterback."  But, as Mort pointed out, Smith also said that he would look at the tape.

He did -- and while no final decisions have been made, it could be that Grossman is going to take a seat.

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POSTED 7:17 p.m. EDT, September 24, 2007

ALEXANDER HAS BROKEN BONE IN WRIST

Seahawks running back Shaun Alexander has a broken bone in his wrist.  But he'll continue to play, despite the injury.

Alexander sprained the wrist in Week One, and has been playing with a cast on it.

Coach Mike Holmgren said that it will take a couple of weeks for the bone to heal.

Last year, Alexander missed several games with a broken bone in his foot, only a season after winning the NFL MVP award.

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POSTED 7:09 p.m. EDT, September 24, 2007

NO ACTION FOR JACKSON

Rams running back Steven Jackson will miss Sunday's must-win encounter with the Cowboys in Week Four.

Jackson will miss the game with a partial tear of his left groin muscle.

Replacing him will be rookie Brian Leonard from Rutgers.

Jackson and the Rams have been a major disappointment in 2007.  If this wasn't only Scott Linehan's second season, he'd be on the hot seat.  If they can't win any/many games this year, Linehan still could end up there.

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POSTED 4:47 p.m. EDT, September 24, 2007

LOSMAN LOST FOR TWO WEEKS

Adam Schefter of NFL Network reports that Bills quarterback J.P. Losman suffered a sprained MCL in his knee on Sunday, and is expected to miss two weeks.

One of the games that he'd miss under that scenario would include a Monday night game against the Cowboys.

Losman was injured when he was hit low from Pats defensive tackle Vince Wilfork.  Wilfork was flagged for roughing the passer, and most likely will be fined.

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POSTED 4:42 p.m. EDT, September 24, 2007

NO SURGERY FOR DELHOMME

Panthers quarterback Jake Delhomme is day-to-day with a strained elbow that he suffered in Sunday's win at Atlanta.

The best news?  Surgery won't be needed.

"What the doctors are telling me, it's a strained elbow," coach John Fox said on Monday.  "There are days until we play this week, so I can't rule anything, other than day to day."

Delhomme reportedly was injured while being sacked by Falcons defensive end John Abraham.  Two plays later, Delhomme winced in pain after making a throw.  He was replaced by David Carr, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2002 draft.

Coincidentally, Sunday's game between the Falcons and Panthers featured the first three picks from 2002 -- Carr, Panthers defensive end Julius Peppers, and Falcons quarterback Joey Harrington.

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POSTED 4:05 p.m. EDT, September 24, 2007

CHIEFS MASCOT VIDEO SHOWS HOW EASY IT IS TO SPY

In response to the earlier post from MDS regarding the video of the fan on the field who suffered a belly flop from the Chiefs' mascot, a league source has raised a great point with us.

The fact that the video was captured by a fan in the stands shows how easy it is for teams who want to continue to videotape defensive signals to do so.

The approach is simple.  You get an employee whom you trust, you buy him or her a ticket, you give him or her a video camera, and then you let nature take its course.

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JETS NABBED FOR SPYING LAST YEAR?

In this same vein, Jay Glazer of FOX reported on Sunday that there are rumors that the Pats busted the Jets in 2006 for the very same thing for which the Jets busted the Pats in 2007.

Per Glazer, the Patriots nabbed the Jets at Gillette Stadium last year, but New England opted not to get the league involved.  Instead, the Pats merely asked the Jets to stop it.

Glazer also says that the league source "confirmed" the accusation.  But the Jets deny it.  G.M. Mike Tannenbaum told Glazer that there's "absolutely no truth to that whatsoever!  Completely false!"  (Okay, Mike!  We get the point!)

Either way, we can understand why the Patriots didn't turn the Jets in.  After all, the Pats were doing the same damn thing, and weren't prepared to give up the practice (or potentially get themselves in trouble) by blowing the whistle on the Jets.

And isn't it a little ironic that the Pats told the Jets to stop videotaping defensive signals when the Pats apparently were doing it themselves?  Isn't that like telling a guest to take off his shoes at the front door of your house -- while you're in the process of traipsing around the shag with the remnants of the dog's dinner from the day before on your own?

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EMMITT ERROR VIDEO IS GONE

Scroll down this page, and you'll see that the video of Emmitt Smith and his prediction that the Chargers will fall to 0-3 is no longer available.

We knew that Bristol would soon regret creating it's own YouTube-style system for its videos to be posted on blogs like this one.

And we knew we'd have a role in making them regret it.

Hey, Bristol -- we're just pointing out when the Emperor is butt-naked.  If you don't like it, don't leave the house dressed like Adam or Eve pre-fig leaf.

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POSTED 2:32 p.m. EDT; LAST UPDATED 4:08 p.m. EDT, September 24, 2007

PETRINO: "SIGNIFICANT DISCIPLINE" FOR HALL by Michael David Smith

Falcons coach Bobby Petrino said at his press conference on Monday that there will be "significant discipline" for cornerback DeAngelo Hall after Hall got three penalties for 67 yards on one drive and then had a sideline confrontation with Petrino Sunday.

Hall, who has gone to the last two Pro Bowls, could be suspended for next week's game against the Houston Texans.

"We certainly don't like the actions that took place on the field and do not like the actions that happened on the sideline and that's something that we'll deal with," Petrino said.  "There will be substantial discipline.  It will be handled in-house."

Hall actually played well for most of the game.  He was matched up with Panthers receiver Steve Smith most of the time, and Smith finished with just one catch for 10 yards.  But during the third quarter Hall got a 37-yard pass interference penalty, followed by a 15-yard personal foul penalty after the next play, followed by a 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty three plays later.

Then Hall went to the sideline and appeared to be screaming at Petrino and assistant defensive backs coach Joe Whitt Jr.

Petrino wouldn't answer when asked if the team would suspend Hall, but he did say, "We're keeping all our options open."

UPDATE:  As we reported last night, there are rumors that Hall was beaten up by one or more teammates in the locker room after the game.  One reader described the rumored incident as a "Code Red."

SECOND UPDATE:  A reader points out that Hall should be glad Mike Vick isn't around, or DeAngelo could be electrocuted or drowned (or both) for such a performance.
 

POSTED 1:42 p.m. EDT, September 24, 2007

ISAAC BRUCE GOT "DAZED," KEPT PLAYING by Michael David Smith

The NFL supposedly made proper treatment for players who suffer concussions on the field one of its highest priorities this offseason.  But, every week, we see examples of players going back on the field with head injuries.

The latest example comes from Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, who reports that Rams WR Isaac Bruce absorbed a blow to the head in the second quarter of Sunday's game.

Thomas quotes Rams coach Scott Linehan as saying that Bruce was "a little dazed" after the hit.  But Bruce still returned to the game.

"We are being very conservative with those kinds of things," Linehan said afterward.  "We took him in and did several tests at halftime, and he was okay, so he was cleared for some play in the second half."

The medical staff may have cleared Bruce to play, and it may have been correct to do so.  But no matter how well NFL coaches have learned to parrot the company line on concussions, putting a player back into the game after he gets "dazed" from a blow to the head isn't "being very conservative."

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MONDAY AFTERNOON ONE-PER-CLUB ONE-LINERS by Michael David Smith

QB Drew Brees says the Saints' offense has been guilty of "paralysis by analysis."

Although he stomped on the head of a helmetless opponent last season, Titans DT Albert Haynesworth says, "I'm not a dirty player."

Jets LT D'Brickashaw Ferguson may have been the team's MVP for his performance against Dolphins DE Jason Taylor Sunday.

Three of Dolphins RB Ronnie Brown's seven career 100-yard rushing games have come against the Jets.

Bills LB Paul Posluszny is likely out for the season with a broken arm.

Patriots coach Bill Belichick wants to see QB Tom Brady handle the ball a little better.  (Um.  Oh, never mind.  It's too obvious.)

Giants RB Reuben Droughns had three carries for three yards Sunday:  Two one-yard touchdowns and a yard on third-and-one.

Because of injuries on the Redskins' offensive line, Jason Fabini made his first career start at guard Sunday after playing tackle his entire career.

The Cowboys executed their special teams game plan perfectly in keeping Bears return man Devin Hester in check.

Eagles QB Kevin Kolb made his first career appearance in garbage time against the Lions; his stats: 0-for-0 passing, minus-2 yards rushing, two sacks for 13 yards, and a lost fumble.

Ravens CB Corey Ivy played well in place of Samari Rolle, who missed Sunday's game with an undisclosed illness.

Bengals LT Levi Jones got his first extended action of the season Sunday.

Although no one in the Cleveland locker room identified him by name, Browns G Seth McKinney apparently was at fault for Raiders DT Tommy Kelly blocking Cleveland's game-winning field goal attempt.

Is Steelers RB Willie Parker getting too many carries?

We know there's a quarterback controversy, but is there also a running back controversy in Chicago?

Lions RB Kevin Jones says his foot injury is fine and adds, "I am really hoping that I can carry some more of the load next week."

The Packers are 3-0 even though they don't have much of a running game.

Vikings RB Adrian Peterson had another big day, but coach Brad Childress held him out at crunch time because of concerns about his pass protection.

Texans WR Jacoby Jones will miss two or three weeks with a separated shoulder.

Are the 2007 Colts better than the 2006 Super Bowl champs?

Jaguars DT John Henderson missed a game for the first time in his career Sunday.

The Falcons lost, but QB Joey Harrington actually played pretty well Sunday.

Panthers QB Jake Delhomme will undergo medical tests today to determine the severity of the injury to his throwing elbow.

They recorded just one sack, but the Buccaneers' defensive linemen may have turned in their best all-around game in a long time Sunday.

Broncos LB D.J. Williams says of Denver's inability to stop Jacksonville Sunday, "It wasn't that we didn't know what was happening.  We just didn't execute the way we should have."

Chiefs DE Jared Allen had a big game in his return from a two-game suspension.

The fans in Oakland were thrilled when QB Daunte Culpepper replaced starter Josh McCown.

Chargers CB Antonio Cromartie went for the interception and missed on the Packers' biggest passing play Sunday.

Cardinals coach Ken Whisenhunt didn't agree with the unnecessary roughness call that went against S Adrian Wilson.

Rams K Jeff Wilkins missed three straight field goal attempts for the first time in ten years.

Sunday's 39-yard effort against the Steelers was RB Frank Gore's lowest rushing total of the 20 games he has started for the 49ers.

Seahawks WR Nate Burleson and RB Shaun Alexander had two drops apiece Sunday.

 

POSTED 12:20 p.m. EDT, September 24, 2007

CHIEFS' MASCOT HELPS SECURITY by Michael David Smith

During the Chiefs' game against the Minnesota Vikings yesterday, a fan ran onto the field. As you'd expect, security tackled him. But you probably wouldn't expect who else got involved:

 

That was the Chiefs' mascot, KC Wolf, jumping onto the pile.

Chiefs coach Herm Edwards said after the game, "That really was funny."  Somehow I'm thinking the Chiefs' security staff would prefer that the mascot not get involved in such incidents, though.

POSTED 11:34 a.m. EDT; UPDATED 11:57 a.m. EDT, September 24, 2007

LOVIE STANDS BY REX

A year ago, Bears quarterback Rex Grossman was plagued by inconsistency.  The good news is that he is no longer inconsistent.

The bad news is that he's now consistently bad.

Still, after a game during which Grossman delivered less than half of his passes successfully to players in blue shirts and completed three passes to the guys in white ones, Bears coach Lovie Smith reiterated his constant position from a year ago.

"Rex Grossman is our quarterback," Smith said.

Only a coach with a contract extension could make such a proclamation, but we still can't help but wonder what's really going on in Chicago.  If the Bears loved Rex, wouldn't they have initiated by now talks on a new contract, given that his current deal expires after the season?

And if they don't feel strongly enough about Grossman to even engage in discussions aimed at locking him up beyond 2007, why do they continue to blindly cling to him?

Despite Smith's most recent statement on the matter, Jay Glazer of FOX reported on Sunday that Grossman could be benched as soon as next week, when the Bears embark on a round-robin thing with their three NFC North rivals, traveling to Detroit and Green Bay before hosting the Vikings.  Glazer said on Sunday's The O.T. on FOX that the move could also come the following week.  Other reports have indicated that Smith is looking at the season in four-game chunks -- and given that Grossman's performance has caused most Bears fans to blow chunks of Polish sausage all over themselves, the Week Four contest at Ford Field could be Grossman's last chance to prove that he can do the job, or lose it. 

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EMMITT'S BIGGEST PROBLEM IS A LACK OF PREP

When ESPN finally dumped Joe Theismann (a/k/a Joey Sunshine) from the MNF broadcasts and Michael Irvin from Sunday NFL Countdown, we were concerned that we'd have no one on the network's NFL coverage to complain about.  Other than Sean Salisbury.

Enter Emmitt Smith.

The NFL's all-time rushing leader has provided plenty of fodder for criticism, from his inability to conjugate verbs to his periodic Porky Pig moments to his lack of basic knowledge regarding things like player names and team records.

As to the issue with not knowing names and player records, some basic preparation work is all that he needs.  And it's our understand based on conversations with multiple folks in the industry that Emmitt simply doesn't -- and won't -- do it.

Indeed, we've heard from several folks that Emmitt's exit from NFLN was due in large part to his refusal to put in the time away from the studio.  They also tell us that Emmitt's struggles in Bristol are no surprise, based on his limited stint with NFLN.

Most recently, Emmitt coined a potential new "boom goes the dynamite" on Sunday by proclaiming on-air that "you cannot change the stripes of a leopard."  And that gem followed a far more embarrassing moment for Emmitt, during which he said with confidence that San Diego is the most likely 0-2 team to lose in Week Three.  As the video of the incident shows, Chris Berman tried to run some quick interference for Emmitt, but to no avail.

Of course, no amount of prep can address the fact that Emmitt simply doesn't have the chops to be a broadcaster.  And the fact that ESPN would nevertheless expose him to a mass audience is somewhat offensive, since ESPN apparently thinks that most of us won't will be willing to overlook Smith's gross inadequacies because, hey, he's the NFL's all-time leading rusher.

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POSTED 9:45 a.m. EDT; LAST UPDATED 10:16 a.m. EDT, September 24, 2007

GRUDEN EYEING EAGLES JOB?

We temporarily interrupt the current Philly love-fest for its pro football team to perpetuate a rumor making the rounds regarding the potential future of the franchise.

At a time when some Internet hack has done everything he can to stir up rumors of Bucs coach Jon Gruden landing in South Bend after the 2007 season, we're hearing that Gruden continues to eyeball the Eagles job -- since it's regarded in league circles as a 50-50 proposition that current coach Andy Reid will resign in January.

Gruden served as the offensive coordinator in Philly from 1995 through 1997 before becoming head coach of the Raiders.

Though the turmoil surrounding the team seems like a fading memory after Sunday's 56-21 shellacking of the Lions, it could return very quickly if the Eagles lose on Sunday night to the Giants, who also are showing signs of life after a disastrous 0-2 start.

Even with Sunday's stellar performance, it still could be a long season for the Eagles.  The Lions were overrated, and the Eagles were arguably due to have a big day.  With 13 more games to go, a lot can still happen.

And with the Cowboys putting the rest of the conference on notice that it's for real after doing to the defending NFC champs in an early-season Sunday nighter at Soldier Field the same thing that the Bears did nearly a year ago to the defending NFC champs a year ago in an early-season Sunday nighter at Soldier Field, a repeat of last year's division title currently looks like it will be a steep uphill climb.

So if there is no division title or, even worse, if there is no playoff appearance at all, the chances of Reid calling it quits will potentially increase.  Conversely, if the 2-1 Bucs (who have spanked the Saints and Rams in consecutive weeks) can bogart one of the six seats at the postseason table, Gruden will rejoin the short list of hot NFL coaches.

With such a potential development coming at the end of a season in which Gruden was widely believed to be on the hot seat, it's not a stretch (in our view) to think that Gruden will look for a way out of town.  Regardless of what he eventually might do, it's definitely a story line worth monitoring as the 2007 season continues to unfold.

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LIVE BLOG TONIGHT

Don't forget to punch in "profootballtalk.com" tonight for our weekly Live Blog of the Monday night game.  This week, it's the Titans at the Saints.

And we think that the Titans will take it to the Saints at the Superdome.  Even if the Saints are as good in 2007 as they were a year ago, the 2006 Saints were 1-3 against the AFC North.  At home, the Saints lost convincingly to both the Bengals and the Ravens.

This year, the Saints already have been shellacked by the Colts, who then beat tonight's foe in a close one in Week Two.

So we think that it'll be time for the Saints to get another taste of AFC football as they continue their slide to start a season of Super Bowl expectations. 

Also, the fact that this is Vince Young's MNF debut could result in a huge game from the Titans quarterback.  After all, the last time Young squared off against a Reggie Bush team that was getting all of the hype, Young turned out one of the best college football performances, well, ever.

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THE RESIDENT MEATHEAD GOES FATHEAD FOR A CHANGE

Our prediction regarding the outcome of the Monday night game should get even more credence than usual this week because yours truly somehow selected 13 out of 15 winners in Sunday's games for the PFT Pick Challenge.

So maybe we won't be giving away a Fathead this week, because maybe no one else manages to do any better than 14 out of 16.

The most personally gratifying outcome came on Sunday night in Chicago, because some Internet hack went all in on Friday, picking the Cowboys to make a statement against the Bears.  For those of you who have spent the last 12 hours or so in a coma or under a large stone (or both), the 'Boys blasted the Bears, 34-10.

Don't look for bold predictions like that every week.  Instead, this blind squirrel will spend the rest of the season savoring that unexpected acorn.

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POSTED 8:44 a.m. EDT; UPDATED 9:10 a.m. EDT, September 24, 2007

QUARTERBACK QUESTIONS IN 'ZONA

Although backup quarterback Kurt Warner grossly outplayed starter Matt Leinart in Sunday's narrow loss to the Ravens, coach Ken Whisenhunt says that Leinart, the team's first-round pick in 2006, isn't in danger of being benched.

"I think right now, that for a young quarterback, Matt played well for us in the last game," Whisenhunt said after the 26-23 defeat.  "It's not a situation where Matt lost the job.  It was a situation where Kurt did well in his package, much like a second running back comes in or an extra receiver comes in.  That's the way we look at it."

The "package" to which Whisenhunt referred was a field-spreading approach that allowed Warner to feed the Cardinals' football-emaciated wideouts, completing 15 of 20 passes for 258 yards and two touchdowns.  Leinart's "package" is the more traditional run-first, run-second, throw-when-absolutely-necessary attack.  On Sunday, Leinart's "package" resulted in the 2004 Heisman winner completing only nine of 20 passes for 53 yards and no touchdowns.

Depending on whether the Cardinals continue to use this approach, this could be the next big step in the diminution (thanks, Tiki) of the quarterback position in the NFL.  Once upon a time, these guys called their own plays, all the time.  Thirty years later, an NFL team could be on the verge of implementing a genuine platoon system.

We think it's a mistake, especially if Leinart and Warner continue to play like they both did on Sunday.  Eventually, the rest of the team will rally behind Warner, creating a problem in the locker room.

But maybe that's what Whisenhunt is trying to create.  He can't tell Leinart to take a seat based on the outcome of one game.  Instead, Whisenhunt needs to continue to give Leinart the first crack each week, and to shift to Warner's "package" if the Cardinals fall behind by 10 or more points.  If/when Warner can lead a few more comebacks in this fashion, Whisenhunt won't be working against the grain if/when Warner becomes the starter. 

Eventually, it'll be a no-brainer.

In the interim, the possibility that Warner will be inserted into a given game should give Leinart extra incentive to master the offense and perform accordingly.    

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BILLICK TRYING A SIMILAR APPROACH?

Though Ravens coach Brian Billick isn't suggesting that there are separate packages for which he'll use different quarterbacks, Billick used a two-pronged passer approach to deliver the win for the Ravens on Sunday, over the aforementioned Cardinals.

In Baltimore's case, Billick inserted Kyle Boller for starter Steve McNair in the second half, at a time when the Ravens held a comfortable lead.  Billick said that McNair was yanked because he seemed to be favoring the groin he injured in a Week One loss to the Bengals.

"Rather than push it over the edge and turn it into a two-to-three-week [injury], I think he's fine," Billick said.  "We're lucky to have Kyle there."

But once the Cardinals roared back to tie the score late, deposed starter Kyle Boller remained in the game for the drive that delivered victory for the Ravens. 

But does McNair agree with the move?  "Of course I'm good.  I could have finished the game." 

Uh-oh.

But then he seemed to indicate that he has no problem with the fact that he was taken out of the game:  "It was the smart thing to do.  We were up, and I think we wanted it to rest and heal.  In this league, it takes two good quarterbacks to go where you want to go."

The fact that the Ravens recently have extended by a year Boller's rookie contract gives the team the ability to use him this year without concern that he'll generate interest among franchises that might have taken a run at him if he had hit the market in March 2008.  But if he continues to play well in relief of McNair, the Ravens would be wise to extend Boller again before the end of next year.

And at a time when folks are wondering whether the Ravens will look to the draft or the free-agent market for McNair's eventual replacement, it could be that the long-term answer is the guy whom the Ravens cast aside when McNair came to town.