Quarterback Donovan McNabb(notes) will play for a different team for the third straight year, pending the final details in a trade that will send the six-time Pro Bowler from the Washington Redskins to the Minnesota Vikings. Word is that the Vikings would send a sixth-round pick in 2012 and a conditional pick in 2013 to the nation’s capitol for McNabb’s services.
It seems like labor peace in the NFL has arrived, and that can only mean one thing.. another summer of Favre comeback talk – and this time it’s the Philadelphia Eagles.
Brett Favre wonders how life would be in an Eagles uniform while backing up Michael Vick.
Philadelphia Eagles starter Michael Vick added fuel to the fire started by a Philadelphia radio sideline reporter over the weekend, saying that he would be “honored” for Brett Favre to join the team.
After Howard Eskin of WIP radio tweeted that Eagles were interested in signing Favre as a backup after Kevin Kolb is dealt, Vick tweeted Sunday:
“I would be honored to have Brett Farve as a backup. That will be amazing Learning how to toy with defenses the way he did his whole career.”
This month, Vick was re-signed as a pitchman by Nike (he was merely receiving products from them upon returning to the NFL) and has inked a deal with MusclePharm. In June, Vick got back in the promotions business in a smaller way when he signed to help promote a helmet padding system created by Unequal Technologies.
While Vick is still a long way from being the marketing dynamo he was earlier in his career, what’s happening is at least very surprising to those in the marketing business.
Barring any last-minute snags, NFL owners and players are on a path that could lead to a new collective bargaining agreement this week.
While the end to the four-month owners’ lockout is not a done deal, substantial progress was made late in the week and indications are that ownership may vote to ratify the new labor contract at their league meetings Thursday in Atlanta, a person with knowledge of the talks told USA TODAY on Saturday.
James Harrison of the Pittsburgh Steelers said some crazy stuff about Roger Goodell.
James Harrison sounds like someone who's flown over the cuckoo's nest.
From The Washington Post
Heavily fined Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker James Harrison calls NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell a “crook” and a “devil,” among other insults, in a magazine article.
The 2008 AP Defensive Player of the Year hasn’t been shy about ripping the league after he was docked $100,000 for illegal hits last season. In the August issue of Men’s Journal, his rants against Goodell reach another level of wrath.
“If that man was on fire and I had to piss to put him out, I wouldn’t do it,” Harrison told the magazine. “I hate him and will never respect him.”
His other descriptions of the commissioner include an anti-gay slur, “stupid,” “puppet” and “dictator.”
The revenue share will be 48 percent of all revenues for the players, minus any miscellaneous agreed upon credits for things like stadium building. The percentage, though will not go below 46.5. The owners will no longer take a billion off the top before splitting.
Players not under contract after three seasons will be restricted free agents and unrestricted after four, as it was before the uncapped 2010 season.
The salary floor will, at least to start, will be very close to the salary cap (approximately 90 percent).
The 18-game schedule will be something that will be negotiated in the future and cannot be mandated by the league.
Starting in 2012, there will be a 16-week Thursday night TV game.
Britt was arrested late Wednesday afternoon at the Riverfront Car Wash and Detail Center on the corner of Willow Avenue and 15th Street in Hoboken by two plainclothes narcotics officers who happened to be getting their unmarked car cleaned, Lt. Tony Bartley, a spokesman in the narcotics division, said.
According to the police report, police detected the odor of marijuana and identified what they believed to be the source in Britt’s hand in the form of a “blunt” or rolled up cigar leaf. Britt crushed the “blunt” with his hand before police could see it. A struggle ensued almost immediately as Britt tried to avoid getting handcuffed.
He was taken in on charges of fourth-degree obstruction, fourth-degree tampering or fabricating evidence and third-degree resisting arrest with force.
If he gets on a bull at The Arena at Gwinnett Center in Duluth, Ga., the PBR will give him $10,000.
If he rides the bull for the required eight seconds, the PBR will give him a new Ford F-150 truck and allow him to permanently rename the bull anything he wants.
If he doesn’t show, the PBR will rename the bull “#58 No Show Cinco.” The number is the reverse of Ochocinco”s jersey No. 85.
The event is the PBR Lucas Oil Invitational. The challenge is an outgrowth of some of Ochocinco’s many posting on Twitter
Commissioner Roger Goodell did his best to handle the situation, talking through the chorus of boos and jeers he was welcomed with by the crowd at Radio City Music Hall. The fans also chanted “We want football!” several times – as if there were any chance of playing right now, but you get the point – and generally weren’t a happy group because of the labor dispute. What is clear from the various opinion polls out there measuring fan reaction is that nobody is particularly popular right now.
Hillis, who bruised his way to popularity with Cleveland Browns fans in 2010 thanks to his punishing running style, was chosen via fan vote to be on the cover of the newest edition of the popular football video game.
His upset victory comes courtesy of rabid Browns fans, who used various social media platforms to get the word out and stuff the digital ballot box.
Hillis was acquired by the Browns last spring in a trade for quarterback Brady Quinn. In his first season as a starter, he ran for 1,177 yards and 11 touchdowns.
It sounds like Ryan’s public statements weren’t just some odd smokescreen. As pointed out by Greg A. Bedard of the Boston Globe, two national writers say the Jets’ interest in Moss is genuine.
1. Vic Carucci of NFL.com: “According to multiple league insiders, the interest the Jets have in Moss is twofold. . . . One, it could help them weather the very real possibility of losing at least one of their three free-agent receivers: Holmes, Braylon Edwards and Brad Smith. Two, it would keep Moss from returning to the Patriots, whom he is known to want to re-join.”
2. Mike Freeman: “Several league sources told CBSSports.com the team is seriously intrigued by Moss.”
Former NFL quarterback, Warren Moon, recently commented about Newton’s criticism received by the media, claiming that racial judgments and mental dispositions were driving Cam Newton’s image out of its true self.
Newton is the lone African American quarterback amongst the main draft group (though I, the author, would argue Tyrod Taylor has been vastly overlooked).
But, Warren Moon might have been out of the modern frame of mind when he made his comments. Now, Moon dealt with a hand full of racial barriers as an NFL quarterback, but in the year 2011 it’s difficult to draw up the correlations Moon was trying to bring to our attention.
What NFL scouts want is talent, whether it’s black or white. They also want a smart player, especially for the quarterback position.
According to the St. Petersburg Times, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers cornerback has hired two law firms and a private investigator to help prepare his case. Police say Talib and his mother Okolo both fires shots at Billings on March 21 after he had argued with Talib’s sister Saran. Talib has also been accused of attempting to pistol whip Billings.
Per the report, Talib has retained the counsel of Pittsburgh attorney Jay Reisinger and Dallas criminal attorneys Frank Perez and H. David Lozano.
The attorneys didn’t comment on the matter but Talib reportedly told Clint Bowen, a coach when he was a player at Kansas, that only his mom squeezed off shots at Billings.
“I talked to Aqib two days ago,” Bowen said, according to the Times. “I told him, ‘I just read something about you firing a gun.’ He said, ‘Man, I didn’t do a thing. It’ll all come out soon.’ He just kept saying that. … He said, ‘I didn’t do that. That was my mom. It’s all going to come out.’”
In his four-day trial with Sporting Kansas City of Major League Soccer, enabled by the NFL lockout and instigated by the eccentric player himself, Ochocinco is trying to prove to his buddies and Real Madrid superstars Kaka and Cristiano Ronaldo that he could just as well have been a soccer player. In so doing, he might decide a long-standing debate over whether the U.S. would be a better soccer nation if more of its elite athletes played the sport.
The principals involved insist this is no stunt, like when Ochocinco appeared on “Dancing with the Stars,” had his own reality television show or raced a thoroughbred horse.
“We went to dinner when he first got here and he told me straight up that he’s dead serious and really wants this,” said the team’s young U.S. national team striker Teal Bunbury. “He doesn’t want to waste anybody’s time.”
For those who enjoyed two days of discussions of on-the-field football news, it ended when Roger Goodell stepped to the podium. In concluding the NFL’s annual meetings yesterday, the commissioner acknowledged the “primary focus was obviously on our labor dispute.”
Goodell reiterated what has been his stance all offseason on the lockout. He wants negotiations with the players’ representatives to continue and said the confidence expressed by the owners for a full 2011 season is “their hope.”
“The faster we get back to mediation,” Goodell said, “the faster we get an agreement and the fairer it will be.”
A potential first-round draft pick, Mallett faced questions at the NFL scouting combine because of an article on www.101espn.com. Tony Softli, a former NFL executive in Carolina and St. Louis, wrote “heavy rumors of drug use and possible addiction kept him from coming out for the 2010 draft. A lot of people are comparing Mallett to Ryan Leaf.”
Mallett tried to deflect the rumors without denying them, saying they were beyond his control, but alleged an ulterior motive in the timing of the story.
“Obviously somebody did it for a reason, right before the combine, right before the draft,” Mallett said. “That’s the last I’m going to talk about it, though. I’ve talked to the teams. It’s all good.”
At 6-foot-6 and 240 pounds, Mallett may have the strongest arm of any quarterback in the draft and said he can throw the football “80-plus” yards.
Petersen, scheduled to make $10.72 million in base salary in 2011, made the claim in an interview with Yahoo! Sports after the NFL Players Association decertified and the NFL owners subsequently locked out the players.
Talking about how he felt the players were being treated in the talks, Peterson said, “It’s modern-day slavery, you know? People kind of laugh at that, but there are people working at regular jobs who get treated the same way, too.
“With all the money … the owners are trying to get a different percentage, and bring in more money. I understand that — these are business-minded people. Of course, this is what they are going to want to do … but as players, we have to stand our ground and say, ‘Hey, without us, there’s no football.’”
When NFL owners decided to enact their lockout strategy Friday night, coming on the heels of the NFLPA’s decision to decertify, the litigation locomotive was full steam ahead.
The lawsuit Tom Brady vs. the NFL was filed Friday, and the courtroom battle promises to be a bumpy ride that could lead to a shortened preseason and maybe even a reduced season. In the end, two sides couldn’t decide how to divvy up $9 billion.
When players couldn’t get the proof they said they needed to warrant the owners’ desired “giveback” from the old CBA, they announced they were decertifying and bringing an antitrust suit against the NFL.
The NFL responded on Friday night by making good on its threat to lock out the players, creating the NFL’s first work stoppage since 1987. It puts the 2011 season in jeopardy, though most legal experts don’t believe the entire season will be lost.
NFL teams aren’t chomping at the bit to sign Tiki Barber, but Jim Fassel, the head coach of the UFL’s Las Vegas Locomotives, would be thrilled to add the 35-year-old running back to his roster.
Barber might not be the only NFL (player or ex-NFL as the case may be) to consider suiting up for the United Football League next year. It’s hard to imagine any of the NFL’s star free agents playing for the fledgling league because of the injury risk and minuscule pay check, but the marginal players could jump ship.
The guys that figure to be hurt the most by the NFL lockout aren’t the players most football fans have heard of, but they could still provide a major bump to the UFL’s product and visibility. And who knows, the UFL may be able to snatch a few more over the hill stars looking for one more season than usual if there’s no NFL season.
The NFL Players Association got a huge victory Tuesday, as U.S. District Court Judge David Doty issued a ruling that will likely prevent owners from accessing the television payments that would have helped fund a potential lockout. Forty-eight hours before the current collective bargaining agreement was due to expire, union officials celebrated the dramatic turn of events at a downtown Washington establishment.
We can only hope that the real winners will be the millions of fans whose devotion funds the exceptionally large pile of loot over which these two factions are fighting.
I’d like to thank Jeremy for the contributions he made to our team during his time in New Orleans,” Saints GM Mickey Loomis said. “These decisions are never easy to make and we wish him the best in the future.” “Jeremy played an important role in helping our team bring a Super Bowl championship to New Orleans,” said Coach Sean Payton. “He contributed to the success of our offense, both as a pass-catcher and run blocker, and we’re appreciative of his efforts.
The Raiders retained the services of defensive tackle Richard Seymour on Wednesday without having to use the franchise tag, agreeing to terms on a two-year contract worth as much as $30 million with a guarantee of $22.5 million.
Although Seymour was the first NFL player of note scheduled for free agency to re-sign with his team this offseason, the move was not announced by the Raiders but confirmed by a source close to Seymour.
Raiders officials couldn’t be reached for comment.
Seymour, 31, was facing a possible franchise tag for a second consecutive season that would have paid him $14.9 million for the 2011 season, a 20 percent raise from last season.
Having played on three Super Bowl championship teams in New England, Seymour was on record as wanting to stay in Oakland.
The Packers dominated the early going, taking a page out of the Patriots’ playbook by spreading out the Steelers’ vaunted zone blitz and throwing quickly to neutralize the rush of linebackers James Harrison and LaMarr Woodley and safety Troy Polamalu.
Green Bay built a 21-3 lead before the injuries took hold, and needed that cushion to hold off a gritty championship-tested team stocked with 54 Super Bowl rings.
Super Bowl 2011 weather is going to cause hazardous conditions for the Super Bowl fans who are planning to watch the biggest game of the year at Cowboys stadium. This is the forecast from the National Weather Service.
Freezing fog is encompassing the area of the Super Bowl and a cold front is expected to bring in snow and rain for the remainder of the day. Both teams are use to this weather in Pittsburgh and Green Bay, but the fans were hoping for that warm southern Texas sunshine.
“Mike would be sitting there and his eyes would be rolling and his head would be bobbing,” recalled NFL Sirius Radio analyst Rich Gannon, a former NFL quarterback whom McCarthy coached in Kansas City. “He’d be just absolutely dying, working on only a few hours sleep. All of a sudden the next day, you’d think the guy had slept for days.”
McCarthy rose from an offensive assistant to quarterbacks coach to offensive coordinator, working for the Chiefs, Packers, Saints and 49ers, before landing a head coaching job with the Packers in 2006. Five years later, he has led them to Super Bowl XVL, where they will play the Steelers at Cowboys Stadium on Sunday night.
Rashard Mendenhall had an incredible performance in the AFC Championship game, rushing for 121 yards and scoring a touchdown in Pittsburgh’s 24-19 victory over the Jets. At the end of the game after Ben Roethlisberger took a knee to seal the deal, the Steelers running back was overjoyed and jumped on his quarterback. Then, he proceeded to hump his teammate on live television
In a surprising move, the Tennessee Titans have parted ways with Jeff Fisher, who just completed his 16th full season as the NFL’s longest-tenured coach.The team said in a release Thursday night that “Fisher will no longer be the head coach of the team.” The Titans announced the move within an hour of a report by SI.com that they were negotiating Fisher’s departure.
Though Fisher had been derided locally as “Coach .500” or “Coacho Ocho,” he seemingly had just survived a battle with quarterback Vince Young. Adams decided to either release Young or trade him on Jan. 5. The owner announced two days later that he would be keeping Fisher.
But a spy said, “Mark sat with Braylon for a short while, but soon enough he was back at the bar flirting with the bartender, a gorgeous South American girl, busty with long, dark reddish hair. They were doing shots together and he kept whispering in her ear and holding her hand. He looked pretty enamored, and was at the bar until closing time. He went home alone but phone numbers were exchanged. Edwards’ bill came to around $2,500.”
The players closed down the club at 4:30 a.m. Edwards, who was charged with DUI last September, left in a chauffeur-driven Escalade.
From Maurice Jones-Drew of Jacksonville: “All I’m saying is that he can finish the game on a hurt knee … I played the whole season on one.”
Also from Jones-Drew: “Hey, I think the Urban Meyer rule is in effect right now. When the going gets tough … QUIT.”
From Derrick Brooks, formerly of Tampa Bay: “HEY there is no medicine for a guy with no guts and heart.”
We pause here to congratulate Jones-Drew on his new career as a diagnostician and Brooks for his post-NFL venture as both gastroenterologist and cardiologist. And now we move on.
From Deion Sanders, serial preener: “I’m telling you in the playoffs you must drag me off the field. All the medicine in pro locker rooms this dude comes out! I apologize, Bear fans! . . . Folks I never question a player’s injury but I do question a player’s heart.”
Also from Deion: “I better see Dr. [James] Andrews operate live on Cutler and [backup Todd] Collins tonight after the game on NFL network. Truth.”
In an interview with ThePostGame.com in his Birmingham, Ala., office in December, Ross produced more than a half-dozen text messages he said were from Lewis over the past two years acknowledging receipt of S.W.A.T.S products and providing Ross with two addresses for shipment. ThePostGame.com has confirmed that both addresses were for properties owned by Lewis and the phone was registered to Lewis. Ross estimates he has sent 25 bottles of spray to Lewis over the last two years. (Each bottle, Ross estimates, contains a two-month supply of spray.)
A text message on Ross’ phone, dated Aug. 30, was sent to a number registered to Lewis, and asked, “You get the … spray?” A message received moments later from the number said, “Yes.”
A text message from Ross to the phone registered to Lewis at 8:05 a.m. on Nov. 2, 2009 asked, “You need more spray?” A reply from Lewis’ phone, received one minute later, read, “Yes my man, always.” Another text from Lewis’ phone read, “Yes, send me all the stuff.”
Reached by phone Wednesday, Bengals safety Roy Williams said, “I use the spray all the time. Two to three times a day. My body felt good after using it. I did feel a difference.”
Places not as good as Katchop that you still might go to anyway:
