Tiki Busted Using the “C” Word On National TV
August 21, 2008
Damn, he did!… more tomorrow.
Gene Upshaw Dead at 63
August 21, 2008
Gene Upshaw, Hall of Fame offensive lineman with the Oakland Raiders and Executive Director of the NFL Player’s Association for the past 25 years, is dead:
In 1983, he became executive director of the players’ association and guided it through the 1987 strike that led to replacement football. By 1989, the players had a limited form of freedom, called Plan B, and in 1993, free agency and a salary cap were instituted.
Since then, the players have prospered so much that NFL owners recently opted out of the latest labor contract, which was negotiated two years ago by Upshaw and then-commissioner Paul Tagliabue.
Upshaw was criticized by some for not being tough enough in negotiations with Tagliabue, a close friend of the union head. He also was blamed by many older veterans for not dealing sufficiently with their health concerns.
Michael Vick and His Act of Bankruptcy
August 18, 2008
This Michael Vick news stunned me when I received the email. Marc Isenberg of “Money Makers” wrote a post touching on Vick’s dissolving into the throes of bankruptcy. According to ESPN’s legal expert, Lester Munson, Vick:
…turned to a Falcons teammate, linebacker Demorrio Williams.
Williams recommended Mary Wong, a 40-ish business manager in Omaha, Neb., who had helped Williams manage his money and his accounts. Wong worked quickly to gather the restitution money, cashing in a retirement investment with Lloyd’s of London and persuading a bank to lend Vick more money. That put together just enough money to pay the restitution.
It was a good start for Vick. But, according to papers filed in his bankruptcy, it did not last.
In addition to gathering the restitution funds, Wong used a power of attorney from Vick to “wrongfully remove” at least another $900,000 from his various accounts, according to a document filed by Ginsberg. And, court papers also say, Wong “caused certain business entities owned by [Vick] to be transferred to her.”
There could be more bad news to come. “
Notes: The Greening of Chad Johnson Thanks to ESPN
August 14, 2008
Thursday morning on ESPN’s Mike and Mike in the Morning Show, hosts Mike Greenberg and Erik Kuselias ripped Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver, Chad Johnson. Was it because he looks like a hypocrite reporting to training camp and acting as if all is well after all but blowing up his relationship with his Cincinnati Bengals teammates and Bengals management?
No.
In short, Johnson, on ESPN’s Pardon the Interruption Wednesday afternoon, said Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps is facing no viable competition. He continued saying that if Phelps had grown up in his South Florida neighborhood he might not be the swimming champion he is today because some of the best athletes are never seen and further, Johnson boasted - “I’m serious” - that today, as three-time child champion swimmer at his local pool in Liberty City, Florida, he could defeat Phelps in a swim race.
“Some of the best people in the world are people who can’t make it to that level. I know a couple of people who can beat Michael right now and I’m one of them.”
Greenberg, the ringmaster in the Mike and Mike airing, took the bait hook, line, and sinker and appeared incredulous after reading Johnson’s remarks. The once print journalist turned radio jock just could not wrap his head around Johnson’s words. So rather than admit his inability to contextualize the words he heard and seek to interview Johnson, Greenberg took the low road and questioned the wideout’s sanity and said he felt Johnson was demeaning the work it takes to become an Olympic champion. Kuselias largely deferred to Greenberg, but agreed with the main host’s assessment of Johnson.
The Whiteballing of Daunte Culpepper and Byron Leftwich
August 13, 2008
In three years and six games of a fourth year Byron Leftwich amassed a 24-20 record with the Jacksonville Jaguars. In 2007 he was suddenly released by Jaguars head coach Jack Del Rio. Leftwich was replaced by David Garrard. Leftwich remained unemployed for most of the season. He was picked up by the Atlanta Falcons as an afterthought. Leftwich was 0-2 as a starter with Atlanta and was released by a team in disarray.Sunday, Leftwich was signed by the Pittsburgh Steelers to temporarily replace injured backup Charlie Batch. Leftwich is using the three remaining preseason games the Steelers play as a series of auditions in the hopes of latching onto a team for the upcoming NFL season.
At age 23 Daunte Culpepper was the toast of Minnesota. The huge quarterback led the Vikings to an 11-5 record and was voted to his first Pro Bowl appearance. Though he would never lead Minnesota to another winning record, Culpepper played in two more Pro Bowls (2003-2004; Minnesota was 7-7 in 2003 and 6-6 in 2004) and had a 32-38 record and threw for 135 touchdowns while throwing 86 interceptions in 2607 passing attempts as a starter with the Vikes.
Today Daunte Culpepper is unemployed.
While both Leftwich and Culpepper were thrust into the starter role for their teams very early in their careers, Chad Pennington sat for his first two years before taking the helm of the New York Jets. In five and-a-half seasons as a starter with the Jets Pennington compiled a 32-39 record.
After Brett Favre was traded from Green Bay to the Jets Pennington was released by the Jets and picked up by the Miami Dolphins head player personnel honcho Bill Parcells. Pennington immediately began taking snaps as the starter for the Miami Dolphins.
Leftwich is known as the prototype big (6′5″, 250 pounds), strong pocket passer who will stand tall in the face of unending defensive pressure until he spots an open receiver. He has absorbed many hits - illegal and borderline illegal - below his knees for his efforts.
Why Marvin Lewis Can Smile (while the NFL press freaks out)
August 12, 2008
Marvin Lewis is cool. In fact, in his most recent press conference he was almost giddy despite being peppered with usual questions about difficult Cincinnati’s schedule this season (Cinci must deal with the NFC East and the AFC South), the loss of players due to suspension (Odell Thurman and Chris Henry), and the portent of a defense that might not improve on its 24th-ranked 2007 performance. Additional queries dealt with how the outwardly mild-mannered Lewis plans to get the inconsistent Bengals to a second playoff appearance. And if you listen to the NFL press it is widely felt that Lewis’s player choices and low-key demeanor are responsible for the Bengals off-field woes that are reflected in the team’s lack of consistency.
Though he was hired in 2003 for his reputation as a defensive guru, Lewis’ primary on-field problems are on the defensive side of the ball. Off-field, though, so many Bengals players have run afoul of the law that they have become a sad running joke. Because Lewis has taken his team to the playoffs only once 2005, a 31-17 loss to Pittsburgh - and because Cincinnati players have had so many run-ins with the law, the coach finds himself perceived as being on the chopping block this season.
The primary problem, as it is seen, is that Lewis sacrificed “character” players when the team felt it needed to upgrade its team to match that of elite franchises in the NFL. That sentiment was yet again expressed on ESPN’s NFL Monday Night Countdown before the Cincinnati-Green Bay game. Adding to Lewis’ perceived woes, commentator Mike Ditka, a Hall of Fame tight end and former Super Bowl-winning head coach of the Chicago Bears let it be known that it is Lewis’ fault that the players are not performing on the field.
Normally in situations like these it is said that the bottom line is the players are professionals and must take responsibility for their on and off-field actions. Oddly, the feeling surrounding Lewis is that he is a “good man” but not a good assessor of character and is not firm enough with his players.
Notes: And Tampa Bay Didn’t Pursue Brett Favre Because…?
August 10, 2008
In Brett Favre, the New York Jets got their man. If they get into the playoffs with Favre at the helm it will also save Eric Mangini’s job.
There’s just one little problem with the whole “Favre comes to Broadway,” well, more accurately, East Rutherford, New Jersey, deal. What happened to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ interest in the legendary QB?
Sure, the Bucs have four-time Pro Bowl quarterback Jeff Garcia on their roster as their starter. But no one ever mistook the plucky Garcia for Brett Favre. But despite the clamor for Favre in Tampa, despite the rumors, despite the talk about how Bucs head coach John Gruden likes to “collect quarterbacks” Gruden, last Friday, said there was no talk of bringing Favre to Tampa.
Notes: Matt Jones Returns to the Field
August 10, 2008
The Florida Times-Union, newspaper to the Jacksonville Jaguars made no mention of the odd happening on the field during the Jaguars-Atlanta Falcons game. ESPN made no mention of the happening, Additionally, in a feature “Camp Confidential article on ESPN.com, Paul Kuharsky, former Tennessee Titans beat writer for the Tennessean and now ESPN.com writer, never mentioned the name of the man involved in the happening. The NFL Network showed a highlight of the happening.
Favre Traded to Jets
August 7, 2008
Brett Favre now plays for the New York Jets:
Late Wednesday night the Packers and Jets agreed to a trade that would send the quarterback to New York for an undisclosed draft pick, an NFL source confirmed to the Journal Sentinel. The trade was first reported by FOXSports.com and announced by the Packers about an hour after the story first broke.
The NFL source did not have exact details of the pick the Jets were expected to hand over to the Packers, but he said it is based on performance, which means it will increase in value the better Favre or possibly the Jets play this season.
Sports Illustrated reported the high end of the compensation was a first-round pick, which the source said was also his understanding. However, it’s unclear exactly what would have to occur for the Packers to receive the high pick.
The low end of the compensation is a third-round pick, SI reported. The NFL Network reported that the pick would start as a fourth-rounder.
In confirming the trade, the Packers released a joint statement from general manager Ted Thompson and president Mark Murphy:
Notes: Brett Meets Mark Murphy “On the Porch”; Artest Traded to Houston
July 30, 2008
The Brett Favre-GB scenario
Brett Favre met with Green Bay Packers president Mark Murphy yesterday at Favre’s home in Mississippi. Murphy asked the QB not to file his reinstatement papers to give the team time to deal Favre to another team.
Favre’s response was to send in his reinstatement papers to NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell’s office. As a result of Favre’s action Murphy and the Packers have 24 hours to either invite Favre to camp or release him.
Maybe Murphy is setting up Favre? Here’s the scenario: Favre retires, does the whole announcement, cry thing. All the while Bretty Boy has a Green Gay Packers-issued cell phone. Months later the Packers leak the fact of the cellphone to the press. Not only does Favre have the phone, but he used it to call the Vikings to tell them he wants to play for Minnesota.
So, Murphy flies down to Mississippi and “begs” Favre not to show up at camp, thst is, do not yet file for reinstatement, knowing all that Brett will take the bait because he is jock stubborn, and file his papers.
