Join:
2006/12/07
Messages:
29893
Select your timezone:
Eli Manning and the New York Giants dominated against the Green Bay Packers on Sunday night, but it wasn't all good news for Big Blue.
Running back Andre Brown suffered a broken fibula in the Giants' 38-10 victory and will not play again this season, Giants coach Tom Coughlin said.
Brown suffered the injury in the fourth quarter after rushing for 64 yards on 13 carries.
"He's been running the ball hard the last week. It's going to be a tough loss," Giants quarterback Eli Manning said after the game.
The second-year back from North Carolina State had emerged as the team's No. 2 back behind Ahmad Bradshaw, rushing for 385 yards and eight touchdowns on the season. The Giants will now have to depend more on rookie first-round pick David Wilson.
Brown's wasn't the only significant injury for the Giants.
Safety Kenny Phillips, playing in his first game in nearly two months Sunday after missing six games with a right knee injury, suffered an injury to the same knee during the third quarter.
Andre Brown breaks leg, out for year for New York Giants - NFL-com
Running back Andre Brown suffered a broken fibula in the Giants' 38-10 victory and will not play again this season, Giants coach Tom Coughlin said.
Brown suffered the injury in the fourth quarter after rushing for 64 yards on 13 carries.
"He's been running the ball hard the last week. It's going to be a tough loss," Giants quarterback Eli Manning said after the game.
The second-year back from North Carolina State had emerged as the team's No. 2 back behind Ahmad Bradshaw, rushing for 385 yards and eight touchdowns on the season. The Giants will now have to depend more on rookie first-round pick David Wilson.
Brown's wasn't the only significant injury for the Giants.
Safety Kenny Phillips, playing in his first game in nearly two months Sunday after missing six games with a right knee injury, suffered an injury to the same knee during the third quarter.
Andre Brown breaks leg, out for year for New York Giants - NFL-com
Join:
2006/12/07
Messages:
29893
The NFL has decided not to suspend Lions defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh for his actions against Texans quarterback Matt Schaub.
League spokesman Greg Aiello announced the decision Monday on his Twitter account, adding the “incident’ will be reviewed for a potential fine.
Suh’s left cleat connected with Schaub’s groin area after he threw a pass in the first quarter of last Thursday’s game. The defensive tackle was on his chest after being taken down by an offensive lineman and extended his left foot to hit Schaub below the belt.
Suh was suspended for two games a year ago after he was ejected for stomping on the right arm of Green Bay offensive lineman Evan Dietrich-Smith during a game on Thanksgiving.
Bears: Chicago will be without starting right guard Lance Louis for the rest of the season because of a left knee injury. And for that, they are not happy with Minnesota defensive end Jared Allen. Coach Lovie Smith took issue with the hit that knocked Louis out of Sunday’s win over the Vikings, calling it unnecessary.
Browns: Cleveland Browns won’t know for a few more days whether rookie quarterback Brandon Weeden will play Sunday in Oakland. Weeden sustained a concussion in the closing minutes of Sunday’s 20-14 win over Pittsburgh. Colt McCoy will start against the Raiders if Weeden isn’t cleared.
Buccaneers: Tampa Bay’s porous secondary took another hit when cornerback Eric Wright was suspended by the NFL for four games for violating the league’s policy on performance-enhancing substances. Wright is the second Tampa Bay starter disciplined for using Adderall.
Cardinals: Arizona is sticking with Ryan Lindley at quarterback, at least until Kevin Kolb is healthy enough to play. Coach Ken Whisenhunt said that while Lindley made three bad throws that resulted in interceptions, two of them returned for touchdowns, in his first NFL start on Sunday, the rookie did have other times when he was effective in Sunday’s loss to the St. Louis Rams.
Cowboys: Linebacker Bruce Carter is out of for the season with a dislocated left elbow, making him the fourth Dallas defensive starter to go on injured reserve. The Cowboys have lost both inside linebackers with defensive leader Sean Lee suffering a season-ending toe injury last month.
Read More: NFL notebook: No suspension for Ndamukong Suh, fine possible | The Poughkeepsie Journal | poughkeepsiejournal-com
League spokesman Greg Aiello announced the decision Monday on his Twitter account, adding the “incident’ will be reviewed for a potential fine.
Suh’s left cleat connected with Schaub’s groin area after he threw a pass in the first quarter of last Thursday’s game. The defensive tackle was on his chest after being taken down by an offensive lineman and extended his left foot to hit Schaub below the belt.
Suh was suspended for two games a year ago after he was ejected for stomping on the right arm of Green Bay offensive lineman Evan Dietrich-Smith during a game on Thanksgiving.
Bears: Chicago will be without starting right guard Lance Louis for the rest of the season because of a left knee injury. And for that, they are not happy with Minnesota defensive end Jared Allen. Coach Lovie Smith took issue with the hit that knocked Louis out of Sunday’s win over the Vikings, calling it unnecessary.
Browns: Cleveland Browns won’t know for a few more days whether rookie quarterback Brandon Weeden will play Sunday in Oakland. Weeden sustained a concussion in the closing minutes of Sunday’s 20-14 win over Pittsburgh. Colt McCoy will start against the Raiders if Weeden isn’t cleared.
Buccaneers: Tampa Bay’s porous secondary took another hit when cornerback Eric Wright was suspended by the NFL for four games for violating the league’s policy on performance-enhancing substances. Wright is the second Tampa Bay starter disciplined for using Adderall.
Cardinals: Arizona is sticking with Ryan Lindley at quarterback, at least until Kevin Kolb is healthy enough to play. Coach Ken Whisenhunt said that while Lindley made three bad throws that resulted in interceptions, two of them returned for touchdowns, in his first NFL start on Sunday, the rookie did have other times when he was effective in Sunday’s loss to the St. Louis Rams.
Cowboys: Linebacker Bruce Carter is out of for the season with a dislocated left elbow, making him the fourth Dallas defensive starter to go on injured reserve. The Cowboys have lost both inside linebackers with defensive leader Sean Lee suffering a season-ending toe injury last month.
Read More: NFL notebook: No suspension for Ndamukong Suh, fine possible | The Poughkeepsie Journal | poughkeepsiejournal-com
Join:
2006/12/07
Messages:
29893
Jack Pardee, one of Bear Bryant's "Junction Boys'' who went on to become an All-Pro linebacker and an NFL coach, has been diagnosed with gall bladder cancer and has six to nine months to live, his family said Tuesday.
The cancer has spread to other organs and that her 76-year-old father plans to move to a Denver hospice where the College Football Hall of Fame inductee's wife, Phyllis, has been receiving care since having a stroke, daughter Anne Pardee confirmed to The Associated Press.
Anne Pardee said her father was in good spirits despite the diagnosis.
Jack Pardee survived a bout with melanoma when he was 28 and in the middle of his 15-year NFL playing career.
He played only six-man football at Christoval High School in west-central Texas, near San Angelo, before moving on to Texas A&M. Bryant became the Aggies' coach in 1954 and moved their preseason camp to desolate Junction, about 100 miles northwest of San Antonio.
The state endured a severe drought and historic heat wave that year, but Bryant worked his team through the brutal conditions and refused to allow water breaks in an effort to toughest players. Pardee was one of 35 players who made it through to the end of the 10-day camp without quitting.
Pardee played three seasons at Texas A&M and was drafted by Los Angeles in 1957. He played for the Rams from 1957-64, sat out a year to cope with his melanoma, then played seven more seasons. He finished his playing career with the Washington Redskins in 1973.
Pardee stuck with the NFL and was the Chicago Bears' head coach from 1975-77. He coached the Redskins from 1978-80 and was fired after Washington went 6-10. He served as San Diego's defensive coordinator for one season, then returned to Texas to coach the USFL's Houston Gamblers.
Pardee was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1986. When the USFL disbanded in 1987, Pardee became the coach at the University of Houston and brought along the fast-paced "Run-and-Shoot'' offense that worked well with the Gamblers.
The NCAA levied severe sanctions on the program in 1988, the result of violations committed under previous coach Bill Yeoman. Houston was banned from playing in a bowl game for two years and banned from playing on television in the 1989 season.
But the Cougars led the nation in total offense (624.9 yards per game) and passing offense (511 yards per game) in 1989, and quarterback Andre Ware won the Heisman Trophy. Houston finished 9-2 and ranked No. 14 in the nation.
Pardee became the coach of the NFL's Houston Oilers in 1990, and led the team to the playoffs in each of his first four seasons. Oilers owner Bud Adams traded star quarterback Warren Moon to Minnesota before the 1994 season, and Pardee resigned after a 1-9 start that year.
His name emerged 13 years later for the Houston job, but the school hired Kevin Sumlin instead. Pardee's son, Ted, is currently the color analyst for Houston football radio broadcasts.
Pardee's illness was first reported Tuesday by KTRK-TV of Houston.
Read More: Family: NFL great Jack Pardee ill with cancer - NFL - SI-com
The cancer has spread to other organs and that her 76-year-old father plans to move to a Denver hospice where the College Football Hall of Fame inductee's wife, Phyllis, has been receiving care since having a stroke, daughter Anne Pardee confirmed to The Associated Press.
Anne Pardee said her father was in good spirits despite the diagnosis.
Jack Pardee survived a bout with melanoma when he was 28 and in the middle of his 15-year NFL playing career.
He played only six-man football at Christoval High School in west-central Texas, near San Angelo, before moving on to Texas A&M. Bryant became the Aggies' coach in 1954 and moved their preseason camp to desolate Junction, about 100 miles northwest of San Antonio.
The state endured a severe drought and historic heat wave that year, but Bryant worked his team through the brutal conditions and refused to allow water breaks in an effort to toughest players. Pardee was one of 35 players who made it through to the end of the 10-day camp without quitting.
Pardee played three seasons at Texas A&M and was drafted by Los Angeles in 1957. He played for the Rams from 1957-64, sat out a year to cope with his melanoma, then played seven more seasons. He finished his playing career with the Washington Redskins in 1973.
Pardee stuck with the NFL and was the Chicago Bears' head coach from 1975-77. He coached the Redskins from 1978-80 and was fired after Washington went 6-10. He served as San Diego's defensive coordinator for one season, then returned to Texas to coach the USFL's Houston Gamblers.
Pardee was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1986. When the USFL disbanded in 1987, Pardee became the coach at the University of Houston and brought along the fast-paced "Run-and-Shoot'' offense that worked well with the Gamblers.
The NCAA levied severe sanctions on the program in 1988, the result of violations committed under previous coach Bill Yeoman. Houston was banned from playing in a bowl game for two years and banned from playing on television in the 1989 season.
But the Cougars led the nation in total offense (624.9 yards per game) and passing offense (511 yards per game) in 1989, and quarterback Andre Ware won the Heisman Trophy. Houston finished 9-2 and ranked No. 14 in the nation.
Pardee became the coach of the NFL's Houston Oilers in 1990, and led the team to the playoffs in each of his first four seasons. Oilers owner Bud Adams traded star quarterback Warren Moon to Minnesota before the 1994 season, and Pardee resigned after a 1-9 start that year.
His name emerged 13 years later for the Houston job, but the school hired Kevin Sumlin instead. Pardee's son, Ted, is currently the color analyst for Houston football radio broadcasts.
Pardee's illness was first reported Tuesday by KTRK-TV of Houston.
Read More: Family: NFL great Jack Pardee ill with cancer - NFL - SI-com
Join:
2006/12/07
Messages:
29893
More NFL players are testing positive for amphetamines, a class of substances that includes the ADHD drug Adderall.
Since the start of last season, more than 10 players suspended for failing drug tests have publicly blamed it on taking the stimulant. And while the league doesn’t identify the substance when a player is penalized, senior vice president Adolpho Birch acknowledges that the number of positives for amphetamines has increased.
Because the type of drug isn’t disclosed under the NFL’s agreement with the union, nothing prevents a player from claiming he took Adderall when, in fact, he tested positive for a steroid or another stimulant. The tests don’t differentiate between Adderall and other amphetamines, Birch said, but he does believe Adderall abuse is on the rise in the league.
With many college students using the drug without a prescription to study deep into the night, he said, players come into the NFL accustomed to the idea of popping the pill for a boost.
‘‘It’s not a secret that it’s a societal trend,’’ Birch, who oversees law and labor policy for the league, said Wednesday. ‘‘I think we’re starting to see some of the effects of that trend.’’
Players diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD, can apply for a therapeutic use exemption that permits them to take Adderall. An independent administrator reviews their medical history and diagnostic tests to approve or reject the application.
Several players who have tested positive said they had a prescription for Adderall but not an exemption.
More NFL players testings positive for amphetamines - Football - Boston-com
Since the start of last season, more than 10 players suspended for failing drug tests have publicly blamed it on taking the stimulant. And while the league doesn’t identify the substance when a player is penalized, senior vice president Adolpho Birch acknowledges that the number of positives for amphetamines has increased.
Because the type of drug isn’t disclosed under the NFL’s agreement with the union, nothing prevents a player from claiming he took Adderall when, in fact, he tested positive for a steroid or another stimulant. The tests don’t differentiate between Adderall and other amphetamines, Birch said, but he does believe Adderall abuse is on the rise in the league.
With many college students using the drug without a prescription to study deep into the night, he said, players come into the NFL accustomed to the idea of popping the pill for a boost.
‘‘It’s not a secret that it’s a societal trend,’’ Birch, who oversees law and labor policy for the league, said Wednesday. ‘‘I think we’re starting to see some of the effects of that trend.’’
Players diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD, can apply for a therapeutic use exemption that permits them to take Adderall. An independent administrator reviews their medical history and diagnostic tests to approve or reject the application.
Several players who have tested positive said they had a prescription for Adderall but not an exemption.
More NFL players testings positive for amphetamines - Football - Boston-com
Join:
2006/12/07
Messages:
29893
Bianca Wilfork could be wearing another new championship T-shirt very soon. Her husband, Vince, and his New England Patriots teammates are on the verge of clinching their fourth straight division title. They'd secure it with a win over the Miami Dolphins on Sunday.
For the team, it would be the ninth in 10 seasons. For the star defensive tackle, it would be his eighth in his nine NFL seasons -- and the caps and shirts that come with those titles.
"I collect them and I give them to my wife," Wilfork said Thursday. "That'll be for my wife."
If AFC East championships are becoming routine, the Patriots take nothing for granted. They're focused not on another first-place finish, sure. But winning just one game, the next game -- against the Dolphins (5-6) -- is priority No. 1.
"You always want to win your division," Wilfork said. "(But) we take it one game at a time and, hopefully, that one game at a time is good enough at the end."
Besides, division titles don't guarantee postseason success. Look no further than New England.
Despite winning the AFC East title the past three years, the Patriots lost last season's Super Bowl to the New York Giants, 21-17, and were eliminated in their first postseason game the previous two seasons.
Throughout the league, in Bill Belichick's other 12 seasons as New England's coach, four teams that didn't win their divisions went on to become Super Bowl champions.
And, remember, only two of the four division winners in each conference get a first-round bye. If the season ended today, the Patriots (8-3) would lose out on those AFC seeds to the Houston Texans (10-1) and Baltimore Ravens (9-2).
So they can't afford to look past the Dolphins, or anyone else for that matter. Down the road, in fact, Houston and the San Francisco 49ers (8-2-1) are on tap.
But that's for another day.
"The fewer games there are, the more important they become," Belichick said. "With each game, we play one less and each one becomes bigger."
Either way, Belichick and his players consistently play down all their division titles.
"It's very important" to win one again this year, quarterback Tom Brady said before quickly turning his focus to the next game. "We're always trying to win every game we play. And, certainly, playing against the Dolphins -- a team we know very well playing them twice a year -- it would to be a nice little day if we can go down there (and win)."
Still, modest or not, nonchalant about it or not, the Patriots' division dominance is simply extraordinary.
Over the past nine seasons, they lead the NFL with eight division titles. They might have been nine-for-nine if Brady hadn't suffered a season-ending knee injury in the 2008 opener. During that nine-year stretch, the Indianapolis Colts have seven division championships. No other team has more than five.
Of last year's eight division champions, only the Patriots were repeat winners from 2010.
And under Belichick, they've finished first nine times, second twice and fifth once, his first year (2000). They won the Super Bowl the following season.
This year, they've won their last five games, continuing a trend of improving as the season goes on. They were 8-0 in the second half of the past two seasons and 3-0 so far this year. Back on Oct. 14, New England was tied with the rest of the division at 3-3. The Patriots now lead Miami by three games, and Buffalo and the New York Jets by four.
"My whole career, high school and college, it seems like the longer the season goes, the better I play," Wilfork said. "Nine years now (in the NFL), the same thing. I just prepare well."
The powerful Wilfork played very well in the Patriots' last game, a 49-19 rout of the Jets on Thanksgiving night. One of his best plays came when he pushed guard Brandon Moore back as Mark Sanchez ran toward them. Sanchez fumbled when he collided with his teammate and safety Steve Gregory picked the ball up and ran for a 32-yard touchdown.
Suddenly, the Patriots led 21-0 just six minutes into the second quarter.
"I haven't paid any attention to that play ever since that game ended," Wilfork said. "I've moved on. We've got games to prepare for. I can't be thinking about one play."
Once the game was over, though, he had something he was eager to savor. He joined Brady and Gregory in biting into turkey legs before a national audience -- a television tradition reserved for stars of Thanksgiving games.
"I just thought about eating, that's all," Wilfork said with a smile. "It actually tasted pretty good, to be honest with you, but it was cold. But it didn't matter at that point. You're starving. You're hungry. You got a turkey in front of you. It's Thanksgiving. You have to eat it."
And he didn't have to worry about getting food stains on a brand new championship T-shirt.
That could happen on Sunday.
NFL: Patriots have eyes on a bigger prize | The Morning Sentinel, Waterville, ME
For the team, it would be the ninth in 10 seasons. For the star defensive tackle, it would be his eighth in his nine NFL seasons -- and the caps and shirts that come with those titles.
"I collect them and I give them to my wife," Wilfork said Thursday. "That'll be for my wife."
If AFC East championships are becoming routine, the Patriots take nothing for granted. They're focused not on another first-place finish, sure. But winning just one game, the next game -- against the Dolphins (5-6) -- is priority No. 1.
"You always want to win your division," Wilfork said. "(But) we take it one game at a time and, hopefully, that one game at a time is good enough at the end."
Besides, division titles don't guarantee postseason success. Look no further than New England.
Despite winning the AFC East title the past three years, the Patriots lost last season's Super Bowl to the New York Giants, 21-17, and were eliminated in their first postseason game the previous two seasons.
Throughout the league, in Bill Belichick's other 12 seasons as New England's coach, four teams that didn't win their divisions went on to become Super Bowl champions.
And, remember, only two of the four division winners in each conference get a first-round bye. If the season ended today, the Patriots (8-3) would lose out on those AFC seeds to the Houston Texans (10-1) and Baltimore Ravens (9-2).
So they can't afford to look past the Dolphins, or anyone else for that matter. Down the road, in fact, Houston and the San Francisco 49ers (8-2-1) are on tap.
But that's for another day.
"The fewer games there are, the more important they become," Belichick said. "With each game, we play one less and each one becomes bigger."
Either way, Belichick and his players consistently play down all their division titles.
"It's very important" to win one again this year, quarterback Tom Brady said before quickly turning his focus to the next game. "We're always trying to win every game we play. And, certainly, playing against the Dolphins -- a team we know very well playing them twice a year -- it would to be a nice little day if we can go down there (and win)."
Still, modest or not, nonchalant about it or not, the Patriots' division dominance is simply extraordinary.
Over the past nine seasons, they lead the NFL with eight division titles. They might have been nine-for-nine if Brady hadn't suffered a season-ending knee injury in the 2008 opener. During that nine-year stretch, the Indianapolis Colts have seven division championships. No other team has more than five.
Of last year's eight division champions, only the Patriots were repeat winners from 2010.
And under Belichick, they've finished first nine times, second twice and fifth once, his first year (2000). They won the Super Bowl the following season.
This year, they've won their last five games, continuing a trend of improving as the season goes on. They were 8-0 in the second half of the past two seasons and 3-0 so far this year. Back on Oct. 14, New England was tied with the rest of the division at 3-3. The Patriots now lead Miami by three games, and Buffalo and the New York Jets by four.
"My whole career, high school and college, it seems like the longer the season goes, the better I play," Wilfork said. "Nine years now (in the NFL), the same thing. I just prepare well."
The powerful Wilfork played very well in the Patriots' last game, a 49-19 rout of the Jets on Thanksgiving night. One of his best plays came when he pushed guard Brandon Moore back as Mark Sanchez ran toward them. Sanchez fumbled when he collided with his teammate and safety Steve Gregory picked the ball up and ran for a 32-yard touchdown.
Suddenly, the Patriots led 21-0 just six minutes into the second quarter.
"I haven't paid any attention to that play ever since that game ended," Wilfork said. "I've moved on. We've got games to prepare for. I can't be thinking about one play."
Once the game was over, though, he had something he was eager to savor. He joined Brady and Gregory in biting into turkey legs before a national audience -- a television tradition reserved for stars of Thanksgiving games.
"I just thought about eating, that's all," Wilfork said with a smile. "It actually tasted pretty good, to be honest with you, but it was cold. But it didn't matter at that point. You're starving. You're hungry. You got a turkey in front of you. It's Thanksgiving. You have to eat it."
And he didn't have to worry about getting food stains on a brand new championship T-shirt.
That could happen on Sunday.
NFL: Patriots have eyes on a bigger prize | The Morning Sentinel, Waterville, ME
Join:
2006/12/07
Messages:
29893
So, it's not enough for Colin Kaepernick to come off the bench under immense pressure, lead the San Francisco 49ers to back-to-back victories and take the starting job amid a hurricane of controversy.
Now, Kaepernick's accused of not looking the part.
Child, please.
Kaepernick is deemed as an undesirable face of an NFL franchise because his arms are decorated with tattoos of Bible verses? For that, he is compared to a convict? How cruel. And what a shame.
Consciously or not, David Whitley, in a recent opinion piece for Sporting News, needlessly fed into old, stale thinking that can be the foundation of racial profiling.
Whitley's editor defended the column Friday by insisting it's a generational, not a racial, issue. But the original piece included the line, "I hope it's not a white thing," and a mention of Dutch boy quarterbacks that pushed the envelope further.
Why disrespect Kaepernick, lump him in a group with criminals, with such superficial negativity? Just accept him -- as is.
This is America, 2012. We have a black President with a Muslim name, Barack Obama, who is bi-racial like Kaepernick. The Niners quarterback is of African-American and European descent and was raised by white parents who adopted him as an infant.
This is a multicultural society with many world views and means of expressions.
Deal with it. Times have changed. Thankfully, the tattoos didn't stop 25-year-old Kaepernick from getting an NFL job. Here's hoping he never feels a need to wear long sleeves under his 49ers jersey to cover the tattoos.
"The level of acceptance now is so different than it used to be in the league," an NFL general manager told USA TODAY Sports. The executive spoke on the condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the topic.
As recently as 25 years ago, the general manager said, it was typical for scouts and team decision-makers to maintain such a narrow, myopic view of the world that they would automatically scratch a prospective player from consideration for silly reasons such as tattoos, body piercing or even an aversion to particular music.
The players with such marks were viewed as non-conformists. Old-school types would see the tattoos and conclude there was some gang affiliation. That was then.
Now you have NFL players openly speaking out on political issues that would have been taboo a generation ago, such as gay rights.
I'm expecting this fresh, sociological buzz (following the debate about how 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh could demote Alex Smith following his recovery from a concussion) will roll off the second-year pro's shoulders without a hitch. He is a product of a more liberal generation than those who might wistfully refer to the 1950s as the good old days, while ignoring the existence of Jim Crow laws in the South that mandated segregated schools, restaurants and buses.
Yet mentioning Kaepernick, who has never been arrested, in the same breath with convicts -- even from Whitley, who adopted two African-American daughters -- tells me that even now Kaepernick can be subjected to a black tax.
If you don't see the racism in linking Kaepernick's tattoos to San Quentin, it doesn't mean you're racist. Maybe just naïve, insensitive or oblivious.
Just don't say that's impossible in 2012. When Obama was re-elected, social media sites lit up with venomous, racially tinged posts. College kids at the University of Mississippi even took to the streets, spewing hate.
Then consider how men of color (African Americans and Hispanics) are still incarcerated at an alarmingly disproportionate rate than that of white men. And other measures, such as the percentage of traffic stops, criminal referrals in school systems and terms of sentences, tilt in favor of white privilege.
If it's difficult for you to connect the dots, consider this: According to the website for the Center for American Progress, people of color represent 30% of the U.S. population but 60% of those imprisoned.
That's why it was so unfair to reference San Quentin, inferring that Kaepernick would be more acceptable if he looked more like, well, Ryan Leaf -- the draft-day bust now serving time.
Sure, there are liberties that allow someone to dislike tattoos and express that opinion. But intolerance of another person who doesn't fit the so-called "All-American image" -- typically portrayed in mainstream mediums as skewing white and blonde -- is yet another indication of how far this society has to grow.
Luckily, Harbaugh is judging the kid on the possibilities of Ws -- especially a string of them that can capture a Super Bowl crown.
An NFL QB with tattoos shouldn't be all that shocking
Now, Kaepernick's accused of not looking the part.
Child, please.
Kaepernick is deemed as an undesirable face of an NFL franchise because his arms are decorated with tattoos of Bible verses? For that, he is compared to a convict? How cruel. And what a shame.
Consciously or not, David Whitley, in a recent opinion piece for Sporting News, needlessly fed into old, stale thinking that can be the foundation of racial profiling.
Whitley's editor defended the column Friday by insisting it's a generational, not a racial, issue. But the original piece included the line, "I hope it's not a white thing," and a mention of Dutch boy quarterbacks that pushed the envelope further.
Why disrespect Kaepernick, lump him in a group with criminals, with such superficial negativity? Just accept him -- as is.
This is America, 2012. We have a black President with a Muslim name, Barack Obama, who is bi-racial like Kaepernick. The Niners quarterback is of African-American and European descent and was raised by white parents who adopted him as an infant.
This is a multicultural society with many world views and means of expressions.
Deal with it. Times have changed. Thankfully, the tattoos didn't stop 25-year-old Kaepernick from getting an NFL job. Here's hoping he never feels a need to wear long sleeves under his 49ers jersey to cover the tattoos.
"The level of acceptance now is so different than it used to be in the league," an NFL general manager told USA TODAY Sports. The executive spoke on the condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the topic.
As recently as 25 years ago, the general manager said, it was typical for scouts and team decision-makers to maintain such a narrow, myopic view of the world that they would automatically scratch a prospective player from consideration for silly reasons such as tattoos, body piercing or even an aversion to particular music.
The players with such marks were viewed as non-conformists. Old-school types would see the tattoos and conclude there was some gang affiliation. That was then.
Now you have NFL players openly speaking out on political issues that would have been taboo a generation ago, such as gay rights.
I'm expecting this fresh, sociological buzz (following the debate about how 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh could demote Alex Smith following his recovery from a concussion) will roll off the second-year pro's shoulders without a hitch. He is a product of a more liberal generation than those who might wistfully refer to the 1950s as the good old days, while ignoring the existence of Jim Crow laws in the South that mandated segregated schools, restaurants and buses.
Yet mentioning Kaepernick, who has never been arrested, in the same breath with convicts -- even from Whitley, who adopted two African-American daughters -- tells me that even now Kaepernick can be subjected to a black tax.
If you don't see the racism in linking Kaepernick's tattoos to San Quentin, it doesn't mean you're racist. Maybe just naïve, insensitive or oblivious.
Just don't say that's impossible in 2012. When Obama was re-elected, social media sites lit up with venomous, racially tinged posts. College kids at the University of Mississippi even took to the streets, spewing hate.
Then consider how men of color (African Americans and Hispanics) are still incarcerated at an alarmingly disproportionate rate than that of white men. And other measures, such as the percentage of traffic stops, criminal referrals in school systems and terms of sentences, tilt in favor of white privilege.
If it's difficult for you to connect the dots, consider this: According to the website for the Center for American Progress, people of color represent 30% of the U.S. population but 60% of those imprisoned.
That's why it was so unfair to reference San Quentin, inferring that Kaepernick would be more acceptable if he looked more like, well, Ryan Leaf -- the draft-day bust now serving time.
Sure, there are liberties that allow someone to dislike tattoos and express that opinion. But intolerance of another person who doesn't fit the so-called "All-American image" -- typically portrayed in mainstream mediums as skewing white and blonde -- is yet another indication of how far this society has to grow.
Luckily, Harbaugh is judging the kid on the possibilities of Ws -- especially a string of them that can capture a Super Bowl crown.
An NFL QB with tattoos shouldn't be all that shocking
Join:
2006/12/07
Messages:
29893
A few minutes after clarity drained back into his head, Omar Bolden realized what he had done.
The Broncos rookie had come off the field after a punt play against the San Diego Chargers two weeks ago and admitted he felt woozy.
Uh-oh. Fifteen years ago -- maybe even three or four years ago -- such an admission would have been good for some macho sideline humor, maybe even a helmet slap where it hurt as a badge of honor.
Not anymore. When it comes to concussions, the NFL has told its boys it's time to grow up and stop smelling the salts.
"They took me out and wouldn't let me back on the field," Bolden said. "I was upset that I told him. They took all the precautions, even though it wasn't serious. It was mild, man. And they treated it like it was severe. But now that it's all said and done, looking at the bigger picture, you've got to be smart. You've only got one brain."
No one has a bigger football brain than Peyton Manning. So, when the Broncos' quarterback had the back of his head slammed to the Kansas City Arrowhead Stadium turf after throwing a touchdown pass last week, the Broncos' medical team went to work.
Even though Manning got up and walked off the field under his own power near the end of the first half, he was given a computerized baseline concussion test in the locker room at halftime.
All NFL players are administered baseline concussion tests when they report to training camp, and periodically during the season, as a point of reference. That way, when Manning took his concussion test at halftime of the Kansas City game, his responses and answers could be matched against his responses from earlier before he went back on the field.
"You can't fake the attention test," said Dr. Mark Zascharewicz of the Brain and Behavior Clinic in Boulder and Denver. "You can't fake the memory test. Because you're not going to know the answers ahead of time. So if you try to fake it and say 'I'm fine,' but you bomb that test, the doctor will say, 'I don't think you're ready.' "
Manning passed the test and was cleared. He played the entire second half and made two clutch, perfect, deep throws to Demaryius Thomas that secured the Broncos' sixth consecutive win.
The Broncos will attempt to win their seventh in a row, and clinch the AFC West title in the process , against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers today at Sports Authority Field at Mile High.
The Broncos quarterback was lucky -- instead of becoming a statistic; he put them up.
Declining numbers
The NFL says there were 218 concussions suffered in 321 combined preseason and regular-season games in 2010 -- a number up from previous years. Last year, the number of game concussions fell to 190.
"More concussions are reported now, so the number of concussions was lower several years ago," the NFL's Clare Graff said in an email. "But since the heightened awareness and more reporting of concussions, the trend this year was fewer (lowest in three years). In addition, the down time for each injury (days lost) has increased, which means the injury is being treated more conservatively."
NFL focusing on concussions - Longmont Times-Call
The Broncos rookie had come off the field after a punt play against the San Diego Chargers two weeks ago and admitted he felt woozy.
Uh-oh. Fifteen years ago -- maybe even three or four years ago -- such an admission would have been good for some macho sideline humor, maybe even a helmet slap where it hurt as a badge of honor.
Not anymore. When it comes to concussions, the NFL has told its boys it's time to grow up and stop smelling the salts.
"They took me out and wouldn't let me back on the field," Bolden said. "I was upset that I told him. They took all the precautions, even though it wasn't serious. It was mild, man. And they treated it like it was severe. But now that it's all said and done, looking at the bigger picture, you've got to be smart. You've only got one brain."
No one has a bigger football brain than Peyton Manning. So, when the Broncos' quarterback had the back of his head slammed to the Kansas City Arrowhead Stadium turf after throwing a touchdown pass last week, the Broncos' medical team went to work.
Even though Manning got up and walked off the field under his own power near the end of the first half, he was given a computerized baseline concussion test in the locker room at halftime.
All NFL players are administered baseline concussion tests when they report to training camp, and periodically during the season, as a point of reference. That way, when Manning took his concussion test at halftime of the Kansas City game, his responses and answers could be matched against his responses from earlier before he went back on the field.
"You can't fake the attention test," said Dr. Mark Zascharewicz of the Brain and Behavior Clinic in Boulder and Denver. "You can't fake the memory test. Because you're not going to know the answers ahead of time. So if you try to fake it and say 'I'm fine,' but you bomb that test, the doctor will say, 'I don't think you're ready.' "
Manning passed the test and was cleared. He played the entire second half and made two clutch, perfect, deep throws to Demaryius Thomas that secured the Broncos' sixth consecutive win.
The Broncos will attempt to win their seventh in a row, and clinch the AFC West title in the process , against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers today at Sports Authority Field at Mile High.
The Broncos quarterback was lucky -- instead of becoming a statistic; he put them up.
Declining numbers
The NFL says there were 218 concussions suffered in 321 combined preseason and regular-season games in 2010 -- a number up from previous years. Last year, the number of game concussions fell to 190.
"More concussions are reported now, so the number of concussions was lower several years ago," the NFL's Clare Graff said in an email. "But since the heightened awareness and more reporting of concussions, the trend this year was fewer (lowest in three years). In addition, the down time for each injury (days lost) has increased, which means the injury is being treated more conservatively."
NFL focusing on concussions - Longmont Times-Call
Join:
2006/12/07
Messages:
29893
As Charlie Batch stood at a podium in a sweat-soaked black T-shirt Sunday night, he took in the scene after guiding the Pittsburgh Steelers past the Baltimore Ravens.
The third-string quarterback, who turns 38 Wednesday, might not be needed to make another start in his NFL career. But if that is the case, he will have fond memories of his final one.
Filling in for Ben Roethlisberger and Byron Leftwich, who are out with injuries but are expected to return as early as next weekend, Batch completed 25 of 36 passes for 276 yards and a touchdown as the Steelers (7-5) rallied from 10 points down to win 23-20 over the first-place Ravens (9-3) to keep alive their AFC North title hopes.
"It's a long season, and no matter what, all I can ask for is another opportunity," Batch said. "Being a backup, you don't know when that's going to happen."
After throwing for just 57 yards in the first half -- a sloppy two quarters in which he missed open receivers, including overthrowing Mike Wallace in the end zone at the end of the second quarter -- Batch connected with receivers on 16 of his 20 second-half throws for 219 yards.
"It's not surprising to us. It may be to you, but not us," Steelers linebacker James Harrison said.
With his team down 20-13 early in the fourth quarter, Batch drove the Steelers 27 yards in four plays. He found tight end Heath Miller near the right sideline inside the 5-yard line, and Miller twisted his body and dove toward the pylon as he went out of bounds, scoring a touchdown that a video review confirmed.
After a Ravens punt, Batch moved the Steelers into position for a winning field goal.
In a 12-play, 61-yard drive that took the final 6:14 off the clock, Batch handed the ball to his running backs and completed short throws and screen passes to Wallace and Antonio Brown.
Ravens linebacker Paul Kruger shoved Batch to the ground after he threw his final pass of the game to Wallace. That roughing-the-passer penalty put the Steelers in the red zone. And after a false start and three runs for no gain, Shaun Suisham made a 42-yard field goal as time expired.
Batch also got in the way of Ravens cornerback Cary Williams on Jonathan Dwyer's 16-yard touchdown run in the third quarter, leading the back into the end zone with a downfield block.
"It shows you what kind of heart he has," Dwyer said.
And it sounds as if Batch's heart is still in the game, though he hasn't said if he will return for a 16th NFL season.
"As long as I can play, I'm going to come back," he said.
For one more Sunday at least, Batch definitely could play.
NFL: Aging Charlie Batch guides Pittsburgh Steelers to victory - San Jose Mercury News
The third-string quarterback, who turns 38 Wednesday, might not be needed to make another start in his NFL career. But if that is the case, he will have fond memories of his final one.
Filling in for Ben Roethlisberger and Byron Leftwich, who are out with injuries but are expected to return as early as next weekend, Batch completed 25 of 36 passes for 276 yards and a touchdown as the Steelers (7-5) rallied from 10 points down to win 23-20 over the first-place Ravens (9-3) to keep alive their AFC North title hopes.
"It's a long season, and no matter what, all I can ask for is another opportunity," Batch said. "Being a backup, you don't know when that's going to happen."
After throwing for just 57 yards in the first half -- a sloppy two quarters in which he missed open receivers, including overthrowing Mike Wallace in the end zone at the end of the second quarter -- Batch connected with receivers on 16 of his 20 second-half throws for 219 yards.
"It's not surprising to us. It may be to you, but not us," Steelers linebacker James Harrison said.
With his team down 20-13 early in the fourth quarter, Batch drove the Steelers 27 yards in four plays. He found tight end Heath Miller near the right sideline inside the 5-yard line, and Miller twisted his body and dove toward the pylon as he went out of bounds, scoring a touchdown that a video review confirmed.
After a Ravens punt, Batch moved the Steelers into position for a winning field goal.
In a 12-play, 61-yard drive that took the final 6:14 off the clock, Batch handed the ball to his running backs and completed short throws and screen passes to Wallace and Antonio Brown.
Ravens linebacker Paul Kruger shoved Batch to the ground after he threw his final pass of the game to Wallace. That roughing-the-passer penalty put the Steelers in the red zone. And after a false start and three runs for no gain, Shaun Suisham made a 42-yard field goal as time expired.
Batch also got in the way of Ravens cornerback Cary Williams on Jonathan Dwyer's 16-yard touchdown run in the third quarter, leading the back into the end zone with a downfield block.
"It shows you what kind of heart he has," Dwyer said.
And it sounds as if Batch's heart is still in the game, though he hasn't said if he will return for a 16th NFL season.
"As long as I can play, I'm going to come back," he said.
For one more Sunday at least, Batch definitely could play.
NFL: Aging Charlie Batch guides Pittsburgh Steelers to victory - San Jose Mercury News
Join:
2006/12/07
Messages:
29893
The murder/suicide committed by Kansas City Chiefs football player Jovan Belcher left the National Football League, its fans and health professionals struggling to understand what drove him to do it.
Belcher, 25, shot and killed his 22-year-old girlfriend Kasandra Perkins, the mother of his three-month-old daughter, in front of his own mother at home before driving to Arrowhead Stadium where he shot himself dead in the parking lot after thanking team officials for all they had done for him.
For the NFL, arguably the most popular US professional sport, the tragic shootings cast the league in a frightfully brutal light as Belcher became the fourth player this year to die of a self-inflicted gunshot.
Former players Junior Seau in May, Ray Easterling in April and Michael Current in January all committed suicide.
A fifth suicide victim, former Chicago Bears player Dave Duerson killed himself by gunshot less than two years ago, leaving a note requesting that his brain be examined for a post-concussive disease that might have led to his severe depression.
An brain analysis showed that Duerson had a degenerative brain disease, as he had believed.
Details on Belcher's health have been slow to emerge.
Dr. Alan Hilfer, Director of Psychology at Maimonides Medical Center in New York, said just why Belcher suddenly snapped could remain a mystery.
"We may never know the reasons," Hilfer said in a telephone interview today. "Something was terribly wrong." The league has come under fire from former players who have joined to sue the NFL, claiming league officials looked the other way while the players were absorbing concussions that have led to long-term disabilities.
Looking For An Edge
Others suspect that the high-speed, muscular contact game leads players to look for a doping edge despite drug testing, and that can lead to psychological instability.
Chiefs Chairman Clark Hunt said yesterday that doctors and coaches told him they knew of no physical or emotional issues bothering Belcher, who reached the NFL as a free agent after going to the University of Maine.
"What do you look for? It's a very hard question to answer," Hilfer said. "Certainly you look for mood changes. Certainly you look for increased levels of impulsively and anger.
"These things sometimes occur so suddenly. Sometimes there is just no way you could possibly know that someone is going to perpetrate an act of violence of this magnitude."
Don Hooton, who founded the Taylor Hooton Foundation to promote steroids education in 2004, seven months after his son, Taylor, committed suicide following his use of anabolic steroids, suspects doping.
"Every time I hear a story like this, my mind runs immediately to anabolic steroids," Hooton said. "Not necessarily to the exclusion of anything else, but because anabolic steroids can affect the mind in these crazy ways.
"I hope when they do the autopsy on this young man, that they look for these substances because it's possible that what we saw was 'Roid Rage'" - a label given to the exhibition of anger among steroid users.
Hooton said that despite efforts in professional leagues to stem the use of performance-enhancing drugs (PED), recent studies showed that steroids use was on the rise among U.S. school children.
"It's not getting better - it's getting worse," said Hooton. "We better wake up, America."
Larger Societal Problems
Dan Lebowitz, executive director of Sport in Society at Northeastern University, said he saw the Belcher tragedy as something that speaks to societal problems transcending sports.
"This is an issue of men's violence against women, not just football players being too violent," Lebowitz said.
"When I look at it, I try to take it out of the realm of sport. I just think about the way we acculturate young boys in this country and our whole view of manhood."
Lebowitz's group has worked for the NFL on a 2010 training program aimed at gender equality and respect in the workplace, and ran a training project at the soccer World Cup in South Africa on preventing gender violence.
"If you look at how many NFL players commit gender violence in proportion to the overall population, the percentage falls in line with the general population, three to five%.
"From what I hear she came home from a concert late and he reacted horrifically. We don't have a healthy concept of what manhood is and how certain things that we see as an affront to manhood probably aren't that at all."
Lebowitz said the awful incident could spawn an opportunity to educate others.
"Nothing happens in a bubble. This is the fifth NFL player to commit suicide by a self-inflicted gunshot ... this one was (preceded) by a murder. Right now there is an absolute heightened spotlight on all the issues around sports in general.
"How do we make a healthier sport, and how do we make a healthier man? How do we engage in a real conversation about respect for women's rights and freedoms?"
Dr. Hilfer said athletes were often reluctant to seek help.
"They can benefit from additional help, especially considering the rash of suicides from concussive syndromes," he said. "I would have loved to get this guy into some form of counseling therapy.
"It would have been wonderful if they could ask for help but athletes are often reluctant because their image is that of a tough guy who can handle things. They are as a rule some of the people who are least likely to access mental health services."
Mike Paul, who runs a New York public relations business specializing in reputation management, said the incident would challenge NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell.
"This is a big one for him," Paul said "The helmet (safety) issue and the steroids and PED issue, continue. Now it is right back in his face again and he has two choices.
"He can confront it head on and say it is time for further examination as we go into 2013 ... or he can try to slide it under
Belcher, 25, shot and killed his 22-year-old girlfriend Kasandra Perkins, the mother of his three-month-old daughter, in front of his own mother at home before driving to Arrowhead Stadium where he shot himself dead in the parking lot after thanking team officials for all they had done for him.
For the NFL, arguably the most popular US professional sport, the tragic shootings cast the league in a frightfully brutal light as Belcher became the fourth player this year to die of a self-inflicted gunshot.
Former players Junior Seau in May, Ray Easterling in April and Michael Current in January all committed suicide.
A fifth suicide victim, former Chicago Bears player Dave Duerson killed himself by gunshot less than two years ago, leaving a note requesting that his brain be examined for a post-concussive disease that might have led to his severe depression.
An brain analysis showed that Duerson had a degenerative brain disease, as he had believed.
Details on Belcher's health have been slow to emerge.
Dr. Alan Hilfer, Director of Psychology at Maimonides Medical Center in New York, said just why Belcher suddenly snapped could remain a mystery.
"We may never know the reasons," Hilfer said in a telephone interview today. "Something was terribly wrong." The league has come under fire from former players who have joined to sue the NFL, claiming league officials looked the other way while the players were absorbing concussions that have led to long-term disabilities.
Looking For An Edge
Others suspect that the high-speed, muscular contact game leads players to look for a doping edge despite drug testing, and that can lead to psychological instability.
Chiefs Chairman Clark Hunt said yesterday that doctors and coaches told him they knew of no physical or emotional issues bothering Belcher, who reached the NFL as a free agent after going to the University of Maine.
"What do you look for? It's a very hard question to answer," Hilfer said. "Certainly you look for mood changes. Certainly you look for increased levels of impulsively and anger.
"These things sometimes occur so suddenly. Sometimes there is just no way you could possibly know that someone is going to perpetrate an act of violence of this magnitude."
Don Hooton, who founded the Taylor Hooton Foundation to promote steroids education in 2004, seven months after his son, Taylor, committed suicide following his use of anabolic steroids, suspects doping.
"Every time I hear a story like this, my mind runs immediately to anabolic steroids," Hooton said. "Not necessarily to the exclusion of anything else, but because anabolic steroids can affect the mind in these crazy ways.
"I hope when they do the autopsy on this young man, that they look for these substances because it's possible that what we saw was 'Roid Rage'" - a label given to the exhibition of anger among steroid users.
Hooton said that despite efforts in professional leagues to stem the use of performance-enhancing drugs (PED), recent studies showed that steroids use was on the rise among U.S. school children.
"It's not getting better - it's getting worse," said Hooton. "We better wake up, America."
Larger Societal Problems
Dan Lebowitz, executive director of Sport in Society at Northeastern University, said he saw the Belcher tragedy as something that speaks to societal problems transcending sports.
"This is an issue of men's violence against women, not just football players being too violent," Lebowitz said.
"When I look at it, I try to take it out of the realm of sport. I just think about the way we acculturate young boys in this country and our whole view of manhood."
Lebowitz's group has worked for the NFL on a 2010 training program aimed at gender equality and respect in the workplace, and ran a training project at the soccer World Cup in South Africa on preventing gender violence.
"If you look at how many NFL players commit gender violence in proportion to the overall population, the percentage falls in line with the general population, three to five%.
"From what I hear she came home from a concert late and he reacted horrifically. We don't have a healthy concept of what manhood is and how certain things that we see as an affront to manhood probably aren't that at all."
Lebowitz said the awful incident could spawn an opportunity to educate others.
"Nothing happens in a bubble. This is the fifth NFL player to commit suicide by a self-inflicted gunshot ... this one was (preceded) by a murder. Right now there is an absolute heightened spotlight on all the issues around sports in general.
"How do we make a healthier sport, and how do we make a healthier man? How do we engage in a real conversation about respect for women's rights and freedoms?"
Dr. Hilfer said athletes were often reluctant to seek help.
"They can benefit from additional help, especially considering the rash of suicides from concussive syndromes," he said. "I would have loved to get this guy into some form of counseling therapy.
"It would have been wonderful if they could ask for help but athletes are often reluctant because their image is that of a tough guy who can handle things. They are as a rule some of the people who are least likely to access mental health services."
Mike Paul, who runs a New York public relations business specializing in reputation management, said the incident would challenge NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell.
"This is a big one for him," Paul said "The helmet (safety) issue and the steroids and PED issue, continue. Now it is right back in his face again and he has two choices.
"He can confront it head on and say it is time for further examination as we go into 2013 ... or he can try to slide it under
Join:
2006/12/07
Messages:
29893
The Chicago Bears finally found a legitimate quarterback when they acquired Jay Cutler. They aren't about to let him go.
Cutler's contract is up after 2013 and he's already talking about an extension. Serious negotiations are expected to begin in the offseason. "I'm not gonna try to break the bank," Cutler said Tuesday on ESPN 1000. (Cutler's agent just cringed.)
The host of the show, Tom Waddle, jokingly asked if Cutler would take 50% off to make a new deal.
"Ah, c'mon," Cutler said, via ESPNChicago-com. "We can talk like 5 or 10 (percent off), but 50? This isn't a going-out-of-business sale." (Cutler's agent just cringed again.)
Hometown discounts are an overrated concept. NFL agents are paid top dollar to extract top dollar. Cutler might take slightly less money because he's still got a year left before free agency, but his agent will make sure Cutler gets his due no matter what he says publicly.
"I want to be on a successful team, and I know that paying one or two or three players premium (salaries) hurts your chances of being able to bring in extra talent," Cutler said. "So when we get there, we'll figure it out."
You can find some faults in Cutler's game, but trading for him has been a clear win for the Bears. They know it, he knows it, his agent knows it. He won't get a deal in the Drew Brees-Tom Brady neighborhood, but don't expect Cutler to have to sacrifice much here.
Jay Cutler: Bears extension won't 'break the bank' - NFL-com
Cutler's contract is up after 2013 and he's already talking about an extension. Serious negotiations are expected to begin in the offseason. "I'm not gonna try to break the bank," Cutler said Tuesday on ESPN 1000. (Cutler's agent just cringed.)
The host of the show, Tom Waddle, jokingly asked if Cutler would take 50% off to make a new deal.
"Ah, c'mon," Cutler said, via ESPNChicago-com. "We can talk like 5 or 10 (percent off), but 50? This isn't a going-out-of-business sale." (Cutler's agent just cringed again.)
Hometown discounts are an overrated concept. NFL agents are paid top dollar to extract top dollar. Cutler might take slightly less money because he's still got a year left before free agency, but his agent will make sure Cutler gets his due no matter what he says publicly.
"I want to be on a successful team, and I know that paying one or two or three players premium (salaries) hurts your chances of being able to bring in extra talent," Cutler said. "So when we get there, we'll figure it out."
You can find some faults in Cutler's game, but trading for him has been a clear win for the Bears. They know it, he knows it, his agent knows it. He won't get a deal in the Drew Brees-Tom Brady neighborhood, but don't expect Cutler to have to sacrifice much here.
Jay Cutler: Bears extension won't 'break the bank' - NFL-com
Join:
2006/12/07
Messages:
29893
Versatile New York Giants offensive lineman Sean Locklear will miss the rest of the season with what coach Tom Coughlin called a "serious" right knee injury suffered during Monday night's 17-16 loss to the Washington Redskins.
"We feel badly for Sean," Coughlin said, via The Star-Ledger. "Here's a guy that's come in here, not knowing our system, has played well for us. He's been there when we've needed him, he's done a heck of a job, and we all feel bad about this taking place at that point in time last night. It is a serious injury, and we're very upset about that." Locklear played seven seasons in Seattle and one in Washington before joining the Giants.
The 31-year-old started 10 games at right tackle in his first year with New York. His injury occurred on a fourth-quarter run play when his right leg got caught between Giants running back Ahmad Bradshaw and Redskins safety Madieu Williams, bending the 6-foot-4, 310-pound tackle the wrong way.
USA Today first reported that Locklear is believed to have torn his anterior cruciate ligament.
On Tuesday, the nine-year pro reached out to fans from his Twitter account: "Thanks everybody for all the love and support. It's difficult right now, but their are better days ahead. #GoGiants"
New York Giants lose Sean Locklear for rest of season - NFL-com
"We feel badly for Sean," Coughlin said, via The Star-Ledger. "Here's a guy that's come in here, not knowing our system, has played well for us. He's been there when we've needed him, he's done a heck of a job, and we all feel bad about this taking place at that point in time last night. It is a serious injury, and we're very upset about that." Locklear played seven seasons in Seattle and one in Washington before joining the Giants.
The 31-year-old started 10 games at right tackle in his first year with New York. His injury occurred on a fourth-quarter run play when his right leg got caught between Giants running back Ahmad Bradshaw and Redskins safety Madieu Williams, bending the 6-foot-4, 310-pound tackle the wrong way.
USA Today first reported that Locklear is believed to have torn his anterior cruciate ligament.
On Tuesday, the nine-year pro reached out to fans from his Twitter account: "Thanks everybody for all the love and support. It's difficult right now, but their are better days ahead. #GoGiants"
New York Giants lose Sean Locklear for rest of season - NFL-com
Join:
2006/12/07
Messages:
29893
Everyone on the outside might be focusing on Peyton Manning setting more records and the Denver Broncos getting an eighth straight win to move a step closer to a first-round bye.
Manning is focused on much smaller goals -- showing improvement week to week.
The Broncos managed to do just that in a short week as Knowshon Moreno sparked a struggling running game with 119 yards and a touchdown and Manning threw for 310 yards and another score to help Denver roll past the Oakland Raiders, 26-13 on Thursday night. "We talk about getting better," Manning said. "All the other stuff, that's not what we talk about. If we get better each week, we'll see what happens from there."
Manning extended his franchise record with his 30th touchdown pass on the game's opening drive, became the fastest quarterback to reach 5,000 career completions and earned his record 12th 10-win season as a starter.
That helped the Broncos (10-3) move a half-game ahead of New England and Baltimore for the second-best record in the AFC. Denver visits Baltimore next week in a game that will help decide who gets a first-round playoff bye.
"That would be great but we can't really concentrate on that," said cornerback Champ Bailey, who intercepted a pass. "We need to concentrate on what we need to do to get better. Just keep plugging along and that thing will take care of itself."
Carson Palmer threw one interception that thwarted a possible scoring chance for the Raiders (3-10) and lost a fumble that set up a touchdown for the Broncos as Oakland lost its sixth straight game. It is the team's longest skid since also losing six in a row in 2007.
The Raiders played the game with heavy hearts as coach Dennis Allen's father, Grady, died earlier in the week from cardiac arrest. Allen was away from the team for two days but returned Wednesday and coached the game.
"I took my father off life support (voice cracking), and that's not easy to do," Allen said. "So was it hard? Yeah, it was hard. But I know my father would want me to be here with this football team, and I wanted to be here with this football team. So I'm sure you guys can imagine it wasn't an easy situation."
The Raiders' players talked during the week about rallying around their first-year coach but came out flat against a fierce division rival and were swept in the season series by the Broncos for the first time since 2006.
The game was mildly competitive for only a brief time as the Raiders got on the board late in the first half on a touchdown pass from Palmer to Darren McFadden and then started with the ball in the third quarter down 13-7.
McFadden, returning from a four-game absence for a sprained right ankle, broke off a 36-yard run on the first play from scrimmage, but the Raiders drive stalled in Denver territory after that and the Broncos took the game over. McFadden later left the game after re-injuring the ankle.
Manning, who joined Brett Favre as the only quarterbacks in NFL history with 5,000 career completions, converted a third-and-11 with a perfectly placed 22-yard pass to Demaryius Thomas. Manning followed that with a 29-yard completion to Eric Decker, but the drive stalled after a pass-interference call on Matt Giordano gave the Broncos a first down at the 1. Matt Prater's 20-yard field goal made it 16-7.
Mike Goodson then made the ill-advised decision to return a kick from 8 yards deep in the end zone, forcing Oakland to start a drive at the 8. Von Miller then beat Khalif Barnes for a sack on third down, stripping the ball from Palmer. Mitch Unrein recovered at the 2 and Moreno scored two plays later to make it 23-7.
Moreno is filling in for the injured Willis McGahee and is giving the Broncos the running game they will need to be successful in the postseason.
"That's something we haven't been good on the past couple of weeks including last week," Manning said. "To do that tonight I think we can build off of that."
The only remaining drama was whether quarterback project Terrelle Pryor would get his first action of the season for Oakland. He didn't, giving the frustrated Raiders fans yet another reason to be upset even though Palmer added a 56-yard TD pass to Darrius Heyward-Bey and finished with 273 yards passing.
"To rack up this many losses in a row in the fashion that we've done is just extremely frustrating," Palmer said.
The Raiders won the coin toss but decided to defer until the second half. The decision backfired as Manning converted three third downs on a 68-yard drive that was capped by a 6-yard pass to Joel Dreessen that was Manning's 30th touchdown pass of the season.
Prater added two field goals after Broncos' drives stalled inside the Oakland 20 as Denver extended the lead to 13-0. The momentum shifted after Phillip Adams' intercepted an underthrown pass from Manning to Matthew Willis in the end zone.
Oakland responded with an 80-yard drive capped by a 6-yard screen pass to McFadden.
Notes
Raiders CB Michael Huff left in the first half with a wrist injury.
Manning needed 221 games to reach 5,000 completions, 18 fewer than Favre.
Miller has sacks in six straight games.
WR Bubba Caldwell had his first catch as a Bronco.
NFL Recap - Denver Broncos at Oakland Raiders - Dec 06, 2012 - CBSSports-com Game Recap
Manning is focused on much smaller goals -- showing improvement week to week.
The Broncos managed to do just that in a short week as Knowshon Moreno sparked a struggling running game with 119 yards and a touchdown and Manning threw for 310 yards and another score to help Denver roll past the Oakland Raiders, 26-13 on Thursday night. "We talk about getting better," Manning said. "All the other stuff, that's not what we talk about. If we get better each week, we'll see what happens from there."
Manning extended his franchise record with his 30th touchdown pass on the game's opening drive, became the fastest quarterback to reach 5,000 career completions and earned his record 12th 10-win season as a starter.
That helped the Broncos (10-3) move a half-game ahead of New England and Baltimore for the second-best record in the AFC. Denver visits Baltimore next week in a game that will help decide who gets a first-round playoff bye.
"That would be great but we can't really concentrate on that," said cornerback Champ Bailey, who intercepted a pass. "We need to concentrate on what we need to do to get better. Just keep plugging along and that thing will take care of itself."
Carson Palmer threw one interception that thwarted a possible scoring chance for the Raiders (3-10) and lost a fumble that set up a touchdown for the Broncos as Oakland lost its sixth straight game. It is the team's longest skid since also losing six in a row in 2007.
The Raiders played the game with heavy hearts as coach Dennis Allen's father, Grady, died earlier in the week from cardiac arrest. Allen was away from the team for two days but returned Wednesday and coached the game.
"I took my father off life support (voice cracking), and that's not easy to do," Allen said. "So was it hard? Yeah, it was hard. But I know my father would want me to be here with this football team, and I wanted to be here with this football team. So I'm sure you guys can imagine it wasn't an easy situation."
The Raiders' players talked during the week about rallying around their first-year coach but came out flat against a fierce division rival and were swept in the season series by the Broncos for the first time since 2006.
The game was mildly competitive for only a brief time as the Raiders got on the board late in the first half on a touchdown pass from Palmer to Darren McFadden and then started with the ball in the third quarter down 13-7.
McFadden, returning from a four-game absence for a sprained right ankle, broke off a 36-yard run on the first play from scrimmage, but the Raiders drive stalled in Denver territory after that and the Broncos took the game over. McFadden later left the game after re-injuring the ankle.
Manning, who joined Brett Favre as the only quarterbacks in NFL history with 5,000 career completions, converted a third-and-11 with a perfectly placed 22-yard pass to Demaryius Thomas. Manning followed that with a 29-yard completion to Eric Decker, but the drive stalled after a pass-interference call on Matt Giordano gave the Broncos a first down at the 1. Matt Prater's 20-yard field goal made it 16-7.
Mike Goodson then made the ill-advised decision to return a kick from 8 yards deep in the end zone, forcing Oakland to start a drive at the 8. Von Miller then beat Khalif Barnes for a sack on third down, stripping the ball from Palmer. Mitch Unrein recovered at the 2 and Moreno scored two plays later to make it 23-7.
Moreno is filling in for the injured Willis McGahee and is giving the Broncos the running game they will need to be successful in the postseason.
"That's something we haven't been good on the past couple of weeks including last week," Manning said. "To do that tonight I think we can build off of that."
The only remaining drama was whether quarterback project Terrelle Pryor would get his first action of the season for Oakland. He didn't, giving the frustrated Raiders fans yet another reason to be upset even though Palmer added a 56-yard TD pass to Darrius Heyward-Bey and finished with 273 yards passing.
"To rack up this many losses in a row in the fashion that we've done is just extremely frustrating," Palmer said.
The Raiders won the coin toss but decided to defer until the second half. The decision backfired as Manning converted three third downs on a 68-yard drive that was capped by a 6-yard pass to Joel Dreessen that was Manning's 30th touchdown pass of the season.
Prater added two field goals after Broncos' drives stalled inside the Oakland 20 as Denver extended the lead to 13-0. The momentum shifted after Phillip Adams' intercepted an underthrown pass from Manning to Matthew Willis in the end zone.
Oakland responded with an 80-yard drive capped by a 6-yard screen pass to McFadden.
Notes
Raiders CB Michael Huff left in the first half with a wrist injury.
Manning needed 221 games to reach 5,000 completions, 18 fewer than Favre.
Miller has sacks in six straight games.
WR Bubba Caldwell had his first catch as a Bronco.
NFL Recap - Denver Broncos at Oakland Raiders - Dec 06, 2012 - CBSSports-com Game Recap
Join:
2006/12/07
Messages:
29893
Former NFL wide receiver David Boston has been sentenced to six months in jail and five years of probation for punching a woman last year.
His attorney, Guy Fronstin, confirmed that the 34-year-old Boston was sentenced Friday. He pleaded guilty to aggravated battery last month. Fronstin says his client has turned his life around and been fully committed to treatment since his arrest.
Authorities say Boston had been drinking at a Boca Raton home in November 2011 when he punched a woman twice in the head, leaving a wound requiring 10 stiches.
Boston played at Ohio State and went to the Pro Bowl with the Arizona Cardinals in 2001. He also played for San Diego and Miami before injuries and legal problems ended his NFL career.
Former NFL player David Boston gets six months in jail
His attorney, Guy Fronstin, confirmed that the 34-year-old Boston was sentenced Friday. He pleaded guilty to aggravated battery last month. Fronstin says his client has turned his life around and been fully committed to treatment since his arrest.
Authorities say Boston had been drinking at a Boca Raton home in November 2011 when he punched a woman twice in the head, leaving a wound requiring 10 stiches.
Boston played at Ohio State and went to the Pro Bowl with the Arizona Cardinals in 2001. He also played for San Diego and Miami before injuries and legal problems ended his NFL career.
Former NFL player David Boston gets six months in jail
Join:
2006/12/07
Messages:
29893
Denver Broncos defensive end Von Miller was fined $25,000 by the NFL on Friday for his hit below the knee of Tampa Bay quarterback Josh Freeman last week.
Miller was penalized for roughing the passer in the second quarter of the Broncos’ 31-23 win over the Buccaneers last Sunday. Miller was fined $21,000 last month for a similar infraction against Carolina quarterback Cam Newton.
Chicago Bears linebacker Brian Urlacher was fined $21,000 for a horse-collar tackle on Seattle’s Leon Washington, his second fine in two weeks. Urlacher, penalized for the tackle in the Bears’ 23-17 loss last Sunday, also was fined last week for a horse-collar tackle of Minnesota’s Adrian Peterson.
Seahawks defensive tackle Alan Branch was docked $7,875 for his late hit on Bears quarterback Jay Cutler.
Green Bay’s Tramon Williams and Jacksonville’s Jason Babin were each fined $21,000 for helmet-to-helmet hits in their games last week.
Detroit defensive tackle Nick Fairley was fined $15,750 for his horse-collar tackle of Indianapolis quarterback Andrew Luck late in the Lions’ 35-33 loss.
Washington center Will Montgomery was fined $10,000 for kicking New York Giants defensive lineman Linval Joseph, who was docked $7,875 for unnecessary roughness. He pulled on Montgomery’s leg first during a pileup on a fumble and then raised his right foot to kick back at him, but stopped himself before doing so.
San Francisco linebacker NaVorro Bowman also got fined $10,000 for kicking at a St. Louis Rams offensive lineman, while 49ers teammate Dashon Goldson has to pay $7,875 for a late hit on quarterback Sam Bradford.
Minnesota linebacker Jasper Brinkley was fined $7,875 for grabbing Green Bay wide receiver Randall Cobb by the facemask. Teammate Everson Griffen was fined $15,750 for his late hit on Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers.
Miller was penalized for roughing the passer in the second quarter of the Broncos’ 31-23 win over the Buccaneers last Sunday. Miller was fined $21,000 last month for a similar infraction against Carolina quarterback Cam Newton.
Chicago Bears linebacker Brian Urlacher was fined $21,000 for a horse-collar tackle on Seattle’s Leon Washington, his second fine in two weeks. Urlacher, penalized for the tackle in the Bears’ 23-17 loss last Sunday, also was fined last week for a horse-collar tackle of Minnesota’s Adrian Peterson.
Seahawks defensive tackle Alan Branch was docked $7,875 for his late hit on Bears quarterback Jay Cutler.
Green Bay’s Tramon Williams and Jacksonville’s Jason Babin were each fined $21,000 for helmet-to-helmet hits in their games last week.
Detroit defensive tackle Nick Fairley was fined $15,750 for his horse-collar tackle of Indianapolis quarterback Andrew Luck late in the Lions’ 35-33 loss.
Washington center Will Montgomery was fined $10,000 for kicking New York Giants defensive lineman Linval Joseph, who was docked $7,875 for unnecessary roughness. He pulled on Montgomery’s leg first during a pileup on a fumble and then raised his right foot to kick back at him, but stopped himself before doing so.
San Francisco linebacker NaVorro Bowman also got fined $10,000 for kicking at a St. Louis Rams offensive lineman, while 49ers teammate Dashon Goldson has to pay $7,875 for a late hit on quarterback Sam Bradford.
Minnesota linebacker Jasper Brinkley was fined $7,875 for grabbing Green Bay wide receiver Randall Cobb by the facemask. Teammate Everson Griffen was fined $15,750 for his late hit on Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers.
Join:
2006/12/07
Messages:
29893
This was a weekend unlike any other for the Dallas Cowboys. After Sunday's dramatic 20-19 win over the Cincinnati Bengals, the team couldn't hold back its emotions any longer. "We tried to fight together as a family. We got a lot of heavy hearts," Cowboys cornerback Brandon Carr told NFL-com's Ian Rapoport.
At that point, Carr paused to collect himself.
"A lot on our minds," Carr continued. "But by the grace of God we were able to put together a good show today. Represent our family well. Represent ourselves well. Most importantly, represent God well."
It has been a brutal two weeks for Carr, who was close with deceased Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Jovan Belcher, who killed himself at the team's training facility Dec. 1 after murdering his girlfriend. Then, on Saturday morning, Cowboys practice-squad linebacker Jerry Brown Jr. was killed in a car crash that led to teammate Josh Brent's arrest on an intoxication manslaughter charge.
Cowboys coach Jason Garrett was more emotional than we've ever seen after Sunday's game.
"It was really challenging, and we had to come together, and the bonds we had as teammates had to get stronger," Garrett said. "Everyone was really, really heartbroken by the situation. I talked to (Brown's) mom after the game. I told her we gave him the game ball. It's not an easy time for anybody. We're going to snap back into it.
"I was really proud of our football team. They found a way to win today. I thought we honored him. I will never forget how this football team honored Jerry Brown and his family. We will never forget about him."
Brandon Carr emotional after Dallas Cowboys' win - NFL-com
At that point, Carr paused to collect himself.
"A lot on our minds," Carr continued. "But by the grace of God we were able to put together a good show today. Represent our family well. Represent ourselves well. Most importantly, represent God well."
It has been a brutal two weeks for Carr, who was close with deceased Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Jovan Belcher, who killed himself at the team's training facility Dec. 1 after murdering his girlfriend. Then, on Saturday morning, Cowboys practice-squad linebacker Jerry Brown Jr. was killed in a car crash that led to teammate Josh Brent's arrest on an intoxication manslaughter charge.
Cowboys coach Jason Garrett was more emotional than we've ever seen after Sunday's game.
"It was really challenging, and we had to come together, and the bonds we had as teammates had to get stronger," Garrett said. "Everyone was really, really heartbroken by the situation. I talked to (Brown's) mom after the game. I told her we gave him the game ball. It's not an easy time for anybody. We're going to snap back into it.
"I was really proud of our football team. They found a way to win today. I thought we honored him. I will never forget how this football team honored Jerry Brown and his family. We will never forget about him."
Brandon Carr emotional after Dallas Cowboys' win - NFL-com
Join:
2006/12/07
Messages:
29893
It is way past time, NFL. Same goes for you, too, NFL Players Association.
Don't just take a stronger stance against drunk driving. Take a front-line role in a national crusade to eliminate a serious but preventable problem that can devastate lives, as we've seen. Show us real leadership.
There's no question the nation's most popular sports league and the players union, touted as a partner, can have an impact, given its tremendous influence. Millions watch. Millions can be affected. Now is the time to do something. The league and union can begin by changing an alcohol policy that is so weak a player can get arrested for DUI after playing on Monday Night Football, then take his place in the lineup the next Sunday. That happened this season with Atlanta Falcons running back Michael Turner, a first-time offender, but that's not an aberration with the NFL's policy. It's written to allow that.
This is not a quick-twitch reaction to the tragedy that occurred in Texas, ending the life of Jerry Brown, the Dallas Cowboys practice squad linebacker. But perhaps Brown's death -- a case of NFL-on-NFL crime, with the deadly car driven by Brown's best friend, college roommate and Cowboys teammate Josh Brent -- can add urgency to the need for the NFL and the union to attack drunk driving.
The union should listen to its members, like Steelers linebacker Larry Foote: "We have to get a hold of the alcohol. Guys won't want to hear that. But that's the problem." And Steelers defensive end Brett Keisel: "It needs to be taken seriously. It's a very serious deal. You just pray that sometimes we're going to realize it's not worth it."
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell once suspended Adam "Pacman" Jones for an entire season for repeated brushes with the law, but no convictions.He banned Ben Roethlisberger for four games amid allegations of sexual misconduct, with no charges.
But when it comes to DUI, Goodell can ban alcohol from being served on team charter flights, but he can't suspend a first-time DUI offender under the personal conduct policy because the language in the collective bargaining agreement won't let him.
This is not about giving Goodell more power. DeMaurice Smith, the NFLPA's executive director, should be just as aggressive in demanding that drunk drivers are benched for a first offense. But if it's true, as the NFL charges, that the players union has been resistant to new language and a tougher policy, then shame on the NFLPA.
A player busted with Adderall in his system will draw a four-game suspension for a first offense. A player found to have an above-legal level of alcohol in his system while driving will pretty much forfeit two game checks as a first-timer (up to a maximum of $50,000), and keep on playing. That's wrong.
Due process is important, but even with a conviction for DUI, a first-time offender won't get a suspension — which, for NFL players, is the best deterrent of all.
Consider the numbers: According to USA TODAY Sports data, 28% of NFL player arrests since 2000 have been for DUI charges. Eighteen players have been arrested for DUI in 2012 — more than double the seven cases in 2011. Since the research was first collected in 2000, the most DUI arrests in a single year, 20, occurred in 2006.
The increasing rate of DUI arrests suggests that support programs by the league and teams are not working, and personal responsibility is being thrown to the wind.
A four-game suspension, similiar to a PED violation, should be the minimum for first-time DUI offenders. A tougher alcohol policy would send the right message. And save lives.
NFL should be ashamed of its weak DUI policy
Don't just take a stronger stance against drunk driving. Take a front-line role in a national crusade to eliminate a serious but preventable problem that can devastate lives, as we've seen. Show us real leadership.
There's no question the nation's most popular sports league and the players union, touted as a partner, can have an impact, given its tremendous influence. Millions watch. Millions can be affected. Now is the time to do something. The league and union can begin by changing an alcohol policy that is so weak a player can get arrested for DUI after playing on Monday Night Football, then take his place in the lineup the next Sunday. That happened this season with Atlanta Falcons running back Michael Turner, a first-time offender, but that's not an aberration with the NFL's policy. It's written to allow that.
This is not a quick-twitch reaction to the tragedy that occurred in Texas, ending the life of Jerry Brown, the Dallas Cowboys practice squad linebacker. But perhaps Brown's death -- a case of NFL-on-NFL crime, with the deadly car driven by Brown's best friend, college roommate and Cowboys teammate Josh Brent -- can add urgency to the need for the NFL and the union to attack drunk driving.
The union should listen to its members, like Steelers linebacker Larry Foote: "We have to get a hold of the alcohol. Guys won't want to hear that. But that's the problem." And Steelers defensive end Brett Keisel: "It needs to be taken seriously. It's a very serious deal. You just pray that sometimes we're going to realize it's not worth it."
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell once suspended Adam "Pacman" Jones for an entire season for repeated brushes with the law, but no convictions.He banned Ben Roethlisberger for four games amid allegations of sexual misconduct, with no charges.
But when it comes to DUI, Goodell can ban alcohol from being served on team charter flights, but he can't suspend a first-time DUI offender under the personal conduct policy because the language in the collective bargaining agreement won't let him.
This is not about giving Goodell more power. DeMaurice Smith, the NFLPA's executive director, should be just as aggressive in demanding that drunk drivers are benched for a first offense. But if it's true, as the NFL charges, that the players union has been resistant to new language and a tougher policy, then shame on the NFLPA.
A player busted with Adderall in his system will draw a four-game suspension for a first offense. A player found to have an above-legal level of alcohol in his system while driving will pretty much forfeit two game checks as a first-timer (up to a maximum of $50,000), and keep on playing. That's wrong.
Due process is important, but even with a conviction for DUI, a first-time offender won't get a suspension — which, for NFL players, is the best deterrent of all.
Consider the numbers: According to USA TODAY Sports data, 28% of NFL player arrests since 2000 have been for DUI charges. Eighteen players have been arrested for DUI in 2012 — more than double the seven cases in 2011. Since the research was first collected in 2000, the most DUI arrests in a single year, 20, occurred in 2006.
The increasing rate of DUI arrests suggests that support programs by the league and teams are not working, and personal responsibility is being thrown to the wind.
A four-game suspension, similiar to a PED violation, should be the minimum for first-time DUI offenders. A tougher alcohol policy would send the right message. And save lives.
NFL should be ashamed of its weak DUI policy
Join:
2006/12/07
Messages:
29893
There comes a point where grieving, lamenting and wondering why these tragedies have happened just isn't enough. At some point, accountability and responsibility come into question.
That's where the NFL sits today, as it has lost its second player in a week for what amounts to disturbingly poor judgment. For a league that has talked about player safety, player conduct and the value of "protecting the shield," it's time to rethink how it's addressing some of the less discussed issues affecting its brand.
The latest tragedy involves the Dallas Cowboys. Police arrested nose tackle Josh Brent early Saturday morning after a one-vehicle crash that led to the death of linebacker Jerry Brown. Brent faces a charge of intoxication manslaughter and could face up to 20 years in prison if convicted of the second-degree felony. This was the second time in the past three years that he has been arrested for an offense related to drunken driving.
Add that story to the one involving Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Jovan Belcher, who killed his girlfriend, Kasandra Perkins, before shooting himself last Saturday morning during a domestic issue gone horribly wrong.
The details may be different, but the larger point shouldn't be missed. The dirtiest of the NFL's little secrets -- drunken driving, domestic violence and guns -- have become major headlines. The time for relegating them to secondary status in the news cycle has passed. Sure, the league is at its best with the most controversial of topics. It has been eager to answer the matter of concussions in recent years (by stifling on-field violence), the transgressions of its biggest stars (such as the dogfighting scandal that led to federal imprisonment for Michael Vick) and the fallout of the New Orleans Saints bounty scandal. The problem is that drunken driving, domestic violence and gun possession don't seem to rate nearly as high on the league's list of issues that must be addressed. They get treated as if they are more correctable issues than they actually are, the kind that can be handled with simple condemnation by commissioner Roger Goodell or a few thoughtful seminars at the league's rookie symposium.
The reality is that these problems have existed for years. One tragic death is already too many for the NFL. Two tells us that some players aren't nearly as in control of their actions as they might think. How many drunken driving stories have we heard in this year alone? How many tales of domestic violence get reported every season? An alarming number of NFL players find it necessary to own a gun.
It's not that the league is any different from society at large in that regard. People drive drunk all the time. Domestic violence is so common that more than three women are murdered every day in the United States by their husband or boyfriend, according to the Domestic Violence Resource Center. Gun control has been a constant debate for decades, and that won't end any time soon.
It's that the league is supposed to hold itself to a higher standard. That's what Goodell is always preaching. It's the country's most popular sport, this game that has become a drug to so many giddy fans. If the NFL truly is going to carry that mantle, it needs to take the lead on these issues. It must start cracking down in ways that will elicit significant changes.
This is the same league that has no problem suspending a player for taking too many borderline shots at the heads of defenseless receivers. The NFL will drop a five-figure fine the second some tackler gets too close to Tom Brady's knees. It does this because it says it wants to change the culture of the game. Talk to enough people in the league office and they'll gloat over how heavy-handed punishment has re-educated several players regarding violence in the game. That same approach has to be taken with drunken driving, domestic violence and guns.
The drinking problem is beyond comprehension especially because pro athletes have more than enough means to avoid getting behind the wheel with an illegal blood-alcohol content. They can pay for cabs or private drivers, and the league offers free rides in major cities for players who have had one too many. For Brent to allegedly be operating a car with any booze in his system after pleading guilty to drunken driving in June 2009 defies all logic. At the very least, repeat offenders should face long-term suspensions.
The matter of domestic violence is tougher to control, but steps can be taken there as well. While the league has suspended players for domestic violence arrests in recent years, it's worth finding ways to be proactive instead of just reactive. Certainly, there can be more counselors made available for players who feel their relationships are becoming uncontrollable. Whatever the case, we can't minimize these issues as private matters or shrug when a knife is pulled or a punch is thrown. When someone such as former Tennessee Titans and Baltimore Ravens quarterback Steve McNair is shot in his sleep by his mistress, we shouldn't see it as just an isolated matter either.
Finally, there has already been plenty said about guns in the wake of the Belcher tragedy. This much is worth adding: There is no legal issue with people owning guns. Where it becomes a serious problem is when the people owning them don't have proper training or an adequate understanding of the consequences that come with them. The league could create its own systems for educating these young men on the dangers involved -- either by having police do the training or victims of gun violence tell their stories. In other words, somebody should have been asking Belcher why he needed to own eight guns when he lived in a Kansas City suburb.
Yes, there is an inherent danger in this type of thinking. It borders on painting the NFL with too broad of a brush, of making all players seem like potential suspects. That's also the rub in all this. Too many people have hidden behi
That's where the NFL sits today, as it has lost its second player in a week for what amounts to disturbingly poor judgment. For a league that has talked about player safety, player conduct and the value of "protecting the shield," it's time to rethink how it's addressing some of the less discussed issues affecting its brand.
The latest tragedy involves the Dallas Cowboys. Police arrested nose tackle Josh Brent early Saturday morning after a one-vehicle crash that led to the death of linebacker Jerry Brown. Brent faces a charge of intoxication manslaughter and could face up to 20 years in prison if convicted of the second-degree felony. This was the second time in the past three years that he has been arrested for an offense related to drunken driving.
Add that story to the one involving Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Jovan Belcher, who killed his girlfriend, Kasandra Perkins, before shooting himself last Saturday morning during a domestic issue gone horribly wrong.
The details may be different, but the larger point shouldn't be missed. The dirtiest of the NFL's little secrets -- drunken driving, domestic violence and guns -- have become major headlines. The time for relegating them to secondary status in the news cycle has passed. Sure, the league is at its best with the most controversial of topics. It has been eager to answer the matter of concussions in recent years (by stifling on-field violence), the transgressions of its biggest stars (such as the dogfighting scandal that led to federal imprisonment for Michael Vick) and the fallout of the New Orleans Saints bounty scandal. The problem is that drunken driving, domestic violence and gun possession don't seem to rate nearly as high on the league's list of issues that must be addressed. They get treated as if they are more correctable issues than they actually are, the kind that can be handled with simple condemnation by commissioner Roger Goodell or a few thoughtful seminars at the league's rookie symposium.
The reality is that these problems have existed for years. One tragic death is already too many for the NFL. Two tells us that some players aren't nearly as in control of their actions as they might think. How many drunken driving stories have we heard in this year alone? How many tales of domestic violence get reported every season? An alarming number of NFL players find it necessary to own a gun.
It's not that the league is any different from society at large in that regard. People drive drunk all the time. Domestic violence is so common that more than three women are murdered every day in the United States by their husband or boyfriend, according to the Domestic Violence Resource Center. Gun control has been a constant debate for decades, and that won't end any time soon.
It's that the league is supposed to hold itself to a higher standard. That's what Goodell is always preaching. It's the country's most popular sport, this game that has become a drug to so many giddy fans. If the NFL truly is going to carry that mantle, it needs to take the lead on these issues. It must start cracking down in ways that will elicit significant changes.
This is the same league that has no problem suspending a player for taking too many borderline shots at the heads of defenseless receivers. The NFL will drop a five-figure fine the second some tackler gets too close to Tom Brady's knees. It does this because it says it wants to change the culture of the game. Talk to enough people in the league office and they'll gloat over how heavy-handed punishment has re-educated several players regarding violence in the game. That same approach has to be taken with drunken driving, domestic violence and guns.
The drinking problem is beyond comprehension especially because pro athletes have more than enough means to avoid getting behind the wheel with an illegal blood-alcohol content. They can pay for cabs or private drivers, and the league offers free rides in major cities for players who have had one too many. For Brent to allegedly be operating a car with any booze in his system after pleading guilty to drunken driving in June 2009 defies all logic. At the very least, repeat offenders should face long-term suspensions.
The matter of domestic violence is tougher to control, but steps can be taken there as well. While the league has suspended players for domestic violence arrests in recent years, it's worth finding ways to be proactive instead of just reactive. Certainly, there can be more counselors made available for players who feel their relationships are becoming uncontrollable. Whatever the case, we can't minimize these issues as private matters or shrug when a knife is pulled or a punch is thrown. When someone such as former Tennessee Titans and Baltimore Ravens quarterback Steve McNair is shot in his sleep by his mistress, we shouldn't see it as just an isolated matter either.
Finally, there has already been plenty said about guns in the wake of the Belcher tragedy. This much is worth adding: There is no legal issue with people owning guns. Where it becomes a serious problem is when the people owning them don't have proper training or an adequate understanding of the consequences that come with them. The league could create its own systems for educating these young men on the dangers involved -- either by having police do the training or victims of gun violence tell their stories. In other words, somebody should have been asking Belcher why he needed to own eight guns when he lived in a Kansas City suburb.
Yes, there is an inherent danger in this type of thinking. It borders on painting the NFL with too broad of a brush, of making all players seem like potential suspects. That's also the rub in all this. Too many people have hidden behi
Join:
2006/12/07
Messages:
29893
The Jets are clinging to the fringe of the playoff chase right now, but their odds would be a lot better if some NFL owners get their way.
The league has discussed expanding the current 12-team playoff format to possibly as much as an NHL-like 16-team field, according to NFL commissioner Roger Goodell. He said the talks were “teed up” by owners on Wednesday at the NFL owners meetings in Dallas and that the NFL’s competition committee will investigate expanding the field to 14 or 16 teams.
“Of course, something that we discussed in the past is expanded playoffs,” Goodell said. “We will probably be looking at it with the committee over the next several months.”
In a league driven by parity, the implications could be huge. The NFL already had a 7-9 team win a division two years ago when the Seahawks won the NFC West (and proceeded to beat the Saints in the wild-card round). Currently the eighth-seeded team in the AFC is the Jets, with a record of 6-7, so it certainly could mean teams with losing records would make the playoffs more frequently.
At the very least, 8-8 teams in the postseason would be the norm. Last season, 8-8 teams would’ve made the playoff fields in both conferences (although the 8-8 Jets would’ve been eliminated on tie-breakers). And presumably, an expanded playoff field wouldn’t add to the number of playoff weekends, but it would eliminate the bye for the top two seeds in each conference.
The competition committee, which will apparently discuss the proposal at its next meeting, has pondered the idea of expanding the playoffs in the past. Yet despite the obvious added revenue it would create, the idea has never been taken to a full vote of NFL owners.
It’s also unclear how players and their union would react to expanded playoff field, although they likely would welcome it more than they would Goodell’s previous push for an 18-game regular season since it would mean more players earning playoff checks and, obviously, getting a chance to keep their Super Bowl dreams alive.
Read more: NFL may consider expanding playoffs after idea discussed at owners meeting, according to commissioner Roger Goodell - NY Daily News
The league has discussed expanding the current 12-team playoff format to possibly as much as an NHL-like 16-team field, according to NFL commissioner Roger Goodell. He said the talks were “teed up” by owners on Wednesday at the NFL owners meetings in Dallas and that the NFL’s competition committee will investigate expanding the field to 14 or 16 teams.
“Of course, something that we discussed in the past is expanded playoffs,” Goodell said. “We will probably be looking at it with the committee over the next several months.”
In a league driven by parity, the implications could be huge. The NFL already had a 7-9 team win a division two years ago when the Seahawks won the NFC West (and proceeded to beat the Saints in the wild-card round). Currently the eighth-seeded team in the AFC is the Jets, with a record of 6-7, so it certainly could mean teams with losing records would make the playoffs more frequently.
At the very least, 8-8 teams in the postseason would be the norm. Last season, 8-8 teams would’ve made the playoff fields in both conferences (although the 8-8 Jets would’ve been eliminated on tie-breakers). And presumably, an expanded playoff field wouldn’t add to the number of playoff weekends, but it would eliminate the bye for the top two seeds in each conference.
The competition committee, which will apparently discuss the proposal at its next meeting, has pondered the idea of expanding the playoffs in the past. Yet despite the obvious added revenue it would create, the idea has never been taken to a full vote of NFL owners.
It’s also unclear how players and their union would react to expanded playoff field, although they likely would welcome it more than they would Goodell’s previous push for an 18-game regular season since it would mean more players earning playoff checks and, obviously, getting a chance to keep their Super Bowl dreams alive.
Read more: NFL may consider expanding playoffs after idea discussed at owners meeting, according to commissioner Roger Goodell - NY Daily News
Join:
2006/12/07
Messages:
29893
The NFL commissioner admitted at Wednesday’s owners meeting in Dallas that the league will begin exploring the possibility of expanding the playoff field to 14 or 16 teams. It’s the worst bad idea he has brought up in a little more than a week.
Until one of Goodell’s other plans goes through—he has talked about expanding the league by launching franchises in Los Angeles and London—there are still 32 teams in the NFL. A 16-team playoff field would mean that after a 16-game schedule, only half the league would be eliminated from Super Bowl contention.
That would devalue what it means to survive and advance through the grind of a long regular season.
Take 2012, for example. Letting in three wild cards from a weak AFC would likely put a sub.-500 team in the playoffs. The Jets, at 6-7, would have a strong chance to make it rather than a slim one.
The Steelers and Cowboys, at 7-6, have an important matchup regarding their postseason chances in Week 15. Instead of an intense game between two proud franchises with a lot on the line, Pittsburgh and Dallas would have the cushion of still being able to get in without a win on Sunday. What helps makes the current NFL great is a surprise team such as the Indianapolis Colts, who have earned their place as a probable wild-card team. This already is a competitive league with the chance for a quick turnaround—there’s no need to go two or four steps further to become an inclusive parity party.
In an interview with Time magazine last week, Goodell talked about the possibility of replacing kickoffs with a fourth-and-15 option to go for it or punt. That had at least a logical reason behind it—providing increased safety for players.
An expanded playoffs system defies logic. It would water down the emotion and effort players put in to make their teams postseason-worthy. It would reward coaches who didn’t do a good enough job. Most of all, it would be unfair to fans, who would watch a less compelling regular season.
It would help only the owners, because more games for more teams equal more money.
This season, there is plenty of excitement down the stretch. With three weeks left, the top seeds have yet to be determined. We still don’t know who will fill the two wild-card spots in either league.
The NFL keeps looking at ways to improve its terrific, popular product, as it should. More playoff teams, however, is subtraction by addition.
Until one of Goodell’s other plans goes through—he has talked about expanding the league by launching franchises in Los Angeles and London—there are still 32 teams in the NFL. A 16-team playoff field would mean that after a 16-game schedule, only half the league would be eliminated from Super Bowl contention.
That would devalue what it means to survive and advance through the grind of a long regular season.
Take 2012, for example. Letting in three wild cards from a weak AFC would likely put a sub.-500 team in the playoffs. The Jets, at 6-7, would have a strong chance to make it rather than a slim one.
The Steelers and Cowboys, at 7-6, have an important matchup regarding their postseason chances in Week 15. Instead of an intense game between two proud franchises with a lot on the line, Pittsburgh and Dallas would have the cushion of still being able to get in without a win on Sunday. What helps makes the current NFL great is a surprise team such as the Indianapolis Colts, who have earned their place as a probable wild-card team. This already is a competitive league with the chance for a quick turnaround—there’s no need to go two or four steps further to become an inclusive parity party.
In an interview with Time magazine last week, Goodell talked about the possibility of replacing kickoffs with a fourth-and-15 option to go for it or punt. That had at least a logical reason behind it—providing increased safety for players.
An expanded playoffs system defies logic. It would water down the emotion and effort players put in to make their teams postseason-worthy. It would reward coaches who didn’t do a good enough job. Most of all, it would be unfair to fans, who would watch a less compelling regular season.
It would help only the owners, because more games for more teams equal more money.
This season, there is plenty of excitement down the stretch. With three weeks left, the top seeds have yet to be determined. We still don’t know who will fill the two wild-card spots in either league.
The NFL keeps looking at ways to improve its terrific, popular product, as it should. More playoff teams, however, is subtraction by addition.
Join:
2006/12/07
Messages:
29893
.jpg?v=1.014689161)
.png?v=1.014689161)
Smith’s scheme is not especially complex. He does a phenomenal job of coaching sound gap control, good tackling, and stripping the ball.
Since 2004 when Smith took over the Bears, Chicago leads the NFL in takeaways, third-down defense and red-zone defense. The beat goes on this season. Chicago entered Thanksgiving Week leading the league with 30 takeaways. The Bears are No. 2 in third-down defense and are tied for fourth in red-zone defense.
Smith remains an advocate of the Cover 2 scheme, with two deep safeties preventing big plays and the middle linebacker - Brian Urlacher - required to cover the deep middle of the field as well as stuffing the run. Cover 2 still is a key defense in the NFL. But many teams have played it less in recent years, partly because a dominant defensive line is required to prevent runs between the tackles.
Like Bills defensive coordinator Dave Wannstedt, Smith puts a lot of pressure on his defensive linemen, asking them to be playmakers by attacking the line of scrimmage, getting into the backfield and wreaking havoc. The Bears have quality defensive ends in Julius Peppers and Israel Idonije and have one of the more underrated defensive tackles in the league in Henry Melton, a fourth-year player who is having his best season. Behind the front four, Smith has stud linebackers in Urlacher and Lance Briggs and one of the best cornerback tandems in the league in Charles Tillman and Tim Jennings.
No coach wins without talent. But Chicago’s track record of creating turnovers is exceptional. The Bears have seven defensive touchdowns this season. The single-season record is 10 by Seattle in 1998. It’s the coaching of Smith and his assistants that gets the Bears to play fast and strip the ball.
“You get labeled ‘Cover 2’ and everybody assumes we play Cover 2 every snap, and that’s the furthest thing from the truth,” Smith says. “We can play Cover 2 maybe a third of the time. I would say most people would want to play Cover 2 ... if you get teams in a passing situation, that’s a good coverage. But we do a lot more than just that.”
“And as far as our philosophy - I think when you have a philosophy you really believe in, you don’t change and go to a different defense each week. You go with what you believe in, and that’s what we do. Our defense is just based on relentless play, always getting 11 guys to the ball carrier on the football field, and good things are going to happen.”
Former Bills safety Matt Bowen said he thought he was playing fast in the NFL until he joined the Rams defense coached by Smith. Then he found out what playing fast in practice every day really meant.
The Bears still keep a “loaf” chart, tracking every defensive player’s full-speed effort on every play.
The Bears don’t blitz a ton. Last year they rushed five or more men 17.9 percent of the time, which ranked 21st in the league, according to Footballoutsiders.com.
When Smith’s defenses have struggled, it’s because the front seven didn’t stop the run well. In 2009, the Bears were 23rd against the run. Chicago finished 7-9. Ditto for the 7-9 season in 2007, when Chicago was 24th against the run.
This season the Bears are eighth against the run.
The Bears are tied with Green Bay for the NFC North lead at 7-3. With an offense ranked third-worst in the league, Smith’s defense is going to have to keep the turnovers coming for the Bears to beat out the Packers.
“We are just going to keep doing what we can do and keep playing hard and doing the ordinary things better than everybody else,” Smith said earlier this season.
Graham shines
Buffalo’s Corey Graham had the best game of his six-year career on national television for the Baltimore Ravens last Sunday. Graham, the Turner-Carroll and University of Maine product, was pressed into the Ravens’ starting lineup against Pittsburgh because of injuries to cornerbacks Ladarius Webb and Jimmy Smith. Graham made big-impact plays throughout the Ravens’ 13-10 victory.
Graham intercepted a Byron Leftwich pass in the third quarter and returned it 20 yards. That turnover set up a field goal that turned out to be the decisive points. Later in the third quarter, Graham broke up a first-down pass into the end zone for Jerricho Cotchery then forced an incompletion in the end zone on third down. He had eight tackles and three pass break-ups.
“That’s what you want. You always want an opportunity to show what you got,” Graham told the Baltimore Sun this week. “Over the last couple of years, I’ve been doing special teams, doing really well at it, and sometimes, you tend to get labeled as a special teamer. There’s really nothing you can do about it. I feel like last year when I got an opportunity to play, I played nickel for three games with Chicago and I ended up with three interceptions in those three consecutive games. It just seems like I couldn’t get over the hump. ... For some reason, it just seemed like Lovie Smith wanted me to be the guy on special teams. No matter what I did, that’s what it came down to. ... I was just happy to get some new eyes to see me and get an opportunity to play.”
Graham has played 87 games and started 12. He was a fifth-round pick of the Bears in 2007 and made the Pro Bowl as a special teamer in 2010. He signed a two-year, $3.7 million contract with Baltimore in March.
Starks healthy
James Starks, the Niagara Falls and University at Buffalo product, had his best game of the year last week for Green Bay, rushing for 74 yards on 25 carries in a 24-20 win over Detroit.
Starks is finally healthy after nursing a turf toe injury for almost three months. Starks started out strong, gaining 49 yards on his first 13 carries. Packers running backs coach Alex Van Pelt, the former Bill, acknowledged he rode Starks a little too hard in his first extensive outing.
“Y