Colts, Pats find ways to stay on top in salary cap era
Associated Press
Mon, Nov 7, 2005

Bill Polian helped write the book for success in today`s NFL.
As co-author of the salary cap, he always figured it would force teams to draft well, be frugal and make smart decisions. Then the New England Patriots showed everyone how to refine the winning formula. --football gambling--

``They know exactly what they want to bring in, in terms of players who fit their system, and they stay with that,`` Colts president Polian said before Indianapolis played at New England on Monday night. ``We`ve learned a valuable lesson there and the same is true with Philadelphia.`` When the salary cap was adopted in 1993, Polian figured it would start an era in which dynasties were as prevalent as dinosaurs. --football gambling--

The Patriots, Colts and Philadelphia Eagles have shown over time that the NFL can still have its share of consistent winners by following a not-so-secret plan: Spend wisely, draft for the future and never sell out your team for a championship run. --football gambling--

The results have been impressive.
- New England has won three of the last four Super Bowls and had a 21-game winning streak spanning two seasons, including a Super Bowl title. --football gambling--
- The Eagles played in four straight NFC championship games and finally reached the Super Bowl last season.--football gambling--

- The Colts have been to the playoffs six times since 1999, played in the AFC championship two years ago and are chasing their third straight South Division title.--football gambling--

It`s the kind of long-term success Polian and some of his counterparts thought would vanish when the cap ramifications kicked in. ``George Young and myself felt that continuity would be the biggest casualty of the cap,`` Polian said of the late general manager of the New York Giants. ``We figured you would not have the ability to be good for a long period of time. That`s not been true in the Patriots` case and kudos to them.``--football gambling--

Polian is one of the few who has made a seamless transition from the pre-cap days to today`s complex environment.--football gambling--

As general manager in Buffalo, from the mid-1980s until the early `90s, Polian gradually turned the Bills into the AFC`s dominant team - the only one in league history to play in four straight Super Bowls. --football gambling--

After a short stint as an NFL executive, Polian joined the then-expansion Carolina Panthers. There, he took advantage of extra draft picks and the salary cap to sign veteran free agents. In their second season, the Panthers were playing for the NFC title. --football gambling--

Polian took a different tack in Indianapolis, where he orchestrated the league`s biggest turnaround and transformed a once-beleaguered franchise into a perennial playoff team. Polian rarely wavered from his strategy. --football gambling--

Patriots coach Bill Belichick is impressed. ``They have a college safety playing linebacker. They have a linebacker that is not a prototypical build. They have a defensive end that is 230 pounds,`` Belichick said. ``How much do you respect that they`ve gone the unorthodox route?`` But Polian also learned some twists from New England. --football gambling--

The Patriots relied on a combination of bargain free agents, low-round draft picks and just enough high-profile stars to create the perfect chemistry for a winner - and give Belichick and the front office a reputation as geniuses. Around the league, there are few critics. --football gambling--

``You have the utmost respect for them when they run the tables like that,`` said Colts defensive tackle Corey Simon, who played on the Eagles` team that lost to the Pats in February. ``Look at what they`ve done, and they keep getting better.`` --football gambling--

And the Patriots` success has continued to add to the pressure the Colts have endured.
``As a coach the challenge is that you don`t want things to get stale, but you don`t want the routine to get different,`` the Colts` Tony Dungy said. ``That can be hard to do, especially for a team like us because we`ve been fairly good and haven`t won it.``--football gambling--

Players say hit on Culpepper simply 'part of football'


October 31, 2005

CHARLOTTE, N.C. - Vikings quarterback Daunte Culpepper's season likely ended Sunday when Carolina cornerback Chris Gamble threw his left shoulder directly into Culpepper's right knee on the final play of the first quarter. The blow caused the knee to buckle, but no one was willing to call the hit dirty or otherwise uncalled for after the Vikings' 38-13 loss. -NFL Football-

"Football is a contact sport," Vikings receiver Marcus Robinson said. "The guy came in from the side, yes. He could have hit Daunte up high, but he came down low. That's part of the game. That's part of football. Unfortunately, you hate to see an injury come because of it." -NFL Football-

In the Panthers' locker room, Gamble said: "I just hope he's not hurt that bad. -NFL Football-

"He just fell and never got back up. I prayed that he wasn't hurt. I thought he'd get back up, but eventually I thought he'd hurt himself real bad." -NFL Football-

One Vikings player suggested it would have been unwise for Gamble, listed at 200 pounds, to tackle the 265-pound Culpepper up high. Tight end Jermaine Wiggins noted that Culpepper always pushes for extra yardage and rarely slides, another reason to tackle him low. -NFL Football-

"This is a violent game the way we play," Wiggins said. "Daunte's got such a competitive attitude and the way he plays, he plays with such a high motor and he's trying to get every little bit he can to help the team." -NFL Football-

Looking to dig out -NFL Football-

At 2-5, the Vikings are two games behind the NFC North-leading Chicago Bears. Detroit is in second place with a 3-4 record and will travel to the Metrodome on Sunday to face the Vikings. Coach Mike Tice and some Vikings players suggested that all hope is not lost. -NFL Football-

"We've got to battle through," Tice said. "The season is still a long season. We've got a chance to play Detroit at home. You can sit there and say, 'Gosh, things are beleaguered,' or you could sit there and say, 'We've got a chance to play Detroit this week.' " -NFL Football-

Said Wiggins: "We're still in it. It's not like we're out of it. But you've got to realize time isn't waiting for us to get our stuff together." -NFL Football-

Burleson has faith -NFL Football-

As Culpepper was being attended to on the field Sunday, wide receiver Nate Burleson got down on one knee, extended his right hand and said a prayer for his teammate. -NFL Football-

"Injuries are going to happen, and whether it's a teammate or a guy on the opposing team I always give him a prayer," Burleson said. "I just immediately got down and prayed for one of my brothers." -NFL Football-

Koren Robinson injured

Wide receiver Koren Robinson, who lives in Charlotte and had gotten about 40 tickets for family members and friends, sat out the second half after taking a wicked hit from Carolina's Ricky Manning Jr. on a kickoff return late in the second quarter. -NFL Football-

Robinson popped up right after taking the hit, but teammates had to assist him off the field. He suffered a mild concussion. Robinson admitted he never saw the hit coming and probably would have avoided the collision if he had. -NFL Football-

"I usually get down, and I didn't see that at all," he said. -NFL Football-

Manning played briefly in the Twins' minor league system. -NFL Football-

"We were hyped on special teams, and I got a nice big hit on the kickoff just before the end of the first half," he said. "I'm the safety guy, and the other guys busted up the middle and I got him from the blind side. I got him by surprise, and I just laid into him." -NFL Football-

Penalties reappear

A week after taking only four penalties in their victory over Green Bay, the Vikings were called for 10 penalties in Sunday's loss. It was the third time this season the team's penalty total has been in double digits and the third time in four games. -NFL Football-

The 10 penalties were evenly distributed as the offense and defense both took five apiece. Cornerback Fred Smoot had four infractions. -NFL Football-

Moore is less

Vikings running back Mewelde Moore pulled off a neat trick. He looked like Barry Sanders on some runs, breaking tackles and changing directions, while amassing the statistics of Alfred Anderson. -NFL Football-

Moore carried nine times for 30 yards and a touchdown -- the first rushing touchdown of his NFL career. He also caught one pass for 1 yard. -NFL Football-

He also had a punt return for 13 yards. In all, he looked like he was making the most of his runs, but penalties and a lack of room doomed him to statistical mediocrity. -NFL Football-

"We've just got to stay with it," Moore said. -NFL Football-

Of Culpepper's injury, Moore said: "He's definitely a man of steel. It's hard to see someone like that go down." -NFL Football-

Of the Vikings' latest loss on grass, he said, "We've got to learn to win whether we're playing on sand, rocks, gravel, whatever." -NFL Football-

Quotable

Said Vikings safety Darren Sharper: "If we're going to become a championship team or a playoff team, we're going to have to learn how to win on the road." -NFL Football-

Etc.

• Although defensive end Spencer Johnson (knee) and linebacker Dontarrious Thomas (shoulder) were thought to be healthy enough to play, both were on the inactive list. Also inactive were quarterback Shaun Hill; cornerbacks Laroni Gallishaw and Dovonte Edwards; offensive linemen Anthony Herrera and Toniu Fonoti (hand); and tight end Jeff Dugan. -NFL Football-

• Stephen Davis scored two touchdowns for Carolina, but he left briefly in the first quarter after taking a hit on his surgically repaired right knee. -NFL Football-

Kevin Seifert, Judd Zulgad, Jim Souhan and the Associated Press contributed to this report. -NFL Football-

Copyright 2005 Star Tribune. All rights reserved

St. Louis
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The emergence of converted WR Mike Furrey as the fifth player to start opposite SS Adam Archuleta since the start of the 2004 season was as much due to the ragged play of converted CB Michael Hawthorne at free safety as anything else. --- nfl ---
--- nfl ---
Hawthorne, who got his walking papers late last week, made at least “six huge mistakes” in the recent loss to Seattle, according to one team official. Included among the mishaps were blown coverages on a 52-yard catch by Seahawks WR Joe Jurevicius, a 29-yard TD catch by Seahawks TE Jerramy Stevens and a 35-yard pass-interference call on Rams CB Travis Fisher that set up Seattle’s first TD. --- nfl ---
--- nfl ---
We also hear third-round rookie Oshiomogho Atogwe, who hadn’t dressed for a game after making three special-teams mistakes in the Rams’ season opener, could begin to see more action at safety.--- nfl ---
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Sportsview: Experienced QBs Win in NFL

DAVE GOLDBERG, AP Football Writer

Call it the answer to the old-young quarterback riddle.

To win, go with experience, even if the player's record is spotty (Kelly Holcomb) or he seems way over the hill (Vinny Testaverde). If you have no shot at the playoffs, do what Mike Nolan is doing in San Francisco, throwing in Alex Smith even though the No. 1 pick in last April's draft is still far over his head and has little help. - NFL Football -

"Everyone wants to win their first game, and everyone wants it to be just like college, but it's not," Peyton Manning, 3-13 as a rookie starter in 1998, said after the Colts gave Smith fits in his first NFL start. "It is the NFL for a reason. It's a big adjustment. Six games or a year from now, you look back on these games and you say, 'I hated to go through it, but it helped me become a better player.' " - NFL Football -

Sunday's games brought several perfect examples.

• The 41-year-old Testaverde, out of football after being released by Dallas after last season, started for the Jets two weeks after his old team (1998-2003) lost Chad Pennington and Jay Fiedler within seven. They beat Tampa Bay 14-12 and Vinny was almost flawless, completing a key third-down pass late in the game that helped clinch the win.

• Holcomb, who had started 13 games over 10 NFL seasons with Indianapolis and Cleveland, replaced second-year-man J.P. Losman as Buffalo's starter. He was 20-of-26 for 169 yards and a touchdown as the Bills beat Miami 20-14. - NFL Football -

• Trent Dilfer, the perfect interim QB, threw two late touchdown passes as Cleveland beat Chicago 20-10. Kyle Orton, the rookie forced into duty with the Bears by injury, passed for just 117 yards, allowing the Browns to stack their defense against the run.

• Smith and the 49ers were totally overmatched by the Colts, who cruised 28-3 even though Manning and the offense had another so-so game. Smith was 9-of-23 for 74 yards, was sacked five times and threw four interceptions.

There is also 33-year-old Drew Bledsoe, cast off by Buffalo when it decided to go with Losman and signed by the Cowboys when they decided to let Testaverde walk. He threw for 289 yards and three touchdowns in Dallas' 33-10 upset of Philadelphia and now ranks third in the NFL in passing. - NFL Football -

The circumstances surrounding all these QBs are different.

Buffalo, which entered the season with playoff aspirations, let Bledsoe go and made Losman the starter. A first-round draft choice, he made token appearances in four games as a rookie, throwing just five passes, but was deemed sufficient to start because the Bills figured their defense and running game could carry them.

But they started 1-3 and lost linebacker Takeo Spikes, one of their most important defenders, with a torn Achilles' tendon. Holcomb, 32, came on in relief in a loss to New Orleans, and with Losman completing less than 50 percent of his passes and clearly struggling, was made the starter on Sunday. - NFL Football -

Sidelight: With typical NFL coaching paranoia, Mike Mularkey wouldn't announce his QB last week even though wide receivers Eric Moulds and Lee Evans, who apparently lobbied for the change, said at midweek that Holcomb would start.

"It's just something you have to grow from and get over," said Losman, clearly upset.

Cleveland, however, knew what it was doing from the start.

In the offseason, it traded with Seattle for the 33-year-old Dilfer, who quarterbacked Baltimore to a Super Bowl victory after the 2000 season. The Browns like rookie Charlie Frye, a third-round pick this year, but are letting him develop behind Dilfer while they satisfy their fans with a few victories.

On Sunday, he made his 100th career start and threw TDs No. 100 and No. 101.

Testaverde, on the other hand, was a desperation starter for a team that harbored Super Bowl aspirations, then fell to 1-3 and was without any experience at quarterback at all.

Third-stringer Brooks Bollinger started against Baltimore last week in place of Pennington (and Fiedler), while Testaverde and offensive coordinator Mike Heimerdinger worked on a "Vinny offense" of around 50 plays replacing the entirely new system Heimerdinger had taken eight months to install for Pennington (and Fiedler). - NFL Football -

This week, Testaverde started and the "Vinny offense" worked when it had to.

"Does this ever get old?" Testaverde was asked after the game.

"No, only I do," he replied.

Copyright © 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

Giants, Jets reach agreement on new stadium

NFL.com wire reports

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (Sept. 29, 2005) -- The New York Giants and Jets have reached agreement on a deal for a new stadium in the Meadowlands. - NFL Football -

The new facility will be built near Giants Stadium, which is currently home to both teams.

Acting Gov. Richard J. Codey announced the deal at a news conference, saying it would guarantee that both teams remain in New Jersey for the next 99 years.

Codey, appearing at Giants Stadium with the owners of both teams, said the Jets would also relocate their practice facility to New Jersey. He noted it will be the first time an NFL stadium will be jointly operated by two teams. - NFL Football -

Specific details about the stadium plan are to be developed over the next several months.

Jets president Jay Cross estimated the cost would be more than $800 million, and Giants chief operating officer John K. Mara figured the new stadium will hold at least 80,000 spectators. The teams will be paying the cost of building the stadium and will share in the revenues.

Current plans envision a stadium on which a retractable roof could be added, Mara said.

Both teams -- as well as the NFL and New Jersey -- would like a roof, but the teams have said the $200 million cost is beyond them. A roof would allow the Super Bowl and college basketball Final Four to be played at the Meadowlands. - NFL Football -

Regarding a roof, Codey said, "The state will not pay one penny for it."

The state agreed to help both teams find new practice facilities, although Mara said he hoped the Giants would be able to get a new location at the sports complex.

Mara said that while his family, a co-owner of the Giants, was sad that the stadium would have a new name, it would be necessary to sell naming rights in order to finance the project. He had no immediate estimate as to how much the naming rights would bring. - NFL Football -

He said he hopes the facility could open for the 2009 season. - NFL Football -

© 2005, NFL Enterprises LLC.

ABC, ESPN join NFL Hurricane Relief Telethon

Sept. 15, 2005) -- ABC Sports and ESPN are joining the National Football League for an unprecedented NFL fundraising telethon on Monday, Sept. 19, to benefit the recovery and rebuilding efforts in the Gulf Coast region that was devastated by Hurricane Katrina. Robin Roberts of ABC's Good Morning America and ESPN's Chris Berman will co-host the telethon, beginning at 7:30 p.m. ET and throughout the games from ABC's Times Square studio in New York City.

Current and former NFL players will be on hand at the studio to answer calls and accept pledges. Scheduled to appear are: current New York Jets Chad Pennington, Curtis Martin and Wayne Chrebet; and Hall of Famers Marcus Allen, Eric Dickerson, Mike Haynes, Steve Largent, Ronnie Lott, Art Shell, Jackie Slater and Bart Starr. Also slated to participate are: Jamal Anderson, Ottis Anderson, Carl Banks, Mark Duper, Mark Gastineau, Michael Jackson, Robert Porcher, Bruce Smith and Gene Washington. ABC's Regis Philbin will also visit the studio telethon. During the telecasts, other ABC celebrities and ESPN commentators will be involved.

Donations will benefit the Bush-Clinton Katrina Fund, which former Presidents George Bush and Bill Clinton are leading. The fund serves as an umbrella organization for three special funds established by the governors of Alabama, Louisiana and Mississippi to assist in the long-term recovery plan for those states.

The telethon will culminate the NFL's "Hurricane Relief Weekend" (Sept. 18-19), and elements of the event will be incorporated throughout the primetime NFL doubleheader on ABC Sports and ESPN that evening -- New York Giants vs. New Orleans Saints (7:30 p.m.) and Washington Redskins at Dallas Cowboys (9 p.m.).

The Giants vs. Saints game -- which moved from the Louisiana Superdome to Giants Stadium in the aftermath of the hurricane -- kicks off at 7:30 p.m. on ABC with a taped interview with the former presidents. The New Orleans and New York television markets will see the game in its entirety on ABC. The rest of the country will see the regularly scheduled Redskins-Cowboys Monday Night Football game at 9 p.m. ET on ABC, while also having the option to watch the conclusion of the Giants vs. Saints telecast on ESPN. Viewers with cable programming will have the choice of watching either game on ABC or ESPN. The telethon will continue on both ABC and ESPN until the conclusion of the second game.

"We appreciate the leadership of ABC and ESPN in helping us turn this particular Monday night into far more than a primetime football doubleheader, making it part of the overall Gulf Coast relief effort," NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue said.

ESPN and ABC Sports president, and co-chair, Disney Media Networks, George Bodenheimer said, "This telethon, the NFL, our people, our media assets across Disney -- are all coming together to rebuild for those who have lost so much. It's great football, and more important, it's helping people."

Jamie Reynolds, ESPN senior coordinating producer, who will oversee the telethon production, added, "This is one of our more technical undertakings with up to four network feeds and maintaining the telethon throughout each telecast. Our goal is to navigate the network feeds and integrate the telethon, ultimately serving the fan with both the games as well as driving donations to this worthy cause."

During the NFL Kickoff Weekend, ESPN's Sunday Night Football and ABC's Monday Night Football included special mentions of the planned "Hurricane Relief Weekend" telecast. The telethon will be promoted across ABC and ESPN's multimedia assets, including the television networks, ESPN and ABC Radio, ABC owned stations, ESPN.com and abc.com, and ESPN The Magazine.

ESPN will provide viewers with the telethon call-in number and other details beginning Sunday morning with Sunday NFL Countdown at 11 a.m. ABC's Good Morning America and LIVE! with Regis & Kelly will also highlight the telethon during their Monday shows. The NFL will promote the event throughout its "Hurricane Relief Weekend" across its multimedia platforms.

© 2005, NFL Enterprises LLC.

NFL Injuries Contributed to Long Death

By JOE MANDAK, Associated Press Writer

PITTSBURGH - Former Pittsburg Steelers lineman Terry Long died from a brain inflammation that resulted, in part, from repeated head injuries suffered while playing football.

Long, 45, died at UPMC Passavant Hospital on June 7, a few hours after paramedics found him unconscious at his home. An autopsy was inconclusive, but subsequent tests on tissues and fluids taken from Long's body yielded the findings released Tuesday. - NFL Football -

Long died of an inflammation of the lining of the brain, said Joseph Dominick, chief deputy coroner in Allegheny County. A contributing factor was "chronic traumatic encephalopathy" — also known as dementia pugilistica — a condition most often seen among career boxers.

"He wasn't a boxer, but that's a general term that we would use to denote changes in the brain of a degenerative nature," coroner Dr. Cyril Wecht said. "They can be from one intensely traumatic injury, or they can be from repetitive and cumulative injuries, which is what we believe happened here." - NFL Football -

Wecht's autopsy report said Long's brain suffered "repeated mild traumatic injury while playing football." Those repeated injuries made Long's brain more susceptible to meningitis, which can sometimes also be caused by an infection, but Wecht said that wasn't the case with Long.

"We now have partial closure on Terry's tragic death and demise," Mark Rush, his former business attorney and friend, said of the autopsy findings. "It certainly saddened me to learn that football, a sport Terry loved, possibly contributed to his death."

Steelers spokesman Dave Lockett declined comment on the findings, which come two years after at least three manufacturers introduced new helmets in the NFL and college football designed to guard against concussions. The new helmets came in response to published studies showing players who had one concussion were more susceptible to others.

Wecht has done research in that area, and has jointly published a case study of Mike Webster, a former Steelers center and Hall of Famer who was diagnosed with football-induced dementia before he died in September 2002 at age 50. - NFL Football -

Webster died of heart problems, but a federal judge earlier this year ruled the NFL should pay his estate disability benefits for football-related head injuries.

"I'm not suggesting for one moment that we stop professional football. If I said that, I better leave the country," Wecht said. "I think more attention should be paid by scientists and biomechanical engineers in coming up with a better helmet."

Long started at right guard for the Steelers from 1984-91, when he attempted suicide with rat poison after he was suspended for violating the NFL's steroid policy. Long later rejoined the team, but didn't re-sign after that season. - NFL Football -

Long had no children and was living alone after separating from his second wife in the months before he died. He was indicted by a federal grand jury in March on charges he fraudulently obtained loans for a chicken-processing plant which prosecutors allege he burned to the ground for the insurance money in September 2003.

Long was awaiting trial when he died.

Copyright © 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.