Nfl Football - Football Betting

2005-11-07T11:55:00.000-08:00

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--

2005-10-31T14:06:00.000-08:00

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-

2005-10-20T22:27:00.000-07:00

St. Louis
--- nfl ---
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 ---
--- nfl ---

2005-10-10T12:58:00.000-07:00

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.

2005-10-01T16:14:00.000-07:00

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 -

2005-09-16T07:32:00.000-07:00

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.

2005-09-14T14:56:00.000-07:00

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.

2005-09-06T09:53:00.000-07:00

American Football legend Rice retires at 42

A tearful Jerry Rice has announced his retirement after 20 years in the NFL.

The league's all-time leading receiver revealed his decision at a press conference after being told he would not be one of the top three receivers with the Denver Broncos this season.

Rice had previously declared his intention to retire before he ever became a bit-part player.

He admitted: "I said I wouldn't do this. I think the tears that you see are basically that I have really enjoyed this ride. It's been great. It's been fantastic.

"I'm done, I'm looking forward to the next phase of my life now. There are going to be a lot of opportunities out there, and I am sure that I am going to approach them the way I approachedfootball."

The announcement from Rice came just a day after he made the Broncos 53-man roster and he met with coach Mike Shanahan. The 42-year-old was one of six receivers on the squad.

After being told where he ranked among the options, Rice, who holds 38 NFL records, including career receptions (1,549), receiving yards (22,895) and receiving touchdowns (197), decided to end his historic career.

"I know you can be productive in other ways but I felt I had a better chance if I was on the football field. It didn't work out, but I am still going to hold my head high.

"I have a lot to smile about, all the players that I have played with, the records and the Super Bowls."

A member of three Super Bowl-winning teams with the 49ers, Rice set the NFL record for touchdowns in a season (22) in 1987 and receiving yards (1,848) eight years later.

His string of 11 straight 1,000-yard receiving seasons ended in 1997, when he suffered an injury against Tampa Bay in the season's first game.

In Super Bowl XXIII in Miami, Rice took most valuable player honours after catching 11 passes for 215 yards in the 49ers' dramatic 20-16 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals.

RTÉ

2005-08-30T07:41:00.000-07:00

Preseason NFL action lifts CBS to No. 1 Saturday

Preseason NFL football led CBS to a first-place finish among viewers 18-49 Saturday night, though final ratings may change due to the game’s live nature. According to Nielsen overnights, the network averaged a 2.0 rating among 18-49s, ahead of Fox’s 1.9, NBC’s 1.6 and ABC’s 1.4.
At 8 p.m. among households, CBS led with the first hour of football averaging a 4.1 rating. NBC was second with a repeat episode of “Crossing Jordan” and Fox third with a 3.3 average for two episodes of “Cops.”
Football led again at 9 p.m. as CBS improved to a 4.3 average household rating. NBC was second with a 4.1 for a repeat of “Las Vegas” and Fox third with a 3.7 for “America’s Most Wanted.”
NBC took the lead at 10 p.m. with a 5.0 average for a repeat of “Law & Order.” CBS dropped to second with a 3.9 average for football, with ABC third with the last hour of the movie “The Mexican.”
For the night, NBC averaged a 4.2 rating and posted an 8 share among households, edging CBS’s 4.1/8 for first place. Fox was third at 3.5/7 and ABC fourth at 3.0/6.
On Friday night, NBC was first among 18-49s with a 2.2 average rating. ABC finished second at 2.1, Fox third at 1.9, CBS fourth at 1.5, UPN fifth at 1.2 and the WB sixth at 0.8.
Among households, NBC led at 8 p.m. with a 5.5 average rating for the first hour of a two-hour “Dateline.” ABC was second that hour with a 4.2 average for a repeat of “Supernanny” and CBS third with a 4.0 for “60 Minutes II.”
NBC led again at 9 p.m. with a 6.7 average for the second hour of “Dateline.” ABC was second with a 4.2 for an hour of “Hope & Faith” reruns and Fox third with a 3.8 for its second hour of NFL preseason football.
NBC completed the nightly sweep at 10 p.m. with a 5.0 average rating for a repeat of “Crossing Jordan.” ABC was second with a 4.7 for “20/20” and CBS third with a 3.9 for a repeat of “Numb3rs.”
NBC was first on Friday night among households with a 5.7 average rating and a 10 share. ABC was second at 4.4/8, CBS third at 3.7/7, Fox fourth at 3.5/6, UPN fifth at 2.2/4 and the WB sixth at 1.5/3.

© 2005 Media Life

2005-08-24T08:39:00.000-07:00

High-school football teams take their game out of state

High-school football practice starts today, and Bellevue and Issaquah are receiving most of the preseason attention. Rightfully so, because of their matchups against California powerhouses.
But they're not the only ones playing an out-of-state opponent.
Liberty High School in Issaquah will travel to Portland to face Oregon 4A state champion Sprague High of Salem in the inaugural Les Schwab Kickoff Classic on Sept. 1. The game, the first of a doubleheader, is scheduled for 6 p.m. at PGE Park.
The second game features Lynden High, which has reached the 3A state semifinals in three of the past four years, against Scappoose, Ore., at 8:30 p.m.
John McCallum, vice president of ProMax Events in Portland, which organized the games, said the original plan was to emphasize the border clash and invite a Washington big-school football champion to play an Oregon counterpart. - NFL Football -
"All the schools around here are curious, how will you match up against the schools up in Washington you hear about," McCallum said.
But Evergreen from Vancouver, Washington's 4A champion, was already locked into this year's Emerald City Kickoff Classic at Qwest Field on Labor Day against Ferris of Spokane. And Bellevue, the 3A champion, couldn't attend because of a commitment to host Long Beach Poly, Calif., which has more active players in the NFL than any other high school. That game is scheduled for Sept. 16 at 7 p.m., also at Qwest Field. - NFL Football -
Issaquah was also considered, but it is playing Mission Viejo, Calif., one of the country's top schools, also at the Emerald City Kickoff Classic.
"I don't think we were their first choice," said Liberty coach Steve Valach, "but when the chance came, we said, 'Let's do it.' [A trip to] Mount Si [in Snoqualmie] is traveling for us. This is a first-time experience."
And why not?
Promoters, who hope for about 7,500 fans per game, are paying for Liberty's transportation on a charter bus, lodging at the Lake Oswego Hilton and all the food, as well as a tour of Nike's headquarters in nearby Beaverton. - NFL Football -
"We're definitely biting off a big chunk here," Valach said, "but we feel confident and up to the challenge. We're going down there to win."

The Seattle Times Company

2005-08-15T09:06:00.000-07:00

Pro football shrine gets a new class
News' Jerry Green, quarterbacks Marino, Young will receive their due: royal treatment.

CANTON, Ohio -- Here in the cradle of football, the sport that rocks America reaches out each year to enshrine its brightest stars and personalities in its pantheon of immortality.
The Pro Football Hall of Fame is reserved for an ultra-elite group of groundbreakers, game-breakers and standard-setters.
The honored class of 2005 represents another group of football royalty.
It includes retired Detroit News sportswriter Jerry Green, the 37th recipient of the Dick McCann Memorial Award. The McCann Award, voted on by the Pro Football Writers of America, honors America's top football writers.
Four players, representing a cross section of pro football, are being inducted in the three-day weekend of tributes and ceremonies.
Two are modern-era quarterbacks -- Dan Marino of the Miami Dolphins and Steve Young, best known for his tenure with the San Francisco 49ers.
Two others are being inducted posthumously -- Fritz Pollard, a running back who is recognized as pro football's first African-American head coach, and quarterback Benny Friedman. Friedman played at the University of Michigan and his eight pro seasons included one year (1928) with the Detroit Wolverines.
Before departing for Canton, Green admitted to feeling somewhat daunted by being in the company of great players who performed in the sport he covered most frequently during his distinguished career.
Green, 77, joined The News in 1963 and retired in 2004, but continues to work for The News on a free-lance basis. He also writes for the paper's Web site.
Green reflected on his beginnings as a sportswriter and chided himself on his inability as an athlete.
"We all want to be athletes," he said. "I became a sportswriter."
He spoke fondly of his passion for his job and his love of storytelling.
"It's just an honor, a humbling honor to have my name included in the Hall of Fame with these football players."
His name will go on a plaque that will be on display at the Hall of Fame."You reflect on a career over 49 years and say, 'Gee whiz -- this is happening to me,'" Green said. "Why was I fortunate enough to be chosen? There are so many other guys who deserve this more or just as much as I do."
Green is one of five writers who have covered all 39 Super Bowls. He forged lasting relationships with many of the players he covered without compromising his perspective or journalistic integrity.
Lem Barney, a Hall of Fame cornerback who played 11 seasons for the Lions, has a longstanding friendship with Green and looked forward to welcoming him to Canton.
"Jerry's been compassionate in telling it like it is, both sides of the story," Barney said. "There's the way he views it, and the way the players tell it.
"He's a great literary person, but he had a passion for doing what he does best, and that's telling the story.
"He's still a great guy. A polished artist, I call him."
For the love of the game
Green felt no less humble about receiving the McCann Award than Marino and Young did about entering the Hall. The two quarterbacks expressed their feelings in separate national conference calls conducted before they arrived at Canton.
Young and Marino played for the love of the game. As young players, they strove to compete, play and win. Making the Hall of Fame was not a primary thought.
"People always ask me, 'When did you know this was going to happen?'" Young said earlier this week. "And I always joke, 'My tail was on fire the whole time.' I didn't know I was supposed to look up and figure stuff out like that. It's welcome. It's a capstone for my career, and something that you can put the whole thing and wrap it up in a bow now, and it's a nice feeling."
Young struggled to establish his career early. He signed with the Los Angeles franchise of the U.S. Football League in 1984 out of Brigham Young. His NFL career began with the woeful Tampa Bay Buccaneers. After being traded to the 49ers, he played behind Joe Montana, another Hall of Fame quarterback, before moving into the starting job.
Marino's success came much quicker. He became Miami's starter early in his rookie season of 1983. In 1984, Marino set the NFL's season record with 48 touchdown passes. It was bettered last year by Colts quarterback Peyton Manning.
As it was with Young, Marino's focus was on beating defenses, not making the Hall of Fame.
"I don't think that anybody, when they start in the NFL, sets out to be in the Hall of Fame," Marino said. "When I first got here, I wanted to be the starting quarterback for the Dolphins. I wanted to be successful. I wanted to win a Super Bowl. To think about the Hall of Fame would be stretching it a little bit. But as your career goes on and I had the success, then you know there is a possibility, you definitely know that."
A special weekend
Their emotions and feelings are what makes the Hall of Fame weekend so special, and why the events of the three days are so compelling.
Highlights for the players include receiving their Hall of Fame jackets Saturday night at the Enshrinees Dinner at Canton Memorial Civic Center and another round of honors Monday night, when the Bears play the Dolphins in the annual Hall of Fame game.
Even a casual fan would find it hard not to get caught up in the emotions.
Lions fans got firsthand exposure last year when running back Barry Sanders was enshrined. With more than 20,000 fans on hand, Fawcett Stadium had the rollicking atmosphere of game day as Sanders, John Elway, Bob Brown and Carl Eller made speeches.
In the heartland of football's birthplace, heartstrings were tugged and plucked.
Green has covered many such events, but he has also had his share of recognition. He has won numerous writing awards and has been nominated by The News for a Pulitzer Prize for commentary. In 2003, he was inducted into the Michigan Sports Hall of Fame.
Green's streak of 39 Super Bowls is a remarkable achievement. He plans to cover Super Bowl XL on Feb. 5, 2006, at Ford Field.
"I can understand why Cal Ripken wanted to keep playing," Green said. "It's a rarity. I think it defined my career."
Memorable moments
Green is revered by his contemporaries. Rick Gosselin, pro football writer for the Dallas Morning News, is a native of Grosse Pointe Park and a Michigan State graduate. He grew up reading Green's work.
Gosselin, the 2004 McCann winner, said he feels honored to be in Green's class.
"Some of the nation's greatest sportswriters have been honored: Arthur Daley, Will McDonough, Dave Anderson, John Steadman and now Jerry Green," Gosselin said. "It is humbling to be in their company."
Green took over the Lions beat for The News on a full-time basis in 1966. It was a time when the NFL was fighting the fledgling American Football League, and pro football's popularity was soaring.
Green's reporting instincts and diligence were rewarded . In 1966, he hung around Tiger Stadium after practice and noticed that the Lions were giving a tryout to a slightly built, balding man whose only experience was kicking a soccer ball.
The man was Garo Yepremian, and Green had a national scoop that the Lions were about to sign a soccer-style kicker.
Green's persistence paid dividends again in the week leading up to Super Bowl III -- the famed game in which New York Jets quarterback Joe Namath guaranteed a victory over the mighty Baltimore Colts.
Namath shooed away most writers from NFL cities. He considered them the enemy of the AFL. But Green would not be put off, and he was one of the few writers present for a poolside interview with him.
A picture, with Green in the group, ran in many national publications and has been an NFL classic.
Through all the years and games, travel and deadlines, Green hasn't lost his enthusiasm to search for angles and report and write compelling stories for his readers.
Peter King of Sports Illustrated marveled at Green's energy level during a visit to Lions training camp last week.
"I have a great amount of respect for a guy who's still enthusiastic after 20, 30 or 40 years of what they do," King said. "When I saw Jerry at the Super Bowl in Jacksonville this year, I saw that here's a guy who, after so many years of doing this, is still involved in the game and in writing a story."

Mike O'Hara / The Detroit News

2005-08-09T08:30:00.000-07:00

Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2005

Pro highlights: The 27th pick of the draft class of 1983 went on to set 17 NFL records, including surpassing Fran Tarkenton as the all-time career passing leader in attempts (4,967), completions (8,358), yards (61,343) and touchdowns (420). The nine-time Pro Bowl quarterback passed for 3,000 yards or more in 13 seasons, including six seasons of 4,000-plus yards. Marino, the ninth Dolphin in the Hall of Fame, including coach Don Shula, became the first player to pass for 5,000 yards in 1984, his second season. - NFL Football -
That turned out to be the best season of his sterling career when he directed the Dolphins to a 14-2 record and his first and only Super Bowl, a loss to the 49ers. Marino threw 48 touchdown passes that season, shattering the old mark of 36 shared by Y.A. Tittle and George Blanda, and was named the NFL MVP. - NFL Football -
The mark stood for 20 years before Peyton Manning topped it last season. Marino engineered 37 fourth-quarter comebacks, second only to John Elway's 43. Marino was born Sept. 15, 1961 in Pittsburgh and now lives in Weston with his wife, Claire, and six children.Steve YoungQuarterbackNFL career: Buccaneers 1985-86, 49ers 1987-99.College: Brigham Young University.Pro highlights: After two seasons in the defunct USFL, Young was taken by the Bucs in the first round of the supplemental draft. Traded to the 49ers in 1987, Young finally emerged from Joe Montana's shadow in 1991 and began a string of four consecutive passing titles with a quarterback rating of 101.8. - NFL Football -
The left-handed slinger finished with six passing crowns, tying Sammy Baugh with the most. He topped 3,000 yards six times and threw for 20 or more touchdowns in a season five times. Young, considered one of the greatest running quarterbacks ever, rushed for 4,239 yards and 43 career touchdowns. In 1994 he had a then-record 112.8 passer rating and added seven rushing touchdowns. Young was a seven-time Pro Bowl quarterback and two-time MVP. - NFL Football -
He guided the 49ers to Super Bowl XXIX and passed for 325 yards and a Super Bowl-record six touchdowns in a 49-26 win over the Chargers to earn the MVP. Young was born Oct. 11, 1961 in Salt Lake City.Benny FriedmanQuarterbackNFL career: 1927 Cleveland Bulldogs, 1928 Detroit Wolverines, 1929-1931 New York Giants, 1932-1934 Brooklyn Dodgers.College: MichiganPro highlights: Considered the game's first great passer, Friedman threw for a then-record 11 touchdowns as a rookie in 1927. He topped that in 1929 with 20 scoring passes and led the league in TD passes from 1927-30. - NFL Football -
Friedman led the league in scoring in 1928 and had 66 career touchdown passes, then a record surpassing Hall of Famer Arnie Herber. Although no official statistics were kept, he is believed to have completed half of his passes. A leg injury curtailed his career in 1931. Friedman was born March 18, 1905 in Cleveland and died Nov. 24, 1982.Fritz PollardHalfback/coachNFL career: 1919-1921, 1925-1926 Akron Pros/Indians, 1922 Milwaukee Badgers, 1923-1924 Gilberton Cadamounts (independent pro team), 1923, 1925 Hammond Pros, 1925 Providence Steam Roller.College: Bates/Brown.Pro highlights: All-America halfback from Brown is considered a pro football pioneer. - NFL Football -
He joined the newly founded American Professional Football Association, later renamed the NFL, and guided the Akron Pros to an 8-0-3 record to win the NFL's first championship. As a member of the new league, Pollard was one of just two blacks in the NFL. He became the first black head coach in the NFL when he was named co-coach of the Pros. Pollard also played for the Gilberton Cadamounts, an independent pro team in Pennsylvania's Coal League. After his playing career, he organized and coached the Chicago Black Hawks, an all-black independent pro team, from 1928-32. Pollard was born Jan. 27, 1894 in Chicago and died May 11, 1986.

Dan Marino

2005-07-25T11:54:00.000-07:00

Former Nova star exits NFL with big plans

The exuberant P.A. announcer at Western High football field would scream "Awwwwwwtry Den-SON!" whenever Nova's lightning-quick tailback turned the corner, because he and everyone in the bleachers knew no one would catch him.Nova has its own football field now about a punt away from Dolphins headquarters, where Autry Denson resided for two seasons (1999-2000). - NFL Football -
He's still turning corners at warp speed, having made the transformation from the NFL to successful businessman the same day he retired from the Lions in November 2002.
"I interviewed with them, and the next day I was working with Home Bank Mortgage Corporation," said Denson, a Lauderhill native living in Coconut Creek. "From my second year in the league I was doing mortgages in the offseason."The Dolphins have been taking hits recently for stockpiling players with arrest records, but how many current and former Dolphins not only avoid trouble but give back tenfold to the community?Dan Marino, Nick Buoniconti, Jason Taylor, Zach Thomas, Shawn Wooden, Jay Fiedler, Sam Madison, Nat Moore, John Offerdahl, Bryan Cox and Twan Russell are all givers, not takers.It's not likely that Autry Denson would ever be included in the real-life cast of The Longest Yard. - NFL Football -
"From the third grade on ... my mother [Janice Franklin] prepared me for life after football," said Denson, 28, husband and a recent father for the second time. "I always knew the NFL was a dream, but it would also give me a head start for whatever I would do for the rest of my life."Denson, who went on to become Notre Dame's all-time leading rusher after high school, was drafted by the Bucs in the seventh round of the 1999 draft. - NFL Football -
A training camp casualty, the hometown Dolphins signed him.Forever fighting size stereotypes, the 5-foot-10 rookie never really got a shot to strut his stuff, losing carries to underachieving higher draft picks such as J.J. Johnson, Cecil Collins and Karim Abdul-Jabbar. We all know where Cecil The Diesel ended up -- derailed and in jail.In his lone start in a Dolphins uniform in the 1999 season finale against the Redskins, Denson gained 80 yards and caught three passes for 26 yards.But in 2000, aging star Thurman Thomas was brought in and Lamar Smith enjoyed a breakout season, while Denson was relegated to kick-return specialist, where he ranked third in the AFC with a 24.8-yard average. - NFL Football -
"I had to always overcome obstacles of 'he's too small or too slow.' Whatever, I broke records at Nova and Notre Dame and it would've been the same in the NFL," Denson said. "The window of opportunity is so much smaller in the NFL. You may outplay them on the field, but you can't outplay money."Instead of hanging on, Denson hopped off, deciding to use his degree in management information systems. - NFL Football -
He also gave motivational speeches and career-day talks at Broward schools.Earlier this month, Denson was named president and CEO of Prime Time High School Sports, a subsidiary of American-Way Business Development Corporation."Young athletes want to speak with someone they identify with and who truly understands their situation and their dreams," said Donnie Platten, president of American-Way. "Autry is someone who can communicate from experience with these young athletes, their parents and with college coaches."Among Denson's duties will be targeting high school athletes (and non-athletes) and help market them to college recruiters for potential scholarships."There's free money out there being wasted," Denson said. "Not everyone can play D-I ball. I offer one-stop shopping, but the bottom line is I just want to help kids."In Denson's spare time he's a youth football coach in Coconut Creek. - NFL Football -
He'll soon be joining forces with Russell -- a St. Thomas Aquinas graduate who played linebacker in the NFL for seven years, including three seasons with the Dolphins (2000-02).Russell has been tackling literacy programs for children through his Russell Life Skills and Reading Foundation."We're opening our fourth center, in Hollywood next year, and are hoping to open No. 5 in Lauderhill and call it the Denson Reading Room," said Russell, also in the mortgage business. "Whatever A.D. touches he's successful at. It's his passion and not about ego, but about helping these kids. - NFL Football -
"Instead of touchdowns, Awwwwwwwtry Den-SON is touching lives.Ticconi departsAfter nearly a 10-year relationship, Dolphins director of operations Rhett Ticconi resigned to tackle new ventures.

Harvey Fialkov Sun-Sentinel.

2005-07-18T08:51:00.000-07:00

NFL Notebook: WVU's Jones adds to Fisher's woes

Jeff Fisher probably has gone through a case of aspirin during the offseason. The Titans coach has had to deal with one off-the-field headache after another in 2005. The most recent came when top draft pick Adam "Pac-Man" Jones surrendered to police Wednesday on charges of assault and felony vandalism after a nightclub fight.
Jones' agent, Michael Huyghue, wants people to believe Jones is being picked on because he is a celebrity, saying, "There are certain individuals out there who are opportunists, who prey on professional athletes for financial gain, and unfortunately, this is one of those incidents."
But the Titans must think there is something substantial to the matter. In a statement, the team said Jones "is going to have to conduct himself responsibly in all aspects of his life on a consistent basis." - NFL Football -
They have reason to be concerned about the sixth overall pick out of West Virginia. Club owner Robert Gaddy said in a court appearance that Jones hit him and broke his necklace after Gaddy asked three of Jones' friends to leave the club. Gaddy told police Jones' friends "were smoking drugs."
In April, Georgia authorities investigated a report that Jones was involved in a nightclub fight near Atlanta, but no charges were filed. - NFL Football -
His was just the latest mess Fisher and the Titans have had on their minds. Three other Titans have gotten into trouble in the offseason: receiver Tyrone Calico, left tackle Brad Hopkins and safety Tank Williams.
Former Titans cornerback Samari Rolle also was arrested on a domestic violence charge in February, while he was still with the team. Rolle signed with Baltimore after the Titans cut him in a salary-cap move. - NFL Football -
Calico, in his third season with the Titans, was cited for public indecency for having sex with a woman in his sport utility vehicle. Hopkins pleaded guilty to assaulting his wife, and Williams was charged with driving under the influence.
Add this to everything else the rebuilding Titans have gone through -- surgery for quarterback Steve McNair, hiring Norm Chow to replace offensive coordinator Mike Heimerdinger, cutting high-priced veterans in a salary-cap purge -- and this year hasn't started too well for Tennessee. - NFL Football -
Chargers
San Diego will retire receiver Lance Alworth's number in a halftime ceremony Nov. 20. Alworth, the first American Football League player inducted into the Hall of Fame, is still one of the most popular athletes in San Diego history. His No. 19 joins Dan Fouts' No. 14 as the only two retired numbers in the team's 46-year history. Fouts' number was retired in 1988. Alworth finished his 11-year career with 542 receptions for 10,266 yards and 87 touchdowns, averaging 19 yards a reception. He ranks among the NFL's receiving leaders in seven categories, including an NFL-record five career 200-yard games.
Elsewhere - NFL Football -
The NFL emphasized that if its first regular-season game abroad this year is successful, it could be the start of a broader international push. The league "is going to look at all of the markets that have indicated an interest in doing this around the world: several in Europe, Canada, Asia," said Roger Goodell, the league's executive vice president. Goodell spoke at a news conference to talk about the Oct. 2 game between the Cardinals and 49ers in Mexico City. ... Former Oilers coach Bum Phillips, 81, was released from the hospital yesterday and returned home after have triple-bypass heart surgery more than a week ago. - NFL Football -

From wire dispatches

2005-07-11T14:40:00.000-07:00

Ex-Royals prospect takes shot at NFLChiefs scout sees receiver's workout

Maybe Roscoe Crosby will find his way to Kansas City after all.
Crosby, a former Royals prospect, held a private workout for a scout from the Chiefs and representatives from 17 other NFL teams last week, his agent, Kevin Parker, said Friday.
Once the No. 1 wide receiver prospect in the nation, Crosby is now known in Kansas City for baseball and the career that never really happened. The Royals made him a second-round pick in the 2001 amateur draft and gave him a deal that included a $1.75 million bonus. But Crosby never played in the minors because of an arm injury, and the Royals recently won an appeal to void payments totaling $750,000 in signing bonuses. - NFL Football -
A former Clemson star, Crosby is on the Royals’ restricted list, meaning the team still holds his baseball rights. The outcome of arbitration, Parker said, helped Crosby make the decision to go back to football. He hopes to be picked in Thursday’s supplemental draft.
“He was pretty much stuck,” Parker said. “He wasn’t going to be held down.
“Roscoe is a professional. When the Kansas City Royals drafted him, he was 18 years old. Whatever happened or didn’t happen, that was then. He’s 22, he’s matured. … He’s very much at peace, and he’s excited.”
On a sweltering day in South Carolina last week, former NFL quarterback Shaun King zipped passes to Crosby while the scouts watched. He ran a high 4.4 in the 40-yard dash and bench-pressed 225 pounds. - NFL Football -
The Chiefs spent part of the summer looking for receiving help after they cut Johnnie Morton on June 2. They picked up Freddie Mitchell near the end of minicamp, but on a roster dotted with inexperience, Crosby may be an intriguing draft possibility.
When asked whether Crosby would object to going to Kansas City, Parker said, “(David) Glass doesn’t own the Kansas City Chiefs, does he?” - NFL Football -
Crosby, a 6-foot-2, 218-pounder, hasn’t played a full season of football since 2001, when he set freshman records at Clemson for receptions and receiving yards. But Parker said Crosby has shaken off the rust with an intense workout routine, and they’re confident he’ll land somewhere.
“I’m not making him Superman,” Parker said, “but he has some gifts that made him a hot commodity in both sports. - NFL Football -
“Whether it’s in the draft or free-agency, he’s going to be in somebody’s camp in July. That’s a given.”

ELIZABETH MERRILL The Kansas City Star

2005-07-06T08:27:00.000-07:00

NFL: Stram changed the game

KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Hank Stram's greatest legacy as a coach was as an innovator.
Breaking the mold from the staid, predictable style that NFL teams played for 40 years, Stram devised wrinkles that produced three AFL titles and two Super Bowl appearances for the Chiefs/Texans franchise. - NFL Football -
"I don't know if there is anything ever new in football, but we were doing things in the '60s that teams are doing now," said Hall of Fame quarterback Len Dawson. "Hank came up with so many new twists and doesn't get the credit he deserves.
"He wasn't afraid to try things. Back in those days, guys didn't try anything. They pretty much stayed with what the Green Bay Packers or New York Giants were doing. Well, Hank decided let's do some things different. We were playing the West Coast offense before it was the West Coast offense."
Stram, who died Monday at age 82, created the "Offense of the '70s" with a moving pocket as a way to keep mammoth defensive linemen such as San Diego's Ernie Ladd and Earl Faison away from Dawson. - NFL Football -
He came up with the Tight I Formation, lining up the tight end behind the quarterback and shifting to one side or the other, creating a moment of indecision for the defense. He created the Triple Stack defense, putting tackles Curley Culp and Buck Buchanan over the center, which disguised the front and enabled Culp to manhandle undersized Vikings center Mick Tingelhoff in one of the key matchups of Super Bowl IV.
And Stram deployed zone defenses in the early 1960s as a way to combat the wide-open passing games of the AFL when teams were loath to defend receivers in anything but man-to-man coverage. - NFL Football -
Stram attributed that defense to the Texans' intercepting five passes in the 1962 AFL championship win over Houston.
Stram also was one of the first coaches to devote more than cursory attention to special teams and weight training.
After the Chiefs won the AFL championship in 1966 but lost to Green Bay in the first Super Bowl, Stram hired a strength coach, Alvin Roy, and introduced a weight-lifting program, long before weight training became a routine practice. - NFL Football -
"We didn't have people who lifted weights," Dawson said, "so the guy Hank had to convince was me. I was the quarterback, and the rest of the players would follow my lead. Hank had to do the sell job on me, and frankly I don't know how he did it because I didn't lift anything over 12 ounces. He said he had to have me (lift weights) for the good of the team.
"I said, 'You expect me to lift the same weights as Ed Budde and Buck Buchanan and those guys?' He said, 'Oh, no, yours will be much lighter. But you still have to go through the program with the rest of them. Hank was a great salesman,."

Randy Covitz
Knight Ridder Newspapers

2005-06-29T10:41:00.000-07:00

Businessman Gets Probation for Theft from NFL

HONOLULU (AP) - A Honolulu businessman who was charged with defrauding the National Football League of more than 500-thousand-dollars has been placed on five years probation.

Sports and business promoter Manuel Sanchez also was fined $25,000 and ordered to perform 250 hours of community service.

He was granted a deferred acceptance of plea, which means the felony theft charge will be dismissed if he pays the fine, performs the community service and abides by conditions similar to probation for five years.

The 54-year-old Sanchez earlier pleaded no contest to the charge.

He said he never intended to defraud or steal the NFL's money.

The NFL sued the former chief executive officer with Tickets Plus in 2003, alleging it was owed 474-thousand-dollars in Pro Bowl tickets sold by the company and a 100-thousand-dollar event sponsorship fee for the 2003 game.

Sanchez has paid the NFL 557-thousand-dollars since he was charged.

Nfl Europe Football

2005-06-22T09:06:00.000-07:00

Nfl Europe Football

#37 Deion Sanders Photos (10)... - Baltimore

Biography:
Deion Sanders UFA Ravens – The veteran cornerback came back to play in 2004 after being out of the league for three seasons. Sanders, on his return to the league, was essentially the club’s nickel back but he was limited to just nine games due to a foot injury. He had his ups and downs in that role but still has enough speed to not be a liability in coverage. Should he return for another season of play, he still should be able to handle about 30 plays or so which would have him destined for a nickel role again.
Deion Sanders Facts: At Florida State, Deion was a three-sport star for football, track and baseball... As a freshman, Sanders started in the Seminoles' secondary, played outfield on the baseball team which finished fifth in the nation and led the track team to its tenth conference championship... A two-time(1987 - 1988) All-America at cornerback, Sanders was the 1988 Thorpe Award winner as the nation's finest defensive back... 1986 Deion was a 3rd Team All-America at cornerback... The Atlanta Falcons drafted Sanders with the 5th pick in the 1989 draft... Sanders was drafted as a professional by both the Atlanta Falcons of the NFL and the New York Yankees of major league baseball... "Neon" played two sports for part of his career, Playing Football with Atlanta, San Francisco, Dallas and Washingtion and Played Baseball with Atlanta, Cincinnati and the New York Yankees... Deion wore #2(Retired) at Florida State and #21 during his Professional Football Career... 7-time NFL All-Pro CB with Atlanta, San Francisco and Dallas (1991-94,96-98)... NFL Defensive Player of the Year - 1994... Won 2 Super Bowls with the 49ers and Cowboys... Only 2-Sport athlete to play in both World Series and Super Bowl...

Deion Sanders 2005 Ravens Status: Deion will be the Nickel Back again this Season barring injury...

Deion Sanders 2004 Ravens Status: Deion signed and reported to Training Camp... Sanders was on the sideline in New York as the Ravens beat the Giants in their final PreSeason game of 2004... Deion will be in uniform in Cleveland on Opening Day, but may only see Nickle duty until he's in Football shape... Deion Sanders will forgo his usual #21 and will be wearing his age on his sleeve in 2004 and will be wearing #37 for the Ravens... Deion had an uneventful opening game for the Ravens, the Browns did not throw his way once and he returned 1 punt for 5 yards... Sanders first Ravens intercetion came against the Redskins in Landover during Week 5 and scored his first Ravens TD Week 7 in Baltimore vs The Buffalo Bills a 48 Yard Return off a deflection from Chad Williams... Deion battled toe and hamstring injuries that forced him to miss parts of nine games...

Deion Sanders Contract Status: Deion agreed to terms the week of June 6 and is awaiting Medical Clearance... Contract Details will follow, sources say its similar to the contract he signed in 2004, around $1.5 Million...