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Javon Walker Traded
NEW YORK (April 29, 2006) -- The Denver Broncos acquired disgruntled Packers receiver Javon Walker in a draft-day trade Saturday, sending Green Bay their second round pick.
Walker, coming off a serious knee injury as he enters the final year of his contract, vowed never again to play for the Packers.
Green Bay refused to redo his deal last year and Walker tore up a knee in the season opener. Walker had a breakout season in 2004, catching 89 passes for 1,382 yards and 12 touchdowns, leading to his request for a big pay day.
The Broncos have their own unhappy wideout in Ashley Lelie, who wasn't pleased with the Broncos' interest in Terrell Owens and has declined to attend the club's offseason conditioning program, forgoing a $100,000 contract incentive to work out instead in Tempe, Ariz.
Owens eventually signed with Dallas.
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Bucs QB McCown will have knee surgery
TAMPA, Fla. (June 20, 2006) -- Tampa Bay quarterback Luke McCown will have knee surgery this week, leaving the Buccaneers in the market for another backup for Chris Simms.
McCown partially tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee while scrambling out of the pocket during a workout June 15. He will have surgery in the next couple of days, coach Jon Gruden said on June 20.
Although Gruden would not speculate on how long the third-year pro will be out, he conceded McCown could start the season on the physically unable to perform list -- a move that would leave the door open for a possible return this year.
In the meantime, the Bucs will explore the prospect of bringing in a veteran into training camp next month to compete with Tim Rattay, Jared Allen and rookie Bruce Gradkowski for spots behind Simms.
The 24-year-old McCown was obtained from Cleveland in a draft-day trade in 2005. As a rookie with the Browns two years ago, he made four starts and completed 49 percent of his passes for 608 yards, four touchdowns and seven interceptions.
McCown began last season as the third-stringer behind Brian Griese and Simms. He moved up to No. 2 when Griese suffered a season-ending knee injury and Simms took over the starting job and led Tampa Bay to its first playoff berth in three years.
While McCown described himself as a quick healer and said he expects to be back on the field "sooner rather than later," Gruden will consider options.
"We're not going to just bring anybody in because he has experience. We're looking for somebody out there who has good experience who can come in and play well and help us," the coach said.
"But if we don't, we have a young quarterback in Chris Simms who needs a lot of work, and Bruce Gradkowski needs a lot of work and Tim Rattay needs a lot of work. Jared Allen had a good stint over there in the World League. If we bring a guy in, we're going to bring a guy in with a purpose."
McCown said he was injured when he scrambled to his right and planted his foot to make a cut to head upfield.
"I felt the pain and went down," McCown said. "It's a cut I've probably made a thousand times."
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Roethlisberger visits Steelers offices
PITTSBURGH (June 20, 2006) -- Ben Roethlisberger, accompanied by bodyguards and wearing a hood to cover facial injuries from a motorcycle crash, visited the Pittsburgh Steelers ' offices, a newspaper reported.
Roethlisberger stopped by headquarters for the first time since the accident eight days ago to pick up mail and other items. He did not participate in any physical workouts or speak to reporters, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported on its web site.
Team coaches who saw Roethlisberger said the swelling and bruising that was apparent on the quarterback's neck and face last week had subsided, the newspaper reported.
Roethlisberger rammed his Suzuki Hayabusa into a Chrysler New Yorker on June 12, when the car made a left turn in front of him on a Pittsburgh street. Both vehicles had the green light, police said.
Roethlisberger underwent seven hours of surgery to repair a broken jaw and other facial bones. Tests showed no brain injuries, although he had a mild concussion. He also lost two teeth and chipped several others.
Police said Roethlisberger did not have a valid motorcycle license when he crashed. Police said they would cite him for riding without a license and not wearing a helmet because only licensed motorcyclists are allowed to ride bareheaded in Pennsylvania, with certain restrictions. Roethlisberger faced fines and fees totaling $388.
The car's driver, a 62-year-old woman who, police said, has received threatening phone calls since the crash, was to be cited for failing to yield.
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Browns considering Testaverde as backup insurance
The Cleveland Browns will give quarterback Ken Dorsey a chance in training camp to secure the No. 2 spot on the depth chart behind starter Charlie Frye, but head coach Romeo Crennel made it clear as his team completed a three-day minicamp over the weekend that the phone number for free agent veteran Vinny Testaverde is on his speed dial.
Testaverde
Crennel never mentioned Testaverde by name, but joked at one point that the player he had in mind as a potential insurance policy was "older than me" and noted that his familiarity with the offense system meant he "could come in on Friday and he'd be good to go on Sunday." It didn't take a rocket scientist to make the connection.
Testaverde and Crennel worked together when both were with the New York Jets. Crennel allowed that he has not spoken to Testaverde this offseason.
A 19-year veteran, Testaverde, 42, appeared in six games for the Jets in 2005, starting four times. He was signed after starting quarterback Chad Pennington was sidelined by a shoulder injury and he completed 60 of 106 passes for 777 yards, with one touchdown pass and six interceptions. For his career, Testaverde has completed 3,691 of 6,526 attempts for 45,252 yards, with 269 touchdown passes, 261 interceptions and a passer rating of 75.2 in 223 appearances and 208 starts.
Dorsey
Frye
The Browns acquired Dorsey, a fourth-year veteran, from San Francisco as part of the May trade that sent quarterback Trent Dilfer to the 49ers.
General manager Phil Savage and Crennel said at the time that Dorsey would get first shot at the backup job -- and that they would give him 6-8 weeks to become comfortable with the offense. Having concluded their last organized team activities until the Browns reconvene for training camp late next month, that remains the plan. But if Cleveland officials determine early in camp that Dorsey is not the answer, it appears that Testaverde is their top option as a quarterback insurance policy.
Frye was the team's third-round choice in the 2005 draft, started five games as a rookie, and will go into training camp unchallenged for the starting job. Dorsey actually has more starts (10) than Frye, but none of the other four quarterbacks on the roster has taken a snap in an NFL game. Were Dorsey to falter, then the scenario might play out well for Testaverde, who has considered retirement, but left the door open to the possibility of returning to the NFL in an emergency-type situation.
Agent Mike Azzarelli said Testaverde has not yet filed his retirement papers with the league. Testaverde started 31 games for the Browns 1993-95. The first overall selection in the 1987 draft, he has played with five different NFL franchises.
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Bush to wear No. 25 this coming season
Reggie Bush will get to wear No. 5 after all. There will just be a "2" in front of it.
Sean Gardner/Getty Images
Reggie Bush wore No. 5 during the Saints minicamp. He'll wear 25 during the regular season.
Bush's marketing agent, Mike Ornstein, told ESPN.com on Thursday that his client will wear No. 25 next season for the New Orleans Saints.
Bush will get the number from Saints running back Fred McAfee. Ornstein said that rather than directly pay McAfee a fee for the use of the number, Bush will give half the money he had earmarked for charity to McAfee to use for the charity of his choice. Bush has pledged to donate 25 percent of his jersey sales royalties to Hurricane Katrina-related causes.
"We all went and dug into our pockets, and the city is as devastated today as the day it happened," Ornstein said. "And now, everyone has gone on to the next disaster."
To get No. 5, which he wore in high school and college, Bush needed the NFL Competition Committee to change the league's numbering rules. Currently, running backs are allowed only to wear numbers between 20 and 49. Earlier this week, the committee decided not to change the rules.
"Hopefully, they will change the rules next year so that Reggie can go back to wearing his old number," Ornstein said.
The delay of the decision might have hurt sales of Bush jerseys in the weeks since he was chosen second overall in the NFL draft. Eddie White, a vice president at Reebok, which makes the league's jerseys, said Bush's jersey had ranked first in preorders but is now in second place behind Vince Young's No. 10 for the Tennessee Titans. Young, who wore No. 10 at the University of Texas, has had that number with the Titans since draft day.
"It was a bunch of baloney that not having the No. 5 would hurt his sales," White said. "He could have worn any number, as long as we could have sold it that [draft day] Sunday, like we did for Vince Young and A.J. Hawk and Matt Leinart. But because he didn't have anything, he's behind Vince."
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Steelers WR Holmes faces domestic violence charge
COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Santonio Holmes was charged with domestic violence early Monday, police said.
Holmes was arrested at an apartment just after midnight and taken to Franklin County Jail, Sgt. Loucious Hollis said. He is scheduled to appear in court Tuesday morning.
Hollis confirmed the domestic violence charge against Holmes, but declined to say who made the complaint or provide details of the allegation.
A message left for the Steelers by The Associated Press was not immediately returned.
It was Holmes' second arrest since being selected in the first round of the NFL draft. He was arrested in South Beach, Fla., for disorderly conduct during a Memorial Day weekend crackdown by local authorities.
Steelers coach Bill Cowher criticized Holmes the following week, but said he wouldn't hold the incident against the former Ohio State receiver.
"Whatever he did wrong, I don't think he handled it properly," Cowher said then. "I think he'll learn from it and understand the scrutiny he's under. We have not talked face to face about it. I don't have any long-term concerns."
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BUSH IS NOT GOING TO WERE NO.5
DENVER (May 23, 2006) -- If Reggie Bush had hoped to wear jersey No. 5 for the New Orleans Saints in 2006, he's out of luck.
The NFL's competition committee decided at the league's owners meeting here it will not recommend a change to the numbering system for jerseys for the '06 season, and it seems unlikely that it would do so for future seasons.
This may be the last time anyone sees Reggie Bush in a No. 5 jersey.
Bush had petitioned the committee to either allow him to wear No. 5, which he wore as a superstar running back at USC, or change the numbering system that requires running backs to wear numbers in the twenties, thirties or forties. Bush, the second overall pick of the draft, is expected to wear a number in the twenties in his rookie season.
The matter will be discussed again during a conference call in two weeks to determine whether it should again be addressed during the owners' October meeting. That would leave the door open to the possibility that Bush's desire to wear No. 5 could be realized in 2007 -- but it is open by only the smallest margin.
"No. 1, no one's comfortable with their making an exception to the policy, because the exceptions just create a problem for every team," said Rich McKay, co-chairman of the league's competition committee.
"No. 2, we're not comfortable recommending any change at this time, because to have something adopted at this time, meaning at this meeting, you would have the difference between the way a rookie's being treated and the way a veteran's being treated, because there's so much in the pipeline with respect to jerseys that there is no way a veteran would be in the position to change his jersey number."
McKay, who is the general manager of the Atlanta Falcons, added that "there's no real sentiment" among members of the competition committee to indicate that there ever would be a change in the jersey numbering system.
The current numbering system, established in 1973, saw its most recent change two years ago, when receivers were allowed to wear numbers in the teens rather than the eighties. McKay explained that the reason for the change was because through a combination of factors -- retired numbers, teams carrying more receivers and tight ends -- there was a shortage of available numbers in the eighties.
In another development, the Kansas City Chiefs tabled their proposal to expand the playoffs from 12 to 14 teams before it could be put to a vote.
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Roethlisberger cited for riding without helmet, permit
PITTSBURGH -- Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger will be cited for failure to wear a helmet and not having a motorcycle license after an accident last week left him with a concussion, broken jaw and nose.
Roethlisberger and the driver of the car he crashed into on June 12 both had the green light, but the driver of the vehicle will be cited for failing to yield, police said Monday.
Only licensed cyclists can ride without a helmet in Pennsylvania.
Roethlisberger was traveling 35 mph in a posted 35 mph zone, said officer Dan Connolly. There were no mechanical problems with either vehicle, he said.
Police Chief Dominic Costa said the woman driving the car had received some threatening phone calls, which police were investigating.
Roethlisberger had seven hours of surgery to repair his broken jaws and other facial bones. Doctors have said tests showed no brain injuries, although there was a mild concussion. He also lost two teeth and chipped several others.
He was discharged Wednesday night from Mercy Hospital and apologized to the team, his fans and family in a statement released Thursday. He also said that he would wear a helmet if he rode a motorcycle again.
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Barry tears quad tendon, likely out for year
Four-year veteran offensive lineman Kevin Barry, who was contending for a starting job on the Green Bay Packers' revamped blocking unit, likely will miss the entire 2006 season after tests revealed he sustained a torn left quadriceps tendon during a workout last Sunday morning.
Barry
First-year coach Mike McCarthy confirmed the torn quadriceps Tuesday after Barry underwent two days of testing to determine the extent of the injury.
Barry, 26, will undergo surgery, likely within the next week, and Green Bay officials will wait for results of the operation to determine whether to place him on injured reserve for the year. Such quadriceps injuries, however, require a long rehabilitation period, particularly for linemen.
The injury occurred during a one-on-one pass blocking drill and, when Barry crumpled to the ground, the immediate suspicion was that the injury was a severe one.
The loss of Barry, a promising lineman who has struggled with weight issues throughout his NFL career, is a setback for the Packers, who have dramatically changed their line philosophy to a zone-blocking scheme under McCarthy and offensive coordinator Jeff Jagodzinski. Because of the switch, which requires quicker linemen, and the departure of center Mike Flanagan in free agency, Green Bay is rebuilding the interior of its offensive line.
Even though he is bigger (6-feet-4, 341 pounds) than the new staff prefers, Barry was challenging for a starting spot at guard. He was also the team's most experienced backup at tackle, behind starters Chad Clifton and Mark Tauscher, and spent part of the offseason working at tackle. In the past, Barry often lined up as an extra tight end in short-yardage and goal-line situations, or when former coach Mike Sherman opted to go to his so-called "U-71" personnel package, to stress a power running game.
If Barry is lost for the season, the Packers could line up with rookie Daryn Colledge, a second-round draft choice, and second-year veteran Junius Coston at the guard spots. Two-year veteran Scott Wells is the likely successor to Flanagan as the starting center.
A former University of Arizona standout, Barry made the Green Bay roster in 2002 as an undrafted college free agent. In four seasons, he has appeared in 59 games and logged eight starts. Barry has always been an intriguing prospect, a physically gifted player the Green Bay staff believed possessed starter-level skills if he could get his weight under control.
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McNair has 'mishaps' in first Ravens practice
OWINGS MILLS (June 13, 2006) -- Steve McNair has three months to learn a new football language. He took his first tentative step when he practiced with the Baltimore Ravens.
"It's mind boggling right now," said McNair, who signed a five-year contract. "I think the verbiage is the most important thing right now. Once I can feel comfortable and visualize the formation and the routes that they're running, things will be OK." But, he added, "It's like starting all over again."
The Ravens traded a fourth-round draft pick to the Tennessee Titans for McNair, sending the veteran quarterback back to the classroom for his most urgent cram session since he entered the league 11 years ago. The Ravens will open the regular season against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sept. 10.
A three-time Pro Bowl selection, McNair often appeared hesitant. He completed his first pass in team drills to tight end Todd Heap, but struggled at hitting receivers in stride. One late, errant pass was nearly intercepted, but defensive back Robb Butler dropped the football.
"He was thinking a lot," Ravens coach Brian Billick said of McNair, a 2003 NFL co-Most Valuable Player. "He looked a little like a rookie coming out here. Obviously, he's got a lot to absorb right now."
McNair acknowledged that the experience was a bit confusing and that it felt a bit strange to wear a No. 9 purple jersey after spending his career with Tennessee.
The Titans plays kept flashing through his head.
"I had a few mishaps out there," McNair said. "I think I used one of my calls I had last year with the Titans. I told the guys to just be patient with me."
McNair plans to meet regularly with offensive coordinator Jim Fassel, who adjusted his vacation plans to get McNair up to speed before training camp in Westminister, Md., on July 30.
One major point of emphasis for McNair will be learning the Ravens' pass-protection schemes. That's for his own safety.
"A confused quarterback is usually confronted with a barrage of blitzes. If he's confused about protections, that's when he's going to get whacked," Fassel said.
The Ravens plan to accommodate their offense to suit McNair's strengths. Entering his 12th season, McNair usually operates as a pocket passer.
"Learning a new system is a lot easier for a receiver than a quarterback, but I don't think it will take him that long," said Derrick Mason, who led Baltimore in receptions last season after eight seasons playing with McNair and the Titans. "He's shown the ability to adapt."
AP NEWS
The Associated Press News Service
Copyright 2006, The Associated Press, All Rights Reserved
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Steelers LB Porter to have knee surgery
Three-time Pro Bowl performer Joey Porter, the loquacious Pittsburgh Steelers' star who led all NFL linebackers in sacks during the team's 2005 Super Bowl season, will undergo arthroscopic knee surgery on Wednesday, and will likely miss the balance of the offseason conditioning program.
Porter
It is believed that the surgery will address a cartilage problem and that Porter should be fully rehabilitated in time for the start of training camp on July 28.
Porter was not in attendance last week for the beginning of the "organized team activities" (OTA) segment of the offseason program. He did work out at the team complex Tuesday but did not participate in practice, the fourth on-field session that Porter has missed.
He did attend the Steelers' mandatory minicamp May 13-15.
It is still not known if Porter's absence from the OTA workouts are a result of the pending surgery or an indication that the seven-year veteran wants to have his contract situation addressed. Porter has two more seasons on his current contract and is due a base salary of $3.85 million in 2006 and of $4 million in 2007. There is an additional $1 million roster bonus due in the spring of 2007.
Historically, the Steelers have not extended players' contract until they have just one season remaining.
The always verbose Porter, 29, recently made headlines when he suggested that he planned to speak with President George Bush about the state of the country when the Steelers visit the White House on June 2. Porter subsequently claimed his remarks were misstated.
A third-round choice in the 1999 draft, Porter registered 10½ sacks in 2005, tying his career best for a season. His 53 sacks are sixth all-time in franchise history. The former Colorado State standout, a starter since his second season in the league, has 436 career tackles, eight interceptions, 29 passes defensed, 17 forced fumbles and eight recoveries. He has appeared in 108 games and started 92 of them.
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Colts linebacker June arrested
LEBANON, Ind. (June 13, 2006) -- Indianapolis Colts linebacker Cato June was arrested for failing to appear in court on a driving while suspended charge.
June, who was selected as a Pro Bowl starter last season, was released from the Boone County Jail on $500 bond, said a jail staffer who declined to give her name. Boone County is just northwest of Indianapolis.
Additional details about the charges against June were not immediately available.
June was a backup in 11 games as a rookie in 2003. He started every game in 2004 and blossomed last season in his second year as a starter. He had 109 tackles, third-most on the team, returned two interceptions for touchdowns and was voted to the Pro Bowl.
He signed a new contract in April for one year at $1.57 million.
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Texans interviewing Packers' McKenzie for GM slot
The Houston Texans, seeking a replacement for departing general manager Charley Casserly, have received permission to interview Green Bay Packers director of pro personnel Reggie McKenzie for the position.
Packers officials agreed to the Texans' request Saturday. Because of a conflict with a league meeting, McKenzie likely will not meet with Houston owner Bob McNair until later in the week. McKenzie will be the second known candidate for the job. Denver Broncos assistant general manager Rick Smith interviewed on Friday.
There is no timetable for replacing Casserly, who announced his resignation two weeks ago and will leave the Texans on June 1, nor is it certain how many candidates McNair will interview.
McKenzie, 42, has worked in the Packers' personnel department for 10 years and has served as director of pro personnel the past eight seasons. The former NFL guard, who spent most of his eight-year career with the Oakland Raiders, is a highly-regarded talent scout. In recent years, his responsibilities were expanded to reflect the Green Bay organization's appreciation for his performance.
During his Green Bay tenure, McKenzie developed a strong relationship with then-Packers coach Mike Sherman, who also served in the dual role of general manager for much of his term there. Sherman is now the Texans' assistant head coach, but it is not known what part he played, in any, in the team's decision to meet with McKenzie about the pending opening.
Smith, who worked for 10 years in Denver with Gary Kubiak, when the first-year Houston head coach was the Broncos' offensive coordinator, termed the Texans job "attractive" following his Friday interview. And Kubiak called Smith "a brilliant young man" and "a dynamic person."
Sources cautioned, though, that not too much should be read into those comments, and emphasized that a decision on Casserly's successor is not imminent. The Friday meeting with McNair marks the third time since 2004 that Smith, elevated to his current job in Denver in March, has interviewed for a general manager-level position in the league.
Casserly served as general manager for six years, taking the job nearly two years before the Texans ever played a game. Casserly said in announcing his departure from the Texans that he has applied for a job in the league office.
Whoever replaces Casserly certainly will not have the scope of influence that he wielded over the Houston football operation and might not receive the general manager title. Kubiak has taken on more responsibility in personnel matters than predecessor Dom Capers ever had and McNair has also assumed a more active role in what figures to be a front office restructuring after Casserly's exit.
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Roethlisberger could be discharged in 3-5 days
PITTSBURGH (June 13, 2006) -- Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger could be out of the hospital in a few days and appears likely to play this season after a bloody motorcycle accident in which his helmetless head shattered a car windshield.
The Steelers' Super Bowl-winning quarterback was upgraded to fair condition at Mercy Hospital a day after the scary accident at a busy Pittsburgh intersection left him and his team shaken.
Despite being tossed high into the air after his made-for-speed motorcycle rammed into a car, causing him to smack his head on the car's windshield, Roethlisberger escaped career-threatening injuries.
Doctors did not discuss Roethlisberger's condition in detail, at the request of his family, but the quarterback's only major injuries were to his face: a broken upper and lower jaw, a loss of two teeth, a broken nose, broken facial bones and various cuts and bruises.
Jaw injuries can vary greatly in nature and, because of the rather limited protection provided by a football helmet, have the potential to sideline a player for a lengthy period. But the surgeons who operated on Roethlisberger for seven hours June 12 said all of his fractures were successfully repaired.
If that is the case, then Roethlisberger might miss part or most of training camp but could be ready for the Sept. 7 opener against Denver. For the Steelers, who would otherwise go into the season with backup Charlie Batch and rookie Omar Jacobs at quarterback, that is the best possible scenario after an accident that left huge splotches of Roethlisberger's dried blood on a city street.
Dr. Larry Jones, the chief of Mercy Hospital's trauma unit, said Roethlisberger's brain was functioning normally, although he has a concussion.
"He is awake, alert, oriented and is resting with his family by his side," Jones said during a news briefing, in which reporters were not allowed to ask questions.
The 24-year-old Roethlisberger, the youngest quarterback to win a Super Bowl, initially was listed in serious but stable condition following the accident.
Considering that Roethlisberger wasn't wearing a helmet while riding his 2005 Suzuki Hayabusa, a model that weighs less than 600 pounds but can easily reach 200 miles per hour in a modified state, the Steelers realize how much worse the accident could have been.
Coach Bill Cowher has said nothing publicly since making a hasty return to Pittsburgh from a North Carolina vacation the night of June 12, and it is unlikely any team official will comment about Roethlisberger's football future until he is out of the hospital. According to Jones, Roethlisberger could be released in three to five days.
In an additional development, KDKA-TV in Pittsburgh reported Roethlisberger does not have a valid Pennsylvania motorcycle license and that his temporary permit expired in March, though he does have a valid automobile driver's license. The Pennsylvania Department of Motor Vehicles declined to comment on the report.
Nobody has been cited in the crash and police will not release information until an accident reconstruction is complete, Pittsburgh police spokeswoman Tammy Ewin said.
Roethlisberger's accident set off debate around the NFL whether teams should take additional contractual safeguards to prevent their key players from participating in hazardous behavior.
A standard NFL player's contract prohibits any offseason activity that can be harmful, but not all players have clauses for activities such as motorcycle riding, all-terrain vehicle riding and skydiving. Roethlisberger's contract apparently did not, probably because the Steelers had no indication he indulged in motorcycle riding before signing him in 2004.
"Maybe the first persons it'll hit is all the quarterbacks," NFL Player Association president Troy Vincent of the Buffalo Bills said. "Now all the QB contracts may have something in them and then it might start tapering into the wideouts and into the running backs, generally your high-priced guys."
Vincent said he has ridden motorcycles, but never without a helmet.
In May 2005, Cowher warned Roethlisberger about his riding habits after Cleveland tight end Kellen Winslow was injured in a motorcycle accident. Winslow tore knee ligaments and was lost for the season.
"I wish all our players liked board games or low-risk hobbies," Cleveland Browns general manager Phil Savage said. "Unfortunately, that's part of the reason that makes these guys professional athletes. They have a little bit of an edge to want to do more, seek more. Where's the line? I don't know that."
AP NEWS
The Associated Press News Service
Copyright 2006, The Associated Press, All Rights Reserved
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Teen accused of stealing Payton HOF, Super Bowl rings
AURORA, Ill. -- Theft charges have been filed against an 18-year-old accused of stealing a replica Super Bowl ring and a Hall of Fame ring that belonged to late Chicago Bears running back Walter Payton.
Jeremy J. Sherman was being held in the Kane County Correctional Center in Geneva on unrelated charges when he was charged with two counts of theft in connection with the stolen rings, police said.
The rings were stolen March 27 from a display case at Walter Payton's Roundhouse Complex in downtown Aurora. They were later recovered by police from a pawnshop, where they were sold by two men.
The rings were valued at $4,100 but were sold for only $165.
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Roethlisberger injured in motorcycle accident
PITTSBURGH (June 12, 2006) -- Steelers star Ben Roethlisberger, the youngest quarterback to lead a team to the Super Bowl championship, broke his jaw and nose in a motorcycle crash and underwent surgery.
Roethlisberger was in serious but stable condition later in the afternoon, said Dr. Larry Jones, chief of trauma at Mercy Hospital. The player's agent, Leigh Steinberg, described the injuries to The Associated Press and said he did not know if there was further damage.
Ben Roethlisberger has reveled in his rebellious, motorcycle image.
"He was talking to me before he left for the operating room," Jones said. "He's coherent. He's making sense. He knows what happened. He knows where he is. From that standpoint, he's very stable."
Steelers president Art Rooney said the team was "encouraged by the early reports from the medical team" at the hospital.
"I am sure Ben knows that we are praying for his complete recovery," he said.
The 24-year-old Roethlisberger likes to ride without a helmet, a habit that once prompted a lecture from Pittsburgh coach Bill Cowher. It was not known whether Roethlisberger was wearing a helmet when he crashed.
The accident happened at an intersection at the edge of downtown at about 11:30 a.m. and a pool of blood was still visible there by early afternoon. A silver Chrysler New Yorker with damage to the front passenger fender was removed and Roethlisberger's black bike was loaded onto a flatbed truck.
Police spokesman Lt. Kevin Kraus said police and homicide units were investigating the crash, a standard practice when there is an accident with critical injuries. He gave no details on whether anyone else was hurt.
In only his second year in the NFL, Roethlisberger helped guide the Steelers to the Super Bowl title in February at age 23. Training camp for next season begins at the end of July.
Several teammates, including backup quarterback Charlie Batch, linebacker Joey Porter and safety Mike Logan, arrived at the hospital emergency room but did not comment.
Some fans also gathered at the hospital, including Juanita Clark, who sells Steelers' paraphernalia, and her daughter.
"I just feel like he's a family member," Loretta Clark said.
Roethlisberger has said in the past that he prefers not to wear a helmet when riding his motorcycle. He has pointed out Pennsylvania's state law requiring helmets to be worn was repealed in September 2003.
In May 2005, Cowher warned him about safe riding after Cleveland tight end Kellen Winslow Jr. was injured in a motorcycle accident. Winslow tore knee ligaments and was lost for the season.
"He talked about being a risk-taker and I'm not really a risk-taker. I'm pretty conservative and laid back, but the big thing is to just be careful," Roethlisberger said at the time. "I'll just continue to be careful. I told him we don't ever ride alone, we always ride in a group of people, and I think it makes it even more safe."
Roethlisberger continued to ride after Winslow's accident and that angered Terry Bradshaw, who quarterbacked the Steelers to four Super Bowl victories during the 1970s.
Visiting the Steelers' training camp last summer, Bradshaw remarked: "Ride it when you retire."
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Colts WR Harrison to undergo elbow surgery
INDIANAPOLIS (May 21, 2006) -- Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Marvin Harrison will have elbow surgery May 22.
The surgery, which will be performed in his hometown of Philadelphia, is for an injury sustained during the 2005 season.
Harrison, who caught 82 passes for 1,146 yards and 12 touchdowns in 2005, left the final minicamp workout early to catch a flight.
"(The surgery) was planned, but we just couldn't get a late flight to get back him back there in time," coach Tony Dungy said. "But he's doing fine and made it through four practices really well."
It will be Harrison's second surgery in recent months, after having treatment done on a wrist injury that he had sustained midway through last season.
Harrison isn't expected to be able to participate in Indianapolis' five-week voluntary organized team activity workouts, which are slated to begin May 23.
AP NEWS
The Associated Press News Service
Copyright 2006, The Associated Press, All Rights Reserved
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McNair passes physical, joins Ravens
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (June 8, 2006) -- Steve McNair is the new starting quarterback of the Baltimore Ravens.
McNair passed his physical and immediately jumped to the top of the depth chart ahead of Kyle Boller. The Ravens called a late afternoon press conference to announce McNair's long-awaited arrival via a trade with the Tennessee Titans.
The Titans swapped the longtime face of their franchise and a fan favorite for what is believed to be a fourth-round pick in next spring's draft.
Steve McNair has thrown for over 27,000 yards and 156 TDs in his 11 years with the Oilers/Titans.
The former league MVP is expected to upgrade a position that has been filled over the past 10 years by numerous quarterbacks with lesser credentials than McNair, a three-time Pro Bowler.
A strained right pectoral kept McNair out of Tennessee's regular-season finale, and the Titans wanted him to take a new physical before working out with them again. But Ravens coach Brian Billick, knowing McNair needed to pass the physical to complete the trade, had no such worries.
"As I understand it, he was cleared to play in the Pro Bowl," Billick said. "That one, I'll leave it to a higher pay grade than me to figure out how someone can fail an exit physical but be cleared to play in the Pro Bowl. I'm a little confused about that myself."
McNair missed two games in 2005 after missing eight in 2004 and needing surgery to repair his aching sternum. McNair was left home on a road trip to Arizona to avoid aggravating his back on the long flight because he had a discectomy in 1999, and he strained his pectoral muscle at the end of the season.
Ravens receiver Derrick Mason, cut by Tennessee in a salary cap-move in February 2005, believes his friend has plenty left after watching McNair a couple times last season. McNair threw for 3,161 yards and 16 touchdowns with 11 interceptions.
"I figure he's still got two, three, four years left in him if he doesn't take the shots that he did in previous years," Mason said.
McNair, who turned 33 in February, was Tennessee's winningest quarterback in franchise history. In 11 seasons, he went 81-59 and shared the MVP award with Peyton Manning three years ago.
He's one of only four players in NFL history with 150 touchdowns passing and 35 rushing, trailing only Steve Young, Randall Cunningham and Steve Grogan. He's one of five with 25,000 yards passing and 3,000 yards rushing, a group that includes John Elway, Fran Tarkenton, Young and Randall Cunningham.
During his MVP season, McNair had a 100.4 passer rating and led the Titans to a wild-card playoff victory over the Ravens in Baltimore and came up short on a late drive in a divisional loss at New England.
The trade gives the Ravens the first star quarterback, with McNair expected to start for the team that ended the Titans' bid for a second straight Super Bowl appearance in 2001. That loss is merely one piece of the former AFC Central rivalry featuring physical games and trash-talking between the coaches.
"You can tell that from his mannerisms on the field and how he portrays and handles himself. He definitely brings some stability to the quarterback position," said tight end Todd Heap, who played with McNair in the Pro Bowl.
Boller, the Ravens' incumbent QB, conceded that McNair would likely be the starter.
"I'm just out here competing and trying to get this offense where it needs to be," Boller said. "I'm going about my business right now like I'm the starter. That's the only way I can think of it."
The trade resulted from the Titans' inability to reduce McNair's $9 million salary for 2006 and his $23.46 million salary cap hit resulting from reworking his contract repeatedly in recent years.
The quarterback won a grievance that allowed him to return to the team's headquarters and work out after being told he couldn't on April 3.
But the Titans had given McNair's agent permission to talk with Baltimore on April 30 about a contract, and Bus Cook worked out a five-year deal with an $11 million signing bonus and $1 million salary for 2006.
That was much more than McNair could get from the Titans, who had drafted quarterback Vince Young of Texas with the third overall pick in April. The Titans declined to comment after issuing a brief statement announcing the trade.
"The bottom line is, it's in everybody's best interest to look to the future and not to the past," Cook said.
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Chiefs sign kicker Tynes, three others
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (May 19, 2006) -- The Kansas City Chiefs signed kicker Lawrence Tynes to a one-year deal.
Tynes, the second kicker in Chiefs history to have two field goals of over 50 yards in one game, has converted 44 of 56 attempts since rejoining the club as a free agent in 2004. Last year, he hit all but one of his 45 extra points and was 27 for 33 in field goals.
The Chiefs also signed cornerback Benny Sapp, backup offensive tackle Jordan Black and reserve defensive end Jimmy Wilkerson. Black played in 16 games last year, including six starts at left tackle in place of injured Pro Bowler Willie Roaf.
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Bills release guard Anderson, waive two
ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (June 9, 2006) -- The Buffalo Bills released starting left guard Bennie Anderson.
Anderson, who started 15 of 16 games last season, had two years left on his contract.
Buffalo signed him as a free agent after he spent time as a starting right guard for the Baltimore Ravens.
The Bills were unhappy with the five-year NFL veteran's play last season and attempted to replace him midway through the season with tackle Mike Williams before Williams sustained a season-ending back injury.
Anderson became expendable after the Bills signed Tutan Reyes this offseason, and with the emergence of Duke Preston.
The Bills also waived linebacker Greg Carothers and undrafted rookie free agent defensive end Matthew Rice.
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Bucs owner hospitalized after second stroke
TAMPA, Fla. (May 19, 2006) -- Buccaneers and Manchester United owner Malcolm Glazer remained hospitalized May 19, nearly three weeks after suffering a second stroke.
The 77-year-old Glazer was readmitted to Cleveland Clinic on April 30. He suffered an initial stroke on April 16 and was released from the Florida hospital eight days later.
"Doctors expect my father to return home in the next few weeks," Bucs executive vice president Joel Glazer said in a statement released by the team. "As a result of this stroke his rehabilitation period will be longer and more challenging."
The first stroke left the elder Glazer with impaired speech and mobility in his right arm and leg.
There are two Cleveland Clinics in Florida, however the Glazer family has not revealed which one the reclusive Palm Beach businessman was taken to.
Glazer purchased the Bucs in 1995 for $192 million, then a record for an NFL franchise. In 2005, he gained control of Manchester United with a $1.47 billion takeover sharply opposed by fans of the soccer team.
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Dolphins' Culpepper impresses in workout
DAVIE, Fla. (June 9, 2006) -- Daunte Culpepper did what everyone wanted to see.
The new Dolphins quarterback, in his first public workout since joining the Miami Dolphins, dropped back during a morning minicamp session June 9 and saw no one open.
So he took off running -- looking every bit like his former self.
Culpepper, who had surgery in November to repair three torn ligaments in his right knee, sprinted down the field during a non-contact drill against players not wearing pads. He also ran back to the huddle and showed no signs of being limited at all despite wearing a knee brace.
Daunte Culpepper inspired fans and teammates with his progress.
Culpepper did not speak with reporters, but his teammates are impressed with his progress.
"Pleasantly surprised and inspired," defensive lineman Kevin Carter. "I'm glad he's feeling a lot better, especially with the severity of the injury that he had. I mean, it's only June and he's running around pretty good. So it's a pretty good indication that hell be ready to go full-speed come season time."
Culpepper, who was acquired in a trade from the Minnesota Vikings, has been taking part in all practices during the team's offseason program, which began in May.
Dolphins coach Nick Saban said Culpepper is ahead of schedule, but won't say with any measure of certainty if the quarterback will be ready for the season opener Sept. 7 at Pittsburgh.
But Saban also hasn't ruled out Culpepper playing in the exhibition opener at home against Jacksonville on Aug. 12, either.
"He's doing very well physically," Saban said. "But I'm not surprised because I see him every day. Does he still have work to do? Absolutely. Are we ready to make any predictions about his future? Not really, because that's all day-to-day and week-to-week and hopefully he'll continue to make the kind of progress that he's made."
Culpepper appeared to be throwing the ball well, connecting on two passes downfield to receivers Marty Booker and Wes Welker. Dropping back and planting on his surgically rebuilt knee did not seem to be problematic.
Receiver Chris Chambers was happy to see Culpepper move so well.
"I'd rather him go out here and react the way he has to react and not think about if he's going to get hurt if he runs down the field," Chambers said. "I've seen him do it numerous times already in camp so it's nothing I think about. Myself and all the other guys are salivating on the opportunity to get some of those broken-down plays and get a lot of big plays that way with a guy who's mobile."
The Dolphins' other new quarterback, Joey Harrington, also participated in the minicamp, giving fans -- who are allowed to watch at this time of year -- their first look at the former Detroit Lions starter.
Saban said Harrington has "been a real asset" and defended the decision to trade a conditional sixth-round pick in 2007 to Detroit even though the Lions were planning to release Harrington for salary-cap purposes.
"We thought the practice time was important, but we also thought that there was no guarantee that if they cut the guy that we'd get him," Saban said. "So we secure the future and we also get the guy here to practice. I think it certainly enhances the developmental process, especially in our situation where there is some question as to who will be the quarterback, whether it's because of physical injuries and things like that."
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L.A. approves improvements to lure NFL team
LOS ANGELES (May 19, 2006) -- The Los Angeles City Council voted to spend $25 million on improvements around the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in hopes of luring an NFL team back to the city.
Under the plan, the city Community Redevelopment Agency would issue $25 million in bonds for street widening, site clearing and other work near the Coliseum, which would be paid for by expected tax revenue from the stadium.
In coming years, the city estimates it could spend up to $121 million more for additional transit and other improvements, which would also be funded by stadium taxes.
Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa has said public funds will not be used for a proposed $800 million renovation at the Coliseum. The city-funded improvements approved by the Council amount to incentives to make the city's NFL pitch more attractive.
"The dollars will be limited to improvements around the stadium, not the actual construction," said Villaraigosa spokesman Joe Ramallo.
City officials hope NFL owners, who meet in Denver next week, will bring a team to the Coliseum by the 2009 season.
Under the city plan, the Coliseum would be extensively renovated with money from the NFL.
The Coliseum is used by the University of Southern California football team. It hasn't hosted a professional team since the Raiders left after the 1994 season.
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Rams RB Faulk considering retirement
ST. LOUIS (June 9, 2006) -- St. Louis Rams running back Marshall Faulk is not attending the team's final minicamp this weekend while contemplating retirement because of knees that have been slow to recover from offseason cleanup surgery.
New coach Scott Linehan said that two weeks ago, Faulk, who has undergone numerous such surgeries on both knees, expressed his concerns. Linehan said Faulk's agent, Rocky Arceneaux, told him again June 8 that Faulk "wasn't physically ready to go."
"Guys that have played at such a high level for so many years and have taken so many hits, sometimes it starts to wear you down a little bit," Linehan said. "He's trying to figure out how he can manage it."
Faulk, the 2000 NFL MVP, is ninth on the career rushing list with 12,279 yards, 34 yards behind Jim Brown. But he had a career-low 292 yards rushing last season and made only one start -- in the season finale when Steven Jackson was out with a hip pointer.
Linehan said under the circumstances that he didn't mind Faulk not at least attending the meetings at the minicamp to pick up the new offense. Linehan reasoned that if Faulk had attended the camp, he would have wanted to participate even though he's not ready.
"He's dealing with something bigger than meetings," Linehan said. "I think he's coming to terms with whether he can do it.
"The competitor in him wouldn't want to be able to stand there and watch."
Faulk, 33, has been to seven Pro Bowls, has seven 1,000-yard rushing seasons and 38 100-yard games, and was the first player in NFL history to gain 2,000 yards from scrimmage in four consecutive seasons (1998-2001).
But he hasn't had a 1,000-yard season since 2001 and lost his starting job in 2004 when the Rams drafted Jackson in the first round.
Linehan said Faulk's decision has nothing to do with a change in coaching staffs. Mike Martz, under whom Faulk enjoyed his greatest success, was fired after six seasons.
"It really isn't that at all," Linehan said. "This is a personal issue because he doesn't want to play at a level he's not accustomed to playing.
"The reality is: Time does start to catch up to you."
Linehan said he hasn't begun to address the running back situation if Faulk decides to retire. The Rams signed Tony Fisher, who had 173 yards and a 2.9-yard average for the Packers last year, in the offseason, but have no other proven NFL players at running back.
"I haven't even gotten there yet," Linehan said. "We just haven't had to cross that bridge yet."
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Vikings, Eagles swap wide receivers
PHILADELPHIA (May 18, 2006) -- Philadelphia traded wide receiver Billy McMullen to Minnesota for rookie free-agent receiver Hank Baskett.
A third-round draft pick in 2003, McMullen never really found a steady role in Philadelphia with 22 catches for 294 yards and one touchdown in three seasons.
He'll be reunited with news Vikings coach and former Eagles offensive coordinator, Brad Childress, and quarterback Mike McMahon in Minnesota.
Baskett, New Mexico's leading receiver in each of the last two seasons, had 67 receptions for 1,071 yards and nine touchdowns as a senior.
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Lewis says players have shamed Bengals
CINCINNATI (June 7, 2006) -- Cincinnati Bengals coach Marvin Lewis said that he let two players know they've disgraced the team with their off-field legal problems.
"I told the people that yes, you embarrass us as an organization, myself, and the coaches when these things occur," Lewis said of rookie linebacker A.J. Nicholson and second-year receiver Chris Henry. "Right, wrong or indifferent, there are certain things that you're asked not to be a part of or around."
Lewis insisted, however, that the recent arrests of Nicholson and Henry -- Henry's third arrest within seven months -- aren't distractions to the team as it prepares for summer minicamp next week.
"We'll move forward and move on, and they'll be dealt with as they are allowed to be dealt with," Lewis said after players gathered for a voluntary practice.
Nicholson, 21, is charged with grand theft and burglary, both felonies, in a break-in at a former Florida State teammate's apartment in Tallahassee, Fla. He was the Bengals' fifth-round draft choice this year.
Henry, 23, drafted in the third round last year from West Virginia, is recovering from a January knee injury. He was charged June 4 in nearby Clermont County with speeding and drunken driving. He also faces trial Aug. 21 in Orlando, Fla., on a concealed weapon charge following a January incident in which police say he pulled a pistol on a group of revelers.
Henry pleaded guilty in March to marijuana charges from a December arrest in Kentucky, avoiding jail time after completing a drug rehabilitation program.
"That bothers me when someone doesn't quite understand social laws," said Lewis. "That bothers me, no question."
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Manning Jr., Drew charged with assault after fight
LOS ANGELES -- Chicago Bears cornerback Ricky Manning Jr. and two former UCLA football players were charged with assault Thursday for allegedly taking part in an early-morning fight at a restaurant last month.
Manning Jr.
Manning was charged with one count of assault by means likely to produce great bodily injury, Deputy District Attorney Karen Murcia said.
His arraignment, scheduled for Thursday, was postponed to May 26. Manning has previously declined comment.
Manning, a former UCLA star, was arrested April 23, along with former Bruins Tyler Ebell and Maurice Drew, after they allegedly attacked a man at a restaurant near the UCLA campus in Westwood.
Police said the players then drove off in Manning's SUV but were pulled over by officers soon after when the vehicle was spotted by a helicopter crew.
All three were released on $30,000 bail each.
Ebell, 22, and Drew were expected to surrender and be arraigned at a later date, Murcia said.
Drew, 21, was taken by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the second round of the NFL draft. The running back attended mini-camp in Florida last month.
Manning, 25, signed with the Bears last month after the Carolina Panthers declined to match Chicago's offer sheet. He is on probation for an assault in April 2002. If convicted, he faces up to four years in state prison.
The Bears did not return messages seeking comment.
Ebell played two seasons at UCLA before transferring to UTEP after the 2003 season. He rushed for 536 yards and scored five touchdowns in seven games in 2005.
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Titans sell stadium naming rights
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (June 6, 2006) -- The Tennessee Titans ' stadium, known as The Coliseum since 2002, will now be called LP Field.
The 10-year, $30 million naming rights deal was announced at the stadium by Titans owner Bud Adams and Rick Frost, chief executive officer for Louisiana-Pacific Corp.
"Our relationship is going to be ... a very great one," Adams said.
Adelphia Business Solutions, whose name was on the stadium since it opened in 1999, filed for bankruptcy and stopped payments on its 15-year, $30 million deal.
Louisiana Pacific, a building products company, relocated its headquarters to Nashville in 2004. The naming rights are part of the company's plan to promote itself and its brand as LP. The company and the Titans also said they will build a Habitat for Humanity house in Nashville.
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Reverse field: Bush going with No. 5 at card shoot
Reggie Bush just might return to the Coliseum this weekend for the NFL Rookie Premiere wearing the No. 5.
Just hours an official with the NFL Players Association said that Bush, a running back, would be wearing No. 25 for the union's trading photo shoot, Bush's marketing agent Mike Ornstein told ESPN.com that the team is fine with Bush wearing No. 5, and his client will do so.
To the Commish
Reggie Bush's efforts to get No. 5 will have to go to the desk of commissioner Paul Tagliabue. The NFL Competition Committee held a conference call last Friday and talked about changing the uniform numbering policy.
To read more, and the rest of John Clayton's quick hits, click here.
On Tuesday, Ornstein said he lobbied Saints officials, who have the final say on what number Bush will wear for the photo shoot, and apparently prevailed. Calls placed to the Saints were not immediately returned.
Both No. 5 and No. 25 jerseys will be on hand at the event, according to Pam Adolph, vice president of apparel operations for Players Inc., the union's marketing arm.
For years, Players Inc. has been putting on the event so that card companies can release cards with players in their jerseys before the season starts. Almost all the players have their numbers set by the time of the shoot, though it's not unprecedented that a player has worn a different number jersey at the shoot than he did once the season started. In 2004, Cleveland Browns tight end Kellen Winslow Jr. wore No. 11, but at the end of the preseason, Winslow convinced Aaron Shea to allow him to wear No. 80.
"Guys have been shot in one number and wound up playing in another," Adolph said. "If the Saints are OK with it and Reggie is OK with it, we don't see it as a big deal."
Sean Gardner/Getty Images
Reggie Bush wore No. 5 during the Saints minicamp.
Bush wore No. 5 in high school and at the University of Southern California, but under current NFL rules, running backs are only allowed to wear numbers 20 through 49. NFL spokesman Greg Aiello told ESPN.com on Monday that the owners will not be voting specifically on a Bush exemption. In order for Bush to be granted No. 5, the numbering rules themselves would have to be changed.
Ornstein originally said that Bush would donate 25 percent of all the royalties he received from jersey sales toward Hurricane Katrina charities if the league granted him the right to wear No. 5. But Ornstein said that Bush has now agreed to make the donation no matter what number he wears.
Saints running back Fred McAfee currently wears the No. 25, so it's not exactly clear whether that number will definitely be worn by Bush.
"Truthfully, with Reggie Bush, it's not going to matter what number he wears," Josh Goodstadt, an executive with Players Inc., which oversees the production of more than 32 million packs of NFL player trading cards each year. "He's already so hot in the trading card world and the input we've gathered from our licensees is that the number he wears, in the long run, won't help or hurt the sales of his cards."
Ornstein says he really believes there's value in Bush using the No. 5 and if he doesn't get his wish, wearing "5" this weekend will make Bush's cards with the number more valuable, Ornstein said.
With the jersey number still undecided, preorders of Bush's jerseys have slowed down a bit, according to Reebok vice president Eddie White.
"Right after the draft, Bush jerseys were red hot," White said. "Now it's more like lukewarm because there are retailers who are cutting back on their orders due to the uncertainty."
White, who noted that orders for Bush jerseys and Vince Young jerseys have each surpassed 20,000, said he predicts that will all change once a number is arrived at.
On Monday, Bush -- in conjunction with his sponsor adidas -- contributed $50,000 to the Holy Rosary School, a learning disabilities school in Louisiana that was in danger of closing.
Bush surprisingly wore Nikes at minicamp despite a multi-million dollar deal with adidas. Ornstein said Bush's adidas shoes had not yet arrived.
Darren Rovell, who covers sports business for ESPN.com, can be reached at darren.rovell@espn3.com.
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LB Watson traded again, this time to Saints
NEW ORLEANS (June 6, 2006) -- The New Orleans Saints traded linebacker Courtney Watson to the Buffalo Bills in exchange for tight end Tim Euhus.
It's the second time this year that Watson has been traded. He was sent to Miami earlier this offseason but the deal was voided when Eddie Moore, the player the Saints had obtained, failed a physical.
Euhus, entering his third season, has started nine of 23 games in his career. He has 14 receptions for 115 yards and a pair of touchdowns over the past two seasons with the Bills.
The trade is pending league approval.
Watson, who was drafted in the second round in 2004, played in nine games for the Saints last season and had 37 tackles and one sack. He was arrested in late October on a drunken driving charge in San Antonio and a knee sprain kept him out for the last seven games of the season.
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Seahawks sign Holmgren to two-year extenstion
The Seahawks re-signed their most important 2007 free agent Tuesday afternoon when they reached a two-year contract extension for coach Mike Holmgren, whose contract was set to expire after this season.
Holmgren's agent, Bob LaMonte, finalized the contract extension one week after flying to Seattle last Tuesday to meet with Seahawks officials. Terms of the contract weren't available, but Holmgren was negotiating from a position of strength. With a $7 million salary in 2006, Holmgren was negotiating as the highest paid coach in the league.
Otto Greule Jr/Getty Images
Holmgren's new contract extension will keep him in Seattle through the 2008 season.
In 1999, Holmgren signed a record-breaking eight-year, $35 million deal as the coach-general manager of the franchise. He's been to four playoffs during his first seven years and had his first trip to the Super Bowl as the Seahawks coach this past season. The Super Bowl loss to Pittsburgh was hard on him, and it initially gave him second thoughts about wanting to sign an extension. At the Scouting Combine in Indianapolis, Holmgren still wasn't sure about re-signing.
About a month ago, after relaxing and taking some time off, Holmgren told LaMonte to start working on extension. LaMonte did some preliminary work on a deal in April. He entered last Tuesday's meeting optimistic that something would get done within a week.
Terms of the deal weren't known other than it was a two-year extension. It is not known whether or not Holmgren was able to get a clause in his contract that would allow him to go to another team if they offer him the position of general manager. Holmgren lost his general manager's title a couple years ago, and he wants to be a general manager again at some point.
The Seahawks have a general manager in Tim Ruskell so Holmgren would have to go elsewhere to get that type of job.
It is a little ironic that the two-year extension will take him to 10 years with the Seahawks. When Seahawks owner Paul Allen first started to talk contract with Holmgren in 1999, he wanted to sign Holmgren to a 10-year deal. Tuesday's extension gave the owner and the coach exactly what each wanted.
John Clayton is a senior NFL writer for ESPN.com.
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Favre returns to Packers practice
GREEN BAY, Wis. (June 6, 2006) -- Brett Favre was back on the field June 6, a day after being held out of a voluntary practice.
Packers coach Mike McCarthy said he planned to hold the quarterback out of the June 5 practice all along -- despite comments last week that led most to believe Favre would take part in all four practices this week.
Favre worked out but didn't practice with the team.
"I never said he would practice all four days. Him practicing all four days was never the intention, ever," McCarthy said.
McCarthy seemed slightly agitated by persistent questions about players who haven't taken part in voluntary workouts -- a group that again included starting cornerbacks Al Harris and Charles Woodson.
"Brett has hit every target that we've asked," McCarthy said. "The plan for him has been laid out for months and frankly, I'm not going to get into going through this every day. He worked out here, he did what's asked of him. I've said it over and over, we're just being smart with Brett. So he did what was on his schedule to do."
Favre is scheduled to speak to the media June 8 and will host his annual charity softball tournament on June 11.
The 36-year-old Favre decided last month he would return for one more season. Favre threw a career-worst 29 interceptions last season and the Packers went 4-12, the team's first losing season since he became its quarterback.
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Flutie retires after 21 years of pro football
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (May 15, 2006) -- Doug Flutie retired May 15, ending a 21-year career in which the undersized Heisman Trophy winner threw one of college football's most famous passes and played a dozen seasons in the NFL.
Gil Brandt on Flutie
(May 16, 2006) -- I first met Doug Flutie back in May of 1984. At that time, he came to Dallas as part of the Playboy All-America team. The guys that weekend nicknamed him the "Magic Man." He was great at all the games we played and had an especially strong arm for a guy his size.
Flutie actually made his first-ever NFL start against Cowboys in Dallas. He was with the Bears at the time and it was late December of 1986. The Bears won 24-10.
I was actually present at the Boston College vs. Miami game where he threw the miracle Hail Mary pass to Gerard Phelan for the game-winning touchdown.
Through the years, Flutie has been an amazing guy. He was drafted by the L.A. Rams, then went to the New Jersey Generals in the USFL and then to three teams in the Canadian Football League. He's been with the Bears, Patriots, Bills and Chargers.
For him to have played as long as he did is so impressive to me. He was actually the second shortest quarterback of all time to be selected to the Pro Bowl, just behind Eddie LeBaron.
The only start Doug Flutie had in 1986 for the Bears was his 24-10 win over the Cowboys.
"It's just been a fun run for me," the 43-year-old Flutie said.
Flutie finished his career with one season with the New England Patriots, for whom he threw 10 passes in five games but was able to play near his home in Natick and close to Boston College, where he won the Heisman in 1984.
"To finish it up by getting back here is very special," he said at a news conference at Gillette Stadium, home of the Patriots.
Flutie's next job will be as a college football analyst with ABC and ESPN. He'll work in the ABC studio during Saturday's college football games and on ESPN studio shows, and might be an analyst at some games.
Flutie spent 12 seasons in the NFL and played in the U.S. Football League and the Canadian Football League. He won the CFL's Most Outstanding Player award six times and the league's Grey Cup championship three times.
The Patriots listed him at 5-feet-10, but he said he actually was one-eighth of an inch shorter.
"Like some of us," said Robert Kraft, the Patriots diminutive owner, "he was vertically challenged and he never let it slow him down."
Flutie finishes with 14,715 passing yards and 86 touchdowns in the NFL, spending most of his time as a backup. Last season, he converted the league's first drop kick for an extra point since the 1941 NFL title game.
"If that ends up being my last play, it wouldn't be bad," Flutie said after the game, a mostly meaningless regular season-ending loss to the Miami Dolphins.
Doug Flutie's career highlights include a drop-kick for an extra point in last year's season finale.
His college career was also punctuated by a play that endures as one of the most memorable in the sport. He won the 1984 Heisman after connecting with Gerard Phelan on a desperation 48-yard touchdown pass that beat Miami as time expired.
But Flutie started only six games in the last four seasons, the first three with San Diego.
"If he knew he was going out there to play and start, he would not retire. It would be an easy choice for him," Phelan said, but "Sundays are frustrating."
Flutie left BC as the school's passing leader with 10,579 yards, and he remains a hero on campus; his Heisman is the centerpiece of the school's new Hall of Fame. He was drafted by the Los Angeles Rams in the 11th round in 1985 but chose to play for the USFL's New Jersey Generals, owned by Donald Trump.
He then joined the NFL, but his freewheeling style and short stature were a poor fit for its conservative schemes. He played five games for Chicago the next two seasons and 17 for New England from 1987-89.
Only in the CFL, with its wide-open game, did he truly find success, throwing for 41,355 yards and 270 touchdowns in eight seasons with British Columbia, Calgary and Toronto.
"His accomplishments up there are more than legendary," Patriots coach Bill Belichick said.
He joined Buffalo in 1998 and played more regularly -- 39 games over three years. He started all 16 games for San Diego in 2001 then spent the next three years as backup to Drew Brees.
Last April, Flutie signed with the Patriots for a second time.
He made his biggest splash with his drop kick.
"I think Doug deserves it," Belichick said after the game, sensing that the play would be Flutie's football finale. "He is a guy that adds a lot to this game of football, has added a lot through his great career -- running, passing and now kicking."
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Top pick Williams sits out Texans practice
HOUSTON (June 7, 2006) -- Houston Texans No. 1 draft pick Mario Williams will be sidelined for the rest of the week after having the toenails on both of his big toes removed.
Williams, a 6-foot-7, 292-pound defensive end, had the procedure done on June 5 after struggling with infections because of problems with his toenails.
Houston has been going through organized team workouts for the past month and had their first day of minicamp on June 7.
"They were bothering him throughout the camp," said Texans coach Gary Kubiak. "So instead of trying to fight it, they removed them. We're giving him a few days off to make sure it heals properly."
Kubiak said Williams would probably return to practice on June 9.
"We just didn't want it to be a problem when we got to the summer so took care of it now," Kubiak said.
Williams signed a six-year $54 million contract the night before the draft.
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Shanahan growing tired of Lelie's absences
DENVER (May 16, 2006) -- Ashley Lelie's absence is starting to chafe Denver Broncos coach Mike Shanahan.
As promised, Lelie was a no-show when the Broncos gathered for on-field work for the first time since losing the AFC title game to Pittsburgh in January.
"I can't worry about the guys that aren't here -- or the guy that's not here," Shanahan said after his nine-day quarterbacks camp opened without the recalcitrant former first-round draft pick. "The only thing I'm concerned about are the people that are here.
"I know it's hard to be the No. 1 wide receiver when you're not competing."
One player Shanahan was surprised to see in attendance was tackle/tight end Dwayne Carswell, who was critically injured in a car crash last October.
"Dwayne is a lot farther ahead than I thought he would be," Shanahan said. "He's out there ready to practice already. I did not think that would be possible after watching him over the last couple of months. He is an overachiever, he works extremely hard. He has a big passion for the game."
Lelie insists he does, too.
He wants to be a featured pass-catcher in somebody's offense and is convinced he'll never get that opportunity in Denver, where Rod Smith is entrenched and former Pro Bowl receiver Javon Walker, acquired in a draft-day trade with Green Bay, is expected to start on the other side.
Lelie wasn't pleased with the Broncos' interest in Terrell Owens and declined to attend the club's offseason conditioning program, forgoing a contract incentive to work out instead in Tempe, Ariz. -- with Walker, oddly enough.
Lelie, who is entering the final season of the rookie contract he signed as the 19th overall pick in the 2002 draft, was hoping the Broncos would send him packing last month. But Shanahan grabbed Walker, who is coming off a serious knee injury, for only a second-round draft pick.
A year after catching 54 passes for 1,084 yards and seven touchdowns, Lelie's numbers dipped last season to 42 receptions for 770 yards and one touchdown, but his deep-threat ability keeps defenses honest.
Walker signed a five-year contract extension that will kick in next season, provided he returns from two operations on his right knee and shows signs he can be the player who went to the Pro Bowl in 2004 before blowing out his knee in the Packers' opener last season.
Walker only tossed a football on the sideline with wide receiver Domenik Hixon, a fourth-round draft pick from Akron who is rehabbing from a broken leg. Both are expected back by training camp, which will open July 27.
Lelie has threatened to also skip training camp in his quest to get a ticket out of town.
"I'm concerned about the people that are here," Shanahan said. "I am working with the people that are here. I can't do anything about somebody not being here. ... If somebody wants to be part of this football team and wants to compete, they're here. If they don't want to be part of this football team, I cannot force them."
Lelie could be fined for every day he misses in training camp, but the Broncos can't do anything about him skipping offseason workouts, which are officially considered voluntary. However, they are treated as mandatory in Denver and many other NFL cities.
"A lot of places I've been, not everyone attends," safety John Lynch said. "Here it's a little unusual because essentially the whole team attends the offseason workouts. We've had 97, 98 percent attendance at our workouts.
"I think ideally everybody wishes Ashley were here, but also everybody understands the business side of things and he feels like he needs to make a stand, then that's what he needs to do. But we'd all like to see him here competing like the rest of us."
AP NEWS
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Copyright 2006, The Associated Press, All Rights Reserved
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Titans deal McNair to Ravens, pending physical
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (June 7, 2006) -- The Tennessee Titans ended their stalemate with quarterback Steve McNair and traded the former MVP to the Baltimore Ravens pending a physical.
"We have granted permission to Baltimore to give Steve McNair a physical, which we expect to take place in the next 24 hours," the team said in a statement.
"Upon passing a physical, final trade terms will be agreed upon."
The Ravens, who reportedly have offered a fourth-round pick in next spring's draft, confirmed that McNair will take a physical Wednesday, but the team said the results were not expected to be available until Thursday morning.
McNair, who turned 33 in February, was the winningest quarterback in franchise history. In 11 seasons, he went 81-59 and led them to their only Super Bowl in 2000. He and Peyton Manning shared the league's MVP award in 2003.
McNair won a grievance last week that allowed him to return to the team's headquarters and work out after being told he couldn't on April 3. The Titans had been trying to renegotiate a cheaper salary for McNair to lower a $23.46 million salary cap hit.
But the Titans had given McNair's agent, Bus Cook, permission to talk with Baltimore on April 30 about a contract, and Cook worked out a five-year deal with an $11 million signing bonus and $1 million salary for 2006.
That was much more than McNair could get from the Titans, who had drafted quarterback Vince Young of Texas with the third overall pick in April.
Assuming he passes the physical, McNair is expected to be Baltimore's starting quarterback. Kyle Boller, the incumbent, conceded on Tuesday that was likely to be the case.
"If Steve gets here, or when he gets here, we'll handle it then. But as far as now, I'm just out here competing and trying to get this offense where it needs to be," Boller said. "I'm going about my business right now like I'm the starter. That's the only way I can think of it."
McNair is one of only four players in NFL history with 150 touchdowns passing and 35 rushing, trailing only Steve Young, Randall Cunningham and Steve Grogan. He is one of five with 25,000 yards passing and 3,000 yards rushing, a group that includes John Elway, Fran Tarkenton, Young and Randall Cunningham.
During his MVP season, McNair had a 100.4 passer rating and led the Titans to a wild-card playoff victory over the Ravens in Baltimore and came up short on a late drive in a divisional loss at New England.
McNair played in 14 games in 2005 and threw for 3,161 yards and 16 touchdowns with 11 interceptions. He missed the regular season finale because of a strained pectoral muscle, but recovered to play in the Pro Bowl in February.
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McNair testifies; decision expected by June 1
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (May 16, 2006) -- An arbitrator heard more than seven hours of testimony on whether the Tennessee Titans breached quarterback Steve McNair's contract by barring him from working out at the team's headquarters.
McNair, who parked his sport utility vehicle in the lot for visitors and not the players' gated area, left the hearing along with agent Bus Cook without making any comment.
Richard Berthelsen, general counsel for the players' union, said arbitrator John Feerick hoped to return a decision by June 1. The union argued that McNair should be allowed to work out or be released.
"Every player has a right, we believe, to be on club property to participate with his teammates. That's the only place where a player is protected in terms of if he's hurt and gets his salary," Berthelsen said.
"For a team to say, 'You can't be on our property because we don't want to have that risk,' then the risk is unfairly shifted to the player."
The Titans want protection from the potential liability of an enormous salary-cap hit if McNair is hurt, or they want a new, cheaper contract to reduce that cap number. The team issued a statement expressing confidence the arbitrator understands the issues in the case.
"We will not issue any further comment on the issue until a decision has been rendered," the statement said.
Negotiations between the Titans and Cook have been nearly nonexistent. Cook worked out a deal with Baltimore last month after being given permission to talk with the Ravens during the NFL draft. A trade fell through when the Titans said Baltimore's offer was insignificant.
The Titans drafted Texas quarterback Vince Young with the No. 3 overall pick.
Berthelsen said McNair testified he would prefer to remain with the Titans until he decides to retire. The 11-year veteran was the NFL's co-MVP in 2003, has won more games for this franchise than any other quarterback and led the Titans to the playoffs in four of five seasons through 2003.
Most of the hearing was spent with the Titans cross-examining McNair about his offseason workout habits, according to Berthelsen.
"It was mainly irrelevant things like, 'You weren't here much in the past, were you? So why do you want to be here now?' But it wasn't really to the point," Berthelsen said.
Asked if the Titans appear to want McNair back, the attorney said:
"It's a pity a player who has meant as much as he has to this franchise being told in his 11th year he can't be on club property, especially since he's under contract. I can't think of a player who's done more for this franchise. It is a shame that things have come to where they've come."
The Titans must either rework McNair's remaining year or release him to create enough salary-cap space to sign their rookies. They traditionally don't begin signing rookies until July.
Both McNair and his agent have said the quarterback is healthy enough to play another three or four years. But he has missed 10 games over the past two seasons because of injury, and the Titans have shown no inclination to take expensive risks with veterans.
Tennessee released Eddie George, the team's all-time leading rusher, in July 2004 only after the running back declined a pay cut and asked to be waived.
AP NEWS
The Associated Press News Service
Copyright 2006, The Associated Press, All Rights Reserved
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Harlan hands Packers presidency to Jones
GREEN BAY, Wis. (June 1, 2006) -- Bob Harlan handed the title of Green Bay Packers team president to eventual successor John Jones.
Jones becomes the 10th president in team history, and will remain the team's Chief Operating Officer until Harlan retires next May.
The title switch puts a formal stamp on a process that began in 1999, when Harlan hired Jones away from the NFL management council.
Harlan, who joined the Packers' front office in 1971 and has been president since 1989, will remain the team's Chief Executive Officer until he hands it over to Jones next year. Harlan also adds the title of Chairman, though the new title doesn't necessarily bring new responsibilities.
Harlan said there was still too much work to be done to get nostalgic about his career with Green Bay.
"I think that'll probably come in a year, because there's still things I'd like to see done this next year," Harlan said. "You'd certainly like to get better on the football field in a hurry. But I think the next year is going to be very similar to what we've just gone through and what we've been going through for the past few years. Next year, it may be a little more, 'Now it's over.'"
The move was formally approved in a meeting of the Packers' board of directors on May 31.
"No one is going to replace Bob Harlan," Jones said. "His shoes aren't going to be filled. Bob is in a special class in all of football, and I'm the first guy to recognize that. What I will do is to work very hard to be my own man, to continue the tradition that's important to us, and to make sure that fans know that we do everything we can to win -- that nothing is more important than winning to the Green Bay Packers."
The 54-year-old Jones left a job as a sportswriter with the New Orleans Times-Picayune to work for the NFL management council during the 1987 players' strike.
The idea of succeeding Harlan was discussed even before Jones joined the Packers in 1999.
"Through the years it's always been Ron Wolf or Mike Sherman or Ted Thompson who would come in my office and we'd sit down and talk about football decisions," Harlan said. "I'm trying to get John more involved in that so that a year from now, it's easier for him."
Jones said he already is stepping into that role.
"I think it's important that Ted Thompson and (coach) Mike McCarthy know that this organization, as it is today and will be in the future, they have the resources to make us a better ballclub," Jones said. "And that will be no different in the future than it has in the past under Bob Harlan."
Harlan and Jones both will represent the Packers at NFL owners meetings in the upcoming year, but other team owners have asked that only Harlan sit in on meetings related to the search for a successor to commissioner Paul Tagliabue.
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Seahawks release OT Hunter after scuffle
KIRKLAND, Wash. (May 16, 2006) -- The Seattle Seahawks released offensive tackle Wayne Hunter after the reserve was charged with misdemeanor assault following a dispute at a sports bar.
According to a police report, Hunter and his brother were involved in a scuffle at the Classics Sports Bar and Grill in Renton. The pair got into an argument, and on the way out of the bar knocked over a table, breaking glasses and plates.
Hunter put his brother into a car, went back into the bar and confronted a man, slamming him on a shuffleboard table, the man told police. Hunter's vehicle was later stopped and he was charged with fourth-degree assault and third-degree malicious mischief, both misdemeanors. No court date has been set.
Hunter was the team's third-round draft choice out of Hawaii in 2003, but has faced legal problems in the past. He was arrested for minor assault against his girlfriend in the summer of 2003, and was twice suspended by the NFL for violating the league's personal conduct policy.
Hunter played in two games over three seasons.
Seattle also signed rookie free agent cornerback Gerard Ross and released offensive guard Kyle Ralph.
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Bengals LB Nicholson to face charges in Florida
CINCINNATI (June 1, 2006) -- Bengals rookie linebacker A.J. Nicholson will travel to Florida to face charges of burglarizing the apartment of a former Florida State teammate.
Nicholson, a fifth-round draft pick last April, has been participating in offseason workouts at Paul Brown Stadium this week. The club has declined to comment while the case is handled in court.
Nicholson and Fred Rouse, another former Florida State teammate, have been charged with breaking into the apartment of Seminoles running back Lorenzo Booker and stealing $1,700 worth of electronic equipment the weekend of May 20-21.
Rouse was arrested in Tallahassee last Saturday. Nicholson was in Cincinnati when charges were filed.
Nicholson and Rouse are charged with felony counts of burglary and grand theft. Nicholson also is charged with a misdemeanor count of criminal mischief for damage to the apartment.
The Bengals drafted Nicholson, 21, despite his history of off-field problems at Florida State. The most recent came before the Orange Bowl, when he was suspended for taking a woman to the team hotel. The woman accused him of sexual assault, but Nicholson has not been charged.
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Enberg, Carter to call games on Westwood One
NEW YORK (June 1, 2006) -- Westwood One announced the appointment of legendary, award-winning broadcaster Dick Enberg and NFL great Cris Carter as part of its Thursday Night Football broadcast team. Enberg will provide the play-by-play with Carter serving as color analyst for all Westwood One's Thursday Night Football broadcasts. In addition, Carter will also serve as an analyst for Westwood One's Saturday Night NFL broadcasts. Westwood One's coverage of the 2006-2007 NFL season kicks off Thursday, Sept. 7, as the defending Super Bowl champion Pittsburgh Steelers host the Miami Dolphins.
"I'm excited to return to radio on Westwood One, where unlike television with its immediate pictures, the announcer paints the entire canvas," said Enberg. "Working with Cris Carter, a future Hall of Fame receiver, will be a special pleasure. I know that no matter what I throw at him, he'll catch it and head up field."
"I am thrilled to be a part of Westwood One's new Thursday/Saturday package, and to have the pleasure of working with one of the greatest play-by-play announcers of all time, Dick Enberg," said Carter.
"This is yet another example of Westwood One's commitment to winning," said Peter Kosann, Westwood One president and CEO. "Adding broadcasters of this magnitude should speak volumes about our never-ending resolve to deliver the best product possible for our advertisers, affiliates and fans."
"We're truly privileged to have assembled such an outstanding broadcast crew for Thursday night in Dick Enberg and Cris Carter," said David Halberstam, EVP/GM Westwood One Sports. "Enberg, whose roots are in radio, is a wordsmith. His graphic and galvanizing descriptions are perfectly suited for our national radio broadcasts. Cris Carter, after a Hall of Fame playing career, has earned rave reviews since his recent broadcasting debut. NFL fans will enjoy his insightful analysis and game commentary beginning this season."
DICK ENBERG
Enberg, formerly the radio voice of the Los Angeles Rams and UCLA Bruins, is currently a play-by-play announcer for The NFL on CBS, college basketball and the U.S. Open Tennis Championships. He also contributes to the Masters and PGA Championship broadcasts for the network. Enberg spent 25 years with NBC Sports, beginning in 1975 as the play-by-play announcer for college basketball. He has taken on assignments including NFL football (38 seasons), the Super Bowl (nine times), the Rose Bowl (nine times), the Orange Bowl (six times), the Olympic Games (1972, 1988, 1992, 1996), the Australian Open (once), the French Open (19 times), Wimbledon (22 times), the U.S. Open Tennis Championships (six times), the Masters (six times), the PGA Championship (three times), the U.S. Open Golf Championship (five times), the Ryder Cup (three times), the American and National League Playoffs (three times), the World Series, heavyweight boxing championships (three times), the NCAA Men's Basketball Championship (10 times), the NBA Playoffs and the NBA All-Star Game. Along with football, baseball, tennis, golf, basketball and boxing, he has called gymnastics, figure skating, Breeders Cup horse racing and track and field.
Throughout his career, Enberg has earned a series of national honors, including 14 Emmy Awards, nine Sportscaster of the Year Awards, the Ronald Reagan Media Award and the Victor Award as the top sportscaster of the past 25 years. Enberg is only the fourth sportscaster to be honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Along with his 15 National Sportscaster Awards, he has been named the 1989 Tennis Play-by-Play Man of the Year (Tennis Magazine) and the 1989 NFL Press Box Award winner as football's top play-by-play announcer. He also received a Lifetime Achievement Emmy Award in 2000. Enberg was awarded the 1984 Eclipse Award (thoroughbred racing), the 1995 National Basketball Hall of Fame's Curt Gowdy Award and the 1999 Pro Football Hall of Fame's Pete Rozelle Award. In 1974, he won a local Emmy Award for coverage of the Rose Bowl Parade. In 1973, he became the first American sportscaster to visit the People's Republic of China (USA vs. China basketball, Beijing). Enberg lives in La Jolla, Calif., with his wife, Barbara, and the three youngest of his six children.
CRIS CARTER
Currently the co-host of HBO's Inside the NFL, Carter is one of the most prolific receivers in NFL history. He trails only Jerry Rice in the record books and is the No. 2 all-time receiver with 11,010 receptions and 130 touchdowns. His 13,899 career receiving yards ranks fourth in NFL history. Carter played 15 years in the NFL, mostly with the Minnesota Vikings, for which he holds virtually every franchise receiving record.
Carter was the recipient of the 1999 Walter Payton Man of the Year Award, given annually by the NFL for recognition of character and charitable works off the field. Carter made eight consecutive trips to the Pro Bowl, and in 1999 he received the Byron "Whizzer" White Award, the most prestigious award given by the NFL Players Association given to the player who best exemplifies service to team, community and country. Carter also currently co-hosts an NFL show on Sirius Satellite Radio during the regular season, and serves as the NFL expert analyst for Yahoo Sports. Carter resides in Boca Raton, Fla., with his wife and their two children.
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Redskins safety Taylor has deal in assault case
MIAMI -- Washington Redskins safety Sean Taylor reached an agreement with prosecutors to drop felony charges against him and pleaded no contest Thursday to two misdemeanors in an assault case, avoiding any jail time that might have derailed his NFL career.
AP Photo/Yesikka Vivancos
While pleading no contest, Sean Taylor, left, still believes he didn't do anything wrong.
The deal calls for Taylor to be placed on 18 months' probation, talk about the importance of education at 10 Miami-Dade County schools and contribute $1,000 for scholarships to each of those schools. He must also pay $429 in court costs.
The 23-year-old Taylor had been scheduled to go to trial on July 10. He had faced a maximum of 46 years in prison if convicted on three aggravated assault charges and one misdemeanor charge stemming from a confrontation last June after his all-terrain vehicles were taken.
"This is a fair and just resolution to this case that was blown out of proportion from the beginning," Taylor attorney Richard Sharpstein said. "It's a great outcome for Sean."
The NFL could still impose a fine or suspend Taylor for one or more games, Sharpstein said, but league officials did not immediately return a telephone call seeking comment. The Redskins also declined comment but have publicly supported Taylor in the past.
When Taylor and some friends located the people who had the vehicles, the two sides eventually got into a fight and Taylor hit and shoved at least one person, a prosecutor said in court. Prosecutors had first accused Taylor of pointing a gun during the dispute, but he denied having a weapon. That accusation was dropped in the deal.
Speaking to Miami-Dade County Circuit Judge Leonard Glick, Taylor said the plea was "a hard pill for me to swallow" because "this is not something I think I'm guilty of."
But Taylor added: "I believe it's in my best interest to accept this plea."
Under the plea deal, the aggravated assault charges will be dropped and Taylor pleaded no contest to misdemeanor counts of simple battery and simple assault. If he does not violate probation, those charges would be eliminated from his record.
Taylor, a former University of Miami standout, signed a seven-year, $18 million contract with the Redskins after he was drafted in 2004. He has six interceptions and 120 tackles in two NFL seasons, but has become almost as well-known for his troubles.
Taylor has been fined seven times during his professional career for late hits and other infractions, including a $17,000 penalty for spitting in the face of Tampa Bay running back Michael Pittman during a January playoff game. He was also fined $25,000 for skipping a mandatory rookie symposium.
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QB McNair wins grievance case against Titans
seven hours of testimony May 16 on charges that the Titans breached McNair's contract by barring him from working out at the team's headquarters. The union filed the grievance, arguing he should be allowed to work out on the property or be released.
General Counsel Richard Berthelsen called it a victory for the NFL Players Association and McNair, but he said it was unfortunate they had to go through this process.
"We've said since the beginning that this was a clear violation of his contract with the club," Berthelsen said.
The Titans originally told McNair on April 3 he wasn't allowed to work out on the property because they feared the liability of a $23.46 million salary cap hit if McNair got hurt. Negotiations to reduce that cap number have been nearly nonexistent.
Titans general counsel Steve Underwood said he believed the decision reflected some quirks of Tennessee state law but did not find that the team violated the league's collective bargaining agreement.
The Titans said they would welcome McNair back into the offseason program.
"I also would expect to see discussions between the Titans and Bus Cook reopened in an attempt to work out something that would be beneficial to both sides," Underwood said in statement issued by the team.
The NFL said it was gratified the arbitrator rejected numerous claims from McNair and the union, including that he be released from his contract and be paid for the missed workouts
"The decision also makes clear that the club's actions did not constitute discipline and that players do not have an absolute right under the CBA to offseason workouts at a club's facility. The arbitrator went out of his way to say that this is an unusual and narrow case, and that only under these unique circumstances must the club grant the player a right to work out at its facility," league officials said in a statement.
Tennessee allowed McNair's agent, Bus Cook, to talk with the Baltimore Ravens during the NFL draft in April after the team drafted Vince Young of Texas with the No. 3 overall pick. Cook worked out a $12 million deal, but a trade fell through when the Titans called the Ravens' offer insignificant.
McNair is under contract for the 2006 season and due a salary of $9 million.
Cook did not immediately return a message left by The Associated Press. The Titans are not scheduled for another on-field practice session again until June 13.
The 33-year-old McNair has won more games for the Titans than any other quarterback and helped lead the team to the playoffs in four of five seasons through 2003.
But releasing him would create some much-needed salary cap space for a team that doesn't have enough room to start signing its rookies. The team traditionally doesn't begin signing rookies until July.
After slashing payroll and fielding the NFL's youngest team last season, the Titans finished 4-12. McNair played in 14 games, but his quarterback rating was 18th in the league at 82.4.
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Gov. Bush says he'll finish term in Florida
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- Gov. Jeb Bush is getting tired of people trying to plan his life after he leaves office in January.
First, his brother, the president, hinted Bush should consider his own run for the Oval Office in 2008.
And now comes the National Football League, which had an emissary gauge his interest in replacing commissioner Paul Tagliabue, who is retiring in July.
To both, Bush's response was thanks, but no.
"I'm flattered," Bush said Wednesday of the NFL's interest, "but I'm governor of the state of Florida and I intend to be governor until I leave -- which is January 2007. And I'm not going to consider any other options other than being governor until I finish."
He doesn't believe NFL officials will hold the position open until then.
No matter the buzz -- including whispers about a run for U.S. Senate and the GOP's vice presidential nomination in 2008 -- Bush says he's focused on simply finishing his second term.
"I swore to uphold the laws of this state and I interpreted that a little broader, perhaps, to mean also that I was going to work 24-7, that I was going to finish strong," Bush said. "And so a day doesn't go by where someone doesn't have a great idea for what my life looks like in 2007 and beyond and I'm not entertaining any discussion about it."
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Former Eagles coach Trimble dies at 87
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- Jim Trimble, the former Philadelphia Eagles head coach who spent more than four decades in professional football, has died. He was 87.
Trimble died Tuesday at his home in Indianapolis after a battle with emphysema, the New York Giants said Wednesday.
Trimble was the Eagles' coach from 1952-55 and later coached in the Canadian Football League. He spent 12 years as the Giants' director of player personnel, beginning in 1969, and was a consultant to the organization for more than a decade.
"Jim Trimble was one of the most beloved employees we have ever had here,'' said John Mara, the Giants' president and chief executive officer.
"He served in many capacities from coaching to scouting to pro personnel. He could be as gruff and as tough an individual you would ever want to meet. But behind all of that was one of the kindest, most decent people you would ever hope to meet.''
Trimble grew up in McKeesport, Pa., and played college football at Indiana, playing tackle for the Big Ten school for three years beginning in 1939.
After graduating in 1942, he joined the U.S. Navy, serving as a lieutenant in the South Pacific for three years.
After the war, he was a graduate assistant at Indiana for two years. He was hired as head football coach and athletic director at Wichita State in 1948 and led his team to victory in the 1949 Camellia Bowl.
Trimble began his NFL career as an assistant with the Eagles in 1951. He became head coach in September 1952 and compiled a 25-20-3 record in four seasons.
He was fired after a 4-7-1 season in 1955, but was hired less than three weeks later to coach the CFL's Hamilton Tiger-Cats. His team won the Grey Cup title in 1957, defeating Winnipeg 32-7, and he was selected the coach of the year.
From 1963-65, he coached Montreal. His overall CFL record was 87-71-2.
Trimble joined the Giants in 1967 as offensive line coach under Allie Sherman and remained with the organization for the rest of his professional career until retiring to Indianapolis.
Trimble, whose first wife passed away in 1991, is survived by his second wife, Alfreda, six children and 13 grandchildren.
A funeral service is scheduled for Saturday in Easton, Pa.
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No rolling roof, no Super Bowl at Arrowhead
KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- The Kansas City Chiefs on Thursday withdrew their request for Arrowhead Stadium to host the 2015 Super Bowl, after yet another setback in plans for a rolling roof at the Truman Sports Complex.
Chiefs owner Lamar Hunt said in a statement that Arrowhead Stadium renovations would move forward without a roof to make it and the adjacent Kauffman Stadium climate-controlled, a condition for hosting the Super Bowl.
"We tried our very best," Hunt said, "but found that the combination of a lack of consensus from the various political interests, the business community and the Royals, as well as the need for promptness on the beginning of construction at Arrowhead would not permit us to pursue the rolling roof at this time."
The latest push to bring a rolling roof to the sports complex ended Monday, when county officials withdrew a resolution to put the project on the Aug. 8 ballot.
Hunt said renovations at Arrowhead would be designed to accommodate a roof in case local leaders eventually decide to add one. He urged the Royals to do the same at Kauffman.
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