Nfl Football - Football Betting

2005-11-07T12:28:00.000-08:00

Benson a no-show for Saints game in Baton Rouge
Associated Press

BATON ROUGE, La. -- Tom Benson was a no-show for New Orleans' game against Chicago on Sunday in Baton Rouge, staying true to his earlier promise never to return to the city where last week he swatted at a TV news camera and argued with a heckling fan.--football gambling--

However, Benson's granddaughter, Rita Benson LeBlanc, did come to the game. LeBlanc, who has the title of owner/executive, is Benson's heir apparent.--football gambling--

After the Saints' loss to Miami a week ago, Benson fired off an e-mail to NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue saying his trip to Baton Rouge was a "total disaster," adding that he and his family members could have been injured or killed and that he would no longer attend games in Baton Rouge either this season or if any Saints games are scheduled here in 2006.--football gambling--

Saints spokesman Greg Bensel later said Benson wrote the e-mail out of frustration and still may attend one of the remaining games scheduled for Baton Rouge. Bensel did not immediately issue a statement on Benson's behalf during the Chicago game. --football gambling--

Fans booed when a public address announcement mentioned Benson while soliciting donations to the Saints' Hurricane Katrina relief fund.The Saints, based temporarily in San Antonio, play twice more in Baton Rouge, on Dec. 4 against Tampa Bay and Dec. 18 against Carolina. Their final home game will be in San Antonio on Dec. 24 against Detroit. --football gambling--

2005-11-02T08:45:00.000-08:00

Fantasy Football '05: The perfect draft - midseason review

Tuesday, November 01, 2005

By Ladd K. Biro

Today's column takes you back to a simpler time. A time full of promise, full of hope, full of sleepless nights laying awake crafting draft strategy while visions of running backs and wide receivers danced in a thought bubble above your head. -NFL Football-

Yes, it's time once again to torture ourselves by taking a look at the team we could have assembled two months ago, with crystal-clear hindsight. -NFL Football-

Plenty of fantasy columnists will be declaring their midseason MVPs, their top picks at each position, their busts. Pardon me while I yawn. You could rattle those off just as easily. -NFL Football-

I'd rather torment you by showing what might have been. -NFL Football-

As with our preseason Perfect Draft, we start with a few key assumptions. First, we're in a 10-team league using a standard scoring system that starts 1 quarterback, 2 running backs, 3 wide receivers, 1 tight end, 1 kicker and 1 defense. Second, we are drafting from the fifth position in a zig-zag format, which means neither LaDainian Tomlinson nor Shaun Alexander were available for our first pick. Last, our goal is nothing short of total league domination and the humiliation of our opponents. -NFL Football-

Now, with the fifth pick of the 2005 Fantasy Draft, we should have selected... -NFL Football-

Round 1 -- Edgerrin James, RB, Colts: While everyone else jumps on Peyton Manning, we'll just snicker and grab the real MVP of the Colts' offense. Runner-up: Willis McGahee, RB, Bills. -NFL Football-

Round 2 -- Terrell Owens, WR, Eagles: He's so good, he's running out of funny end zone celebrations. Runner-up: Tiki Barber, RB, Giants. -NFL Football-

Round 3 -- LaMont Jordan, RB, Raiders: After getting off to a slow start with his new team, Jordan has been money as a dual-threat runner and receiver. Runner-up: Steven Jackson, RB, Rams. -NFL Football-

Round 4: Antonio Gates, TE, Chargers: Spot him the extra bye in Week 1 while he serves his team-imposed detention, then plug him in as the most dominant player at his position. Runner-up: Marc Bulger, QB, Rams. -NFL Football-

Round 5 -- Steve Smith, WR, Panthers: Considered a risky pick coming back from a serious leg injury, Smith has more touchdown receptions (eight) and receiving yards (797) than any receiver in the league. Runner-up: Tatum Bell, RB, Broncos. -NFL Football-

Round 6 -- Thomas Jones, RB, Bears: We could probably wait another round, but if we miss him, we'll be thin at the running back position. And we can't have that now, can we? Runner-up: Larry Fitzgerald, WR, Cardinals. -NFL Football-

Round 7 -- Carson Palmer, QB, Bengals: He's everything we could have hoped for, and more. His 2,037 yards and 16 passing touchdowns lead the league. Runner-up: Jeremy Shockey, TE, Giants. -NFL Football-

Round 8 -- Rod Smith, WR, Broncos: Pretty slim pickings in this round, with Smith getting a slight edge over Deion Branch and Chris Chambers. Runner-up: Branch, WR, Patriots. -NFL Football-

Round 9 -- Drew Brees, QB, Chargers: You don't need him with Palmer in your line-up, but he's the best value in this round. Runner-up: Jimmy Smith, WR, Jaguars. -NFL Football-

Round 10 -- Plaxico Burress, WR, Giants: Now here's an inspired pick. Burress backed up his preseason braggadocio by stepping into the No. 1 receiver role and teaming with Eli Manning as the NFL's most dynamic new duo. Runner-up: L.J. Smith, TE, Eagles. -NFL Football-

Round 11 -- Santana Moss, WR, Redskins: Making a strong bid for comeback player of the year, Moss has found new life as Mark Brunell's elusive go-to receiver. Runner-up: Stephen Davis, RB, Panthers. -NFL Football-

Round 12 -- Willie Parker, RB, Steelers: Fast Willie was a demon early in the season, and gives us excellent depth going forward. Runner-up: Kevin Curtis, WR, Rams. -NFL Football-

Round 13 -- Bears defense: Our patience in waiting to draft a defense was rewarded. We just scored the second-best unit in the league. Runner-up: Eli Manning, QB, Giants. -NFL Football-

Round 14 -- Colts defense: Ravens shmavens. Pats schmats. Steelers squealers. The best defense in the league is now played in Indy. Yeah, we saw that coming. Runner-up: Keenan McCardell, WR, Chargers. -NFL Football-

Round 15 -- Joey Galloway, WR, Buccaneers: Another late, great value pick, Galloway is having a career year, and didn't miss a step with Chris Simms at quarterback. Runner-up: Terry Glenn, WR, Cowboys. -NFL Football-

Round 16 -- Neil Rackers, K, Cardinals: The can't-miss kid has put those kickers taken several rounds ahead of him to shame. Twenty-two field goals and counting, we're still waiting for him to botch one. Runner-up: The Burger King. Have you noticed? All he does is catch touchdowns. -NFL Football-

Look a lot like your draft? Sure it does...

FREE AGENT PICKS AND PANS

To win a fantasy championship, you need to start with a good draft. But filling in your roster throughout the season with the right free agents is equally important. Here's a look at a few players worth grabbing, and others who would look better in someone else's line-up. -NFL Football-

Catch 'em while you can

Jake Delhomme, QB, Panthers: Like clockwork, Delhomme heads into the second half of the season on a roll. Expect him, and his team, to be among the league's best heading toward the playoffs. -NFL Football-

Bryant Johnson, WR, Cardinals: With Anquan Boldin nursing the same knee that kept him out of six games in '04, Johnson, a former first-round pick, should have no problem picking up the slack opposite Larry Fitzgerald. -NFL Football-

Eddie Kennison, WR, Chiefs: Tony Gonzalez won't be the only receiver to benefit from Trent Green's resurgence. Kennison should have several more games like Sunday's, with 100-plus yards and a score. -NFL Football-

Erron Kinney, TE, Titans: A high ankle injury to Ben Troupe should enable Kinney to prosper with less competition for Steve McNair's passes. -NFL Football-

Don't be fooled

Brad Johnson, QB, Vikings: Daunte Culpepper's injury may have spared him the ignominy of being named fantasy bust of the year. Johnson, though, is not equipped to carry the Vikings, or your fantasy team, to success. -NFL Football-

Aaron Stecker, RB, Saints: He may be sharing carries with Antowain Smith, but he's not doing much with his allotment. With the Bears and a bye up next, free up the roster space for someone with real potential. -NFL Football-

Ernest Wilford, WR, Jaguars: It will be tempting to pick him up after his career game against the Rams, particularly with Houston up next. But he's still the Jags' No. 3 receiver, and there aren't enough passes to go around. -NFL Football-

2005-10-26T13:32:00.000-07:00

McManus replaces Heyward as CBS News head

By DAVID BAUDER
AP TELEVISION WRITER

NEW YORK -- CBS on Wednesday appointed its top sports executive, Sean McManus, to replace Andrew Heyward as head of a news division still searching for Dan Rather's replacement and seeking to rebound from last year's discredited report on President Bush's military service. -NFL Football-

McManus, 50, follows in the path of the late Roone Arledge at ABC as an executive who took over a network news division while still running sports. -NFL Football-

Heyward will leave two months shy of his 10th anniversary running the legendary news division, a distant third in the ratings in both the morning and evening yet still the home of TV's top newsmagazine, "60 Minutes." -NFL Football-

"There was a general feeling that we needed a new vision, just a new way of looking at the news division," said CBS chief Leslie Moonves. -NFL Football-

Moonves has expressed discontent this fall about the ideas he's been given for revamping the "CBS Evening News." Rather stepped down in March as its anchorman, and had made his intentions known publicly nearly a year ago. -NFL Football-

Many in the news industry were surprised that Heyward had survived in January when an independent report faulted CBS News for rushing a story about Bush's military service onto the air without ever proving that documents upon which it was based were real. Three executives were forced to resign and the report's producer, Mary Mapes, was fired; Moonves concluded that Heyward had been let down by his staff. -NFL Football-

McManus will take over as news chief on Nov. 7, one day before Mapes' book on the episode will be published. -NFL Football-

Heyward, who described his departure as amicable, said he believed his exit had nothing to do with that incident. His contract was expiring at the end of the year. -NFL Football-

"This is Leslie wanting a change and so do I," said Heyward, 55, who expects to remain active in the media business. -NFL Football-

Heyward presided over the network's recent aggressive moves to improve its Internet news delivery and orchestrated a delicate transfer of power at "60 Minutes" from founder Don Hewitt to Jeff Fager. He also established the spinoff "60 Minutes II," which Moonves canceled last spring because of poor ratings. -NFL Football-

The appointment of a sports executive to take over news seemed a lot stranger a generation ago, before Arledge led ABC News to the top of the ratings in the 1980s. -NFL Football-

McManus, son of the Emmy and Peabody Award-winning sports broadcaster Jim McKay, began at ABC Sports in 1977 and has been head of CBS Sports since 1996, negotiating the return of NFL football and a long-term deal to keep CBS Sports the home of the NCAA basketball tournament. -NFL Football-

"I know that covering a Super Bowl is not the same as covering a convention or an election, but I think there are probably more similarities than there are differences," he said. -NFL Football-

With much of CBS Sports' talent and the rights to cover certain events tied up in long-term deals, McManus will be able to concentrate primarily on the news division while his top deputy, Tony Petitti, runs sports day-to-day, Moonves said. -NFL Football-

Bob Schieffer, "Face the Nation" host and Rather's fill-in on the evening news, praised the choice. -NFL Football-

"He's got a great track record," Schieffer said. "He's innovative. He's a guy with ideas. He's made CBS Sports something we can all be proud of and he sets very high standards. I think all of that will translate very well." -NFL Football-

The appointment will likely mean further delay in finding Rather's replacement so McManus can put his stamp on the decision. McManus said he's tried to attract top talent like Greg Gumbel and Phil Simms to CBS Sports and he hopes to do the same for the news division. -NFL Football-

Despite the success of the CBS entertainment division, the evening news has lagged far behind NBC and ABC in the ratings. It's the same story in the morning - it has been for decades - although "The Early Show" has shown improvements. -NFL Football-

"Maybe it's partially because of my sports background, but I am unbelievably competitive, and so is my boss Leslie Moonves," McManus said. "Being in third place, whether it's sports, entertainment or news, is not acceptable." -NFL Football-

Only hours after his appointment, a politically oriented Web log reported that McManus had made a $250 contribution to the Bush-Cheney campaign in 2004. A year earlier, he contributed $1,000 to Vermont Democratic Sen. Patrick Leahy. A CBS spokesman confirmed the donations but would not comment about them. -NFL Football-

2005-10-18T18:26:00.000-07:00

Bruschi to practice eight months after stroke
By HOWARD ULMAN, AP Sports Writer-- NFL --
-- NFL --
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) -- Tedy Bruschi's vision was cloudy, his step shaky and his mind spinning. The co-captain of the three-time Super Bowl champions wondered if his career was over. -- NFL --
-- NFL --
``There were times, in my mind, I thought I was done,'' he said of those discouraging days following his mild stroke suffered three days after he played in his first Pro Bowl. -- NFL --
-- NFL --
On Wednesday, the strapping linebacker had a gleam in his eye and spring in his stride as he announced plans to return to practice with the New England Patriots. Eight months after being stricken last February, he had a warning Monday for teammates who might go easy on him.-- NFL --
-- NFL --
``If they do,'' Bruschi said with a smile, ``they're just going to have to watch themselves in practice.'' -- NFL --
-- NFL --
Coach Bill Belichick will be watching Bruschi, who has received medical clearance to play.-- NFL --
-- NFL --
Belichick will decide when the emotional leader and expert on the team's complicated defense will play in a game. Bruschi said he has no doubt it will be this season. It might even be in the Patriots' next game Oct. 30 at home against Buffalo, Belichick said Monday. -- NFL --
-- NFL --
``If I could express to you what this means to me I would, but I don't know if I really can,'' Bruschi said of resuming practice.-- NFL --
-- NFL --
The sturdy 32-year-old who was knocked down in his athletic prime is excited to return from what he called a ``traumatic experience'' and have a chance to knock down other players.-- NFL --
-- NFL --
``I don't have any reservations,'' he said Monday. ``Football is a contact sport.'' -- NFL --
He attended team meetings, worked out in the weight room and saw several doctors. He stood on the sidelines at home games, watching the team that lost two games in each of the past two seasons go 3-3 entering its bye week.
-- NFL --
-- NFL --
``It was frustrating that I couldn't get out there,'' he said in his first news conference since the
stroke, ``but I think I knew in the back of my mind the whole time that there was going to be a time for me, and the time is now.''-- NFL --

Last February was a series of highs and one big low crammed into 10 days -- a Super Bowl victory, the Pro Bowl appearance and his stroke. -- NFL --
-- NFL --
He was treated at Massachusetts General Hospital, underwent physical rehabilitation, regained his normal vision and still said last month he wouldn't play this year. But he kept making progress and saw doctors who all agreed he could play this season.
-- NFL --
``I came to the point where they tell me I can play. I feel like I can play. Shoot, I know I can play,'' Bruschi said. ``So let's just play.''
Belichick said Bruschi's playing time will be determined like that of his other players, by what's best for the team. -- NFL --
-- NFL --
``Tedy's come a long way,'' Belichick said on his regular Monday appearance on WEEI radio. ``He looks pretty normal to me. So it's great to see him just acting and carrying himself that way.
-- NFL --
That's the Tedy Bruschi we all know and love.''
Bruschi remains on the physically unable to perform list, where he has been all season. -- NFL --
-- NFL --
The Patriots have 21 days from the day he starts practice to activate him or put him on injured reserve, ending his season
In the early days after the stroke, one of Bruschi's biggest concerns was, ``Would I ever see again?'' -- NFL --

So the father of three young sons didn't make the decision to return lightly.
``We've made sure,'' a relaxed Bruschi said. ``We've checked and checked and checked and, OK, let's check another time because we wanted to be sure.
-- NFL --
``I'm not just doing this just because I just want to play,'' he added. ``I mean, come on. I lost my sight. One morning, one day you wake up and you can't see your sons very clearly anymore because you've had a stroke. You can't walk, you can't walk right.'' -- NFL --

Gradually, he and his wife Heidi -- ``what husband would just do this on his own?'' he said -- realized that he was ready to practice. -- NFL --
On Feb. 16, Bruschi was hospitalized after complaining of numbness in his left arm and left leg. In March, he had surgery to repair a small hole in his heart.
-- NFL --
``Physically, Tedy is completely back to normal, and is completely healthy,'' Dr. David Greer, a specialist from Massachusetts General who has monitored Bruschi since his stroke, said in a statement Sunday. -- NFL --
-- NFL --
``It's a long road back,'' Bruschi said, ``so I'm not going to jump back in unless I'm absolutely 100 percent positive I'm ready. And I am.''-- NFL --

2005-10-10T13:36:00.000-07:00

Broncos hang on, 21-19, against Redskins

DENVER (Oct. 9, 2005) -- The offense wasn't moving. Denver was facing overtime in the icy, bitter rain. Linebacker Ian Gold stuck his hand out, knocked down a pass, and with that, the Broncos showed that Washington isn't the only team that can find odd and ugly ways to win the close ones. - NFL Football -

Gold knocked away Mark Brunell 's 2-point conversion pass with 1:09 left to help Denver hang on to a 21-19 victory and keep the Redskins from adding yet another fantastic finish to their charmed season.

"Later in the season, you don't remember how they came, you only remember it's a win," said Broncos quarterback Jake Plummer, held to 92 yards passing in the driving rain.

The problems that plagued Plummer, however, didn't bother Brunell. - NFL Football -

He went 30 for 53 for 322 yards and drove the Redskins 94 yards for the touchdown -- an 11-yard pass to Chris Cooley -- that pulled Washington (3-1) within two.

On the conversion try, Brunell spotted David Patten open in the back of the end zone for a moment, but Gold came over and batted down the pass to prevent a possible overtime.

"You saw what his speed and athleticism will do," Broncos linebacker Al Wilson said. "It was a hell of a play."

The Redskins won their first three games by a total of six points, including a grinding 20-17 overtime win last week that came only after Seattle kicker Josh Brown hit the upright on the last play of regulation. This time, though -- no great finish.

"This one is going to hurt, it's supposed to hurt," Brunell said. - NFL Football -

While Gold's big play saved the game, Tatum Bell made the difference for Denver (4-1) the rest of the time, rushing for 127 yards and two long scores to help the Broncos to a 21-10 lead.

In the first quarter, Bell took a toss on fourth-and-1 and faked out Phillip Daniels en route to a 34-yard score. That stood as Bell's longest career run until the third quarter, when he burst through the Washington defense on a sweep for a 55-yard touchdown to put the Broncos ahead by 11.

"I just have to keep working," said Bell, demoted behind Mike Anderson in training camp this year. "I don't want to just be a 'one-game wonder.' I want to be the starter."

The Broncos won their fourth straight despite missing Champ Bailey, who sat out his second straight game with a sore hamstring. It put a damper on what was supposed to be the first meeting between him and Clinton Portis since the Redskins and Broncos pulled off a blockbuster trade and swapped the two stars before last season. - NFL Football -

Portis, a flamboyant and temperamental playmaker during his two years in Denver, ran for 103 yards on 20 carries for the Redskins and was booed pretty much every time he touched the ball.

"My fans don't boo me in Washington and that's the only fans I look for to cheer for me," he said.

Cheers or boos, there was no denying Portis wasn't nearly as big a factor as Bell.

The Broncos acquired Bell last year with a second-round pick Washington threw in to complete the Bailey-Portis trade, and Bell finally cashed in on the potential he showed signs of during his injury-plagued rookie season.

His big plays were needed. - NFL Football -

Denver gained only 257 yards and managed 11 first downs. Plummer went 10 for 25, a sloppy showing that wasn't nearly as efficient as he'd been in Denver's last two wins.

He was as happy as anyone that the defense held at the end.

"We'd been standing there a long time," Plummer said. "It would have been hard to get back out there as an offense and get back ready for overtime."

Brunell, meanwhile, looked at home in the rain. In the end, though, the Redskins had a number of missed opportunities to bemoan in such a close game.

A false-start penalty nullified what would have been a 54-yard field goal by Nick Novak -- a good kick given the conditions -- at the end of the first half. In the third quarter, Washington moved into field goal range again, but Trevor Pryce got a hand on Novak's kick. - NFL Football -

Washington also had a safety taken away courtesy of the famous "tuck rule." Plummer lost the ball near his goal line and recovered in the end zone where he was tackled, but officials overruled the play, saying Plummer's arm had been moving forward when the ball slipped from his grasp, making it an incomplete pass.

"We had enough mistakes to actually go out and lose this game," Portis said. "We hurt ourselves." - NFL Football -

Notes: Denver improved to 4-1 or better for the seventh time in Mike Shanahan's 11 seasons with the Broncos. ... Washington's lost fumble was the only turnover of the game and the Redskins' turnover ratio fell to minus-5.

2005-10-01T15:30:00.000-07:00

Ex-NFL Player, Local Women Caught In Sex/Drug Bust

Eight suspects -- including a former pro football player -- are being arrested Thursday in connection with what Attorney General Tom Corbett called a $1 million prostitution and drug operation in Allegheny County. - NFL Football -

A grand jury investigation alleges that two of the suspects -- Amy Schifano, 29, of Plum, and Bob Buczkowski, 41, of Monroeville -- ran an escort service called Buckwild Entertainment, also known as B.A.G. Enterprises.

Schifano was the madam and recruited prostitutes for the operation, while Buczkowski accompanied the women to their appointments at Monroeville hotels and served as muscle, Corbett said. - NFL Football -

Also, Schifano and Buczkowski were involved in cocaine sales, and people connected to the escort service delivered the drugs, Corbett said.

Buczkowski was a standout on the defensive line at Gateway High School and the University of Pittsburgh. In 1986, he was a No. 1 draft pick of the Los Angeles Raiders.

Schifano and Buczkowski are each charged with possession and delivery of a controlled substance; promoting prostitution; criminal conspiracy; and participating in a corrupt organization. - NFL Football -

They were arraigned before District Justice Susan Evashavik in Forest Hills and declined to comment outside the courtroom.

Other suspects are:

John Wendel Bogovich, 33, of Chalfont -- charged with possession and delivery of a controlled substance; criminal use of a communications facility; and criminal conspiracy.

Leonard Robert Rini, 29, of Plum -- charged with participating in a corrupt organization; promoting prostitution; possession and delivery of a controlled substance; criminal use of a communications facility; and criminal conspiracy. - NFL Football -

Melanie McKinley, 33, of North Braddock -- charged with possession and delivery of a controlled substance.

Michelle Roney, 38, of North Versailles -- charged with possession and delivery of a controlled substance. - NFL Football -

Laura M. Dick, 32, of Turtle Creek -- charged with possession and delivery of a controlled substance and criminal conspiracy.

Debra Prosser, 46, of Turtle Creek -- charged with possession and delivery of a controlled substance. - NFL Football -

Suzanne Juhascik, 24, of Ross Township -- charged with possession and delivery of a controlled substance; criminal conspiracy; and criminal use of communication facility.

Heather Page, 28, of Shadyside, Pittsburgh -- charged with possession and delivery of a controlled substance and criminal conspiracy. - NFL Football -

2005-09-26T10:46:00.000-07:00

Broncos Part of 'MNF' Memorable Moments

By EDDIE PELLS, AP Sports Writer

DENVER - The night was Oct. 22, 1973. The music played. The camera focused in on Don Meredith and he introduced viewers to Denver on "Monday Night Football" for the first time.

"Welcome to the Mile High City," Meredith said, "and I really am."Thanks to Jim Turner's field goal in the waning seconds, the first Monday night game in Denver ended in a 23-23 tie between the Broncos and Oakland Raiders. But the tie felt more like a win to Denver football fans in a day before the city was considered big-league or the Broncos were considered good. Turner called the game a turning point in franchise history.

Although "Monday Night Football" isn't going anywhere, Monday's game against the Chiefs marks the final time ABC air a Monday nighter in Denver. The network's contract is up after this, the 36th year of what was once one of the most popular series on TV. Cable partner ESPN will pick up the series next year, and many are wondering if it will ever be the same.

While that debate lingers, one question is already settled. Denver has easily been one of the most exciting venues for ABC under the lights.

A look at some of the memorable Monday night moments in the Mile High City:

_The snow game: The defining Monday night game in Denver came Oct. 15, 1984 when an autumn blizzard hit town before kickoff against the Green Bay Packers. Steve Foley and Louis Wright each scooped up fumbles and returned them for touchdowns to give the Broncos a 14-0 lead after Green Bay's first two plays on offense. The grounds crew kept busy all night shoveling snow off the sidelines and yard markers. Denver won 17-14.

_The snowball game: With Ray Wersching lining up for a 19-yard field goal at the end of the first half on Nov. 11, 1985, a snowball was thrown onto the field, disrupting holder Matt Cavanaugh's timing and forcing him to pick up the ball and throw it incomplete. Those three points mattered. Denver won that game 17-16. The next day, the San Francisco Examiner offered a $500 reward for anyone who could find the person who threw the snowball.

_Da Bears: With the Bears threatening to go up by two touchdowns early, Mike Ditka called for a handoff to Refrigerator Perry, who was making his first appearance of the season at tailback, just for "Monday Night Football." Perry fumbled the ball at the goal line, allowing Denver to stay in the game. Denver still needed 10 points in the fourth quarter for a thrilling 31-29 win that dropped the defending champions to 7-2. The difference in the game was a pair of missed Bears extra points, both after Mike Tomczak had trouble with the holds.

_Shanny's comeback: Mike Shanahan's best Monday night moment may have come, believe it or not, in his first year as coach of the Raiders. Down 24-0 at halftime on Sept. 26, 1988, Shanahan and the Raiders came back for a 30-27 overtime win that remains tied as the biggest comeback in Raiders history. Al Davis fired Shanahan early the next season and he came back to Denver as offensive coordinator.

_The hit: One of the hardest hits in NFL history was Steve Atwater's crushing of huge Chiefs running back Christian Okoye on Sept. 17, 1990. Making it better was that Broncos public-relations man Jim Saccomano had persuaded Atwater to wear a microphone that night, preserving the sound for the hit from Denver's 24-23 win and turning into an instant classic for NFL films. By the way, John Elway hit Vance Johnson for 49 yards on fourth down with time running out to set up the winning field goal.

_The comeback(s): Montana vs. Elway was great. Montana vs. Elway doing what they did on Oct. 17, 1994 was even better. In one of his many late-game comebacks, Elway took the Broncos 39 yards for a touchdown and a 28-24 lead with 1:29 left. But Montana answered by driving the Chiefs 75 yards in 1:21 and connecting with Willie Davis for the 31-28 win.

_Who cares: Ed McCaffrey suffered a gruesome broken leg in a 31-20 victory over the Giants in the first game played at the new Invesco Field. It was the talk of the town that night. But that night was Sept. 10, 2001. The next day, the McCaffrey injury seemed inconsequential.

_The safety: In possibly one of the most brilliant coaching moves in the history of Monday night, Patriots coach Bill Belichick opted to take an intentional safety with 3:06 left and New England trailing 24-23 to keep the Pats from having to punt from the back of their end zone. After the free kick, Denver started behind its own 20. The New England defense held and after a Denver punt, Tom Brady drove the Pats to a touchdown and a 30-26 win on Nov. 3, 2003. That game turned out to be the second-to-last Monday night game ABC televised in Denver.

2005-09-16T08:34:00.000-07:00

Hopkins reinstated; Titans waive OT Williams

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (Sept. 13, 2005) -- The Tennessee Titans waived tackle Todd Williams to make room for veteran tackle Brad Hopkins, who served a one-game suspension during the season opener Sept. 11 at Pittsburgh.

Hopkins missed the final two preseason games after having cartilage repaired in his right knee. Trainers working with Hopkins told coach Jeff Fisher last week that Hopkins should be ready to play Sept. 19 against Baltimore.

The 12-year veteran served a one-game suspension by the NFL after he pleaded guilty to assaulting his wife, Ellen, when he grabbed her neck March 14 because she wouldn't stop talking on a cell phone.

Hopkins' absence forced the Titans to move rookie Michael Roos to left tackle and use Jacob Bell at right tackle. His return will allow the 6-foot-7 Roos to move back to right tackle.

Williams was a seventh-round pick in the 2003 NFL Draft.

2005-09-06T09:10:00.000-07:00

Scouting the NFL

Trying to predict which teams are going to do well during football season is often an entertaining — but difficult — task.
The first week of high school football is in the books, as is the first weekend of college football. There were a few surprises along the way.
Some of the more noticeable shockers included young Class AAAA foe Morrilton having its way with Russellville, the margin (40-7) of Hector’s win over Dover last Friday and, in the college ranks, the No. 7 Oklahoma Sooners dropping their season opener to TCU (at home, no less).
Many of the outcomes of the high school and college games give indication for a wild ride ahead in terms of determining who the favorites are.
Maybe even more puzzling is trying to predict who will win in the NFL. The professional football season starts Thursday night with the two-time defending Super Bowl champion New England Patriots and the Oakland Raiders.
The remainder of the NFL teams will be in action Sunday. With that in mind, the following is my feeble attempt at trying to predict who will be the division winners:
AFC
East Division: The Patriots have been the team to beat the last two seasons. I don’t see that changing this year.
The New York Jets have been in the hunt in recent years, and the Buffalo Bills return one of the top defenses from last season.
However, the Bills’ offense will have a sluggish start with rookie J.P. Losman getting the quarterback job, and the Jets won’t be able to beat New England.
The Patriots will repeat as division champions.
South Division: The Indianapolis Colts return one of the league’s most potent offenses. Peyton Manning set several passing records last year, including most touchdowns in a season with 49. Adding Corey Simon to the defensive side will give Indy a boost.
Not even Matt Jones can help the Jacksonville Jaguars outscore the Colts. Indianapolis wins the division again.
North Division: This one is a toss-up. Last season, The Pittsburgh Steelers finished the season with the best record in the NFL at 15-1 behind rookie phenom Ben Roethlisberger.
The loss of receiver Plaxico Burress and injuries to running backs Duce Staley and Jerome Bettis will most likely cause the Steelers to get off to a slow start.
Defense wins championships, and the Baltimore Ravens are very strong in that area. With the acquisition of receivers Derek Mason and Mark Clayton, along with the running game of Jamal Lewis, the Ravens have enough to edge Pittsburgh and win the division.
The only question is, will they put all their tools to use? I think they will.
West Division: Last season, the San Diego Chargers were probably one of the biggest surprises in the NFL. With Ladanian Tomlinson consistently finishing as one of the league’s top running backs, and the emergence of tight end Antonio Gates and quarterback Drew Brees into top-notch players, the Chargers have plenty of weapons on offense.
The Raiders added Randy Moss, and Kansas City beefed up its defense to go along with its high-powered offense. However, the Chargers should finish on top once again when it’s all said and done.
NFC
East Division: Terrell Owens has dominated most of the news from the NFL this offseason with his off-the-field antics. His attitude will be somewhat of a distraction for the Philadelphia Eagles, and losing receiver Todd Pinkston will be a factor as well.
The Eagle defense, though, can make up for the offense’s slack. The offense, by the way, is still no slouch, and that combination should give Philly another division title.
Watch out for the Dallas Cowboys, though, as they appear poised to make a strong run this season.
South Division: Everyone knows Atlanta Falcon quarterback Michael Vick is the leader of the Falcons. Vick missed most of last season with a leg injury, causing Atlanta’s season to go down the drain.
However, the Falcon defense helped carry the team last season and recorded an NFL-best 48 sacks. That strong defensive group and a high-powered offense will give Atlanta a good shot at repeating as division champions.
Standing in the way, though, is the Carolina Panthers, who were bothered by injury last season. With a healthy staff and one of the league’s top defenses, the Panthers should edge the Falcons this season.
North Division: Randy Moss is gone, but the Minnesota Vikings still have a strong offense. Daunte Culpepper will probably not have as good of numbers without Moss on the field, but the Vikings retooled their defense and that will help them keep Brett Favre and the Green Bay Packers from claiming the division title.
The Vikings should win the division and make some noise in the NFC playoffs.
West Division: This has to be one of the weakest divisions in the NFL. With the Arizona Cardinals and San Francisco 49ers turning into perennial losing teams, the NFC West has lost a lot of its luster.
The Seattle Seahawks and Saint Louis Rams, on the other hand, present very strong offensive attacks and should be considered dangerous come playoff time.
Either one could win the division. Whatever happens, the race should be tight down to the end. I’m going to say the Seahawks win the division, though.
All of this may sound far-fetched, and there are certainly many other factors to consider. Another thing to consider is that many times the expected never actually takes place, so anything can happen. Regardless, this should be an excitingNFL season.

Copyright © 2005, Russellville Newspapers, Inc.

2005-08-30T08:39:00.000-07:00

BYU Football: QBs feel Doman's presence
Just for them: In past years, BYU quarterbacks have had to share their position coach

Patrick Kinahan
The Salt Lake Tribune

PROVO - A position coach in football is a player's confidant, wrapped into the role of a parent, friend and foe.
Among the assistant's responsibilities, serving as head coach isn't one of them. Just ask Brigham Young's quarterbacks.
Last season, BYU's signal-callers often were alone during practices and games, as Gary Crowton carried out several assignments. Besides being head coach, Crowton was the offensive coordinator and supervised the quarterbacks.
Stretching himself thin, Crowton's offense struggled the last two years.
New coach Bronco Mendenhall corrected the problem, hiring Brandon Doman to direct the quarterbacks. In and around his work as anNFL quarterback last season, Doman saw several BYU games.
"In a game I watched these guys
come off the field," Doman said. "Who did they go to? They didn't have anybody to go to. So they'd sit on the bench. Coach Crowton had so much going on, there was no one for them to interact with."
"To have someone who can be with them the whole time is a big deal, because there's some tough times during a game when you need someone. It was huge for me to have Robbie Bosco there."
Bosco served as Doman's coach all four years. The two endured a few battles, but Bosco was a great resource for Doman during the 16 games he started.
When Bosco left the program two years ago, Crowton served as his own quarterbacks coach. As head coach, his attention during games naturally was divided among several areas.
"It was too hard for him to monitor the quarterbacks on every play," junior starter John Beck said. "But Coach Doman's main job is us. It's great. After each pass - after everything - he's right there to talk to us. We come off the field, boom, he's talking to us."
Even in practice, Crowton couldn't allocate all of his time to the quarterbacks. Before most practices, he fulfilled his obligations with reporters for more than 15 minutes.
The other position coaches always would be on the field to meet their groups as the players exited the locker room.
"It's great to have one quarterback coach, because there were times last year where we'd be standing around," senior Matt Berry said.
Doman has made a difference since joining the staff in January. From the first spring practice, he has critiqued every move the quarterbacks make.
The interaction continued into fall camp. As soon as Mendenhall concluded his address to the team after practice, the quarterbacks immediately adjourned to a meeting with Doman.
After getting a drink, the quarterbacks usually would go back on the field to run. Leading the way on each sprint was Doman.
"To have their own coach gives them more non-distracted time," offensive coordinator Robert Anae said. "When the coach is not the head coach or the coordinator, it gives them individual attention."
Only four years removed from college, Doman had no trouble gaining the quarterbacks' respect. They all know he directed BYU's last winning season, passing for 3,542 yards in 2001.
A former fifth-round draft choice of the San Francisco 49ers, Doman also has professional credibility. The quarterbacks see his youth as an asset, realizing his training comes fresh from theNFL.
"He pushes us pretty hard, not only physically but mentally as well," Berry said. "Meetings are great with him. It just all goes to his knowledge of the game."
l Mendenhall said after Monday's practice that tight end/long snapper Philip Niu suffered a stress fracture in his foot and is likely out for the season. Niu sat out last season with a knee injury. Justin Luettgerodt will take over Niu's duties as long snapper.

2005-08-24T08:11:00.000-07:00

Former NFL star allegedly runs car into three teens at LA park

LOS ANGELES - Former NFL player Lawrence Phillips was back on the football field, and soon after he was back in jail.
Already a fugitive from police who wanted him in connection with domestic violence in San Diego, the former NFL running back was arrested after allegedly running down three teenagers with a stolen car Sunday in Exposition Park. - NFL Football -
He was booked on suspicion of attempted murder and domestic abuse and held without bail, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Web site.
Police had been seeking the 30-year-old former running back since earlier this month for allegedly attacking his girlfriend twice, once choking her into unconsciousness, they said. It wasn't immediately clear whether Phillips had an attorney to represent him.
Phillips joined a group of 16- and 17-year-olds in a pickup football game in Exposition Park on Sunday and got into an argument with several of the teens, said Los Angeles Police Officer Sandra Escalante. He left the park but returned and drove a black Honda onto the field, allegedly running into three teenage boys, she said.
The teenagers were taken to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, police said.
"I went over the car, hit the windshield and hit the roof of the car, and I rolled off," one of them, Rodney Flores, told KCAL-TV. Flores said he didn't know Phillips was a former professional.
"When I heard he got hit by a car, I thought my son was crossing the street," said the teen's mother, Myrna Flores. "I never expected to know that my son was on the grass when he got on the grass and did this to him and his friends." - NFL Football -
Police pursued Phillips as soon as he drove onto the field. They chased him for several blocks, and when he stopped they approached with guns drawn.
The car Phillips was driving was reported stolen in San Diego earlier in the week, Escalante said. It had a broken windshield and a dented hood after the incident.
San Diego Police had offered a $1,000 reward for information leading to Phillips' whereabouts and said he had indicated he wouldn't surrender peacefully. He recently told an officer, "There's no way you're going to arrest me," according to Lieutenant Kathy Healey.
The first domestic assault, in which police say Phillips' 28-year-old girlfriend was choked, allegedly occurred Aug. 2 at her San Diego home. Police said the second assault allegedly took place 11 days later when Phillips confronted the woman at a party.
In both cases he left the scene before officers could arrest him,
Police have said Phillips is also wanted on an outstanding felony warrant from Los Angeles for an unrelated domestic violence case. - NFL Football -
The 6-foot-2-inch, 220-pound former University of Nebraska star has a history of high-profile trouble with the law going back a decade to his time as one of the nation's top college football players.
He was drafted sixth overall in 1996 by the St. Louis Rams despite pleading no contest to a charge of domestic violence in a confrontation with a girlfriend. He was released for insubordination in 1997 after 25 games with the Rams.
Phillips signed with the Miami Dolphins later in the 1997 season but was released after pleading no contest to hitting a woman in a nightclub. - NFL Football -
He was the top offensive player in NFL Europe in 1999 after setting league records for rushing and touchdowns with the Barcelona Dragons.
He signed with the San Francisco 49ers in 1999 but was released for missing a practice. He later played in the Canadian Football League but was dropped from two teams for behavioral problems. - NFL Football -
He was charged in Quebec in late 2003 with sexual assault, assault and uttering threats, apparently against another girlfriend. He was denied entry into Canada last year when he attempted to appear in court on those charges because of his criminal history.

ANDREW DALTON
Associated Press

2005-08-15T09:47:00.000-07:00

Scrimmage offers fix for football junkies (8/13)

Football fans, your first fix of the year is here.
That is, if you aren't one of those TV football fans who were tuned in to catch that first NFL preseason game from somewhere across the ocean.
But if you are one of those live football junkies, the kind who needs to hear pads hit pads, the gasps for air and the bodies colliding on bodies that only live football can bring, well today you get your chance. - NFL Football -
McNeese State will play its first full-scale scrimmage at 4 p.m. today. It's not a real game, but for the purist, these things can be fun. And for life support for the football addict, you have no other option this weekend for live football.
And you can't beat the free admission.
The Cowboys are coming off a 4-7 season where the weakness was their uncanny ability to self-destruct. If you come out this afternoon looking for those bugs to be fixed, you'll be sorely disappointed. - NFL Football -
Even veteran teams tend to struggle with the little things in the first scrimmage. It comes with the territory. After all, these players hadn't played a game since the spring and they just got their pads on earlier this week.
So don't throw your arms up in disgust with every penalty, every botched snap and every blown assignment. There may be a few of those for a while.
You can't realistically expect those bugs to be cleaned up until the Cowboy Night workout at the earliest. More realistically, the Southern University game will be a good barometer.
But here are some things I'm looking forward to seeing. - NFL Football -
For starters, I can't wait to see how Chris Jones and Mark Fontenot look at quarterback.
This is the first time in quite a while McNeese has had a truly open quarterback battle in August camp. Jones has the edge and deserves it based on some pretty good performances he put together when he replaced an ineffective Scott Pendarvis last year.
But Fontenot had a good spring, making things interesting. Offensive coordinator Matt Viator said he's hoping that the scrimmages help bring some separation between the two, so all eyes will be on that competition. - NFL Football -
And while you're watching the quarterbacks, take notice of who they are throwing to. McNeese has zero go-to receivers back and a slew of young prospects — from Carlese Franklin and Darrick Brown, to Hammond Thomas and the much-anticipated Quentin Lawrence — who hope to fill the void.
On the other side of the ball, there's been whispers around camp that there might be some play-making pass rushers among the young linemen, whether it's Buck Harris, Kirby Joseph or some other up-and-comer. - NFL Football -
At linebacker, Allen Nelson had a lights-out spring and Garren Jim, another much-anticipated rookie, is a player people will have their eyes on.
There's the secondary, which promises to play more base zone defenses this year, meaning there will be a premium on physical players who aren't afraid to come up and de-cleat people. Look for the physical guys to emerge out of camp. - NFL Football -
And when the drives break down, there will be more than a few curious looks at kicker Blake Bercegeay, a high school all-stater who will handle the kicking chores as a true freshman.
So no, there won't be tailgating or bands or dancing girls today, but for the true blue football fan, there will be plenty of plots to keep you entertained on a hot August afternoon.

GARY LANEY
AMERICAN PRESS

2005-08-09T07:57:00.000-07:00

PRO FOOTBALL: HALL OF FAME: Marino enjoys final fling with favorite target

Canton, Ohio --- With a final flick of Dan Marino's right wrist, the 42nd class of Pro Football's Hall of Fame was enshrined Sunday as he fired a pass from the stage to a surprised former Dolphins teammate in the crowd.
The 35-yard toss ended a warm afternoon as the Hall and a sun-splashed crowd of 21,776 welcomed four new members, all quarterbacks --- Marino and Steve Young through the front door, Fritz Pollard and Benny Friedman posthumously.
Marino, the NFL's all-time leading passer by most statistical measures, and former 49er Young, the game's all-time most efficient passer, were inducted in their first year of eligibility.
With 61,361 passing yards and 420 touchdown passes among his many NFL records, Marino was the star Sunday.
"As a young man, God blessed me with a special talent to throw a football. I've always been asked, 'Did it bother you that 26 teams passed on me [in the NFL draft]?' And I always said no. Well, I lied," he told thousands of raucous fans wearing his jersey.
"But those 26 teams passing on me gave me the chance to play for the Miami Dolphins [who picked him 27th in the famously deep 1983 draft]."
Young won two NFL MVP awards and six passing titles, and retired from the 49ers after the 1999 season with a record-high career passer rating of 98.6.
His father, Grit, presented him, going out of his way to talk about how his career was nearly derailed by a former Brigham Young assistant.
"Quarterbacks coach Doug Scoville had not recruited Steve. [Jim] McMahon was No. 1, Steve No. 8. Canton seemed a long way away," Young's father told the crowd. "As luck would have it, the quarterbacks coach left, and Ted Tollner came in. By fall, he was listed as No. 2.
"His junior year, one of the first games he started was against Georgia, in Athens. Pouring rain, a miserable day, and Steve had ... five interceptions. Canton was a long way away."
Young, who'd been a wishbone quarterback in high school in Greenwich, Conn., told the crowd his career began with a nightmare in a youth football game.
"I was scared to death to see [his mother, Sherry] sprinting across the field, with good speed, I might add," he said. "In horror she sprinted past me and picked up the kid [who'd just hit Young] by the shoulder pads, and said, 'That hit was illegal.' Mom, now you know why we never gave you a field-level pass."
Friedman in the late 1920s became the league's first prolific passer, his early statistics dwarfing those of other quarterbacks.
"His 20 touchdown passes in 1929 were more than any Bears quarterback has thrown in 38 of the last 39 seasons," said presenter Don Pierson, a Chicago Tribune football writer and member of the senior selection committee that inducted Friedman and Pollard. "[Bears founder] George Halas said it was Friedman's success that convinced officials to taper the [shape of a] football. Dan [Marino] and Steve [Young], you have reason to thank Benny Friedman."
For years after the Hall opened, Friedman lobbied to be in it. A biographical sketch of him in "Total Football II" by Harper Collins said, "No doubt Benny's insistence right up to the day he died actually hurt his case. He became tiresome --- even though he was probably right."
Friedman also railed against the league in the 1960s and '70s for not paying pensions to players who played before 1958. He died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound in 1982, years after having a leg amputated because of diabetes.
Pollard, a running back, was one of the first two African-American players in 1919 in a league that in 1920 was re-named the National Football League. He became the NFL's first black coach when he co-coached the Akron Pros (while playing) in 1921. In 1923, he became the first black player to take snaps at quarterback.
"We've always been at a strange range of emotions about this," Pollard's grandson, Dr. Stephen Towns III, said prior to the ceremony. "The family's always felt he should have been in since [the Hall] started in 1963. He helped start this league."
And Marino finished Sunday in style.
"Now, it's time. I'm going to start licking my fingers, and you know what happens when I start licking my fingers?" he said as one of his sons tossed a ball to him.
"Every quarterback wants one more Sunday in front of his fans, with a football in his hands and one more chance to go deep. Clayton, go deep."
Mark Clayton was surprised. But he stood, backed down the aisle, and snared Marino's last pass.
The crowd cheered wildly one last time.

Matt Winkeljohn - StaffMonday

2005-07-26T06:40:00.000-07:00

NFL Notebook: Williams begins his NFL return

Running back Ricky Williams reported to Miami Dolphins training camp yesterday morning, nearly one year to the day after he told the team he was retiring from football.
Williams, driving a blue sport utility vehicle, arrived at the team's training facility around 8:45 a.m. He did not comment to reporters waiting outside the complex. The team's first formal training-camp media availability is scheduled for today. - NFL Football -
The 2002 NFL rushing champion decided to seek reinstatement after sitting out last season, saying at the time he'd lost the urge to continue playing. - NFL Football -
Williams faces a four-game suspension at the start of the season for violating the league's substance abuse program, yet likely will be able to play in preseason games.
Williams acknowledged shortly after retiring that he failed drug tests and faced a suspension for testing positive three times for marijuana. - NFL Football -
Williams rushed for 3,225 yards and 25 touchdowns in two seasons with the Dolphins. He informed former coach Dave Wannstedt of his retirement plans last July 23, one week before the start of training camp -- a move that stunned teammates, and played a role in Miami's downward spiral. The Dolphins were 4-12 last season.
A court later found the 1998 Heisman Trophy winner in breach of contract by retiring, and ordered him to repay the team $8.6 million. - NFL Football -
The team has not yet sought to collect the settlement, and new coach Nick Saban offered Williams another chance to play for the Dolphins.
More Dolphins - NFL Football -
Rookies Matt Roth and Kevin Vickerson agreed to deals yesterday, leaving former Auburn running back Ronnie Brown as the team's only unsigned draft pick going into the first training camp practice. Brown, the No. 2 overall pick in the draft, is waiting to sign after top choice Alex Smith reaches an agreement with the San Francisco 49ers.
Bears - NFL Football -
Chicago signed quarterback Kyle Orton, a three-year starter at Purdue, to a four-year contract. Orton, a fourth-round draft pick, was considered a Heisman Trophy candidate until his abdominal muscle was torn midway through the season. Orton completed 58.8 percent of his passes for 9,337 yards and 63 touchdowns with 28 interceptions at Purdue. He had seven 300-yard passing games, including one 500-yard game and two 400-yard games.

The Associated Press

2005-07-18T08:19:00.000-07:00

Media Days hails start of college football

SAN DIEGO — Here in southern California, the forecast calls for clear, sunny skies. The Mountain West Conference media, coaches and players descend on the Coronado Island Marriott today and Tuesday for its preseason media days, and with everybody 0-0, football forecasts are likely to be sunny, as well. - NFL Football -
BYU has been picked to finish anywhere from second to sixth in various preseason publications. New head coach Bronco Mendenhall has installed a new spread offense and new attitude.Utah dominated the MWC last season and won a BCS bowl, but lost head coach Urban Meyer to Florida and trigger man Alex Smith to the No. 1 spot in the NFL draft. New coach Kyle Whittingham’s first order of business will be to deal with the pressure of following a legendary season. - NFL Football -
The newest member of the MWC, Texas Christian, is in town for its first official conference function.Today’s session will include the release of the All-MWC preseason team, which includes offensive and defensive players of the year. The media votes on this team, as well as the predicted order of finish.Mendenhall will face the conference’s print today. BYU quarterback John Beck and linebacker Cameron Jensen will be interviewed by radio and television media, including a live telecast from the meetings by CSTV from 5 p.m.-7 p.m. MST. The telecast will also be shown on the CSTV Web site. - NFL Football -
On Tuesday, Mendenhall will face the radio and television journalists and Beck and Jensen meet with the print media.The MWC will hold a special session today for discussion on instant replay, which has been adopted for this season. On Tuesday, MWC commissioner Craig Thompson will give his state of the conference address. - NFL Football -

Darnell Dickson
DAILY HERALD

2005-07-11T15:26:00.000-07:00

Home town proudHartsock enjoys chance to represent area

In Columbus, Ben Hartsock is a superstar. In Indianapolis, he is a blossoming prospect who is beginning what could be a long career in the National Football League.
In Chillicothe, it's not about his fame or fortune. Here, Hartsock is a local boy who's made himself into a role model for people of all ages to look up to. - NFL Football -
"It's a lot of fun. I love coming back," Hartsock said Saturday while making an appearance at McDonald's in downtown Chillicothe. "It's just such a great feeling to come home and to have such a great community to support you. I feel very fortunate to have that support."
It would be the first of two appearances the Unioto graduate would make in Ross County Saturday. Later, he would speak in front of a few thousand fans and spectators at a Chillicothe Paints game.
It's not often that the second-year Colts tight end gets to come home for a visit, but when he does, people flock to see him. - NFL Football -
"There's a lot of guys that come from big cities that are one of a lot of people that have made it to (the NFL)," he said. "To have the whole town rally around you really means a lot. I'm proud to be able to represent them."
Though Chillicothe is not terribly far from Indianapolis on the map, it's much closer in Hartsock's heart.
"We try to keep up as close as we can through the Internet and looking at the Gazette online. My wife I know checks every day to see what's going on," he said. "I try to get back to Unioto as much as I can. If ever there's an opportunity during the off-season or during a bye week to come back for a football game or basketball game, we really try to do that.
"I'm only where I am because of where I came from. Unioto was a large part of that."
With Hartsock due to report to training camp in Terre Haute on July 27, this trip home will have to be a brief one. - NFL Football -
"I'm really looking forward to it," he said. "The off-season was nice. I feel like I've gotten a lot more comfortable with the system, just getting inserted into the program. I'm really looking forward to getting back into training camp and really trying to fight for more playing time."
As a rookie in 2004, Hartsock caught four balls for 33 yards. This year, he's hoping to become a bigger target in the Indianapolis offense.
"Everybody says that the rookie year is really kind of a blur. That's exactly what happened. You really don't know which way's up or down at any point," he said. "The second year you really know what to expect and it's not such a shock to everybody. The second year is when they say guys really start to flourish, so I'm looking forward to hopefully doing that."
Hartsock said that the upcoming preseason is when he'll be given a chance to make a name for himself.
"I'm still relatively unproven, but my opportunity will come in the preseason, during the preseason games and during camp," he said. "If I can get those coaches confident that I can go out there and be a reliable player, then I'll be able to go out and be on the field. If I don't have a good camp, I'll still be able to go out and play some special teams and play here and there. But it's going to rely a lot of the preseason." - NFL Football -
Now that he's shed the label of rookie, Hartsock said he's grown more accustomed to the fact that he's truly an NFL player.
"I was sitting at a table on the first day that we had gone to the practice facility. A group of rookies are sitting there and in walks (Colts All-Pro quarterback) Peyton Manning. One of these guys says, 'hey man, I don't want to sound dumb, but that's Peyton Manning.'," Hartsock said. "It's hard to get over the fact that he's your teammate and a peer of his. Because for so long you've looked at him as such a role model and one of the best of the best in the NFL. You just get adjusted and try to keep up."
Lately, Hartsock has been growing into the position of a role model himself, making public appearances as part of the Colts' "Make it Personal" campaign that sends the athletes to meet people in smaller communities throughout Indiana. - NFL Football -
"We had an appearance for the Colts where we went out to the Richmond Roosters. It was not until I got to their stadium that I realized they were in the Frontier League," Hartsock said. "Immediately when I got there I started saying, the Chillicothe Paints, that's my hometown team. I go to those games."
Naturally, the Richmond fans gave him a little ribbing about being a fan of one of their rival teams, but knowing that he's now a member of their beloved Colts, they eventually gave him a break. - NFL Football -
"We had a good time," Hartsock said. "They gave me some grief about Chillicothe, but I told them I'll always be a Chillicothe boy."

LANCE CRANMER
Gazette Sports Writer

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

Embracing the circus
For Stram, the NFL media was never a nuisance

I've often wondered how Hank Stram would have fit into this modern world of the NFL, this era of the buttoned-up coaches who might see fit to hold two or three 20-minute press conferences a week, who put their assistants off-limits, who act like they're finding a cure for cancer. He probably would have laughed himself sick.
"Come over here, siddown, what do you want to know?"
How well I remember Hank, with his toupee and flamboyant red vest under his dark blazer, as he patrolled the sidelines, giggling, snapping off his one-liners. He liked action. He liked crowds ... and writers around him, plenty of them. The media circus was meat and potatoes for him.
Even when an ugly story broke the Tuesday before Kansas City's 1970 Super Bowl victory over the Vikings, the Chiefs' hotel was hardly a place hostile to writers, as it would be today. The story was that Stram's quarterback, Len Dawson, had been associating with a known gambler, Dice Dawson (no relation), and you could draw your own conclusions from that.
As soon as the news appeared on TV, Kenny Denlinger of the Washington Post and I headed over to the Fontainbleu, the New Orleans hotel housing the Chiefs. These days we would have been met by a cordon of police at the door, backed up by a squadron of worried-faced NFL people herding the media into some ghetto somewhere. But the Fontainbleu was wide open.
Kenny and I took the elevator up and knocked on the door to Dawson's room. He answered it and the three of us, plus his roommate, Johnny Robinson, the safetyman, stood there yacking for a while.
"There's absolutely nothing to it," Dawson said. We were surprised that there weren't any security people around, but this was Hank's hotel and Hank liked the media. We stopped by the Chiefs' offices on the mezzanine floor, figuring they'd be calling a press conference, and later on they did, but when we arrived, the PR man, Jimmy Schaaf, was there to greet us.
"Yeah, Hank said a bunch of you would be coming over," he said. "He said to call room service and get you taken care of." And that's what he did.
"Room service? Send up around 10 pounds of shrimp remoulade to the Chiefs' offices, OK?"
And, of course, Dawson played, was the MVP of the game and nothing came of the accusation. During the offseason I asked Stram about the loose way he had handled what could have been a major crisis.
"Have writers ever cost us a game?" he said. "Does it matter what's written? Well, yeah, it means something to me, because it helps me get my ideas across. The dumbest thing you can do is get mad at the press."
And his ideas came pouring out like a flood after that 23-7 victory in Super Bowl IV. It had really been a triumph of that great K.C. defense, the innovation of the stacked linebackers, the odd front that allowed 270-pound Curley Culp to manhandle Minnesota's undersized center, Mick Tingelhoff. But it was Stram's offense that got all the ink.
Who can forget him, miked on the sidelines ... "It's like stealing out there!" when one of his wideouts caught still another square-out underneath the Vikings corners, playing back? Or the three Frank Pitts end-arounds K.C. ran ... oh no, not again, it can't work again ... each one for good yardage. Or the sucker trap that gave little Mike Garrett a five-yard TD, the ultimate in flim-flammery, designed for the great pursuit of DT Alan Page. And of course Page took himself out of the play, following the guard who was pulling out -- to nowhere -- as Garrett walked in.
Stram football. Trick-'em football. He liked to hide little backs in the slot, behind his monster linemen, and sneak them downfield as pass catchers. When Dawson was hurt during the Super Bowl season, Stram designed a rollout attack for his big, mobile rookie -- Mike Livingston, who won five games with it. So the tactic stayed in the playbook, only now it bore the name, "Moving Pocket," which became the watchword for Stram's.

Sports Illustrated

2005-06-29T12:41:00.000-07:00

2005 NFL.com Fantasy Draft Guide: Quarterbacks

(Note: NFL.com has published a special 16-page Fantasy Draft Guide. These position-by-position previews will give you an early start on your draft preparation.)

Peyton Manning not only broke the single-season record for TD passes last season; he also established himself as perhaps the only quarterback worth taking with the first overall pick in your fantasy draft. In the NFL.com experts' mock draft, Manning, Daunte Culpepper and Donovan McNabb were the only QBs taken in the first three rounds -- so there is plenty of value at the position later in the draft.

Top 10 for 2005

Peyton Manning, Colts: His fantasy stock can't get any higher.
Daunte Culpepper, Vikings: Good enough to overcome loss of Randy Moss.
Donovan McNabb, Eagles: Career highs for yards and TDs last season.
Trent Green, Chiefs: Has averaged 4,107 yards and 26 TDs over last three seasons.
Kerry Collins, Raiders: With Moss at his disposal, numbers should soar.
Michael Vick, Falcons: Still very inconsistent, but oh, so scary.
Marc Bulger, Rams: Relying on improved offensive line.
Matt Hasselbeck, Seahawks: Threw 10 TD passes over last four weeks of 2004.
Aaron Brooks, Saints: Averaging 3,643 yards and 24 TDs last three seasons.
Carson Palmer, Bengals: Former Heisman winner came on strong in second half of '04.

Undervalued/Sleeper Picks

Tom Brady, Patriots: Still not getting credit for the numbers he puts up.
Eli Manning, Giants: On paper, at least, he should have excellent weapons at his disposal.
Steve McNair, Titans: Forgotten man in fantasy circles, could be a late-round steal.
Chad Pennington, Jets: Could blossom under new offensive coordinator.
Kurt Warner, Cardinals: Veteran QB with a good, young WR corps.

2004 Leaders: TD Passes

Peyton Manning, Ind.	49
Daunte Culpepper, Minn.	39
Donovan McNabb, Phil.	31
Brett Favre, G.B.	30
Jake Delhomme, Car.	29
Tom Brady, N.E.	28
Jake Plummer, Den.	27
Trent Green, K.C.	27
Drew Brees, S.D.	27
Matt Hasselbeck, Sea.	26

2004 Leaders: Passing Yards

Daunte Culpepper, Minn.	4,717
Trent Green, K.C.	4,591
Peyton Manning, Ind.	4,557
Jake Plummer, Den.	4,089
Brett Favre, G.B.	4,088
Marc Bulger, St. L.	3,964
Jake Delhomme, Car.	3,886
Donovan McNabb, Phil.	3,875
Aaron Brooks, N.O.	3,810
Tom Brady, N.E.	3,692

Houston Texan Nfl Football

2005-06-22T08:45:00.000-07:00

Just 1 minute

Going beyond the headlines.
Don't get used to it Canton ready for next Manning exhibit
It's only a matter of time before Indianapolis Colts quarterback Peyton Manning is honored with another exhibit at the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio.
His No. 18 jersey is already on display in recognition of his third career game with a perfect 158.3 passer rating in 2003. Still to come is an exhibit to showcase the football Manning threw to Brandon Stokley on Dec. 26 to set the NFL single-season touchdown pass record at 49.
That next exhibit, however, will be temporary. When the Colts' new stadium is built, the ball will be put on display there.
"It will eventually be in the Colts museum," said Joe Horrigan, Pro Football Hall of Fame vice president of communications and exhibits. Horrigan said the football that tied Dan Marino's old record of 48 will stay in Canton.
-- Phillip B. Wilson
Hindsight is everything
NBA draft history is filled with as many airballs as hits. For every Lew Alcindor, there is a Kwame Brown. Here are some notable players who were not selected No. 1, followed by the player who was.
Year
Overlooked
No. 1 pick
2001
Tony Parker (28)
Kwame Brown
1998
Dirk Nowitzki (9)
Michael Olowokandi
1995
Kevin Garnett (5)
Joe Smith
1984
Michael Jordan (3)
Hakeem Olajuwon
1978
Larry Bird (6)
Mychal Thompson
1972
Julius Erving (12)
LaRue Martin
Room to improve Sorry, Katz
Whoever said women can't play football never saw a team play against the Indianapolis SaberKatz.
Making every offense in the National Women's Football Association look like Peyton Manning and the Colts, the team went 0-8 this year. And it wasn't a pretty 0-8. With losses ranging from 46-0 to 102-0, the SaberKatz were outscored 444-0.
Indiana's other NWFA team, the Indiana Thunder, also failed to win a game, but only allowed 75 points. However, the Thunder played just one game, forfeiting the rest of the season.