Seahawks CB Rich Gardner Released To Make Roster Space - Seattle Times

From the Seattle Times.

Hawks CB released for roster space
By Jose Miguel Romero

The Seahawks moved closer to finalizing their training-camp roster Wednesday, releasing injured cornerback Rich Gardner to make room for sixth-round draft pick Courtney Taylor, whose signing was made official.

The team has apparently agreed to terms with seventh-round pick Steve Vallos with contract terms unconfirmed, leaving three more picks to sign — second-rounder Josh Wilson, third-round choice Brandon Mebane and the first of two fourth-round picks, Baraka Atkins.

The Seahawks might have to release three players before camp in July to make room for the unsigned draft choices on the roster.

Five former NFL Europa players are also part of the current roster and signed as free agents June 28. They are cornerback Omowale "Wally" Dada (a former Washington State player), quarterback Erik Meyer (formerly at Eastern Washington), offensive guard Jonathan Alston, running back A.J. Harris and wide receiver Robert Ortiz.

The five were added when NFL Europa ceased operations at the end of its season in June.

Gardner, who came to the Seahawks at the end of the 2006 regular season when the team was beset with injuries at cornerback, was on the roster to open the May minicamp. But he suffered a serious left leg injury on the first day of practices and didn't participate in the June camp.

NFL - ATLANTA FALCONS SIGN JAPANESE WR-PR-KR NORIAKI KINOSHITA

From NFL Media.com

NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE
280 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10017
(212) 450-2000 * FAX (212) 681-7573
WWW.NFLMedia.com
Joe Browne, Executive Vice President-Communications
Greg Aiello, Vice President-Public Relations


FOR USE AS DESIRED
7/5/07

FALCONS SIGN JAPANESE WR-PR-KR NORIAKI KINOSHITA

Kinoshita seeks to become first Japanese player in NFL history

The Atlanta Falcons have signed wide receiver-return specialist NORIAKI KINOSHITA, a native of
Osaka, Japan, the club announced today.

The 24-year old Kinoshita spent the past three seasons playing in the NFL Europa League and was
selected to the All-NFL Europa team as the National return specialist in each of the past two years.
In 2007, Kinoshita led NFL Europa with a 15.9-yard punt-return average and ranked third with a 23.2-
yard kickoff-return average. He also added 23 receptions for 364 yards and two touchdowns.

“I’m excited to see Nori compete in training camp with us,” says Falcons head coach BOBBY
PETRINO. “He has good experience playing in NFL Europa and he deserves a chance to be in an
NFL training camp. We’ve already had stiff competition at the wide receiver position throughout our
minicamps and offseason workouts, and Nori’s presence now adds more to that position. We are
also interesting in seeing his return skills.”

Prior to playing in NFL Europa, Kinoshita played three seasons at Ritsumeikan University and helped
the team win two national championships (2002 and 2003).

“I am very excited to compete at the Falcons’ training camp with other great players,” says Kinoshita,
who hopes to become the first Japanese player in NFL history. “It is exciting as a Japanese player to
compete with American players, and I want to appeal to the fans in Atlanta. At the same time, I want
to show the Japanese people how exciting the great game of football is.”

American football has been played in Japan since 1934. Today more than 100 high schools and 200
universities field tackle football teams and nearly 200,000 youth participate in Flag Football programs
in approximately 2,000 elementary and junior high schools. The X-League, Japan’s corporate league
which was founded in 1985, features 18 teams from around the country.

###

7/10/07 - 2007 NFL UNRESTRICTED & RESTRICTED FREE-AGENT SIGNINGS

From NFLMedia.com

2007 NFL UNRESTRICTED & RESTRICTED FREE-AGENT SIGNINGS
AS OF 7/10/07

(Based on official notification to NFL office)

1) 126 UNRESTRICTED free agents have signed with a NEW team:
TEAM PLAYER FORMER TEAM DATE REPORTED
ARIZONA DE Rodney Bailey Pittsburgh 4/13
CB Ralph Brown Cleveland 4/13
T Mike Gandy Buffalo 4/3
S Terrence Holt Detroit 3/8
CB Roderick Hood Philadelphia 3/13
C Al Johnson Dallas 3/6
NT Ross Kolodziej Minnesota 4/11
WR Sean Morey Pittsburgh 3/15
DE Joe Tafoya Seattle 4/13
ATLANTA K Billy Cundiff New Orleans 5/7
G Toniu Fonoti Miami 3/15
T Leander Jordan San Diego 5/9
FB Ovie Mughelli Baltimore 3/2
CB Lewis Sanders Houston 3/7
LB Marcus Wilkins Cincinnati 3/3
BUFFALO G Derrick Dockery Washington 3/3
RB Josh Scobey Seattle 5/3
T Langston Walker Oakland 3/3
C Jason Whittle Minnesota 3/3
CAROLINA S Deke Cooper San Francisco 3/26
CHICAGO DT Anthony Adams San Francisco 3/30
CINCINNATI DT Kenderick Allen Green Bay 5/14
DT Michael Myers Denver 4/20
CLEVELAND DE Antwan Peek Houston 3/5
DT Robaire Smith Tennessee 3/16
G Eric Steinbach Cincinnati 3/3
CB Kenny Wright Washington 3/6
DALLAS T Leonard Davis Arizona 3/5
S Ken Hamlin Seattle 3/26
DENVER TE Daniel Graham New England 3/9
LB Warrick Holdman Washington 4/26
G Montrae Holland New Orleans 3/5
LB D.D. Lewis Seattle 4/26
DT Alvin McKinley Cleveland 3/21
P Todd Sauerbrun New England 4/20
RB Paul Smith St. Louis 3/6
DETROIT RB T.J. Duckett Washington 3/16
CB Travis Fisher St. Louis 3/13
WR Shaun McDonald St. Louis 3/19
WR Troy Walters Arizona 6/1
DE DeWayne White Tampa Bay 3/5
JACKSONVILLE WR Dennis Northcutt Cleveland 3/5
T Tony Pashos Baltimore 3/3
GREEN BAY CB Frank Walker NY Giants 3/15
HOUSTON LB Shawn Barber Philadelphia 3/21
T Jordan Black Kansas City 3/9
WR Andre Davis Buffalo 4/12
RB Ahman Green Green Bay 3/5
LB Danny Clark New Orleans 3/7
CB Jamar Fletcher Detroit 4/5
DT Jeff Zgonina Miami 3/15
INDIANAPOLIS G Rick DeMulling Detroit 3/30
TE Mike Seidman Carolina 5/8
KANSAS CITY DT Alfonso Boone Chicago 3/20
LS J.P. Darche Seattle 3/8
LB Donnie Edwards San Diego 3/19
LB Napoleon Harris Minnesota 3/6
S Jon McGraw Detroit 3/28
G Damion McIntosh Miami 3/3
MIAMI K Jay Feely NY Giants 3/8
WR Az-Zahir Hakim San Diego 3/22
G Chris Liwienski Arizona 3/22
TE David Martin Green Bay 3/5
FB Cory Schlesinger Detroit 3/15
S Cameron Worrell Chicago 3/8
MINNESOTA LB Vinny Ciurciu Carolina 3/3
S Mike Doss Indianapolis 4/4
WR Cortez Hankton Jacksonville 4/16
TE Visanthe Shiancoe N.Y. Giants 3/5
WR Bobby Wade Tennessee 3/7
NEW ENGLAND TE Kyle Brady Jacksonville 3/3
CB Tory James Cincinnati 4/24
RB Sammy Morris Miami 3/3
WR Donte’ Stallworth Philadelphia 3/13
LB Adalius Thomas Baltimore 3/3
WR Kelley Washington Cincinnati 3/13
NEW ORLEANS LB Troy Evans Houston 4/10
TE Eric Johnson San Francisco 3/8
S Kevin Kaesviharn Cincinnati 3/15
NEW YORK GIANTS LB Kawika Mitchell Kansas City 3/27
CB Michael Stone Houston 4/16
QB Anthony Wright Cincinnati 4/18
NEW YORK JETS FB Darian Barnes Miami 3/8
DE David Bowens Miami 4/2
DE Kenyon Coleman Dallas 3/6
QB Marques Tuiasosopo Oakland 3/23
OAKLAND G Cooper Carlisle Denver 4/13
T Cornell Green Tampa Bay 3/30
FB Justin Griffith Atlanta 3/12
C Jeremy Newberry San Francisco 3/7
RB Dominic Rhodes Indianapolis 3/9
TE Tony Stewart Cincinnati 3/12
WR Travis Taylor Minnesota 5/22
TE Fred Wakefield Arizona 3/9
PHILADELPHIA WR Kevin Curtis St. Louis 3/19
WR Bethel Johnson Minnesota 3/15
DT Ian Scott Chicago 5/3
PITTSBURGH DE Nick Eason Cleveland 4/16
C Sean Mahan Tampa Bay 3/12
ST. LOUIS WR Drew Bennett Tennessee 3/3
LB Chris Draft Carolina 4/2
S Todd Johnson Chicago 3/12
RB Travis Minor Miami 3/9
CB Lenny Walls Kansas City 4/4
SAN FRANCISCO LB Tully Banta-Cain New England 3/7
DB Nate Clements Buffalo 3/3
NT Aubrayo Franklin Baltimore 3/3
WR Ashley Lelie Atlanta 3/6
S Michael Lewis Philadelphia 3/3
SEATTLE S Deon Grant Jacksonville 3/13
DE Brandon Green St. Louis 4/25
DE Patrick Kerney Atlanta 3/7
S Brian Russell Cleveland 3/12
TAMPA BAY RB B.J. Askew N.Y. Jets 3/5
LB Patrick Chukwura Denver 3/3
QB Jeff Garcia Philadelphia 3/3
LB Cato June Indianapolis 3/19
DE Lance Legree San Francisco 3/8
TE Jerramy Stevens Seattle 4/30
TENNESSEE WR Justin Gage Chicago 3/23
CB Nicholas Harper Indianapolis 3/16
QB Tim Rattay Tampa Bay 5/11
CB Bryan Scott New Orleans 3/26
WASHINGTON LB London Fletcher Buffalo 3/3
CB David Macklin Arizona 4/6
S Omar Stoutmire New Orleans 3/22

2) 88 UNRESTRICTED free agents have re-signed with their OLD team:
TEAM PLAYER DATE REPORTED
ARIZONA LB Monty Beisel 3/15
DT Chris Cooper 3/26
S Hanik Milligan 3/3
RB Marcel Shipp 3/6
BALTIMORE DE Jarret Johnson 3/6
S Gerome Sapp 4/11
RB Musa Smith 3/6
BUFFALO RB Anthony Thomas 3/12
CB Kiwaukee Thomas 3/13
CAROLINA LB Na’il Diggs 3/2
DT Kindal Moorehead 4/23
CHICAGO G Ruben Brown 3/30
CINCINNATI TE Reggie Kelly 3/8
RB Kenny Watson 3/5
CLEVELAND C Hank Fraley 3/3
C Lennie Friedman 3/20
DALLAS T Marc Colombo 3/12
K Martin Grammatica 3/7
DENVER WR Quincy Morgan 3/12
DE Kenny Peterson 3/13
DETROIT RB Aveion Cason 3/7
DE Corey Smith 3/5
GREEN BAY C Tyson Walter 3/5
LB Tracy White 3/7
HOUSTON TE Mark Bruener 3/12
RB Ron Dayne 3/23
DE Ndukwe Kalu 3/5
CB Dexter McCleon 4/2
T Ephraim Salaam 3/5
P Chad Stanley 3/7
INDIANAPOLIS LB Rocky Boiman 4/17
DT Dan Klecko 3/23
WR Aaron Moorehead 4/27
LB Rob Morris 3/5
JACKSONVILLE LB Tony Gilbert 3/26
RB LaBrandon Toefield 3/29
KANSAS CITY DT Ron Edwards 3/15
QB Damon Huard 3/2
DT James Reed 4/16
DE Jimmy Wilkerson 3/21
MIAMI CB Michael Lehan 3/19
LB Donnie Spragan 4/25
S Travares Tillman 4/13
NT Keith Traylor 3/8
MINNESOTA LB Jason Glenn 4/4
NEW ENGLAND FB Heath Evans 3/2
LB Larry Izzo 3/6
LB Junior Seau 5/21
N.Y. GIANTS C Shaun O’Hara 3/3
C Grey Ruegamer 3/27
N.Y. JETS T Anthony Clement 3/19
C Wade Smith 3/12
NEW ORLEANS S Jay Bellamy 4/2
CB Dejuan Groce 3/9
NT Antwan Lake 3/5
T Jon Stinchcomb 3/5
OAKLAND T Chad Slaughter 3/12
CB Duane Starks 3/26
WR Alvis Whitted 3/9
PHILADELPHIA RB Correll Buckhalter 3/21
CB William James 3/15
DE Juqua Thomas 3/2
PITTSBURGH S Tyrone Carter 4/2
RB Najeh Davenport 3/6
CB Chidi Iwuoma 3/15
ST. LOUIS LB Raonall Smith 5/3
T Todd Steussie 3/7
SAN DIEGO G Kris Dielman 3/5
LB Carlos Polk 3/22
C Cory Withrow 3/9
SAN FRANCISCO WR Bryan Gilmore 3/3
LB Hannibal Navies 3/16
RB Moran Norris 3/5
SEATTLE WR Bobby Engram 3/23
G Chris Gray 4/9
TE Will Heller 3/5
G Floyd Womack 3/12
TAMPA BAY CB Philip Buchanon 3/2
CB Torrie Cox 3/3
TENNESSEE QB Kerry Collins 3/12
DT Rien Long 3/2
S Donnie Nickey 4/2
T Seth Wand 3/8
LB LeVar Woods 3/12
WASHINGTON S Vernon Fox 3/2
CB Ade Jimoh 3/6
T Todd Wade 3/20
TE Todd Yoder 3/15
3) 4 RESTRICTED free agents have signed with NEW teams:
TEAM PLAYER FORMER TEAM DATE REPORTED
CLEVELAND DT Shaun Smith Cincinnati 3/16
NEW ORLEANS CB Jason David Indianapolis 4/27
ST. LOUIS P Donnie Jones Miami 4/18
TENNESSEE LB Ryan Fowler Dallas 3/16
4) 88 RESTRICTED free agents have re-signed with their OLD team:
TEAM PLAYER DATE REPORTED
ARIZONA C Nick Leckey 4/13
ATLANTA TE Dwayne Blakely 4/4
QB Matt Schaub 3/22 (Traded to Houston)
LB Demorrio Williams 4/23
BALTIMORE WR Devard Darling 5/15
WR Clarence Moore 4/24
PR B.J. Sams 5/10
BUFFALO DT Tim Anderson 4/17
DE Tony Hargrove 4/5
CAROLINA DT Jordan Carstens 3/20
WR Drew Carter 4/18
TE Michael Gaines 5/4
CINCINNATI G Stacey Andrews 4/23
CB Greg Brooks 4/2
LB Landon Johnson 4/20
P Kyle Larson 3/20
LB Caleb Miller 4/24
CLEVELAND T Nat Dorsey 4/27
NT Ethan Kelley 4/20
LB Mason Unck 4/25
DALLAS WR Patrick Crayton 4/5
CB Nathan Jones 4/13
CB Jacques Reeves 4/20
DENVER RB Kyle Johnson 4/2
RB Cecil Sapp 4/11
DETROIT LS Don Muhlbach 3/2
S Keith Smith 4/24
HOUSTON LB Charlie Anderson 4/24
S Glenn Earl 4/28
CB Von Hutchins 4/3
RB Vonta Leach 3/26
LB Shantee Orr 4/23
INDIANAPOLIS LB Gilbert Gardner 3/16
G Ryan Lilja 3/20
G Jake Scott 4/19
QB Jim Sorgi 4/11
DE Josh Thomas 4/24
JACKSONVILLE CB Ahmad Carroll 4/4
LB Jorge Cordova 4/19
QB Quinn Gray 4/20
DE Bobby McCray 6/13
K Josh Scobee 3/2
WR Ernest Wilford 4/20
KANSAS CITY DE Jared Allen 5/22
LB Keyaron Fox 4/24
WR Samie Parker 4/26
T Kevin Sampson 4/26
S Benny Sapp 4/3
LB Rich Scanlon 4/24
K Lawrence Tynes 4/4
MIAMI S Yeremiah Bell 5/21
QB Cleo Lemon 5/29
WR Wes Welker 3/5 (Traded to New England)
MINNESOTA G Anthony Herrera 4/23
DT Spencer Johnson 4/24
TE Richard Owens 4/19
RB Artose Pinner 4/23
DE Darrion Scott 6/1
NEW ENGLAND CB Randall Gay 5/29
G Gene Mruckzowski 3/22
NEW ORLEANS WR Terrance Copper 3/27
NT Rodney Leisle 4/3
NEW YORK GIANTS LB Reggie Torbor 4/23
RB Derrick Ward 5/29
S Gibril Wilson 5/2
NEW YORK JETS TE Sean Ryan 3/26
LB Cody Spencer 3/28
OAKLAND RB Reshard Lee 5/7
PITTSBURGH QB Brian St. Pierre 4/23
T Max Starks 4/25
ST. LOUIS LB Brandon Chillar 4/23
G Adam Goldberg 4/19
TE Aaron Walker 4/17
SAN DIEGO RB Michael Turner 4/26
SAN FRANCISCO RB Maurice Hicks 5/3
P Andy Lee 3/8
SEATTLE CB Jordan Babineaux 5/4
WR D.J. Hackett 4/23
LB Niko Koutouvides 4/20
T Sean Locklear 4/24
DT Craig Terrill 4/3
LB Robert Reynolds 4/4
TAMPA BAY G Jeb Terry 5/7
TENNESSEE C Eugene Amano 4/17
T Jacob Bell 6/14
TE Ben Hartsock 4/24
DT Randy Starks 4/17
WASHINGTON P Derrick Frost 4/2
5) 0 FRANCHISE players have signed with NEW teams:
TEAM PLAYER FORMER TEAM DATE REPORTED



6) 3 FRANCHISE players have re-signed with their OLD team:
TEAM PLAYER DATE REPORTED
CINCINNATI DE Justin Smith 5/8
NEW ORLEANS DE Charles Grant 4/27
SEATTLE K Josh Brown 5/2

NFLPA's Richard Berthelesen: Gene Upshaw is Underpaid - Profootballtalk.com

I personally think Gene Upshaw's doing a great job and has managed to stay out of court and caused the players to get more money in the last CBA. But Gene's got his detrators...

BERTHELSEN SAYS UPSHAW IS UNDERPAID - Profootballtalk.com

Last month, we reported that NFLPA executive director Gene Upshaw made at least $6.6 million in the year ending February 28, 2007.

Daniel Kaplan of SportsBusiness Journal recently confirmed this report, and obtained a quote from NFLPA general counsel Richard Berthelesen defending the exorbitant salary and bonus package paid to Upshaw.

"If anything he is underpaid," Berthelsen said. "He is paid out of the revenues generated by active players."

As Kaplan notes, it's possible that Upshaw earned even more from Players, Inc., the licensing arm of the NFLPA that generates millions from the use of player names and likenesses for trading cards, video games, and related products.

In our view, Berthelsen's comment indicates that Upshaw's wages are tied directly to the financial package that the NFL has given to the players, and therefore that these windfalls will continue beyond February 28, 2007.

But should they? Is it fair and just for the head of a union to be paid based on the total revenue that the union is generating for its members, or should the head of the union be given a salary that reflects the dynamics of the market for persons with the abilities and skills that Upshaw is utilizing?

We think the latter is the more appropriate formula. If Upshaw won't do the job for less than $6.7 million per year, then the PLAYERS who comprise the union should search for a competent executive who'd be thrilled to have the position in return for a lot less money.

We also are curious as to whether the rank-and-file are given full information as to what Upshaw makes. Berthelsen says that the wages are determined by a 10-member committee. But who beyond that committee is asked their opinion on whether Upshaw is receiving more than his fair share?

Berthelsen says that the committee takes into account the salary paid to the NFL Commissioner. But why should the wages that the 32 billionaires who own NFL teams chose to pay to the guy who is managing their league have any relevance to the money paid to Upshaw?

If the formula used to pay Upshaw is going to continue to take into account the revenues generated by active players, and thus will continue to generate pay in excess of $6 million per year, how will the union go about replacing Upshaw? Will current NFLPA president Troy Vincent get the opportunity to make more per year on average than he ever earned on the field simply because he is in the right place at the right time? Or will the union conduct a nationwide search for the best and most competent person that $6.7 million per year can buy?

Regardless of any other issue that currently is dogging the union, we believe that the pay given to Upshaw is shameful, and that it confirms (in our opinion) the notion that the players are in many cases being manipulated by the power structure that Upshaw has put in place to agree with anything that the union's administration presents to them.

And the fact that the retired players who currently are flailing clumsily at Upshaw over disability benefits have yet to utter a peep about Upshaw's pay tells us that the cause being championed by folks like Mike Ditka and Joe DeLamielleure is going nowhere, fast.

It also tells us that real change will be effected only if and when current players display off of the field the same courage that they demonstrate every time they march onto it.

USC's Pete Caroll On ND's Charlie Weis: "He's A Jerk" - Also Dishes On Norm Chow

I just returned from the local Gold's Gym in Oakland where I work out and ran into a friend who's a big USC fan, alumn, and donor, on top of being a big exec at a national retailer. Since I'm a Cal fan, we've had a few nice ribbing sessions. The point being, she's got know reason to make up what I'm about to report, asked the questions herself, and when I asked her if she would mind that I blog this, her response was "go ahead."

So that's what I'm doing.

On May 22nd, my friend attended a USC Alumni event in Southern California where USC Football Coach Pete Carroll was the featured guest. After an evening of drinks and food, there was a question and answer session with Coach Carroll. I proded her to tell me about it while we were streching, and so after some consistent coaxing, she did.



She said that she and Coach Carroll got along famously well "I think he seemed to like me," she said. "Oh, did I tell you what he said about Charlie Weis?" No, was my response, and she held back for a few seconds or so while streching and said "I thought I told you this?" I swore up and down we'd not taked about the event after her return. "What did he say about Weis?," I asked.

"Well, she said, "I asked him what he thought of Charlie Weis.

"He (Coach Carroll) said Weis was a jerk," she reported. My friend also remarked that Carroll said "people down there (in South Bend) don't really like him."

Geez.

I could not believe it. But it gets better. "He (Caroll) also said that 'That thing with his son? It was all for publicity.'" I pretty much almost fell from my stretch with that news. I could not believe what I was hearing. It's one thing for Pete to call Weis a jerk, but to introduce the matter of Coach Weis' son on the sidelines (Coach Weis also has a 12-year-old special-needs daughter, Hannah) being some kind of publicty stunt is another story.

I personally think that's off base.

But that didn't seem to matter to Pete Carroll, who also didn't have great things to say about former USC Offensive Coordinator, now Tennesee Titans Offensive Coordinator Norm Chow, and again in response to my friend's question. Caroll said "Well you know, we're not the best of friends."

Caroll told my friend that they talk maybe once a year and that Norm's not happy in Tennessee. I remarked that he's got a great job, so what's the problem? According to my friend, Carol claims that Chow's family's not happy in Tennesee, and wants to get back to the West Coast. Caroll also remarked that Chow "would never be a head coach."

Being a Chow fan myself, I asked why Caroll would say this "He (Caroll) thinks' he (Chow) doens't want to be a head coach.

I think Coach Carroll should take time to measure his words in an Internet society. I mean here I am reporting something he didn't think was going to wind up being thrown out there for the public to know about. Pete should know better.

He didn't need to make that comment about Coach Weis' daughter and publicity. It's one thing for USC to have beaten Notre Dame 44-24 last year, but that doesn't give Coach Caroll the right to say what he did regarding Coach Weis and his family. That's sacred ground in my view. And I'm 100 percent certain this is true, without a doubt. My friend has no reason to lie and was the person who asked the questions.

One thing Coach Carroll should do now, is pick up the damn phone and appologize to Coach Weis. Charlie may be less than nice in what he has to say in return, but look, talking about another parent's children being on the sidelines as being "out there for just publicity" is too much and classless to boot.

Does that mean Indy Coach Tony Dungy bringing his off spring on the sidelines is "just publicity?" Come on, now.

Dallas Cowboys New Stadium On Schedule - Roof Trusses Installed

The World's Largest Pro Football Stadium is on target for completion in 2009. Personally, I can't wait to see it. The photo was taken from the webcam set up to allow fans to see the structure as it's being built.

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) - Construction officials say the new Dallas Cowboys stadium in Arlington is about 30% complete -- with a steel arch now being built.

Crews have put the first section of the arch truss in place, as a support for the retractable roof of the one billion dollar complex.

Arlington mayor Robert Cluck was on hand yesterday to give a thumbs-up to the process.

The new home for the Cowboys will open for the 2009 season.

The venue also will host the 2011 Super Bowl.

NFL EUROPE DISCONTINUED - NFL INTERNATIONAL TO FOCUS ON GLOBAL IMPACT - NFlLMedia.com

From the NFL. The official press release annoucing the death of NFL Europe.

NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE
280 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10017
(212) 450-2000 * FAX (212) 681-7573
WWW.NFLMedia.com
Joe Browne, Executive Vice President-Communications
Greg Aiello, Vice President-Public Relations


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
6/29/07

NFL INTERNATIONAL TO FOCUS ON GLOBAL IMPACT:
NFL EUROPA DISCONTINUED

The NFL has determined that it will switch the focus of its international business strategy to
presenting the NFL to the widest possible global audience, including broader media visibility and the
staging of international regular-season games, and will discontinue NFL Europa.

“The time is right to re-focus the NFL’s strategy on initiatives with global impact, including worldwide
media coverage of our sport and the staging of live regular-season NFL games,” commented Mark
Waller, senior vice president of NFL International.

“We will continue to build our international fan base by taking advantage of technology and
customized digital media that make the NFL more accessible on a global scale than ever before and
through the regular-season game experience. NFL Europa has created thousands of passionate fans
who have supported that league and our sport for many years and we look forward to building on this
foundation as we begin this new phase of our international development.”

Last October, NFL owners passed a resolution to stage up to two international regular-season games
per season. The new international series will launch on Sunday, October 28 when the Miami
Dolphins host the New York Giants at London’s Wembley Stadium.

In addition to the 2007 game in the United Kingdom, the NFL is preparing to stage regular-season
games in future seasons in Germany, Mexico and Canada, with Germany being a strong candidate to
host a regular-season NFL game in 2008.

NFL Europa began in 1991 as the World League of American Football, with 10 teams competing in
the United States and Europe. After a two-year hiatus (1993-94) following the 1992 season, the
league returned in 1995 as a six-team, all-European venture, with five teams in Germany since 2005,
and has existed in that format through its final season in 2007.


# # #

COMMISSIONER GOODELL PRESS CONFERENCE - NFL Rookie Symposium

From NFL Media.com

COMMISSIONER GOODELL PRESS CONFERENCE
NFL Rookie Symposium
Palm Beach Gardens, Florida – June 25, 2007


Re: How the Symposium has lasted this long and the concern about
players in their first year...

RG: The focus for us is how do we make these guys better men. What can we do
to help prepare them for the decisions they will have to make as NFL players?
It’s a big transition from college, so I think we’re providing some tools for them.
The big focus for us is how do we expand on this, how do we make it better? It’s
a great start but we want to make sure that we continue to promote these
messages and give the players the kind of resources and tools they need to
make good choices.

Re: On the rookies and if they asked questions of him...

RG: Yes. I thought they were great. There were a lot of questions. They were
good questions, direct questions. I think that’s terrific and I’m glad they felt
comfortable enough to ask them.

Re: If this will help the players in the long term. Is the goal to help them no
matter what kind of career they have?

RG: The whole focus is how do we make these men better men, and how do we
make sure that they understand that the skills they learn here are life skills;
things that will help them throughout their lives and well beyond their NFL career.

Re: How the message on player conduct is getting across...

RG: I think we’re being more clear with them of what we expect. There is a
higher standard of behavior being that they are football players. The vast majority
of our players do understand; only a select few of our players don’t. They get a
lot of focus, they get a lot of attention, and it has a negative impact on the players
in our league and the NFL in general. I think they have a better understanding of
what we’re going expect from them in the future.

Q: Why do they have a better understanding?

RG: Because we reinforce it at every opportunity. We feel very strongly here. The
clubs are doing it at the club level and I think what we’ve done with the personal
conduct policy came out just great. There are not many people who are unaware
of what our standards are.

Re: Why some players still don’t seem to grasp it...
2

RG: I’d be naïve to think that everyone will understand it. We’re going to have to
make it a priority going forward. Again, we’re making players more aware of our
standards of behavior. Secondly, we’re giving them more tools and resources to
make sure that they can make those decisions, and hopefully that will have a
great impact.

Re: What you discussed with the players...

RG: Several things. I just tell them a little bit about my own background, being in
the league for 26 years. I told them about what I think is important with respect
to supporting the NFL shield. I did discuss personal conduct. I did talk about our
responsibility to them, and about the resources we’re providing to them. I spoke
to them about how important it is making their families proud in everything they
do both on and off of the field.

Re: The reaction of the players while he was speaking...

RG: I thought they were outstanding. It was a little difficult in the room to survey
every conversation. You could tell the players were engaged. They asked very
good questions, very responsive questions to what I had said, and I think they
listened very intently.

Re: The process in evaluating a violation of the policy...

RG: First we get the facts, and then once we’ve done that we make an evaluation
of where it sits in our personal conduct policy and make a determination.

Re: Overall goal of the symposium and this class of rookies...

RG: That we are concerned about them as men. Not only how they become
great NFL players but how they become great men. How they conduct
themselves appropriately for the remainder of their lives, not just in the National
Football League.

Re: How did the players ask questions? Did they raise their hand, stand up,
grab a microphone?

RG: They did both, they had a microphone. They asked a lot of questions about
the services they have available to them, what we could do to help them, am I
available, what is my perspective and how I go about making decisions. They
were very good questions.

Re: Your perception of how the fans perceive personal conduct issues...Do
you believe personal conduct is a problem in the fans’ eyes?

3
RG: The reaction I’m getting from the fans is quite supportive. We are standing
up; we are making sure our players are held to a higher standard. They want
that. People have put an awful lot of time, energy, money, into the National
Football League, and I want them to feel good about what they’re doing.

Re: Whether the symposium always has the same focus...

RG: We adapt the symposium to whatever the issues are at the time. We
obviously have adapted the agenda here to some extent to make sure it’s
responsive to issues that they may be facing, that they’re comfortable making the
transition to pro football from college football.

Re: Congressional hearing on retired players...

RG: The focus on retired players is that we have an obligation and a
responsibility to retired players. I think we’ve done some very positive things for
retired players and we’re considering doing some additional things that I think are
quite responsive to the issues. I’ve spent a fair amount of time listening to retired
players and listening to what the issues actually are. Both Gene and I will be
having a meeting with the retired players on July 24th to talk about some of the
ideas that we’ve been developing and hopefully we’ll be able to move this
forward. I think we’re being very responsive to our retired players and I
understand the interest in this. I hope were going to be seen in a very positive
light in terms of being responsive to this.

Re: The London Game and the loss of a home game for the Dolphins...

RG: I understand that and that’s why we’ve said all along that we’re going to
have a limited number of regular-season games overseas because we recognize
that it can be difficult for fans and they lose one of their eight regular-season
home games. It’s not going to happen on a frequent basis. Even if we did two a
year it wouldn’t happen frequently. On the other hand, any time a fan loses a
home game we understand it’s a negative. We’re glad it’s on television. It’s not
the same experience, but I think the club should be proud that their fans are
going to be able to see it on television and more importantly they’re expanding on
a global basis. Hopefully some good will come out of that. There’s not much I can
say other than that. The fact is they are losing a regular-season home game.

Re: Reaction to Pacman and Tank’s latest issues...

RG: We’re waiting to get the facts. They’re both under suspension right now so
we’ll look at the facts and take it under consideration. They understand, as part of
their suspension, that we’ll be evaluating every activity that is going on with them.
They understand that so we’ll take that under consideration.

Re: Hearing their names continually coming up in the news this
offseason...

RG: I would rather them be making good choices. They know that and knew that
when I met with them, and they each pledged to try to make good choices going
forward. We’re trying to do everything we can to support them to make choices. If
they don’t, that’s the decision they make and it will affect their future.

Re: Reaction to hearing these names again...

RG: Disappointment, more than anything else. Either they aren’t getting the
message or they don’t have the ability or the desire. It’s disappointing.

# # #

Joe Montana - Brady Quinn Needs To Work On Touch

In an interview with a Kirk Bolh , former SF 49ers, Chiefs, and Notre Dame QB Joe Montana said “He throws the ball vertically very well, but the touch things, he’s got some work to do. He tries to knock a few guys over.”

Brady would do well to listen to Joe, considered the greatest QB of our time. Montana also offered this about the Raiders JaMarcus Russell: "“He’s obviously got a tremendous arm, but I don’t know what he’s got happening in Oakland. That’s an uphill battle.”

But Bohl's didn't ask Joe why he believed this, making for an imcomplete conversation.

(ESPN's) "Tony (Kornheiser) Is Extremely Neurotic" - Joe Theisman On New “Monday Night Football”

Wow. I can understand that he's upset, but calling someone -- specifically ESPN's Tony Kornheiser "extremely neurotic" is a bit much. Well, it's one thing to say that in private conversation, but another to just hall off and make the comment before a media person. But Joe had a lot to say in this interview covered by MetroBostonNews.com . He dished more on Kornheiser saying "“Monday Night Football” cannot be an extension of “Pardon The Interruption,” because the game is too important."

The entire article by Christopher Price of Metro is below.....

Theismann Unplugged

Analyst sounds off on the Pats, Belichck and “Monday Night Football”
Former NFL quarterback Joe Theismann has never been shy about expressing his opinions. So when Metro caught up with him yesterday, it was no surprise the former Redskins quarterback and “Monday Night Football” analyst let fly on a number of topics, including what he thought about the Patriots’ offseason moves, Bill Belichick’s management style, whether or not Donovan McNabb should be worried and his feelings about being replaced on the “MNF” broadcasts by Ron Jaworski.

What are your thoughts about the Patriots’ moves this offseason?
I love them. It all starts with Mr. Kraft — I don’t think there’s anyone like Mr. Kraft. I have the utmost respect for him as a man, for the way he runs his organization. The way he entrusts his people with the responsibility of keeping this organization at the top … I look at the 49ers and the way they handled that situation. I think New England is the modern equivalent of that. You’ve got the best if not one of the top two or three coaches in the league in Bill [Belichick]. He’s the best at what he does.

You lose a Willie McGinest, you add an Adalius Thomas. You basically get a younger, bigger version of Willie. You have Junior [Seau] coming back healthy. Tedy [Bruschi] coming back healthy, hopefully, Rosevelt [Colvin] coming into his own. You’ve added the defensive linemen a few years ago. And even with Asante [Samuel] and his situation, the secondary is pretty solid, because that’s what you do. Bill believes that he can put the right people into the right situation and make them a Pro Bowler. You aren’t necessarily a Pro Bowler that has come to save a system.

Offensively, there isn’t anybody in football who doesn’t believe that this wasn’t a tight end offense a year ago. And that was the way it was going to be to be successful. The thing that really got Tom [Brady]… for six weeks, Tommy Brady was in a funk. As an aside, I’d like to congratulate him on fatherhood. I think it’s wonderful. Being a dad, this will be the greatest year of his life. I congratulate him and his girlfriend. But you look at what they’ve added. They added Kelley Washington, a big receiver who’s proven. You add Randy Moss … Randy gets a bad knock. Randy doesn’t deserve the criticism that he gets. I’ve known him since Day 1. I would have loved to have played with him. I would have lined up alongside Randy Moss any day, and twice on Sunday. You add Wes Welker, the leading receiver for the Dolphins a year ago. He fits the role of Troy Brown. And then you add Donte Stallworth. You’ve added size, you’ve added red zone production and you’ve added speed.

The biggest travesty of the 2006 season was the fact that Tom Brady was not selected to the Pro Bowl. Are you kidding me? I felt like he had — and had to have — his best year for them to get where to they got to. People forget they were four points from another Super Bowl — and they were going to win that one. I just feel like — and you have to put the qualifier out there that if everyone can stay healthy — I think they offensively become very, very difficult to defend, because offensively, they have the young running back. They have the best quarterback in football. Probably, there isn’t a receiver on that team that will catch more than 55 balls, the way I look at it. They’re probably going to be between 45 and 55, maybe five of them. They’re probably going to be in the low 60s, but they’re touchdown production will go up in the red zone.

What stands out the most about Belichick and the way he approaches the game?
Bill Belichick believes in his system and he puts it on his players to deliver, and if you don’t deliver, you won’t be here. If you’re not a New England Patriot type of player, you will not be a New England Patriot. He has a very specific idea as to what he’s looking for in that type of player.

I just think that defensively, there isn’t anybody better than him. As a head coach … the two things he does as a head coach is discipline and direction. And he cuts to the chase. There is no sugarcoating with him and his ballclub. He’s upfront. He tells you what he expects from you and he tells you how you’re going to do it.

How would you react if you were in Donovan McNabb’s situation? What if the Redskins came in and drafted a quarterback?
They did. I have walked in Donovan’s shoes. Tom Flick was a No. 2 pick when I was there. In 1981, we went 0-5, and they go out and get a quarterback. I was going to be traded to the Detroit Lions. The Redskins went out and drafted Tom Flick in the second round. Joe Gibbs was a second-year head coach. They were after his job.

The only thing that Donovan has to concern himself with is staying healthy, because there isn’t anybody who can threaten Donovan McNabb. He’s one of the great quarterbacks in this game. I don’t throw the term “great” around lightly. He has really earned the moniker of greatness. His problem over the last two years has been injuries. Andy [Reid] has built the offense around Donovan’s ability. There are always areas he can improve in — throwing the ball over the middle. The shorter passes, he tends to jump and rush them a little bit, and he’s not as accurate as he can be. But he’s a great threat. I think they’ve added some weapons on the outside. And to go draft a young quarterback, that’s smart. That’s business. It’s what you have to do as a football team. In Donovan’s case, there’s so much being made about nothing, in my opinion. The addition of a young quarterback … this is a non-story. Donovan McNabb is the quarterback of the Philadelphia Eagles. He’ll be the quarterback for the Philadelphia Eagles until such time he chooses not to.

What’s your opinion of the new “Monday Night Football” crew?
I love Ronnie. We’ve been friends for a long, long time and I think the world of Ron. [But] I’m not happy with what happened. When you sit down in a meeting and they tell you that you’ve had your best year ever, and the ratings have gone up 50 percent and the executives don’t even talk to my boss and tell me that they didn’t like the fact that I talked about football, you have a little trouble trying to process how you could have done better. For Mike [Tirico] and Tony [Kornheiser] and Ron, it’ll be a learning process again, because Ron hasn’t done television. Tony is extremely neurotic. And I think Mike really settled in. I felt like the last six games we really settled in as a real solid team, all of us. And now, they’ll have to re-create that chemistry again. I’m disappointed, certainly I never expected it. But the people at ESPN understand how to deliver a product. I will say this — I believe, 100 percent that you cannot insult the football fan. “Monday Night Football” is about football, and I hope that they continue to deliver that product to the fan. “Monday Night Football” cannot be an extension of “Pardon The Interruption,” because the game is too important. That’s just the way I feel.

Why are you here in Boston?
About five years ago, I was diagnosed with a what’s called an enlarging prostate. Fifty percent of the guys over 50 have it and 90 percent of men over 80 have it. If you’re getting older, there’s a real good chance your prostate is going to grow. When somebody mentions something about the prostate to a guy — bang — cancer is the first thing that pops into your mind. My dad had the surgery about two years ago, so I talked to my doctor with my PSA test and asked about my options. About that time, GlaxoSmithKline came to me and said they have a drug called Avodart that shrinks the prostate. There are drugs that make you feel like you don’t have to go to the bathroom. There aren’t a lot of drugs that shrink it. And this is one that actually shrinks the prostate. And the size of my prostate is down, based on the exam, because I get a physical every year. I just had my last one 2½ months ago. So it’s something that I’ve become very conscious of. I’m encouraging guys to take the time to go to the doctors and get examined. That is what it is. You owe it to your family, you owe it to yourself and you owe it to the quality of your life.

I’d go to Foxborough, and the first thing I’d have to do is time myself from the booth to the bathroom and back, because through the course of that game, I knew I’d have to at some point run out during a commercial. And since I started taking the drug, it’s worked for me. That’s why I’m such a big advocate for it.

It’s the kind of thing that every guys, as he grows older, will probably end up facing. Everybody says, ‘Oh, Jeez, I don’t want the exam.’ I say, ‘Look. If I can talk about this thing publicly and openly, I would hope that a lot of guys out there would be able to go to their doctors, and in the privacy of their doctors office and have an examination.’ So if there is a problem, it can be detected early on. If there isn’t a problem, it puts your mind and your family’s mind at ease. If you wait, what’s the alternative? It’s not very pleasant. That’s why I got involved in the campaign. It’s time for guys to be very conscious of their health and go to the doctor.

I get a chance to talk to some of the urologists and some of the doctors in the area from a patient’s standpoint and tell them that maybe there are some other ways that they can ask the people to ask the question. When people go to the doctor — and we do it with the doctor, we do it with accountants and we do it with lawyers — we assume that they’re the supreme authority and we assume that they have all the answers to all our problems. What I say is that if I’m not feeling good and I don’t ask you to look at something, maybe you can say ‘Hey, maybe we should take a look at this too.’ So it’s an opportunity to be able to share, maybe from a patient’s perspective information with the doctors.

My Dad and I, when I was a kid, we used to sit around and talk about how my Little League game went, or my Pop Warner game or high school game. Now, we talk about our prostates. [laughter] That’s how time has moved on.

For more information on prostate education, check out www.prostatecare.com.

NFL's Neil Glat Comes To Bay Area To See Stadium Sites - KCBS

NFL Officials See Possible 49ers Stadium Site in Santa Clara

SAN JOSE, Calif. (KCBS) -- A day after looking at San Francisco’s proposed site for a new 49ers stadium, NFL executives toured Santa Clara’s tentative stadium site.

On Monday San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom briefed league officials on his plan to keep the team in the city and build a new stadium at the former Hunters Point Naval Shipyard along the bay. The site is on the federal Superfund list because of toxic pollution. City officials have said the shipyard can be cleaned up in time to open a new stadium in 2012.

"It could be a special place, but the devil is in the details,'' NFL senior vice president Neil Glat said.

Niners owners favor a theme park parking lot south of Santa Clara, although Great America park officials recently announced they oppose the plan. ``We're concerned about a loss of parking and the construction process to build a new stadium,'' said Stacy Frole, spokeswoman for Ohio-based Cedar Fair, which owns Great America.

The NFL cannot directly dictate where the 49ers build a new stadium, but historically the league has lent teams money for new arenas. Three-quarters of NFL teams also must approve a team's move.

``We expect that a new stadium will cost $854 million ... and that some of that will include an investment from the team ownership and hope some will come from a loan from the NFL,'' 49ers Spokeswoman Lisa Lang said.

The 49ers announced in November they were abandoning a decade-long attempt to build a stadium at Candlestick Point, its San Francisco home since 1971.

Seattle Seahawks / Holmgren To Intall Offense Pre-Shift System

"Pre-shifting", or what was called "The Multiple Offense" is being installed by Settle Seahawk's coach Mike Holmgren for the 2008 season. This was reported and buried deep in an article on the Seattle Defense, and which appears below. But in my view, the writer missed the real story.

The strategy has been around since the turn of the 20th Century, but was used as a standard strategy by Dallas Cowboys Coach, the late Tom Landry during his 30-years as head coach. The idea is simply to have the offense "shirt" or move from one formation to the other before the ball is snapped. But the only West Coast / Walsh Offense team to use this until now has been the Tampa Bay Bucs under Jon Gruden.

There' a balance that has to be established between shifting and reading keys after the snap.

_________________________________________

Hawks' defense eager to step up for second Super Bowl run
By CLARE FARNSWORTH
P-I REPORTER

KIRKLAND -- It has been a defensive offseason for the Seahawks.

In the wake of the disappointment that was failing to defend their NFC championship in January, the club signed defensive end Patrick Kerney and safeties Deon Grant and Brian Russell as free agents in March.

April brought the NFL draft, which delivered cornerback Josh Wilson, defensive tackle Brandon Mebane and defensive end Baraka Atkins.

During the post-draft minicamp in May and June minicamp, these players helped lead a surge of rejuvenation that at times confused and stifled the Seahawks offense -- the team's signature unit since coach Mike Holmgren arrived in 1999.

The events of the past 3 1/2 months have been enough to foster the notion that if the defense can rank among the NFL's top 10, the Seahawks have a chance to return to the Super Bowl for the second time in three seasons.

Top 10? Why stop there, says the smile that washes across the face of Pro Bowl linebacker Julian Peterson.

"Seattle is known for its offense, but we want to eventually make it so the defense is what holds the team together," Peterson said Thursday after the team's final minicamp practice. "That's what we're striving to be -- we want to be one of the top five defenses in the league. We have the talent to do that."

Now that is saying something.

The Seahawks have not finished among the top 10 in defense since 1997, and have done it only three times in the past 15 seasons. They were 19th last season -- down from No. 16 during their Super Bowl run in 2005 -- when a seemingly endless avalanche of deep pass plays and long runs doomed the Seahawks to mediocrity, and too often came in critical situations.

"We were OK, at times, but not nearly consistent enough," Holmgren said. "They have a real chance to be better, and we have to be. It's a huge challenge."

Said Peterson, "We're just going to hold up our end on the defense and let the offense continue to do what they do."

But all this concentration on the defense might be masking the real key to the team's success in 2007 -- that offense, which is another year older and replacing several more pieces of the cohesive unit that used to be among the most productive in the league.

During the two-minute drill that ended Thursday's practice, a fiery Holmgren admonished his No. 1 unit after an unblocked defensive lineman was allowed a clear path to quarterback Matt Hasselbeck. On the very next play, fill-in center Pat Ross and Hasselbeck botched the center exchange.

Holmgren gave the first unit another chance, only to have another fumbled snap.

It is asking too much for this up-tempo offense to function as efficiently in June -- or even early September -- as it always seems to by season's end. Especially since Pro Bowl left tackle Walter Jones and leading rusher Shaun Alexander were absent Thursday, when starting center Chris Spencer also saw his first, though limited, contact of the offseason after having postseason shoulder surgery.

But is it expecting too much to just get the ball into Hasselbeck's hands?

The offense worked extensively during this minicamp on pre-snap movement, which is designed to throw new wrinkles at defenses this season and also hold the attention of veteran players and coaches.

"If I find myself kind of standing at practice and going, 'Oh boy, if I have to look at that play one more time I'm going to faint,' then I know it's kind of time to throw in some new stuff," Holmgren said.

"It's healthy to stimulate the veterans that we have and get them thinking, so it's not just business as usual," he said. "And adding things to our repertoire is healthy, as long as it helps us."

Wrinkles aside, the offense that takes the field when training camp practices begin July 28 will not be the same seamless unit that led the Seahawks to three consecutive NFC West titles.

Spencer, left guard Rob Sims and a yet-to-be-determined right guard will man the interior of the line -- Spencer as a full-time replacement for the retired Robbie Tobeck and Sims as the latest option to try to make everyone forget about Steve Hutchinson's departure in free agency last offseason.

Deion Branch has moved to the flanker spot that opened when leading receiver Darrell Jackson was traded to the San Francisco 49ers during the draft. D.J. Hackett will replace Branch as the split end. Marcus Pollard and his 35-year-old body will try to supply what Jerramy Stevens couldn't -- consistent production from the tight end spot.

Regardless of the system and its past success, that is a lot of turnover for one offseason.

The suddenly defensive-minded Seahawks just can't allow it to create turmoil.