Dallas Cowboys' Tony Dorsett, #33 has always been my favorite running back because of his combination of speed and quickness and his unique running style: low to the ground as he approches and then passes the line of scrimmage, and to protect the football. Tony didn't run -- he would glide.
This video of his Monday Night Football 99 Yard touchdown run against the Minnesota Vikings shows all you need to see to understand why Tony Dorsett is one of the NFL's all time best backs.
Saturday, July 08, 2006
Charger Girls - NFL Network's Fourth Cheerleader Series Is Coming
The NFL -- NFL.com -- reports:
As budding NFL rookies go through the job interview process, a different group of hopefuls try their hardest to make another NFL roster ... a cheerleading roster. NFL Network goes behind-the-scenes to get an understanding and appreciation of what it takes to become an NFL cheerleader in Making the Squad.
On Mondays in July, NFL Network will follow the San Diego Chargers cheerleaders after profiling the Tampa Bay Buccaneers cheerleaders in June.
The July schedule is as follows:
The Chargers Cheerleaders: Making the Squad
July 10, July 17, July 24 at 8 p.m. ET
Here's the video on The Charger Girls:
Falcons Arthur Blank and Rich McKay to Randy Moss: "You're Not Wanted Here"
If this ESPN story is true -- and why would Randy Moss lie? -- it's the dumbest decision Arthur Blank and Rich McKay ever made. This is not a personal comment in that I've met and like Rich McKay, and have respect for how Arthur Blank has reconstructed the Falcons organization. But this individual action -- just plain stupid. Can you immagine Randy Moss paired with Michael Vick? That would have made the Falcons offense completely dangerous.
ATLANTA -- Wide receiver Randy Moss had hoped for a trade to the Atlanta Falcons or Baltimore Ravens before the March 2005 deal that instead sent him to the Oakland Raiders, he said here this week.
Randy Moss could have been slapping high-fives with Falcons fans if the trade he wanted came to pass.
But his hopes of joining electrifying quarterback Michael Vick on the Falcons' roster, Moss suggested in an interview with a local radio station, were thwarted by the fact that Atlanta owner Arthur Blank and team president Rich McKay wanted nothing to do with the perennial Pro Bowl wide receiver.
"I wanted to play with Atlanta just for the fact of Michael Vick's elusiveness," Moss said. "And I wanted to play with a guy such as [Ravens star middle linebacker] Ray Lewis, because he's on defense and I'm on offense. So I did have dreams and high hopes of being traded to the Atlanta Falcons, but the president and owner . . . told me specifically that [they] did not want me in Atlanta, there's nothing that I can do to get [to] Atlanta, and then wished me the best of luck. [Blank] did not think that Randy Moss would be a good fit in Atlanta."
The admission by Moss was the first confirmation of longstanding rumors that, when Vikings officials were seeking potential trade partners last spring, the wide receiver was eyeing Atlanta as a possible landing spot. But there were never any substantive trade negotiations with the Falcons, and Blank and McKay both said at the time that Moss was not a target, while hinting his off-field problems would keep the team from considering a deal for him.
It is not known if the Ravens ever discussed acquiring Moss in a trade.
Under the ownership of Blank, and the front office stewardship of McKay, the Falcons have stressed the desire to add high character players. In fact, the Atlanta front office has even created a term, the "Falcons' Filter," to describe how it often eliminates players of dubious background from roster consideration.
Neither McKay nor Blank could be reached to respond to Moss' comments, but the wide receiver's story certainly dovetails with the previous reports that the Falcons were not a suitor for his services, principally because of his past problems.
"Basically, it was the president and the owner of the team saying there [was] no cold chance in hell that [I] would be playing for the Atlanta Falcons," Moss said. "So I took the Atlanta Falcons off my list and I tried to go elsewhere."
That elsewhere was Oakland, to whom Moss was dealt on March 3, 2005, for linebacker Napoleon Harris and first- and seventh-round selections in the 2005 draft.
In his first season with the Raiders, the eight-year veteran had 60 receptions for 1,005 yards and eight touchdowns in 16 appearances, 15 of them starts. The receptions and receiving yards were the lowest of Moss' career for seasons in which he played in all 16 games.
Len Pasquarelli is a senior NFL writer for ESPN.com. To check out Len's chat archive, click here .
Monday, July 03, 2006
SI's Michael Silver Tells Denise Debartolo York To Give The 49ers Back to Eddie Debatolo
And I agree. Mike's rather funny "letter" to her, recently posted on the SI website, is chocked full of good observations on how the NFL would welcome "Mr. D" back to football.
It's worth reading. But in case SI takes it down, here it is:
Dear Mrs. York,
I know we haven't spoken much over the years, and your husband and I certainly won't be yukking it up on the golf course anytime soon, so I thought I'd try writing.
Simply put, I have some free advice for you, a small suggestion that can get you the key to the city of San Francisco and a free pass to heaven (upon reaching the afterlife) in one bold stroke.
Give your brother back his football team.
There, I said it. And if you've got a few minutes, I'll explain everything.
Why listen to me, you ask? Having grown up in L.A. rooting for the 49ers before your family purchased the franchise, I know what it's like to be the maligned standard-bearer of an impotent organization, and I can relate to the ridicule and scorn to which you and some of your family members are subjected by the 49ers faithful. Having covered Joe Montana on a daily basis -- and, not coincidentally, having parlayed my years as a Niners beat writer for the Santa Rosa Press Democrat into a gig covering the NFL for Sports Illustrated -- I am qualified to comment on miracle comebacks.
In your case, it will take a doozy ... the ownership equivalent of The Catch. After staying in the shadows while your brother, Eddie DeBartolo, became the best owner in sports, presiding over a franchise that won five Super Bowls in 14 years and went nearly two decades without a losing streak, you took over the team, ceded managing power to your husband, John, and watched the organization plummet to laughingstock status. I could (and will) give a long, sordid detailing of the 49ers' demise, but the Cliffs Notes version is that the product on the field stinks, and many of your employees hate coming to work each day.
Back to Eddie for a moment: You may have seen my story in last week's SI -- or perhaps you've read some of the reaction pieces, many of them irresponsibly reported, in which a quote from your brother expressing his desire to get back into the NFL, and even pondering the idea of buying the Raiders and moving them to L.A., is somehow proven to be "wrong." It has also been erroneously reported that he and I had this conversation at the Super Bowl Reunion gala he threw in Vegas a couple of months ago, which is a tale as tall as the replica Eiffel Tower behind the Paris Hotel and Casino where the event was staged.
But I digress. The story's most important revelation was that, according to Jerry Jones and another prominent NFL owner, they'd lobby their peers to approve your brother's re-entry should he attempt to purchase a team. Both insist Eddie would be approved, and with commissioner Paul Tagliabue set to retire and a new wave of progressive owners in place, I believe them.
That is a somewhat stunning development, given the way in which Eddie made his inglorious exit eight years ago. Certainly you remember it well, since you and your husband had front-row seats. Embroiled in a Louisiana gaming scandal that would soon land him under federal indictment -- Eddie had been shaken down by former governor Edwin Edwards while attempting to secure a riverboat casino license -- your brother followed the advice of his closest confidante, then-49ers president Carmen Policy, and ceded control of the team to you, who owned the other 50 percent. Tagliabue, fearful of the investigation's gambling overtones and potential legal consequences, approved of the switch as well.
From that point on, Eddie was considered toxic waste, a disgraced felon-to-be who'd never again be allowed to come within 500 feet of an NFL owners' meeting. He ended up pleading to a reasonably minor felony -- failing to report an extortion attempt -- and was given two years' probation. He also paid a $1 million fine to the NFL.
But the real killer for Eddie was that despite more than a year's worth of behind-the-scenes maneuverings in an effort to regain control of the team, he lost his pride and joy. Other than his wife and daughters, the 49ers were what Eddie loved most, and -- let's not mince words -- you played a significant role in taking them away. Sure, as Eddie would admit, his own recklessness and awful judgment made the takeover possible in the first place. But rather than serving as a supportive sibling, you reacted more like a scorned spouse or punitive parent, blocking his attempts to regain control. Finally, you gave up your share of the family real-estate empire in exchange for a franchise that, it seems to me, you had very little desire to operate.
Now, even though I probably could, I'm not going to rehash every petty detail in the blood feud between you and your brother. If he has taken the high road and forgiven you, at least to the point where the two of you speak semiregularly (even if he and your husband most assuredly don't), it's not my place to instigate.
That said, let me at least remind you of the rage you reportedly felt when Eddie's legal problems and free spending coalesced: You made a point of taking away his private jet, as if to reprimand him for his impunity. I imagine that you, as the hardworking, clean-living, behind-the-scenes achiever, resented the way your brother, with his charm and largesse, sucked up the bulk of the attention while sometimes screwing up along the way.
I'm sure you had your reasons for being angry, and none of us -- and certainly not your brother -- is perfect. From what I can tell, you are a woman who has done many, many generous and noble things for various charities and organizations. Your aversion to publicity seems utterly sincere (we all remember the time you made a mad dash out of a luxury box to avoid those Monday Night Football cameras), and under your husband's management the franchise slowly seems to be making some hopeful strides.
On the other hand, things aren't exactly Super in San Francisco. The team has gone 13-35 over the past three seasons. The once-lengthy waiting list for season tickets has all but dried up, and the stadium situation is deplorable. That bond measure to allocate public funding to help build a mall and stadium complex in Hunter's Point, the one that narrowly passed after your brother and Policy's indefatigable campaigning? It's all but dead, and there doesn't seem to be a viable alternative on the horizon.
I could go on and on about the mess of a front office, how a bunch of whiz kids who think they're the NFL's answer to Moneyball buzz around the halls of the team facility acting like every other league talent evaluator is misguided. Instead I'll keep it positive: Mike Nolan seems to be a capable head coach, and I applaud you for being willing to spend more money on player salaries since he arrived.
Still, it's hard for me to believe that you're passionate about owning this football team. Your husband seems to enjoy being the man in charge, and word is that he now hopes to groom your son Jed as his successor.
That's one vision. Now here's a better one: Rid yourself of this headache. Move on. Do the practical thing. Do the right thing.
Look, it's not that complicated. Your brother has tons of money now and wants back into the NFL. The other owners would welcome him back. Forget all this talk about the Raiders, Saints and Bucs. Sell the team to Eddie and they'll hold a parade down Market Street in your honor.
Oh, and while you're at it, could you switch the uniforms back to the old red-and-gold?
Sincerely,
Michael Silver
Saturday, July 01, 2006
ProFootballTalk.com's Cries Of "Reverse Discrmination" Are Down Right Silly
ProFootballTalk.com has interesting posts more often than not, but this one is down right silly. I'll post it first, then respond to it:
WHISPERS OF REVERSE DISCRIMINATION CONTINUE
In the wake of the recent hiring of Tony Softli by the Rams and Don Gregory by the Panthers, there continue to be whispers in league circles that teams are more willing to grant permission to African-American front-office candidates than they are for white candidates.
Under NFL rules, the only promotion in a new city that a team cannot block is a promotion that gives the employee "final say" authority over the roster, the draft, and/or the coach. For any promotion short of one in which "final say" is involved, teams can block front-office employees who are currently under contract.
Some league insiders are troubled by the fact that white front-office employees have been barred from non-"final say" promotions. Most recently, Patriors exec Tom Dimitroff (who is white) was refused permission to interview for the Rams' V.P./Player Personnel gig, which ultimately went to Softli.
Meanwhile, guys like Softli, Gregory, and former Broncos assistant G.M. Rick Smith (all of whom are African-American) received permission to leave their former teams for jobs that did not entail "final say" authority in a new city.
But other league insiders dispute the notion that teams are applying a double standard when deciding who gets permission and who doesn't. In Softli's case, for example, the strong thinking is that he got permission to leave not so that the Panthers could curry favor with the Fritz Pollard Alliance, but because the team was ready to see him go after he had spent two years or more scampering for a bigger gig elsewhere.
Also, it's our understanding that the search resulting in the hiring of Gregory to replace Softli included at least one white scout from another team who received permission to interview for the job, even though he was still under contract.
But regardless of whether African-American candidates are or are not receiving preferential treatment when it comes to getting permission under circumstances where permission can be denied, the human-nature reality of the situation is that the NFL's efforts to place more minorities into high-profile positions will prompt the guys who feel they're getting the short end of the stick to say so privately.
---------------------------------
Here's why that's totally silly. First, white front office candidates have been getting favorable treatment for over 100 years of pro football in America. During this time there were few complaints of discrimination. But in the 21st Century when a group of young, talented, professionally trained African Americans armed with experience and degrees -- in some cases Masters Degrees like me -- emerges and are considered for and get high-paying, high-profile front office jobs, some white candidates cry "reverse discrimination" and then go to ProFootballTalk.com, which publishes it.
I've seen ProFootballTalk.com show pictures of African Americans in ways that could be considered completely racist -- like the one where a photo of "Chef" from South Park was used to represent Raiders Head Coach Art Shell
(What's up with that?) -- but I've never seen that online publication point out racism or discrimination where it's active at any point in its coverage of the NFL.
Look, it's a new World, get with it. There are smart, young, professionally-trained black men who will more often than not be on someone's short list for an NFL job in the future, and in some cases get those jobs. ProFootballTalk.com should be applauding this development and not trying to make the world safe for anyone white and male who thinks an executive position in the league should be theirs because they're white and male.
In my case, at the 2003 Leigh Steinberg Super Bowl Party in Houston, Bucs Head Coach John Gruden and GM Bruce Allen paid me a great complement when they remarked that I would be a great front office person in the NFL -- and I'm not even looking for a job there! It was a totally unsolicited complement but one I take to heart as coming from two well-respected NFL men who do seek out talented African American, Latino, and generally people of color. That's a good thing.
We're out there: young, gifted, and black. Embrace us; don't fear us. Rejoyce in the continued elimination of racial barriers, don't whine because they no longer exist.
It's called competition. Call for more of it, not less.
WHISPERS OF REVERSE DISCRIMINATION CONTINUE
In the wake of the recent hiring of Tony Softli by the Rams and Don Gregory by the Panthers, there continue to be whispers in league circles that teams are more willing to grant permission to African-American front-office candidates than they are for white candidates.
Under NFL rules, the only promotion in a new city that a team cannot block is a promotion that gives the employee "final say" authority over the roster, the draft, and/or the coach. For any promotion short of one in which "final say" is involved, teams can block front-office employees who are currently under contract.
Some league insiders are troubled by the fact that white front-office employees have been barred from non-"final say" promotions. Most recently, Patriors exec Tom Dimitroff (who is white) was refused permission to interview for the Rams' V.P./Player Personnel gig, which ultimately went to Softli.
Meanwhile, guys like Softli, Gregory, and former Broncos assistant G.M. Rick Smith (all of whom are African-American) received permission to leave their former teams for jobs that did not entail "final say" authority in a new city.
But other league insiders dispute the notion that teams are applying a double standard when deciding who gets permission and who doesn't. In Softli's case, for example, the strong thinking is that he got permission to leave not so that the Panthers could curry favor with the Fritz Pollard Alliance, but because the team was ready to see him go after he had spent two years or more scampering for a bigger gig elsewhere.
Also, it's our understanding that the search resulting in the hiring of Gregory to replace Softli included at least one white scout from another team who received permission to interview for the job, even though he was still under contract.
But regardless of whether African-American candidates are or are not receiving preferential treatment when it comes to getting permission under circumstances where permission can be denied, the human-nature reality of the situation is that the NFL's efforts to place more minorities into high-profile positions will prompt the guys who feel they're getting the short end of the stick to say so privately.
---------------------------------
Here's why that's totally silly. First, white front office candidates have been getting favorable treatment for over 100 years of pro football in America. During this time there were few complaints of discrimination. But in the 21st Century when a group of young, talented, professionally trained African Americans armed with experience and degrees -- in some cases Masters Degrees like me -- emerges and are considered for and get high-paying, high-profile front office jobs, some white candidates cry "reverse discrimination" and then go to ProFootballTalk.com, which publishes it.
I've seen ProFootballTalk.com show pictures of African Americans in ways that could be considered completely racist -- like the one where a photo of "Chef" from South Park was used to represent Raiders Head Coach Art Shell
(What's up with that?) -- but I've never seen that online publication point out racism or discrimination where it's active at any point in its coverage of the NFL.
Look, it's a new World, get with it. There are smart, young, professionally-trained black men who will more often than not be on someone's short list for an NFL job in the future, and in some cases get those jobs. ProFootballTalk.com should be applauding this development and not trying to make the world safe for anyone white and male who thinks an executive position in the league should be theirs because they're white and male.
In my case, at the 2003 Leigh Steinberg Super Bowl Party in Houston, Bucs Head Coach John Gruden and GM Bruce Allen paid me a great complement when they remarked that I would be a great front office person in the NFL -- and I'm not even looking for a job there! It was a totally unsolicited complement but one I take to heart as coming from two well-respected NFL men who do seek out talented African American, Latino, and generally people of color. That's a good thing.
We're out there: young, gifted, and black. Embrace us; don't fear us. Rejoyce in the continued elimination of racial barriers, don't whine because they no longer exist.
It's called competition. Call for more of it, not less.
NY Giants TE Jeremy Shockey On NFL Network Today - What's Up? Maybe He's Just High On Life?!?
I'm watching Jeremy Shockey on the NFL Network and just cracking up. I love the passion Jeremy Shockey brings to the game; the way he catches passes and bulls his way for yardage as he did in his first game as a rookie, a preseason tilt against the Houston Texans. But today -- as a veteran -- he was on the NFL Network as a guest and to be totally frank, he acted like he was a bit -- "loose."
Wow.
In all of the episodes of the NFL Network I've watched, I've never seen any guest talk while host Darren Horton was reading the teleprompter in the process of doing the show. Jeremy Shockey did this several times and even to the point where Horton finally gave in and said "This is the Jeremy Shockey Show."
It was hard to watch.
I'd like to be a fly on the walls of the NFL Network studio to learn what the producers thought of that performance.
They can't be slapping high-fives. But, then on the other hand, as it makes for good Internet chatter...
Hey, give Shockey his props, as he provided insightful and heartfelt comments on the late NY Giants Owner Wellington Mara, and his information on newly-hired LB Lavar Aarington, whom Shockey reports is ready to take on all challengers this season after a serious off-season workout program.
But what got me was the number of times Jeremy Shockey rubbed his nose with his left thumb. Check it out -- again and again and again. What's he flicking away? Does he normally do this? Again, he's a massive talent -- there he goes again with the thumb but with the right hand this time -- but what's the deal?
Maybe -- with the white suit (cool, it is) and the thumb act and the interruptions -- he's bucking for a role in Miami Vice II.
Regardless, Shockey has his fans, including me. One produced this cool video:
Thursday, June 29, 2006
Raiders Bond With Fishing and BBQ - Adam Scheafter of The NFL Network
NFL Network's Adam Scheafter reports that Raiders Head Coach Art Shell organized a team fishing trip. 25 Raiders players attended the outing, which was followed by a team-sponsore BBQ. A great way to bond that could produce a Super Bowl Champion.
Cardinals Running Back JJ Arrington Reportedly Concerned About Matt Leinart's "Head" - Video Of Matt and Paris Gives Good Reason
I have it directly from a source I can't name that Cardinals Running Back J.J. Arrington expressed concern about the "head" of new and former USC Quarterback Matt Leinart. Arrington, who played against Leinart when both were in the Pac-10 and at Cal and USC respectively, apparently knows what's said about him on the grapevine.
Arrington claims that Matt Leinart has a "hot dog" reputation because of the fact that he has friends like Paris Hilton and Nick Lachey. (Not to mention Leinart's photo with Paris in May and his party boy reputation ) I don't know how much of this is based just on Arrington's prejudice regarding Leinart -- or even jealously that Matt has as much fun as he does. Because my source reports that Arrington bragged about how many girls he himself has, his brand new Denali, his BMW 750i, and his house in Arizona (I think I left out a car or two).
Finally, Arrington did express concern that his playing time would be effected by the Cardinals "new running back" as he put it to my source. He didn't mention the name of the new player -- fomer Indy Colts Running Back Edgerrin James.
I remarked to my source that if Arrington played better, the Cardinals may not have paid to employ Edgerrin James.
Meanwhile, below you can see the video which contains not only the picture of Matt Leinart and Paris Hilton above, but also of them getting down -- dancing, that is -- in Vegas.
Here's the video:
Monday, June 26, 2006
Titans QB Vince Young Ahead of Schedule With Norm Chow - www.tennessean.com
Vince Young seems determined to be a great QB; he's not mailing it in.
Vince Young passes inspection
As team's top draft pick learns system, playbook, Titans like what they see
By JIM WYATT
Staff Writer - www.tennessean.com
One of the initial conversations between Titans offensive coordinator Norm Chow and rookie quarterback Vince Young after the NFL Draft had nothing to do with a playbook.
Chow wanted to clear the air about the decision that brought Young to the Titans. He didn't hide the fact that he was among those who preferred Matt Leinart, his former pupil at Southern Cal, to Young. Titans owner Bud Adams, of course, was among those who wanted Young.
"We both understood the situation. We talked about it,'' Chow said. "I wasn't sitting around here pining away for Matt, but if we had to choose he was the one because I knew him better. Vince understood that. It wasn't a big deal for either of us and we got started.''
Nearly two months later, Chow and the Titans know Young a whole lot better. And they like what they've seen of the former Texas star through May and June minicamps.
"The strides have been monumental,'' Chow said. "He is every bit the athlete you thought he was, but he has some good quarterback skills as well. The thing about Vince is he's not an athlete playing quarterback. He is a quarterback who is a good athlete. There is a big difference.''
Young, the third overall pick of the draft, has already pushed his way ahead of Matt Mauck, last season's No. 3 quarterback, but he's still well behind veteran Billy Volek and probably won't catch him before the start of the regular season.
Barring an injury or a free-agent acquisition, Volek is expected to start the season opener against the New York Jets at LP Field on Sept. 10. If Volek plays well and stays healthy, he could hold the job the entire season while Young gets a chance to mature.
Right now when the Titans speak of Young, they can speak only to what they've seen to this point.
"The first thing I told Vince when he got here is, 'The media is going to pump it up for you to be out there from the very beginning, but just stay patient. It took you 23 years to get here — you don't have to get on the field immediately,' '' tight end Ben Troupe said. "It is going to come when he's ready, and when he is ready I think it is going to be fireworks out there.
"So far we've seen just some of the things he's capable of doing, but we'll see more. I know he can make some throws that I don't think guys that have been in the league a while can make.''
Young attended rookie orientation in May and then began working with the veterans in minicamps later that month. This week veterans recalled a player who was unsure of himself in the huddle, a guy who sometimes used the wrong verbiage when calling the plays because of his nervousness. He even had trouble with the most basic things, like taking a snap.
But during the two weeks of June workouts, Young cut down on his mistakes. He looked more comfortable behind center and his footwork was improved. He said he knows his plays.
"He is throwing much better in the pocket,'' Coach Jeff Fisher said. "He is making instinctive throws down the field, back shoulder, away from the coverage and so on. We have seen steady improvement and we expect to continue to see that.''
Young, however, hasn't been perfect. On the final day of minicamp, he mishandled at least one snap and some footballs hit the ground in the shotgun, though coaches put most of the blame on the snapper. Young was intercepted near the goal line during a 2-minute drill.
Over the last month, Young didn't get a whole lot of reps with the starters. Those snaps went to Volek. When Young did work with the first unit, he made some good throws and some bad ones, along with some risky ones that coaches probably didn't want him to make. He also showed he was willing to run when the opportunity presented itself.
As for his willingness to learn, coaches said they couldn't be happier. They said Young has put in extra time on the field and in the classroom.
"If I wasn't coming in and doing the things behind the scenes, I wouldn't be as far along as I am," Young said. "But I am getting more comfortable every day, getting better and better. I know the plays so I can be more loose out there."
Indications are Young has been embraced by his new teammates.
"I wanted to come in here and earn the guys' respect and show those guys, just because I got picked third I don't think I'm over anyone," Young said. "I am the same guy and I am going to get in here and work and win ball games. I'm getting more used to things. I just want to keep it going.''
The Titans wrapped up their offseason workouts on Thursday and aren't scheduled to be back on the field until training camp begins in Clarksville on July 28.
Young is scheduled to attend the NFL Rookie Symposium in California, and he'll get away on his own for a while. Young said he'll also be studying his playbook, and he has plans to work out with veteran receiver David Givens while the two are in Houston next month.
When Young returns, the learning process will continue. Fisher said Young could play a half a game in the preseason, and even hinted that he might start a preseason game.
"But were are getting Billy ready to win games for us,'' Fisher said.
Eventually, Young's time will come.
"He has an opportunity to be something special, but really, you never know what will happen,'' veteran center Kevin Mawae said. "You've had guys come into this league that nobody gave a shot to and now they are Pro Bowlers and then you have guys who are supposed to be the next Joe Montana and they don't end up doing squat.
"It is just one of those things where you just have to play it out and see what happens. (Young) seems to have a pretty good work ethic and desire to want to be a better player. He is the kind of guy that could be a great player in this league if he can figure it out, which I think he will. But we'll have to see.''
Eagles Place All Tickets With RazorGator - Eagles Fans Upset ; Phillynews.com
Lower prices at Stubhub.com, just click on the title of this post.
Scalping in Birdland?
By DAVE DAVIES - Phillynews.com
daviesd@phillynews.com 215-854-2595
Redskins faced similar issue in '05
LINCOLN Financial Field's scalping policy, as stated on its Web site, prohibits "the resale of an event ticket at a price higher than face value, regardless of the price paid for the ticket and regardless where the resale occurs."
But when the Eagles' Web site - separate from the Linc's - announced June 14 that single-game tickets for next season had sold out within an hour, the story ended on this hopeful note: "Still looking for tickets? Go to RazorGator.com where fans can buy or sell tickets... "
Indeed, thousands of tickets are advertised there, but at prices that violate the 25 percent markup limit under Pennsylvania's anti-scalping law.
Cowboys-Eagles tickets, for example, average around $400 apiece on RazorGator, with some running as high as $900. The face value of the tickets runs from $65 to $80 for seats in the stands and as high as $350 for the enclosed Club seating area.
The lack of access to tickets except from scalpers has left more than a few Eagles fans mighty ticked off.
"When this happened, we got a flood of calls from people who said the ticket sales [from the Eagles Web site] were closed in a matter of seconds, literally seconds," said WIP-AM sports-talk host Angelo Cataldi.
"Now regular Joes can't go see a game unless they pay four or five times the value, and the team is actually suggesting that they go to scalpers," said Tony, a longtime Eagles fan who declined to give his last name to the Daily News.
He and others who vented their fury on talk shows and Internet sites wonder if the Eagles shoveled tickets this year to RazorGator in return for a piece of the scalpers' action.
The Eagles insist they did no such thing. "This is crazy," said Eagles president Joe Banner.
"The same number of single-game tickets were available this year as last year, and it's more than when we were at the Vet," Banner said. "What was different this year was that, in response to fan complaints, we made them available through the Internet as well as Ticketmaster, so they went that much more quickly."
While no evidence has emerged of an improper relationship between the Eagles and RazorGator, the quick sellout of tickets and the Birds' promotion of the site clearly have touched a nerve.
The controversy in part reflects fans' schizophrenic attitude toward ticket-scalping: We hate getting gouged for seats, but at times will pay a fortune to anybody willing to part with a ticket for the big game.
And while ticket resales at more than a 25 percent markup are illegal in Pennsylvania, they are widely practiced - and authorities say an out-of-state Web site like RazorGator is probably beyond the reach of state law.
Banner sees nothing mysterious or unusual in the Eagles' relationship with RazorGator, a national ticket-resale exchange based in Beverly Hills, Calif. It's simply an advertiser in the Eagles' stadium, in the team's publications and on its Web site, Banner said.
And while the Eagles give RazorGator and other business partners a small number of tickets for their own use, the Eagles don't give them tickets for resale and get nothing from RazorGator's marketing of tickets, Banner said.
"The cynicism and distrust in that question is offensive," Banner said, "and I wonder why it's not asked of anyone else."
Banner noted that several teams have marketing arrangements with sites like RazorGator and StubHub, and that expensive tickets for concerts and sporting events everywhere appear on Web sites for sale.
Still, the distrust persists. WIP host Glen Macnow said he got 25 to 30 calls on his Saturday show from fans who wonder how so many tickets ended up on RazorGator so quickly.
"What's difficult to believe is that hundreds and hundreds of Eagles fans independently would decide to sell their tickets for the Cowboys game, the biggest of the year, and by coincidence sell them through RazorGator," Macnow said.
But even if RazorGator is nothing more to the Eagles than an advertising partner, many see hypocrisy in the Eagles promoting the resale of its tickets.
"My biggest complaint about this is that they've gotten in bed with a scalper," Cataldi said.
Asked if promoting RazorGator is inconsistent with Lincoln Financial Field's anti-scalping policy, Banner said, "I think we're playing with semantics here. We accept advertising from a variety of places - including, in this case, a Web site."
The deals available on RazorGator and other Web sites would be illegal if the resales occurred in Pennsylvania, but a transaction through an out-of-state Web site is a murkier issue, according to Pennsylvania Deputy Attorney General Barry Creany.
Some fans regard scalping as a time-honored tradition and a useful service for those who want to splurge on a game now and then.
"OMG [Oh my God,] People! This is crazy. The Eagles are a hot team, who sells their tickets fast and markets their product well," wrote one fan on an Eagles Internet bulletin board. "If you did not get tickets (and I am one of you by the way) then that's that. Watch it on TV or buy them at inflated prices. Just stop the damn crying."
Other fans say that they aren't troubled by a season-ticket holder selling a game or two, but that too many season tickets go to people or brokers who aren't fans but predators, buying them just to make a killing.
Should the Eagles pick and choose to whom they sell? In an unusual step last year, the Washington Redskins revoked the season tickets of an undisclosed number of people who were auctioning them on the Internet.
Since the team knew who had which tickets and the seat numbers were on the Internet auctions, it wasn't particularly hard detective work.
"It was pretty obvious which blocks of tickets were up for sale again and again," said Redskins spokesman Carl Swanson.
Eagles fan Tony said if the same thing were done in Philadelphia, more tickets would become available for real fans.
"This is a crazy theory," Banner said of the idea that the team should crack down on scalpers. Discouraging the resale of tickets would actually make fewer tickets available to the public, he said.
Banner also wondered why fans (or reporters) are suddenly obsessed with scalping Eagles tickets when the practice is so widespread in other sports and entertainment events.
Indeed, scalping prosecutions are rare, and in 2001 the city of Pittsburgh decided to permit scalpers to hawk tickets around stadiums as long as they bought a $250 license and wore it around their necks.
The city later decided to limit scalping to a small area between Pittsburgh's football and baseball stadiums.
Creany, the deputy attorney general, said one of the few recent enforcement actions against a large scalping operation occurred in 2000, when the AG's office sued the Ohio-based ticket dealer Front Row for hawking tickets to shows by the Backstreet Boys and John Mellencamp at Penn State's Bryce Jordan Center.
Creany said the action was prompted by complaints from operators of the center, and it was legally possible because Front Row advertised tickets in Pennsylvania newspapers.
Web sites outside the state are much harder to prosecute, Creany said.
Scalping in Birdland?
By DAVE DAVIES - Phillynews.com
daviesd@phillynews.com 215-854-2595
Redskins faced similar issue in '05
LINCOLN Financial Field's scalping policy, as stated on its Web site, prohibits "the resale of an event ticket at a price higher than face value, regardless of the price paid for the ticket and regardless where the resale occurs."
But when the Eagles' Web site - separate from the Linc's - announced June 14 that single-game tickets for next season had sold out within an hour, the story ended on this hopeful note: "Still looking for tickets? Go to RazorGator.com where fans can buy or sell tickets... "
Indeed, thousands of tickets are advertised there, but at prices that violate the 25 percent markup limit under Pennsylvania's anti-scalping law.
Cowboys-Eagles tickets, for example, average around $400 apiece on RazorGator, with some running as high as $900. The face value of the tickets runs from $65 to $80 for seats in the stands and as high as $350 for the enclosed Club seating area.
The lack of access to tickets except from scalpers has left more than a few Eagles fans mighty ticked off.
"When this happened, we got a flood of calls from people who said the ticket sales [from the Eagles Web site] were closed in a matter of seconds, literally seconds," said WIP-AM sports-talk host Angelo Cataldi.
"Now regular Joes can't go see a game unless they pay four or five times the value, and the team is actually suggesting that they go to scalpers," said Tony, a longtime Eagles fan who declined to give his last name to the Daily News.
He and others who vented their fury on talk shows and Internet sites wonder if the Eagles shoveled tickets this year to RazorGator in return for a piece of the scalpers' action.
The Eagles insist they did no such thing. "This is crazy," said Eagles president Joe Banner.
"The same number of single-game tickets were available this year as last year, and it's more than when we were at the Vet," Banner said. "What was different this year was that, in response to fan complaints, we made them available through the Internet as well as Ticketmaster, so they went that much more quickly."
While no evidence has emerged of an improper relationship between the Eagles and RazorGator, the quick sellout of tickets and the Birds' promotion of the site clearly have touched a nerve.
The controversy in part reflects fans' schizophrenic attitude toward ticket-scalping: We hate getting gouged for seats, but at times will pay a fortune to anybody willing to part with a ticket for the big game.
And while ticket resales at more than a 25 percent markup are illegal in Pennsylvania, they are widely practiced - and authorities say an out-of-state Web site like RazorGator is probably beyond the reach of state law.
Banner sees nothing mysterious or unusual in the Eagles' relationship with RazorGator, a national ticket-resale exchange based in Beverly Hills, Calif. It's simply an advertiser in the Eagles' stadium, in the team's publications and on its Web site, Banner said.
And while the Eagles give RazorGator and other business partners a small number of tickets for their own use, the Eagles don't give them tickets for resale and get nothing from RazorGator's marketing of tickets, Banner said.
"The cynicism and distrust in that question is offensive," Banner said, "and I wonder why it's not asked of anyone else."
Banner noted that several teams have marketing arrangements with sites like RazorGator and StubHub, and that expensive tickets for concerts and sporting events everywhere appear on Web sites for sale.
Still, the distrust persists. WIP host Glen Macnow said he got 25 to 30 calls on his Saturday show from fans who wonder how so many tickets ended up on RazorGator so quickly.
"What's difficult to believe is that hundreds and hundreds of Eagles fans independently would decide to sell their tickets for the Cowboys game, the biggest of the year, and by coincidence sell them through RazorGator," Macnow said.
But even if RazorGator is nothing more to the Eagles than an advertising partner, many see hypocrisy in the Eagles promoting the resale of its tickets.
"My biggest complaint about this is that they've gotten in bed with a scalper," Cataldi said.
Asked if promoting RazorGator is inconsistent with Lincoln Financial Field's anti-scalping policy, Banner said, "I think we're playing with semantics here. We accept advertising from a variety of places - including, in this case, a Web site."
The deals available on RazorGator and other Web sites would be illegal if the resales occurred in Pennsylvania, but a transaction through an out-of-state Web site is a murkier issue, according to Pennsylvania Deputy Attorney General Barry Creany.
Some fans regard scalping as a time-honored tradition and a useful service for those who want to splurge on a game now and then.
"OMG [Oh my God,] People! This is crazy. The Eagles are a hot team, who sells their tickets fast and markets their product well," wrote one fan on an Eagles Internet bulletin board. "If you did not get tickets (and I am one of you by the way) then that's that. Watch it on TV or buy them at inflated prices. Just stop the damn crying."
Other fans say that they aren't troubled by a season-ticket holder selling a game or two, but that too many season tickets go to people or brokers who aren't fans but predators, buying them just to make a killing.
Should the Eagles pick and choose to whom they sell? In an unusual step last year, the Washington Redskins revoked the season tickets of an undisclosed number of people who were auctioning them on the Internet.
Since the team knew who had which tickets and the seat numbers were on the Internet auctions, it wasn't particularly hard detective work.
"It was pretty obvious which blocks of tickets were up for sale again and again," said Redskins spokesman Carl Swanson.
Eagles fan Tony said if the same thing were done in Philadelphia, more tickets would become available for real fans.
"This is a crazy theory," Banner said of the idea that the team should crack down on scalpers. Discouraging the resale of tickets would actually make fewer tickets available to the public, he said.
Banner also wondered why fans (or reporters) are suddenly obsessed with scalping Eagles tickets when the practice is so widespread in other sports and entertainment events.
Indeed, scalping prosecutions are rare, and in 2001 the city of Pittsburgh decided to permit scalpers to hawk tickets around stadiums as long as they bought a $250 license and wore it around their necks.
The city later decided to limit scalping to a small area between Pittsburgh's football and baseball stadiums.
Creany, the deputy attorney general, said one of the few recent enforcement actions against a large scalping operation occurred in 2000, when the AG's office sued the Ohio-based ticket dealer Front Row for hawking tickets to shows by the Backstreet Boys and John Mellencamp at Penn State's Bryce Jordan Center.
Creany said the action was prompted by complaints from operators of the center, and it was legally possible because Front Row advertised tickets in Pennsylvania newspapers.
Web sites outside the state are much harder to prosecute, Creany said.
Virginia LB Ahmad Brooks To Visit 49ers For Physical June 28th - Dolphins Interested Too
This is from the 49ers / Scout message board
"Scot McCloughan will be on hand when former Virginia linebacker Ahmad Brooks works out for scouts Thursday in Charlottesville, Va.
Brooks will then fly to the Bay Area on June 28 and have a physical with the 49ers the next day.
[Sacramento Bee]
Really hope we go after this guy. Will be the next Ray Lewis."
Here's the report on Miami's interest:
Dolphins GM meets with linebacker Ahmad Brooks
BY JASON COLE - MIAMI HERALD
jcole@MiamiHerald.com
The Dolphins have taken an interest in former University of Virginia linebacker Ahmad Brooks, who is considered by many the top player available in the NFL's supplemental draft on July 13.
Dolphins general manager Randy Mueller and director of college scouting Ron Labadie were among those who attended Brooks' workout Thursday.
Mueller and Labadie met with Brooks after the workout.
In addition, the Dolphins sent Brooks to Michigan last week to meet with Lon Rosen, a psychologist and longtime friend of Dolphins coach Nick Saban, agent Greg Williams said Friday.
Rosen does character research on players for Saban.
Williams also said he presented information to scouts, coaches and executives in attendance, showing that Brooks has passed drug tests taken on a regular basis over the past two months. Williams acknowledged that Brooks had ''issues'' with drug use during college.
Brooks was arrested in March 2003 on a marijuana possession charge.
According to two sources, Brooks failed multiple drug tests for marijuana use during college.
That led to the school's dismissal of him from the team this winter.
''Ahmad knows that he has to make good decisions in the future and change the people he hangs out with if he's going to take advantage of the athletic talent he has,'' Williams said. ``He's a good kid who wants to get this turned around and be an example to kids about how someone can change for the better.''
Brooks weighed 260 pounds, down approximately 30 pounds from two months ago. The weight issue is another question for NFL teams.
Brooks was considered one of the top high school players in Virginia history before going to college.
Some scouts have said he has the talent to be a first-round pick.
However, the off-field issues could drop Brooks into the fourth or fifth round of the supplemental draft.
San Francisco 49ers Family Day - Event Provides Fun With Niners Draft Picks
The San Francisco 49ers hold an event called "Family Day" annually to kick off the start of the NFL training camp period and the football season. Family Day's been held at a variety of venues, from Justin Herman Plaza in San Francisco's Financial District, to Kezar Stadium, and now Monster Park, where the team plays.
I must admit I was skeptical that the stadium was the best place for it, but the Niners organization did a real good job of mixing activities with players and locker room tours. The event -- which went from 11 to 3 PM -- was a lot of fun. The weather was super, and there was a feeling of optimism in the air.
Many people believe the 49ers will be better this year, even if the team's won/loss record is just eight-and-eight. In this video, I get to interview KNBR and 49ers commentator Joe Starkey, who's best known for his dramatic call of "The Play" in 1982.
I also present NFL alums like Steve Kinney and Jeff Bayer, the Gold Rush Cheerleaders, and poke my camera in on various goings on, from 49ers First Round Draft Pick Vernon Davis' playing with a little girl running the 40-yard dash, to the sudden collapse of a very long fence as Manny Lawson, the Second Pick In The First Round's clowning with a young fan.
On the matter of how the event could be improved for next year, one way is to better use the jumbotron screen. At this year's family day there were videos posted from someone running around with a camera. Frankly, not many people paid attention to it. What's better is to have scenes from the 49ers great moments of the past: "The Catch," Steve Young's famous weaving touchdown run in against the Vikings 1988, and other plays.
Another improvement is to have each 49ers player wear polo shirt with their name and jersey number on their left chest. See, causal fans only know the players in uniform. At family day, as one person in the video remarked, many people don't know who the players are.
Another problem was that fans were not informed of the "bag rule" where bags, purses, and backpacks that were below a certain size were not allowed to be brought in. I personally saw one family fall victim to this information as we were standing in line to get in. The mother elected to stand in line, while the father and daughter ran back to the car. Not good.
But in general, the event was a success. I think Monster Park was a great place to have it.
I must admit I was skeptical that the stadium was the best place for it, but the Niners organization did a real good job of mixing activities with players and locker room tours. The event -- which went from 11 to 3 PM -- was a lot of fun. The weather was super, and there was a feeling of optimism in the air.
Many people believe the 49ers will be better this year, even if the team's won/loss record is just eight-and-eight. In this video, I get to interview KNBR and 49ers commentator Joe Starkey, who's best known for his dramatic call of "The Play" in 1982.
I also present NFL alums like Steve Kinney and Jeff Bayer, the Gold Rush Cheerleaders, and poke my camera in on various goings on, from 49ers First Round Draft Pick Vernon Davis' playing with a little girl running the 40-yard dash, to the sudden collapse of a very long fence as Manny Lawson, the Second Pick In The First Round's clowning with a young fan.
On the matter of how the event could be improved for next year, one way is to better use the jumbotron screen. At this year's family day there were videos posted from someone running around with a camera. Frankly, not many people paid attention to it. What's better is to have scenes from the 49ers great moments of the past: "The Catch," Steve Young's famous weaving touchdown run in against the Vikings 1988, and other plays.
Another improvement is to have each 49ers player wear polo shirt with their name and jersey number on their left chest. See, causal fans only know the players in uniform. At family day, as one person in the video remarked, many people don't know who the players are.
Another problem was that fans were not informed of the "bag rule" where bags, purses, and backpacks that were below a certain size were not allowed to be brought in. I personally saw one family fall victim to this information as we were standing in line to get in. The mother elected to stand in line, while the father and daughter ran back to the car. Not good.
But in general, the event was a success. I think Monster Park was a great place to have it.
This video was originally shared on blip.tv by zennie2005 with a Creative Commons Attribution license.
