As part of the events for NFL Draft week in New York, a press conference was held at Gustavino's and on "Invincible", a new Disney movie about Vince Papale, a walk-on who became a star for the Philadelphia Eagles. Mark Walburgh (who plays Vince), Papale, Grer Kinnear (who plays Dick Vermiel), and producers Mark Ciardi and Gordon Gray (The Rookie) are in this, as are the NFL's head of marketing, Phil Guarascio.
I was part of the media covering this event, and so arrived a bit early. With few people around, I decided to get some scenes of the set up before the press conference. After it, I was able to talk with Guarascio and one of the film's producers, Gordon Gray.
Here's the video:
Sunday, May 14, 2006
Saturday, May 13, 2006
Reggie Bush's New Orleans Press Conference Reveals How USC Prepared Him For The NFL
What's fascinating to me is the degree to which college football is -- at it's highest levels -- just like pro football in practice, preparation, and schemes. The idea that the NFL is "a whole 'nother level' is fading somewhat, as former NFL coaches from Bill Walsh when he was at Stanford, to Pete Carroll at USC and Bill Callahan and Charlie Weis at Nebraska and Notre Dame are bringing the pro game to the NCAA.
Much of the results of that evolution are evident in this May 13th New Orleans Saints Press Conference, after Bush's first rookie mini-camp.
TRANSCRIPT: Reggie Bush
May 13, 2006, NewOrleansSaints.com
May 13, 2006 – 8:07 pm
Q: Was it your groin that you tweaked today in the first practice?
A: "No it was my hamstring. It is all right. I just tweaked it a little bit stretching, ironically. It will be fine with a couple of days of good rehabbing. It will be fine it is nothing major."
Q: Will you be able to do something tomorrow?
A: "I hope so. I am looking forward to it. I have to talk to the trainers and the coaches and see how they feel and if they want me to or if they don't want me to. As far as I am concerned I am ready to go."
Q: Have you had problems with your hamstring before?
A: "No, not at all."
Q: You did it stretching today?
A: "Yeah I was stretching today and just tweaked it stretching. It was a little weird."
Q: Was it frustrating not being able to go?
A: "Yeah it was it was frustrating sitting out there. I couldn't be in there and I wanted to be in there and just learning."
Q: In the time you were out there practicing. What did you think?
A: "It felt good. I was real happy to be there. I was just happy to be back to football. It has been a while and I was excited to be out there playing football again and it felt good. I was a little rusty but it will come with time."
Q: What do the think the biggest adjustment will be from college football to the NFL?
A: "I don't think there is a major adjustment other than just adjusting to the whole NFL experience. The level and obviously the game play and game speed are different. I think adjusting to that and other than that I think that is it. Just adjusting to that and just preparing myself for the different mentality."
Q: Having won the Heisman Trophy and all of the success at USC and being the number two pick in the draft. Do you think the coaches are going out of their way to make you feel like you are just another rookie?
A: "As far as I am concerned I am just another player. I am just another guy trying to prove myself again. That is the type of person that I am. I always feel like I have something to prove no matter what level it is and no matter what I have accomplished. I am always going to feel like I have something to prove and I think that is where it helps me be successful just keeping that mentality."
Q: What was your impression of how Coach Payton runs practices after going through today?
A: "A lot similar to what Coach Carroll use to do with the way we ran practices at USC. Obviously, Coach Carroll is a former NFL head coach so he has a lot of experience with that. For me it was nothing different it was very similar to the way we ran practices at USC."
Q: Do you think that is an advantage for you?
A: "I think so. Yeah. It is funny you said that because I was thinking it. I feel I had an advantage just being familiar with the way practice was run and the style and the tempo of practice."
Q: How important to you is it to have your contact done and be there for the first day of training camp?
A: "Very important. I told my agent I wanted to be here in camp on time and whatever it takes I want to be in camp on time. I don't want to get caught up in holdouts and things like that. I think it is important to start off on a good foot and a good note and not only with the team but with the city."
Q: How different is the terminology between here and what you had at USC?
A: "It is similar in certain respects in some of the plays and some of the ways they run their schemes are similar, very similar. Obviously some of the terminology is different but I think the scheme and the way they call plays are similar to what we were use to at USC."
Q: What do you think will be the most effective way to use you in this offense?
A: "Coach Payton and I have had a chance to talk and they are planning on using me in similar ways to how I was used at USC, giving me the opportunity to make plays from the receiver position, running back, and returning punts and kicks."
Q: If the league does not allow you to wear number five. Have you chosen another number?
A: "I haven't chosen a number but I am looking forward to it. Obviously I would love to be able to wear number five but if I don't I understand. I know there has been a rule for years before I got to this point and gotten here. It is something that I would like to happen but if it doesn't there is no loss and no worries."
Q: Do you have fall back number or a leader in the clubhouse?
A: "No, not right now."
Q: Is getting a player with your ability more of a challenge for the coaching staff?
A: "I don't think it will be that challenging. Just put me out there and let me make plays. I don't know as far as I am concerned I know the coaching staff is very excited to have me here as well as I am excited to be here and be able to help this team turn this program around and be able to make plays from different spots on the football field."
Q: Today was mostly rudimentary and you were mostly in a one-back set. Do you think that is just the start and they have not even scratched the surface to what they can do with you?
A: "Yeah, definitely we have not even scratched the surface yet with what the coaches are going to do with me in the offense. We are just getting started it is only day one today of minicamp. It is still early, still very early and we still have a lot of stuff to learn and a lot plays to learn and all of the different terminology to learn. It is still early."
Q: What do you make of all of the attention you have received in New Orleans already and do you enjoy it?
A: "I do enjoy it and the way the city has embraced me and welcomed me has been crazy for me. To be here, and like I said I am so excited to be here, from day one since I got here the city and the coaching staff and the player have welcomed me with open arms."
Q: Have you spoken with Deuce McAllister yet? And how do you envision the two of you sharing the ball?
A: "I haven't had a chance to directly speak with him. I know most of the players will be here starting Monday with workouts so I am pretty sure we will get a chance to sit down. I am looking forward to playing with Deuce. I hear he is a great person and a great running back. I have seen him play and I know what he is capable of and like I said I think I can help take some of the pressure off of his shoulders and bring some more fire power to this offense."
Q: Have you spoken to the Hornets Chris Paul? Do you think with the two of you up and comers in each of your leagues help bring some attention to this community?
A: "I haven't had a chance to talk to him but I know a lot about him. I watched him in college and he is a great player and I am a big fan of his."
Q: Is there a ballpark number you are telling your agent to ask for in order to sign a deal?
A: "No, nope, not at all. I haven't told him a particular number. We want to see if we can get the best deal obviously but I know the Saints are more than happy to have me here and we are looking forward to working together and not working against each other."
Q: How deeply involved are you in the negotiations?
A: "We talk very often about the negotiations and how the process is going. The past couple of days I haven't had a chance to talk to him because I have been kind of busy but we talk often about it."
Q: Has there been any progress?
A: "Yeah, I am confident that we will get this contract done on time and as soon as possible and be in camp on time."
Q: Have you had a chance to grasp what you really mean to this city and the rebuilding process? One fan described it as a divine intervention it that a little weird to you?
A: "Yeah, it is a little weird but it is something that I am looking forward to doing. I am looking forward to helping turn this city around and bring something exciting back to this city. Obviously I am aware of all of the devastation that took place here in the last year or so. I am excited about the opportunity to be able to turn this city around and like I said bring some happiness back to the city."
Q: Do you think you have a chance to establish a connection with the city that not a lot of rookies do?
A: "Yeah I do. We are already taking part in community service projects. We are helping put back together a football field. I forget the name of the field but it is one of the oldest fields here and we are going to put Astroturf on it so it gives the teams a chance to play on it. We are also adopting an autistic school which was going to be shut down and we are going to help donate money through adidas and through the NFL and we are going to donate some money to keep the school open."
Q: Have you had a chance to go tour the area?
A: "I did. When I got drafted and flew down here we had a chance to go tour the ninth ward where the hurricane hit. It is pretty devastating and it gave me a sense of what I was playing for and not just football team but a city that was looking for us to bring some happiness back."
Q: What did you see?
A: "Just complete destruction. It looked like a war zone. I saw trucks flipped over, houses on top of other houses, just all kinds of chaos. I can just envision what happened and what they were going through. For me I think it was good to see that and good to know what ultimately this team is playing for."
Q: After the way everything has played out over the last couple of months was it good to just get back out there?
A: "Yeah it was. Like I said I was excited to be here today and get back to football and just doing what I do best. I love playing football and it felt good to be back on a team and back around other football players and coaches and the smell of the grass and all of that. It was good to be back on the football field today and I am looking forward to it."
Q: Do you think you will get a lot of opportunities as a kick returner?
A: "I don't know. I hope to get as much opportunity as I would like and as available but I don't know and it is up to the coaches. It is still very early on in day one of minicamp so we haven't even gone through the official training camp yet so we will see as time goes on. We will see how much my role will play on this offense and on this team."
Q: Is the heat a little different here instead of California?
A: "Yeah I am already aware of that part but today was beautiful and it reminded me a lot of southern California. I am aware of the humidity and all of that but that is not going to effect me at all."
Q: Did Pete Carroll give you any advice heading into the pro game?
A: "Coach Carroll really just talked to us about how similar it is to the way we did things at USC like I said before. Our practices and a lot of the things we did are very similar to the NFL level. He said that it is a business and you have to have that mentality and there a lot of things done different at the NFL level than from the college level. The game is faster and there is more responsibility placed on your shoulders so a lot things like that."
Much of the results of that evolution are evident in this May 13th New Orleans Saints Press Conference, after Bush's first rookie mini-camp.
TRANSCRIPT: Reggie Bush
May 13, 2006, NewOrleansSaints.com
May 13, 2006 – 8:07 pm
Q: Was it your groin that you tweaked today in the first practice?
A: "No it was my hamstring. It is all right. I just tweaked it a little bit stretching, ironically. It will be fine with a couple of days of good rehabbing. It will be fine it is nothing major."
Q: Will you be able to do something tomorrow?
A: "I hope so. I am looking forward to it. I have to talk to the trainers and the coaches and see how they feel and if they want me to or if they don't want me to. As far as I am concerned I am ready to go."
Q: Have you had problems with your hamstring before?
A: "No, not at all."
Q: You did it stretching today?
A: "Yeah I was stretching today and just tweaked it stretching. It was a little weird."
Q: Was it frustrating not being able to go?
A: "Yeah it was it was frustrating sitting out there. I couldn't be in there and I wanted to be in there and just learning."
Q: In the time you were out there practicing. What did you think?
A: "It felt good. I was real happy to be there. I was just happy to be back to football. It has been a while and I was excited to be out there playing football again and it felt good. I was a little rusty but it will come with time."
Q: What do the think the biggest adjustment will be from college football to the NFL?
A: "I don't think there is a major adjustment other than just adjusting to the whole NFL experience. The level and obviously the game play and game speed are different. I think adjusting to that and other than that I think that is it. Just adjusting to that and just preparing myself for the different mentality."
Q: Having won the Heisman Trophy and all of the success at USC and being the number two pick in the draft. Do you think the coaches are going out of their way to make you feel like you are just another rookie?
A: "As far as I am concerned I am just another player. I am just another guy trying to prove myself again. That is the type of person that I am. I always feel like I have something to prove no matter what level it is and no matter what I have accomplished. I am always going to feel like I have something to prove and I think that is where it helps me be successful just keeping that mentality."
Q: What was your impression of how Coach Payton runs practices after going through today?
A: "A lot similar to what Coach Carroll use to do with the way we ran practices at USC. Obviously, Coach Carroll is a former NFL head coach so he has a lot of experience with that. For me it was nothing different it was very similar to the way we ran practices at USC."
Q: Do you think that is an advantage for you?
A: "I think so. Yeah. It is funny you said that because I was thinking it. I feel I had an advantage just being familiar with the way practice was run and the style and the tempo of practice."
Q: How important to you is it to have your contact done and be there for the first day of training camp?
A: "Very important. I told my agent I wanted to be here in camp on time and whatever it takes I want to be in camp on time. I don't want to get caught up in holdouts and things like that. I think it is important to start off on a good foot and a good note and not only with the team but with the city."
Q: How different is the terminology between here and what you had at USC?
A: "It is similar in certain respects in some of the plays and some of the ways they run their schemes are similar, very similar. Obviously some of the terminology is different but I think the scheme and the way they call plays are similar to what we were use to at USC."
Q: What do you think will be the most effective way to use you in this offense?
A: "Coach Payton and I have had a chance to talk and they are planning on using me in similar ways to how I was used at USC, giving me the opportunity to make plays from the receiver position, running back, and returning punts and kicks."
Q: If the league does not allow you to wear number five. Have you chosen another number?
A: "I haven't chosen a number but I am looking forward to it. Obviously I would love to be able to wear number five but if I don't I understand. I know there has been a rule for years before I got to this point and gotten here. It is something that I would like to happen but if it doesn't there is no loss and no worries."
Q: Do you have fall back number or a leader in the clubhouse?
A: "No, not right now."
Q: Is getting a player with your ability more of a challenge for the coaching staff?
A: "I don't think it will be that challenging. Just put me out there and let me make plays. I don't know as far as I am concerned I know the coaching staff is very excited to have me here as well as I am excited to be here and be able to help this team turn this program around and be able to make plays from different spots on the football field."
Q: Today was mostly rudimentary and you were mostly in a one-back set. Do you think that is just the start and they have not even scratched the surface to what they can do with you?
A: "Yeah, definitely we have not even scratched the surface yet with what the coaches are going to do with me in the offense. We are just getting started it is only day one today of minicamp. It is still early, still very early and we still have a lot of stuff to learn and a lot plays to learn and all of the different terminology to learn. It is still early."
Q: What do you make of all of the attention you have received in New Orleans already and do you enjoy it?
A: "I do enjoy it and the way the city has embraced me and welcomed me has been crazy for me. To be here, and like I said I am so excited to be here, from day one since I got here the city and the coaching staff and the player have welcomed me with open arms."
Q: Have you spoken with Deuce McAllister yet? And how do you envision the two of you sharing the ball?
A: "I haven't had a chance to directly speak with him. I know most of the players will be here starting Monday with workouts so I am pretty sure we will get a chance to sit down. I am looking forward to playing with Deuce. I hear he is a great person and a great running back. I have seen him play and I know what he is capable of and like I said I think I can help take some of the pressure off of his shoulders and bring some more fire power to this offense."
Q: Have you spoken to the Hornets Chris Paul? Do you think with the two of you up and comers in each of your leagues help bring some attention to this community?
A: "I haven't had a chance to talk to him but I know a lot about him. I watched him in college and he is a great player and I am a big fan of his."
Q: Is there a ballpark number you are telling your agent to ask for in order to sign a deal?
A: "No, nope, not at all. I haven't told him a particular number. We want to see if we can get the best deal obviously but I know the Saints are more than happy to have me here and we are looking forward to working together and not working against each other."
Q: How deeply involved are you in the negotiations?
A: "We talk very often about the negotiations and how the process is going. The past couple of days I haven't had a chance to talk to him because I have been kind of busy but we talk often about it."
Q: Has there been any progress?
A: "Yeah, I am confident that we will get this contract done on time and as soon as possible and be in camp on time."
Q: Have you had a chance to grasp what you really mean to this city and the rebuilding process? One fan described it as a divine intervention it that a little weird to you?
A: "Yeah, it is a little weird but it is something that I am looking forward to doing. I am looking forward to helping turn this city around and bring something exciting back to this city. Obviously I am aware of all of the devastation that took place here in the last year or so. I am excited about the opportunity to be able to turn this city around and like I said bring some happiness back to the city."
Q: Do you think you have a chance to establish a connection with the city that not a lot of rookies do?
A: "Yeah I do. We are already taking part in community service projects. We are helping put back together a football field. I forget the name of the field but it is one of the oldest fields here and we are going to put Astroturf on it so it gives the teams a chance to play on it. We are also adopting an autistic school which was going to be shut down and we are going to help donate money through adidas and through the NFL and we are going to donate some money to keep the school open."
Q: Have you had a chance to go tour the area?
A: "I did. When I got drafted and flew down here we had a chance to go tour the ninth ward where the hurricane hit. It is pretty devastating and it gave me a sense of what I was playing for and not just football team but a city that was looking for us to bring some happiness back."
Q: What did you see?
A: "Just complete destruction. It looked like a war zone. I saw trucks flipped over, houses on top of other houses, just all kinds of chaos. I can just envision what happened and what they were going through. For me I think it was good to see that and good to know what ultimately this team is playing for."
Q: After the way everything has played out over the last couple of months was it good to just get back out there?
A: "Yeah it was. Like I said I was excited to be here today and get back to football and just doing what I do best. I love playing football and it felt good to be back on a team and back around other football players and coaches and the smell of the grass and all of that. It was good to be back on the football field today and I am looking forward to it."
Q: Do you think you will get a lot of opportunities as a kick returner?
A: "I don't know. I hope to get as much opportunity as I would like and as available but I don't know and it is up to the coaches. It is still very early on in day one of minicamp so we haven't even gone through the official training camp yet so we will see as time goes on. We will see how much my role will play on this offense and on this team."
Q: Is the heat a little different here instead of California?
A: "Yeah I am already aware of that part but today was beautiful and it reminded me a lot of southern California. I am aware of the humidity and all of that but that is not going to effect me at all."
Q: Did Pete Carroll give you any advice heading into the pro game?
A: "Coach Carroll really just talked to us about how similar it is to the way we did things at USC like I said before. Our practices and a lot of the things we did are very similar to the NFL level. He said that it is a business and you have to have that mentality and there a lot of things done different at the NFL level than from the college level. The game is faster and there is more responsibility placed on your shoulders so a lot things like that."
Oakland Raiders QB Kerry Collins Remains Unemployed As Of This Date - CBS Sportsline's Clark Judge
According to Clark Judge over at CBS Sportsline, Kerry Collins' best days may be behind him. He's still an unaquired free agent. He counted $12 million against the Raiders salary cap, and it's unlikely, given the flood of younger quarterbacks on the market, that a veteran with only a strong arm and a habit of making turnovers in important situations will be selected.
That written, Collins unfortunate disadvantage is that he's not played in a short, ball control offense. He's been the victim of coaches who were 1) in love with his arm, and 2) not the most innovative play designers.
Mobilty is not really his problem. He's perceived as "immobile" by the fans of the teams who place him in "old-school," Sid Gilman-drop-back passing offenses.
Nothing against that foundation of the modern game, but it's easy to instruct a defense to stop it.
That written, Collins unfortunate disadvantage is that he's not played in a short, ball control offense. He's been the victim of coaches who were 1) in love with his arm, and 2) not the most innovative play designers.
Mobilty is not really his problem. He's perceived as "immobile" by the fans of the teams who place him in "old-school," Sid Gilman-drop-back passing offenses.
Nothing against that foundation of the modern game, but it's easy to instruct a defense to stop it.
Lions trade QB Joey Harrington to Miami Dolphins - NFL and AP
Lions trade QB Harrington to Dolphins
NFL.com wire reports
DETROIT (May 12, 2006) -- The Miami Dolphins acquired quarterback Joey Harrington from Detroit for an undisclosed conditional draft pick, giving the Dolphins a fallback position if new starter Daunte Culpepper isn't ready for the season's first snap.
"We're pleased to have Joey Harrington join the Dolphins," head coach Nick Saban said in a statement. "We will work with him to get him acclimated to our system as quickly as possible."
The Dolphins had been searching for a backup to Culpepper and targeted Harrington, the former No. 3 overall pick who didn't live up to expectations in four years as the Lions' starter. Harrington had expressed his desire to play with the Dolphins.
The Lions released a statement announcing the move.
Culpepper, acquired from Minnesota this offseason, is recovering from a serious knee injury and may not be ready for the Dolphins' first regular-season game -- at Pittsburgh on Sept. 7.
The other two quarterbacks on the Miami roster, Brock Berlin and Cleo Lemon, are young and untested.
Harrington went 18-37 as a starter with the Lions. He threw 60 touchdown passes and 62 interceptions, and his career passer rating is a modest 68.1.
Detroit had been expected to cut ties with Harrington before June 15, when he was due a lucrative roster bonus. He'll likely be replaced by Jon Kitna or Josh McCown, both former starters for other teams who agreed to terms with Detroit this offseason.
AP NEWS
The Associated Press News Service
NFL.com wire reports
DETROIT (May 12, 2006) -- The Miami Dolphins acquired quarterback Joey Harrington from Detroit for an undisclosed conditional draft pick, giving the Dolphins a fallback position if new starter Daunte Culpepper isn't ready for the season's first snap.
"We're pleased to have Joey Harrington join the Dolphins," head coach Nick Saban said in a statement. "We will work with him to get him acclimated to our system as quickly as possible."
The Dolphins had been searching for a backup to Culpepper and targeted Harrington, the former No. 3 overall pick who didn't live up to expectations in four years as the Lions' starter. Harrington had expressed his desire to play with the Dolphins.
The Lions released a statement announcing the move.
Culpepper, acquired from Minnesota this offseason, is recovering from a serious knee injury and may not be ready for the Dolphins' first regular-season game -- at Pittsburgh on Sept. 7.
The other two quarterbacks on the Miami roster, Brock Berlin and Cleo Lemon, are young and untested.
Harrington went 18-37 as a starter with the Lions. He threw 60 touchdown passes and 62 interceptions, and his career passer rating is a modest 68.1.
Detroit had been expected to cut ties with Harrington before June 15, when he was due a lucrative roster bonus. He'll likely be replaced by Jon Kitna or Josh McCown, both former starters for other teams who agreed to terms with Detroit this offseason.
AP NEWS
The Associated Press News Service
Friday, May 12, 2006
Holmgren Wants To Coach Beyond 2006 - Seattle PI
Holmgren wants to return after 2006
Talks ongoing regarding contract extension
By CLARE FARNSWORTH
SEATTLE P-I REPORTER
KIRKLAND -- Mike Holmgren does want to coach the Seahawks beyond the 2006, season, the final year of his existing contract.
Holmgren acknowledged that publicly for the first time Thursday after the final practice of the team's minicamp.
"I would like to (coach beyond this season), and I think they want me to," he said.
As for the ongoing negotiations and when an agreement might be reached, he offered, "It takes a little time. ... There's a lot that goes into a contract. That's what we're banging around a little bit."
Holmgren had been vague when asked previously about this future, saying he needing time to decide what he was going to do. He did not want to commit to coaching past this season until he was sure that was the right decision.
Now, it seems to be a matter of when he might sign the extension the club has been talking about since February.
Holmgren's agent, Bob LaMonte, met this week with club president Tim Ruskell and CEO Tod Leiweke.
"They've had some talks, some real good talks," Holmgren said. "So it's ongoing and I'm feeling good about stuff. But nothing has been finalized yet."
Holmgren took some time after the team's run to the Super Bowl to ponder his future and discuss the situation with his wife, Kathy.
"We like it here a lot. We really do," he said. "I'd like to hang around."
Holmgren is due $7 million this season as part of the eight-year, $32 million contract he signed in 1999.
Talks ongoing regarding contract extension
By CLARE FARNSWORTH
SEATTLE P-I REPORTER
KIRKLAND -- Mike Holmgren does want to coach the Seahawks beyond the 2006, season, the final year of his existing contract.
Holmgren acknowledged that publicly for the first time Thursday after the final practice of the team's minicamp.
"I would like to (coach beyond this season), and I think they want me to," he said.
As for the ongoing negotiations and when an agreement might be reached, he offered, "It takes a little time. ... There's a lot that goes into a contract. That's what we're banging around a little bit."
Holmgren had been vague when asked previously about this future, saying he needing time to decide what he was going to do. He did not want to commit to coaching past this season until he was sure that was the right decision.
Now, it seems to be a matter of when he might sign the extension the club has been talking about since February.
Holmgren's agent, Bob LaMonte, met this week with club president Tim Ruskell and CEO Tod Leiweke.
"They've had some talks, some real good talks," Holmgren said. "So it's ongoing and I'm feeling good about stuff. But nothing has been finalized yet."
Holmgren took some time after the team's run to the Super Bowl to ponder his future and discuss the situation with his wife, Kathy.
"We like it here a lot. We really do," he said. "I'd like to hang around."
Holmgren is due $7 million this season as part of the eight-year, $32 million contract he signed in 1999.
Vince Young To Get BET Reality Show On NFL Draft Journey -- Fox Sports
I just hope someone puts a camera in front of one rather tipsy woman in the Young group -- which was huge -- at the NFL Draft. I was going back to my table when she got in my way and said something so unintelligeble I figured she'd had a few before the Draft. Believe me, you'd have come to the same conclusion, too.
Titans rookie QB Young to get reality show - Fox Sports
According to a published report in the Nashville City Paper, former Texas QB and current Titans rookie Vince Young will be starring in his own reality TV show.
Young, 22, is having a crew from BET document his life from the months leading up to the NFL Draft and into the early part of his first season with Tennessee in a show called Vince Young: The Next Level.
Fans will be able to see Vince Young more than just on the football field. (Mark Humphrey / Associated Press)
Emmy-Award winning producer Brendon J. Carter will be heading up the six-episode show, which is slated to start airing in October. Young's show is the first in the sports-themed Next Level series that will focus on other athletes in coming episodes.
"They'll follow him around through the whole process. People see the end product, but they don't know all the things he's had to do to get himself prepared for that," Young's agent Major Adams said. "They've been following him around since March, and they should be finished following him around sometime in June."
Carter wants to depict life for the QB as he makes the move from college star to multi-millionaire pro. Carter believes Young's background mixed with his future could make for must-see TV.
"This is a sports-based reality TV show," Carter said. "It focuses on athletes who are in transition. They may be making the transition from college to the pros, or maybe from high school to college, or someone who is making a comeback from a career-threatening injury."
"We went to church with Vince and his family on Easter Sunday," the producer went on to say, "then went home and had Easter dinner with them. The pastor at the church blessed me and the crew while we were at church."
Young, fresh off leading the 'Horns to a NCAA title, is the perfect candidate for TV viewing, according to a BET executive.
"We have delved into the reality genre before, and it's been pretty successful for us," said Michael Lewellen, BET's senior VP of corporate communications. "For us, from a ratings standpoint, the sweet spot is ages 18 to 34, and we feel like Vince Young is the type of person who has the appeal that fits those demographics."
Titans rookie QB Young to get reality show - Fox Sports
According to a published report in the Nashville City Paper, former Texas QB and current Titans rookie Vince Young will be starring in his own reality TV show.
Young, 22, is having a crew from BET document his life from the months leading up to the NFL Draft and into the early part of his first season with Tennessee in a show called Vince Young: The Next Level.
Fans will be able to see Vince Young more than just on the football field. (Mark Humphrey / Associated Press)
Emmy-Award winning producer Brendon J. Carter will be heading up the six-episode show, which is slated to start airing in October. Young's show is the first in the sports-themed Next Level series that will focus on other athletes in coming episodes.
"They'll follow him around through the whole process. People see the end product, but they don't know all the things he's had to do to get himself prepared for that," Young's agent Major Adams said. "They've been following him around since March, and they should be finished following him around sometime in June."
Carter wants to depict life for the QB as he makes the move from college star to multi-millionaire pro. Carter believes Young's background mixed with his future could make for must-see TV.
"This is a sports-based reality TV show," Carter said. "It focuses on athletes who are in transition. They may be making the transition from college to the pros, or maybe from high school to college, or someone who is making a comeback from a career-threatening injury."
"We went to church with Vince and his family on Easter Sunday," the producer went on to say, "then went home and had Easter dinner with them. The pastor at the church blessed me and the crew while we were at church."
Young, fresh off leading the 'Horns to a NCAA title, is the perfect candidate for TV viewing, according to a BET executive.
"We have delved into the reality genre before, and it's been pretty successful for us," said Michael Lewellen, BET's senior VP of corporate communications. "For us, from a ratings standpoint, the sweet spot is ages 18 to 34, and we feel like Vince Young is the type of person who has the appeal that fits those demographics."
Four Black NFL Commissioner Candidates Names Sumitted To League
AP and Fox News get the award for bad reporting. They deliberately failed to report that the candidates were black in their story headlines. I know what that's about: "if we don't tell them about race, they won't think about race" - knock it off!
Four candidates for NFL commissioner search
Associated Press
NEW YORK (AP) - The Fritz Pollard Alliance, a leading force in the push for diversity in the NFL, has submitted four minority candidates for consideration as commissioner Paul Tagliabue's replacement.
While FPA founder Cyrus Mehri would not identify the candidates, he confirmed the number.
"That is true," said Mehri, a Washington attorney. "Just like the Fritz Pollard Alliance has done for all positions in the NFL over the last few years - for coaches and front office positions - we prepared a list of candidates, but we will not make the list of names public. At some point we would expect an announcement of the list of finalists."
The group's involvement was first reported in Thursday editions of The Washington Post.
Tagliabue announced his resignation in March and hopes to be out of the job by July. NFL owners will meet in Denver later this month to discuss the search for his successor.
Eight team owners are on the search committee, which is headed by Pittsburgh's Dan Rooney. Rooney sent the FPA's list of candidates to Korn-Ferry International, which was hired by the NFL to oversee the search.
"As far as we know, there's never been this kind of inclusive search for a commissioner of any of the major league sports," Mehri said. "What they have done is set out that they will embrace the diverse candidate slate for this search, and one or more minority candidates are seriously considered for this job.
"We applaud the league for that."
There has been speculation that Gene Upshaw, executive director of the NFL Players Association, and Harold Henderson, who heads the league's management council, are among the four candidates submitted by the PFA.
Four candidates for NFL commissioner search
Associated Press
NEW YORK (AP) - The Fritz Pollard Alliance, a leading force in the push for diversity in the NFL, has submitted four minority candidates for consideration as commissioner Paul Tagliabue's replacement.
While FPA founder Cyrus Mehri would not identify the candidates, he confirmed the number.
"That is true," said Mehri, a Washington attorney. "Just like the Fritz Pollard Alliance has done for all positions in the NFL over the last few years - for coaches and front office positions - we prepared a list of candidates, but we will not make the list of names public. At some point we would expect an announcement of the list of finalists."
The group's involvement was first reported in Thursday editions of The Washington Post.
Tagliabue announced his resignation in March and hopes to be out of the job by July. NFL owners will meet in Denver later this month to discuss the search for his successor.
Eight team owners are on the search committee, which is headed by Pittsburgh's Dan Rooney. Rooney sent the FPA's list of candidates to Korn-Ferry International, which was hired by the NFL to oversee the search.
"As far as we know, there's never been this kind of inclusive search for a commissioner of any of the major league sports," Mehri said. "What they have done is set out that they will embrace the diverse candidate slate for this search, and one or more minority candidates are seriously considered for this job.
"We applaud the league for that."
There has been speculation that Gene Upshaw, executive director of the NFL Players Association, and Harold Henderson, who heads the league's management council, are among the four candidates submitted by the PFA.
The Reggie Bush "Number 5" Issue
In my view there's not much to say about this. In my opinion, Reggie Bush should wear the number "25" and not "5." Yes, "5" was his college number and yes, it's the focus of his Subway campaign. But you know what, his marketing rep Mike Orenstein should have calculated this problem and planned for Reggie to have a campaign called "From 5 to 25: My Trip To The NFL"
...Say it's not too late to do that.
...Say it's not too late to do that.
Jacksonville WR Jimmy Smith Retired Wednesday
I saw it on NFL Network and wish him well. It was a nice ceremony, and it's apparent that Smith was well liked. He got out the right way: not injured, healthy, and no coach forcing him to retire.
Nice.
Nice.
Antowain Smith Is Now A Houston Texan - CBS Sportswire
Texans sign Smith to back up Davis at running back
May 8, 2006
CBS SportsLine.com wire reports
HOUSTON -- The Houston Texans agreed to terms with running back Antowain Smith on Monday, giving the team a backup for starter Domanick Davis.
Last season with the New Orleans Saints, Smith filled in for Deuce McAllister after he suffered a season-ending knee injury and ran for 659 yards and three touchdowns.
The 34-year-old unrestricted free agent, who attended the University of Houston, has 6,881 yards rushing and 54 touchdowns in nine NFL seasons. He has also played for Tennessee, New England and Buffalo.
After passing on Heisman Trophy winner Reggie Bush in favor of defensive end Mario Williams in the draft, the Texans were in need of another running back. Davis missed five games last season with knee inflammation.
Also on Monday, Houston re-signed offensive lineman Zach Wiegert.
Wiegert started five games at right guard and seven games at right tackle last season. The 6-foot-5, 296-pounder missed four games with an ankle injury. He has started 128 games in 11 NFL seasons and has been with the Texans since 2003.
Terms of the deals were not released.
AP NEWS
The Associated Press News Service
May 8, 2006
CBS SportsLine.com wire reports
HOUSTON -- The Houston Texans agreed to terms with running back Antowain Smith on Monday, giving the team a backup for starter Domanick Davis.
Last season with the New Orleans Saints, Smith filled in for Deuce McAllister after he suffered a season-ending knee injury and ran for 659 yards and three touchdowns.
The 34-year-old unrestricted free agent, who attended the University of Houston, has 6,881 yards rushing and 54 touchdowns in nine NFL seasons. He has also played for Tennessee, New England and Buffalo.
After passing on Heisman Trophy winner Reggie Bush in favor of defensive end Mario Williams in the draft, the Texans were in need of another running back. Davis missed five games last season with knee inflammation.
Also on Monday, Houston re-signed offensive lineman Zach Wiegert.
Wiegert started five games at right guard and seven games at right tackle last season. The 6-foot-5, 296-pounder missed four games with an ankle injury. He has started 128 games in 11 NFL seasons and has been with the Texans since 2003.
Terms of the deals were not released.
AP NEWS
The Associated Press News Service
Thursday, May 11, 2006
Matt Leinart Rags On The Media - ESPN.Com
Matt's a little upset with the media and bloggers like me. But what he doesn't understand is that he's public figure and that anything he does -- especially in an Internet world -- gets reported immediately and often.
What he also fails to mention are the perks he gets for being "Matt Leinart:" the free dinners, the killer table at Spago, the loaner cars, and so on.
When I headed the effort to bring the Super Bowl to Oakland, I worked a 14-day stretch with about four hours of sleep per night. Then, after a "Master Of The Universe" type day, I went out and had cocktails -- lots of them. The end result was that I fell asleep at the wheel of my car and almost ended up in an accident because I went the wrong way up a freeway ramp.
The story was in the Oakland Tribune. I offered to resign, but the City Manager, Robert Bobb, didn't take it, saying "I guess you understand that you're a public figure now."
Yep.
Here's Matt
Leinart feels image is blown out of proportion
By Matt Leinart
Special to ESPN.com
Editor's note: Former USC QB Matt Leinart gave ESPN.com an exclusive look into his life leading up to and following the NFL draft.
My draft party in Las Vegas last week was great. I had been looking forward to it since I was in New York City for the NFL draft. It wasn't meant to be a spectacle. It was meant to be a place where I could get away and enjoy myself one last time with my close family and friends. That's all it was. I had a great time. My family had a nice dinner. It was an intimate setting. It was a celebration.
People can make whatever they want about it. It amazes me what went on in the media in regard to Paris Hilton following my party.
There are people in the media who just want to see what they want to see and write what they want to write. "Oh he's linked with so and so." No, I'm hanging out with someone who's a friend.
It's all this media attention. I guess you could say it's my fault, but at the same time, I'm just being a normal dude. It's hard because people who are close to me know who I am and how I act. I'm hanging out and having a good time with friends. I have my circle of friends who I've known since I was younger and trust. Then there are people who I've built relationships with in the L.A. world. There are guys in my situation that would've been a hundred million times worse than me. I didn't take advantage of anything. I haven't done anything other than be a normal person.
Celebrities have no privacy. When I was growing up, I used to look at them differently because of their fame. They're always in the tabloids. When something is said about them and you don't know if it's true, you just choose to believe it's true because it's written. It's entertainment. They're stories. My life has almost become a part of that for whatever reason.
Celebrities are really just normal people. They're just as normal as any other human being. The media portrays them in a certain way. It constantly involves their private life and it sucks. It really does. I've gotten a taste of that. It's always: Who am I dating? I'm not dating anyone. I'm really not. There's no time for me to date anybody. I hang out with people. I have a good time. I turned 23 years old today. What people don't even realize is that I was in a relationship for a year that just ended a few months back. It's a joke.
Everywhere I go and everybody I talk to gets out in the media. It makes me look a certain way when in reality I'm just a normal guy. I'm having a good time. I realize I have to make good choices and I've done all the right things. It just sucks. I'm not going to sit in my house every night, play with my thumbs and not go out.
Some of these people in the media are just a joke. I realize people are doing their jobs, but there are some people who aren't doing a good job of it. They like getting involved in people's business. They like making people miserable and bending the truth just to make their stories look good. That's all the gossip magazines are. That's what the draft became. I was really disappointed in the process because it takes away from the football. It gets to all the other little technical stuff. I realize that's part of it, but what does me being too "Hollywood" or being from L.A. have to do with me playing football? It doesn't make sense. These people have nothing else to say. I had a great three years. There's really nothing bad to say, so of course they want to say something bad. They just want to find the negatives.
My No. 1 priority is football. It always has been football. Look at my résumé. Look at the last three years. I still had to deal with all the media and "Hollywood" stuff that's going on. It didn't affect my play. I can guarantee you there were thousands of football players out there doing worse things than me. No one even gave a crap about what they were doing. It's dumb, if you ask me.
I put all my time and effort into being a football player. I want to be the best quarterback I can possibly be. I want to win the Super Bowl. I want to be in the Pro Bowl. I have goals and expectations.
When my teammates in Arizona get to know me, they're going to see I'm just a normal dude that came from L.A., loves football, and is going to be a leader.
I'm not going to let the media and all these other people control my life. I'm better than that.
What he also fails to mention are the perks he gets for being "Matt Leinart:" the free dinners, the killer table at Spago, the loaner cars, and so on.
When I headed the effort to bring the Super Bowl to Oakland, I worked a 14-day stretch with about four hours of sleep per night. Then, after a "Master Of The Universe" type day, I went out and had cocktails -- lots of them. The end result was that I fell asleep at the wheel of my car and almost ended up in an accident because I went the wrong way up a freeway ramp.
The story was in the Oakland Tribune. I offered to resign, but the City Manager, Robert Bobb, didn't take it, saying "I guess you understand that you're a public figure now."
Yep.
Here's Matt
Leinart feels image is blown out of proportion
By Matt Leinart
Special to ESPN.com
Editor's note: Former USC QB Matt Leinart gave ESPN.com an exclusive look into his life leading up to and following the NFL draft.
My draft party in Las Vegas last week was great. I had been looking forward to it since I was in New York City for the NFL draft. It wasn't meant to be a spectacle. It was meant to be a place where I could get away and enjoy myself one last time with my close family and friends. That's all it was. I had a great time. My family had a nice dinner. It was an intimate setting. It was a celebration.
People can make whatever they want about it. It amazes me what went on in the media in regard to Paris Hilton following my party.
There are people in the media who just want to see what they want to see and write what they want to write. "Oh he's linked with so and so." No, I'm hanging out with someone who's a friend.
It's all this media attention. I guess you could say it's my fault, but at the same time, I'm just being a normal dude. It's hard because people who are close to me know who I am and how I act. I'm hanging out and having a good time with friends. I have my circle of friends who I've known since I was younger and trust. Then there are people who I've built relationships with in the L.A. world. There are guys in my situation that would've been a hundred million times worse than me. I didn't take advantage of anything. I haven't done anything other than be a normal person.
Celebrities have no privacy. When I was growing up, I used to look at them differently because of their fame. They're always in the tabloids. When something is said about them and you don't know if it's true, you just choose to believe it's true because it's written. It's entertainment. They're stories. My life has almost become a part of that for whatever reason.
Celebrities are really just normal people. They're just as normal as any other human being. The media portrays them in a certain way. It constantly involves their private life and it sucks. It really does. I've gotten a taste of that. It's always: Who am I dating? I'm not dating anyone. I'm really not. There's no time for me to date anybody. I hang out with people. I have a good time. I turned 23 years old today. What people don't even realize is that I was in a relationship for a year that just ended a few months back. It's a joke.
Everywhere I go and everybody I talk to gets out in the media. It makes me look a certain way when in reality I'm just a normal guy. I'm having a good time. I realize I have to make good choices and I've done all the right things. It just sucks. I'm not going to sit in my house every night, play with my thumbs and not go out.
Some of these people in the media are just a joke. I realize people are doing their jobs, but there are some people who aren't doing a good job of it. They like getting involved in people's business. They like making people miserable and bending the truth just to make their stories look good. That's all the gossip magazines are. That's what the draft became. I was really disappointed in the process because it takes away from the football. It gets to all the other little technical stuff. I realize that's part of it, but what does me being too "Hollywood" or being from L.A. have to do with me playing football? It doesn't make sense. These people have nothing else to say. I had a great three years. There's really nothing bad to say, so of course they want to say something bad. They just want to find the negatives.
My No. 1 priority is football. It always has been football. Look at my résumé. Look at the last three years. I still had to deal with all the media and "Hollywood" stuff that's going on. It didn't affect my play. I can guarantee you there were thousands of football players out there doing worse things than me. No one even gave a crap about what they were doing. It's dumb, if you ask me.
I put all my time and effort into being a football player. I want to be the best quarterback I can possibly be. I want to win the Super Bowl. I want to be in the Pro Bowl. I have goals and expectations.
When my teammates in Arizona get to know me, they're going to see I'm just a normal dude that came from L.A., loves football, and is going to be a leader.
I'm not going to let the media and all these other people control my life. I'm better than that.
More On The Houston Texans / Profootballtalk.com War - A Motherload Of Rumors Of "Backstabbing" Fears In The Texans Organization
Forio at Profootballtalk.com knows how to stoke the fires of ire. This time, he's obviously got the hairs of Houston Texans representatives standing on end with a constant flow of rumors about Charley Casserly. Forio's good at communicating what he's told, but should note it as rumor until confirmed. Writing "a league source tells us" can only work for so long.
But with this post it's apparent that Profootballtalk.com's launching a kind of nasty attempt to throw all of the possible Texans-related heresay rumors out in one shot. This could backfire. I do agree with Forio regarding how the Houston Chronicle covered the Casserly story, but there's also a fine line of access to the team they have to protect. Forio -- it seems -- doesn't have such concerns.
I mean it's not a CIA-level issue, so some level of care should be excercized. But that written, I love Forio's work.
Here's the latest:
McCLAIN MOPS UP
Renowned and respected NFL journalist John McClain of the Houston Chronicle, who has drawn our ire of late with his decidedly un-journalistic approach to the dissolution of the relationship between Texans owner Bob McNair and G.M. Charley Casserly, finished the job in grand fashion in the paper's Thursday edition with a headline proclaiming that "McNair Rejects Reports That Casserly Was Fired."
Since we're the only quasi-publication that ever reported that Casserly was getting the heave-ho -- and since we received multiple communications from the team's front office disputing our report -- it's clear that McClain was referring to us.
McClain says that McNair "emphatically" denied that Charley got the pointy-toed boot. "No, he has not been fired, so you can forget that," McNair said during the press conference announcing Casserly's departure.
McClain also writes that Casserly is not happy with reports that his exit wasn't voluntary. "Yeah, I am upset about that," Casserly said. "I'm glad that question was asked and Bob answered it. I have not been fired. There's absolutely no truth to it. I could have stayed on but chose not to."
Apparently, however, NO ONE has asked McNair or Casserly whether there will be a buyout of the final year of Charley's deal. As we've recently explained, G.M.'s and coaches who get fired are entitled to continue to be paid. G.M.'s and coaches who quit on their own with no input or pressure from the organization are not. If (as we've heard from multiple sources) Casserly received a buyout, the implication is that the move wasn't truly a resignation.
There's more objective evidence to suggest that this wasn't Charley's decision. He wants to become the NFL's vice president of football operations, a position that was vacated earlier this year by Art Shell. But Charley hasn't applied for the job yet.
So who in his right mind quits the job he now has before finding out whether he'll get the job that he desires?
With the NFL currently in the very early stages of a search for the next Commissioner, don't you think that the folks at Park Avenue might decide to wait on permanently filling that position until, you know, the guy who'll be running the place after Paul Tagliabue steps down has a chance to provide his input? So it would have made sense for Casserly to stay put for another year, see how the Commissioner selection process plays out, work subtly behind the scenes to figure out who will likely be the next Commish, throw support and effort behind that person, and let nature take its course.
Unless, of course, Casserly was pushed.
And we firmly believe, based on everything we've heard, that he was.
An industry source informed us on Wednesday that Broncos coach Mike Shanahan warned new Texans coach Gary Kubiak that Casserly would try to claim credit if/when Kubiak turns the team around. Thus, the thinking is that Kubiak concluded that Casserly needed to go. The source also told us that Casserly still wanted the team to select Reggie Bush with the first overall pick in the draft, and that it was McNair and Kubiak who came together and decided that Mario Williams was the right call -- especially since Kubiak's offenses in Denver churned up plenty of yards with no-name tailbacks.
Why do we care about any of this? Because we've got a low tolerance for bullsh-t. And we think that's precisely what the Texans have cooked up -- and what McClain has been serving with a side of home fries.
Finally, some might wonder why McNair would be so adamant that Casserly wasn't fired. Here's our theory. McNair feels genuine gratitude for Casserly's efforts, and McNair wants him to be able to leave on a positive note -- regardless of anything that was said or done behind closed doors. Besides, successful sports franchises don't fire key employees, because successful sports franchises don't hire employees who later should be fired. We've actually heard this week that McNair didn't want to fire coach Dom Capers, and we believe that the "firing everyone will make us look stupid for hiring them in the first place" dynamic played a role in McNair's thinking. In McNair's mind, poop-canning the team's original head coach and original G.M. after a 2-14 effort in the franchise's fourth season of play could be seen as an implicit admission that, to date, the Texans have failed.
Of course, they have failed on the field. (In the bank accounts, it's a different story.) Regardless, the last guy who should be declaring defeat at a time the team is launching a new era with Reggie, er, Mario Williams is the dude who owns the joint.
But with this post it's apparent that Profootballtalk.com's launching a kind of nasty attempt to throw all of the possible Texans-related heresay rumors out in one shot. This could backfire. I do agree with Forio regarding how the Houston Chronicle covered the Casserly story, but there's also a fine line of access to the team they have to protect. Forio -- it seems -- doesn't have such concerns.
I mean it's not a CIA-level issue, so some level of care should be excercized. But that written, I love Forio's work.
Here's the latest:
McCLAIN MOPS UP
Renowned and respected NFL journalist John McClain of the Houston Chronicle, who has drawn our ire of late with his decidedly un-journalistic approach to the dissolution of the relationship between Texans owner Bob McNair and G.M. Charley Casserly, finished the job in grand fashion in the paper's Thursday edition with a headline proclaiming that "McNair Rejects Reports That Casserly Was Fired."
Since we're the only quasi-publication that ever reported that Casserly was getting the heave-ho -- and since we received multiple communications from the team's front office disputing our report -- it's clear that McClain was referring to us.
McClain says that McNair "emphatically" denied that Charley got the pointy-toed boot. "No, he has not been fired, so you can forget that," McNair said during the press conference announcing Casserly's departure.
McClain also writes that Casserly is not happy with reports that his exit wasn't voluntary. "Yeah, I am upset about that," Casserly said. "I'm glad that question was asked and Bob answered it. I have not been fired. There's absolutely no truth to it. I could have stayed on but chose not to."
Apparently, however, NO ONE has asked McNair or Casserly whether there will be a buyout of the final year of Charley's deal. As we've recently explained, G.M.'s and coaches who get fired are entitled to continue to be paid. G.M.'s and coaches who quit on their own with no input or pressure from the organization are not. If (as we've heard from multiple sources) Casserly received a buyout, the implication is that the move wasn't truly a resignation.
There's more objective evidence to suggest that this wasn't Charley's decision. He wants to become the NFL's vice president of football operations, a position that was vacated earlier this year by Art Shell. But Charley hasn't applied for the job yet.
So who in his right mind quits the job he now has before finding out whether he'll get the job that he desires?
With the NFL currently in the very early stages of a search for the next Commissioner, don't you think that the folks at Park Avenue might decide to wait on permanently filling that position until, you know, the guy who'll be running the place after Paul Tagliabue steps down has a chance to provide his input? So it would have made sense for Casserly to stay put for another year, see how the Commissioner selection process plays out, work subtly behind the scenes to figure out who will likely be the next Commish, throw support and effort behind that person, and let nature take its course.
Unless, of course, Casserly was pushed.
And we firmly believe, based on everything we've heard, that he was.
An industry source informed us on Wednesday that Broncos coach Mike Shanahan warned new Texans coach Gary Kubiak that Casserly would try to claim credit if/when Kubiak turns the team around. Thus, the thinking is that Kubiak concluded that Casserly needed to go. The source also told us that Casserly still wanted the team to select Reggie Bush with the first overall pick in the draft, and that it was McNair and Kubiak who came together and decided that Mario Williams was the right call -- especially since Kubiak's offenses in Denver churned up plenty of yards with no-name tailbacks.
Why do we care about any of this? Because we've got a low tolerance for bullsh-t. And we think that's precisely what the Texans have cooked up -- and what McClain has been serving with a side of home fries.
Finally, some might wonder why McNair would be so adamant that Casserly wasn't fired. Here's our theory. McNair feels genuine gratitude for Casserly's efforts, and McNair wants him to be able to leave on a positive note -- regardless of anything that was said or done behind closed doors. Besides, successful sports franchises don't fire key employees, because successful sports franchises don't hire employees who later should be fired. We've actually heard this week that McNair didn't want to fire coach Dom Capers, and we believe that the "firing everyone will make us look stupid for hiring them in the first place" dynamic played a role in McNair's thinking. In McNair's mind, poop-canning the team's original head coach and original G.M. after a 2-14 effort in the franchise's fourth season of play could be seen as an implicit admission that, to date, the Texans have failed.
Of course, they have failed on the field. (In the bank accounts, it's a different story.) Regardless, the last guy who should be declaring defeat at a time the team is launching a new era with Reggie, er, Mario Williams is the dude who owns the joint.
