ESPN - First Rounders Get Signed: Ravens Sign Ngata; Cowboys Lock-Up Clayton; Steelers Ink Santonio Holmes; Reggie Bush Remains

John Clayon and Len Pasquarelli For ESPN

Roundup: Ravens reach agreement with Ngata
ESPN.com news services

The Baltimore Ravens reached agreement Friday on a five-year, $11.9 million deal with first-round choice Haloti Ngata, the 12th overall pick in the 2006 NFL Draft.

Ngata, a 6-foot-4, 337 pounds defensive tackle from Oregon, was considered one of the key offseason additions to the Ravens' defense because he is a big, body along the defensive line who will eat up blockers and make it easier for middle linebacker Ray Lewis.

"I'm really relieved that it's done and I can go play football. I couldn't afford to miss too much time because I only had that one minicamp," Ngata told The Associated Press in a telephone interview. "It was a good deal. The Ravens were very fair to me."

-- John Clayton

Cowboys hammer out deal with Carpenter
The Dallas Cowboys completed their draft choice signings by striking an early Friday agreement with first-round selection Bobby Carpenter of Ohio State.


The 18th player chosen overall, Carpenter will sign a five-year contract with a maximum value of $11 million, including $7.5 million in guarantees.

A tall, athletic linebacker (6-foot-2, 256 pounds), Carpenter possesses the kind of size head coach Bill Parcells has long favored at the position. He is the son of former New York Giants and Houston Oilers running back Rob Carpenter, grew up around the game, and has a strong sense of the league.

A starter in 26 of his 50 appearances for the Buckeyes, Carpenter finished his college career with 191 tackles, including 23½ tackles for losses, 14½ sacks, three interceptions, seven passes defensed, two forced fumbles and two recoveries.

Not surprisingly, given his bloodlines, Carpenter is an instinctive player with good diagnostic skills. Although the Cowboys have retooled their linebacker corps over the past two seasons as they continue to transition to a 3-4 defense, Carpenter should vie for playing time as a rookie.

-- Len Pasquarelli

Holmes agrees to five-year deal with Steelers
First-round draft pick Santonio Holmes reached terms on a five-year contract with the Pittsburgh Steelers, a deal that apparently does not include added contract language protecting them against additional off-field problems.

By reaching terms with Holmes minutes before coach Bill Cowher held his first full-squad meeting of camp, the Steelers locked up their last remaining unsigned player. Earlier in the day, they signed third-round pick Willie Reid, the former Florida State receiver.

Holmes, a former Ohio State star wide receiver, has been arrested twice since being the No. 25 pick in the April draft. He faces an Aug. 15 trial on an assault charge involving a woman in Columbus, Ohio, who is the mother of one of his three children. He also pleaded innocent to disorderly conduct charges brought Memorial Day weekend in Miami.

Despite Holmes' off-field problems, which clearly agitated Cowher and cast doubt on whether Holmes has the maturity and focus to be a productive NFL player, Steelers director of football operations Kevin Colbert said the team is protected enough by the standard player's contract.

-- The Associated Press

Bills reach agreement with McCargo

The Buffalo Bills have reached an agreement in principle with one of their two first-round draft choices, defensive tackle John McCargo.

McCargo, a 6-foot-2, 302-pound three-year starter at North Carolina State, agreed to a five-year deal worth more than $8 million that included $5.2 million in guarantees. The Bills began practice Friday morning, and McCargo, the 26th overall pick, will try to get to camp at St. John Fisher College in Rochester, N.Y. for the afternoon practice.

It's likely, given the turnover in Buffalo, that McCargo will battle for a starting spot as a rookie. At worst, he figures to be a part of Buffalo's tackle rotation in 2006 and log considerable playing time. McCargo has a nice mix of power and quickness and can play either tackle spot. He is one of three former Wolfpack defensive linemen chosen in the first round of this year's draft.

He had 134 tackles in 30 appearance, all but one of them as a starter.

The Bills still have to work on safety Donte Whitner, the eighth pick in the draft.

-- John Clayton and Len Pasquarelli

Jaguars sign first-round pick Lewis
First-round draft pick Marcedes Lewis signed a five-year contract with the Jacksonville Jaguars on Friday, a day before the team opens training camp.

The tight end, chosen with the 28th overall pick, is expected to back up veteran Kyle Brady. But the Jaguars are counting on rookie's versatile skills to help replace Jimmy Smith, who abruptly retired in May and left the team with little experience at receiver.

Lewis' deal is worth about $7.5 million, with a little more than $4.8 million in guaranteed money.

Linebacker Clint Ingram, a third-round pick from Oklahoma, also signed Friday. He had been the last unsigned rookie.

Vince Young Signs - NFL Rookie Signing Tracker

Vince Young signed with the Tennessee Titans Thursday. Young, the No. 3 overall pick out of Texas, agreed to a five-year deal, with an option for a sixth, with $25.7 million guaranteed and an overall value that could reach $58 million with option and roster bonuses and salary.

That would top the six-year, $54 million deal with $26.5 million guaranteed for the top draft pick, defensive end Mario Williams of Houston. That essentially means Young has opened the door for Reggie Bush's agent to argue that his client deserves a contract at least as good as Vince Young's.


Latest Transactions From Scout.com

Atlanta Falcons - Signed second round pick CB Jimmy Williams

Dallas Cowboys - Reached contract agreements with third round pick DE Jason Hatcher and sixth round pick DT Montavious Stanley

Detroit Lions - Reached contract agreements with RB Brian Calhoun, fifth round pick OL Jonathan Scott, sixth round pick CB Dee McCann, seventh round pick LB Anthony Cannon

Jacksonville Jaguars - Reached a contract agreement with first round pick TE Marcedes Lewis.

Minnesota Vikings - Reached a contract agreement with first round pick LB Chad Greenway

New York Giants - Signed 1st round pick DE Mathias Kiwanuka

New York Jets - Reached a contract agreement with first round pick C Nick Mangold

New NFL Player Agents Not Prepared - Profootballtalk.com

This was bound to be the result of so many new players coming into the athletic representation game, and some at such a young age. Until the NFL Players Association starts actually enforcing its own rules and regulations without prejudice -- again, without prejudice -- this pattern of allowing green agents will continue. Good for Profootballtalk.com to point to this problem. IT seems the way things are going, some player would be better using a Verbot (pictured) to negotiate their contracts.

TEAMS PISSED AT NEW AGENTS

In conversations we have had today with several NFL front office personnel, the same point is being hammered to us: the newer NFLPA Contract Advisors are increasingly pissing off NFL contract guys with their lack of preparation and/or "I am the sh-t" attitude. Club statements to us such as "the guy has no fu--ing clue what he is doing, " "it's a joke how stupid some of these guys are" and "don't they have to pass a test or something?" are some of the mild complaints we are getting from the management side.

We were the first to acknowledge that the absence of a definitive CBA and the inherent conflict between what the player wants and what the team is willing to pay is the basis for some of this frustration. But as noted on this site before, the increased dollars going to players has caused more individuals -- whether competent or not -- to enter into the agent business and entice players to sign with them for a variety of reasons other than their competence (think green paper, female companionship and method of transportation, but not necessarily in that order).

As one experienced front office type told us "Hell, they don't even talk to their own union before they do these deals. The benefit of sneaking things past them is almost outweighed by the friggin' time I waste dealing with some of these knuckleheads."

Monte Poole On Oakland Raiders WR Jerry Porter

Oakland Tribune Columnist Monte Poole presents an excellent and revealing column that presents a different side of the Raiders WR. Don't forget to catch "The Monte Poole Show" September 8th.

NAPA -- Jerry Porter gazes at his image in the darkened window and recoils. He is displeased, because there is too much darkness and too little contrast to allow full appreciation.

And if there is anything J.P. wants, it is to be fully appreciated.

So he makes the adjustment. He steps back until he's in full sunlight.

Porter nods, poses with his hands on his hips, glances down upon the brightest, blingiest, sickest belt ever imagined — gold dollar signs linked together, accented with a massive rash of gleaming studs at the center -- and admires not only the shiny accessory but also the way it hangs on his new physique.

A physique that arrived in camp 23 pounds lighter than it was last year, down to 220, apparently cut from the same stone and by the same sculptor who chiseled Terrell Owens.

Porter's fitness stands as visible evidence he has no plans to let his discontent affect his dedication to the Raiders.

"I'm here to do my job," the seventh-year wide receiver said Tuesday as he stood in thefrom Sports 1
midday heat after team's first training-camp practice.

He addressed the topic because he is the Raider most often described as disgruntled, floating in a sea of rumors that he wanted out, that his attendance in the team's off-season program was at an all-time low and that there was friction with his new head coach, Art Shell.

Truth or fiction?

"It's not BS," Porter acknowledged. "But I'm under contract for two more years, so they have me for two more years."

Which sets the stage for Porter to join the long and distinguished list of Raiders who have encountered frustration with the organization. Remember Marcus Allen? Howie Long knows the feeling. Tim Brown had his moments. Chester McGlockton was consumed by it. Steve Beuerlein's differences became irreconcilable, leading to a bitter parting.

Porter's conditioning implies that any hints of animosity will serve as fuel. One has to assume he didn't arrive in the best shape of his life just to loaf through camp, sleep through meetings and roll his eyes at the coaches.
This, J. P. insisted, is about fulfilling an obligation. It's a matter of professionalism.

"That's all it is," he said. "Everybody, no matter who you work with, has somebody at their job they don't like. What do you do? You work through it. You don't have to like everybody."

What the Raiders appear to have is a player ready to mine his talent — partly because he believes there is more and partly because he's ticked.

"A lot of things went on that I didn't agree with," Porter said, without being specific. "There were a lot of things that were basically done out of spite, to me and around me, that I didn't like. So, in turn, I did a couple of things."

One of which was to attend fewer "voluntary" off-season workouts, something bound to irritate his coaches. J. P. went his own way, did his own thing, and the results are nothing less than spectacular.

"Usually every year, I'm here for the off-season program," he said. "But this year I went down to Florida. They saw me maybe eight times all off-season. Usually, I'm here for 40-plus workouts."

Shell has low-keyed his relationship with Porter, insisting things are fine. Maybe they are, now. But more likely, their relationship — like that between all players and a new coach — is a work in progress.

"I've never dealt with an old-school guy, and I mean that honestly." Porter said. "But (Shell) seems to be paying more attention to detail. He wants guys to make sure everyone is onside. He wants everybody on time for meetings. It's about the little things.

"I guess, with the parity in this league, everybody is basically the same. So it's a matter of execution. If you pay attention to the little things, on and off the field, I guess it can't do anything but help you."

Porter finished last season with a team-high 76 catches and was second, behind Randy Moss, with 942 yards. Yet both wideouts were at times neglected. That should change, assuming Aaron Brooks can unload more quickly and be more efficient than the quarterback he replaced, Kerry Collins.

Inasmuch as J.P. is in his prime, having turned 28 this month, he knows this season is important, for him and the team, in terms of perceived attitude, established reputation and results.

"It's not like they're going to fold the organization," Porter said. "But it's time to do something. It's really nothing to be said. We have the pieces in place. There are no excuses. It's time to go play."

Time to sharpen the focus. Time to define the point of view. Time for the pro to come forth, shine like that belt and perhaps receive due appreciation.

Oakland Raiders WR Jerry Porter Defying Raiders Head Coach Art Shell? Differing Views

There are many views of Oakland Raiders WR Jerry Porter, but at present many of them aren't good. The fleet pass catcher has been exposed by the SF Chronicle's Nancy Gay in this article as a whiner who's already going against the program. Monte Poole's column, which we feature here, paints a story of a more understanding Porter.

Whatever the case, Raiders fans are hungry for a winner and will not tolerate anything less, or anyone that goes against Art Shell's program and that includes Porter.

The vast majority of fans polled want him traded, even before the preseason ends.

Who's Jerry Porter? Here's one off season view of him as plain old gamer:



Here's another view of Porter's on the field potential. In this video he takes apart Denver Broncos cornerback Champ Bailey in the snow, and in what many call his best game. He had four catches for 122 yards.

Agent Carl Poston Removed From Working With NFL Players

From my research, this grew from the matter of how Lavernious Coles was signed. Read the ESPN article first, then the one right after it.

NFLPA suspends agent Poston indefinitely
By John Clayton
ESPN.com

The NFL Players Association notified the NFL that agent Carl Poston has been suspended indefinitely.

The league office officially informed 32 teams in a memo that Poston can't be involved in negotiations for any player, nor can he be an adviser on any deals. The term of the suspension was "until further notice." It was unclear why the union termed the suspension "until further notice" when the original length was two years.

Poston filed suit in U.S. District Court in New York claiming his two-year suspension should be overturned. Congress was also inquiring about the NFLPA's agent certification process and how it related to Poston.

An eight-member NFLPA disciplinary board recommended a suspension when it claimed Poston had been negligent in negotiating a contract for former Redskin LaVar Arrington. The union claimed Poston signed the contract without ensuring it had a $6.5 million bonus clause that had been agreed upon.

Previous legal challenges of agent certification have been upheld at least two times in previous court cases. It is not known how the House of Representatives inquiry will affect the union's decision.

Poston recently signed cornerback Ty Law to a five-year, $31 million contract with the Kansas City Chiefs.



Arbitrator upholds NFLPA discipline for agent over employee's actions

By LIZ MULLEN
Staff writer - Sports Business Journal

An arbitrator has upheld a decision by the NFL Players Association to discipline an agent for the actions of one of his employees, even though the agent was cleared of any wrongdoing.


Arbitrator Roger Kaplan upheld the NFLPA's action to send a letter of reprimand to agent Carl Poston for the incident, which involved an employee who was accused of arranging for a plane ticket for NFL player Laveranues Coles while he was still in college.

Coles was declared ineligible to play one game of the regular season at Florida State University as a result of an FSU investigation that found that the incident violated NCAA rules.

The decision "sends a strong message to NFLPA-certified agents that they will be held responsible for people who work for them," said Richard Berthelsen, NFLPA general counsel. "It is important because more and more agents are starting full-service agencies and are having people on their staff help the players. Each person working for the agent has to be held accountable for the agent's knowledge of NCAA rules and incidents that could jeopardize a college athlete's eligibility."

Although Kaplan upheld the letter of discipline for Poston, he struck down a $5,000 fine the NFLPA had imposed on Poston and his brother and business partner, Kevin Poston, and struck down a letter of reprimand the union had issued to Kevin Poston.

Carl Poston noted that the letter of reprimand was the lowest form of discipline the NFLPA could administer. Still, Poston said the decision was unjust and his attorneys were reviewing ways to challenge it.

And finally, this article from April 23rd

Arrington supported his agent in court, in case involving him
By LARRY NEUMEISTER, Associated Press Writer
April 23, 2006

NEW YORK (AP) -- LaVar Arrington showed up in court to support his agent, who is challenging a two-year suspension over the handling of the linebacker's contract extension with the Washington Redskins in 2003.

Arrington appeared Thursday before U.S. District Judge Barbara S. Jones in Manhattan to support Carl Poston, who claims he was unfairly disciplined by an NFL Players' Association committee during the union's meetings last month.

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The dispute centers around a $6.5 million bonus that Arrington claimed was left out of his contract by the Redskins.

Jones didn't immediately rule.

Arrington signed a $49 million, seven-year deal Saturday with the Giants. The deal came just days before a May 4 arbitration hearing in which Poston's suspension could be ordered to take effect.

Arrington didn't speak at the hearing but his lawyer, H. Stephen Brown, said the football player "cares a lot about this proceeding."

At one point, the judge acknowledged Arrington's presence, saying: "I see him here today and I recognize that he's very loyal to Mr. Poston."

Poston's lawyer, Paul Aloe, said during the hearing that the players' union was determined to "take away his livelihood for two years" by subjecting him to an arbitrator who has never ruled completely against the union.

Aloe said it was surprising and unusual that the players' union was pursuing its claims in arbitration proceedings.

"LaVar Arrington does not at all agree, is very supportive of Mr. Poston, does not believe there was any concealment or anything wrongfully done and, in fact, supports him," Aloe told the judge.

Jeffrey Kessler, a lawyer for the players' union, argued that regulations require agents to follow arbitration procedures outlined in the union's collective bargaining contract. Those provisions, Kessler said, make clear that the union has the authority to choose the arbitrator and that the arbitrator must resolve any and all disputes.

"He has no standing to do this," Kessler said of Poston's lawsuit and insistence that an impartial arbitrator be assigned to the case.

Arrington, the third overall pick in the 2000 draft and a three-time Pro Bowler, bought his way out of Washington in March for $4.4 million after a tempestuous final two seasons in which he suffered from knee injuries and was benched by defensive coordinator Gregg Williams for freelancing.

Reggie Bush, My Mom's Upset With You!

Memo to Reggie Bush: my Mom's not happy with you at all. I'm down here in Georgia visiting my Mom as I do about every other month since her husband and my stepdad passed last year, and as part of my visit we always keep up with the sports news. Today, you and the New Orleans Saints seemed to be the focus of all of the shows, so we couldn't miss you and your contract woes.

Which gets to my point. We -- Mom and I -- are sitting down watching Jim Rhome's show (she can't stand him but will tolerate him for as long as I'm visiting) when the subject of you comes up and Jim starts his rant. Well, I didn't hear Jim because Mom was giving me and our guest an earful about you. "I used to like Reggie Bush," she said, "But I don't anymore. He's just turned selfish."

You should pay attention to my Mom; at 71, she's old enough to be your grandmother, was one of the first black professionals ever to work at United Airlines, and last fall actually worked for the Small Business Administration in issuing loans to people who's businesses were impacted by Hurricane Katrina.

In other words, she speaks for the common American who cares about the plight and future of New Orleans. Do you? Don't rub your desire for more and more money in the face of those who've lost everything. Stop thinking of yourself, and fire your agent Mike Orenstein in the process.

Reggie, this is important. Treat New Orleans right. Sign with them today. Don't blow it.

Matt Leinart, MySpace, CAA, NFL and Webcams - On Technorati

For some reason related to a prank, when I typed "CAA NFL" in my Technorati search to learn what more was written about CAA's rumored acquistion of two NFL agents and their clients, all I got was a lot of Matt Leinart listings under "webcams" and other stuff related to sex.

I guess some people can't get off -- or are getting off on the idea -- that Matt's a kind of sex symbol in the negative way for whatever reason. Either that or it's that MySpace guy playing a prank on Matt for coming to that Atlanta event while he was hanging with Matt's ex.

Who knows?

Well, once the season starts, it's all decided between the white lines, right Matt?

NFL Network's Adam Schefter Reports On Raiders Deal For Michael Huff

Who's Adam Schefter? According to NFL.com... "After covering the Broncos for 15 seasons, the longest continuous stretch of service by one reporter covering the team in franchise history, Adam Schefter has joined the NFL Network, where he will contribute in a variety of ways, including regular on-air reports, features and commentaries for the only year-round NFL news show, NFL Total Access, plus stories for NFL.com. He was named Colorado Sportswriter of the Year by the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association in 2002 and 2003."

(July 24, 2006) -- When the Raiders rookies report to work on July 24, first-round pick Michael Huff will be there with them.

Huff and the Raiders reached an agreement on a five-year deal that will be worth between $22.5 to $26.5 million dollars, including $15 million in guarantees, sides close to the deal confirmed.


The Raiders think taking a chance on Michael Huff at No. 7 in this year's draft will pay off.
Should Huff go on to become the superstar that the Raiders envision, the contract contains enough language that the former University of Texas standout could earn up to $43 million, making it an even more lucrative contract than the one that Pro Bowl safety Ed Reed recently signed with Baltimore. But Huff would have to become a premier safety to achieve such levels of pay.

Nevertheless, the Raiders will have their first-round pick in camp on time, and Huff is expected to win the starting safety job, paired opposite Stuart Schweigert to give Oakland a young and talented safety tandem.

Huff's big deal is expected to be one of two in the AFC West that gets done July 24. The San Diego Chargers also are closing in on a deal with their first-round pick, former Florida State cornerback Antonio Cromartie. With Chargers rookies due to report by the night of July 24, Cromartie is not expected to be late.

And with the Kansas City Chiefs signing Pro Bowl cornerback Ty Law, the quality of defensive backs in the AFC West has been dramatically upgraded.

Roger Goodell Still Front-Runner For NFL Commissioner - AP

But there are 11 names and the NFL's not revealing who the non-NFL-staff candidates are. So don't pop the cork for Roger just yet... Goodell's in the lead, as he should be.

ROMULUS, Mich. -- The list of candidates for Paul Tagliabue's job as NFL commissioner is down to 11, although with two weeks to go until the final selection meeting, a majority of the owners still don't know who is on it.

The owners met for about three hours at the Detroit airport Monday to help narrow down the potential successors. Then the search committee continued discussing procedures for getting down to a workable number of finalists for the meetings in Chicago on Aug. 7-9 to choose Tagliabue's successor.

"We are pleased with the way it went," said Pittsburgh's Dan Rooney, co-chairman of the selection committee after a three-hour meeting that followed the main session. "Things went well and the other owners came up with some ideas."

Asked if he thought a commissioner could be selected at the Chicago meeting, Rooney echoed what Tagliabue earlier said: "We're very confident."

Despite the secrecy, the front-runner remains Roger Goodell, Tagliabue's second in command. He appears to be one of three league office people in contention -- the others are Jeff Pash, the league's chief lawyer, and Eric Grubman, its top financial officer.

The reason the owners have not been told any names is that Tagliabue and the search committee want to prevent leaks of the kind that plagued the last commissioner search in 1989.

"Sure I've heard the usual names. We all have," said John Mara, co-owner of the New York Giants. "But we haven't heard anything officially and that's the way it should be. I think the committee is going about it just the right way."

The 11 candidates will meet with the search committee this week at an unspecified site, then the field will be narrowed. Tagliabue didn't specify how many finalists there would be, but said the owners might be divided into small groups to interview the candidates.

The process is in stark contrast to the one 17 years ago, when it took seven months after Pete Rozelle announced his retirement for the owners to choose Tagliabue. He was elected after the late Jim Finks, then the New Orleans general manager, led for most of the process.

One of the problems then was that the search committee was made up entirely of owners close to Rozelle, all with long histories in the league. They were set to elect Finks when a group of newer owners, including Dallas' Jerry Jones, rebelled and ended up supporting Tagliabue.

This search committee includes such non-traditionalists as Oakland's Al Davis and Jones, who despite his early support for Tagliabue ended up differing with the commissioner on many issues. The committee also includes both high-revenue and low-revenue owners, men on both sides of the debate that still remains the NFL's most divisive: how to split income.

More On Michael Strahan’s Divorce

Regardless of how this ugly matter turns out, I do hope Michael Strahan’s not one of those "Down Low" brothas. Yikees!

NEWARK NJ (UPI) — The nasty divorce between New York Giants Pro Bowl defensive end Michael Strahan and his soon-to-be ex-wife is stunning even seasoned divorce lawyers.

The case features sordid details like adultery, beatings and rampant overspending of money, the Newark (N.J.) Star-Ledger reported. The highly public case, taking place in Superior Court in Newark, is a culmination of 17 months of a very bitter battle between a couple, who once projected a clean, wholesome image.

Accusations include Michael Strahan’s alleged “alternative” affair with television doctor Ian Smith, an accusation that Michael Strahan secretly videotaped his sister-in-law getting undressed and Michael Strahan’s allegation that Jean Strahan cheated on him with other women, the newspaper said.

The case, far from settled, has turned into a spectacle that most celebrities try to avoid. Michael Strahan, who once appeared in television commercials for Campbell’s Chunky Soup, is trying to refurbish his image with the help of Sports Media Challenge, a firm that helps athletes deal with the press.

NY Giants Michael Strahan Explains His Side Of Sad Divorce

It reads like his wife's trying to dig up every bad black male stereotype she can think of. Well, something triggered the whole deal.


By MICHAEL O’KEEFFE
DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER


Giants football star Michael Strahan calmly tells Daily News he wants divorce to be dignified, especially for the sake of his 5-month-old twin girls.


Two years ago, Michael and Jean Strahan were lovingly restoring Montclair mansion




No, Michael Strahan says, there was no mistress in Toronto, no hanky-panky in Jacksonville. No road rage on the Garden State Parkway. No psych test mandated by the New York Giants.
He loves his twin baby girls and plays a big role in their lives.

He didn't dump his wife because she doesn't like rap.

And no, Michael Strahan, says, he is not interested in getting into a bloody public brawl with his estranged wife, Jean.

"Despite all this, I still like her," he says. "I still respect her. I love her."

In an exclusive interview with the Daily News, the football star says the marriage is over but he wants to end the relationship with dignity for the sake of his family - and especially for his 5-month-old daughters.

"You realize that everything really boils down to them," he says. "If I were a man without kids, without family, then this would be, 'Hey, you want to duke it out, let's duke it out.'

"But I got kids. I got nephews. I got nieces. I got a mother and father and brothers and sisters. And Jean has the same. And I think just for our families' sake, I don't want to slug it out.

"I'm not looking to fight, because I think our families are going to be the biggest losers in this. And to me, it's not worth it."

The 13-year National Football League veteran says he feels compelled to set the record straight because he feels his wife has taken some dishonest, painful shots since their marriage - which looked like a fairy-tale relationship to his friends and fans - collapsed in the 10 days since Jean Strahan called police to their Montclair, N.J., mansion.

She claimed he threatened to beat her.

Michael Strahan quickly filed for divorce, claiming his wife withdrew $3.3 million from their bank accounts. Jean Strahan slugged back, claiming in court documents that he had affairs with two women, rammed a slow-moving driver with his Cadillac Escalade on a Jersey highway, spends no time with his girls and was forced by the Giants to undergo psychological tests.

Last week an Essex County, N.J., judge dismissed Jean Strahan's abuse claims but admitted into evidence photos she says were taken after he abused her years ago.

Michael Strahan, dressed casually in a dark shirt and slacks as he sat in the Chelsea offices of a media consultant, calmly rejected her other claims during the interview with The News.

There wasn't a girlfriend in Toronto, as his estranged wife claims, and no affair in Florida during Super Bowl week, he says.

"I don't know why she would say that," Strahan says. "I never gave her any reason to say that.

"I don't have anybody in Florida. I don't have a girlfriend in Toronto."

Strahan says his wife's claim that he rammed another car with his sport-utility vehicle isn't true, either.

"We were on our way to dinner, and we got into a car accident," he says. "But it was just that - a car accident. I can't imagine being mad enough to wreck my own car. ...

"The police were called, a report was filed, officers came. My demeanor was calm, as it always is."

The Giants, he adds, didn't make him undergo psychological testing after the incident. "I've never had a psychological evaluation by anybody," he says.

Strahan also denies his wife's allegation that he spurned his family after she gave birth to their babies last fall. Jean Strahan says he ignores their kids and turns his back to her in bed.

In court papers, she claims he "looks for excuses to absent himself from our house, playing in every imaginable golf tournament, participating in every boondoggle to Las Vegas, shooting the pilot for a television show in Los Angeles."

But Strahan says he's been part of his girls' lives since the day they were conceived. He was injured in the middle of the last NFL season, which gave him a lot of time to spend with his daughters.

"I've been strapped with a Baby Bjorn for more hours than I can remember," the 275-pound football star says, referring to an infant carrier.

"It was a totally great experience," Strahan says of the birth of his girls. "They're fun. They're two totally different personalities. One sleeps quite a bit, and the other stays awake all the time.

"They like to hold hands. It's the most amazing thing to have twins."

Strahan laughs when asked about his wife's allegation that he left her because she didn't share his taste in hip hop.

"If you're in love with somebody, it doesn't matter what kind of music they listen to," he says. "Actually, I'm grateful for Jean teaching me to like Waylon Jennings, the Bellamy Brothers, James Taylor, all those good people I wouldn't have listened to without knowing her."

The grid star looks remarkably at peace for a man whose image was eviscerated for days last week.

He credits his cool to the support he's received from his teammates and other NFL pals, and from family and friends. Strahan says the rips he's gotten have been fortunate in one sense: He's heard kind words from friends he hasn't spoken to in years.

"I feel compelled to say something publicly because it involved my family in a very private matter that is now very public. Hopefully, this will end it, and everybody will respect that it is a private family matter," Strahan says.

Anger and frustration flare, however, when he talks about what he calls unfair treatment in the New York Post, which his camp says is serving as a mouthpiece for Jean Strahan and her attorney.

"If you're going to write a story, I'd prefer that it at least be true. If it's not true, you shouldn't write it," he says.

Strahan is a lock for Canton - the football hall of fame. The defensive end set a league record for sacks in a season in 2001. But like Joe Namath, Walt Frazier and Derek Jeter, he's more than an athlete - he's one of those rare New York stars who seems to transcend his sport.

He's a regular on the TV sports talk shows, a Chunky Soup pitchman and a tireless worker for good causes.

In an era when many people assume athletes are self-absorbed jerks, Strahan has always been known as one of the good guys. And he says nothing has changed.

"I think it's pretty hard to fool people for 12 or 13 years," Strahan says. "I'm the guy who everybody knows - the guy who's been in New York for 13 seasons."

The couple married in 1999 and became one of New York's hottest sports couples, a fixture at charity events and on the gossip pages. Michael called Jean his rock and admits he still has warm feelings for her.

But the marriage, he adds, is definitely over. It wasn't the pressures of an NFL career - the public spotlight. There isn't any one thing he can pinpoint as the fatal wound.

"I can't particularly look back at any event and say, 'Okay, this was the moment that things weren't working out.' I don't think it was like that," he says.

"It was just, over the course of time, things deteriorated.

"It's a marriage that in the long run didn't turn out with the fairy-tale ending."

Although the judge threw out a restraining order that barred him from his home, Strahan says he won't return because he doesn't want to disrupt his little girls' lives.

Strahan, on the advice of his lawyer, won't talk about what happened at his Montclair home on March 10. He won't talk about the $3.3 million he says in his divorce papers Jean Strahan swiped. He just hopes the split can be handled with maturity and grace.

"We owe it to each other to respect our kids and their future and their privacy - to end this in the right way," he says.

"If you end it the right way, it still allows you to both be a great influence in your kids' lives, and I think that is very important."