The Rumor Mill

[Katydid]

FOR ANYONE WHO IS INTERESTED IN SEEING MY DRY, CRUSTY PUSSY, WELL, TO BAD, I LIKE CUTTING MY TONGUE ON THE HARD OUTER EDGES!!!!!!!!!!

I LOVE MY OWN HARD AS ROCK, NON-USED, SELF-LICKED COOTER!

[ALinChainz]

Well , there you go sports fans.

Thanks for playing.

(I cannot laugh anymore, I gotta drive home yet ...)

[POJO_Risin]

Katydid...for fuck sake...this is the sports forum...not some fucking place for you to talk about lickin' the old Pringles potato chip...

[Katydid]

[i]Originally posted by AL in Chainz when he altered Katydid's post: IN SEEING MY DRY, CRUSTY PUSSY, WELL, TO BAD, I LIKE CUTTING MY TONGUE ON THE HARD OUTER EDGES!!!!!!!!!!

I LOVE MY OWN HARD AS ROCK, NON-USED, SELF-LICKED COOTER! [/B]

[POJO_Risin]

Katydid...give me a break...

if anyone alters a post...

it states who edited the post underneath...

it wasn't Al...sistah...it was you...

it's a fact...he couldn't have altered that post...

[Katydid]

Originally posted by POJO_Risin
Katydid...give me a break...

if anyone alters a post...

it states who edited the post underneath...

it wasn't Al...sistah...it was you...

it's a fact...he couldn't have altered that post...

Oh no, I hope my bi polar is not coming back. Although my right eye has been drawing and I'm looking more and more like Po Jo's avatar...

[Igosplut]

Originally posted by POJO_Risin
Katydid...give me a break...

if anyone alters a post...

it states who edited the post underneath...

it wasn't Al...sistah...it was you...

it's a fact...he couldn't have altered that post...

Poj.........

Put this broad (?) to bed already.........

This is gettin REAL old..

[Katydid]

Originally posted by Katydid
FOR ANYONE WHO IS INTERESTED IN SEEING MY DRY, CRUSTY PUSSY, WELL, TO BAD, I LIKE CUTTING MY TONGUE ON THE HARD OUTER EDGES!!!!!!!!!!

I LOVE MY OWN HARD AS ROCK, NON-USED, SELF-LICKED COOTER!

PICK ME, PICK ME!!! DAVID LEE ROTH

[ALinChainz]

Gosh, it's been a good day.



One laugh after another ...

[ALinChainz]

Originally posted by Katydid
PICK ME, PICK ME!!! DAVID LEE ROTH

BTW, DLR wouldn't take a shit on you Katy.

[ALinChainz]

by Profootballtalk editor Mike Florio

http://www.profootballtalk.com

CHECK OUT THE RUMOR MILL ARCHIVES!



POSTED 7:40 a.m. EST, November 18, 2004



RACISM REARS ITS HEAD IN MNF SPAT



On Wednesday, we 'splained that one of the NFL's concerns regarding the MNF T.O.-H.O. skit debable was that the incident involved "interracial [sex] and nudity."



Throughout the day on Wednesday, we received e-mails from readers asking us why the NFL has a problem with images of black athletes and white women. The issue, based on information we've been gleaning from NFL types for the past couple of years, is that the NFL fears "white flight."



Before we go any farther, we need to throw out a disclaimer regarding our own views and opinions on this point. We believe that racism has no place in a modern civilized society (and yours truly's legal practice focuses primarily on eradicating discrimination from the workplace). The truth is that there still are plenty of Archie Bunker's and George Jefferson's throughout the nation, in states both red and blue.



Regardless, the NFL is worried about the issue not because of race but because of money. By turning off mainstream white fans, the NFL risks a reduction in its billion-dollar income streams, which flow from ticket sales and ad revenues that fund the television rights.



And the NFL has kept a wary eye on the NBA over the past decade regarding this phenomenon. Sure, less people care about the NBA with Michael Jordan no longer a part of it. But with guys like Kobe Bryant, Ron Artest, and Latrell Sprewell driving fans away in droves, the NFL doesn't want to suffer the same fate.



But the issue also is drawing concerns of racism from at least one prominent African-American. Said Colts coach Tony Dungy: "To me that's the first thing I thought of as an African-American. I think it's stereotypical in looking at the players, and on the heels of the Kobe Bryant incident I think it's very insensitive.



"I don't think that they would have had Bill Parcells or Andy Reid or one of the owners involved in that."



Speaking of owners, Eagles poobah Jeffrey Lurie gave the skit his express seal of approval -- before the cheesesteak hit the fan.



On Monday night, Lurie said, "I loved it. I thought it was great."



By Tuesday, the Eagles official word was that "we wish it hadn't aired." (Meanwhile, the Philadelphia Daily News points out the hypocrisy of the Eagles' official position, based on the photos of scantily clad cheerleaders readily available at the team's official Web site.)



As we explained on Wednesday, the Eagles had every opportunity to keep this from happening -- and it'd be very interesting to know who knew what and when they knew it within the upper reaches of the front office before, during, and after the skit was filmed.



STEELERS KEEPING TOMMY AROUND



Though we'd previously heard that the Steelers would part ways after the 2004 season with former starter Tommy Maddox, we're now hearing that the team has decided to keep him around into 2005, and possibly beyond.



The Steelers, we're told, have learned the importance of having a quality No. 2 available, based on the fact that Maddox suffered a fortuitous-in-hindsight elbow injury in Week Two. If/when Ben Roethlisberger goes down, the team would rather have Maddox step in, not Brian St. Pierre (who has gone from No. 2 himself to practice squad in a matter of weeks).



So Maddox was getting paid like a backup as the starter a year ago, and now he's getting paid more like a starter and he's a backup. What it all means to us is that Charlie Batch, who's on IR, will never play for the Steelers again (as if he ever has), and the team will go with Ben, Maddox, and a youngster like St. Pierre (or someone else) next year.



THURSDAY ONE-LINERS



Redskins coach Joe Gibbs says that recently-benched QB Mark Brunell will have a role on the team "for several years."



Former Titans president and long-time Vikings front-office guy Jeff Diamond has interviewed with the Dolphins to replace team president Eddie Jones.



Seahawks RB Shaun Alexander is interested in playing in Florida next year.

[ALinChainz]

by Profootballtalk editor Mike Florio

http://www.profootballtalk.com

CHECK OUT THE RUMOR MILL ARCHIVES!



POSTED 12:30 p.m. EST, November 19, 2004



DENNIS DUMPING THE NINERS



A league source tells us that San Fran coach Dennis Erickson will be exiting his position with the 1-8 49ers and making his way back to the NCAA for his third different D-I stint, this time with the Washington Huskies.



What we don't know at this point is whether Erickson will finish out the season with the Niners, or whether he'll be making his way north early in order to get started recruiting players for next year.



Our sister site, Collegefootballtalk.com, reported Erickson's interest in the gig earlier in the week. It'll mark Erickson's return to the Pac-10, following his tenure with Oregon State. Previously, he did a mediocre job with the Seattle Seahawks after winning a national title with the University of Miami.



Erickson was hired by the 49ers prior to the 2003 season, following the termination of Steve Mariucci. Erickson emerged out of the blue following interviews of multiple other qualified candidates. Some were concerned that the 49ers circumvented the spirit of the minority hiring guidelines; others realized that college coaches can't publicly flirt with other jobs during the recruiting season -- if any news along those lines breaks, it can only be that the guy is leaving.



So what next for the 49ers? It's anybody's guess. Assuming that the DeBartolo York's won't be selling the team (even though they should), we suspect that they'll wait until most of the other current-and-coming vacancies are filled, in order to avoid a bidding war.



POSTED 9:04 a.m. EST, November 19, 2004



T.O. ACTING NOT O-TAY



As the MNF clusterF continues to dominate the NFL headlines, we've picked up rumblings from players regarding a topic that hasn't gotten much attention in the wake of the biggest controversy for the House that Howie Built since Cosell called Redskins receiver Alvin Garrett "a little monkey" in 1983.



T.O.'s acting.



Here's a quote from one NFL player, who shall for obvious and usual reasons remain nameless:



"He acts like Buckwheat in that sh-t. What the f--k is wrong with him? Have some pride for your race or at least in being an NFL player, not a f--king clown."



Owens and Buckwheat? Hmmm . . . . .





"Missus Sheridan, I tink this ting that fell outta yo' pocketbook

has a bee hive inside it."



So while Owens has now apologized for his role in the skit, Owens instead should be saying he's sorry for his sorry-ass performance.



And regarding T.O.'s mea culpa, Owens indirectly pulls the team's chestnuts deep into the fire, saying that "the organization thought it was a clean skit."



As we've said all along, there's no way the Eagles can bury their beaks in the sand on this one. No way. And their advance knowledge of the skit makes the NFL's criticism of ABC laughable, at best. The Eagles are the NFL, at least as far as the skit was concerned. If the Eagles approved it, the NFL necessarily approved it.



And if the NFL wants to whine about it now, they should be griping not to Michael Eisner but to Jeffrey Lurie.



HARSH WORDS FOR DUNGY




Folks around the league's front offices (both white and black) take issue with the efforts of Colts coach Tony Dungy to argue that the Owens skit is racially offensive to African-Americans.



As one personnel exec said, "If Dungy wants to be like Jesse Jackson he should get out of football and get into politics."



Said another: "Dungy should concentrate more on his defense and less on his views regarding race."



Most of the league insiders to whom we've talked share the views of Bears coach Lovie Smith, who like Dungy is black. Regarding whether Smith viewed the skit to be racially offensive, Smith said earlier this week, "I really can't go that far. I saw a naked lady with an athlete, period. Black, white, that doesn't really matter an awful lot to me."

FRIDAY MORNING ONE-LINERS



Titans QB Steve McNair says that there's a 75-to-80 percent chance he'll play on Sunday against the Jaguars.



The NFL won't fine Redskins S Sean Taylor for spitting on Bengals WR T.J. Houshmandzadeh, since the league office could find no indisputable visual evidence of the alleged loogie.



Vikings WR Randy Moss is working toward a November 28 return to the field against the Jaguars.



Steelers RB Duce Staley is unlikely to play against the Bengals on Sunday.



Another home game, another local blackout for the 6-3 Jags.



Saints owner Tom Benson says he wants a new agreement in place to keep the team in New Orleans by February.



The Cleveland Plain-Dealer explores the question of whether Browns QB Jeff Garcia has been gnawing on the only hand that fed him a starting job this year.



Cardinals RB Emmitt Smith is questionable for Sunday's game against the Panthers.



Lions QB Mike McMahon is getting more reps than usual this week with the Lions starting offense.



The Bucs have smeared DT Anthony "Booger" McFarland under the chair for the rest of the season.



Seahawks QB Matt Hasselbeck is still iffy for Sunday's game against Miami, due to a thigh bruise.



Broncos coach Mike Shanahan says the NFL won't ban cut blocks "because everybody does it" (if that's true, the league needs at a minimum to prohibit such moves away from the point of attack and/or behind the play).

[ALinChainz]

by Profootballtalk editor Mike Florio

http://www.profootballtalk.com

CHECK OUT THE RUMOR MILL ARCHIVES!



POSTED 10:15 a.m. EST; UPDATED 11:01 a.m. EST, November 20, 2004



NFL WORRIED ABOUT MRS. BENSON?



With Saints owner Tom Benson making noise about wanting a new deal in place with the city before February 2005, a league source tells us that the NFL privately is concerned that Benson's new wife has too much influence over his decision-making.



The NFL realizes that, at a minimum, the new Mrs. Benson will have a major role in the process. The NFL fears that she'll actually, in the end, make the decision -- even if she lets Mr. Benson think he's the one who's making the decision.



The problem, from the NFL's perspective, is that the new Mrs. Benson, twenty years or so younger than her groom, could end up being the next Georgia Frontiere of the NFL after Benson kicks the bucket.



So if the owners realize that Mrs. Benson could be one of them in time, they likely also realize that they need to bite their tongues for now.



Then again, Mrs. Benson might help the NFL fill its ten-year-plus void in L.A. by nudging her hubby to Go West, old man. Go West.



TAKING UP FOR TONY



In response to the strong words that some league insiders had for Tony Dungy and his comments regarding the racially offensive (in his view) aspects of the T.O. skit from Monday night, a very high-ranking league insider-type took up for Dungy.



"Tony Dungy is one of the best people I've ever met," said the source. "His views may not be shared by others in the league but the work he does as a coach is unquestioned. There are several [hundred] assholes in and associated with the NFL that stick to the league like leeches. Tony Dungy is one of the leaders that keep the league from sinking to the unethical and immoral level that careless people like Jeffrey Lurie would guide it to."



(We're going to get back with our source in the near future to find out what he really thinks about this one.)



We don't disagree with the comments set forth above. Our guess, however, is that plenty of league insiders get nervous when anyone begins to stoke the fires of racial tension -- especially when the poker is being held by one of the league's more influential and reasonable voices. The NFL is successful because it draws fans of all races and genders and creeds. If/when racial lines are drawn, there becomes a chance that some fans will be turned off.



In the end, it's really not about race for the NFL. It's about power and money. The league is the most prominent sports organization in the world because of its huge and loyal fan base. And the league doesn't want to run any of them off, for any reason.



EDWARDS DENIES CHAD IS DONE



It's becoming a common theme. We report that a quarterback has a certain injury, and the team denies it.



On Friday, Jets coach Herm Edwards denied what the New York Times calls a "television report" that quarterback Chad Pennington has a torn rotator cuff that will knock him out for the rest of the year. (And if anyone knows which station or network published the report and whether it was their own report or a reference to an "Internet report," we'd love to get the details.)



Interestingly, Edwards said that Pennington is scheduled to go to the doctor on Monday, "but I don't think he's scheduled for an M.R.I."



Wouldn't the head coach know definitively if his starting quarterback is scheduled for an M.R.I., especially when we're hearing that the Jets organization is buzzing with speculation and worry that Pennington has a torn rotator cuff?



The reality is that football is a game based in large part on secrecy and flat-out deception. No team benefits from providing chapter-and-verse details regarding any topic, and the Jets are handling the situation no differently than would any other franchise. If there is any competitive advantage that can be realized by not telling the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth regarding a player's health, the team will try to do so.



If nothing else, a haze of uncertainty regarding Pennington's availability over the next month or so will require the Jets' opponents to plan for the possibility that Pennington will play, giving the opponents less time to get ready to face that quarterbacking juggernaut otherwise known as Quincy Carter.



Still, they can only hide it for so long. We suspect that Pennington will have an MRI on Monday, and that the New York media's 15 or so dailies will put their beat writers on the case.



So, as always, stay tuned.



NFL KNEW ABOUT T.O. SKIT?



By coming out aggressively with its position that the T.O. skit on Monday night was inappropriate and uncalled for, the NFL successfully managed to throw the blame onto ABC for the event. And the network wisely has allowed the league to put the blame squarely on the network, even though (as we've been saying all week) the Eagles let ABC use one of its players in full dress in the locker room for the stunt.



How much did the Eagles know? One league source is convinced that the Eagles had access to the script and the details before the skit was shot.



Taking it to the next step, the source also told us about a guy named Dick Maxwell. Maxwell, the Senior Director of Broadcast Operations and Services, is the liaison between the teams and the networks, and he "clears the path with the teams for anything outside of on-field," said the source. "He keeps track of everything to make sure the networks get full cooperation from teams."



So if Maxwell was working, as he should have been, between the Eagles and ABC, Maxwell likely had an idea at some point as to what the Eagles were planning to do.



Although we don't know for sure what Maxwell knew and when he knew it, his title and job description suggests to us that he knew enough to earn himself a visit to the principal's office on Tuesday morning, and we'll be interested to see whether Maxwell at some point over the next year is transitioned out of the league office into some other job with one of the 32 teams.



ABC GETTING READY TO PAY OUT THE NOSE?



When we heard that the House of Mouse is pulling out of the bidding for the BCS package beyond 2005, our immediate reaction was that ABC is going to pump that money into its Monday Night Football package.



And perhaps ABC now realizes that it will have to pony up big money in order to keep the package, given last week's MNF fiasco.



But, then again, perhaps ABC secretly is thrilled with the publicity that it manufactured this week for its "Desperate Housewives" show, and for MNF. Right or wrong, more folks now know about both shows, and more will be interested in watching them. So as the ratings go up, more money can be charged to the advertisers, and more money can be made by the network -- to replace the billions it will pay to the NFL.



Another factor in all of this is the ongoing trial regarding Disney's decision to give Michael Ovitz a $140 million severance package in lieu of firing him for cause. Shareholders want CEO Michael Eisner and the Board of Directors to cough up the $140 million back into the corporation's coffers, and Eisner spent most of last week being cross-examined on the witness stand.



Guys like Eisner don't like to be put in a position of little or no control, and our guess is that he's going to want to flex some of his money-spending power ASAFP. What better way to do it than to put his John Hancock (or, as they say in Pittsburgh, John Henry) on a contract that will promise to pay the NFL a whole bunch of money from 2006 through 2011 or so?



Our prediction -- a deal will be done before the end of the month. ABC will pay at least 25 percent more per year than under the current deal, the NFL-ABC hatchet will be buried forever, and the jurors in the shareholders' suit will have a chance to read all about the fact that companies like Disney and ABC routinely throw around billions of dollars, so then what's the big deal about Ovitz's $140 million buyout?



SATURDAY ONE-LINERS



The Packers are falling in love with QB J.T. O'Sullivan, who's already in position to challenge No. 2 Craig Nall.



Steelers RB Duce Staley went to South Carolina to get a second opinion on his injured hamstring, which will cause him to miss his third straight game.



Bucs S Dexter Jackson, signed this week after a season-and-a-half in Arizona, had this to say about Cards coach Dennis Green: "He tried to rule with fear instead of being a coach, and when you rule like that you're just waiting for something bad to happen."



It's looking more likely that Trent Dilfer will start at quarterback for the Seahawks on Sunday; Matt Hasselbeck has been downgraded to questionable with a leg injury.



Impressive rookie DT Spencer Johnson might replace Chris Hovan in the starting lineup on Sunday for the Vikes, especially since Hovan is suffering from the flu.



Eight league executives unanimously (and anonymously) agreed that the Redskins shouldn't have signed QB Mark Brunell.



POSTED 3:38 p.m. EST, November 19, 2004



PENNINGTON OUT FOR THE YEAR?



A few weeks ago, this here site made waves in Jacksonville via a report that its starting quarterback, a former member of the Thundering Herd, could be miss the rest of the season with a previously-undisclosed knee injury. The story prompted several rounds of lies from the team's headquarters, before the Jags finally admitted that Leftwich is hurt.



We're now hearing that there's growing concern within the Jets organization that another former Marshall signal-caller, Chad Pennington, doesn't have a strained rotator cuff, but a torn rotator cuff, which would keep him out for the rest of the season.



The loss would be devastating for the Jets, who at one point in the season looked to be one of the best teams in the conference, if not the league. With Quincy Carter taking the snaps instead of Pennington, the corresponding drop in talent and ability will be enough to see the Jets flame out after a strong start.

[ALinChainz]

by Profootballtalk editor Mike Florio



CHECK OUT THE RUMOR MILL ARCHIVES!




POSTED 7:13 p.m. EST, November 21, 2004



BENSON GOES BALLISTIC



Saints owner Tom Benson publicly gave his team a tongue-lashing after Sunday's 34-13 loss to the Broncos, comparing the New Orleans squad to a "high school team."

"It's the worst performance I've seen of one of our teams in the 20 years that I've owned them," Benson said.

"They looked just like high school kids," he said. "And that's where they ought to all be playing."

The bigger question is whether he thinks that's where their coach should be coaching. If so, Jim Haslett could be getting the shoe in time to spend Thanksgiving (and all of December and January) at home.



For video of Benson's comments, click here. (We assume the chick in the video with the short black hair is the new Mrs. Benson. If that assumption is correct, we have one word to say. Yikes.)



The loss dropped the Saints to 4-6. Mathematically, they're still alive for the postseason. But it'll take more than a few miracles, in our view, to salvage this train wreck -- and even more to keep Haslett employed beyond this season, if he makes it that far.



POSTED 12:27 p.m. EST; UPDATED 12:46 p.m. EST, November 21, 2004



DENNIS DENIES HUSKY INTEREST (AS HE SHOULD)



Last week, our sister site Collegefootballtalk.com reported that 49ers coach Dennis Erickson is interested in coaching the University of Washington. On Friday, a separate league source told us that the interest is mutual, and that Erickson will take the gig as the next coach of a stumbling Huskies program, which finished the season on Saturday winless in the Pac-10.



But the Contra Costa Times reports in its Sunday edition that Erickson was asked point-blank about our report, and that he denied having any interest in the job.



"No truth at all to it," Erickson said. "There is no interest. I have no interest. I've got a job.



"I have no interest in it. I've never talked to anybody from [Washington]. I don't know where [such reports] start, other than speculation because I'm from there, and that we've been losing this year [with the 49ers]. If I wanted to be in college, I'd have stayed at Oregon State.



"I'd like to know the person who starts those rumors," Erickson said. "There's no accountability."



With all that said, we're getting our info on this one from two separate sources -- one who said Erickson is interested and the other who said it's a done deal.



In our view, Erickson's denial is meaningless; he has no reason to tell the truth on this one. And he has about 7.5 million reasons to call our report phony.



Erickson signed a five-year, $12.5 million contract in 2003 to coach the 49ers. So if he were to get fired after the 2004 season, he'd be entitled to $7.5 million over three years. Sure, his haul would be offset by any money he makes coaching elsewhere, but keep in mind that the Huskies have been paying coach Keith Gilbertson the not-so-princely sum (for a D-I coach) of $367,500 per year.



Even though A.D. Todd Turner apparently is committed to landing a top-flight coach (and paying him accordingly), Turner can push some money into the out years of Erickson's deal if Dennis can finagle a termination from the 49ers. Erickson gets $2.5 million per year to coach for the next three season, even if Washington only accounts for $500,000 or so of it.



If Erickson quits, on the other hand, he gets nothing from the Niners.



Now that the 49ers have reason to believe that there has been contact between Erickson and the Niners, the notoriously cheap DeBartolo York's won't fire him. At best, they'll offer a severance package that allows him to keep a certain percentage of the unpaid $7.5 million. At worst, they'll tell Erickson to hit the road and pay him nothing, arguing that his dealings with the Huskies (if they indeed occurred) amounted to a resignation.



So, Dennis, when you're not able to pull a Costanza on this one, you can thank us -- and you can call your inability to pull one over on the Niners a healthy dose of so-called "accountability."



VINNY TO GET THE HOOK ON SUNDAY?



A league source tells us that Cowboys coach Bill Parcells will yank starting quarterback Vinny Testaverde and give newcomer Drew Henson a shot as the team's on-field gunslinger, if Sunday's game at Baltimore turns into a rout early.



Parcells has denied the possibility of making a quarterback change, but with the 2004 season heading down the tubes and Parcells likely to return in 2005 (as one league source tells us), the Tuna needs to know now whether Henson will be able to get it done next year.



So yanking Vinny won't necessarily mean that Parcells is giving up. Instead, he's facing reality -- and the reality is that Tuna's patented Season Two formula isn't working in Big D, and it's time to get ready for Season Three.



WISTROM FEELING GUILTY ABOUT CONTRACT



In an era where athletes will jack you upside the head with a sock full of pennies before taking blame, it's refreshing to hear that Seahawks defensive end Grant Wistrom is feeling guilty about his inability to earn that big contract he got from the 'Hawks in the offseason.



In March, Seattle lavished a $14 million bonus on Wistrom, who had been with the Rams. As we reported in March, the amount of the bonus that the 'Hawks paid was more than the opening demand that agent Tom Condon planned to make.



Still, even though Wistrom and Condon got more than they should, as much as they could, and more than they dreamed they should, Wistrom genuinely feels bad, we're told, about the fact that he's been hurt for a big chunk of the season.



Wistrom also recognizes, we hear, that he was grossly overpaid. It'll be interesting if he still feels that way if/when the Seahawks talk to him at some point about restructuring that contract, especially with so many of his teammates slated to become unrestricted free agents after the season.



SHAUN DOESN'T LIKE CONTACT?



One of Wistrom's teammates, running back Shaun Alexander, figures to cash in come March, either with the 'Hawks or elsewhere. Earlier this week, Alexander suggested that he might be interested in playing in Florida.



But the demand might not be as high or as lucrative as Alexander and others might think. The rap on Shaun around the league is that he doesn't like to get hit.



Of course, nobody likes to get hit. Just ask those fat dudes in the Pistons jerseys who got jacked up by Ron Artest and Jermaine O'Neal in succession.



Still, for a running back, getting hit is a big part of the gig. And folks are paying attention to this specific aspect of Alexander's reputation, and you can bet that any potential suitors will be studying his film very carefully in search of signs that he's a-scared of taking a beating.



SUNDAY ONE-LINERS




Cards coach Dennis Green has benched QB Josh McCown, and will go instead with QB Shaun King (who became a starter at about this point in the 1999 season and took the Bucs to the NFC title game).



The Jets are taking certain "tongue-twisting" play calls out of the rotation for QB Quincy Carter, who couldn't twist his tongue with industrial-strength tongs.



The Seahawks are still waiting for first-round DT Marcus Tubbs to wake up and play.



Bills G.M. Tom Donahoe has told at least one other NFL exec that he's fighting for his job in Buffalo.

[ALinChainz]

by Profootballtalk editor Mike Florio

http://www.profootballtalk.com

CHECK OUT THE RUMOR MILL ARCHIVES!



POSTED 11:40 a.m. EST, November 22, 2004



GIANTS STORY STRIKES A NERVE



In response to our story from earlier this morning regarding the sentiment in New York that the Giants woulda/shoulda/coulda stuck with Kurt Warner as the starting quarterback, in lieu of benching him for rookie Eli Manning, we received a communication that suggests to us that the story struck a big blue nerve.



Less than two hours after the story was posted, we received the following e-mail message from (we assume) Chris Mara, the Giants' Vice President of Player Evaluation.



(Editor's Note: Out of respect for Mara, we're not going to post in this space the e-mail address that he used. Suffice it to say, however, that it's roughly 99.9999999 percent obvious from the specific e-mail address used that it was from him. If someone within the Giants organization can prove otherwise, we'll gladly post a retraction.)



Said Mr. Mara:



Mike, do you run out of stuff to write about and just decide to create stories based on what you think your readers want to hear. Once again you are 100 percent wrong, but then again why let the truth get in the way of a few more hits to the sight [sic] which by the way has becoming [sic] a crock of pure frontier gibberish.



A crock of pure frontier gibberish?



C'mon, man, you can do better than that. . . .



Anyway, even though Mara zealously disputes our story, the fact that he contacted us less than two hours after the story went up is further proof that, as much as they like to deny it, high-level league insiders keep very close tabs on what we're doing here.



Which tells us that, contrary to Mr. Mara's opinion, our scoops and insights are hardly a crock of pure frontier gibberish.



DAVIS SAFE, FOR NOW (AS IN RIGHT NOW)



In response to rampant rumors that Browns coach Butch Davis has been or will soon be fired following the team's 10-7 loss to the Jets on Sunday, a source inside the building tells us that, as of an hour ago, it's been business as usual in Cleveland.



This doesn't mean, of course, that Davis won't get the shoe. His termination at the end of the season is a foregone conclusion in league circles, and we're hearing that he could be dumped before then and replaced with offensive coordinator Terry Robiskie for the balance of the season.



Either way, it's a sharp descent for Davis, who spent much of the last year or so consolidating power in Cleveland. What he failed to realize is that with the power came accountability, and there's no one but him to blame for the team's current sorry state.



POSTED 8:35 a.m. EST, November 22, 2004



COUGHLIN, GIANTS WANTED WARNER?



Following Eli Manning's loss in his first career start with the Giants, we're picking up all sorts of juicy tidbits from sources around the league regarding whether Manning should have stayed on the bench.



The thinking is that Giants coach Tom Coughlin wanted to stick with Kurt Warner at quarterback, but that G.M. Ernie Accorsi or one of the younger Maras nudged Coughlin to put Manning on the field now.



The players, we're told, prefer Warner, and league insiders believe that the Giants would have beaten the Falcons on Sunday if Warner had played instead of Manning.



The problem, however, is that the die is cast on this one. Barring injury, Coughlin and the Giants are stuck with Manning for the rest of the season. As one source told us, "Warner can't go back in now or Coughlin looks like a d-ck."



DIAMOND HAS "REAL SHOT" AT MIAMI GIG



As names with greater marquee value continue to get most of the attention when it comes to discussing the looming vacancy in Miami for the team president gig, we're hearing that Jeff Diamond has a "real shot" at the job.



Diamond's name was mentioned a year ago, when the Dolphins were planning to put a guy in place as a buffer between G.M. Rick Spielman and owner Wayne Huizenga. The job ultimately went to Dan Marino -- for three weeks -- and then the team opted not to fill it.



Diamond, who won the 1998 Executive of the Year award for his work in managing a difficult cap situation in Minnesota without losing the team's nucleus of stars, most recently served as team president in Tennessee. Underappreciated by owner Bud Adams, Diamond's contract expired in the offseason and he is and has been available for a return to the NFL.



If Diamond gets the gig in Miami, it likely would mean good news for G.M. Rick Spielman. Diamond is more of a cap-and-contracts guy, which means that he'd need to have someone around with Diamond's solid personnel evaluation skills. Plus, Diamond has shown that he can generally work well with anyone. Denny Green ran him off in Minnesota as part of Green's effort to grab as much power as possible, and Adams simply didn't realize how important Diamond was to the organization's ability to manage the salary cap.



OWNERS DON'T LIKE LURIE



Part of the aftermath of the MNF pre-game debacle from a week ago is that we're continuing to hear from our sources that many NFL executives and owners hold Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie in rather low regard.



For starters, there's a belief in high-end league circles that Lurie is "clueless about football." Since we can name 20 or so other owners who fall into that same category, we don't consider that to be such a stinging indictment.



The bigger issue is that Lurie is perceived to be a Trump-like presence in the NFL, with lots of flash and glitz and look-at-me tendencies but not the deep, profound respect for the game demonstrated by many of his colleagues.



The strong feelings regarding Lurie have only intensified in the past week. After Monday night's game against the Cowboys, he said publicly that the pre-game skit with T.O. and Nicollette Sheridan was "great," and that he "loved it."



No one else in ownership shared his views.



Part of the problem also could be good, old-fashioned jealousy. Lurie has built a consistently successful team in an era of up-and-down performances. Also, the Eagles are clearly the class of the NFC this season, seemingly destined to make it to their first Super Bowl since 1980. It's human nature to quietly despise your competitors, especially when your competitors are kicking your ass.



As we see it, Lurie therefore should have been sensitive to this perception, and he never should have said a word about the skit until after he got a sense of what the reaction around the league would be. The fact that he didn't realize the reaction would be so decidedly negative makes us wonder whether he's properly equipped to figure out the cause-and-effect relationship between the things he says and does and the manner in which others will respond to him.