POSTED 7:59 a.m. EDT, October 17, 2005
PARCELLS PISSED DESPITE WIN
Word out of Big D is that Cowboys coach Bill Parcells was red-hot at his team after Sunday's 16-13 overtime win against the Giants.
The win pushed the 'Boys to 4-2, good for first place in the NFC East. But that's not good enough for the Tuna, who wants better overall performance out of his team, whether they score more points or less points than the other team.
The Cowboys had held the Giants to only six points until the last 25 seconds, when quarterback Eli Manning hit tight end Jeremy Shockey with a 24-yard touchdown pass.
BENSON TRIES OUT VENTRILOQUISM
You'd think it would be getting hard for San Antonio mayor Phil Hardberger to talk with Tom Benson's hand in his ass.
But Benson and Hardberger are turning out to be an effective Edgar Bergen and Charlie McCarthy (or is it Mortimer Snerd?) combination when trying to finagle a permanent move of the Saints from New Orleans to the Alamodome.
Before the season, Benson raised the possibility of relocating from one undersized market unable to sell out a stadium on a regular basis in a state with no other NFL franchises to another undersized market unable to sell out a stadium on a regular basis in a state with two other NFL franchises. Now, with the NFL effectively muzzling Benson, the message is being disseminated by his good buddy Hardberger.
"He [Benson] understands that we will sit down and talk," Hardberger said during Sunday's Saints-Falcons game, which he viewed from Benson's suite. "That is his desire as well. I'm pretty comfortable in saying he wants to be here."
In case anyone misunderstood that, Mayor McCarthy gave it another shot: "I think Tom Benson would like to stay here permanently and I, as mayor of San Antonio, would like to have the team stay here permanently."
Benson denied comment. Or, more accurately, he wouldn't talk with his lips moving.
The Saints could be able to bail out of their Superdome lease by invoking the force majeure clause in the contract by November 29. Even if the Saints don't try to cancel the deal based on the damage inflicted to the venue by Hurricane Katrina, Louisiana likely will be forced to default future payments due under the sweetheart corporate welfare deal that Benson finagled in 2001.
Look for this thing to get ugly as the last weeks of 2005 unfold. The NFL firmly believes that it and the Saints need to renew their commitment to the region in the wake of one of the worst natural disasters in the nation's history. The Commish would like to move the Saints' 2006 games to Baton Rouge as the Superdome is repaired. Such an arrangement could extend into 2007 or longer if the Superdome needs to be replaced.
The problem is that the Saints aren't selling many tickets for their October 30 game at Baton Rouge, which features the return to Louisiana of former LSU coach Nick Saban and former Saints running back Ricky Williams. So it's hard to imagine the Saints being able to sell out cavernous Tiger Stadium on a consistent basis -- or ever.
We still don't think that the Saints should get too excited about a permanent move to San Antonio. Sure, they managed to sell out Sunday's game against the Falcons. But many of those tickets were purchased before the Saints played 52 cough-up at Lambeau. And we've got a feeling that more than a few of the tickets purchased this past week were bought by fans interested in seeing the perp with the herp, Falcons quarterback Ron Mexico.
Even if the NFL would allow the Saints to leave Louisiana, the last destination the owners would approve is San Antonio. The worst-case scenario, as we see it, is that the league would arrange a buyout of the Bayou bumblers by SoCal interests, which would permit the team to be shipped to Los Angeles with new ownership.
MONDAY MORNING ONE-LINERS
Patrick Reusse of The Minneapolis Star Tribune aptly summarizes the practical realities of Minnesota's 28-3 loss: "Mike Tice has never coached a road victory against the Chicago Bears, and with the Vikings, he never will."
Another gem from Reusse: "This was so pathetic that the Vikings were not able to continue a tradition they had established in previous road games: the glorious consolation touchdown."
Bucs RB Michael Pittman thinks he shouldn't be fined for slowing down on his run to the end zone as Fins DE Jason Taylor, unbeknownst to Pittman, was closing in to stop him (and if Taylor had caught up, it might have looked like something like an H2 crashing into a Mercedes).
"Hey, Leinart -- pick up the phone. It's some guy from Houston."
Not even the Great Gazoo could've helped Vinny Flintaverde on Sunday against the Bills.
Coach Chin says that he thought about changing quarterbacks during Sunday's loss to the Jaguars, which was fueled by a terrible performance from backup Tommy Maddox.
Pats rookie OG Logan Mankins was ejected for punching Denver DE Ebenezer in the Ekubans.
Bengals WR Chad Johnson had planned to do a little square dancing after he scored on Sunday, but decided against it when the time came.
Titans CB Pacman Jones gets a "no" on Chad Johnson's list of cornerbacks who tried to cover him (and the Titans would be far better off if Jones also had gotten a "no" when the time came to use the sixth overall pick in the draft).
Giants rookie RB Brandon Jacobs coughed up the ball from the Dallas 3-yard line on Sunday.
Megan Manfull of The Houston Chronicle thinks that the glass is 1 percent full for the Texans' defense.
Texans LG Steve McKinney, moved from center, continued to make the offensive line calls.
Dolphins rookie Channing Crowder played like one on Sunday.
Miami has no interest in trading RB Ricky Williams.
The Broncos are trying to avoid complacency regarding their impressive 5-1 record.
The Jets lost C Kevin Mawae and CB Ty Law to injury in Sunday's loss to the Bills.
A rash of injuries along the offensive line hasn't hurt the Chargers.
The Vikings used a 3-4 defense for much of the game on Sunday (and they'll likely stick with it, since they held that high-octane Bears offense to only 28 points).
POSTED 8:47 p.m. EDT, October 16, 2005
CHANGES COMING FOR PATS?
A league source tells us that Patriots coach Bill Belichick could be shaking up the roster in the wake of Sunday's 28-20 loss at Denver, the third straight game in which the Pats have given up 28 or more points.
Belichick, we're told, considered making changes on the defensive side of the ball following an October 2 home loss to the Chargers. A 31-28 win at Atlanta won the defense a temporary reprieve.
But with another 28 points surrendered through an assortment of long plays, the expectation now is that Belichick will commission V.P. of player personnel Scott Pioli to start scouring the shelf for some guys who can help provide an upgrade on defense, especially in the secondary. We hear that the moves could include an effort to swing a trade for a corner or a safety prior to the October 18 trade deadline.
One team that might want to consider a fire sale is the ice-cold Vikings. Cornerback Antoine Winfield received $10.5 million when he joined the team in 2004, but since the money was in the form of a roster bonus, the Vikes would incur no cap charge if they ship Winfield out of town.
In return, the Vikes could snag some draft picks, which could then be used by the new front office for the new coaching staff in an effort to add some new guys who aren't turds.
Another possibility for the Vikings would be to trade safety Corey Chavous, who's in the final year of his contract with the team.
So don't be surprised if the Pats are looking to do some bidness before the trade deadline -- and don't be shocked to learn that the Vikings might be willing to help New England provide some of the talent for which the Pats are searching, and that they likely won't find available elsewhere.
CRAYTON'S ANKLE IS BROKEN
Although published reports say that the ankle of Cowboys receiver Patrick Crayton "likely" is broken, we're told that the ankle is indeed snapped.
Crayton, an undrafted free agent, had conjured memories of another undrafted pass-catcher from years past -- Drew Pearson. For weeks, he held off Peerless Price for the No. 3 spot on the depth chart.
Price likely will step in for Crayton as he recovers.
POSTED 6:34 p.m. EDT, October 16, 2005
HAZ BASHES ZEBRAS
After the Falcons got a do-over on a game-winning field goal try when the officials flagged defensive end Tony Bryant for holding well away from the play, Saints coach Jim Haslett described the move as a "chicken shit" call.
(Editor's Note: We only use dashes for our profanity.)
Obviously, Haz will get a letter from the league this week, including a request that Haslett make a five-figure contribution to the Human Fund.
Fines for criticizing officials can range from $20,000 to $100,000. Already this season, the league office stuck it to Coach Teflon to the tune of 20 large for complaining about a penalty called when extra players entered the field of play, well away from the action, during a punt return for a touchdown.
Tef said it was a "horrible" call, and that "you don't see a lot of calls like that in high school."
It'll be interesting to see what the league does to Haslett. We've previously reported that the league office and many owners aren't particularly fond of Saints owner Tom Benson, and there's a school of through in league circles that the NFL might be trying to squeeze Benson into selling the team through a chronic effort to smack Benson and his organization on the knuckles through the seemingly legitimate exercise of discretion.
So Haslett, who used the "chicken shit" term multiple times at a postgame press conference, could end up with a big fine -- due both to the use of a curse word and due to the league's disdain for Benson.
The Saints and their fans arguably can gripe about plenty of other calls that went against them in their first San Antone sellout. With the city's mayor recently calling the team's efforts to sell tickets to a trio of games in Baton Rouge a "disaster," and with some league insiders suspecting that the comments were made at best with Benson's knowledge or at worst at his urging, we wouldn't be surprised to learn that the bad calls trace to the bad blood that has been boiling between Benson and the powers-that-be.
POSTED 5:33 p.m. EDT, October 16, 2005
BRUSCHI CLEARED TO PRACTICE
The Human Valium announced during Sunday afternoon's Pats-Broncos broadcast that the New England Patriots have issued a statement regarding the status of linebacker Tedy Bruschi.
Per the team, Bruschi has received clearance from team doctors and external specialists to return to football, notwithstanding a February stroke that, at the time, put his playing career in serious jeopardy. Bruschi also underwent surgery in the offseason to repair a hole in his heart.
Because the team put him on the Physically Unable to Perform List and not on injured reserve, Bruschi is eligible to return to practice this week. The Pats have three weeks to either activate him or to end his season by shifting him to IR.
POSTED 12:49 p.m. EDT, October 16, 2005
WILF PLANS FULL-TIME FOCUS ON VIKINGS
Jay Glazer of FOXSports.com reports that Vikings owner Zygi Wilf plans to focus full-time on his new football team as he attempts to get control of an out-of-control situation in Minnesota.
In a 90-minute meeting with Commissioner Paul Tagliabue on Sunday, Wilf said that he will set aside his other business interests for now, and he will begin to beef up the football operation.
Tagliabue acknowledged that Wilf "inherited a staff that lacked structure, discipline and accountability." (So does that qualify Zagnut for a refund?)
Wilf already has hired a new director of security, a position which inexplicably was eliminated under former owner Red McCombs. Our guess is that Wilf will continue to fill in any vacant positions over the next couple of months and then blow up the front office and the coaching staff after the season.
And as we said on Friday, Wilf shouldn't try to buck the NFL's CBA with the union by imposing rules or penalties greater than what the league's procedures allow. He instead should hire a G.M. and a head coach who will create the same environment that the Patriots have achieved through Bill Belichick and Scott Pioli, and which the 49ers are now striving to replicate with Mike Nolan and Scot McCloughan.
ARRINGTON HASN'T CHANGED
A league source has shed more light for us on the curious absence of linebacker LaVar Arrington from the Redskins' lineup.
Per the source, Arrington hasn't changed at all. He always has been a source of frustration for those around him, because of his style of play. Apparently, Arrington's approach apparently has caught up with him.
"People were concerned about him coming out [of Penn State in 2000], for various reasons," said the source. "He made a lot of ESPN highlight plays, but he lacked consistency . . . not because he is dumb but because he is undisciplined.
"Sometimes those two things are intertwined," the source added. "Coaches tell guys to do things, they refuse to do it the way they are told, they do it their own way, and they are perceived to be dumb because they are knowingly and defiantly hurting the defense and the team.
"That's what [Arrington] does. It is what he has always done. He frustrates people."
So coupled with defensive coordinator Gregg Williams' implementation of a highly-structured defense, Arrington's freelancing nature has landed him on the bench. And that protracted ugliness regarding his December 2003 contract extension, in which he basically accused the team of fraud, surely has done little to win for LaVar the benefit of the doubt.
POSTED 12:00 p.m. EDT; UPDATED 12:13 p.m. EDT, October 16, 2005
COWBOYS PLANNING TO POUND THE ROCK
With the Dallas Cowboys coming off of an impressive aerial show against the vaunted Philly defense and starting tailback Julius Jones reportedly out due to an injury, the 'Boys will stick with the air raid, right?
Wrong.
A league source tells us that the Cowboys will try to run the ball down the Giants' throats on Sunday -- and that the Giants anticipate that a ground attack will indeed be coming.
ESPN's Ed Werder reports that Anthony Thomas will start in place of Jones, but rookie Tyson Thompson likely will get plenty of touches, too.
If the Cowboys can't move the ball on the ground, look for them to retreat to a passing game featuring a bunch of rejuvenated thirtysomethings -- assuming that rookie right tackle Rob Petitti can keep Michael Strahan from turning quarterback Drew Bledsoe into a DOA.
PETERSON DOESN'T AGREE WITH TEAM ON INJURY
We hear that, even though published reports from the past week express optimism regarding the ability of cornerback William Peterson to return from a back injury later this season, Peterson thinks that the condition still threatens not only his season, but his career.
There have been published reports, including one from Jay Glazer of FOXSports.com, regarding at least one confrontation between Peterson and the Soup Nazi as to Peterson's status.
So could it be that the team was hyping Peterson's health last week in the hopes of generating some eleventh-hour trade interest? Tom Coughlin doesn't take kindly to players who disagree with him, and it could be that Peterson has signed his own ticket out of town, sooner or later, by pissing off the guy who makes the Jambalaya.
Stay tuned. We doubt that the Giants will unload Peterson before Tuesday, but we think the situation is slightly more complex than Peterson taking a couple of additional weeks off to heal and then returning to action.
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