FLORHAM PARK, N.J. — The future is now for the new face of the New York Jets, Mark Sanchez. First-year coach Rex Ryan announced Wednesday that he had selected Sanchez to be the team’s starting quarterback, making him the first rookie scheduled to open a season under center for the Jets. “This comes with a lot of responsibility,” Sanchez said. Read more: http://ping.fm/xnCaE
Venus and Serena Williams have found a new sport: pro football. The tennis-playing sisters own a stake in the Miami Dolphins #dolphins
Venus and Serena Williams have found a new sport: pro football.
The tennis-playing sisters will become the latest celebrities to own a stake in the Miami Dolphins, a person familiar with the deal said Wednesday. The person didn’t want to be identified because the team plans an announcement Tuesday.
This is personal. Very personal. It has been since the mid-1980s, when Ray Anderson first met Darryl Stingley.
Anderson was standing. Stingley was in a wheelchair.
At the time, Anderson worked for a Boston-based sports agent who represented Stingley. About seven years earlier, Stingley, while playing receiver for the New England Patriots, paid a severe price for jumping to make a catch in a preseason game. A vicious hit from Oakland Raiders defensive back Jack Tatum left him a quadriplegic. Last year, at age 55, Stingley died from heart disease and pneumonia that were complicated by quadriplegia.
The lasting effect of that football tragedy burned itself into Anderson’s psyche. It stayed with him as an agent, as executive vice president and chief administrative officer for the Atlanta Falcons, and in his current capacity as executive vice president of football operations for the NFL — a.k.a. Commissioner Roger Goodell’s right-hand man for player discipline.
“To this day, a lot of folks think that hit was totally unnecessary,” Anderson said. “I saw what can happen, and I was around it. And the commissioner and I have talked about this, in particular, and we are adamant that we cannot have that happen on this commissioner’s watch.
“We will do everything we can to make sure that those things don’t happen because we haven’t been aggressive enough and proactive enough and committed enough to make our players play within the rules and not employ illegal techniques that put our guys at risk of being the next Darryl Stingley.”
That’s why the league has handed out several fines and two suspensions for illegal play within the first five weeks of the season. And it is especially why, when players complain publicly about dirty hits — and plenty of them have since the season began — Anderson listens with great interest.
This is what he’s heard so far:
Week 1: Giants defensive end Mathias Kiwanuka accuses Redskins tackle Chris Samuels of intentionally falling on the back of his ankle after Kiwanuka beat him on a pass rush on the game’s final snap; Patriots receiver Randy Moss accuses Bernard Pollard of a dirty hit when the Chiefs safety made contact with Tom Brady’s knee, causing the injury that ended the season of the Patriots quarterback and the league’s 2007 Most Valuable Player; Cowboys cornerback/return man Adam Jones accuses a Browns player of grabbing him in the crotch after he muffed a punt.
Week 3: Patriots safety Rodney Harrison calls a chop block by Miami running back Ricky Williams on linebacker Mike Vrabel a dirty play, telling reporters, “There’s no place in the game for that.”; Buccaneers right tackle Jeremy Trueblood accuses the Bears of precipitating a melee in overtime that ended with punches being thrown, penalties being assessed and fines being levied; Ravens running back Willis McGahee and coach John Harbaugh accuse the Browns of intentionally gouging the left eye of McGahee, who was forced to leave the game twice.
Week 4: Vikings quarterback Gus Frerotte accuses Titans defensive end Kyle Vanden Bosch of hitting him with a cheap shot in the fourth quarter.
The NFL did not administer discipline in any of those cases, but Anderson has been plenty busy handing out punishment elsewhere. In Week 4 alone, the league issued a $50,000 fine and one-game suspension to Jets safety Eric Smith for launching himself into a helmet-to-helmet collision with Cardinals receiver Anquan Boldin; a $25,000 fine to Saints safety Kevin Kaesviharn for helmet-to-helmet contact with 49ers rookie receiver Josh Morgan; a $10,000 fine to Panthers defensive end Julius Peppers for a helmet-to-helmet hit on Falcons rookie quarterback Matt Ryan; and a $5,000 fine to Chiefs defensive lineman Turk McBride for a late hit on Broncos quarterback Jay Cutler.
In Week 3, the NFL levied $7,500 fines against Titans safety Chris Hope and Raiders defensive end Kalimba Edwards for horse-collar tackles, and $5,000 fines against Redskins offensive tackle Stephon Heyer (hitting an opponent away from the play) and Raiders safety Gibril Wilson (striking an opponent in the head). In Week 2, Bucs cornerback Elbert Mack drew a one-game suspension, also for making helmet-to-helmet contact with Ryan.
Another helmet-to-helmet hit on Sunday knocked Giants wide receiver Domenik Hixon out of the game with a concussion. As of Tuesday, the league had not punished the responsible player, Seahawks cornerback Josh Wilson.
Policing themselves
Anderson has been paying close attention to the pronounced trend of whistle-blowing that players have done when they believe they’re on the receiving end of a cheap shot.
“I certainly will acknowledge that the players have been more vocal about it,” Anderson said. “If they’re feeling like they’re being cheap-shotted, I think there is less of a culture of don’t say it out loud and just retaliate. I think there’s more of a culture of, ‘I’m going to call this guy out, because I’m tired of it, and it’s not good for the game.’ The stakes now are so much higher, in terms of the economics, the adulation, the notoriety. And I think they’re at the point now where they’re going to speak out, because they can’t risk being silent and trying to get the vigilante justice at some point down the road, when they may not be on the field for the rest of the year.”
“When I first came into the league, if someone said, ‘Aw, you ought to be fined,’ everybody would say, ‘Shut up and play football,’ ” said hard-hitting Pro Bowl safety John Lynch, who is not on an NFL roster but is keeping himself in shape in case a team calls. “It used to be just part of business and you knew, ‘Alright, I signed up for this. It’s a tough game.’ But I think the fact is, for the first time that I can remember, players are talking about, ‘Well, he should be fined for that.’ It used to be media might have talked about it, but now you’re hearing players talking about it, and that’s because it’s become a part of the culture.”
The complaints get the NFL’s attention, Anderson pointed out, “even in instances where maybe we wouldn’t have thought it was as egregious as apparently the player does.” But more importantly, Anderson said, is the accusations make 31 other teams aware that someone isn’t playing clean and is a potential threat to the well-being of his peers. Continue Reading »
NEW YORK — Just like all those wins, the NFL awards keep rolling in for Tom Brady.
The league’s Most Valuable Player added The Associated Press 2007 Offensive Player of the Year honors to his collection Tuesday, easily outdistancing his main weapon on the unbeaten New England Patriots, Randy Moss.
Indeed, of the four players who received votes from a nationwide panel of 50 media members who regularly cover the NFL, three were Patriots. Brady, of course, led the way, just as he did through the first 16-0 regular season in league history.
“We set out a bunch of goals early in the season,” Brady said, “and I think I said the best part about playing quarterback here is I just have to do my job, show up every day and work hard just like everybody else. I think my job description is just a bit different than everybody else’s, but there’s a lot of satisfaction knowing that I can just come out there and worry about myself and expect that everybody else is going to do their job.
“It’s been a fun season. There’s no doubt about it.”
And it’s been a rewarding season for Brady, the first New England player to be chosen MVP and now the first Patriot to win Offensive Player of the Year. He collected 35 and a half votes to 12 and a half for Moss. Wes Welker, the Patriots’ other starting receiver, got one, as did Green Bay quarterback Brett Favre.
Brady, an eight-year veteran who’s already a winner of three Super Bowls, threw for 50 touchdowns, beating Peyton Manning’s league mark by one. He also threw 23 of those TD passes to Moss, lifting the receiver past Jerry Rice’s record of 22.
Continue Reading »
QUARTERBACKS
START ‘EM
Carson Palmer (at MIA): After four games in some ugly weather, Palmer is looking forward to playing in South Florida. It doesn’t hurt that he’s facing the Dolphins either since Miami’s secondary is decimated with injuries. The Dolphins might be No. 4 in pass defense, but they are among the league leaders with 25 passing touchdowns allowed.
Jay Cutler (vs. MIN): Cutler has struggled on the road this season, but he’s played well at home, especially recently. In his past four games at home, Cutler has 10 touchdowns and only two interceptions, with none in his past three games. The Vikings also are last in the NFL in pass defense with 20 passing touchdowns allowed. And it’s unlikely that Minnesota quarterback Tarvaris Jackson will talk trash with Cutler the way San Diego’s Philip Rivers did on Monday night.
Marc Bulger (at ARI): Bulger likes facing the Cardinals, especially recently. In his past two games against Arizona, which is No. 28 in pass defense with 25 passing touchdowns allowed, Bulger has two 300-yard outings, three touchdowns and three interceptions. This game has the potential to be high-scoring and should be fun to watch.
Donovan McNabb (vs. BUF): McNabb is coming off one of his best games at New Orleans last week when he had 263 yards passing and three touchdowns. In the past two games, McNabb finally appears healthy, rushing for 90 yards against the Cowboys and Saints, and now has some reassurance that he will return to Philadelphia next year as the starter. The Bills also are No. 27 in pass defense, so McNabb has an opportunity to end the season strong.
Derek Anderson (vs. SF): Anderson will bounce back from his poor outing at Cincinnati last week when he had only two touchdowns and four interceptions. With the Browns still fighting for a playoff spot, expect Anderson to have one of his better games. The 49ers also are No. 26 in pass defense with 23 touchdowns allowed, so Anderson has a favorable matchup this week.
Continue Reading »
QUARTERBACKS
START ‘EM
Donovan McNabb (at NO): McNabb appears to thrive when he’s in some sort of controversy or being scrutinized, and this latest snafu with a FOX sideline reporter about what he said or didn’t say regarding his future could be all the motivation he needs. It also helps that he’s facing one of the worst secondaries in the NFL this week. The Saints have allowed 26 passing touchdowns this year and give up 249.6 yards per game.
Carson Palmer (vs. CLE): This game also calls for starting Derek Anderson as well since their first meeting was his coming-out party. When these teams met in Week 2, Palmer passed for 401 yards, six touchdowns and two interceptions, and Anderson had 328 yards, five touchdowns and one interception. This game should be high-scoring depending on the weather, but I still like both passers this week. In Palmer’s past three games against the Browns he has 1,028 yards passing, 11 touchdowns and five interceptions.
Kurt Warner (vs. ATL): It will be interesting to see what the Cardinals do with Warner and Matt Leinart next year because Warner is making it hard to keep him on the bench. In his past six games Warner has 15 touchdowns and two games over 300 yards passing with at least two touchdowns in each game. The only problem is he also has 10 interceptions during that span, but that shouldn’t be too much of a concern this week. His top two receivers in Larry Fitzgerald (groin) and Anquan Boldin (toe) are playing through pain, and Warner is also using little-known tight ends Ben Patrick and Troy Bienemann with Leonard Pope out.
Ben Roethlisberger (at STL): There are two concerns with Big Ben: He doesn’t throw for a ton of yards (less than 200 yards passing in his past five games) and he takes too many sacks (he has 43, which is second behind Detroit’s (Jon Kitna). But Roethlisberger throws touchdowns, and he had three more last week. His shoulder is fine, and this is a big game for the Steelers, so he should play well.
Continue Reading »
Brett Favre became the NFL career leader in yards passing Sunday, overtaking Dan Marino for his latest achievement in a milestone season.
The 38-year-old Favre, a three-time NFL MVP, pulled to within 1 yard of Marino with a 44-yard touchdown pass to Greg Jennings when he caught the Rams in a blitz. That put the Green Bay Packers ahead 27-14 in the third quarter.
Favre then passed the Dolphins’ Hall of Famer on the first play of the Packers’ next series with 23 seconds gone in the fourth quarter. The game was halted as Driver hugged Favre and other teammates patted him on the shoulder pads. Public address announcer Jim Holder acknowledged the record, prompting a huge ovation, and Favre shook hands with referee Ron Winter before flipping the souvenir ball to an attendant on the sideline.
Before the toss to Driver, Favre was reminded on the sideline that the next completion would mean the record, “which is good and bad.”
Continue Reading »
QUARTERBACKS — START ‘EM
Carson Palmer (at SF): Fantasy owners are concerned about Palmer’s recent play, and they have a legitimate gripe. In his past two games, Palmer has passed for less than 190 yards in each game with no touchdowns and two interceptions. He hasn’t been that bad since early in his career in 2004. Now he gets the 49ers, who are No. 16 in pass defense with 20 passing touchdowns allowed. This is a game where Palmer and the Bengals passing game bounce back.
Jay Cutler (at HOU): Cutler is emerging as a future star with his recent play, which should continue against the Texans. He has nine passing touchdowns and four interceptions in his past five games, with one 300-yard outing in that span. Last week against Kansas City, Cutler had 244 yards passing, four touchdowns and no interceptions. Houston has allowed 17 passing touchdowns this year, but Cutler should find the end zone at least twice.
Kurt Warner (at NO): If you can live with an interception or five, Warner is your man. Warner had 337 yards passing, three touchdowns and five interceptions last week at Seattle. Despite the interceptions, Warner has played well recently with 12 touchdowns in his past five games. The Saints pass defense is among the worst in the NFL and ranks No. 29 with 23 passing touchdowns allowed. Warner should continue his success even if Anquan Boldin (toe) remains out.
Brett Favre (at STL): Favre as the “Sit of the Week” was a bad call last week against Oakland since he had 266 yards passing, two touchdowns and one interception, which came on a tipped ball. He certainly wasn’t the Favre we’ve seen all season because he was limited with a bad elbow and shoulder, but now he should get back to business. The Rams have allowed 17 passing touchdowns this year, but Favre will add to that total.
Continue Reading »
Head coach Bobby Petrino’s resignation Tuesday is another Falcons embarrassment in a year full of them. Atlanta hired Petrino away from Louisville in January despite his NFL inexperience and the recent failings of ballyhooed college coaches who have tried making the transition like Nick Saban, Steve Spurrier and Butch Davis.
Petrino recently said “all his plans” were to return to Atlanta in 2008. But Petrino failed to even complete his first year as Atlanta’s coach.
FOX Sports’ Jay Glazer quoted one Falcons assistant as saying Petrino told his staff, “Guys I’ve resigned, I’m going to Arkansas. I’m sorry. I’ll be talking with you guys in the future.’” And with that he turned and walked out the door. We haven’t been told anything else.”
Falcons owner Arthur Blank must now hire a replacement to rebuild a 3-10 team. The most pressing need is at quarterback after Michael Vick’s off-season arrest and subsequent 23-month prison sentence.
Continue Reading »
-
Recent Comments
dampsfootball news- Browns, Raiders truly offensive
- Wife ex-Pro Bowler Spielman, 42, dies of cancer
- Dolphins’ Ronnie Brown out for year
- LeBron on the Browns? All the NBA star has to do is say the word
- No Re-Injury on Polamalus knee
- Chiefs WR Dwayne Bowe suspended four games
- Bengals will sign ex-Chiefs RB Johnson to fill backup role
- Seahawks' RB Julius Jones has bleeding in lung
- Eagles' Westbrook probably done for year
- Dolphins RB Brown injures ankle, is questionable
