Brady Quinn is an alleged gay basher

Brady Quinn is an alleged gay basher
A 9-1-1 call was made on New Year's Day by a man who alleged that Brady Quinn and his pals were shouting hate speech at a group of homosexual men. Here's the audio of that call, from Cleveland.com.

boomp3.com
Oh, dear. That's not good. I know my good friend Derek Anderson would never do something like that.

If you want to defend Brady Quinn, that's fine. I know there are (for some reason) a lot of Quinn fans out there. If you find it suspicious that it's February 13th and we're just now hearing about a January 1st incident, fine. If you choose not to believe the caller, that's fine, too.

But what I don't want to hear is, "Oh, it's just a word. It's no big deal to call the guy a name."�

Yes, it is just a word, but unfortunately, that particular word is a big deal. Words have meaning. Words can be used to hurt people. If you're a straight (I presume), attractive, rich, white male like Brady Quinn, you'll probably never be able to understand what it's like to be on the receiving end of one of those hurtful words, but that doesn't make it okay to use them.

It's hate speech. It's discriminatory. It's homophobic. It's an effort to intimidate, insult, hurt, and degrade another human being. It's not acceptable.

I'm just hoping it's not true. I don't know why the caller would make it up (and, honestly, the caller seems to go out of his way to be fair to Quinn when talking to Cleveland.com), but for the sake of Brady Quinn, the Cleveland Browns, the NFL, and humanity, I hope he did.

• Brady Quinn part of rowdy group outside Columbus bar, witness says / Cleveland.com
• 911 Caller: “Brady Quinn Called Me a F----t” / The Big Lead

Starting quarterback competition for 49ers is wide open
San Francisco 49ers head coach Mike Nolan and offensive coordinator Mike Martz have made it clear the quarterback competition between Alex Smith and Shaun Hill will be "wide open" according to the San Jose Mercury News.

"You've got to have a level of confidence where you don't even worry about the other guy," Martz said. "If you've got a quarterback that's concerned about the competition, you'd better get another quarterback. But that's the exciting thing about this game, the competitive nature of it, giving and getting an opportunity to be the guy, based on what you've done and nothing else."

There is also the task of fixing the offense as a whole.�The 49ers generated the fewest yards and points in the league under since-fired coordinator Jim Hostler.

Arlen Specter thinks today is a good day for grilling
Later this afternoon, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell will be in Senator Arlen Specter's office, and the two will discuss just how big a cheater that Bill Belichick fellow is.

It's not a hearing, no one's been subpoenaed, and Specter's calling it merely a "private conversation." That sounds friendly enough, I suppose, but if I were in Goodell's shoes, and a Senator wanted to have a "private conversation" with me for any reason, I'd be shorts-soiling nervous about it.

What will come of the meeting? I haven't a clue. Probably not a great deal. If Specter sits down with Goodell and gets the answers he wants, then he'll probably issue a statement saying something along the lines of, "Commissioner Goodell satisfied me in every possible way during this meeting" (he may word it differently, I don't know). And if he's not satisfied with Goodell's answers, he might come back in a day or two an announce a bigger and better investigation.

It's a shame we can't get this thing on television. If we can find time for all this Roger Clemens nonsense to be on television, surely, C-SPAN could spare a camera or two for this meeting.

• Goodell to meet with Specter to discuss Spygate / Yahoo! Sports

If the NFL could have a Roger Clemens, who would you want it to be?
Imagine any kind of a scandal that could tear apart a man's legacy as thoroughly as Roger Clemens' has been torn apart over the past couple of months. We don't have to operate under the questionable assumption that steroid accusations would have as big of an effect on NFL players as they have on MLB players.�

It could be any kind of a scandal; anything that would be national news and do irreparable damage to a man's reputation.�

To whom in the NFL would you like to see that happen? Who would you like to see become the NFL's version of Roger Clemens?

The choices are below, and I make a case for each after the jump.

Choose one NFL player's image to be tarnished and shredded:

Brett Favre
Tom Brady
Peyton Manning
LaDainian Tomlinson
Jon Kitna
Kurt Warner
Donovan McNabb
Eli Manning
Tony Romo
Ben Roethlisberger

(View Results)

Create a Poll

First, let's note that guys with already severely tarnished images aren't eligible. Terrell Owens, Ray Lewis, Shawne Merriman ... they've already been disgraced. The candidates here have to be relatively clean, at least decent players, and somewhat popular.

Brett Favre. This one might actually be impossible. Nationally, there might be something that could disgrace Favre (flags would probably be flown at half-mast that day), but even if Favre started eating babies, the people in Wisconsin would still say, "Oh, he's not such a bad guy. He just likes eating babies. Big deal. We all have our flaws."

Tom Brady. I don't know if it qualifies him as disgraced, but the whole "child out of wedlock" thing has put a chink in the "Brady is perfect" armor. So does the fact that he spends so much time around Rodney Harrison. Still, though, he's the NFL's Golden Boy, and I'm guessing that a lot of Pats haters would like to see him taken down a peg.

Peyton Manning. If something happened with Peyton, it might actually set a record for the most endorsements lost by any human being in the shortest amount of time. It's hard to envision Peyton doing anything other than sitting at home, watching Friends reruns, and drinking milk, though.

LaDainian Tomlinson. Deion Sanders has been trying to get this done for weeks now. I'm biased, but I sense that there's very little ill-will towards Tomlinson out there. At least, that was the case before the whole playoff thing.

Jon Kitna. Not a huge star, obviously, but his status as an ultra-religious guy would make the takedown a little bit more fun.

Kurt Warner. See above. This one, to me at least, would be a little more painful than seeing Kitna go down, though, since Warner's always been such a sweetheart of a man.

Donovan McNabb. Donovan McNabb plays in Philadelphia. I think he's suffered enough.

Eli Manning. This one's interesting. Again, like with his brother, it's hard to picture him doing anything too wild, but imagine it if he did. What if we learned tomorrow that Eli Manning's been shooting up dianabol since his rookie year, and he's murdered nine personal trainers who threatened to rat him out to the feds. That might be fun.

Tony Romo. His inclusion here is borderline, as I don't know if he's accomplished enough to qualify for this group, or for that matter, if his image is all that pristine. He also seems like too much of a normal guy to wish any serious ill-will upon.

Ben Roethlisberger. I think a vote here is wasted, because if you wait long enough, he's going to get in a motorcycle race with Kellen Winslow Jr. and seriously injure himself.

Feagles, oldest Super Bowl player, inks new deal

Feagles, oldest Super Bowl player, inks new deal
Punter Jeff Feagles has signed a 2-year contract with the NFL champion New York Giants, a little more than a week after becoming the oldest player to play in a Super Bowl. Feagles turns 42 next month, and represented himself in contract talks with Giants assistant GM Kevin Abrams. Terms of the deal weren't available, but Feagles made $1 million last year in the final year of a five-year contract.

Can Jags end Colts' dominance in AFC South?
The Jags have yet to figure out the Colts. But an emerging David Garrard gives them a fighting chance in 2008, Alex Marvez says.

Pom-Poms are swimwear now, evidently

Pom-Poms are swimwear now, evidently


The Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition is out today, and it has a full section on NFL cheerleaders. I can't use any of the pictures here, but I can print them out and use them for my own personal purposes, and I don't care if you judge me for it.

If you've got a few minutes (and are willing to risk going blind and growing hair on your palms), I suggest clicking over and browsing through some of the galleries. I like Erin Carlisle of the Jags, Marlina Moreno of the Chargers, Ireivy Guerra of the Dolphins, and ... ah, who the hell am I kidding. I'd pay to brush up against any of them in a crowded subway car.

I can't cover and coat the issue as thoroughly as With Leather, but I should also note that Jeff Garcia's wife, the former Carmella DeCesare, is featured in a gallery of her own. She's an attractive lady, but goodness ... there's as much actual human flesh on her chest as there is in your average GI Joe action figure.

• NFL Cheerleaders / SI Swimsuit 2008
• Carmella Garcia / SI Swimsuit 2008

Has Eli Manning actually gotten overrated?
It's an interesting question, originally posed by SI's Andrew Perloff, who points to Ben Roethlisberger, Brad Johnson, Trent Dilfer, and Kurt Warner as quarterbacks who won a Super Bowl with a stout defense, and then almost immediately reverted back to mediocrity.�

Some quick facts that might support the "Eli is now overrated" hypothesis:

• In the regular season, he ranked 25th in passer rating, sandwiched between Vince Young and Kyle Boller
• Again in the regular season, he threw 20 interceptions, tied for the league lead with Jon Kitna and Carson Palmer
• He also completed just 56.1% of his passes, which ranks him right between Trent Edwards and Cleo Lemon

But there are also things I'd point out that weaken the "Eli is overrated" argument:

• Obviously, that bad-ass leather jacket.
• You can throw out the Roethlisberger comparison, or better yet, use it to Eli's advantage. Yes, Large Benjamin had a down year after winning the Super Bowl, but he also nearly died in a motorcycle accident, which was probably a factor. He's also rebounded quite nicely, and I don't think anyone doubts his ability to be a very good NFL quarterback in the long-term.
• Johnson, Dilfer, and Warner were all much older than Eli at the time of their Super Bowl wins. Eli's still learning, and certainly hasn't peaked. I don't think the same could be said of any of the other guys mentioned.
• It wasn't just a good Super Bowl that Eli produced. His last five games this year, including the postseason, he had ten touchdowns against two interceptions and averaged a QB rating of over 100. He played well over an extended period of time.

Is Eli going to perform as well throughout the entire 2008/2009 season as he did in this year's playoffs? Probably not. Eli's not done growing as a quarterback, and he's not done having bad games. But I also don't see any reason to think that his last five games this year were a fluke, either.

Overrated? I guess it depends on where you're rating him. If you're sticking him in the elite group with Tom Brady and Peyton Manning, then yes, you're overrating him, and you should stop freebasing immediately. But I think there's definitely room to squeeze him into the sub- grouping that includes Tony Romo, Ben Roethlisberger, Carson Palmer, Drew Brees, etc.

• Don't overrate Eli / SI.com

Patriots sign free-agent LB Slaughter
In a minor move, the Patriots signed free-agent linebacker T.J. Slaughter to a contract Monday the Boston Globe reported.

The 30-year-old Slaughter, who was a teammate of Patriots linebacker Adalius Thomas at Southern Mississippi, did not play in the 2007 season. He has suited up for the Jaguars (2000-2003), Packers (2003), Ravens (2003-2004), Saints (2005) and 49ers (2006).

Slaughter projects as an inside linebacker in the Patriots' 3-4 alignment, and at this point, would likely be vying for a backup spot. Tedy Bruschi and Junior Seau finished the season as starters at inside linebacker. Both were in the final year of their contracts. The addition of Slaughter should not impact the potential returns of Bruschi and Seau.

Deep Posts: EA Sports and the NFL extend their deal into forever
• Bad news if you wanted to see some other company make an NFL video game in the next bazillion years. Only the Madden franchise can use NFL players and team names until 2013, by which point EA will probably have found a way to just kill all their competitors anyway. [Kotaku]

• Vikings starting defensive end Kenechi Udeze has been diagnosed with leukemia. No word yet on what kind of leukemia and precisely how bad it is, but it's chilling in any case. Best wishes. [Star Tribune]

• Look at Jim Zorn, taking a little shot at Shaun Alexander. That makes him a lot like any NFL writer out there, actually. [Hashmarks]

• No one drove the "Derek Anderson is for real" bus any harder than I did this past year, but even I think the Dolphins giving up the #1 overall for him would be insane. [Phin Phanatic]

• Speaking of the Dolphins and quarterbacks, they let go of Trent Green. A Ravens blogger (and this would be shocking if it was any team but the Ravens) would like to see Trent in purple. [The Ebony Bird]

• And speaking of the Ravens, they'll franchise Terrell Suggs if they have to. [Ravens Gab]

• I'm all for rewarding players who have earned it, but something tells me the Giants are going to regret giving out a 5-year, $7 million contract to a 29-year-old Lawrence Tynes. [Daily News]

• They're bringing Jeff Feagles back, too. I don't think he'll be getting a 5-year deal, though. [Inside the Giants]

Steelers elect to keep mud playing surface
I like grass. It is soft and pretty. When I played two-on-two tackle football as a child, grass was almost always our playing surface of choice, and I wholeheartedly agreed with Steppenwolf when they urged Sam not to step on it.

That said, though, there's are some circumstances where grass probably isn't the best choice. When you've got an NFL team, a college team, and local high school teams sharing the same field, and they can play a total of five games in 30 hours on that field, and they do so in nasty northeastern weather conditions ... that's probably one of those situations.

But the Steelers have decided to keep their grass surface, even after it nearly forced them into a scoreless tie with the sad-sack Dolphins. The Dolphins showed up that night, looked at the field and said, "Look at this! No one can move! We've got a shot at a scoreless tie! WE COULD TIE!"�

The surface was an embarrassment to the Steelers, the league, and the game of football. It was like green quicksand.



I really thought the league would step in and mandate the installation of an artificial surface. As it turns out, they should have. They left it in the hands of the Steelers, though, and the players convinced the front office to keep the grass.

And I understand that. It's the softest possible surface, it's the least likely to kill your knees, and if it was me, I'd probably want to play on grass, too. But when you've got a situation where a field is shared by so many teams and the weather is often so nasty, insisting on grass is unreasonable. My guess is that if the grass produces another eyesore like that Steelers/Dolphins game, the league will make sure it's the last one.

• Steelers staying with grass at Heinz Field / Yahoo! Sports

Chad Johnson is eager to go from Carson Palmer to Jason Campbell
The Bengals have said that they won't trade Chad Johnson, but of course, the Bengals also once said that they're concerned about issues of character on the team, so you'll have to forgive me if I'm not inclined to take the Bengals at their word.

And, as is the case with every other player who's also been both famous and available, Dan Snyder is said to be interested in acquiring Johnson. From Jason La Canfora in today's Washington Post:

Numerous league sources, including some with direct knowledge of conversations between Snyder, Cerrato and recent head coaching candidates, have affirmed that the Redskins have interest in trading for Cincinnati wide receiver Chad Johnson, with two league sources saying Johnson is eager to land a hefty new contract from Washington.

Acquiring an elite receiver is Snyder's top priority, league sources said. The Bengals have said they have no intention of trading Johnson, but his agent, Drew Rosenhaus, is working quietly to broker a deal, the sources said.

It hasn't worked out real well for teams that have cut ties with star receivers in the past (see the post-Moss Raiders or the post-Owens Eagles for examples). But a lack of locker room chemistry is killing the Bengals, and if they could fleece anyone out of enough assets to make a deal worthwhile, you'd have to think it would be Snyder and the Redskins.

What does new head coach Jim Zorn think of acquiring Chad Johnson? It doesn't matter. Not even a little bit.

• Redskins' Offseason: Now It's On / Washington Post

Jets will make a strong push for Samuel

Jets will make a strong push for Samuel
The Jets and Pats may have a new reason to feud. Alex Marvez says Eric Mangini covets one of New England's prized possessions.

Panthers release Morgan, Wahle
The Carolina Panthers released injury-prone linebacker Dan Morgan and guard Mike Wahle on Monday in the first of many expected changes during the offseason. Morgan was Carolina's first-round pick in 2001, but played in only 59 of 112 games with the Panthers because of numerous injuries, including at least five concussions. He missed the final 13 games last season with a partially torn right Achilles' tendon. Wahle started all 16 games last season at left guard.

Dolphins cut Green, Booker, 2 other starters
In the Dolphins' first major player purge since Parcells took charge of Miami's football operations, the team parted ways with Green, wide receiver Marty Booker and seven other players Monday — ushering in the start of what's expected to be a massive offseason roster shakeup by the rebuilding franchise.

Steelers will talk with Roethlisberger about extension
The Pittsburgh Steelers this week will open contract talks with several players including�quarterback Ben Roethlisberger the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported.

Roethlisberger has two years left on the contract he signed as a rookie in 2004, but both sides have expressed a desire to reach a contract extension this year.

"I'm eager, anxious, because I want to get it done with. I want to say let's go, let's get it over with so the talks can stop, people can stop bugging me about it," he said. "Because I just want to play football.''

Putting wacky coach carousel in perspective
Jim Zorn. Huh? Mike Smith. Who? John Harbaugh. Say what? Adam Schein tries to make sense of all the off-season coaching changes.

Fassel smells a rat, can it be Vinny Cerrato?

It appeared Jim Fassel was a lock to return to the NFL as head coach of the Washington Redskins. Then came the Jim Zorn annoucement out of the blue.

"There was something going on behind the scenes, there's no question about it,'' Fassel told CBSSports.com. "I thought things were falling my way, then, suddenly, this happens. It's strange."

Dan [Snyder] wanted to make a big splash, and I think he was worried about the Baltimore thing," Fassel said, referring to his termination from the Ravens during the 2006 season. "He worried about the public relations, and he didn't know which way to go. I heard someone say there are no more George Youngs or Jim Finks in this league, people who really know the game. And I think that happened here. I don't think Dan surrounded himself with enough football people."

Capers says no to Cowboys

Capers says no to Cowboys
As the Dallas Cowboys close in on hiring Brett Maxie as assistant secondary coach, they now know they will not have Dom Capers on Wade Phillips staff according to the Dallas Morning News.

Capers said�he has decided against accepting a position with the Cowboys early Monday morning. Capers talked to the Cowboys two weeks ago about possibly coming in as a consultant.

The Cowboys interviewed Maxie, a Dallas native, on Friday. He spent last year as Miami's assistant secondary coach. He would assist Dave Campo.

ESPN to whack two from MNF games; Kornheiser's not one of them
I could live without sideline reporters all together, so I'm not terribly upset by Pro Football Talk's report that Monday Night Football is dropping Suzy Kolber and Michelle Tafoya.

It does baffle me, though, that ESPN looked at their MNF broadcast, wanted to change things, and the first thought they had was not, "Let's get rid of Tony Kornheiser."

I don't know what Kornheiser would have to do to lose that gig. Seriously, if he's not bad enough now, what would it take? Would he have to end every sentence with, "... and that's why you should be watching Two and a Half Men on CBS right now"? Would he have to give Russell Crowe a lapdance next time he's in the booth? Maybe if he held his microphone to his crotch, broke wind and screamed, "I'll move those chains for ya! YEE-HA!" every time someone picked up a first down?

Okay, that last one might be kind of entertaining.

I'm not opposed to the idea of ditching sideline reporters, but as long as Kornheiser's in the booth, that broadcast is going to be intolerable, no matter what else is happening. I'd rather ESPN let Tafoya and Kolber do the entire broadcast with constant sideline reports about Jonathan Ogden's poems about unicorns.

• No sideline reporters on MNF / ProFootballTalk

Steelers will talk with Roethlisberger about extension
The Pittsburgh Steelers this week will open contract talks with several players including�quarterback Ben Roethlisberger the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported.

Roethlisberger has two years left on the contract he signed as a rookie in 2004, but both sides have expressed a desire to reach a contract extension this year.

"I'm eager, anxious, because I want to get it done with. I want to say let's go, let's get it over with so the talks can stop, people can stop bugging me about it," he said. "Because I just want to play football.''

Transactions: Great news if you're David Tyree or love cheap shots
Rodney Harrison, who is still following various New York Giants around the greater New York/New Jersey area, looking to get in one more shot before the game is really over, told the Boston Herald that he'll be coming back next year.

I never heard any talk that Harrison was going to retire, but I guess there was enough of it out there to warrant a statement being released on his return. It doesn't come as a surprise to me, because there's no other profession on earth that allows him to commit such gratuitous violence. For example, if Rodney Harrison was a Wal-Mart greeter, he'd be in prison before the week was out.

Elsewhere ...

• The Giants are going to have to make a decision soon on whether or not to trade Jeremy Shockey. I have noticed a distinct lack of an uproar from Giants players insisting that they keep Shockey.

• The Panthers have signed defensive tackle Damione Lewis to a 3-year deal, which allows them to listen to offers for Kris Jenkins.

• All signs point to Rodney’s return / Boston Herald
• A Shockey development? / Boston Globe
• Panthers agree to terms with DT Lewis / Yahoo! Sports

Redskins introduce new 'Skins head coach

Redskins introduce new 'Skins head coach
Always the energetic left-hander, Jim Zorn had an upbeat but nervous start to his coming-out event with the Washington Redskins. The new coach got the team colors wrong. He paid tribute to an assistant the team recently fired. He lacked the polish of his predecessor, Joe Gibbs, who sat watching from the second row during the news conference Sunday in the Redskins Park auditorium.

Down 17, NFC rallies to beat AFC in Pro Bowl


Bucs considering Culpepper, Grossman as reserve QBs?
The St. Petersburg Times reported the Tampa Bay Buccaneers will look to add at least one veteran quarterback this offseason to serve as a reserve to Jeff Garcia.

The guy to keep an eye on is Daunte Culpepper, who struggled in his only season with the Raiders. Remember, the Bucs met with Culpepper in Tampa last year, and Gruden is intrigued by his arm strength and accomplishments. Last season, Culpepper started six games for the Raiders, passing for 1,331 yards with five touchdowns and five interceptions. But he has completed 63.8 percent of his career passing attempts, a figure that stands out to Gruden. And the Florida native might welcome a return to his home state.

Others who might receive some attention from the Bucs include Bears quarterback Rex Grossman, who is an unrestricted free agent; Brian Griese, who could be cut loose from Chicago and had good success with the Bucs; and the Jets' Chad Pennington, a career 65.6 percentage passer who could become a free agent.

Peyton: Eli will be back strong in '08
Eli Manning isn't at the Pro Bowl. But he is the Super Bowl MVP. Peyton Manning talks with Alex Marvez about his brother's rise.

Bills nearing the end of the line in Buffalo?

With the Buffalo Bills finalizing plans to play one regular-season game in Toronto over each of the next five seasons, some are wondering whether that is the first step toward the club ultimately relocating there the Boston Globe reported.

The Bills have a stadium lease through 2012, and while 89-year-old owner Ralph Wilson said he has no plans to sell before his death, he also hasn't sugar-coated the uncertain future of the team in Western New York.

As is the case in most professional sports these days, it comes down to revenue generated from luxury suites. There simply aren't enough companies and corporations in Western New York.

Redskins have faith Zorn will be just like Joe Gibbs

In the Washington Redskins' seemingly interminable search to find the replacement for Joe Gibbs, they may well have found, well, another Joe Gibbs. Just like his predecessor, Zorn — born in the Los Angeles suburb of Whittier — was a college quarterback in Southern California (Cal-Poly Pomona), became deeply religious and possesses an innate ability to stay calm through chaos. Like Gibbs, he is a family man. He and his wife Joy have four children, and in Seattle they would do things as a group when they had time.

As the Seahawks' first quarterback in 1976, he led the team through its troubled early years. Later. as its quarterbacks coach, he pulled Hasselbeck through the bitter disappointment of losing the job as the team's starter, rebuilding the player's confidence until he became a star. Yet each time his reputation remained the same. He was patient. Nothing ever disturbed him according to the Washington Post.

"He's very much like a Joe Gibbs," said Trent Dilfer, who played under Zorn for four seasons in Seattle. "He's wise beyond his years. His faith is at the front of his life. And he he's aware of the global perspective. What Gibbs and the best coaches can do is put things in perspective for the football team. That's what he was able to do as a quarterback coach.''

Bills nearing the end of the line in Buffalo?

Bills nearing the end of the line in Buffalo?

With the Buffalo Bills finalizing plans to play one regular-season game in Toronto over each of the next five seasons, some are wondering whether that is the first step toward the club ultimately relocating there the Boston Globe reported.

The Bills have a stadium lease through 2012, and while 89-year-old owner Ralph Wilson said he has no plans to sell before his death, he also hasn't sugar-coated the uncertain future of the team in Western New York.

As is the case in most professional sports these days, it comes down to revenue generated from luxury suites. There simply aren't enough companies and corporations in Western New York.

Zorn named head coach of Washington Redskins

In a stunning end to the Washington Redskins' coaching search, recently hired offensive coordinator Jim Zorn will be introduced today as the team's next head coach the Washington Post reported.

Zorn, 54, is a former Seattle Seahawks quarterback and assistant coach. He never has been a head coach and never had been an offensive coordinator in the NFL before the Redskins gave him that job on Jan. 25.

"I've always dreamed of being a head coach with a franchise rich in tradition like the Redskins," Zorn said in a statement. "As a player who had to fight Redskins teams at RFK as well as at our home field, I know about the history of this franchise as well as the passion of its fans. I won't let you down."

What will Giants do with Jeremy Shockey?
New York Giants general manager Jerry Reese insisted otherwise in the days leading up to the Super Bowl, saying the Giants would have enjoyed the same dramatic rise with tight end Jermey Shockey. He called it a coincidence that the team's surge came after Shockey got hurt. Soon enough, it will be learned whether Reese really means it the Boston Globe reported.

Shockey is signed through 2011, but he hasn't always endeared himself to teammates. He didn't attend the championship parade last Tuesday. He also watched the Super Bowl from a luxury suite instead of the sideline. Those kinds of things, while more likely tied to his comfort with the broken leg, fuel the perception that he's not fully on board. And that's not to mention his offseason routine of training in Miami.

So as the Giants begin the process of formulating their 2008 roster - Reese led his first draft meeting Friday - the Shockey situation figures to draw significant attention. If Reese is inclined to pull the plug on Shockey, now is the time, because his standing as New York's top decision-maker might never be better after his shrewd moves helped the team capture its unexpected championship.

Bucs considering Culpepper, Grossman as reserve QBs?
The St. Petersburg Times reported the Tampa Bay Buccaneers will look to add at least one veteran quarterback this offseason to serve as a reserve to Jeff Garcia.

The guy to keep an eye on is Daunte Culpepper, who struggled in his only season with the Raiders. Remember, the Bucs met with Culpepper in Tampa last year, and Gruden is intrigued by his arm strength and accomplishments. Last season, Culpepper started six games for the Raiders, passing for 1,331 yards with five touchdowns and five interceptions. But he has completed 63.8 percent of his career passing attempts, a figure that stands out to Gruden. And the Florida native might welcome a return to his home state.

Others who might receive some attention from the Bucs include Bears quarterback Rex Grossman, who is an unrestricted free agent; Brian Griese, who could be cut loose from Chicago and had good success with the Bucs; and the Jets' Chad Pennington, a career 65.6 percentage passer who could become a free agent.

Peyton: Eli will be back strong in '08

Peyton: Eli will be back strong in '08
Eli Manning isn't at the Pro Bowl. But he is the Super Bowl MVP. Peyton Manning talks with Alex Marvez about his brother's rise.

Redskins hire Zorn as new head coach
The Washington Redskins hired Jim Zorn as their coach Saturday night, a surprise ending to a monthlong search for a replacement for Joe Gibbs, The Associated Press has learned. Zorn will be introduced at a news conference at 3 p.m. Sunday, according to a person who was informed of the Redskins' decision. The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because a formal announcement had not been made.

Bears have not placed franchise tag on Berrian yet

Agent Drew Rosenhaus said no decision has been made between the Bears and Bernard Berrian in terms of the franchise tag according to the Chicago Tribune.

Berrian, expected to be one of the top receivers on the market once he becomes an unrestricted free agent on Feb. 29, said he wants to remain with the Bears. General manager Jerry Angelo said using the franchise tag is usually a last resort but didn't rule out placing it on Berrian. The team used it on Lance Briggs last season, keeping the linebacker around for $7.2 million. Placing the franchise tag on Berrian would cost the Bears $7.8 next season.

A number of teams have expressed an interest in Berrian, including the Oakland Raiders. Berrian grew up about two hours southeast of Oakland.

Panthers, DT Lewis come to terms on 3-year deal
The Carolina Panthers came to terms with defensive tackle Damione Lewis on a three-year contract Saturday, beginning what is expected to be a busy offseason. Lewis, a key reserve who led the Panthers' disappointing defensive line with 3 1/2 sacks last season, was scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent at the end of the month. Lewis' agent, Drew Rosenhaus, said he expects to complete the deal on Monday.

Fassel remains front-runner in Washington

The Washington Redskins' search for a head coach continued into the weekend with former New York Giants coach Jim Fassel considered to be the front-runner among the known candidates for the job, league sources said, but the other candidates — Steve Mariucci and Ron Meeks — still are believed to be under consideration to replace Joe Gibbs according to the Washington Post.

Owner Daniel Snyder last week said he expected the process, now in its 32nd day, to be completed "very soon," but as of last night the Redskins did not have a deal in place with anyone, NFL sources said. There were indications, however, that Snyder was moving toward offering the position to Fassel, 58, who was nearly hired earlier in the search precipitated by Gibbs's retirement as team president and coach on Jan. 8.

McCarthy says Favre's decision "a couple of weeks away''
Brett Favre's decision on whether to retire or return to the Green Bay Packers for an 18th season is still "probably a couple of weeks away,"�coach Mike McCarthy told NFL.com.

McCarthy, who signed a new five-year contract with the Packers on Tuesday, says he talks with his quarterback weekly and intends to talk with him in the next few days, but that he doesn't anticipate an answer, and isn't worried about it dragging out.

"It would be a different team because you're talking about a guy that's led the football team for 17 years," said McCarthy, who's in Hawaii coaching the NFC team in the Pro Bowl. "But it's a change that's inevitable. His career will go down as one of the greatest in the history of the National Football League. It's going to change and we're prepared for that with the progress of Aaron Rodgers."

Giants' owners expected to open wallet for Coughlin
The New York Giants' owners are�expected to open negotiations early this week on a long-term deal for the coach they nearly fired 13 months ago. They've already had a preliminary conversation with Gary O'Hagan, the agent for coach Tom Coughlin the New York Daily News reported.

"It's coming, but it's not like root canal is coming," said co-owner Steve Tisch. "This is going to be a very pleasant experience.''

When Coughlin was hired in 2004, he got a four-year, $12 million contract. Last January, when the owners extended his deal through 2008, it's believed the extra year was for about $3.5 million. Now, Coughlin would seem to be in line for a four-year deal worth at least $20 million-$24 million. It's doubtful the Giants will make him the highest-paid coach in the NFL — an honor that belongs to Seattle's soon-to-be-retired coach Mike Holmgren ($8 million per year). But it's probable they'll raise his salary into the range of Tennessee's Jeff Fisher and Tampa's Jon Gruden, who are both in the $5.5-6 million-per-year range.

Fassel remains front-runner in Washington

Fassel remains front-runner in Washington

The Washington Redskins' search for a head coach continued into the weekend with former New York Giants coach Jim Fassel considered to be the front-runner among the known candidates for the job, league sources said, but the other candidates — Steve Mariucci and Ron Meeks — still are believed to be under consideration to replace Joe Gibbs according to the Washington Post.

Owner Daniel Snyder last week said he expected the process, now in its 32nd day, to be completed "very soon," but as of last night the Redskins did not have a deal in place with anyone, NFL sources said. There were indications, however, that Snyder was moving toward offering the position to Fassel, 58, who was nearly hired earlier in the search precipitated by Gibbs's retirement as team president and coach on Jan. 8.

Peyton: Eli's will be back strong in '08
Eli Manning isn't at the Pro Bowl. But he is the Super Bowl MVP. Peyton Manning talks with Alex Marvez about his brother's rise.

Bears have not placed franchise tag on Berrian yet

Agent Drew Rosenhaus said no decision has been made between the Bears and Bernard Berrian in terms of the franchise tag according to the Chicago Tribune.

Berrian, expected to be one of the top receivers on the market once he becomes an unrestricted free agent on Feb. 29, said he wants to remain with the Bears. General manager Jerry Angelo said using the franchise tag is usually a last resort but didn't rule out placing it on Berrian. The team used it on Lance Briggs last season, keeping the linebacker around for $7.2 million. Placing the franchise tag on Berrian would cost the Bears $7.8 next season.

A number of teams have expressed an interest in Berrian, including the Oakland Raiders. Berrian grew up about two hours southeast of Oakland.

Giants' owners expected to open wallet for Coughlin
The New York Giants' owners are�expected to open negotiations early this week on a long-term deal for the coach they nearly fired 13 months ago. They've already had a preliminary conversation with Gary O'Hagan, the agent for coach Tom Coughlin the New York Daily News reported.

"It's coming, but it's not like root canal is coming," said co-owner Steve Tisch. "This is going to be a very pleasant experience.''

When Coughlin was hired in 2004, he got a four-year, $12 million contract. Last January, when the owners extended his deal through 2008, it's believed the extra year was for about $3.5 million. Now, Coughlin would seem to be in line for a four-year deal worth at least $20 million-$24 million. It's doubtful the Giants will make him the highest-paid coach in the NFL — an honor that belongs to Seattle's soon-to-be-retired coach Mike Holmgren ($8 million per year). But it's probable they'll raise his salary into the range of Tennessee's Jeff Fisher and Tampa's Jon Gruden, who are both in the $5.5-6 million-per-year range.

McCarthy says Favre's decision "a couple of weeks away''
Brett Favre's decision on whether to retire or return to the Green Bay Packers for an 18th season is still "probably a couple of weeks away,"�coach Mike McCarthy told NFL.com.

McCarthy, who signed a new five-year contract with the Packers on Tuesday, says he talks with his quarterback weekly and intends to talk with him in the next few days, but that he doesn't anticipate an answer, and isn't worried about it dragging out.

"It would be a different team because you're talking about a guy that's led the football team for 17 years," said McCarthy, who's in Hawaii coaching the NFC team in the Pro Bowl. "But it's a change that's inevitable. His career will go down as one of the greatest in the history of the National Football League. It's going to change and we're prepared for that with the progress of Aaron Rodgers."

Chad Johnson doesn't seem so lovable anymore

Chad Johnson doesn't seem so lovable anymore
Remember not too long ago, when Chad Johnson was the media darling of the world, and he could do no wrong? He'd get fined for a celebration, and everyone would stand up for him and say, "Oh, he's just having fun! The league is so mean! Let Chad be Chad! He's such a great guy!"

These days ... not so much.

Alex Marvez of Fox Sports (via ProFootballTalk) reports that Johnson shoved an NFL media guy on his way out of an NFL Network interview. According to Marvez, the NFL employee tried to stop Johnson a couple of times to answer a question, and Johnson ended up shoving the guy and staring him down.

It's hard to judge a situation like this, because in this context, a "shove" could mean anything from rudely brushing up against a guy to slamming his head into a wall, and a "staring someone down" could be anything from a dirty look to a prolonged Ivan Drago "I must break you" stare.

But either way, the days of Chad Johnson being a media darling are gone, and with each incident like this, and each repeated trade demand, he becomes less like the old Chad Johnson and more like the new Terrell Owens.

It was fun while it lasted, though.

• Johnson still making news for wrong reasons / Fox Sports
• Ocho Stinko Shoves League Employee / Pro Football Talk

Crazy guy wanted to shoot up the Super Bowl
And here, I thought that Ray Lewis was the greatest threat to my safety during Super Bowl week.

As it turned out, a fellow name Kurt William Havelock came way closer to actually killing people last week. He loaded up an AR-15 assault rifle, had 200 rounds of ammunition, and contemplated a shooting spree near a stadium parking lot on gameday.�

Thankfully, the whackjob changed his mind at the last minute and couldn't go through with it.

The guy was upset because he couldn't get a liquor license for a bar he wanted to open. And just to let you in on what type of crazy we're dealing with here, take a look at some snippets from an eight-page manifesto he wrote:

"I will test the theory that bullets speak louder than words. Perhaps the blood of the inculpable will cause a paradigm shift. ... Someone has to start the revolution but no one wants to be first."

"How many dollars will you lose? And all because you took my right to own a business from me."

"I will not be bullied by the financial institutions and their puppet politicians."

"No one destroys my dream."

And now Mr. Havelock is going to prison, where his rectal cavity, much like his dream, will be destroyed.

• Feds: Man denied liquor license planned Super Bowl gunfire, changed mind in parking lot / Yahoo! Sports

Eli Manning's Super Bowl XLII co-MVP: Tiki Barber
That's how Tiki Barber sees things, anyway. I was wondering when Tiki would get around to taking credit for the Giants Super Bowl win.�

From this William C. Rhoden article in the New York Times:

Retiring star players often set the foundation for future success. In Barber’s case, his criticism of Coach Tom Coughlin and of Manning might have paid dividends this season. You can argue that Barber’s tactics became too public. But often, the only way to bring about change is to confront — sometimes embarrass — authority. Barber laid the foundation for what happened this season, from taking on Coughlin, to challenging Manning to step up, to tutoring Brandon Jacobs.

“I feel great joy for them because I know in a lot of ways I helped a lot of guys on that team,” Barber said. “I know Brandon was someone who benefited from me being there; even criticizing someone is a way of getting them to think about themselves.”

I asked Barber if he thought his criticism of Manning helped prod him out of a shell. “I don’t know, cause Eli doesn’t pay attention, ” Barber said laughing. “In this case, it made him stand up and I guess become aware.”

How magnanimous! What a swell guy, that Tiki Barber. He had all these special and insightful ways to help the New York Giants, but he chose not to help them while he was there, but he waited until after he quit on them, and then went of his way to offer the expert critiques (and not bitter criticism) that would spur the team to greatness. It's the most selfless thing I've ever heard. Tiki Barber is a friend to the Giants!

Either that, or he was a whiny little skirt on the way out the door, and when he quit, a once-divided locker room was able to come together. I somehow doubt that Tom Coughlin and Eli Manning heard Tiki's critiques and said, "You know, Tiki's right, and we should be thankful for his guidance." More likely is that they heard his bitching and everyone came together in a spirit of "Screw that guy, we're better off without him."

But if that counts as helping, then yeah, Tiki Barber was a great help. The guy's a damn saint.

• For Barber and Giants, a Parting, Then an Embrace / New York Times

Great moments in Pro Bowl history
There are certain headlines that you see, and you think immediately to yourself, "Well, this is going to be a short post." This qualifies as one of them.

I can think of three.

1. Peyton Manning addresses Mike Vanderjagt. This was probably the most noteworthy thing to ever happen at the Pro Bowl. Unfortunately, I can't find video of it anywhere, but here was Peyton's quote from the sidelines, after Vanderjagt had been critical of Manning and head coach Tony Dungy days before:

"Here we are. I'm out at my third Pro Bowl, I'm about to go in and throw a touchdown to Jerry Rice, we're honoring the Hall of Fame, and we're talking about our idiot kicker who got liquored up and ran his mouth off. The sad thing is, he's a good kicker. He's a good kicker. But he's an idiot."

2. Sean Taylor obliterates Brian Moorman. Sadly, this one's taken on greater significance this year as we mourn the loss of Sean Taylor. I'd put it at the #1 spot, but I think it's way more significant as a remembrance of Sean Taylor than it is a celebration of the Pro Bowl.

3. Chris Berman introducing The Backstreet Boys. For better or worse (and I think we all have to go with "worse" on this one), Chris Berman introducing The Backstreet Boys to a chorus of boos, followed by the that stunningly masculine performance, captures the Pro Bowl experience quite well. I don't know if it's a sign of professionalism of complete obliviousness that Berman doesn't seem the least bit embarrassed about what he's doing.



More on the Pro Bowl in a bit. If you can stand the excitement.