Let me get this straight, the four-year-old son of DaMarcus Blackwell was suspended by his school for "inappropriate touching" after he hugged the woman and he "rubbed his face in the chest of (the) female employee" on Nov. 10.
What kind of idiot would think a four-year-old boy is old enough to think of such a thing as sex as opposed to...lunch? Plus, he's short -- a kid, so there's no way....oh, geez, this is so silly and depressing. What kind of anxiety is the aide carrying around in her freaking head? Was she just so guilty of feeling turned on she got mad -- at a four year old? Damn!
Does she have kids? Does she breast feed? What does she do then? Get pissed and give the kids a spanking because she got turned on? Oh, god!
What bothers me about this story is how the matter of race is -- once again -- whitewashed. Look, his father's name is obviously not one someone White takes; it's commonly a Black person's name. The media is doing a massive disservice to the improvement of society with this constant habit of masking skin color in a story.
Second, I'll bet $100 the person complaining was at the least not black and perhaps given the region, most likely White. I'd lay money on that given the silly range of racial fears that taints our society. Look, if the news article were written to reflect the color of the participants, the reaction would be almost certainly one of even more outrage.
Why this form of censorship exists is beyond me. But it's got to stop. There's certainly a racial element here that's being deliberately burried.
I wrote "African American It Seems" -- I should have just written "Black."
Monday, December 11, 2006
Indianapolis Coach Tony Dungy On The Day After The Jacksonville Loss - Colts.com
The Colts took it on the chin Sunday, weathering a stunning 44 to 17 loss to their division rivals the Jacksonville Jaquars. Coach Dungy sounds ready to learn from the game, and prepare for the Bengals.
STILL TIME
By John Oehser - Colts.com
Colts Have Opportunity to Improve in December, Dungy Says
INDIANAPOLIS – Tony Dungy’s mood didn’t improve much Monday.
Because what the Colts’ head coach saw watching tape Monday was pretty much what he saw from the sidelines of Alltel Stadium in Jacksonville, Fla., the day before.
Way too many rushing yards.
Way too many mistakes.
Way too much of a lot of things, with the result being a 44-17 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars, a loss that not only kept the Colts (10-3) from clinching a fourth consecutive AFC South championship, but also set off a barrage of questions and criticism from outsiders.
On Monday, at his weekly next-day news conference, Dungy – in his fifth season with the Colts – arrived ready for the questions, and his message was that which he gave the team:
Yes, Sunday’s loss was disappointing.
And yes, the Colts must improve.
But he said he very much believes the Colts – who have lost three of four regular-season games for the first time since 2002 – can make that improvement, and Dungy said despite criticism to the contrary, there is plenty the Colts can accomplish.
“Obviously, not one of our better days yesterday, and that makes the next day a little tough,” Dungy said early Monday afternoon, a day after the Colts slipped from the No. 1 seed in the AFC for the first time since the end of the 2004 season.
“That makes the next day a little bit tough, but what we have to do from here is look at things, examine the breakdowns and improve. That’s going to be our task.
“Fortunately, we still have time to do that.”
Said Colts linebacker Rocky Boiman, “We’ve had a lot of success, especially in the regular season, around here. We’ve got to put this in perspective and say, ‘Hey, winning every game in the regular season is not something that happens all the time.’ ”
The Colts, who won their first nine games of the season, had a chance each of the last two weeks to clinch the AFC South with victories over division opponents. The loss to Jacksonville trimmed their division lead to two games, and meant that a victory over the Cincinnati Bengals (8-5) Monday won’t necessarily clinch the division.
The Colts can clinch the South this weekend if the Jaguars lose to the Tennessee Titans Sunday.
“We’re not going to lose sight of the fact that we’re 10-3,” Dungy said. “It’s easy to forget that at this time, after a game like this. What we have to do is watch the tape, get the corrections, and get ready for Cincinnati. Nothing more, nothing less.”
If the Jaguars win Sunday, the Colts can clinch a wild-card spot with a victory over Cincinnati.
The Colts are currently tied with the Baltimore Ravens for the second-best record in the AFC, and hold the AFC’s No. 2 seed because of strength of victory.
“We don’t have that No. 1 seed in our hands right now,” Dungy said. “We did up until yesterday (Sunday). We have to continue to play and win, and win as many games as we can. But right now, we’re in the thick of things.
“We’re still in the No. 2 slot. We’ve got a lot of good things that can still happen for us, but the big thing for us is going to be playing well. If we’re playing well, I don’t think it really matters what seed you are. You can be the No. 1 seed – if you’re not playing well, it’s not going to help us.
“So, that’s our concern, is to try to get ourselves back playing well. That’s everything.”
The Colts
on Sunday allowed the Jaguars 375 yards rushing, setting a record for the most yards the team allowed by the Colts in franchise history.
The loss also was the third in four games, the first time since 2002 – when the Colts lost three consecutive games in October and early November – the Colts have lost three games in a four-game stretch.
The Colts, after winning 30 consecutive games from mid-2004 to mid-2006 in which they had yet to clinch their playoff seeding, lost to Dallas (21-14) on November 19, beat the Philadelphia Eagles (45-21) on November 26 and lost to the Tennessee Titans (20-17) on December 3.
“It happens,” Dungy said. “You go through those times. You wish you didn’t. Ours is happening at the wrong time, but we still have three games left in December to get it going. We have a very hot team we’re playing, and we’ve got to play a lot better than we did yesterday (Sunday). . . .
“It’s going to take work. It’s not going to be easy. But I think we’ve got the people here who can do it.”
But on Monday, Dungy and Colts players spent less time talking about the scenarios for a fifth consecutive playoff appearance and more about correcting mistakes that have caused a recent slump.
“The thing we have to do is look forward, and pull out of this,” Dungy said. “There are some teams that have had some similar-type things, and they have pulled out of it. We’ve done that in the past as well.
“That’s our task right now, and that’s what we look forward to doing.”
Dungy, as was the case Sunday afternoon, on Monday pointed to several cases in which teams have struggled before recovering for successful late-season runs. One such case: 1999, when the Tampa Bay Buccaneers – with Dungy as head coach – lost to the Oakland Raiders, 45-0, late in the season before losing in the NFC Championship Game.
“It was much worse than this game – I promise you,” Dungy said. “It’s hard to believe, but it was. . . .
“It was 45-0 only because they slowed the game down and didn’t make it 75-0. We came back and won the last two we had to win and went to the playoffs and played pretty well. Sometimes, those games come out of the blue and you don’t know where they came from. Sometimes, it’s just that particular day, a style.
“One week doesn’t have to say what’s going to happen the next week. It may, but it doesn’t have to.”
The Pittsburgh Steelers last season lost three consecutive games in November and December, including 26-7 at Indianapolis, before winning their final eight games of the season, including Super Bowl XL.
Dungy said the message he gave to the players Monday was the same he gave the Buccaneers in 1999 – that one loss, even a bad loss, in December doesn’t necessarily end a team’s hopes of a postseason run. It’s a message Dungy said he believes the Colts have received.
“I think our team is still upbeat,” Dungy said. “I think they understand that we’re in the middle of a playoff race, and we’ve got a record that a lot of teams would like to have. The negative for us is the last four weeks we really haven’t played up to our standards and played as well as we can play. . . .
“We’re all frustrated. We’re all disappointed. We know we have to play better, but we all feel like we can play better and that’s what’s got to happen these last few weeks. My thought is to look ahead to see how we can improve it and get ourselves going and win these last three games.”
More Coverage On the Giants from Newsday's Beat reporter. Last paragraph will be my commenrary
Giants beat Panthers to end 4-game slide
BY ARTHUR STAPLE
STAFF CORRESPONDENT
December 10, 2006, 4:34 PM EST
CHARLOTTE, N.C -- It took a month of losses for the Giants to reach their desperation point. There's still a month to go until the playoffs begin, but a lot can happen in a month.
The Giants ended their losing streak at four games with a 27-13 win over the fading Panthers yesterday. It wasn't the prettiest of efforts, especially against a quarterback who hadn't played in four years and two little-used cornerbacks, but the Giants never trailed in winning for the first time since Nov. 5 against the Texans.
"A month like that," cornerback R.W. McQuarters said, "feels like two years. It's like, 'Damn, we haven't won in a month!' All it takes is one, no matter how you get it."
The Giants got this one by being smart and unspectacular on offense, relying on Tiki Barber (20 carries, 112 yards), who passed 10,000 rushing yards for his career, and Eli Manning, who threw three touchdown passes and wasn't intercepted for the second straight game.
The Panthers gained 463 total yards, but that was the product of a beaten team trying desperately to rally. Chris Weinke, starting for the first time since Oct. 30, 2002, threw 61 passes, completing 34 for 423 yards. The Giants had three interceptions in the second half, two by Gibril Wilson, to solidify their lead and their playoff position.
The Giants host the Eagles on Sunday; both teams are 7-6, along with the Falcons, and are tied for the lead in the battle for the two wild-card berths. The Giants also moved within one game of Dallas for the NFC East lead. So this is no time to bask in the glow of a long-awaited win.
But perhaps the memories of the past month -- players calling each other out, a coach calling his players out, the headlines screaming for the coach's head -- will quell any lofty thoughts.
"We had a lot of criticism, probably a lot of it deserved, but we knew this was like a playoff game," Antonio Pierce said. "We've got four playoff games to get us to the playoffs. We're 1-0 now."
The first sign that the Giants were approaching this game with a different mind-set came on their second drive. Twice they went for it on fourth down.
The first made sense -- fourth-and-inches from the Panthers' 34 -- and Manning's sneak got the first down.
The next was an atypical Tom Coughlin call, on fourth-and-10 from the 33. Manning avoided pressure by rolling to his left, froze a pair of defenders by faking a run, then fired a pass to David Tyree, who dived forward for the first down. The Giants came away with only a field goal, but it was a tone-setter.
"It's about building up emotion and esteem right there," said Tyree, who caught a 3-yard touchdown pass in the third quarter as the Giants took a 27-10 lead. "We don't get anything there, it definitely does something to your psyche."
Plaxico Burress walked off the field in disgust after the field-goal drive, having gotten open twice without Manning finding him, but Manning completed passes of 45 and 28 yards to Burress to put the Giants ahead 10-0, the latter a touchdown pass into single coverage on third-and-7.
Just 1:49 later, the Panthers made it 10-7 as Weinke targeted Giants rookie cornerback Kevin Dockery for three completions in four plays, the last a 36-yard touchdown pass to Drew Carter. John Kasay's 37-yard field goal tied it at 10 with 3:02 left in the half, but Manning put the Giants ahead for good by directing another crisp two-minute drive capped by a 2-yard TD catch by Jeremy Shockey 27 seconds before halftime. Shockey had recovered Brandon Jacobs' fumble at the 1 a play earlier.
With 10 points in the opening 8:01 of the second half on Jay Feely's 29-yard field goal and Tyree's touchdown reception, the Giants just had to grind out a win. They didn't earn any style points, going without a first down the remainder of the game and picking up only 70 yards in the second half, but the defense held its ground.
The Panthers were without starting corners Ken Lucas and Chris Gamble, then lost backup Christian Morton in the first quarter, forcing them to use two rookies and a backup safety.
The Giants were able to run the ball even with a hodgepodge of offensive linemen in the game. Shaun O'Hara left for two series after Barber rolled onto the back of his right leg, and Kareem McKenzie missed the second half with a strained neck. That forced left guard David Diehl to play tackle against All-Pro end Julius Peppers, who was generally neutralized.
Now the Giants, who will play the Saints and Redskins after facing the Eagles on Sunday, have to make the last month seem like a bad dream.
"We had great purpose over the entire [losing streak]," Coughlin said. "I don't think we had any distractions. They really handled the situation very well."
And my Comments:
Ok so The G-men played a bit smarter this time, infact the last two games prior to this as well, then thy did in the first two losses. Even if the play calling was a bit better-172 yards passing Vs a team with a weak group of d-backs isn't very good. Also no rushing TD's this time, and Jacobs looks stuck again when they bring him in. Still not using the TE enough either, even though he scored a TD (Shockey), he was only 6 grabs for 49 yds. But i guess a win is a win is a win...
Giants beat Panthers to end 4-game slide
BY ARTHUR STAPLE
STAFF CORRESPONDENT
December 10, 2006, 4:34 PM EST
CHARLOTTE, N.C -- It took a month of losses for the Giants to reach their desperation point. There's still a month to go until the playoffs begin, but a lot can happen in a month.
The Giants ended their losing streak at four games with a 27-13 win over the fading Panthers yesterday. It wasn't the prettiest of efforts, especially against a quarterback who hadn't played in four years and two little-used cornerbacks, but the Giants never trailed in winning for the first time since Nov. 5 against the Texans.
"A month like that," cornerback R.W. McQuarters said, "feels like two years. It's like, 'Damn, we haven't won in a month!' All it takes is one, no matter how you get it."
The Giants got this one by being smart and unspectacular on offense, relying on Tiki Barber (20 carries, 112 yards), who passed 10,000 rushing yards for his career, and Eli Manning, who threw three touchdown passes and wasn't intercepted for the second straight game.
The Panthers gained 463 total yards, but that was the product of a beaten team trying desperately to rally. Chris Weinke, starting for the first time since Oct. 30, 2002, threw 61 passes, completing 34 for 423 yards. The Giants had three interceptions in the second half, two by Gibril Wilson, to solidify their lead and their playoff position.
The Giants host the Eagles on Sunday; both teams are 7-6, along with the Falcons, and are tied for the lead in the battle for the two wild-card berths. The Giants also moved within one game of Dallas for the NFC East lead. So this is no time to bask in the glow of a long-awaited win.
But perhaps the memories of the past month -- players calling each other out, a coach calling his players out, the headlines screaming for the coach's head -- will quell any lofty thoughts.
"We had a lot of criticism, probably a lot of it deserved, but we knew this was like a playoff game," Antonio Pierce said. "We've got four playoff games to get us to the playoffs. We're 1-0 now."
The first sign that the Giants were approaching this game with a different mind-set came on their second drive. Twice they went for it on fourth down.
The first made sense -- fourth-and-inches from the Panthers' 34 -- and Manning's sneak got the first down.
The next was an atypical Tom Coughlin call, on fourth-and-10 from the 33. Manning avoided pressure by rolling to his left, froze a pair of defenders by faking a run, then fired a pass to David Tyree, who dived forward for the first down. The Giants came away with only a field goal, but it was a tone-setter.
"It's about building up emotion and esteem right there," said Tyree, who caught a 3-yard touchdown pass in the third quarter as the Giants took a 27-10 lead. "We don't get anything there, it definitely does something to your psyche."
Plaxico Burress walked off the field in disgust after the field-goal drive, having gotten open twice without Manning finding him, but Manning completed passes of 45 and 28 yards to Burress to put the Giants ahead 10-0, the latter a touchdown pass into single coverage on third-and-7.
Just 1:49 later, the Panthers made it 10-7 as Weinke targeted Giants rookie cornerback Kevin Dockery for three completions in four plays, the last a 36-yard touchdown pass to Drew Carter. John Kasay's 37-yard field goal tied it at 10 with 3:02 left in the half, but Manning put the Giants ahead for good by directing another crisp two-minute drive capped by a 2-yard TD catch by Jeremy Shockey 27 seconds before halftime. Shockey had recovered Brandon Jacobs' fumble at the 1 a play earlier.
With 10 points in the opening 8:01 of the second half on Jay Feely's 29-yard field goal and Tyree's touchdown reception, the Giants just had to grind out a win. They didn't earn any style points, going without a first down the remainder of the game and picking up only 70 yards in the second half, but the defense held its ground.
The Panthers were without starting corners Ken Lucas and Chris Gamble, then lost backup Christian Morton in the first quarter, forcing them to use two rookies and a backup safety.
The Giants were able to run the ball even with a hodgepodge of offensive linemen in the game. Shaun O'Hara left for two series after Barber rolled onto the back of his right leg, and Kareem McKenzie missed the second half with a strained neck. That forced left guard David Diehl to play tackle against All-Pro end Julius Peppers, who was generally neutralized.
Now the Giants, who will play the Saints and Redskins after facing the Eagles on Sunday, have to make the last month seem like a bad dream.
"We had great purpose over the entire [losing streak]," Coughlin said. "I don't think we had any distractions. They really handled the situation very well."
And my Comments:
Ok so The G-men played a bit smarter this time, infact the last two games prior to this as well, then thy did in the first two losses. Even if the play calling was a bit better-172 yards passing Vs a team with a weak group of d-backs isn't very good. Also no rushing TD's this time, and Jacobs looks stuck again when they bring him in. Still not using the TE enough either, even though he scored a TD (Shockey), he was only 6 grabs for 49 yds. But i guess a win is a win is a win...
Sunday, December 10, 2006
Citigroup Inc Pays $400 Million For New Mets Stadium; Jets and Giants Next? - Naming Rights Deals Make Rebound
Stadium Naming Rights Deals Make Rebound
By Ben Klayman
Reuters
Sports stadium naming rights deals seemed bad karma a few years ago amid accounting scandals and the dot-com bust, but they have rebounded with a vengeance, with bigger dollar amounts and more comprehensive plans.
Companies are no longer simply slapping a name on a stadium. They are devising complex brand-burnishing strategies involving logos, advertising and technology deployment with a view to boosting profits.
Financial services company Citigroup Inc. agreed last week to pay the New York Mets a reported record $400 million over 20 years for rights to name their new baseball park, set to open in 2009, Citi Field. In California, the Oakland A’s said network equipment maker Cisco Systems Inc. would pay $120 million over 30 years to name their new stadium Cisco Field, to be built in nearby Fremont.
“What you’re seeing today and why you’re able to get $20 million a year out of a relationship with Citibank, for instance, is that these are strategic alliances designed to drive business between the two organizations,” said David Carter, executive director of the USC Sports Business Institute.
The Mets-Citigroup agreement tops the 30-year, $300-million naming rights deal the National Football League’s Houston Texans have with Reliant Energy Inc., according to Bonham Group, a Denver sports marketing and consulting firm that has negotiated a number of similar deals.
Teams are only too happy to sign such deals as they look to squeeze every possible dollar from their properties, analysts said. And past scandals have not scared off either side.
The most infamous name change occurred in 2002, when the Houston Astros baseball team re-acquired their stadium naming rights from bankrupt energy trader Enron Corp. in order to sell them to Coca-Cola Co.’s Minute Maid.
Other sports venues have seen similar changes. The football stadiums of the Tennessee Titans and Baltimore Ravens, respectively, switched from names linked to a former unit of cable company Adelphia Communications and Internet services provider PSINet, both of which filed for bankruptcy.
As companies look to connect with customers, naming rights deals will remain lucrative for the teams, said Fred Popp, chief executive of SME, a New York sports branding and design firm.
“Clients need to bypass the brain and go right for the heart,” Popp said. “Sports brands are surrogates. They allow the typical consumer brand to engage the consumer in a highly emotional way, in a way that you just can’t establish with your product alone.”
Naming rights alone are not enough, however, The Mets deal also includes the right to put the Citi brand throughout the new park, the use by Citigroup of Mets logos, the bank’s purchase of advertising on the Mets’ cable network and the joint development of business opportunities.
The Cisco deal includes the sale by the company of 143 acres of land to the Oakland team for a new stadium. Cisco’s technology in the ballpark will allow services such as the ability to upgrade tickets in on-site ticket kiosks, order souvenirs or food using a mobile device, and view replays at your seat and save them to a personal Web page.
Cisco treasurer, David Holland, who negotiated the deal, said it aligns closely with his San Jose, California-based company’s business objectives, which include getting more of its technology into sports venues.
“In the past, we have not been a company that looks to hang our sign on these kinds of venues,” he told Reuters. “If you look at how Cisco’s business has evolved, particularly in the last few years and most recently with the acquisition of Scientific Atlanta, we are moving closer and closer to the (consumer) of our equipment.”
While still growing accustomed to new ballpark names, fans accept them as the price to be paid for competitive teams and lower taxes related to stadium construction.
“Nowadays, when you talk about the costs of stadiums, you understand eventually it’s going to go to the highest bidder,” said Mets fan Nick Parente.
“I’m just looking forward to the new stadium, in all honesty, because even though Shea was one of the older stadiums, it wasn’t one of the prettiest,” said the 37-year-old Hoboken, New Jersey, resident, who works in aviation insurance underwriting.
The Mets shouldn’t get too comfortable with their record-setting deal, however.
Analysts said the NFL’s New York Giants and Jets’ new football stadium—planned for 2010—features a large venue, two major teams in a popular sport and the New York market, suggesting yet another new record is likely.
By Ben Klayman
Reuters
Sports stadium naming rights deals seemed bad karma a few years ago amid accounting scandals and the dot-com bust, but they have rebounded with a vengeance, with bigger dollar amounts and more comprehensive plans.
Companies are no longer simply slapping a name on a stadium. They are devising complex brand-burnishing strategies involving logos, advertising and technology deployment with a view to boosting profits.
Financial services company Citigroup Inc. agreed last week to pay the New York Mets a reported record $400 million over 20 years for rights to name their new baseball park, set to open in 2009, Citi Field. In California, the Oakland A’s said network equipment maker Cisco Systems Inc. would pay $120 million over 30 years to name their new stadium Cisco Field, to be built in nearby Fremont.
“What you’re seeing today and why you’re able to get $20 million a year out of a relationship with Citibank, for instance, is that these are strategic alliances designed to drive business between the two organizations,” said David Carter, executive director of the USC Sports Business Institute.
The Mets-Citigroup agreement tops the 30-year, $300-million naming rights deal the National Football League’s Houston Texans have with Reliant Energy Inc., according to Bonham Group, a Denver sports marketing and consulting firm that has negotiated a number of similar deals.
Teams are only too happy to sign such deals as they look to squeeze every possible dollar from their properties, analysts said. And past scandals have not scared off either side.
The most infamous name change occurred in 2002, when the Houston Astros baseball team re-acquired their stadium naming rights from bankrupt energy trader Enron Corp. in order to sell them to Coca-Cola Co.’s Minute Maid.
Other sports venues have seen similar changes. The football stadiums of the Tennessee Titans and Baltimore Ravens, respectively, switched from names linked to a former unit of cable company Adelphia Communications and Internet services provider PSINet, both of which filed for bankruptcy.
As companies look to connect with customers, naming rights deals will remain lucrative for the teams, said Fred Popp, chief executive of SME, a New York sports branding and design firm.
“Clients need to bypass the brain and go right for the heart,” Popp said. “Sports brands are surrogates. They allow the typical consumer brand to engage the consumer in a highly emotional way, in a way that you just can’t establish with your product alone.”
Naming rights alone are not enough, however, The Mets deal also includes the right to put the Citi brand throughout the new park, the use by Citigroup of Mets logos, the bank’s purchase of advertising on the Mets’ cable network and the joint development of business opportunities.
The Cisco deal includes the sale by the company of 143 acres of land to the Oakland team for a new stadium. Cisco’s technology in the ballpark will allow services such as the ability to upgrade tickets in on-site ticket kiosks, order souvenirs or food using a mobile device, and view replays at your seat and save them to a personal Web page.
Cisco treasurer, David Holland, who negotiated the deal, said it aligns closely with his San Jose, California-based company’s business objectives, which include getting more of its technology into sports venues.
“In the past, we have not been a company that looks to hang our sign on these kinds of venues,” he told Reuters. “If you look at how Cisco’s business has evolved, particularly in the last few years and most recently with the acquisition of Scientific Atlanta, we are moving closer and closer to the (consumer) of our equipment.”
While still growing accustomed to new ballpark names, fans accept them as the price to be paid for competitive teams and lower taxes related to stadium construction.
“Nowadays, when you talk about the costs of stadiums, you understand eventually it’s going to go to the highest bidder,” said Mets fan Nick Parente.
“I’m just looking forward to the new stadium, in all honesty, because even though Shea was one of the older stadiums, it wasn’t one of the prettiest,” said the 37-year-old Hoboken, New Jersey, resident, who works in aviation insurance underwriting.
The Mets shouldn’t get too comfortable with their record-setting deal, however.
Analysts said the NFL’s New York Giants and Jets’ new football stadium—planned for 2010—features a large venue, two major teams in a popular sport and the New York market, suggesting yet another new record is likely.
San Francisco 49ers, Monster Park, Stadium Naming Rights, And Corporate Responsibilty
Oracle, who's name now graces the Oakland Arena, and Monster Cable, which placed its name on the stadium where the San Francisco 49ers play, have got themselves into a big mess.
Now that both companies have their names on publically-owned stadium, they're discovering they can't get away with treating the public poorly.
This Oakland Tribune article tells the story:
Naming rights not all companies get
Oracle, others find monikers on arenas bring community expectations
By Barbara Grady, BUSINESS WRITER - Oakland Tribune Article Last Updated:12/10/2006 02:50:10 AM PST
A cheerleading squad from an inner city Oakland high school and their parents are angry with Oracle Corp. ever since the company -- whose name is emblazoned on the arena of the Golden State Warriors -- turned the students away from an Oracle trade show.
A San Francisco neighborhood of immigrants and members of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors are upset with Monster Cable Products Inc. because the Brisbane company -- whose name is all over the 49ers football stadium -- has laid off 120 employees who have scant chances of finding new jobs.
What Oracle and Monster Cable are learning -- the hard way -- is that with the naming rights to big professional sports stadiums comes higher expectations about how the companies will behave in the community. Redwood Shores-based Oracle, one of the world's largest software companies, is paying about $3 million a year for Oracle Arena to be the name of the Warriors' home. Huge red Oracle signs are not only highly visible to every driver on Interstate 880, every pedestrian in the neighborhood and every basketball fan coming to the arena for games, but Oracle's name also appears in newspaper, magazine and online accounts of games played at the arena.
Monster, paying $6 million over four years for naming rights to the 49ers stadium, gets the same huge publicity benefit by having its name on the former Candlestick Park not far from Highway 101.
So when the Oracle signs piqued the interest of the cheerleaders from Castlemont High School, the coach, a parent and squad members decided one October afternoon to visit the huge Oracle OpenWorld trade show in San Francisco.
To their hurt and dismay, the students were turned away from the show. "They didn't have to act that way to teenagers," said Lillian Foster, coach of the Castlemont cheerleading squad. "They asked us not to come in because they thought all we wanted to do was pass out fliers."
Said Ethel Davis, grandmother to one student, "You have these kids trying to go to learn about computers and people are shunning them."
Strike one for Oracle community relations in the hometown of its arena. Oracle officials did not know about the visit and said contracted security guards, not Oracle employees, turned the students away.
"We would have gladly welcomed the students if we knew" in advance of their interest, said Bob Wynne, chief spokesman at Oracle. The squad later was hosted at a Warriors' basketball game and is in discussions with Oracle about a donation.
Still -- like Monster Cable -- Oracle learned a lesson. "Getting the naming rights has put more expectations on Monster to explain our actions as a business," said Daniel Graham, spokesman for Monster Cable.
Citing pressure from overseas competitors, Monster laid off 120 employees from its Brisbane plant in late October. Almost all of them were longtime employees of immigrant background and limited English skills, said San Francisco Supervisor Jake McGoldrick, who represents the district in which many laid-off workers live.
Now Monster Cable faces threats of losing naming rights to the 49ers stadium because of community anger over layoffs.
"He should take the letters M-O-N-S-T-E-R off the walls of that ballpark and we will gladly release him from the contract. He can use the money to help the workers," McGoldrick said of Monster Chief Executive Noel Lee. Lee founded the company 27 years ago in the Richmond district, which McGoldrick rep resents.
When Monster moved to Brisbane, many workers followed him. Monster gave four weeks severance pay and four weeks extended health benefits to the laid-off workers. But the workers want the same severance that Monster gave to previously laid-off workers, which is four weeks plus one week for every year an employee worked at Monster, according to McGoldrick and an association representing the workers.
"The City and County of San Francisco shares a special connection with your company since your name is attached to the stadium at Candlestick Point," Supervisors Aaron Peskin, McGoldrick and Ross Mirkarimi wrote to Monster Cable. "We have seriousÊconcerns about the layoffs. As a major employer in the Bay Area, Monster Cable's mass layoffs will be felt throughout the City and County."
Lee responded in a letter to the supervisors that four weeks of severance pay is more than what other manufacturers often do and that "we are one of the highest-paying employers in the local manufacturing industry" by paying $12 to $25 an hour. "To imply that we do not treat our people well is uninformed."
But sports marketing consultant Zennie Abraham, chief executive of Sports Business Simulations of Oakland, said the high public exposure a company gets from a sports stadium naming contract puts a higher obligation on that company to act on behalf of the community.
"The name is in the public's face and because that company is associated with a good organization -- for example, the Warriors -- the general expectation from the community is that the company is going to be good," Abraham said.
"Only a big company has enough money to demand that its name is placed on a facility, but they do it because they know they are going to get enormous marketing benefits," Abraham said. With that publicity, "it's absolutely inherent in naming-rights contracts (that) they open themselves up to community concerns."
In some stadium naming contracts, such as ones crafted by American Airlines in Dallas and FedEx in Landover, Md., the naming-rights contract comes with agreements to sponsor community programs in the city, he said. The most infamous mistake involving naming rights might have been Enron Park in Houston. After the Enron scandal erupted, the Astros quickly bought out the 30-year, $100 million naming-rights deal with Enron and found a new, more palatable sponsor, Minute Maid.
Now that both companies have their names on publically-owned stadium, they're discovering they can't get away with treating the public poorly.
This Oakland Tribune article tells the story:
Naming rights not all companies get
Oracle, others find monikers on arenas bring community expectations
By Barbara Grady, BUSINESS WRITER - Oakland Tribune Article Last Updated:12/10/2006 02:50:10 AM PST
A cheerleading squad from an inner city Oakland high school and their parents are angry with Oracle Corp. ever since the company -- whose name is emblazoned on the arena of the Golden State Warriors -- turned the students away from an Oracle trade show.
A San Francisco neighborhood of immigrants and members of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors are upset with Monster Cable Products Inc. because the Brisbane company -- whose name is all over the 49ers football stadium -- has laid off 120 employees who have scant chances of finding new jobs.
What Oracle and Monster Cable are learning -- the hard way -- is that with the naming rights to big professional sports stadiums comes higher expectations about how the companies will behave in the community. Redwood Shores-based Oracle, one of the world's largest software companies, is paying about $3 million a year for Oracle Arena to be the name of the Warriors' home. Huge red Oracle signs are not only highly visible to every driver on Interstate 880, every pedestrian in the neighborhood and every basketball fan coming to the arena for games, but Oracle's name also appears in newspaper, magazine and online accounts of games played at the arena.
Monster, paying $6 million over four years for naming rights to the 49ers stadium, gets the same huge publicity benefit by having its name on the former Candlestick Park not far from Highway 101.
So when the Oracle signs piqued the interest of the cheerleaders from Castlemont High School, the coach, a parent and squad members decided one October afternoon to visit the huge Oracle OpenWorld trade show in San Francisco.
To their hurt and dismay, the students were turned away from the show. "They didn't have to act that way to teenagers," said Lillian Foster, coach of the Castlemont cheerleading squad. "They asked us not to come in because they thought all we wanted to do was pass out fliers."
Said Ethel Davis, grandmother to one student, "You have these kids trying to go to learn about computers and people are shunning them."
Strike one for Oracle community relations in the hometown of its arena. Oracle officials did not know about the visit and said contracted security guards, not Oracle employees, turned the students away.
"We would have gladly welcomed the students if we knew" in advance of their interest, said Bob Wynne, chief spokesman at Oracle. The squad later was hosted at a Warriors' basketball game and is in discussions with Oracle about a donation.
Still -- like Monster Cable -- Oracle learned a lesson. "Getting the naming rights has put more expectations on Monster to explain our actions as a business," said Daniel Graham, spokesman for Monster Cable.
Citing pressure from overseas competitors, Monster laid off 120 employees from its Brisbane plant in late October. Almost all of them were longtime employees of immigrant background and limited English skills, said San Francisco Supervisor Jake McGoldrick, who represents the district in which many laid-off workers live.
Now Monster Cable faces threats of losing naming rights to the 49ers stadium because of community anger over layoffs.
"He should take the letters M-O-N-S-T-E-R off the walls of that ballpark and we will gladly release him from the contract. He can use the money to help the workers," McGoldrick said of Monster Chief Executive Noel Lee. Lee founded the company 27 years ago in the Richmond district, which McGoldrick rep resents.
When Monster moved to Brisbane, many workers followed him. Monster gave four weeks severance pay and four weeks extended health benefits to the laid-off workers. But the workers want the same severance that Monster gave to previously laid-off workers, which is four weeks plus one week for every year an employee worked at Monster, according to McGoldrick and an association representing the workers.
"The City and County of San Francisco shares a special connection with your company since your name is attached to the stadium at Candlestick Point," Supervisors Aaron Peskin, McGoldrick and Ross Mirkarimi wrote to Monster Cable. "We have seriousÊconcerns about the layoffs. As a major employer in the Bay Area, Monster Cable's mass layoffs will be felt throughout the City and County."
Lee responded in a letter to the supervisors that four weeks of severance pay is more than what other manufacturers often do and that "we are one of the highest-paying employers in the local manufacturing industry" by paying $12 to $25 an hour. "To imply that we do not treat our people well is uninformed."
But sports marketing consultant Zennie Abraham, chief executive of Sports Business Simulations of Oakland, said the high public exposure a company gets from a sports stadium naming contract puts a higher obligation on that company to act on behalf of the community.
"The name is in the public's face and because that company is associated with a good organization -- for example, the Warriors -- the general expectation from the community is that the company is going to be good," Abraham said.
"Only a big company has enough money to demand that its name is placed on a facility, but they do it because they know they are going to get enormous marketing benefits," Abraham said. With that publicity, "it's absolutely inherent in naming-rights contracts (that) they open themselves up to community concerns."
In some stadium naming contracts, such as ones crafted by American Airlines in Dallas and FedEx in Landover, Md., the naming-rights contract comes with agreements to sponsor community programs in the city, he said. The most infamous mistake involving naming rights might have been Enron Park in Houston. After the Enron scandal erupted, the Astros quickly bought out the 30-year, $100 million naming-rights deal with Enron and found a new, more palatable sponsor, Minute Maid.
Thursday, December 07, 2006
NFL INJURY REPORT - WEDNESDAY | MARVIN HARRISON CLOSES IN ON 1,000
FOR USE AS DESIRED
NFL-PER-14A 12/6/06
MARVIN HARRISON CLOSES IN ON 1,000
Indianapolis Colts wide receiver MARVIN HARRISON has 995 receptions in his 11-year career. With five catches this Sunday against the Jacksonville Jaguars, Harrison will join JERRY RICE (1,549), CRIS CARTER (1,101) and TIM BROWN (1,094) as the only players in NFL history with 1,000 career receptions. Harrison will play in his 167th game this week and can reach 1,000 catches in the fewest games in league annals. Rice accomplished the feat in 181 games.
4=1
Following is a list of quarterback injuries for Week 14 Games:
Miami Dolphins Out Daunte Culpepper (Knee)
Minnesota Vikings Doubtful Brooks Bollinger (Left Shoulder)
Carolina Panthers Questionable Jake Delhomme (Right Thumb)
Cleveland Browns Questionable Charlie Frye (Right Wrist)
New England Patriots Probable Tom Brady (Right Shoulder)
New York Jets Probable Chad Pennington (Calf)
Philadelphia Eagles Probable Jeff Garcia (Neck)
St. Louis Rams ms Probable Marc Bulger (Ribs )
Following is a list of injured players for Week 14 Games:
CLEVELAND BROWNS AT PITTSBURGH STEELERS on Thursday
Cleveland Browns
OUT DE Orpheus Roye (Knee)
QUESTIONABLE QB Charlie Frye (Right Wrist); S Justin Hamilton (Back); CB
Jereme Perry (Knee); LB Mason Unck (Groin); TE Kellen
Winslow (Knee)
PROBABLE LB Willie McGinest (Pectoral); S Brian Russell (Elbow); LB
Chaun Thompson (Ankle); CB Leigh Bodden (Ankle)
Listed players who did not participate in ''team'' practice:
(Defined as missing any portion of 11-on-11 team work)
TUES Orpheus Roye; Charlie Frye; Mason Unck; Kellen Winslow
WED Orpheus Roye; Charlie Frye; Mason Unck
Pittsburgh Steelers
OUT WR Hines Ward (Knee); WR Cedrick Wilson (Ankle); S Troy
Polamalu (Knee); S Ryan Clark (Groin)
Listed players who did not participate in ''team'' practice:
(Defined as missing any portion of 11-on-11 team work)
TUES Hines Ward; Cedrick Wilson; Troy Polamalu; Ryan Clark
WED Hines Ward; Cedrick Wilson; Troy Polamalu; Ryan Clark
TENNESSEE TITANS AT HOUSTON TEXANS
Tennessee Titans
OUT DE Antwan Odom (Knee)
QUESTIONABLE RB LenDale White (Hip); TE Ben Hartsock (Hamstring); DE Josh
Savage (Hamstring); DT Robaire Smith (Hamstring); G Benji
Olson (Back)
Listed players who did not participate in ''team'' practice:
(Defined as missing any portion of 11-on-11 team work)
WED Antwan Odom; LenDale White; Josh Savage; Robaire Smith;
Benji Olson
Houston Texans
PROBABLE RB Jameel Cook (Knee); DT Thomas Johnson (Hamstring); DE
Anthony Weaver (Knee); DE Mario Williams (Foot)
Listed players who did not participate in ''team'' practice:
(Defined as missing any portion of 11-on-11 team work)
WED Jameel Cook; Anthony Weaver; Mario Williams
BALTIMORE RAVENS AT KANSAS CITY CHIEFS
Baltimore Ravens
DOUBTFUL LB Dan Cody (Knee); RB Musa Smith (Neck)
QUESTIONABLE LB Dennis Haley (Ankle); G Keydrick Vincent (Thigh); TE Daniel
Wilcox (Thigh)
Listed players who did not participate in ''team'' practice:
(Defined as missing any portion of 11-on-11 team work)
WED Dan Cody; Musa Smith; Dennis Haley; Keydrick Vincent; Daniel
Wilcox
Kansas City Chiefs
PROBABLE TE Tony Gonzalez (Shoulder); T Kyle Turley (Shoulder)
Listed players who did not participate in ''team'' practice:
(Defined as missing any portion of 11-on-11 team work)
WED Tony Gonzalez; Kyle Turley
NEW YORK GIANTS AT CAROLINA PANTHERS
New York Giants
OUT T Luke Petitgout (Fibula)
DOUBTFUL DE Michael Strahan (Foot)
QUESTIONABLE CB Corey Webster (Toe)
PROBABLE LB Antonio Pierce (Knee)
Listed players who did not participate in ''team'' practice:
(Defined as missing any portion of 11-on-11 team work)
WED Luke Petitgout; Michael Strahan; Corey Webster; Antonio Pierce
Carolina Panthers
QUESTIONABLE QB Jake Delhomme (Right Thumb); RB Nick Goings (Shoulder);
LB Brandon Jamison (Thigh); CB Ken Lucas (Thigh); TE Kris
Mangum (Hip); S Mike Minter (Knee)
PROBABLE WR Taye Biddle (Tooth); RB DeShaun Foster (Elbow); RB Brad
Hoover (Back); G Mike Wahle (Shoulder)
Listed players who did not participate in ''team'' practice:
(Defined as missing any portion of 11-on-11 team work)
WED Jake Delhomme; Nick Goings; Brandon Jamison; Ken Lucas; Kris
Mangum; Mike Minter; Taye Biddle
OAKLAND RAIDERS AT CINCINNATI BENGALS
Oakland Raiders
OUT T Robert Gallery (Elbow); RB LaMont Jordan (Knee)
DOUBTFUL WR Jerry Porter (Hip); DE Lance Johnstone (Knee); G Corey
Hulsey (Knee)
QUESTIONABLE G Barry Sims (Abdomen)
PROBABLE TE Randal Williams (Back); DT Anttaj Hawthorne (Shoulder); K
Sebastian Janikowski (Back)
Listed players who did not participate in ''team'' practice:
(Defined as missing any portion of 11-on-11 team work)
WED Practice Not Complete
Cincinnati Bengals
OUT T Levi Jones (Knee)
DOUBTFUL C Rich Braham (Knee)
QUESTIONABLE C Eric Ghiaciuc (Knee); WR Kelley Washington (Hamstring)
PROBABLE WR T.J. Houshmandzadeh (Back); DT Shaun Smith (Illness);
DT John Thornton (Knee); S John Busing (Knee); DT Sam
Adams (Knee)
Listed players who did not participate in ''team'' practice:
(Defined as missing any portion of 11-on-11 team work)
WED Levi Jones; Rich Braham; Eric Ghiaciuc; Kelley Washington; T.J.
Houshmandzadeh; Shaun Smith; John Thornton; Sam Adams
MINNESOTA VIKINGS AT DETROIT LIONS
Minnesota Vikings
DOUBTFUL RB Chester Taylor (Ribs); QB Brooks Bollinger (Left Shoulder)
QUESTIONABLE G Artis Hicks (Ankle)
PROBABLE C Matt Birk (Neck); T Marcus Johnson (Foot); TE Jermaine
Wiggins (Knee); DT Pat Williams (Knee); CB Cedric Griffin
(Neck); LB Napoleon Harris (Wrist); P Chris Kluwe (Wrist); WR
Marcus Robinson (Ankle)
Listed players who did not participate in ''team'' practice:
(Defined as missing any portion of 11-on-11 team work)
WED Chester Taylor; Brooks Bollinger; Artis Hicks; Matt Birk; Marcus
Johnson; Jermaine Wiggins; Pat Williams; Cedric Griffin;
Napoleon Harris; Chris Kluwe; Marcus Robinson
Detroit Lions
OUT DT Shaun Rogers (Knee/IR); CB Fernando Bryant (Concussion)
QUESTIONABLE WR Devale Ellis (Shoulder); LB Teddy Lehman (Hamstring)
PROBABLE T Jeff Backus (Foot)
Listed players who did not participate in ''team'' practice:
(Defined as missing any portion of 11-on-11 team work)
WED Shaun Rogers; Fernando Bryant; Teddy Lehman; Jeff Backus
INDIANAPOLIS COLTS AT JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS
Indianapolis Colts
OUT TE Dallas Clark (Knee)
QUESTIONABLE RB De De Dorsey (Quadricep); CB Antoine Bethea (Shoulder);
WR Brandon Stokley (Knee); S Bob Sanders (Knee); LB Keith
O'Neil (Ankle); DE Robert Mathis (Knee); T Ryan Diem
(Abdomen)
Listed players who did not participate in ''team'' practice:
(Defined as missing any portion of 11-on-11 team work)
WED Dallas Clark; Bob Sanders
Jacksonville Jaguars
PROBABLE G Vincent Manuwai (Wrist); RB Montell Owens (Shoulder); LB
Jorge Cordova (Hamstring); CB Terry Cousin (Groin); WR
Cortez Hankton (Hamstring); P Chris Hanson (Left Hamstring);
LB Clint Ingram (Shoulder); RB Maurice Jones-Drew
(Hamstring); CB Ahmad Carroll (Groin); LB Kenneth Pettway
(Knee); LB Daryl Smith (Shoulder); S Nick Sorensen
(Hamstring); DT Marcus Stroud (Ankle); CB Brian Williams
(Hamstring); RB Derrick Wimbush (Ankle); TE George Wrighster
(Shoulder)
Listed players who did not participate in ''team'' practice:
(Defined as missing any portion of 11-on-11 team work)
WED All Players Participated
ATLANTA FALCONS AT TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS
Atlanta Falcons
DOUBTFUL CB Jason Webster (Groin)
PROBABLE CB Jimmy Williams (Ankle); DE John Abraham (Groin); DT
Grady Jackson (Knee); T Todd Weiner (Knee)
Listed players who did not participate in ''team'' practice:
(Defined as missing any portion of 11-on-11 team work)
WED Jason Webster; John Abraham; Grady Jackson; Todd Weiner
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
QUESTIONABLE CB Juran Bolden (Quadricep); LB Shelton Quarles (Knee); TE
Alex Smith (Ankle); DT Ellis Wyms (Ankle)
Listed players who did not participate in ''team'' practice:
(Defined as missing any portion of 11-on-11 team work)
WED All Players Practiced
PHILADELPHIA EAGLES AT WASHINGTON REDSKINS
Philadelphia Eagles
QUESTIONABLE CB Roderick Hood (Hamstring); DE Darren Howard (Knee); S
Michael Lewis (Concussion)
PROBABLE LB Shawn Barber (Knee); QB Jeff Garcia (Neck); CB William
James (Knee); LB Matt McCoy (Shoulder); S Quintin Mikell
(Foot); LB Jason Short (Knee); RB Brian Westbrook (Toe)
Listed players who did not participate in ''team'' practice:
(Defined as missing any portion of 11-on-11 team work)
WED Roderick Hood; Darren Howard; Michael Lewis
Washington Redskins
QUESTIONABLE CB Kenny Wright (Knee); LB Khary Campbell (Hamstring)
PROBABLE S Troy Vincent (Hamstring); TE Todd Yoder (Thigh); DE Phillip
Daniels (Ankle); T Jon Jansen (Calf); C Casey Rabach (Shin)
Listed players who did not participate in ''team'' practice:
(Defined as missing any portion of 11-on-11 team work)
WED Kenny Wright; Todd Yoder; Jon Jansen; Casey Rabach
NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS AT MIAMI DOLPHINS
New England Patriots
OUT S Eugene Wilson (Groin); S Rodney Harrison (Shoulder)
QUESTIONABLE LB Eric Alexander (Shoulder); LB Don Davis (Knee); TE Daniel
Graham (Ankle); T Ryan O'Callaghan (Neck); CB Ellis Hobbs
(Wrist); WR Chad Jackson (Groin); RB Laurence Maroney
(Back)
PROBABLE QB Tom Brady (Right Shoulder); LB Corey Mays (Hamstring);
DE Richard Seymour (Elbow)
Listed players who did not participate in ''team'' practice:
(Defined as missing any portion of 11-on-11 team work)
WED Eugene Wilson; Rodney Harrison; Eric Alexander; Don Davis;
Daniel Graham; Ryan O'Callaghan; Ellis Hobbs; Chad Jackson;
Laurence Maroney
Miami Dolphins
OUT RB Ronnie Brown (Hand); QB Daunte Culpepper (Knee); G
Jeno James (Knee)
PROBABLE CB Will Allen (Groin); RB Sammy Morris (Ankle); WR Wes
Welker (Shoulder); DE Jason Taylor (Forearm); DT Keith Traylor
(Knee)
Listed players who did not participate in ''team'' practice:
(Defined as missing any portion of 11-on-11 team work)
WED Ronnie Brown; Daunte Culpepper; Jeno James
GREEN BAY PACKERS AT SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS
Green Bay Packers
DOUBTFUL T Mark Tauscher (Groin)
QUESTIONABLE RB P.J. Pope (Hamstring); LB Ben Taylor (Hamstring); TE David
Martin (Ribs)
PROBABLE LB Nick Barnett (Hand); CB Patrick Dendy (Concussion); RB
Noah Herron (Ankle); RB Ahman Green (Knee); CB Charles
Woodson (Shoulder)
Listed players who did not participate in ''team'' practice:
(Defined as missing any portion of 11-on-11 team work)
WED Mark Tauscher; David Martin; Ahman Green; Charles Woodson
San Francisco 49ers
OUT TE Eric Johnson (Knee); LB Derek Smith (Hamstring); T Adam
Snyder (Knee)
QUESTIONABLE DT Anthony Adams (Knee); CB Shawntae Spencer (Ankle)
PROBABLE T Jonas Jennings (Ankle)
Listed players who did not participate in ''team'' practice:
(Defined as missing any portion of 11-on-11 team work)
WED Eric Johnson; Derek Smith; Adam Snyder; Anthony Adams;
Shawntae Spencer; Jonas Jennings
DENVER BRONCOS AT SAN DIEGO CHARGERS
Denver Broncos
OUT RB Cecil Sapp (Ankle)
QUESTIONABLE TE Stephen Alexander (Ankle); K Jason Elam (Left Hamstring);
T Adam Meadows (Hamstring); LB Al Wilson (Neck)
PROBABLE S Hamza Abdullah (Hip); LB Keith Burns (Knee); DE Patrick
Chukwurah (Finger); G Ben Hamilton (Thigh); S Quentin Harris
(Finger); TE Nate Jackson (Ribs); TE Mike Leach (Thumb); WR
Brandon Marshall (Ankle); T Erik Pears (Ankle); TE Chad
Mustard (Shoulder); CB Darrent Williams (Shoulder); DT
Demetrin Veal (Knee)
Listed players who did not participate in ''team'' practice:
(Defined as missing any portion of 11-on-11 team work)
WED Practice Not Complete
San Diego Chargers
QUESTIONABLE G Kris Dielman (Ankle); WR Keenan McCardell (Calf); S Marlon
McCree (Calf); DE Luis Castillo (Ankle); WR Malcom Floyd
(Ankle); LB Randall Godfrey (Calf); S Clinton Hart (Ankle); DE
Derreck Robinson (Foot); RB Michael Turner (Hamstring)
PROBABLE WR Kassim Osgood (Elbow); S Bhawoh Jue (Knee); DE
Jacques Cesaire (Finger); LB Shaun Phillips (Calf)
Listed players who did not participate in ''team'' practice:
(Defined as missing any portion of 11-on-11 team work)
WED Practice Not Complete
SEATTLE SEAHAWKS AT ARIZONA CARDINALS
Seattle Seahawks
DOUBTFUL LB D.D. Lewis (Toe); C Robbie Tobeck (Hip); TE Itula Mili
(Concussion)
QUESTIONABLE RB Mack Strong (Ankle); WR Bobby Engram (Illness)
PROBABLE DT Rocky Bernard (Foot)
Listed players who did not participate in ''team'' practice:
(Defined as missing any portion of 11-on-11 team work)
WED Practice Not Complete
Arizona Cardinals
DOUBTFUL DT Kendrick Clancy (Ankle)
PROBABLE RB Marcel Shipp (Ribs); LB Brandon Johnson (Illness)
Listed players who did not participate in ''team'' practice:
(Defined as missing any portion of 11-on-11 team work)
WED Kendrick Clancy; Marcel Shipp; Brandon Johnson
BUFFALO BILLS AT NEW YORK JETS
Buffalo Bills
OUT LB Angelo Crowell (Fibula)
QUESTIONABLE LB John DiGiorgio (Ankle); RB Willis McGahee (Ankle); CB
Terrence McGee (Ankle)
Listed players who did not participate in ''team'' practice:
(Defined as missing any portion of 11-on-11 team work)
WED Angelo Crowell; John DiGiorgio; Willis McGahee; Terrence
McGee
New York Jets
QUESTIONABLE DE Bryan Thomas (Shoulder); RB B.J. Askew (Foot); CB David
Barrett (Hip); LB Matt Chatham (Foot); S Rashad Washington
(Illness); S Eric Smith (Foot)
PROBABLE RB Kevan Barlow (Calf); CB Andre Dyson (Thigh); DE Shaun
Ellis (Ankle); RB Cedric Houston (Knee); WR Justin McCareins
(Foot); DT Rashad Moore (Hand); QB Chad Pennington (Calf);
WR Brad Smith (Shoulder)
Listed players who did not participate in ''team'' practice:
(Defined as missing any portion of 11-on-11 team work)
WED Bryan Thomas; B.J. Askew; David Barrett; Matt Chatham;
Rashad Washington; Eric Smith
NEW ORLEANS SAINTS AT DALLAS COWBOYS
New Orleans Saints
DOUBTFUL RB Aaron Stecker (Hamstring)
QUESTIONABLE WR Marques Colston (Ankle); DE Will Smith (Knee); WR Joe
Horn (Groin)
PROBABLE T Jon Stinchcomb (Stomach); LB Scott Fujita (Ankle); RB
Reggie Bush (Shoulder)
Listed players who did not participate in ''team'' practice:
(Defined as missing any portion of 11-on-11 team work)
WED Aaron Stecker; Marques Colston; Joe Horn; Jon Stinchcomb;
Reggie Bush
Dallas Cowboys
No injuries to report
Listed players who did not participate in ''team'' practice:
(Defined as missing any portion of 11-on-11 team work)
WED All Players Participated
CHICAGO BEARS AT ST. LOUIS RAMS on Monday
Chicago Bears
OUT DT Tommie Harris (Knee)
QUESTIONABLE LB Leon Joe (Hamstring); S Todd Johnson (Ankle); CB Nathan
Vasher (Hamstring)
Listed players who did not participate in ''team'' practice:
(Defined as missing any portion of 11-on-11 team work)
WED Practice Not Conducted
St. Louis Rams
DOUBTFUL LB Isaiah Kacyvenski (Concussion)
QUESTIONABLE CB Tye Hill (Thigh); S Jerome Carter (Ankle); S Oshiomogho
Atogwe (Concussion); DE Victor Adeyanju (Forearm)
PROBABLE WR Kevin Curtis (Calf); RB Stephen Davis (Hamstring); WR
Torry Holt (Knee); QB Marc Bulger (Ribs); RB Paul Smith
(Neck); G Adam Timmerman (Ribs)
Listed players who did not participate in ''team'' practice:
(Defined as missing any portion of 11-on-11 team work)
WED Isaiah Kacyvenski; Tye Hill; ll; Jerome Carter; Oshiomogho Atogwe
NFL-PER-14A 12/6/06
MARVIN HARRISON CLOSES IN ON 1,000
Indianapolis Colts wide receiver MARVIN HARRISON has 995 receptions in his 11-year career. With five catches this Sunday against the Jacksonville Jaguars, Harrison will join JERRY RICE (1,549), CRIS CARTER (1,101) and TIM BROWN (1,094) as the only players in NFL history with 1,000 career receptions. Harrison will play in his 167th game this week and can reach 1,000 catches in the fewest games in league annals. Rice accomplished the feat in 181 games.
4=1
Following is a list of quarterback injuries for Week 14 Games:
Miami Dolphins Out Daunte Culpepper (Knee)
Minnesota Vikings Doubtful Brooks Bollinger (Left Shoulder)
Carolina Panthers Questionable Jake Delhomme (Right Thumb)
Cleveland Browns Questionable Charlie Frye (Right Wrist)
New England Patriots Probable Tom Brady (Right Shoulder)
New York Jets Probable Chad Pennington (Calf)
Philadelphia Eagles Probable Jeff Garcia (Neck)
St. Louis Rams ms Probable Marc Bulger (Ribs )
Following is a list of injured players for Week 14 Games:
CLEVELAND BROWNS AT PITTSBURGH STEELERS on Thursday
Cleveland Browns
OUT DE Orpheus Roye (Knee)
QUESTIONABLE QB Charlie Frye (Right Wrist); S Justin Hamilton (Back); CB
Jereme Perry (Knee); LB Mason Unck (Groin); TE Kellen
Winslow (Knee)
PROBABLE LB Willie McGinest (Pectoral); S Brian Russell (Elbow); LB
Chaun Thompson (Ankle); CB Leigh Bodden (Ankle)
Listed players who did not participate in ''team'' practice:
(Defined as missing any portion of 11-on-11 team work)
TUES Orpheus Roye; Charlie Frye; Mason Unck; Kellen Winslow
WED Orpheus Roye; Charlie Frye; Mason Unck
Pittsburgh Steelers
OUT WR Hines Ward (Knee); WR Cedrick Wilson (Ankle); S Troy
Polamalu (Knee); S Ryan Clark (Groin)
Listed players who did not participate in ''team'' practice:
(Defined as missing any portion of 11-on-11 team work)
TUES Hines Ward; Cedrick Wilson; Troy Polamalu; Ryan Clark
WED Hines Ward; Cedrick Wilson; Troy Polamalu; Ryan Clark
TENNESSEE TITANS AT HOUSTON TEXANS
Tennessee Titans
OUT DE Antwan Odom (Knee)
QUESTIONABLE RB LenDale White (Hip); TE Ben Hartsock (Hamstring); DE Josh
Savage (Hamstring); DT Robaire Smith (Hamstring); G Benji
Olson (Back)
Listed players who did not participate in ''team'' practice:
(Defined as missing any portion of 11-on-11 team work)
WED Antwan Odom; LenDale White; Josh Savage; Robaire Smith;
Benji Olson
Houston Texans
PROBABLE RB Jameel Cook (Knee); DT Thomas Johnson (Hamstring); DE
Anthony Weaver (Knee); DE Mario Williams (Foot)
Listed players who did not participate in ''team'' practice:
(Defined as missing any portion of 11-on-11 team work)
WED Jameel Cook; Anthony Weaver; Mario Williams
BALTIMORE RAVENS AT KANSAS CITY CHIEFS
Baltimore Ravens
DOUBTFUL LB Dan Cody (Knee); RB Musa Smith (Neck)
QUESTIONABLE LB Dennis Haley (Ankle); G Keydrick Vincent (Thigh); TE Daniel
Wilcox (Thigh)
Listed players who did not participate in ''team'' practice:
(Defined as missing any portion of 11-on-11 team work)
WED Dan Cody; Musa Smith; Dennis Haley; Keydrick Vincent; Daniel
Wilcox
Kansas City Chiefs
PROBABLE TE Tony Gonzalez (Shoulder); T Kyle Turley (Shoulder)
Listed players who did not participate in ''team'' practice:
(Defined as missing any portion of 11-on-11 team work)
WED Tony Gonzalez; Kyle Turley
NEW YORK GIANTS AT CAROLINA PANTHERS
New York Giants
OUT T Luke Petitgout (Fibula)
DOUBTFUL DE Michael Strahan (Foot)
QUESTIONABLE CB Corey Webster (Toe)
PROBABLE LB Antonio Pierce (Knee)
Listed players who did not participate in ''team'' practice:
(Defined as missing any portion of 11-on-11 team work)
WED Luke Petitgout; Michael Strahan; Corey Webster; Antonio Pierce
Carolina Panthers
QUESTIONABLE QB Jake Delhomme (Right Thumb); RB Nick Goings (Shoulder);
LB Brandon Jamison (Thigh); CB Ken Lucas (Thigh); TE Kris
Mangum (Hip); S Mike Minter (Knee)
PROBABLE WR Taye Biddle (Tooth); RB DeShaun Foster (Elbow); RB Brad
Hoover (Back); G Mike Wahle (Shoulder)
Listed players who did not participate in ''team'' practice:
(Defined as missing any portion of 11-on-11 team work)
WED Jake Delhomme; Nick Goings; Brandon Jamison; Ken Lucas; Kris
Mangum; Mike Minter; Taye Biddle
OAKLAND RAIDERS AT CINCINNATI BENGALS
Oakland Raiders
OUT T Robert Gallery (Elbow); RB LaMont Jordan (Knee)
DOUBTFUL WR Jerry Porter (Hip); DE Lance Johnstone (Knee); G Corey
Hulsey (Knee)
QUESTIONABLE G Barry Sims (Abdomen)
PROBABLE TE Randal Williams (Back); DT Anttaj Hawthorne (Shoulder); K
Sebastian Janikowski (Back)
Listed players who did not participate in ''team'' practice:
(Defined as missing any portion of 11-on-11 team work)
WED Practice Not Complete
Cincinnati Bengals
OUT T Levi Jones (Knee)
DOUBTFUL C Rich Braham (Knee)
QUESTIONABLE C Eric Ghiaciuc (Knee); WR Kelley Washington (Hamstring)
PROBABLE WR T.J. Houshmandzadeh (Back); DT Shaun Smith (Illness);
DT John Thornton (Knee); S John Busing (Knee); DT Sam
Adams (Knee)
Listed players who did not participate in ''team'' practice:
(Defined as missing any portion of 11-on-11 team work)
WED Levi Jones; Rich Braham; Eric Ghiaciuc; Kelley Washington; T.J.
Houshmandzadeh; Shaun Smith; John Thornton; Sam Adams
MINNESOTA VIKINGS AT DETROIT LIONS
Minnesota Vikings
DOUBTFUL RB Chester Taylor (Ribs); QB Brooks Bollinger (Left Shoulder)
QUESTIONABLE G Artis Hicks (Ankle)
PROBABLE C Matt Birk (Neck); T Marcus Johnson (Foot); TE Jermaine
Wiggins (Knee); DT Pat Williams (Knee); CB Cedric Griffin
(Neck); LB Napoleon Harris (Wrist); P Chris Kluwe (Wrist); WR
Marcus Robinson (Ankle)
Listed players who did not participate in ''team'' practice:
(Defined as missing any portion of 11-on-11 team work)
WED Chester Taylor; Brooks Bollinger; Artis Hicks; Matt Birk; Marcus
Johnson; Jermaine Wiggins; Pat Williams; Cedric Griffin;
Napoleon Harris; Chris Kluwe; Marcus Robinson
Detroit Lions
OUT DT Shaun Rogers (Knee/IR); CB Fernando Bryant (Concussion)
QUESTIONABLE WR Devale Ellis (Shoulder); LB Teddy Lehman (Hamstring)
PROBABLE T Jeff Backus (Foot)
Listed players who did not participate in ''team'' practice:
(Defined as missing any portion of 11-on-11 team work)
WED Shaun Rogers; Fernando Bryant; Teddy Lehman; Jeff Backus
INDIANAPOLIS COLTS AT JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS
Indianapolis Colts
OUT TE Dallas Clark (Knee)
QUESTIONABLE RB De De Dorsey (Quadricep); CB Antoine Bethea (Shoulder);
WR Brandon Stokley (Knee); S Bob Sanders (Knee); LB Keith
O'Neil (Ankle); DE Robert Mathis (Knee); T Ryan Diem
(Abdomen)
Listed players who did not participate in ''team'' practice:
(Defined as missing any portion of 11-on-11 team work)
WED Dallas Clark; Bob Sanders
Jacksonville Jaguars
PROBABLE G Vincent Manuwai (Wrist); RB Montell Owens (Shoulder); LB
Jorge Cordova (Hamstring); CB Terry Cousin (Groin); WR
Cortez Hankton (Hamstring); P Chris Hanson (Left Hamstring);
LB Clint Ingram (Shoulder); RB Maurice Jones-Drew
(Hamstring); CB Ahmad Carroll (Groin); LB Kenneth Pettway
(Knee); LB Daryl Smith (Shoulder); S Nick Sorensen
(Hamstring); DT Marcus Stroud (Ankle); CB Brian Williams
(Hamstring); RB Derrick Wimbush (Ankle); TE George Wrighster
(Shoulder)
Listed players who did not participate in ''team'' practice:
(Defined as missing any portion of 11-on-11 team work)
WED All Players Participated
ATLANTA FALCONS AT TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS
Atlanta Falcons
DOUBTFUL CB Jason Webster (Groin)
PROBABLE CB Jimmy Williams (Ankle); DE John Abraham (Groin); DT
Grady Jackson (Knee); T Todd Weiner (Knee)
Listed players who did not participate in ''team'' practice:
(Defined as missing any portion of 11-on-11 team work)
WED Jason Webster; John Abraham; Grady Jackson; Todd Weiner
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
QUESTIONABLE CB Juran Bolden (Quadricep); LB Shelton Quarles (Knee); TE
Alex Smith (Ankle); DT Ellis Wyms (Ankle)
Listed players who did not participate in ''team'' practice:
(Defined as missing any portion of 11-on-11 team work)
WED All Players Practiced
PHILADELPHIA EAGLES AT WASHINGTON REDSKINS
Philadelphia Eagles
QUESTIONABLE CB Roderick Hood (Hamstring); DE Darren Howard (Knee); S
Michael Lewis (Concussion)
PROBABLE LB Shawn Barber (Knee); QB Jeff Garcia (Neck); CB William
James (Knee); LB Matt McCoy (Shoulder); S Quintin Mikell
(Foot); LB Jason Short (Knee); RB Brian Westbrook (Toe)
Listed players who did not participate in ''team'' practice:
(Defined as missing any portion of 11-on-11 team work)
WED Roderick Hood; Darren Howard; Michael Lewis
Washington Redskins
QUESTIONABLE CB Kenny Wright (Knee); LB Khary Campbell (Hamstring)
PROBABLE S Troy Vincent (Hamstring); TE Todd Yoder (Thigh); DE Phillip
Daniels (Ankle); T Jon Jansen (Calf); C Casey Rabach (Shin)
Listed players who did not participate in ''team'' practice:
(Defined as missing any portion of 11-on-11 team work)
WED Kenny Wright; Todd Yoder; Jon Jansen; Casey Rabach
NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS AT MIAMI DOLPHINS
New England Patriots
OUT S Eugene Wilson (Groin); S Rodney Harrison (Shoulder)
QUESTIONABLE LB Eric Alexander (Shoulder); LB Don Davis (Knee); TE Daniel
Graham (Ankle); T Ryan O'Callaghan (Neck); CB Ellis Hobbs
(Wrist); WR Chad Jackson (Groin); RB Laurence Maroney
(Back)
PROBABLE QB Tom Brady (Right Shoulder); LB Corey Mays (Hamstring);
DE Richard Seymour (Elbow)
Listed players who did not participate in ''team'' practice:
(Defined as missing any portion of 11-on-11 team work)
WED Eugene Wilson; Rodney Harrison; Eric Alexander; Don Davis;
Daniel Graham; Ryan O'Callaghan; Ellis Hobbs; Chad Jackson;
Laurence Maroney
Miami Dolphins
OUT RB Ronnie Brown (Hand); QB Daunte Culpepper (Knee); G
Jeno James (Knee)
PROBABLE CB Will Allen (Groin); RB Sammy Morris (Ankle); WR Wes
Welker (Shoulder); DE Jason Taylor (Forearm); DT Keith Traylor
(Knee)
Listed players who did not participate in ''team'' practice:
(Defined as missing any portion of 11-on-11 team work)
WED Ronnie Brown; Daunte Culpepper; Jeno James
GREEN BAY PACKERS AT SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS
Green Bay Packers
DOUBTFUL T Mark Tauscher (Groin)
QUESTIONABLE RB P.J. Pope (Hamstring); LB Ben Taylor (Hamstring); TE David
Martin (Ribs)
PROBABLE LB Nick Barnett (Hand); CB Patrick Dendy (Concussion); RB
Noah Herron (Ankle); RB Ahman Green (Knee); CB Charles
Woodson (Shoulder)
Listed players who did not participate in ''team'' practice:
(Defined as missing any portion of 11-on-11 team work)
WED Mark Tauscher; David Martin; Ahman Green; Charles Woodson
San Francisco 49ers
OUT TE Eric Johnson (Knee); LB Derek Smith (Hamstring); T Adam
Snyder (Knee)
QUESTIONABLE DT Anthony Adams (Knee); CB Shawntae Spencer (Ankle)
PROBABLE T Jonas Jennings (Ankle)
Listed players who did not participate in ''team'' practice:
(Defined as missing any portion of 11-on-11 team work)
WED Eric Johnson; Derek Smith; Adam Snyder; Anthony Adams;
Shawntae Spencer; Jonas Jennings
DENVER BRONCOS AT SAN DIEGO CHARGERS
Denver Broncos
OUT RB Cecil Sapp (Ankle)
QUESTIONABLE TE Stephen Alexander (Ankle); K Jason Elam (Left Hamstring);
T Adam Meadows (Hamstring); LB Al Wilson (Neck)
PROBABLE S Hamza Abdullah (Hip); LB Keith Burns (Knee); DE Patrick
Chukwurah (Finger); G Ben Hamilton (Thigh); S Quentin Harris
(Finger); TE Nate Jackson (Ribs); TE Mike Leach (Thumb); WR
Brandon Marshall (Ankle); T Erik Pears (Ankle); TE Chad
Mustard (Shoulder); CB Darrent Williams (Shoulder); DT
Demetrin Veal (Knee)
Listed players who did not participate in ''team'' practice:
(Defined as missing any portion of 11-on-11 team work)
WED Practice Not Complete
San Diego Chargers
QUESTIONABLE G Kris Dielman (Ankle); WR Keenan McCardell (Calf); S Marlon
McCree (Calf); DE Luis Castillo (Ankle); WR Malcom Floyd
(Ankle); LB Randall Godfrey (Calf); S Clinton Hart (Ankle); DE
Derreck Robinson (Foot); RB Michael Turner (Hamstring)
PROBABLE WR Kassim Osgood (Elbow); S Bhawoh Jue (Knee); DE
Jacques Cesaire (Finger); LB Shaun Phillips (Calf)
Listed players who did not participate in ''team'' practice:
(Defined as missing any portion of 11-on-11 team work)
WED Practice Not Complete
SEATTLE SEAHAWKS AT ARIZONA CARDINALS
Seattle Seahawks
DOUBTFUL LB D.D. Lewis (Toe); C Robbie Tobeck (Hip); TE Itula Mili
(Concussion)
QUESTIONABLE RB Mack Strong (Ankle); WR Bobby Engram (Illness)
PROBABLE DT Rocky Bernard (Foot)
Listed players who did not participate in ''team'' practice:
(Defined as missing any portion of 11-on-11 team work)
WED Practice Not Complete
Arizona Cardinals
DOUBTFUL DT Kendrick Clancy (Ankle)
PROBABLE RB Marcel Shipp (Ribs); LB Brandon Johnson (Illness)
Listed players who did not participate in ''team'' practice:
(Defined as missing any portion of 11-on-11 team work)
WED Kendrick Clancy; Marcel Shipp; Brandon Johnson
BUFFALO BILLS AT NEW YORK JETS
Buffalo Bills
OUT LB Angelo Crowell (Fibula)
QUESTIONABLE LB John DiGiorgio (Ankle); RB Willis McGahee (Ankle); CB
Terrence McGee (Ankle)
Listed players who did not participate in ''team'' practice:
(Defined as missing any portion of 11-on-11 team work)
WED Angelo Crowell; John DiGiorgio; Willis McGahee; Terrence
McGee
New York Jets
QUESTIONABLE DE Bryan Thomas (Shoulder); RB B.J. Askew (Foot); CB David
Barrett (Hip); LB Matt Chatham (Foot); S Rashad Washington
(Illness); S Eric Smith (Foot)
PROBABLE RB Kevan Barlow (Calf); CB Andre Dyson (Thigh); DE Shaun
Ellis (Ankle); RB Cedric Houston (Knee); WR Justin McCareins
(Foot); DT Rashad Moore (Hand); QB Chad Pennington (Calf);
WR Brad Smith (Shoulder)
Listed players who did not participate in ''team'' practice:
(Defined as missing any portion of 11-on-11 team work)
WED Bryan Thomas; B.J. Askew; David Barrett; Matt Chatham;
Rashad Washington; Eric Smith
NEW ORLEANS SAINTS AT DALLAS COWBOYS
New Orleans Saints
DOUBTFUL RB Aaron Stecker (Hamstring)
QUESTIONABLE WR Marques Colston (Ankle); DE Will Smith (Knee); WR Joe
Horn (Groin)
PROBABLE T Jon Stinchcomb (Stomach); LB Scott Fujita (Ankle); RB
Reggie Bush (Shoulder)
Listed players who did not participate in ''team'' practice:
(Defined as missing any portion of 11-on-11 team work)
WED Aaron Stecker; Marques Colston; Joe Horn; Jon Stinchcomb;
Reggie Bush
Dallas Cowboys
No injuries to report
Listed players who did not participate in ''team'' practice:
(Defined as missing any portion of 11-on-11 team work)
WED All Players Participated
CHICAGO BEARS AT ST. LOUIS RAMS on Monday
Chicago Bears
OUT DT Tommie Harris (Knee)
QUESTIONABLE LB Leon Joe (Hamstring); S Todd Johnson (Ankle); CB Nathan
Vasher (Hamstring)
Listed players who did not participate in ''team'' practice:
(Defined as missing any portion of 11-on-11 team work)
WED Practice Not Conducted
St. Louis Rams
DOUBTFUL LB Isaiah Kacyvenski (Concussion)
QUESTIONABLE CB Tye Hill (Thigh); S Jerome Carter (Ankle); S Oshiomogho
Atogwe (Concussion); DE Victor Adeyanju (Forearm)
PROBABLE WR Kevin Curtis (Calf); RB Stephen Davis (Hamstring); WR
Torry Holt (Knee); QB Marc Bulger (Ribs); RB Paul Smith
(Neck); G Adam Timmerman (Ribs)
Listed players who did not participate in ''team'' practice:
(Defined as missing any portion of 11-on-11 team work)
WED Isaiah Kacyvenski; Tye Hill; ll; Jerome Carter; Oshiomogho Atogwe
NY Giants' LaVar Arrington to Testifiy in Court for Carl Poston
Another Great Piece by Mr. Staple-see my endnote:
LaVar to support agent before House
BY ARTHUR STAPLE
Newsday Staff Writer
December 7, 2006
LaVar Arrington will testify before a House subcommittee today on behalf of his agent, Carl Poston, who drew a two-year suspension from the NFL Players' Association for his representation of Arrington when he signed a contract with the Redskins in 2003.
The injured Giants linebacker, who thought he was cheated out of a $6.5-million roster bonus by the Redskins, yesterday lashed out at the union.
"They suspended [Poston] without a hearing, the NFLPA," he said. " ... They do a lot of foul stuff. It's like organized crime, to be honest with you. They are bad.
" ... Richard Berthelsen, general [counsel] of the NFLPA, was basically representing the Redskins. I'm a conspiracy-type guy. Then you've got a guy who's supposedly going to take Gene Upshaw's job, Troy Vincent, and he ends up in Washington with a good deal. Just seems like the whistle doesn't want to be blown. I know the PA does things they definitely shouldn't do. I don't think, by any stretch of the imagination, they have the best interests of the players at heart."
Poston was suspended after the NFLPA's committee on agent relations and conduct determined Poston erred in having Arrington sign the deal in which the roster bonus was omitted.
The hearing to which Arrington referred never took place, Berthelsen said. The case was settled and Arrington didn't get his money.
My take: i'm a union man and a moderate democrat, which may annoy some(sorry) but i can tell when union is acting like a Union and when it's only out to benefit itself. I was a rep. for the NYC teachers Union for over ten years(they leave something to be desired as well). Arrington isn't the first player to complain about Upshaw and Co. And they stopped calling themselfs a "UNion" a long time ago...so if a Player has an agent and a manager, why do they need a PA for?? Todays players aren't our fathers Players Playing in our parents NFL, when they needed the pensions they get. They is why it's more of a business now then it was 30 years ago..
LaVar to support agent before House
BY ARTHUR STAPLE
Newsday Staff Writer
December 7, 2006
LaVar Arrington will testify before a House subcommittee today on behalf of his agent, Carl Poston, who drew a two-year suspension from the NFL Players' Association for his representation of Arrington when he signed a contract with the Redskins in 2003.
The injured Giants linebacker, who thought he was cheated out of a $6.5-million roster bonus by the Redskins, yesterday lashed out at the union.
"They suspended [Poston] without a hearing, the NFLPA," he said. " ... They do a lot of foul stuff. It's like organized crime, to be honest with you. They are bad.
" ... Richard Berthelsen, general [counsel] of the NFLPA, was basically representing the Redskins. I'm a conspiracy-type guy. Then you've got a guy who's supposedly going to take Gene Upshaw's job, Troy Vincent, and he ends up in Washington with a good deal. Just seems like the whistle doesn't want to be blown. I know the PA does things they definitely shouldn't do. I don't think, by any stretch of the imagination, they have the best interests of the players at heart."
Poston was suspended after the NFLPA's committee on agent relations and conduct determined Poston erred in having Arrington sign the deal in which the roster bonus was omitted.
The hearing to which Arrington referred never took place, Berthelsen said. The case was settled and Arrington didn't get his money.
My take: i'm a union man and a moderate democrat, which may annoy some(sorry) but i can tell when union is acting like a Union and when it's only out to benefit itself. I was a rep. for the NYC teachers Union for over ten years(they leave something to be desired as well). Arrington isn't the first player to complain about Upshaw and Co. And they stopped calling themselfs a "UNion" a long time ago...so if a Player has an agent and a manager, why do they need a PA for?? Todays players aren't our fathers Players Playing in our parents NFL, when they needed the pensions they get. They is why it's more of a business now then it was 30 years ago..
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