It's all over the news and the blogs that Adam Schefter of the NFL Network reported that Oakland Raiders Head Coach Art Shell will not be back to coach the Silver and Black next season. It's also now all over the same news and blogs that Schefter's report was rejected by the Raiders and in a tone that can only be described as "testy."
The Raiders reportedly issued a press release with a message that looked like this:
"ADAM SCHEFTER HAS ALWAYS BEEN A FALSE RUMOR MONGERER WITH RESPECT TO THE RAIDERS AND ANTI-RAIDER BASED UPON HIS RELATIONSHIP WITH DENVER AND WITH MIKE SHANAHAN.
NO DECISIONS HAVE BEEN MADE RELATIVE TO THE 2007 OAKLAND RAIDERS NOR WILL THEY BE MADE FOR SOME TIME.
ADAM SCHEFTER COULD NOT HAVE GOTTEN HIS INFORMATION FROM A "RELIABLE SOURCE" BECAUSE THERE'S ONLY ONE RELIABLE SOURCE AND HE DOESN'T TRUST ADAM."
Ask Raiders fans if Shell should go or stay and you get a variety of answers and a mix of "yes" and "no" according to Raiderfans.net But all of the talk about this seems to mask one fact: the supposed source was a "High Placed" Raiders Official, so it's another case of "Here we go again" with the attacking news coming from inside the organization.
It reminds me of the movie "When A Stranger Calls" where the weird phone calls were coming from a weirdo who was inside the house the poor girl was at. That poor girl is Art Shell. But who the caller could be is anyone's guess: earlier in the season, some pointed to Raiders Senior Assistant Mike Lombardi. But regardless of the same, the Raiders organization once again takes a massive slap in the face for looking like a haven for backstabbers. It's a sad scene.
But with all of this, one area of the Raiders that is really good is in media relations, where Mike Taylor runs a tight ship. Yak it up, but remember, Mike's job is gate-keeper in the Raiders organization, and from that perspective, he's good at keeping the Raiders at Bay. Mike understands where the power is and leads from the position of being next to the ear of the leader, Al Davis. So, Mike's not the one to backstab. Forget it.
I think the backstabber person who is one to do so would be more able to work in stealth and without a normal job title.
Hmm......
Friday, December 22, 2006
From Newsday-A Farewell to Tiki Barber - By Bob Glauber
Farewell to Tiki
December 22, 2006
It dawned on Tiki Barber the morning after the Giants beat the Eagles with a dramatic comeback in Week 2. That's when he knew this would be his final season.
"I felt like I was 50 years old," Barber said Thursday. "I consciously told myself, 'I don't want to do this anymore. I want to move on with the rest of my life.' "
The Giants staged a remarkable fourth-quarter rally against the Eagles and beat their divisional rival in overtime. Barber was exhausted.
"Literally, the next morning, I couldn't pick my head up off my pillow because I had an injury to my neck and back," he said. "My kids wanted to play with me, but all I could do was lay in bed. Jeremiah Trotter hit me like 20 times. I was tired. I was beat up. I didn't recover from that game until probably the next Saturday."
He thought seriously about life after football, and about some of the great players who are living with the wounds of their NFL careers. He did not want to be one of them.
"I don't want to be like Earl Campbell when I'm 50, not being able to walk, especially with all the opportunities that I have, that I have a passion for," said Barber, who plans a career as a television broadcaster.
After that, it was over. .Barber knew he still had enough left to give his best for the rest of the season, but he knew he could go no further. On Sunday, he will walk out of the tunnel against the Saints knowing it will be his final game at Giants Stadium.
"This is a stadium I've been coming to for 10 years, and there are tons of memories for me," he said. "But I think the emotion won't come until later, because I'm so focused on my job and the things I need to do."
But Giants fans should be very emotional about the most productive running back in franchise history. They should chant his name over and over, knowing this will be the last time they see him at the stadium where he produced so many memorable moments.
"Very special, very emotional, to be honest with you," coach Tom Coughlin said after practice. "It will be a very special day for all Giants fans, the last day that Tiki plays in Giants Stadium."
Coughlin and Barber have had their differences over the years, especially with Barber's occasional public criticism of the coaching staff, particularly after last season's playoff loss to Carolina. But Barber insists their relationship is misunderstood, and he shared a story rarely told.
"People think we're combative and that because of my personality and his personality we don't get along," Barber said. "His first season, my son had problems with high fevers and ear infections, and he had a seizure when we played our first game in 2004. was great. He pulled me aside and said, 'Whatever you need to do, you go do it. If you have to leave, leave.'
"We formed a bond there that most people aren't aware of, and it opened a dialogue on a non-player/coach relationship, and it allows us to have a better .relationship as a player/coach."
Bottom line: Barber has .enjoyed his greatest years under Coughlin, to the point that his 10-season career is worthy of Hall of Fame consideration. Even if he believes that he won't be the Barber to get into Canton.
"I see myself walking up to that podium and introducing my brother into the Hall of Fame," Barber said of his twin, Bucs cornerback Ronde.
"People say if I don't make it to the Hall of Fame that he was a pretty good player. That's all that matters. I never played this game to be a Hall of Famer. I played it to try to win championships. I went to one; we lost to the Ravens. I want to get back again. If that doesn't happen, it doesn't happen. But I won't define my life whether or not I win a championship or get to the Hall of Fame."
So many great games. So many splendid memories. But there's one that stands out from all the rest.
"A lot of people will point to that beautiful game we played in the 2000 NFC Championship Game when we beat the Vikings, or the Kansas City game last year where I set the single-game rushing record," Barber said.
"But I think my greatest is when we played the Redskins that same year, after Wellington Mara passed away and I had an opportunity to do something a lot of guys don't get to do, which is thank the Mara family for what they've been to me and to my career the only way I can: by putting on a great performance [206 rushing yards], scoring a touchdown and giving the ball to his grandson, and saying, 'This is for you. I love you guys, and thank you.' You can't write it any better than that."
No, you cannot. Unless there is an unexpected run to the Super Bowl this season, especially when the Giants look like they just don't have it in them.
That's why Giants fans must appreciate Sunday all the more. It's their last time to pay homage to one of the greatest players in franchise history. One final time to chant his name and salute his legacy.
Thursday, December 21, 2006
New York's "21" Club Loses A Legend - Jerry Berns - NY Times
This NY Times article was sent to me by my friend Mike Dotterer, who I took to dinner at 21 this year. It's my favorite restaurant in all the World.
Jerry Berns, '21' Club’s Pre-eminent Greeter, Is Dead at 99
By TIM WEINER
Published: December 22, 2006
Jerry Berns, a proprietor of the “21” Club for a half-century and the last link to the restaurant’s past as Manhattan’s most celebrated speakeasy, died yesterday in Rancho Mirage, Calif. He was 99 and had homes in Rancho Mirage, Manhattan and Southampton, N.Y.
At top, Jerry Berns, right, and H. Peter Kriendler in 1985. Above, Artie D. DiRusso, a doorman, early that year trying to find a taxi for a patron.
His daughter, Cecily Berns Rosenthal, his banquet manager for 14 years, noted that he died on Dec. 21. The cause, she said, was complications of surgery.
Under a ceiling hung with toy planes and trucks, Mr. Berns, his brother, Charlie, and their cousin, H. Peter Kriendler, created a center of Manhattan’s social swirl at “21.”
For the better part of the 20th century, Mr. Berns and his two partners were the faces of “21.” He received the most powerful people in the nation as they arrived at the restaurant, housed in a brownstone at 21 West 52nd Street, walked past an honor guard of lawn jockeys and stepped inside. He was a host to every president of the United States from Franklin D. Roosevelt to Jimmy Carter, the chiefs of corporate America, potentates and panjandrums. He made a practice of kissing prominent women on both cheeks.
Some well-heeled regulars ate at “21” almost every day for 50 years, and the ever-present Mr. Berns helped make the club a tradition through generations. Couples celebrated the birth of a child by stocking wine to be opened when the newborn turned 21. The consummation of a business deal or a love affair was a cause for a table for two.
The best tables at “21” were in the original building; the outer-room Siberias opened when the restaurant expanded two doors down on 52nd Street. Mr. Berns knew who sat where, whether it was Ernest Hemingway, Frank Sinatra or Humphrey Bogart, who proposed to Lauren Bacall in the restaurant.
More than once, his daughter said, Mr. Berns averted disaster by making sure that the third party in a love triangle was seated out of sight.
Mr. Berns saw “21” evolve from a clandestine saloon to a grand salon. Before World War II, writers and actors and slumming millionaires drank elbow-to-elbow. Groucho Marx might rub shoulders with J. Paul Getty. After the war, the scene began to shift to brokers, bankers and the business elite.
The rooms smelled of cigars and money. The place practically invented the power lunch. It was very likely the first restaurant to charge $21 for a hamburger, a pinnacle it hit 21 years ago. It was perhaps the priciest place in the world to chow down on chicken hash.
The menu became fancier but the aura faded after the Berns and Kriendler families sold the restaurant to a business magnate in 1985 for $21 million. But “21” was never about the food. It was about the mood.
Herman Jerome Bernfeld was born on Feb. 19, 1907, one block north and five blocks west of “21” in the Hell’s Kitchen section of Manhattan. His parents had emigrated from what is now Poland. His father, Abraham, was a tinsmith who made the old-fashioned ceilings still found in Manhattan tenements.
His brother, Charlie, ran a string of speakeasies that were “21” precursors. His mother, Sophia, demanded that Jerry leave Columbia College to avoid the risks of running rum in New York. Sent to Ohio, Mr. Berns received an undergraduate degree in English from the University of Cincinnati in 1929.
His first wife, the former Martha Baeffsky, died in 1976 after 45 years of marriage. Their daughter Diane died in 1986. He married Suzanne Pogany in 1977; she died in 2000. In addition to Mrs. Rosenthal, he is survived by his wife, the former Dorothy Lyons, whom he married in 2005; six grandchildren and six great-grandchildren. Charlie Berns died in 1970; H. Peter Kriendler in 2001.
The club opened at its present address on New Year’s Day 1930. In 1938, Jerry Berns, then the drama critic for The Cincinnati Enquirer, left the footlights of the Midwest for the grander stage on 52nd Street. For more than 12,000 nights thereafter, he was the first man the guests of the “21” Club met after they checked their hats and coats.
More Articles in New York Region »
Jerry Berns, '21' Club’s Pre-eminent Greeter, Is Dead at 99
By TIM WEINER
Published: December 22, 2006
Jerry Berns, a proprietor of the “21” Club for a half-century and the last link to the restaurant’s past as Manhattan’s most celebrated speakeasy, died yesterday in Rancho Mirage, Calif. He was 99 and had homes in Rancho Mirage, Manhattan and Southampton, N.Y.
At top, Jerry Berns, right, and H. Peter Kriendler in 1985. Above, Artie D. DiRusso, a doorman, early that year trying to find a taxi for a patron.
His daughter, Cecily Berns Rosenthal, his banquet manager for 14 years, noted that he died on Dec. 21. The cause, she said, was complications of surgery.
Under a ceiling hung with toy planes and trucks, Mr. Berns, his brother, Charlie, and their cousin, H. Peter Kriendler, created a center of Manhattan’s social swirl at “21.”
For the better part of the 20th century, Mr. Berns and his two partners were the faces of “21.” He received the most powerful people in the nation as they arrived at the restaurant, housed in a brownstone at 21 West 52nd Street, walked past an honor guard of lawn jockeys and stepped inside. He was a host to every president of the United States from Franklin D. Roosevelt to Jimmy Carter, the chiefs of corporate America, potentates and panjandrums. He made a practice of kissing prominent women on both cheeks.
Some well-heeled regulars ate at “21” almost every day for 50 years, and the ever-present Mr. Berns helped make the club a tradition through generations. Couples celebrated the birth of a child by stocking wine to be opened when the newborn turned 21. The consummation of a business deal or a love affair was a cause for a table for two.
The best tables at “21” were in the original building; the outer-room Siberias opened when the restaurant expanded two doors down on 52nd Street. Mr. Berns knew who sat where, whether it was Ernest Hemingway, Frank Sinatra or Humphrey Bogart, who proposed to Lauren Bacall in the restaurant.
More than once, his daughter said, Mr. Berns averted disaster by making sure that the third party in a love triangle was seated out of sight.
Mr. Berns saw “21” evolve from a clandestine saloon to a grand salon. Before World War II, writers and actors and slumming millionaires drank elbow-to-elbow. Groucho Marx might rub shoulders with J. Paul Getty. After the war, the scene began to shift to brokers, bankers and the business elite.
The rooms smelled of cigars and money. The place practically invented the power lunch. It was very likely the first restaurant to charge $21 for a hamburger, a pinnacle it hit 21 years ago. It was perhaps the priciest place in the world to chow down on chicken hash.
The menu became fancier but the aura faded after the Berns and Kriendler families sold the restaurant to a business magnate in 1985 for $21 million. But “21” was never about the food. It was about the mood.
Herman Jerome Bernfeld was born on Feb. 19, 1907, one block north and five blocks west of “21” in the Hell’s Kitchen section of Manhattan. His parents had emigrated from what is now Poland. His father, Abraham, was a tinsmith who made the old-fashioned ceilings still found in Manhattan tenements.
His brother, Charlie, ran a string of speakeasies that were “21” precursors. His mother, Sophia, demanded that Jerry leave Columbia College to avoid the risks of running rum in New York. Sent to Ohio, Mr. Berns received an undergraduate degree in English from the University of Cincinnati in 1929.
His first wife, the former Martha Baeffsky, died in 1976 after 45 years of marriage. Their daughter Diane died in 1986. He married Suzanne Pogany in 1977; she died in 2000. In addition to Mrs. Rosenthal, he is survived by his wife, the former Dorothy Lyons, whom he married in 2005; six grandchildren and six great-grandchildren. Charlie Berns died in 1970; H. Peter Kriendler in 2001.
The club opened at its present address on New Year’s Day 1930. In 1938, Jerry Berns, then the drama critic for The Cincinnati Enquirer, left the footlights of the Midwest for the grander stage on 52nd Street. For more than 12,000 nights thereafter, he was the first man the guests of the “21” Club met after they checked their hats and coats.
More Articles in New York Region »
Pro Bowl Rosters
AFC
OFFENSE
Position Player Team
WR Marvin Harrison Indianapolis Colts
WR Andre Johnson Houston Texans
WR Chad Johnson Cincinnati Bengals
WR Reggie Wayne Indianapolis Colts
OT Willie Anderson Cincinnati Bengals
OT Tarik Glenn Indianapolis Colts
OT Jonathan Ogden Baltimore Ravens
OG Alan Faneca Pittsburgh Steelers
OG Will Shields Kansas City Chiefs
OG Brian Waters Kansas City Chiefs
C Nick Hardwick San Diego Chargers
C Jeff Saturday Indianapolis Colts
TE Antonio Gates San Diego Chargers
TE Tony Gonzalez Kansas City Chiefs
QB Peyton Manning Indianapolis Colts
QB Carson Palmer Cincinnati Bengals
QB Philip Rivers San Diego Chargers
RB Larry Johnson Kansas City Chiefs
RB Willie Parker Pittsburgh Steelers
RB LaDainian Tomlinson San Diego Chargers
FB Lorenzo Neal San Diego Chargers
DEFENSE/SPECIAL TEAMS
Position Player Team
DE Derrick Burgess Oakland Raiders
DE Aaron Schobel Buffalo Bills
DE Jason Taylor Miami Dolphins
DL Casey Hampton Pittsburgh Steelers
DL Richard Seymour New England Patriots
DL Jamal Williams San Diego Chargers
OLB Shawne Merriman San Diego Chargers
OLB Terrell Suggs Baltimore Ravens
OLB Adalius Thomas Baltimore Ravens
ILB Zach Thomas Miami Dolphins
ILB Al Wilson Denver Broncos
CB Champ Bailey Denver Broncos
CB Rashean Mathis Jacksonville Jaguars
CB Chris McAlister Baltimore Ravens
SS Troy Polamalu Pittsburgh Steelers
FS John Lynch Denver Broncos
FS Ed Reed Baltimore Ravens
PK Nate Kaeding San Diego Chargers
KR Justin Miller New York Jets
Special teams Kassim Osgood San Diego Chargers
NFC
OFFENSE
Position Player Team
WR Anquan Boldin Arizona Cardinals
WR Donald Driver Green Bay Packers
WR Torry Holt St. Louis Rams
WR Steve Smith Carolina Panthers
OT Jammal Brown New Orleans Saints
OT Walter Jones Seattle Seahawks
OT Chris Samuels Washington Redskins
OG Shawn Andrews Philadelphia Eagles
OG Steve Hutchinson Minnesota Vikings
C Matt Birk Minnesota Vikings
C Olin Kreutz Chicago Bears
TE Alge Crumpler Atlanta Falcons
TE Jeremy Shockey New York Giants
QB Drew Brees New Orleans Saints
QB Marc Bulger St. Louis Rams
QB Tony Romo Dallas Cowboys
RB Tiki Barber New York Giants
RB Frank Gore San Francisco 49ers
RB Steven Jackson St. Louis Rams
FB Mack Strong Seattle Seahawks
DEFENSE/SPECIAL TEAMS
Position Player Team
DE Aaron Kampman Green Bay Packers
DE Julius Peppers Carolina Panthers
DE Will Smith New Orleans Saints
DL Tommie Harris Chicago Bears
DL Kris Jenkins Carolina Panthers
DL Kevin Williams Minnesota Vikings
OLB Lance Briggs Chicago Bears
OLB Julian Peterson Seattle Seahawks
OLB DeMarcus Ware Dallas Cowboys
ILB Lofa Tatupu Seattle Seahawks
ILB Brian Urlacher Chicago Bears
CB Ronde Barber Tampa Bay Buccaneers
CB DeAngelo Hall Atlanta Falcons
CB Lito Sheppard Philadelphia Eagles
SS Roy Williams Dallas Cowboys
SS Adrian Wilson Arizona Cardinals
FS Brian Dawkins Philadelphia Eagles
PK Robbie Gould Chicago Bears
KR Devin Hester Chicago Bears
Special teams Brendon Ayanbadejo Chicago Bears
OFFENSE
Position Player Team
WR Marvin Harrison Indianapolis Colts
WR Andre Johnson Houston Texans
WR Chad Johnson Cincinnati Bengals
WR Reggie Wayne Indianapolis Colts
OT Willie Anderson Cincinnati Bengals
OT Tarik Glenn Indianapolis Colts
OT Jonathan Ogden Baltimore Ravens
OG Alan Faneca Pittsburgh Steelers
OG Will Shields Kansas City Chiefs
OG Brian Waters Kansas City Chiefs
C Nick Hardwick San Diego Chargers
C Jeff Saturday Indianapolis Colts
TE Antonio Gates San Diego Chargers
TE Tony Gonzalez Kansas City Chiefs
QB Peyton Manning Indianapolis Colts
QB Carson Palmer Cincinnati Bengals
QB Philip Rivers San Diego Chargers
RB Larry Johnson Kansas City Chiefs
RB Willie Parker Pittsburgh Steelers
RB LaDainian Tomlinson San Diego Chargers
FB Lorenzo Neal San Diego Chargers
DEFENSE/SPECIAL TEAMS
Position Player Team
DE Derrick Burgess Oakland Raiders
DE Aaron Schobel Buffalo Bills
DE Jason Taylor Miami Dolphins
DL Casey Hampton Pittsburgh Steelers
DL Richard Seymour New England Patriots
DL Jamal Williams San Diego Chargers
OLB Shawne Merriman San Diego Chargers
OLB Terrell Suggs Baltimore Ravens
OLB Adalius Thomas Baltimore Ravens
ILB Zach Thomas Miami Dolphins
ILB Al Wilson Denver Broncos
CB Champ Bailey Denver Broncos
CB Rashean Mathis Jacksonville Jaguars
CB Chris McAlister Baltimore Ravens
SS Troy Polamalu Pittsburgh Steelers
FS John Lynch Denver Broncos
FS Ed Reed Baltimore Ravens
PK Nate Kaeding San Diego Chargers
KR Justin Miller New York Jets
Special teams Kassim Osgood San Diego Chargers
NFC
OFFENSE
Position Player Team
WR Anquan Boldin Arizona Cardinals
WR Donald Driver Green Bay Packers
WR Torry Holt St. Louis Rams
WR Steve Smith Carolina Panthers
OT Jammal Brown New Orleans Saints
OT Walter Jones Seattle Seahawks
OT Chris Samuels Washington Redskins
OG Shawn Andrews Philadelphia Eagles
OG Steve Hutchinson Minnesota Vikings
C Matt Birk Minnesota Vikings
C Olin Kreutz Chicago Bears
TE Alge Crumpler Atlanta Falcons
TE Jeremy Shockey New York Giants
QB Drew Brees New Orleans Saints
QB Marc Bulger St. Louis Rams
QB Tony Romo Dallas Cowboys
RB Tiki Barber New York Giants
RB Frank Gore San Francisco 49ers
RB Steven Jackson St. Louis Rams
FB Mack Strong Seattle Seahawks
DEFENSE/SPECIAL TEAMS
Position Player Team
DE Aaron Kampman Green Bay Packers
DE Julius Peppers Carolina Panthers
DE Will Smith New Orleans Saints
DL Tommie Harris Chicago Bears
DL Kris Jenkins Carolina Panthers
DL Kevin Williams Minnesota Vikings
OLB Lance Briggs Chicago Bears
OLB Julian Peterson Seattle Seahawks
OLB DeMarcus Ware Dallas Cowboys
ILB Lofa Tatupu Seattle Seahawks
ILB Brian Urlacher Chicago Bears
CB Ronde Barber Tampa Bay Buccaneers
CB DeAngelo Hall Atlanta Falcons
CB Lito Sheppard Philadelphia Eagles
SS Roy Williams Dallas Cowboys
SS Adrian Wilson Arizona Cardinals
FS Brian Dawkins Philadelphia Eagles
PK Robbie Gould Chicago Bears
KR Devin Hester Chicago Bears
Special teams Brendon Ayanbadejo Chicago Bears
Wednesday, December 20, 2006
Pro Bowl Selections - What, No Chad Pennington??
Look for my comments at the end.....
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
December 19, 2006, 7:52 PM EST
The San Diego Chargers and Chicago Bears lead the NFL in wins -- and Pro Bowlers.
The Chargers placed nine players on the AFC squad Tuesday and the Bears had seven on the NFC team, which also includes a quarterback -- Dallas' Tony Romo -- who wasn't a starter when the season began.
San Diego's contingent includes quarterback Philip Rivers, who sat on the bench for his first two seasons behind Drew Brees. The former Chargers quarterback signed as a free agent with New Orleans in the offseason and will start for the NFC.
Also among the players representing the Chargers is linebacker Shawne Merriman, last year's defensive rookie of the year, who made it despite missing four games for flunking a steroid test.
"I'm very proud of our team and players," said general manager A.J. Smith of the Chargers, who like the Bears are 12-2. "We have a special group of players. These individuals are being recognized, but this is also a positive reflection on their teammates and the overall strength and depth of the entire roster."
The game will be played in Honolulu on Feb. 10.
Chicago's representatives demonstrate how the Bears won: with defense and special teams.
Three of the seven Bears, led by linebacker Brian Urlacher, are on defense and three are on special teams -- kicker Robbie Gould, specialist Brendan Ayanbadejo and rookie return man Devin Hester, who has shattered records with six returns for touchdowns on three punts, two kickoffs and a missed field goal.
Center Olin Kreutz, a perennial at his position, is the only Bears Pro Bowler on offense.
The NFC team also includes the Barber twins -- running back Tiki of the New York Giants and Ronde of Tampa Bay. The first twins to make it together, they now become the second set of brothers to make the Pro Bowl for three straight seasons -- Shannon and Sterling Sharpe from 1993-95 are the others.
"With this being my final season in the NFL and the final time my brother Ronde and I will be teammates, the honor carries even more significance than in previous years," said Tiki Barber, who described himself as "emotional and ecstatic."
In a year of outstanding rookies, Hester is the only one to make it, although Tennessee quarterback Vince Young is an alternate.
And Romo is almost a rookie. Until this season, he hadn't thrown a pass in three seasons with Dallas, mostly as a third-stringer.
But he is 6-2 as a starter since taking over from Drew Bledsoe at halftime of a loss to the Giants, leading the team to a playoff berth and control of the NFC East. When his potential selection to the Pro Bowl came up after his fourth start, coach Bill Parcells called it "ludicrous."
Like Kreutz, Urlacher and the Barbers, many of the Pro Bowlers are perennials although Ray Lewis of the Ravens didn't make it -- beaten out at inside linebacker on the AFC roster by Al Wilson of Denver and Zach Thomas of Miami.
One non-perennial is Reggie Wayne of the Colts, one of the league's best receivers for the past few years but always in the shadow of Marvin Harrison and never before a Pro Bowler.
"I really didn't think he would make it, not that he didn't deserve it," Colts coach Tony Dungy said. "But it's a tough perception to overcome -- that your No. 2 receiver is better than 28 other receivers in the league."
Harrison also made it, although he is a backup to the two Johnsons who will start at wide receiver -- Chad of Cincinnati and Andre of Houston.
Buffalo linebacker Aaron Schobel and Pittsburgh running back Willie Parker are two of the nine first-time selections on the AFC squad, including Rivers and Wayne.
"From this day on, I guess I'll always be remembered as a Pro Bowler," Schobel said. "That's something nobody can take away from me."
Arizona safety Adrian Wilson joined 12 others, including Romo, Hester, Gould, San Francisco running back Frank Gore and St. Louis running back Steven Jackson as first-timers on the NFC team.
Wilson said he got a phone call from Cardinals vice president Michael Bidwill on Tuesday afternoon.
"I had to go in the closet because I didn't want to scare my son," Wilson said. "I was pretty ecstatic."
The position with the most repeaters is traditionally the offensive line.
Guard Will Shields of Kansas City will go for the 12th time, tying a mark held by former Viking Randall McDaniel, also a guard. Another guard, Pittsburgh's Alan Faneca, will represent the AFC for the sixth straight time.
The AFC quarterbacks in addition to Rivers are the Colts' Peyton Manning, who'll start, and the Bengals' Carson Palmer.
The Rams' Marc Bulger joins Brees and Romo as the NFC's quarterbacks.
And My Spin: What, No Chad Pennington?? there are about 5 or 6 others that come to mind but The Chadster is the most glaring omission from the AFC squad. Also Jets Rookie Center Nick Mangold has Made people forget Kevin Mahwae ever played there. BC(draftnik)
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
December 19, 2006, 7:52 PM EST
The San Diego Chargers and Chicago Bears lead the NFL in wins -- and Pro Bowlers.
The Chargers placed nine players on the AFC squad Tuesday and the Bears had seven on the NFC team, which also includes a quarterback -- Dallas' Tony Romo -- who wasn't a starter when the season began.
San Diego's contingent includes quarterback Philip Rivers, who sat on the bench for his first two seasons behind Drew Brees. The former Chargers quarterback signed as a free agent with New Orleans in the offseason and will start for the NFC.
Also among the players representing the Chargers is linebacker Shawne Merriman, last year's defensive rookie of the year, who made it despite missing four games for flunking a steroid test.
"I'm very proud of our team and players," said general manager A.J. Smith of the Chargers, who like the Bears are 12-2. "We have a special group of players. These individuals are being recognized, but this is also a positive reflection on their teammates and the overall strength and depth of the entire roster."
The game will be played in Honolulu on Feb. 10.
Chicago's representatives demonstrate how the Bears won: with defense and special teams.
Three of the seven Bears, led by linebacker Brian Urlacher, are on defense and three are on special teams -- kicker Robbie Gould, specialist Brendan Ayanbadejo and rookie return man Devin Hester, who has shattered records with six returns for touchdowns on three punts, two kickoffs and a missed field goal.
Center Olin Kreutz, a perennial at his position, is the only Bears Pro Bowler on offense.
The NFC team also includes the Barber twins -- running back Tiki of the New York Giants and Ronde of Tampa Bay. The first twins to make it together, they now become the second set of brothers to make the Pro Bowl for three straight seasons -- Shannon and Sterling Sharpe from 1993-95 are the others.
"With this being my final season in the NFL and the final time my brother Ronde and I will be teammates, the honor carries even more significance than in previous years," said Tiki Barber, who described himself as "emotional and ecstatic."
In a year of outstanding rookies, Hester is the only one to make it, although Tennessee quarterback Vince Young is an alternate.
And Romo is almost a rookie. Until this season, he hadn't thrown a pass in three seasons with Dallas, mostly as a third-stringer.
But he is 6-2 as a starter since taking over from Drew Bledsoe at halftime of a loss to the Giants, leading the team to a playoff berth and control of the NFC East. When his potential selection to the Pro Bowl came up after his fourth start, coach Bill Parcells called it "ludicrous."
Like Kreutz, Urlacher and the Barbers, many of the Pro Bowlers are perennials although Ray Lewis of the Ravens didn't make it -- beaten out at inside linebacker on the AFC roster by Al Wilson of Denver and Zach Thomas of Miami.
One non-perennial is Reggie Wayne of the Colts, one of the league's best receivers for the past few years but always in the shadow of Marvin Harrison and never before a Pro Bowler.
"I really didn't think he would make it, not that he didn't deserve it," Colts coach Tony Dungy said. "But it's a tough perception to overcome -- that your No. 2 receiver is better than 28 other receivers in the league."
Harrison also made it, although he is a backup to the two Johnsons who will start at wide receiver -- Chad of Cincinnati and Andre of Houston.
Buffalo linebacker Aaron Schobel and Pittsburgh running back Willie Parker are two of the nine first-time selections on the AFC squad, including Rivers and Wayne.
"From this day on, I guess I'll always be remembered as a Pro Bowler," Schobel said. "That's something nobody can take away from me."
Arizona safety Adrian Wilson joined 12 others, including Romo, Hester, Gould, San Francisco running back Frank Gore and St. Louis running back Steven Jackson as first-timers on the NFC team.
Wilson said he got a phone call from Cardinals vice president Michael Bidwill on Tuesday afternoon.
"I had to go in the closet because I didn't want to scare my son," Wilson said. "I was pretty ecstatic."
The position with the most repeaters is traditionally the offensive line.
Guard Will Shields of Kansas City will go for the 12th time, tying a mark held by former Viking Randall McDaniel, also a guard. Another guard, Pittsburgh's Alan Faneca, will represent the AFC for the sixth straight time.
The AFC quarterbacks in addition to Rivers are the Colts' Peyton Manning, who'll start, and the Bengals' Carson Palmer.
The Rams' Marc Bulger joins Brees and Romo as the NFC's quarterbacks.
And My Spin: What, No Chad Pennington?? there are about 5 or 6 others that come to mind but The Chadster is the most glaring omission from the AFC squad. Also Jets Rookie Center Nick Mangold has Made people forget Kevin Mahwae ever played there. BC(draftnik)
Monday, December 18, 2006
Apple CEO Steve Jobs Annouced Apple iTV - Video
If you watch this video of Apple CEO Steve Jobs introducing Apple iTV, you'll see a revolution in digital media unfolding before your very eyes. In the video, he takes a movie downloaded from iTunes and shows it on a large-screen television. That movie, The Incredibles, can also be purchased as a DVD. But if you can use your cheaper (I think) ITunes download version and see it on your big screen television, why would you bother to buy or rent a DVD?
I don't think most people understand the implications of this new product, set to be introduced next month. Here's the video:
I don't think most people understand the implications of this new product, set to be introduced next month. Here's the video:
Giants dive for Birds-Eagles win 36-22
Eagles give Giants taste of own medicine, 36-22
The visiting Eagles used two late fourth-quarter touchdowns to bump the Giants back down to .500 making the playoff question mark larger.
BY ARTHUR STAPLE
Newsday Staff Writer
December 17, 2006, 10:47 PM EST
The Giants still control their own playoff fate. Yet how can anyone expect them to maintain control after playing the way they did Sunday?
With a chance to solidify a playoff position in front of a home crowd and against a hated opponent, the Giants came up small. Their 36-22 loss wasn't decided until Eagles defensive end Trent Cole intercepted Eli Manning's pop-up pass and danced 19 yards into the end zone with 2:47 to play, but the Giants (7-7) already had killed themselves in a game the Eagles (8-6) were begging them to take.
Manning was intercepted twice and the Giants lost two fumbles. The defense, charged with holding a 22-21 lead with 6:59 to play, allowed an 80-yard drive in easy fashion to give the lead back. The Giants' offense failed twice on first-and-goal situations, as it did against the Cowboys in a similarly important home game two weeks ago. Again, getting field goals instead of touchdowns was costly.
Still, thanks to the weak NFC, the Giants still can make the postseason by winning their final two games, against the Saints at home Sunday and against the Redskins on the road. And even a split might be good enough, depending on what other contenders do.
"Right now, we're not playing like a playoff-caliber team, especially with the mistakes we're making," said Tiki Barber, who had an 11-yard TD run on the Giants' second play from scrimmage but only 64 yards on 18 carries after that. "The way we played, we're destined to be a .500 team. There's a lot of mediocrity in the NFC. And we're certainly in that class."
The Giants trailed 14-10 at the half and clawed into the lead with a pair of short Jay Feely field goals, the second a 24-yarder after the Giants got the ball at the Eagles' 7 after Will Demps' sack and forced fumble, which Antonio Pierce recovered.
On the ensuing kickoff, Reno Mahe went 64 yards untouched to the 36. Two plays later, on third-and-2 from the 28, the Eagles used a timeout and came back with a four-wide-receiver set. Tom Coughlin said his defense had the play called correctly, anticipating a run, but Brian Westbrook sped through a gap in the left side of the line and went 28 yards for a 21-16 .Eagles lead with 12:36 to play.
"There's no excuse for that," Coughlin said. "We've got a call to stop the run. We're thinking run."
The Giants were thinking it most of the day, but they did little to stop Westbrook (19 carries, 97 yards, two TDs) and Correll Buckhalter (eight carries, 48 yards, one TD). The Eagles were the ones who came into the game with a porous run defense, but they were far stingier.
Still, even after Visanthe Shiancoe fumbled the ball away after picking up a first down on a short pass, the Giants came back to take the lead. Demps picked off Jeff Garcia, who rolled away from trouble most of the game, and the Giants were in business at the Eagles' 35. A pass-interference call gave the Giants a third first-and-goal situation, and Brandon Jacobs, who hadn't played since fumbling after a 12-yard gain in the second quarter, bulled in on his second try from a yard out.
The two-point conversion failed, but that didn't matter. Trailing 22-21, the Eagles needed only 4:02 to go 80 yards and take the lead back. Already well in field-goal range, Garcia and the Eagles stayed aggressive, calling a play-action fade route on second down from the 19 that Reggie Brown hauled in behind R.W. McQuarters in the right side of the end zone.
Still, the Giants had the ball at their 20, 2:57 on the clock and two timeouts. But on the first play, Manning didn't see Sheldon Brown coming on a corner blitz, and Brown hit him as he threw. The floater fell into Cole's arms after Barber unsuccessfully tried to bat it down, and by the time he reached the end zone, the game was over.
"He should have seen it," Coughlin said of Manning, who completed 28 of 40 for 282 yards and two interceptions after going two games without a pick. "It's just one of those key plays that could have been key [for us] in the game."
Coughlin's postgame speech was positive, according to several players. The message was clear: No finger-pointing, no head-hanging, because there still are two games to play.
Those games will decide the fate of the team -- and the coaches.
"There's no feeling sorry for ourselves. Anything we did, we caused for ourselves," Coughlin said. "We're going to work and play as hard as we can and see if we can't win the next two games and see what happens."
It sounds like a plan. But the Giants haven't shown much reason to have faith.
"Considering what was at stake, how close we were to taking great steps toward the playoffs," Barber said, "we took an enormous step back."
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