Vikings Comeback From 14 Down And Beat Lions 26-17 - NFL.com

Opportunistic fourth quarter lifts Vikings

NFL.com wire reports

MINNEAPOLIS (Oct. 8, 2006) -- Trailing by 14 points to start the fourth quarter against hapless Detroit, somebody on the Minnesota Vikings had to put the ball in the end zone.

The offense sure wasn't having much luck, so the defense took over, delivering an effort that would make the old Purple People Eaters proud.

The Vikings scored two defensive touchdowns in the fourth quarter to rescue the struggling offense, turning a 17-3 deficit into a 26-17 victory.

"Every time we take the field, we try to score or get the ball back," defensive coordinator Mike Tomlin said. "That's our personality. That's how we play defense."

Ben Leber returned Jon Kitna's fumble 1 yard for a touchdown to cut Detroit's lead to 17-16, and Ryan Longwell made a 20-yard field goal to give the Vikings a 19-17 lead with three minutes left.

Kitna, trying to bring Detroit back, was flushed out of the pocket and corralled by Ray Edwards before desperately shoveling the ball toward the line of scrimmage. The pass landed right in E.J. Henderson's hands, and the linebacker raced 45 yards to seal the win.

Minnesota's defense has scored three touchdowns this season, one fewer than the offense through the first five weeks, conjuring memories of the unit that led the Vikings to four Super Bowl appearances in the 1970s.

"That's unbelievable," center Matt Birk said. "They're keeping us in games."

It was a stunning, but not surprising, turnaround that kept the Lions (0-5) winless and continued their misery against the Vikings. They have lost nine straight to Minnesota (3-2), dating to 2001.

Detroit hired coach Rod Marinelli and jettisoned first-round bust Joey Harrington for the steady veteran Kitna in the offseason, hoping the changes would finally turn around a team that has the worst record in the NFL (21-64) since 2001. But the Lions keep finding ways to give away games, and this one was ripe for the taking.

"You've got to be able to do a better job in that fourth quarter to secure and hold the lead, protect the football and do the things I talked about all week," Marinelli said. "We weren't able to do that today, and we've got to go back to work."

Of course it didn't help when receiver Roy Williams (back stinger) and guard Damien Woody (left leg) left the game on the first possession with injuries, but the Lions are used to being on the short end these days.

"We're struggling right now," said Kitna, who sat at his locker with his head down and eyes glazed over, contemplating the latest loss in a season full of them. "We're a beat-up team, but nobody gives a crap. We have to find a way to win."


Jon Kitna's fourth-quarter fumble that was scooped up for a Vikings TD was just one mistake.
In a first half filled with penalties, dropped passes and turnovers, the Lions took a 10-3 lead on the strength of Kitna's 8-yard TD run.

Minnesota's second turnover of the game, a fumble by Travis Taylor close to midfield, set up Kitna's 12-yard touchdown pass to Dan Campbell that gave the Lions a 17-3 lead midway through the third quarter.

With the Lions defense dominating a struggling Vikings offense, the game looked well in hand.

Brad Johnson completed his first eight passes, but most were dinks and dunks in the West Coast offense that got the Vikings nowhere. He was booed heavily through the first three quarters and looked every bit his 38 years of age while one-hopping passes to open receivers.

As they have all season, the Vikings leaned heavily on running back Chester Taylor and a stingy defense to keep things close.

Taylor rushed for 123 yards in another workhorse effort and the Vikings defense sacked Kitna five times, intercepted him on three occasions and held the Lions to 217 total yards, 16 on the ground. The Vikings offense finally got in the end zone at the start of the fourth quarter after a 68-yard drive that was aided by a roughing-the-passer call on Shaun Rogers.

Johnson, 26 of 34 for 201 yards, hit Travis Taylor on a 3-yard touchdown pass to cut the lead to 17-10.

After a block-in-the-back penalty on Donte Curry nullified Eddie Drummond's kick return for a touchdown, the Lions put the Vikings right back in it. On second-and-6 from the Detroit 14, Pat Williams burst through the line untouched and engulfed Kitna, forcing a fumble that Leber scooped up at the goal line for a touchdown.

Jared DeVries blocked Longwell's extra point to hold the Lions' lead at 17-16, but it was all downhill from there for Detroit.

"It was over for them after that," Williams said. "They basically could've called it quits."

Broncos Defense Outplays Ravens 13-3 -- NFL.com

Denver's offense held to under 200 yards, but they win from three interceptions.

Denver's 'D' dominant in win over Ravens

NFL.com wire reports

DENVER (Oct. 9, 2006) -- If being disrespected means Champ Bailey gets more lob passes thrown his way in the end zone, then the Denver Broncos won't complain anymore about their dominant defense being dissed.

The Broncos (3-1) intercepted three of Steve McNair 's passes -- including a leaping end-zone pick by Bailey just before halftime -- to hand the Ravens (4-1) their first loss with a 13-3 win.

Bailey was as surprised as anyone that McNair went after him with a lob pass to wide receiver Clarence Moore in the right corner.

"A little," Bailey said with a smile. "And they paid for it."

All Baltimore coach Brian Billick had to say about the ill-advised call that loomed so large on a cold and rainy night was: "That play was one of the options we had and it didn't turn out for us."

Denver defensive coordinator Larry Coyer was glad to see somebody finally challenge his perennial Pro Bowl cornerback: "I was glad to see them throw one at him. That'll work for me, yeah. Yeah. Yeah."

A cold rain and two stingy defenses turned the Baltimore-Denver showdown into a kicking competition for much of the night, and Jason Elam bested Matt Stover with two long field goals.

But with a 6-3 lead and 1:55 left in the game, Denver put the kick-fest to rest. Deep in Ravens territory, Denver took a chance at the end zone, icing the game on Jake Plummer 's 4-yard touchdown pass to Rod Smith. It was Smith's first touchdown this season and also the first TD the Ravens have surrendered in a second half this year.

"We stuck together tonight," Plummer said. "It was ugly, ugly for a while, but in the end we came and put together some drives when it counted."

The touchdown was set up by Darrent Williams ' interception at midfield with 6:47 left and Tatum Bell 's 12-yard gain on third-and-10 from the 17 in which he carried linebacker Ray Lewis for the final 5 yards.

"It wasn't a big deal," Bell said, "but it was a big deal because it was Ray."

Elam connected from 43 and 44 yards, the second one breaking a 3-3 tie with eight minutes remaining and capping a drive that was set up by Sam Koch's 10-yard punt.

Ravens defensive end Trevor Pryce, who was quiet all week about his return to Denver -- which dumped him and his $10 million salary in the offseason -- was even quieter Monday night, assisting on just one tackle.

"The loss hurts, but I don't really care who it is against," Pryce said. "They are just another football team. The thing is, they are a great football team. They always have been, they were before I got there and they are now that I'm gone."


Steve McNair could hardly find room to roam against Denver's pesky defense.
The teams were tied 3-3 at halftime, and the rain only got heavier during a scoreless third quarter in which the Ravens avoided a big momentum-shifter when center Mike Flynn smothered McNair's fumble at the Baltimore 12.

Flynn saved the touchdown after McNair's third interception, by Domonique Foxworth in the final minute while safety John Lynch (neck) was on the sideline.

The Ravens and the rain combined to limit Denver to 9 yards of offense in the first quarter, tying a franchise low since Mike Shanahan became the Broncos coach in 1995.

The Broncos turned the ball over on their first two possessions.

Denver's first turnover resulted in a 24-yard field goal by Stover that gave Baltimore a 3-0 lead. It followed cornerback Chris McAlister 's nifty tightrope walk along the right sideline after he gathered the loose ball that Terrell Suggs punched out of Bell's hands.

Plummer, wearing a glove on his throwing hand to get a better grip, wildly overthrew Walker on the Broncos' next possession and cornerback Samari Rolle hauled in the long pass at the Baltimore 34.

The Broncos tied it at 3 on Elam's 43-yarder following Williams' 33-yard punt return to the Baltimore 42. It was the second big return by Williams, who ranked dead last in the NFL going into the game with an average of less than a yard per punt return.

The Ravens were driving for the go-ahead score just before halftime when Bailey intercepted McNair's lob pass with 30 seconds left.

"It's always the difference in the game: that red zone," Shanahan said. "What were they, one for two? ... Kept them from getting a field goal, kept them from getting a touchdown. Obviously, that was a big play at the time."

It was a bit of instant redemption for Bailey, who had just been burned for a 26-yard gain on third-and-7 when he appeared to bite on a fake by McNair and Derrick Mason zipped past him and hauled in the pass along the right sideline. Safety Nick Ferguson saved the touchdown by knocking Mason out of bounds at the 11.

"We heard all the hype about them," Bailey said. "We've got a good defense, too, and I think we proved that tonight."

Webcast and Summary Of The Google Conference Call On Their Purchase Of YouTube

To listen to the full press conference webcast, click:

http://investor.google.com/webcast.html

Google founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin are pictured here.

YouTube's Chad Hurley and Steve Chen video message is here:



The Google / YouTube deal has rocked not just the vlog world, but American Culture. In today's conference call featuring Google CEO Eric Schmidt, Chad Hurley, CEO of YouTube, Google Founder Sergey Brin, the general message was that the media world has shifted to the user. "We're in the middle of a shift in digital media entertainment," said Hurley. "Users are now in control of what they want to watch and when they want to watch it. They decide what rises to the top, what's entertaining."

Also in the press conference was the remark that Google's ad system will be matted with YouTube's distribution process, and that in general the two firms came up with about 30 different ways they could combine their technologies.

Google Press Release Text (Not A Transcript)

Google To Acquire YouTube for $1.65 Billion in Stock
Combination Will Create New Opportunities for Users and Content Owners Everywhere

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., October 9, 2006 - Google Inc. (NASDAQ: GOOG) announced today that it has agreed to acquire YouTube, the consumer media company for people to watch and share original videos through a Web experience, for $1.65 billion in a stock-for-stock transaction. Following the acquisition, YouTube will operate independently to preserve its successful brand and passionate community.

The acquisition combines one of the largest and fastest growing online video entertainment communities with Google's expertise in organizing information and creating new models for advertising on the Internet. The combined companies will focus on providing a better, more comprehensive experience for users interested in uploading, watching and sharing videos, and will offer new opportunities for professional content owners to distribute their work to reach a vast new audience.

"The YouTube team has built an exciting and powerful media platform that complements Google's mission to organize the world's information and make it universally accessible and useful," said Eric Schmidt, Chief Executive Officer of Google. "Our companies share similar values; we both always put our users first and are committed to innovating to improve their experience. Together, we are natural partners to offer a compelling media entertainment service to users, content owners and advertisers."

"Our community has played a vital role in changing the way that people consume media, creating a new clip culture. By joining forces with Google, we can benefit from its global reach and technology leadership to deliver a more comprehensive entertainment experience for our users and to create new opportunities for our partners," said Chad Hurley, CEO and Co-Founder of YouTube. "I'm confident that with this partnership we'll have the flexibility and resources needed to pursue our goal of building the next-generation platform for serving media worldwide."

When the acquisition is complete, YouTube will retain its distinct brand identity, strengthening and complementing Google's own fast-growing video business. YouTube will continue to be based in San Bruno, CA, and all YouTube employees will remain with the company. With Google's technology, advertiser relationships and global reach, YouTube will continue to build on its success as one of the world's most popular services for video entertainment.

The number of Google shares to be issued in the transaction will be determined based on the 30-day average closing price two trading days prior to the completion of the acquisition. Both companies have approved the transaction, which is subject to customary closing conditions and is expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2006.

Webcast and Conference Call Information

The company will host a conference call and webcast at 1:30 p.m. Pacific Time (4:30 p.m. Eastern Time) today to discuss the acquisition. To access the conference call, please dial 800-289-0572 domestic and 913-981-5543 internationally. A replay of the call will be available until midnight Monday, October 16 at 888-203-1112 domestically and 719-457-0820 internationally. Confirmation code for the replay is 2260624.

A live audio webcast of the conference call will be available at http://investor.google.com/webcast.html.

About Google Inc.
Google's innovative search technologies connect millions of people around the world with information every day. Founded in 1998 by Stanford Ph.D. students Larry Page and Sergey Brin, Google today is a top web property in all major global markets. Google's targeted advertising program provides businesses of all sizes with measurable results, while enhancing the overall web experience for users. Google is headquartered in Silicon Valley with offices throughout the Americas, Europe and Asia. For more information, visit www.google.com.

About YouTube
Founded in February 2005, YouTube is a consumer media company for people to watch and share original videos worldwide through a Web experience. YouTube allows people to easily upload and share video clips on www.YouTube.com and across the Internet through websites, blogs, and e-mail. YouTube currently delivers more than 100 million video views every day with 65,000 new videos uploaded daily and it has quickly become the leading destination on the Internet for video entertainment.

Caution Concerning Forward-Looking Statements

This document includes certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including statements regarding Google's and YouTube's ability to improve their services, create new business models and content-owner opportunities, integration plans, the expected timing for the closing of the acquisition and the plans to operate YouTube independently. These statements are based on the current expectations or beliefs of management of Google Inc., and are subject to uncertainty and changes in circumstances. Actual results may vary materially from those expressed or implied by the statements herein due to (1) changes in economic, business, competitive, technological and/or regulatory factors, (2) failure to receive regulatory approval for the acquisition, (3) failure to retain the levels of traffic on the YouTube site, (4) failure to compete successfully in this highly competitive and rapidly changing marketplace, (5) failure to retain key employees, (6) other factors affecting the operation of the respective businesses of Google and YouTube, and (7) the failure of YouTube and Google to work together effectively. More detailed information about these factors may be found in filings by Google, as applicable, with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including their respective most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q. Google is under no obligation to, and expressly disclaims any such obligation to, update or alter their respective forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise.

Press Contacts:
Google Media:
Jon Murchinson
650.253.4437
jonm@google.com Investors:
Maria Shim
650.253.7663
marias@google.com YouTube Media:
Julie Supan
650.685.6401
press@youtube.com

Google Buys YouTube - Deal Done - What Do You Think Of It?

Yep. The deal's done. It makes sense for this to happen, especially because the two firms are so close in operation and geography. This 15-year old YouTube user has posted an opinion on the deal and expressed his view. He thinks that Google's purchase of YouTube means more costs for the users of both. See this video below:



Google to buy YouTube for $1.65 billion
Search engine leader looks to bulk up in the lucrative online video market.
By Paul R. La Monica, CNNMoney.com editor at large
October 9 2006: 4:42 PM EDT

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- Google, the Internet's leading search engine, announced Monday that it is buying popular online video site YouTube for $1.65 billion in stock.

YouTube, which was founded in February 2005, has quickly become the most well-known of several online video sites. More than 100 million videos, many of which are short videos created by the site's users, are downloaded a day on the site.

According to Internet research firm Hitwise, YouTube has about a 46 percent share of the online video market.

For Google (Charts), the purchase of YouTube gives the company the ability to tap into the potentially lucrative online video and social networking markets. Some analysts have criticized Google for relying too much on advertising tied to keyword searches.

The combination of Google and YouTube could further strengthen Google's dominance in online advertising, giving it an edge over rivals such as Yahoo! (Charts), Microsoft's (Charts) MSN and News Corp (Charts)., which owns the social networking site MySpace. Some analysts said Monday that Yahoo, Microsoft and News Corp. also had probably expressed interest in buying YouTube.

In a statement, Google said that YouTube will operate as an independent unit of Google once the deal closes and will retain the YouTube brand name. The companies added that no YouTube workers will lose their jobs as a result of the acquisition and that Google will maintain its own online video business.

Clayton Moran, an analyst with Stanford Group, said after the deal was announced that Google was paying a rich price for YouTube. But he said Google needed to do something to become more competitive with MySpace, which currently ranks in second place in online video market share.

"My sense is that Google is paying a full price considering that YouTube is still unproven in regards to its revenue potential. But considering the success of MySpace it was clearly worthwhile for Google to take this step," Moran said.

Reports of a deal first began to circulate on Friday. Shares of Google rose about 2 percent on the Nasdaq Monday after posting a similar gain on Friday. The stock dipped slightly in after hours trading.

BattleStar Galactica - An Unexpectedly Great TV Show

I saw the fuss about BattleStar Galactica on Technorati and hoped to see what all the blog chatter was about, when I noticed that it was coming on Sci-Fi Channel so I switched over.

Wow. I didn't expect a show so gritty and "real." It does hold your attention. The BattleStar Galactica I remember was more of a cheap special effects joke than good Sci-Fi.

This is great, politcally relevant Science Fiction.

Take a look:

Speaker Hassert's Staff Warned Him Of Foley's Problem Years Ago - Trouble Ahead

Rep. Dennis Hassert, Speaker of the House Of Representatives, apparently was informed of Foley's email problems long before this latest episode, according to the Washington Post's report linked to from the title of this post. If this is true, it spells the end of the long-running hold Republican's have had on the House and perhaps the Senate.

I can't immagine a majority of Republican wins this November.

Bill Polian Goes Off - Bullies New York Jets Official Over...Speakers? - Fox, Jay Glazer

I'm a fan of the Colts organization for two reasons: the incredibly nice way Owner Jim Irsay treated me at my first NFL Owners meeting when I was working to bring the Super Bowl to Oakland; and Head Coach Tony Dungy. But this action -- well, I don't know Polian -- is over the top. Mike Silver of Sports Illustrated has refered to Polian as "The Anti-Christ" and now I'm starting to see why.

Colts GM Polian accosts Jets official

Jay Glazer / FOXSports.com


When Colts GM Bill Polian placed defensive tackle Corey Simon on non-football injured reserve this week for an unknown illness it drew raised eyebrows around the league. As it turns out, that was not Polian's most questionable move in the last seven days.

Polian accosted a New York Jets official in the tunnel of Giants Stadium prior to last week's game, several sources and people present on the scene told FOXSports.com. The Jets have notified the NFL front office to ask what options they have and what action they can take if any.

According to the sources, Polian was upset that speakers were set up too close to the field. After voicing his displeasure, a Jets operations employee talked to Polian about the issue. It's unclear what transpired between the two but Polian eventually grabbed the Jet by the lapels of his suit jacket and jacked him up against the wall of the tunnel.

The team employee, who was quite shaken up by the fiasco, sought out GM Mike Tannenbaum about the matter. Tannenbaum then raised the issue with the league office in defense of the team's employee. It is unclear what action if any the Jets or the league can take in the matter but as one Jets source said, "You should have the right to a safe workplace without worrying that somebody is going to put his hands on you."

It's also unclear if Polian reacted upon getting provoked or Polian overreacted without much prompting.

The story quickly circulated throughout the Jets complex this week and many were appalled by Polian's actions.

Calls to Tannenbaum on Saturday evening as well as calls to Bill Polian's cell phone were not returned.

When contacted regarding the situation, the NFL's spokesman Greg Aiello said he was unaware of the situation and the league would have no comment regarding matters with teams.

It's unclear what the two men said to each other but regardless, Polian should not put his hands on an employee of another team or any man for that matter. Given his position in the league, it makes his actions even more questionable.

What is also unclear, since such matters seem rare in this league, is if any action will be taken by the league office or if Polian should simply issue an apology. According to others inside the Jets, the team employee who was accosted was quite upset by the incident.

Google To Buy YouTube? Just The First In A Wave Of Web 2.0 Mergers and Acquisitions To Come

TechCrunch's Michael Arrington and The Wall Street Journal report that search engine giant YouTube and Google are in talks where the latter will buy the former for $1.6 billion.

If this deal is consumated, my prediction is it will cause a wave of mergers and acquistions between "Web 2.0" companies, particularly those which are video distributors. The number of video distribution companies seems to grow each week; my view is that we will have 140 by this time net year.

That would happen even with the wave, but I don't see that process accelerating until late 2007.

Randy Moss Is Right To Be Upset - Raiders Offense Is Not Inspiring

Oakland Raiders Wide Receiver Randy Moss popped off again. This time he said that the Raiders as a team doesn't seem to care about being 3 and 0 in the loss / won statistic -- the only one that really matters.

In an interview with Fox Sports Chris Myers, Moss said "I don't really want to single players out. I mean, I don't really know what the feeling is, but I know the feeling is bad. So that's saying no one cares about what's going on around here."

Moss comment started a buzz on any and every Raiders fan message forum in existence. Fans on Raidersfan.net have issued open letters to him. Newspaper columnists have accused him of dropping the ball himself. People -- Raiders fans -- have lined up to shoot the messenger.

But Randy's right. The Raiders don't care.

The organization's more concerned about having a kind of offense that reflects a tough, macho,...and outdated style than with winning. Head Coach Art Shell hired Offensive Coordinator Tom Walsh, he of the bed-and-breakfast who believes that football doesn't change much, thus giving way to a 1960s approach, and is not only being proven wrong but at the expense of the players he coaches.

Players like Moss.

People forget that a team is only as good as the coaches -- not the players. You can have the best players, as I was expaining to former Stanford Running Back Darren Nelson on Tuesday, but if the coaches are telling them to do the wrong things, then the players will only play as well as they're instructed.

And right now, the Raiders players are poorly instructed.

What can the Raiders do to make Randy and the offensive players happy?

Well, here's a list:

1) Offensive Line blocking: This unit's technique has improved -- they're not retreating as much, and are actually punching in their technique, but it's not consistent. Focusing on consistency here is the key. Of course, they would be helped by a really good...

2) Short passing game: The Raiders' current passing system is a freaking joke. It lacks variety in formation, patterns, and points of attack. This is the Raiders weak point, they could help the offensive line by focusing on this, and what they've got to do is..

3) Add more plays: Offensive Plays are the tools used to attack defenses. But when you go into a game with just five runs and 10 passes -- as the Raiders did against the Baltimore Ravens, you're entering the game at a handicap before the contest starts. The 1981 World Champion 49ers went into Super Bowl XIV with 89 passes and 31 runs in the game plan. There's no reason the Raiders can't do that.

4) Trick the opponent: There's nothing wrong with a good halfback pass or an onsides kick in the first quater of a game. Get the players -- like Moss -- excited. Then they will perform.

5) Teach the passing game: Run the same plays over and over again in practice. Stay until it's dark outside. Seek perfection.

6) Design plays like this one:



.... Which I've described earlier.

Art needs to make the prescribed changes, and eventually send Tom Walsh on his way and bring in Bengals Wide Receiver Coach Hue Jackson. Art's a great figure to have as a leader, but his image in this department is taking a beating just by his resistance to change, from how he dealt with Wide Receiver Jerry Porter, to this matter of the Raiders offense.

If the Raiders are smart enough to follow my advice, they'll begin to put points on the board, rack up wins, and salvage this season. In the process, they'll turn Randy Moss from media sinner to media saint.

"I WANT MY PHONE!" - Memo To Cingular CEO Stan Sigman

One week ago, my Cingular / Motorola Razor's video display stoped working. I took it into the Cingular store on Lakeshore in Oakland, CA, where the staffer arranged to have a replacement sent overnight; it never came. This set in motion a frustrating sequence of events that's led me to produce this video memo to Cingular President and CEO Stan Sigman. I just want him to get his staffers to send my phone. Chances are, you've had a simular problem with Cingular; pass this video on!

Eddie DeBartolo, Carmen Policy NOT Buying Raiders - Talked With Carmen

At the same event where I reported the unfortunate news about former 49ers and Stanford Head Coach Bill Walsh, I had the chance to chat with former 49ers and Cleveland Browns President Carmen Policy (pictured with KGO-AM San Francisco Radio Personality Ronn Owens) about a lot of matters mostly personal. But one that wasn't was the idea that he and former Niners owner were going to purchase the Oakland Raiders.

That was never true, according to Carmen.

See, the story was originally reported by my friend Sports Illustrated Senior Writer Michael Silver. I've known "Sil" since 1986, and so feel a certain obligation to help promote his terrific writing. Sil has penned great stories, come based on drunken exploits he's had with celebrities like NBA Basketball Legend Dennis Rodman.

Silver has a knack for getting a person to say something that's newsworthy while they're at a certain level of intoxication. In fact, Mike's broke a number of stories this way, but what's forgotten is that he's got such a great relationship with so many NFL operatives, he's able to get into a situation where he's drinking with someone. Not bad.

Regardless of one's view of this approach, it's certainly effective. According to Carmen, that's exactly what happened when Silver attended the giant Las Vegas party DeBartolo held for former Niners player, staff, and press who were involved with the 49ers durring their glory years.

Carmen and I agreed that Mike has a way of asking a hypothetical question, like "Let's say you were able to buy the Raiders -- would you?" And, in a Las Vegas-party atmostphere, with the booze flowing, the answer Eddie gave was "Yeah."

But it doesn't mean he or Carmen plan to purchase the Oakland Raiders.

The answer from Carmen is "No."

Coach Bill Walsh's Heath Takes A Turn For The Worst - "Titans" Event In His Honor

I just returned from an event called "A Private Equity Breakfast Honoring Coach Bill Walsh" held at the Julia Morgan Ballroom on the 15th Floor of 465 California St.

The idea of the "first of it's kind" function -- hosted by former San Francisco 49ers Harris Barton and Ronnie Lott -- was to install Coach Walsh as the first "Titan" in what will be an annual "Salute to The Titans" fund-raising event. Of course, the person of honor was to be former Stanford and San Francisco 49ers Coach Bill Walsh.

I was excited to attend the event, and even took my camcorder to do a short video interview of Coach Walsh. But after the news I and others were given, I just didn't have it in me to activate my camera. It didn't feel right to do it.

The room was chocked ful of 49er greats, from Barton and Lott, to Bill Ring, Guy McIntyre, Dave Fiori, Esson Ramson, Eric Wright, and Steve Bono. San Francisco Giants Vice President Larry Baer was there, as were former 49ers Steve Kenney and Jeff Baer, who was the team photographer. There were representitives of various private equity funds and investment bankers like George Roberts of Kohlberg, Kravis, and Roberts.

I was originally assigned to "Table 6" and with former Stanford Cardinal Running Back Darren Nelson, and what seemed to be an entire table of Stanford alumns; just the place for a Cal grad like me. Then, to my surprise Carmen Policy, Former President of The San Francisco 49ers and of The New Cleveland Browns, and now living in the Bay Area, came to the table to sit down. I was sitting next to a good friend of his -- "R.J." -- when Carmen leaned over and said "Bill's not attending the event. This thing he's got's just knocked him on his ass."

So R.J. and I looked at each other and realized we'd just been given very bad news. Few could believe what Carmen has said, so sad it was. Later, one of Carmen's business associates came in, and as our table was crowded had no place to sit. So since I was really "the new guy" I offered my seat to him, even though Carmen asked me to stay. I just went over to sit with my friends Beth and Allison.

When I delivered the news to them and the rest of the table, everyone thought it was a joke. That ended when Barton took the podium and after welcoming the estimated 100 people, explained that two days ago, Coach Walsh called Barton and Lott to explain that he would not be able to attend the breakfast. "His health's taken a turn for the worst," Barton said.

At that point, the function took on the feel of a memorial. Four people came up to share stories about Coach Walsh: Darren Nelson, Bill Ring, Ronnie Lott, Carmen Policy, and Sharon Williams, the Executive Director of Opportunities
Industrialization Center West (OICW), a non-profit in East Palo Alto Coach Walsh has played a key role in helping over the years.

Each speech was moving. Darren Nelson explained that Coach Walsh was "The Mad Scientist" and saw in Nelson at Stanford a pass-catching halfback, even though Nelson never caught a pass in high school. There was former 49ers Running Back "Number "30" Bill Ring talking about how Coach Walsh would make the players stay longer for practice in search of perfection in how his players ran a play. "He was like a conductor waving his batton," Ring said, "and we players were the musicians making music."

Carmen Policy talked about how he and now Former 49ers Owner Eddie DeBartolo waited in DeBartolo's apartment as then-Stanford Coach Walsh used the back elevator to escape the media and to come up for an interview. "You could see it then," Policy said, "His stature. The silver hair. He could fill a room with his presence. Right then you knew a decision had been made. We found our coach."

Carmen said that Coach Walsh gave the San Francisco Bay Area something by contributing to its soul. By forming a team and an organization that everyone stopped doing everything to see on Sundays. Lott talked about how Coach Walsh did truly love his players. Sharon Williams talked about how Coach Walsh enlisted the help of very player and athlete he could get his hands on to donate to OICW.

After the speeches a seven-minute NFL films video was shown, featuring NFL Films' Steve Sabol talking with Coach Walsh about how he came to lead the Niners, the intial discredit Walsh received for his "intellectual and technical" approach to the game, the organization's eventual success, and how much Bill really loved his players. It was moving.

The event closed with Barton asking all of the attendess to stand and accept the "Titans" award for Coach Walsh. We all did.

Later I said to Carmen that one good way to honor Coach Walsh is for the media to start calling the "West Coast Offense" the "Walsh Offense." Policy agreed, because Coach Walsh did create it, and should be honored for his work. The approach changed how offense is played in the NFL.

Here's to Coach Walsh and the Walsh Offense. I don't know how bad off Coach Walsh is, but I do ask that all reading this honor him in my requested way.

The video below was in part shown today; I include it here to demonstrate Coach Walsh's attention to detail and teaching talent.