Texans Have Not Met With Reggie Bush Who Says He's Not Asking For A $30 Million Signing Bonus - Orange County Register

I'm not sure it's a good idea for Reggie to negotiate his contract in the media. We'll see how this plays out.

BY TODD HARMONSON
The Orange County Register

Former USC tailback Reggie Bush still expects to be the top overall selection in next week's NFL draft, but Thursday he confirmed widespread reports that the Houston Texans have not opened contract negotiations with him.

"There are some people saying it's because I'm demanding $30 million (for a signing bonus), but that's not true," Bush said in a telephone interview. "We haven't talked numbers with them at all.

"Right now it's kind of on them to start negotiations if they want to."

The Texans have the No.1 pick, are allowed to negotiate with players and could sign someone before the draft if they want. But their lack of a move to lock up Bush has fueled speculation that they might trade down to take another player, especially since some teams could want to trade up to select a quarterback.

Bush said he only has met with officials from Houston and the New York Jets. He said he is eager to learn where he will play professionally but decided he shouldn't pay attention to the incessant pre-draft speculation.

"Nobody really knows what's going to happen, so I can't get caught up in it," said Bush, who won last season's Heisman Trophy and left USC as a junior because he was expected to be the No.1 draft pick. "I think I've shown that I should be the No.1 pick and I still think that will happen."

Matt Leinart Has Post Draft Party Planned For Las Vegas

According to Profootballtalk.com , that college football star and ever well-traveled party boy Matt Leinart has a party planned for Las Vegas after the NFL Draft.

Profootball talk reports:

We're told that USC quarterback Matt Leinart has made plans for a lavish post-draft party in Las Vegas. The same source who tipped us off to the termination of agent Leigh Steinberg and the retention of agent Tom Condon tells us that Leinart intends to take a posse of 30 to Las Vegas to celebrate his official entry into the NFL.

There are, we're told, 30 plane tickets, 30 rooms reserved, and $140,000 earmarked for the event.

The party is planned for the weekend after the draft. We hope that Leinart's people cross-checked the post-draft minicamp schedules of the teams that might draft him before making any nonrefundable purchases.

"The Next Michael Vick" - Video Of Texas A&M QB Reggie McNeal

Texas A&M QB Reggie McNeal is regarded by some, like the writers at "Football Fantasy Toolbox" as the next Donovan McNabb, but look closer at the You Tube video below and tell me if you don't see the next Michael Vick.

Here's what Fantasy Toolbox wrote about McNeal:

This is a player at the quarterback position that shows excellent composure and skill

I like his management decisions, field awareness and tempo he provides for his offense, he shows good toughness on the field, along with excellent ball handling skills, his stature (minus the weight & strength) and agility to make things happen improvising reminds me potentially of current NFL quarterback "Donovan McNabb"

He does have an excellent upside to his game, along with an excellent touchdown to interception ratio, he has the size and mobility scouts crave for, throws a tight spiral and adds the versatility of throwing effectively on the run, along with extending plays with his feet, making positive plays both with his feet and keeping his eyes down field trying to make plays with his arm

I feel his advancement in the pocket as a true throwing quarterback was disrupted with his and the coaching staffs eagerness to see him make things happen with his feet, that slowed his progress as a passer, that is why he shows inconsistencies in that part of his game

He has the potential to be the total package at the quarterback position, but potential can get you only so far.......

He's rated in the top five. See for youtself...

Reggie Bush Video - "Subway Fresh Buzz" / Bush Also Talks About National Championship Game

White his USC teammate Matt Leinart switches agents, the man many believe will be the first pick of the Houston Texans, running back Reggie Bush, made this video for a commercial campaign with Subway, the sandwich store retailer.

I found it on You Tube. Here's the video with Reggie sporting his famous "619" eye black code and dressed in white as if to imply that he's the angel of football. He's certainly going to be a savior for the running game of the team that gets him.



On his new blog, Bush credits Vince Young for the Texas win for USC for the national championship. He also gives some insite on his fumble after a 37-yard gain:

His blog's at http://www.subwayfreshbuzz.com

OH SO CLOSE
Regrets, as the song says, I've had a few. Who wouldn't when we came so close to three straight national championships, something that has never been done, only to come up a shade short last January in the Rose Bowl for the BCS (Bowl Championship Series) title?

Hey, give Texas credit. Vince Young had a phenomenal performance, specially on that last drive when he did it almost by himself moving the ball down the field on passes and scrambles and finally ran it into the end zone on a fourth down, last ditch effort that decided the outcome.

I didn't have that great a game against Texas, a lot of it due to the fact they were keying on me. They were obviously out to stop me. Other teams double-teamed me regularly, but not to the extent Texas did. I was shadowed the entire 60 minutes and never really got decent running lanes. There was always a defender in my face.

I was criticized for losing the ball in that game while trying to lateral it after catching a screen pass and moving deep into Texas territory. It came at a time when we were about to take control of the game. I made a couple of guys miss in the open field and then three Texas defenders converged to tackle me, and I thought I could make the play to Brad Walker, the wide receiver who was wide open to my right trailing the play. The pitch just didn't get to him, or else he dropped it. I couldn't see what happened because I had those white Longhorn jerseys all over me.

If I had it to do over again, I probably would have done the same thing because that's the type of player I am. I try things outside of the box, do things out of the ordinary. That's just me, the way I am. It happened to be one of those times it wasn't successful. I felt like I could make that play.

Toward the end of the Texas game, as the go-to guy, I would normally be on the field and it did bother me a little bit that I wasn't out there. Playmakers – and I like to consider myself in that category – like to perform when a game is on the line. But it wouldn't have been the right time for me to complain about it because of the game situation. And I've never been the type of person to be critical. of coaches' decisions. LenDale White was having a great game. So they decided to go to LenDale to get the job done because he'd been producing all afternoon. Short yardage, that's his strength. If he picks up the first down past midfield, it's all over because we would have run out the clock.

Why did Coach have LenDale out there while I watched, quiet but frustrated? That's how we played it all season. Whoever had the hot hand was in there. We've had a good relationship over the years, LenDale and me. I'm a competitor. I love having the ball in my hands. But you can't argue with what he's done over the three years we've split time.

It's a little tough for a running back to get into a rhythm when you're not in there getting all the reps (repetitions) and feeling the defense. But we did it the whole season, alternating according to the situation, and when you got in there you had to take advantage of it...There was no jealousy on the team at all. We were all out there pulling for each other and trying to make each other better.

We lost only two games during our careers and came within inches of winning three straight national championships. That's not shabby
.

A Video Tour Of Dallas Cowboys' Texas Stadium!

This video was taken by eddiebyun at You Tube and features a kind of 180 degree view of the stadium from an end zone. From here you can gain an idea of the sheer size of the complex and the 63,000 seats and 300 luxury boxes that make up the Cowboys' current home.

You can get Cowboys' tickets by clicking on the title of this post.

NFL Tickets On Sale Already!

Yep! Click on the link to get your favorite team's tickets!

Today's National High Five Day! - Give It Up!

I've got to admit that of all of the products of African American Culture, the high-five has been the most enduring. I remember doing it as far back as 1977 in high school. Then I started seeing European American's do it in the late 80s. But it's stuck around through the 21 Century and may be more used than the standard "five" as in "gimee five!"

Chad Johnson Get Contract Boost From Bengals - ESPN's Len Pasquarelli

This just happened and was reported on the ESPN.com website:

If the NFL is poised to crack down on Chad Johnson's end zone choreography in 2006, with its recently implemented rules aimed at curtailing touchdown celebrations, the Cincinnati Bengals star wide receiver is better prepared now to handle any of the fines that he might incur.

The three-time Pro Bowl performer and consummate showman, one of the most explosive playmakers in the league at any position, on Thursday signed a new contract with the Bengals, ESPN.com has learned. The lucrative deal includes a one-year extension, through the 2010 season, and an option for the Bengals to extend the contract through 2011, if they so desire.

In essence, by restructuring the remainder of Johnson's existing contract, which was set to run through the 2009 campaign, the Bengals created a six-year deal with a total value of $35.5 million.

"In terms of 'new money,' and just being unique from the standpoint of being able to do something for a player who still had four years left on his [existing] contract, it's really monumental," said agent Drew Rosenhaus, who was hired by Johnson a year ago to upgrade his contract "As long as I've been doing this, I've never been able to get an extension like this, basically because of the time remaining on the contract. It's historical. And it's a testament to Chad, and how well he's performed, and to Bengals management for the way they have handled this and the commitment they've made to him."

Under his existing contract, Johnson would have earned $5.75 million in 2006-2007 and the base salaries due him through 2009 totaled $12.15 million. The new contract will pay Johnson $16 million between this season and 2007 and, assuming the Bengals exercise the option for 2011, a total of $35.5 million. That's a whopping $10.75 million in "new money" for the extension portion of the contract.

Johnson will receive a $5 million signing bonus, a $250,000 reporting bonus, a $250,000 workout bonus and a base salary of $2.75 million for 2006. That base salary is the same as he was scheduled to make under his previous contract. In 2007, he is due a $3.5 million option bonus, a reporting bonus of $1.5 million, a $250,000 workout bonus and a $2.5 million base salary.

The base salaries for the balance of the deal are as follows: $3 million (for 2008), $4.5 million (2009), $5 million (2010) and $6 million (2011). There are workout bonuses of $250,000 in each of those seasons. If the Bengals do not exercise the option for the 2011 campaign, they must make Johnson a non-exercise payment of $3.5 million.

Said coach Marvin Lewis: "This is a key development for our team. It further secures our future with one of our top players, in the prime of his career, and I want to commend Chad for his efforts in making it happen. He is showing his commitment to what we have going here."

Earlier on Thursday, before signing the new contract, Johnson joked to ESPN.com that he was ready to deal with the rules against excessive end zone celebrations that league owners approved at the annual NFL meetings in Orlando, Fla, last month.

"Get yourself real close to the TV, because I'll have some good stuff planned," Johnson said, laughing. "I still plan to be the greatest entertainer in the league."

The five-year veteran, selected by Cincinnati in the second round of the 2001 draft, certainly has developed into one of the NFL's greatest playmakers. The former Oregon State star has posted three straight seasons with 90-plus receptions and four straight campaigns with over 1,000 receiving yards. In 76 appearances, 63 of them starts, Johnson has 379 receptions for 5,556 yards and 34 touchdowns.

Len Pasquarelli is a senior NFL writer for ESPN.com.

Matt Leinart - Party Boy Loves The Camera, But Can He Focus in The NFL?

There's a school of thought that once Matt Leinart hits the grind of the NFL, he'll not post the same remarkable numbers that he did at USC. While I do disagree with that -- I think Matt will be one of the best -- I do think his first two years will be a bit hard. He's not going to be able to run the streets as he did at USC.

Look, as a Cal-grad who was getting his master's degree there at a time when most my age were still undergrads, I can identify with Matt's love for parties and the ladies. But now millions of dollars are on the line. Will Matt dump all of this fun?

I got these photos from various blog sites. Matt loves the camera and apparently his cocktails. Cool. Where did I get these? Well, there's www.boifromtroy.com for the one with Matt and the women behind him as he's stooping. And the one with the girl is all over the place on Google's image search.



It didn't take long to find them -- 7 minutes tops.

I wondered if RB Reggie Bush, got around as much as Leinart did, but I didn't see anything like the Leinart picks. Not even close.

What I did see was a lot of picts of Reggie running and wearing a suit. A nice image. On the other hand, Matt's got a life made for Hollywood. Gee, that seems a bit more fun to me, but then I went to Cal!

Wait. Reggie's from USC too. Somehow, he managed to keep his fun under wraps.

Smart guy.

All of this will be forgotten when Leinart lifts the Lombardi trophy over his head. I'm confident of that.

Party on Matt! Enjoy life! Just learn when it's time to cut it out stay away from the camera!

Pac-10 Held That Matt Leinart Broke A Rule When He Worked Out With "Air 7 Academy" Owner - CAA Signed Air 7 Later

I found this on Kevin Donahue's blogsite

Pac10 says Leinart broke rules

The Matt Leinart era may be over for the USC football team and coaches, but the Leinart legacy apparently isn't.

The Pac10 has determined that USC broke NCAA rules this year by allowing Leinart to work out with the owner of the Air 7 football academy.

According to a memo issued by the Pac-10 and received by USC, "an outside consultant can not work with a (student-athlete) on the institution's facilities unless the individual is counted against the applicable coaching limits."
As a result of the incident, Leinart, USC coach Pete Carroll and staff members were required to undergo a rules review session.

Leinart signed with CAA as his agents, who then signed to represent the Air 7 football academy as well.

So the USC coaches will watch a rules video or something, no big deal as far as punishments go. It does make you wonder where the oversight was on letting Leinart work out with his own private coaches, though. That's a known no-no and it doesn't appear that USC ever tried to put a stop to it.

Air 7 is a kind of NFL Traning Academy. CAA did sign up to help them with marketing and sponsorships. Note that in the article from www.onlypubjam.com is there no mention of the person who was then Leinart's agent, Leigh Steinberg and this was back in January.

Here's that article:

CAA to Also Represent Premier Football Training Academy Air 7

Publish Date : 1/9/2006 1:41:00 AM Source : Sports News Onlypunjab.com

Creative Artists Agency (CAA), the world's leading talent and literary agency, now represents Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Matt Leinart, in addition to Air 7, the nation's premier football academy.
CAA will represent Leinart in all off-field business ventures, with the initial focus on endorsement and licensing relationships. The CAA Foundation, the philanthropic service arm of the agency, will help Leinart develop his charitable initiatives.

"Football is my focus," said Leinart. "So, it is tremendous to have in place CAA to handle my marketing and philanthropy efforts, in conjunction with my management team at Air 7." Utilizing its deep relationships with the world's leading consumer brands, CAA represents the marketing and endorsement interests of many of the most high-profile figures in the world.

"Matt is a truly exceptional individual with enormous potential as a personality who transcends his achievements on the field," said CAA President, Richard Lovett.

In an unparalleled college football career, Leinart won back-to-back national championships with the University of Southern California Trojans. He has also been a finalist two years in a row for college football's prestigious Heisman Trophy, earning the award in 2004. Among his many honors, he has been a first-team All-American for two years, Associated Press Player of the Year, Rose Bowl and Orange Bowl MVP, 2-time Pac-10 Player of the Year, Walter Camp Award Winner recognizing the nation's top player, and Sporting News Sportsman of the Year.

Air 7, where Leinart has trained for 10 years, is the nation's premier football academy for youth, high school and college players, with alumni reaching Heisman Trophy and Pro Bowl levels. Air 7 was founded by Steve Clarkson, perhaps the most accomplished of a new breed of private athletic coaches.

Working with more than 100 quarterbacks a year, Air 7 counts among its alumni multiple Heisman winners -- including Leinart -- plus Pittsburgh Steelers star quarterback and 2004 NFL Rookie of the Year Ben Roethlisberger. In 1999, Clarkson, along with Chuck Price, created the annual CaliFlorida Bowl High School Football All-Star game.

For Air 7, CAA will identify potential marketing partners and sponsors, as well as other opportunities.

Leinart's Reason For Dumping Steinberg Hints At Who Talked To Whom

ESPN has posted Matt Leinart's Diary today. In it, Leinart explains to some extent why he changed from agent Leigh Steinberg to Tom Condon. But it seems to imply that a guy named Chuck Price has unusual pull with Leinart, and could have been the person that engineered the switch. Regardless, it seems like some violation of NFLPA rules did occur. The question is will the NFLPA look into the matter.

Here's what Matt wrote:

My relationship with my former agent Leigh Steinberg wasn't bad by any means, but it just didn't feel right. As hard as it was, I felt like the best thing to do was part ways. My family, the people close to me, and I want what's best for me, my career, and everything that has to do with it. The relationship with Leigh wasn't going that way.

It was nothing against Leigh, but it was something that had been on my mind for a little while. I decided if I'm going to do something like this, it is best to do it at this time. Things will be better because of it. It just didn't feel right.

My other agent, Chuck Price, is my right hand man. Everything goes through him. He's my day-to-day guy. I talk to him about everything. People obviously don't know that. They're just thinking that he's just some family friend. He's extremely smart. He's extremely good at what he does. A lot of agents are just business guys and want to make money. He's completely opposite. He's obviously going to make money because it's his job, but he wants what's best for the player. He loves to establish a relationship. The fact that we had a great relationship in the first place makes it that much easier on me.

Chuck and Leigh had completely different roles. Leigh was brought in to handle the contract because Chuck doesn't have experience with that. It's something that he'll openly admit. He doesn't have experience handling a contract for a top pick. It's something that I realized also.

I surround myself with the best possible people. They are people that I trust. It relieves a lot of pressure and stress off of me. I have a lot of great people working their butt off for me while I am working my butt off on the football field.

Tom Condon will take over for Leigh. I love Tom. He was one of my first choices when I was picking an agent, but I was unsure about the whole situation with IMG. I think Tom is a great agent. He's got a great reputation. He's a great guy. I feel a better connection there. The fact that he's with Creative Artists Agency now and they are all under one agency makes it easier as well.

CAA is the type of agency that can handle my marketing and endorsements for the long term. After I get established as a player, they can help me off of the field. People need to understand that my number one priority is to get established as a football player. CAA will maximize my opportunities off the field.

The most important thing for me to focus on right now is the next week and a half.

I wanted to try to relax this past weekend.

I went to my Aunt's house on Sunday for Easter. We had an Easter egg hunt. My family usually splits up $50 between the eggs. They didn't tell us, but this time they stuck $100 in one of the eggs. I found that egg. I gave my brother Ryan $5 out of generosity. That's courtesy right there. He showed a lot of effort in his Easter egg hunt, but he just couldn't cut it.

I had to learn the Jets' playbook this past weekend since I worked out and met with them on Monday and Tuesday. I studied it a lot because I wanted to prepare myself. I look at it as if it's a job interview. You want the hard work you put in to come across.

I went out to Staples and bought a little grease board so I could visually test myself with the Jets' plays. I was able to learn the Jets playbook in a few days. Then, I was able to process it in my mind and draw it up on the board for the coaches. It's just something that has come easy to me especially in a football sense. My brother thinks I have a photographic memory. I guess maybe it is photographic -- I do have a pretty good memory. I've learned to process things quickly and retain the information.

Monday night, I went to dinner with the Jets. Coach [Eric] Mangini, coach [Brian] Schottenheimer, GM Mike Tannenbaum, and I were at the dinner.

Following dinner, all of us went to the meeting rooms and just talked football. I was up on the board for like two-and-a-half hours. They were grilling me with questions. Even though they were grilling me, it was real comfortable because there were a lot of jokes. They wanted to get to know me as a person, see how smart I am as a football player, and if I took the time to look at the stuff they gave me or if I just blew it off. We even talked about me getting Punk'd on MTV in March (it hasn't come out yet). They are all younger guys so it was pretty easy to relate. We met until 11:30 p.m Monday night.

Tuesday, I picked up the coaches. They were staying at a hotel right next to my apartment. I drove over to USC and met with them for another hour and-a-half talking football again. I then walked on the field and worked out. We were making jokes and I told them I could throw right-handed, so I rolled out and did it. It was a little wobbly, but looked alright.

I love learning football and new things. I think I impressed them and did a good job.

I left for New Orleans early Wednesday morning to meet with the Saints. Thursday, I will meet with them a little more and then I have a flight out to Oakland in the afternoon. I finish the meetings with the Raiders on Friday and then come home. I'm off for a few days and then I go to New York.

I can't wait for the draft to come.

Death Cab For Cutie Concert Tickets

Yes! Death Cab For Cutie has captured the Zeitgeist! See them in concert. All you have to do is click on this link.