Monday, July 10, 2006

NFL 2006 How Will The Seattle Seahawks Do This Year?

It is said that each year that among the teams that get into the superbowl, the following year they don't even make the playoffs. We only need to point to the 86 Bears, 87 and 91 Giants, Etc Etc. But could this year be Different??

Could there be a Superbowl Rematch?? The Seahawks have one of the strongest rosters in football, and this could be iron Mike Holmgren's last hurrah... Seattle returns to The Big game...

Rocketboom - Andrew Baron On Amanda Congdon And Their Problem - Video

In this vlog make At "CaseCamp" and which appears below this text, Andrew Baron, one of the two person founders of Rocketboom, explains that Amanda Congdon was his partner and both of them created Rocketboom two or three years ago. At the end of March 2006 it was "her and I doing pretty much everything."

By the end of that month they sold their first ad for $40,000 for one week; two days later they sold their second at at the same rate. Then Andrew reports that about three weeks prior to the making of this clip, and obviously the meltdown that led to it, they sold an ad for $80,000 for one week.

At the end of March, they started having problems, according to Baron. He sets up what he explains with a kind of preface that: "We're not really friends. We have a completely professional relationship. We're not even close socially. Everything started going down hill for all kinds of reasons."

He says that Amanda has always wanted to go to Hollywood pursue her professional acting career, even as Rocketboom was establishing a new way of getting news and entertainment -- vlogging. Baron says he was supportive of her desires from the begining of their relationship.

"But as time went on, Amanda became more antzy to get out there (to LA)," he claims. Meanwhile he says they both were trying to figure out how to "make this work" where Rocketboom could be produced in LA.

As time passed still, Amanda got even more anxious and Andrew more nervous because when he said "OK, let's go out to LA," she told him "Actually, I don't want you to go." She wanted him to stay in New York City. He said "Ok, but (even though) I'd prefer to stay in New York, I don't care where I live. If we have to go to Toronto (lol from audience) or something, I'd do it there."

Two weeks ago Amanda annouced that she was just going to leave for LA, and that she couldn't take it anymore. They talked about it and had -- as Baron said -- more communication problems. They needed a businesss partner and found one in someone who Andrew has known for a while and is a VP at Morgan Stanley (now to be informative to those who may get the wrong idea, VP at Morgan is not a high position, as they have SVPs and Regional Directors, CFOs, COOs, and so on)

At any rate, Amanda said "I'm moving next week, and Patrick said 'That will not work, we don't have the money." Then another check came in and it would take a month for it to clear the bank. Andrew and Patrick (I guess this is the business guy) were asking Amanda to just wait until the monies were in place but she "had to go now" as Andrew put it.

After that what Andrew described as "A little nightmare" unfolded. Their communication problems were such that they couldn't even talk any more. They "had a mediator come in" as Andrew explains, "and try to work it all out."

They had a large meeting, with Amanda and her parents on one side of the room, and Andrew and "we" as he put it (which I guess is the Rocketboom team) on the other side and a recording device in the middle.

Andrew says that they hit "another impass" on Tuesday night as reported to him by "Chuck" the mediator. Then on Wednesday, Andrew woke up to find an email sent from Amanda to the ten-person Rocketboom team which included the link to her video which all of you have seen, I guess, and which reports that "I've been fired" as Andrew says in the video.

He then goes on to report the message of Amanda's video: I wanted to go to LA. I can't. I'm stuck here at my parents with no money. I've got nothing.

Andrew says "I wake up and see this and oh my God. We've been negotiating for so long and there were always two possibilities." One was a way to make it work (It being the LA move). (Andrew didn't explain what the other possibility was; he jumped to his reaction to the Wednesday video by Amanda.)

"Now she's saying that I kicked her out."

Andrew explained that the real problem with the video she made was that all of Rocketboom's followers thought that Amanda was the face of the program and he was this evil business guy who got rid of her and gave her nothing, when it wasn't true. Andrew says that he thinks Amanda's an amazing business woman.

So Andrews looking at this and saying "This is not how I imagined this was going to turn out."

Andrew then says the two possibiliies were 1) work it out, or 2) not work it out, but design a way to "transition out" (I hate that term) of their relationship and get her to LA with some kind of contract in place.

Andrew says Amanda "Came in and stole the message. Totally twisted it up. I know I'm saying she twisted it up, but you all are thinking 'Well how do we know,.' and I'm saying that I'm not prepared to defend through all that."

Andrew said in his opinion Amanda reported the opposite of what really went down, and the whole Rocketboom team (I guess her brother too) was saying "Whoa she bailed on us and now she's saying she was fired."

Andrew believes he was "gyped" as he put it, because he's not the business guy and is now forced to tell his side of the story. He felt he had to respond because he was being painted as evil, and even as his sister was telling him not to fire back.

Andrew cracks, "Oh Amanda's the star and Jason Calicanis of Weblogs is giving her everything and you can be my star, and Andrew's well, he's just this dumb guy who.."

And that's when Andrew decided to put up the message that as of this writing is still on Rocketboom's home page.

Andrew essentially reports that his basic challenge is to remake Rocketboom and he's never been in this kind of position. Andrew says that events are starting to turn and people like Star Jones (@##$!!!) are producing a new spin on the entire matter.

"What I have to do is take control of the message," Andrew says. "The only way to make it through is,to..I'm not sure." He says that whomever he puts on Rocketboom on Monday is just not going to work and they would "throw tomatos" at them. It will have to be an interim host.

Andrew spent the rest of the time explaining the ideas they came up with for the Monday show -- which stlll isn't up yet. One of them was to do a segment on how they wanted Amanda back, but she's not coming back, so Rocketboom lives on.

Andrew was talked out of that.

The audience basically told Andrew that Monday was important in that he needs to show that he's moved on and that Rocketboom is viable.

I agree.

First, I think Andrew''s too worried about what people will think. He needs to just do it. Make the show. Second, as usual, the real truth is in the middle and we're starting to see that middle.

Amanda should have just waited and let Rocketboom grow. Unfortunately she was thinking too much about herself and not being a team player. More trajically, this episode is a grand example of what people -- most people -- do to thwart success. I've seen this time and again, and experienced it when I was working to bring the Super Bowl to Oakland.

When people who are involved in something that suddenly gains massive success, they want to "break it up" such that they have more 1) control and 2) money. It's always this dynamic at play. It always comes with people who are not experienced in life or business matters or both. They can't see a bigger picture from the "place" that caused the growth to begin with; they want to change the role so it's all about them.

Success is never all about one person. There's always a team behind it.

Amanda, here's my message to you: in the future, be patient and as the saying goes "When you're invited to the biggest dance of the year, you go with who 'brung ya." In this case, that person was indeed Andrew and you should have brung him to LA.

Be careful to always tell the truth, even if it doesn't make you look good. What you did was alter the story to create a fictional tale of good (you) and evil (Andrew). I think you owe him an appology.

Also, try to work within a team, even as your star status grows. You don't want to be marked as "hard to work with" so let this be a lesson.

Jason, here's your cautionary tale writ large. Buyer beware.

Andrew, move on and make the show. As of now, it's 10:08 PST and there's still no show at all. That means it's after 1 EST. What's up?

Just do it.

Sunday, July 09, 2006

New York Giants Chad Morton Sues Leigh Steinberg and Dave Kim Over Loans

I post this to make this comment: David Kim should have set up a company with stock and given part of that to Morton, rather than a loan. That's just wasn't the best decision.

NFL's Chad Morton Sues Sports Agents Over Loans

The New York Giants' specialist says O.C.-based representatives haven't paid back $336,000.

By Dave McKibben, LA Times Staff Writer

July 8, 2006

NFL player Chad Morton has alleged in a lawsuit that his former sports agent, Leigh Steinberg, and an associate defaulted on a series of loans totaling $336,000.

Morton, a New York Giants return specialist who starred at USC, alleged in a suit filed in Orange County Superior Court last week that Steinberg and David Kim promised several times over three years to pay him back but did not.

Steinberg, whose offices are in Newport Beach, said he was a minority partner in SLL Enterprises, a company run by Kim, and was initially unaware that Morton had loaned SLL money.

"I was not involved in the initial transaction, and I only later became aware that the transactions had occurred," said Steinberg, who represented Morton until earlier this year. "When I did, I attempted to assist Chad in unraveling the situation."

Kim agreed that Steinberg knew nothing about the loans and said he intended to repay Morton.

Kim said he ran the U.S. operations for SLL, which stands for Steinberg, Lee and Lou, with the same Newport Beach business address as Steinberg's sports agency, Tollner, Moon & Steinberg. Kim, who worked at Steinberg's sports agency until earlier this year, said he met Morton while working in USC's athletic department.

He said the loans from Morton were to fund a chain of sports and entertainment ventures throughout China. But Kim said the businesses never got off the ground.

In court papers, Morton alleged that he loaned Kim and Steinberg $300,000 in June 2003.

When the money was not paid back seven months later, Steinberg and Kim offered to repay Morton by giving him a 5% stake in the China business venture, according to the suit. Morton said he agreed but grew frustrated because he was never shown documentation, and he asked for his money back, according to documents.

In December 2004, Morton alleges, the defendants bounced a repayment check of $175,000.

A month later, a $240,000 check from Kim was returned marked for insufficient funds, according to the suit.

Saturday, July 08, 2006

Woman Asks For Santonio Holmes Charges To Be Dropped



There's always more to these than meets the eye -- here's proof

Woman asks for Holmes case to be dismissed
NFL.com wire reports

COLUMBUS, Ohio (July 7, 2006) -- The woman who was allegedly assaulted by Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Santonio Holmes has asked that charges against the former Ohio State star be dropped, his attorney said.

Holmes was arrested June 19 and charged with misdemeanor domestic violence and simple assault. The woman, the mother of one of Holmes' children, accused Holmes of choking her, throwing her to the ground, grabbing her arms and slamming her into a door, according to a Columbus police statement.

The woman has asked that the charges be dismissed, Sam Shamansky, Holmes' attorney, said after a pretrial conference in Franklin County Municipal Court.

The woman couldn't be reached for comment later. A telephone listing in her name has been disconnected.

City Prosecutor Stephen McIntosh said his office discussed the case with the woman and told her it is up to the prosecutor's office to decide how the case will be handled.

"We'll take into consideration her concerns and issues in trying to fashion what we consider a fair resolution," he said.

McIntosh and Shamansky said a deal is possible in the case. Shamansky has said Holmes is innocent.

A trial has been set for Aug. 15.

After his arrest, Holmes apologized for the negative attention the charges have brought to the organization.

It was his second arrest since being selected in the first round of the NFL draft in April. Holmes was arrested in Miami Beach, Fla., on a charge of disorderly conduct over Memorial Day weekend.

Holmes led the Buckeyes in receiving last season with 53 catches for 977 yards and 11 touchdowns.

Super Bowl XIX - 49ers 38; Dolphins 16 - Press Conference

This nine-minute video shows the press conference after Super Bowl XIX where the San Francisco 49ers defeated the Miami Dolphins 38 to 16 in 1984, and the presentation of the Lombardi Trophy to San Francisco 49ers Head Coach Bill Walsh and Owner Eddie Debartolo. It features the late NFL Commissioner Pete Rozelle, the late Dallas Cowboys Head Coach Tom Landry, a younger Al Michaels and Jim Lampley of ABC, and O.J. Simpson interviewing the losing coach, Don Shula.

It also has the late President Ronald Reagan asking Bill Walsh to come and help him deal with Congress.

Darren Woodson - Single Parent Family Foundation 5K September 23rd 2006 - Austin Ranch

In this video, Dallas Cowboys Darren Woodson promotes the Kind Fest and 5K run for the Single Parent Family Foundation of Dallas. You can learn more by watching the video below and visiting their websiite at Single Parent Family Foundation

Tony Dorsett - Dallas Cowboys - 99 Yard TD Run Vs. Vikings

Dallas Cowboys' Tony Dorsett, #33 has always been my favorite running back because of his combination of speed and quickness and his unique running style: low to the ground as he approches and then passes the line of scrimmage, and to protect the football. Tony didn't run -- he would glide.

This video of his Monday Night Football 99 Yard touchdown run against the Minnesota Vikings shows all you need to see to understand why Tony Dorsett is one of the NFL's all time best backs.

Charger Girls - NFL Network's Fourth Cheerleader Series Is Coming



The NFL -- NFL.com -- reports:

As budding NFL rookies go through the job interview process, a different group of hopefuls try their hardest to make another NFL roster ... a cheerleading roster. NFL Network goes behind-the-scenes to get an understanding and appreciation of what it takes to become an NFL cheerleader in Making the Squad.

On Mondays in July, NFL Network will follow the San Diego Chargers cheerleaders after profiling the Tampa Bay Buccaneers cheerleaders in June.

The July schedule is as follows:

The Chargers Cheerleaders: Making the Squad
July 10, July 17, July 24 at 8 p.m. ET

Here's the video on The Charger Girls:

Falcons Arthur Blank and Rich McKay to Randy Moss: "You're Not Wanted Here"



If this ESPN story is true -- and why would Randy Moss lie? -- it's the dumbest decision Arthur Blank and Rich McKay ever made. This is not a personal comment in that I've met and like Rich McKay, and have respect for how Arthur Blank has reconstructed the Falcons organization. But this individual action -- just plain stupid. Can you immagine Randy Moss paired with Michael Vick? That would have made the Falcons offense completely dangerous.

ATLANTA -- Wide receiver Randy Moss had hoped for a trade to the Atlanta Falcons or Baltimore Ravens before the March 2005 deal that instead sent him to the Oakland Raiders, he said here this week.

Randy Moss could have been slapping high-fives with Falcons fans if the trade he wanted came to pass.

But his hopes of joining electrifying quarterback Michael Vick on the Falcons' roster, Moss suggested in an interview with a local radio station, were thwarted by the fact that Atlanta owner Arthur Blank and team president Rich McKay wanted nothing to do with the perennial Pro Bowl wide receiver.

"I wanted to play with Atlanta just for the fact of Michael Vick's elusiveness," Moss said. "And I wanted to play with a guy such as [Ravens star middle linebacker] Ray Lewis, because he's on defense and I'm on offense. So I did have dreams and high hopes of being traded to the Atlanta Falcons, but the president and owner . . . told me specifically that [they] did not want me in Atlanta, there's nothing that I can do to get [to] Atlanta, and then wished me the best of luck. [Blank] did not think that Randy Moss would be a good fit in Atlanta."



The admission by Moss was the first confirmation of longstanding rumors that, when Vikings officials were seeking potential trade partners last spring, the wide receiver was eyeing Atlanta as a possible landing spot. But there were never any substantive trade negotiations with the Falcons, and Blank and McKay both said at the time that Moss was not a target, while hinting his off-field problems would keep the team from considering a deal for him.

It is not known if the Ravens ever discussed acquiring Moss in a trade.



Under the ownership of Blank, and the front office stewardship of McKay, the Falcons have stressed the desire to add high character players. In fact, the Atlanta front office has even created a term, the "Falcons' Filter," to describe how it often eliminates players of dubious background from roster consideration.

Neither McKay nor Blank could be reached to respond to Moss' comments, but the wide receiver's story certainly dovetails with the previous reports that the Falcons were not a suitor for his services, principally because of his past problems.

"Basically, it was the president and the owner of the team saying there [was] no cold chance in hell that [I] would be playing for the Atlanta Falcons," Moss said. "So I took the Atlanta Falcons off my list and I tried to go elsewhere."

That elsewhere was Oakland, to whom Moss was dealt on March 3, 2005, for linebacker Napoleon Harris and first- and seventh-round selections in the 2005 draft.

In his first season with the Raiders, the eight-year veteran had 60 receptions for 1,005 yards and eight touchdowns in 16 appearances, 15 of them starts. The receptions and receiving yards were the lowest of Moss' career for seasons in which he played in all 16 games.

Len Pasquarelli is a senior NFL writer for ESPN.com. To check out Len's chat archive, click here .

Friday, July 07, 2006

San Francisco Pillowfight Staged At The Ferry Building

I found this YouTube video by someone connected with Laughing Squid, an organization I was made aware of at Vloggercon. If you live in San Francisco, can you see yourself in this movie? Maybe one of the flying pillows? Take a look.

Rocketboom - Amanda Congdon's Replacement Annouced!

Rocketboom's found a replacement for the hard-to-replace Amanda Congdon. And by the looks of this video, the real Amanda Congdon has nothing to worry about.

Pirates Of The Carribean - Walt Disney Uses You Tube - Film At A Theater Near You

Walt Disney's become the first company to employ You Tube -- the video distribution website -- to promote it's new movie Pirates of The Carribean. This article in Online Media Daily explains that YouTube's new ad division's fielding calls from a number of companies that wish to use its system for promotions.

I think this development will cause the infamous YouTube copywrite problem to diminish as the very companies that complain of "illegal use of content" finally figure out that they're getting great exposure.