I Stopped Using Google AdWords; Google's Squeezing Money From Me

I've been in the Internet Online Media business for almost five years now, and one of the most rewarding discoveries for me was Google AdWords combined with Google AdSense. When I first used the two, AdSense clicks allowed me to pay for the AdWords ad campaigns I started. I've made as much as $400 in one day using AdSense when I first started in the program. But then I watched as my once rewarding returns dwindled.

This year, and for the first time, Google AdWords was more expensive than the revenue my company gained from Google AdSense. In fact, it was so wildly out of balance I cancelled Google AdWords.

I'm no longer a fan of the program. Google has changed this aspect of its business model, and it's for the worst, in my view.

Google's increased the price of keywords at the same time it's scaled back the payouts for AdSense publishers. The result is more money for Google, and less money for the small business operators that use Google AdSense. Meanwhile more people continue to sign up for the program because Google's the leading search engine. Everyone uses it, so business people believe they must be part of it.

I don't mind Google tweaking its program a little bit, but they've gone way too far in "allowing the market" to price keywords. I mean, who determines what the market is, anyway? Let's think about this. If Google takes about 50 percent of the traffic for search engines, and Google determines keyword prices, then it's Google that's the market, and that's not fair at all.

A better system would be a stock market for keywords. I mean a formal one; not the informal system that exists today. This keyword stock market would be separate from any search engine and set prices that are equally weighted based on all search engines, thus not allowing one company, Google, to "up" keyword prices to their advantage.

Right now, Google has the control of the market. In fact, it's not even right to call it a market, because that term implies fairness. There's nothing fair about this keyword pricing problem, and there's no real market behind prices, there's just Google. In other words, Google's has near-monopolistic control over keyword prices.

I know that's a major charge, but consider that Google controls by my estimate between 60 percent and 80 percent of the keyword market, based just on the number of results that reference Google when one is trying to determine what the "keyword market" is.

Even with Google, the entire affair is a trip to the wild West, with SEO firms, marketing agencies, and others posting articles about keywords only to get you to hire them as a consultant. There's no real clearing house at all. And other firms like Yahoo, with Yahoo Publisher, are so slow to respond to an application one submits, you wonder if anyone's minding the store. !

So there's really nothing out there...except Google, and I'm running away from AdWords, but I'll stick to AdSense. It's the only way to recover the money Google's taken from me.

AGENDA FOR 2007 NFL SPRING MEETING - Nashville

In my opinion, this is the most exciting compeitition for the Super Bowl I've ever seen. I can't say I have a favorite in this race. However, I must admit from a technical standpoint that the D-FW Metroplex has more top quality hotels than in Indianapolis, but these competitions always come down to the most popular owner.

May 17, 2007

MEDIA ADVISORY:

AGENDA FOR NFL SPRING MEETING

The annual NFL Spring Meeting will be held at the Loews Vanderbilt Hotel in Nashville,
Tennessee on Tuesday, May 22.

The agenda for the one-day business meeting includes a vote on the awarding of Super Bowl
XLV in 2011. The finalists are Arizona, Indianapolis and North Texas. Super Bowls are
awarded by a vote of the ownership. A decision and announcement on the 2011 Super Bowl
is expected at the end of the morning session on Tuesday (approximately 1:00 PM Nashville
time).

There will be a series of committee meetings on Monday afternoon before the league
meeting begins at 8:30 AM on Tuesday.

Tuesday’s agenda will include a wide range of league matters.

The meeting is expected to conclude by 5:00 PM on Tuesday. NFL Commissioner Roger
Goodell will hold a news conference following the conclusion of the meeting.


FUTURE SUPER BOWLS

SUPER BOWL LOCATION DATE

XLII February 3, 2008 Arizona
XLIII February 1, 2009 Tampa
XLIV February 7, 2010 South Florida
XLV February 6, 2011 TBD


SUPER BOWL SITES 1967-2010

GAME YEAR SITE STADIUM WINNER LOSER SCORE DATE

XLIV 2010 South Florida Dolphin Stadium 2/7/2010
XLIII 2009 Tampa Raymond James 2/1/2009
XLII 2008 Arizona University of Phoenix Stadium 2/3/2008
XLI 2007 South Florida Dolphin Stadium Indianapolis Chicago 29-17
XL 2006 Detroit Ford Field Pittsburgh Seattle 21-10
XXXIX 2005 Jacksonville ALLTEL New England Philadelphia 24-21
XXXVIII 2004 Houston Reliant New England Carolina 32-29
XXXVII 2003 San Diego Qualcomm Tampa Bay Oakland 48-21
XXXVI 2002 New Orleans Superdome New England St. Louis 20-17
XXXV 2001 Tampa Raymond James Baltimore Ravens NY Giants 34-7
XXXIV 2000 Atlanta Georgia Dome St. Louis Tennessee 23-16
XXXIII 1999 South Florida Pro Player Denver Atlanta 34-19
XXXII 1998 San Diego Qualcomm Denver Green Bay 31-24
XXXI 1997 New Orleans Superdome Green Bay New England 35-21
XXX 1996 Tempe Sun Devil Stadium Dallas Pittsburgh 27-17
XXIX 1995 South Florida Joe Robbie San Francisco San Diego 49-26
XXVIII 1994 Atlanta Georgia Dome Dallas Buffalo 30-13
XXVII 1993 Pasadena Rose Bowl Dallas Buffalo 52-17
XXVI 1992 Minneapolis Metrodome Washington Buffalo 37-24
XXV 1991 Tampa Tampa Stadium NY Giants Buffalo 20-19
XXIV 1990 New Orleans Superdome San Francisco Denver 55-10
XXIII 1989 South Florida Joe Robbie San Francisco Cincinnati 20-16
XXII 1988 San Diego Jack Murphy Washington Denver 42-10
XXI 1987 Pasadena Rose Bowl NY Giants Denver 39-20
XX 1986 New Orleans Superdome Chicago New England 46-10
XIX 1985 Stanford Stanford Stadium San Francisco Miami 38-16
XVIII 1984 Tampa Tampa Stadium LA Raiders Washington 38-9
XVII 1983 Pasadena Rose Bowl Washington Miami 27-17
XVI 1982 Pontiac Pontiac Silverdome San Francisco Cincinnati 26-21
XV 1981 New Orleans Superdome Oakland Philadelphia 27-10
XIV 1980 Pasadena Rose Bowl Pittsburgh LA 31-19
XIII 1979 Miami Orange Bowl Pittsburgh Dallas 35-31
XII 1978 New Orleans Superdome Dallas Denver 27-10
XI 1977 Pasadena Rose Bowl Oakland Minnesota 32-14
X 1976 Miami Orange Bowl Pittsburgh Dallas 21-17
IX 1975 New Orleans Tulane Stadium Pittsburgh Minnesota 16-6
VIII 1974 Houston Rice Stadium Miami Minnesota 24-7
VII 1973 Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum Miami Washington 14-7
VI 1972 New Orleans Tulane Stadium Dallas Miami 24-3
V 1971 Miami Orange Bowl Baltimore Colts Dallas 16-13
IV 1970 New Orleans Tulane Stadium KC Minnesota 23-7
III 1969 Miami Orange Bowl NY Jets Baltimore Colts 16-7
II 1968 Miami Orange Bowl Green Bay KC 33-14
I 1967 Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum Green Bay KC 35-10

# # #

Jets' Justin Miller charged with third-degree assault

This is a terrible example of "wrong place, wrong time, wrong behavior." He's just 21, so the rest of his life's ahead of him.


Jets' Miller charged with third-degree assault
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Jets kick returner Justin Miller was arrested early Sunday and charged with third-degree assault after a fight at a New York City nightclub.

"I want to apologize to everyone for this situation, including my family, my teammates, the Jets organization, our fans and the entire NFL," the cornerback said in a statement released by the team Sunday night.


"I understand that serving in the NFL is an honor and that I have an obligation to behave in a manner that reflects the privilege I have been given."

ESPN.com reported Sunday night that the 23-year-old Pro Bowl returner was arrested after allegedly punching a woman in a nightclub. He was apprehended following a police chase at 4:20 a.m. According to the report, police said Miller swung at a man, but hit the woman when the man ducked out of the way.

In light of the NFL's new conduct policy, the Jets have already notified the commissioner's office of the situation.

"We expect our players to adhere to the highest standards of conduct off the field and take any allegation of personal misconduct very seriously," the team said in a statement. "Until we've had an opportunity to review all the facts, we will refrain from further comment."

The speedy Miller was selected for his first Pro Bowl last season, his second in the NFL, after leading the league with 28.3 yards per kickoff return. He returned two kickoffs for touchdowns: a team record 103-yarder in Week 4 against Indianapolis, and a 99-yarder four weeks later at Cleveland.

He also had 52 tackles, a forced fumble and two fumble recoveries while playing right cornerback.

This is not Miller's first brush with the law. He was considered a potential first-round pick in 2005, but his stock fell when he was arrested for disorderly conduct a week before the draft. The Jets selected him out of Clemson in the second round with the 57th pick.

Zennie Gets A Call From Nikke Finke!

Nikki Finke's a famous and to some infamous columnist with a colorful past having been unfairly fired by the New York Post for her writing about Disney, and who has a popular blog that I read regularly. It's called "Deadline Hollywood Daily" and first capured my attention when Finke was following Creative Artist Agency's foray into the sports business. It also features her equally interesting writing, where she once referred to Viacom's Sumner Redstone as a "geriatric Viacom jerk."

Since Nikki follows CAA, I emailed her a tidbit and to my surprise -- and without my asking in the email -- she called to follow up.

The result was a wide ranging conversation about a great many things, and I can say I learned a great deal about how Hollywood, and Ms. Finke, work. But most important to me is that she's a funny, gregarious, and nice person who I hope I'm able to get to know better in my life.

I do disagree with some of the character descriptions I've seen of her online. She does have a lot to say, and If one's smart, they'll listen. I do. But also, I'm not on the wrong side of her wrath and don't plan on being there.

She's got a book coming out, she told me. If I recall it's on Hollywood Agent / Mogul Michael Ovitz, of whom she's a total expert and can give a running account of his life and business deals in a short period of time. Impressive.

Du'a Khalil Aswad Killed For Converting To Islam to Marry Muslim - Video Report

This is one of the most terrible acts of violence and examples of a person's inhumanity toward another person I've ever seen in my life. Du'a Khalil Aswad is a 17-year old woman stoned to death by a crowd of Iraqi men just for and only for converting to Islam to marry a Muslim boy. The video - which shows the crowd of men -- is below.

About Gary Bauer - Bauer's Worldwide Transportation CEO - San Francisco, CA

The SF Examiner captures Bauer's Worldwide Transportation's President Gary Bauer in this story. He's going to become the king of Hybrid Cars if he keeps this up!

Gary Bauer: From high school entrepreneur to limo executive

(Jason Steinberg/Special to The Examiner)

Gary Bauer is the president and CEO of Bauer’s Worldwide Transportation, which operates a fleet of 135 luxury vehicles.
SAN FRANCISCO (Map, News) - While most kids his age were lazing idly and sleeping in late, Gary Bauer, founder of Bauer’s Worldwide Transportation, was taking a decidedly different approach.

As a precocious high school student, Bauer was already operating his own landscaping company in Marin County during the day, and transporting his buddies at night in a Cadillac he bought for $3,000.

“I would do landscaping from 6 in the morning to 6 at night, and drive the Cadillac from 7 p.m. to 3 a.m.” said Bauer, who grew up in Novato and now lives in Foster City. “I would get about three hours a sleep a night, six days a week.”

Now, with a fleet of 135 luxury vehicles, including state-of-the-art business shuttles, stretch Navigators and San Francisco Cable Cars, Bauer can afford to sleep a little more, and he does — by his admission, he’s getting “four hours of sleep a night.”

Bauer’s transportation service began with the aforementioned Cadillac and steadily grew exponentially. In 1994, Bauer moved his company from Marin County to 17th Street and Harrison in San Francisco, and in 2000, he relocated to Pier 27, where the business operates with 165 employees, including 110 trained chauffeurs who transport 12,00 people daily.

Bauer’s Worldwide Transportation has exclusive partnerships with major sports franchises in the Bay Area and an extensive program shuttling workers to the Google Inc. (GOOG) complex in Silicon Valley.

Along with continually expanding his transportation service, Bauer also created California Coach Sales, which customizes vehicles and pioneered models such as the stretch Navigator and Hummer.

His work ethic aside, Bauer’s most impressive attribute may be his progressive environmental advocacy. Highlighting his company’s “Corporate Green Initiative” is the fact that 85 percent of the miles his vehicles travel do so with alternative fuels, such as compressed natural gas, biodiesel and propane. He is looking into other outlets such as hybrids and electric vehicles.

“We think it’s very important to promote responsible environmental practices,” Bauer said. “Ever since I started my landscaping business, I’ve always wanted to maintain a strong support for a healthy environment.”

Along with using eco-friendly alternative fuels, Bauer has also created SaveIt, a charitable outlet that donates proceeds of the company’s profits to help build and maintain parks and green spaces in various Bay Area communities.

“SaveIt is a way of giving back to the areas that use our services,” Bauer said. “We know were in the position to create positive change, and we want to continue to do so.”

Business
Last project: Consolidating hotel shuttles around SFO to reduce emissions and congestion

Number of e-mails a day: 200

Voicemails: 65

Web site: Google

Perks: Meeting exciting influential people in the business world

Education: San Diego State University

Last conference: National Limousine Association — Day on Capitol Hill

First job: Window cleaning

Original aspirations: Financial investor

Career objective: To continue the growth of our “Green Initiatives” by being a leader within the corporate transportation industry

Personal
Age: 37

Height: 5’11”

Likes: Positive, upbeat, motivated individuals

Hometown: Novato

Sports/Hobbies: Jet Ski riding, water skiing, boating and snowskiing

Transpiration: Lexus hybrid

Favorite restaurant: Slanted Door

Computer: Toshiba Satellite

Vacation spot: Bahamas

Favorite clothier: Custom-made suits

Role model: Anthony Robbins

Reading: Business systems and motivational books

Motivation: Seeing my team excel on a daily basis

Mutual Interest Between Titans & Keyshawn Johnson

Mutual Interest Between Titans, Keyshawn
By TERESA M. WALKER
AP Sports Writer

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- The Tennessee Titans need an experienced receiver to help Vince Young, and said Thursday they are interested in veteran Keyshawn Johnson. "There's mutual interest I'd say right now," coach Jeff Fisher said. "I think we'll probably look into the possibility of pursuing things. Where that goes, I can't tell you."

Johnson will visit the Titans on Friday. His relationship with Fisher goes back to Southern California, when the coach played for the Trojans and Johnson was a ball boy.


"I know Jeff, but I don't know the organization and I don't know the makeup of the team and the coaching staff. I know a little bit about Norm Chow. I know Norm from college. At the same time, I want to make sure everything's the right fit," Johnson said.

"I was in a situation last year I thought was the right situation, and wind up a year later going in another direction. I want to make sure it's something everybody is committed to for the next couple of years. They're committed to me, and I'm committed to them, whoever it is I go play for."

The Carolina Panthers released Johnson, who turns 35 in July, earlier this month after drafting Dwayne Jarrett. He had 70 catches for 815 yards and four touchdowns last season and became the 16th player in NFL history with 800 career catches.

His 70 catches for 2006 easily tops the receptions of all the receivers currently on the Titans' roster who played in the NFL last year.

Center Kevin Mawae, who played with Johnson when both were with the New York Jets, said he wasn't sure if Johnson's personality -- which earned him the nickname Me-Shawn -- would click with the young Titans.

"One thing I do know about Keyshawn, he's absolutely an incredible athlete and a wonderful receiver. The guy works harder than most guys in this league," Mawae said. "He plays hard and he practices hard. That's the kind of guy you need in this locker room."

Young called Johnson a great receiver who would be welcomed.

"I really feel like he could come in and help some of the young guys at receiver and then also come in and help us," Young said.

David Givens is the Titans' only receiver with more than five seasons in the NFL and the only one with more than 65 career catches (166). But he had a second surgery on his left knee seven weeks ago and isn't expected to be ready for the start of the season.

The Titans' receivers include Justin Gage, a four-year veteran signed as a free agent who has 64 career catches; a trio of players drafted in 2005 led by Brandon Jones with 27 catches in 2006; and another trio of draft picks last month -- none taken before the third round.

Compare that to the 6-foot-4 Johnson, who was the No. 1 pick in the 1996 draft. He spent last season with Carolina after being released by the Dallas Cowboys to free up enough salary cap space to sign Terrell Owens.

Johnson said last year he wants to play a couple of more seasons to reach 1,000 career receptions. But productivity has never been his problem.

He clashed with Jets teammates and wrote the book "Just Give Me the Damn Ball" after his rookie season.

Mawae was a teammate in New York in 1998 and 1999 and still remembers Johnson's feud with fellow receiver Wayne Chrebet.

"I'd like to think everybody has matured since then. I know Keyshawn's a great player, and that's ultimately what you need in this locker room -- a great player and a guy who comes in and works hard with a great ethic," Mawae said.

Johnson helped Tampa Bay win a Super Bowl in 2002, only to be deactivated for the final six games the next season after feuding with coach Jon Gruden.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I'm happy to See "Key" find a place. Even though he is "outspoken" is nowhere near the issue maker that T.O. Is. I also feel after having talked with "Key" Briefly at the draft, that he has matured somewhat. He deserves more then a legit shot at his "1,000 Catches." He can Only make Vince Young a better QB as well. We all know The Titans need the help on offense.......

Bill(Draftnik)

Michael Buble - Why Are People Writing About Him?

I've got to admit, I've never heard of Michael Buble until now, and that's due to Technorati and the people blogging about him. But why are they blogging about him? Well, here's a video of him singing. If you want concert tickets, just click on the title of this post.

Give Paris Hilton a Break! - Why Not Just House Arrest?

ALERT: Paris Hilton released to...house arrest!

Ok. I know some of you want Paris Hilton to go to jail. But the reasons are a little perverse to me. So she's rich? Big deal. Many of you -- and you know who you are -- use that reason, as if it's a badge of honor. I've got news. It's not.

Paris Hilton should not go to jail.

Paris Hilton is not one of us. She's a celebrity with a personal brand , and in the prison system that could equal harm. I know some of you point to Martha Stewart, but that was a totally different setting -- not a common jail at all. And I'm glad you brought that up, because Martha Stewart did more time for a greater offense than Paris. This is Paris first "taste" of jail -- why not just house arrest? Why 23-days or 45 - days in a jail? What's the deal?

Jealously. That's the deal. And that's stupid.

Look, just because someone has what you and i both know you and I want -- don't lie -- is no reason to want to punish them. Indeed, why not celebrate them? Isn't that what it means to be a celebrity? If that's what you want for youself, know what you should do? Make videos. Get a business card set. Meet as many people as possible and maintain those relationships, regardless. If you don't do that, don't complain. It's the game.

Keep Paris out of jail. Send her home.

How NFL Tells JaMarcus Russell, Brady Quinn How To Win In League - NFLMedia.com

This is part of the NFL's effort to better endoctrinate rookies into the League.

NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE
280 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10017
(212) 450-2000 * FAX (212) 681-7573
WWW.NFLMedia.com
Joe Browne, Executive Vice President-Communications
Greg Aiello, Vice President-Public Relations
AFC NEWS ‘N’ NOTES
FOR USE AS DESIRED FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION,
AFC-N-2 5/16/07 CONTACT: STEVE ALIC (212/450-2066)

ROOKIES CALLED UPON TO MOVE THE “WIN” NEEDLE

Fresh out of college and starting their first job, new recruits tend to sit and observe in the background before building a
boardroom presence. Once NFL rookies are handed a key card to their new workplace – a 100-yard football field -- they
are to immediately boost their company’s bottom line. And that bottom line is winning games.

Says Tennessee Titans head coach JEFF FISHER: “The key is getting them past the idea that they are ‘just rookies’ and
convincing them that they can help us win games early in the season.”

Here’s how some NFL coaches get that idea through to their youngest and newest players:

HEAD COACH HOW DO YOU GET YOUR ROOKIES TO THINK LIKE VETERANS?
Herm Edwards,
Kansas City Chiefs “I tell them that the league is ever-changing and that every player before them, at one point in their career, was a rookie. They were actually rookies – they didn’t just grow up being pro
football players. They went through the same type of situations that you are going to go
through and they were successful. As a rookie, when you come in, the first thing that you have
to understand is that your talent alone gets you here. How you work, study and prepare is
what keeps you here.”
Dick Jauron,
Buffalo Bills “We treat them pretty much like we treat everyone else on our football team. We do talk about the fact that they need to show up quickly as everybody in camp does. They need to compete
from the very first moment on and that we do not have a lot of time. There is a sense of
urgency in everything that they do and that we do. They get right to work and we treat them
like they are part of it until they prove to us or show us that they are not part of it.”
Jack Del Rio,
Jacksonville Jaguars “We work hard to let them learn what our fundamentals are, what the principles of our offense and defense are so they have a chance to let their athleticism take over. I think the one thing
that we really pride ourselves on is preparing guys to utilize what they can do. While we are
working on making them complete players, we like to find things that they can do and a role
that they can have.”

Heeding their coaches’ words, rookies blossom into contributors and 2006 was no exception. Entering minicamps as
second-year veterans in 2007, below is insight from 2006 rookies illustrating when they knew they could help their teams
win:

PLAYER WHEN DID YOU KNOW AS A ROOKIE THAT YOU COULD HELP YOUR TEAM WIN GAMES?
WR Marques Colston,
New Orleans Saints “It was a gradual process. I didn’t have a great minicamp and realized right away that I needed to change some things and get ready for training camp. I worked hard to get into the best
possible shape that I could get in. My goal was to just keep improving and take the coaching
and apply it to the field and become someone that the coaches and other players could depend
on. I was aware that I was getting more and more reps and eventually I was in with the
starters and didn’t want to let that opportunity go. It wasn’t something that happened overnight;
rather it was a day-to-day situation that required hard work and being reliable and dependable.”
LB Clint Ingram,
Jacksonville Jaguars “I think I was ready once they put me out there on the field and I strapped on my helmet. I still knew I was a rookie as far as rank and year, but it wasn’t like the person on the other side of
the ball was going to say, ‘That’s only a rookie going against me – let me take it easy on him.’
As soon as I got on the field with everybody else, all that rookie stuff went aside and I was just
like everybody else.”
RB Jerious Norwood,
Atlanta Falcons “I came into the league feeling that I would be able to play on this level. In our last preseason game I broke a 62-yard touchdown run in the first quarter. I gained 104 yards on nine carries
and that is when I knew that everyone saw that I could contribute as a rookie.”
QB Vince Young,
Tennessee Titans “I felt like a rookie for just about the whole season, but once we started winning I knew we were building something as a team. I’d say the Giants’ game (11/26), coming back and winning that
one (overcoming a 21-0 deficit), was when it really hit.”

NFL Game in London Sells 40,000 Tickets

NFL Game in London Sells 40,000 Tickets
By Associated Press

LONDON -- The first regular season NFL game outside North America is shaping up as a hot ticket.

The first 40,000 tickets for the Oct. 28 game between the Miami Dolphins and New York Giants at the new Wembley Stadium sold in 90 minutes Wednesday.

"The speed in which such a large number of tickets were snapped up ... demonstrates the great excitement and appetite for the game in this country," said Alistair Kirkwood, managing director of NFL UK. "We know that the last few tickets available in this first batch will be gone very soon."

The first batch of tickets went to fans in Britain and the rest of Europe selected randomly from registered ticket requests.

Sales in the United States to Giants and Dolphins fans are expected to begin within a week. Further tickets will be released to fans in Britain next month.

About 10,000 fans are expected to travel from the United States, a fraction of the anticipated sellout crowd of 90,000.

Prices range from about US$90 (euro66.50) to US$180 (euro133), using a pricing structure similar to this weekend's FA Cup final between Manchester United and Chelsea.

Reggie Bush Eyes Football After Dining with Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice- AP

Reggie Bush Eyes Football After Social Buzz
By BRETT MARTEL
AP Sports Writer

NEW ORLEANS -- Reggie Bush wanted to get away from football for a while to -- as he put it -- relax and be normal. Of course, when talking about a rising NFL star who has the looks, charisma and wealth to complement his mesmerizing talent, normal is a relative term.

For Bush, it meant appearing in one of R&B singer Ciara's music videos, dining with Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice at a White House correspondent's dinner, filming a commercial with David Beckham in Spain, an appearance in Las Vegas during NBA All-Star weekend, partying at the Playboy mansion and otherwise enjoying life in his $5 million Hollywood home.


On Tuesday, the native Californian was back in New Orleans, where most of his teammates have been working out together for over a month.

The Saints gave their young star some leeway to enjoy the trappings of his first offseason as a pro, and Bush confidently predicted they wouldn't regret it.

"I expect to improve on last year," Bush said. "I don't have a number, but I definitely expect to be a lot better than last year and help my team get to the Super Bowl."

The Saints came one victory shy of reaching the Super Bowl last season, appearing in an NFC championship game for the first time in the franchise's four-decade history.

Bush played no small part in that. As both a running back and receiver, he gained over 1,300 yards from scrimmage in his rookie season. As he adapted to the speed and complexity of the NFL, the uncanny quickness and agility that helped him win the Heisman Trophy at Southern California began to show itself.

There was the 65-yard touchdown on a punt return against Tampa Bay in midseason, the 65-yard score on a screen pass at Dallas in December. And in the playoffs, there was the 88-yard touchdown in Chicago, during which he grabbed a short pass, outran numerous pursuers while cutting across the entire width of the field, pointed back triumphantly at linebacker Brian Urlacher, and then launched into a forward somersault across the goal line.

Performances like that only increased the attention he received during the past few months, and it wasn't always to his liking.

He said he enjoyed attending a party at the Playboy mansion, where it seemed to him that he was asked to be in more photos than many of the women there. Soon after, however, a Los Angeles publication reported he had been banned from the mansion for an unspecified conduct violation, which Bush denied.

"I don't even know where or what happened or why somebody would even ... write a story like that," Bush said. "I was at the Playboy mansion ... I had a great time and that's really all it was."

Bush chalked it up as a lesson of how difficult it can be for celebrities to control rumors.

"The story's already out there, so what are you going to do?" Bush said. "It's the way of the world and I've learned to just grow thick skin toward it and not play into it and just live my life the way I have been."

Bush, who first returned to New Orleans late last weekend, said he had one more short trip out of town planned this week before rejoining teammates here on Monday for offseason workouts leading up to minicamp in June.

It will mark the end of a lot of recent traveling. His trip to Spain also was his first trip to Europe.

Scheduling preventing him from seeing a soccer game, but he did catch a bull fight, which gave him a new perspective on showmanship and contact sports.

"Just seeing how close the bulls come to almost killing these guys, you know, it's a different type of sport," Bush said.

With a self-effacing laugh, Bush acknowledged the matadors, "didn't point at the bull."

As for the rest of his offseason, Bush said being in a music video is something he's glad he tried once, but won't be inclined to do again.

"That was a great experience but it's just something that's not for me," Bush said.

"I'm done with basketball, too," he added, a reference to his appearance in a celebrity game in Las Vegas, during which he twisted his ankle.

Bush said the ankle is fine now and he is in excellent shape because of a new workout regimen he began in Los Angeles last February. It's called fre flo do (pronounced FREE-flow-doe), which Bush described as a Chinese-inspired type of training that builds strength with exercises focused on flexibility, quickness and endurance.

Like a number of new-age physical fitness genres that seem to thrive in California, fre flo do also has a meditative and spiritual component.

Bush said he likes it because it plays to his strengths as an athlete.

"You know, some of my plays last longer than the average play, so I'm trying to simulate that ... going beyond the average time within a workout," he said.

Going into his second season, Bush already plays well beyond the level of an average running back. But when addressing his expectations for this season, he didn't want to talk about yardage and touchdowns.

"I've never been big on setting personal goals. The only thing I care about is Super Bowls," Bush said. "Your legacy is based on championships -- how many championships you win -- and you remember guys like Michael Jordan and Walter Payton and even a Tom Brady. That's the kind of caliber athlete I want to be remembered as. So that's what I shoot for when I'm training."