Mark Cuban's Right - CD's Are On The Decline

Mark Cuban's certainly totally wrong about the football business , but he's right on regarding compact disks and their future as a music distribution system. Just check out his blog and its references.

As I think about it, I can remember the last time I listened to music on the CD and that was in a car. But I've not done that anywhere else: not at home, for example. I watch movies on DVD, but music on CD's? Only in the car. It's a matter of time before one's able to just plug in their iPod and use it as a full car stereo for all cars, not just a few.

But Mark's totally wrong about football; the UFL will fail.

Does Ever Rising Salary Cap Put NFL Parity in Danger?

In 2005, former NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue closed out a stellar tenure by negotiating a new collective bargaining agreement with the NFL Players Association. With that new agreement, the NFL salary cap jumped from just over $85 million to a whopping $102 million dollars providing cap releif to several NFL teams. This season, the salary cap has swollen to $109 million. Is the salary cap reaching a point where small-market teams cannot afford to reach the limit leaving big-market teams the ability to start stockpiling talent?

June 1, previously a red-letter day in NFL free agency came and went with a relative whimper this year. Usually a day where NFL teams discard high-priced veterans to find salary cap relief, many teams found themselves comfortably under the $109 million cap without releasing some of their bigger names.

Since the new CBA was signed in 2005, the cap has grown an astounding 27.5%. In 2005 alone, the cap grew nearly 20% from $85.5 million to $102 million. Even big-spenders like the Dallas Cowboys suddenly found themselves in the tens of millions under the cap. At the time the CBA was signed, small-market owners such as Cleveland's Paul Brown and Buffalo's Ralph Wilson expressed concerns that under the new CBA, even with provisions that spread some of the wealth to them, that the runaway cap would eventually spell doom for their ability to compete.

With the rising cap comes rising contract demands. But with more and more teams and agents opting to place roster bonuses on March 1 instead of June 1, free-agents find themselves released at the beginning of free-agency while teams are still flush with cash. So contracts will continue to rise because the market has adjusted to bear it.

The gap between the role-players and the superstars is also growing. In a case of entertainment mirroring life, the NFL middle class is slowly disappearing. While the CBA stipulates minimum salaries based on number of years, the real dollars are spent on signing bonuses and roster bonuses. A mid-level player may see a roster bonus in the tens of thousands if at all. But players like Terrell Owens of the Dallas Cowboys received a $3 million bonus on June 1st just for being on the roster.

The NFL today is a league constantly in transition. As contracts of star players expire, more and more choose to enter the free agent bonanza rather than sign an offer sheet with their current team unless the offer already puts them among the top paid players at their position.

As the cap continues to swell, more and more of these free agents in smaller markets will move on where the pastures are as green as the money. Even with room under the cap, the Cleveland Browns of the world will eventually be at the limits of their budget before they are at the cap limit. Will Lee Evans make it to a second contract in Buffalo? It depends on whether or not the cap continues to soar.

On the other hand, General Managers across the league have learned to work the salary cap very well. A little creative financing can go a long way. But unless the profit shares to the smaller market teams grow in proportion to the cap, it is very feasible to say that buying consecutive championships will return to the NFL.

Why Bill Hambrecht and Mark Cuban's UFL - United Football League - Will Fail

Well, all I can say is "here we go again." A group of rich guys with egos -- no women involved here -- think that because they have enough money to start a football league, it will automatically work.

In the newest example, we have the to-be-called United Football League , or UFL. This is an idea started by San Francisco Bay Area investment banking maverick Bill Hambrick, who's firm WR Hambrick and Company I remember as Hambrick and Quist, and who employed a friend of mine from Skyline High School school, Marla Goldstein.

Ok, enough of that.

Hambrick managed to come up with this idea of the UFL and get Internet entrepreneur and Dallas Mavericks owner (funny, how the word mavericks comes up here more than once) to sign on as the first owner of a team. As I understand the UFL concept, they're going to establish cities in areas where the NFL does not have a team, and "compete" with the NFL for players that come out of college "lower than the second round."



OK. Here's the foundation upon which their failure will be based -- if they ever get enough owners to start an eight team league. The lessons of football league failure are captured in that business school case study called The XFL.

In fact, I created a system dynamics online simulation now called the XFL Simworld , and with Forio Business Simulations created a company around it called Sports Business Simulations .

The idea of the XFL Simworld is to make the right business decision to cause the XFL to last longer than the one year it did in reality.

What I've learned after countless hours and years of analysis, and design, and play and test and watching others run the sim is this: people watch people. What I mean in detail is that the XFL's biggest mistake was that it didn't have players people cared to watch. Mark Cuban's right about the "pent-up demand for football" but that doesn't mean anyone will come out and watch you and me play pro football.

What I learned from the XFL Simworld is that the XFL, and now the UFL, stand a better chance of survival if they hire recently retired or close to retiring NFL players and mix them with college players. Why? Because each of the NFL players close to ending their careers either by choice or for other reasons has their own brand name. For example, you know who Keyshawn Johnson is if you're even a causal fan of the game. But do you know who Jacoby Jones is?

Who?

See that's my point. Jacoby Jones is a wide receiver from tiny Lane College, drafted by the Houston Texans in the third round of the 2007 NFL Draft. That's one of the rounds Hambrecht and Cuban say they're going to "compete" with the NFL for players. That's great for the player and for the NFL, because the NFL doesn't have to worry about paying that player who may have dropped to the lower rounds for weird reasons more than a third round pick, and the player at least has another place to go, but don't think there's going to be a bidding war -- in fact, I predict the opposite.

The Jacoby Jones of the world may try to use the UFL as a negotiating ploy, and wind up not being signed by the NFL team. It's basic math -- there are more "third round level" players, than first round level players, so someone else who fell past the eyes of NFL scouts may look better in free agency than the third round pick using an upstart league to cause a bidding war. So Jacoby Jones goes to the UFL and gets the same money he would have earned as a third round pick by the Houston Texans. Fine, so he's happy. Meanwhile, the UFL gets a player no one ever heard of, and no one save for his family, friends, and the curious, will come out to see or turn on the TV to watch.

What Hambrecht and Cuban miss is that football is entertainment. The bottom line is to put people in seats at the stadium and have them watch on television. People follow names. They'd sooner watch a team with Keyshawn Johnson than one with Jacoby Jones. That's one big reason why the XFL failed; it lacked name NFL players to maintain TV ratings. Without them, XFL ratings dropped like a rock, and the league folded after NBC pulled from its commitment.

The UFL faces the same fate for that reason, and one more that's in a way related to the first problem I discuss. It's team location. In the XFL Simworld, the player has the option of having XFL teams in NFL cities, cities of the actual XFL, and warm weather cities. Which combination brings the best attendance? The Warm Weather Option, of course. This scenario was created based on the problems the real XFL faced in having constantly high attendance in all cities.

The best city for this in the XFL system was San Francisco, where the February through May climate was constantly mild, and never burdened with snow. Snow's a big deterent to the fortunes of a new football league hiring players no one has ever heard of. People don't buy tickets to teams that hire unknown players to play in cold weather.

Better to have a Southern Strategy.

With all of this, you'd think Bill Hambrecht and Mark Cuban would have thought more carefully before launching the UFL as a business. But they didn't, and I'm not surprised. There's one common element in all of these "new football league" cases -- ego. Someone always thinks they can clobber, outdo, take advantage of, or just plain be the next NFL. And in all cases, that never comes to pass. The UFL has all of the color of failure for that reason and the ones I gave above. What Hambrecht and Cuban should really do is work to start an NFL team to LA.

In other words, they're not going to beat the NFL, so they might as well join them.

Economist Thomas Sowell On A Military Coup In America - Video

I don't necessarily agree with the vast majority of ideas Dr. Thomas Sowell has, moreover, he's from Stanford. But I do like to here his take on American Society, and this video is no exception.

Dr. Sowell is questioned by Hannity and Colmes on Fox about -- amoung other things -- his call for a Military Coup. He's allow to clarify his statement, where he says that he doesn't like the idea, but can see a future beyond his life where it could happen. He says this because he believes our society is becoming unravelled slowly.

Here's the video:

NFL FORMS ALLIANCE TO COORDINATE MEDICAL ASSISTANCE FOR RETIRED PLAYERS - NFL Media.com

This is not getting press, but it's more important than the Commissioner's stance on conduct. It's a signal that the NFL will finally take care of people like Baltimore Colts' Tight End John Mackey, who suffers from Alzheimer's, and other stars who didn't see the millions of dollars the athletes of today get. This is a good story.

FOR USE AS DESIRED FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION, CONTACT:
5/22/07 GREG AIELLO, NFL (212) 450-2000
CARL FRANCIS, NFLPA (202) 463-2200

NFL FORMS ALLIANCE TO COORDINATE
MEDICAL ASSISTANCE FOR RETIRED PLAYERS

The NFL and its related organizations have agreed to work together to support former players in
need of medical care, NFL Commissioner ROGER GOODELL announced today.

Commissioner Goodell informed NFL clubs at a league meeting in Nashville today that the NFL,
NFL Players Association, NFL Retired Players Association, NFL Alumni Association, NFL
Charities and the Pro Football Hall of Fame will form the first-ever alliance to coordinate medical
support services for former players in need of medical care.

“All of us in the NFL want to help former players that now find themselves in need of medical
care through no fault of their own,” said Commissioner Goodell. “Several NFL-related groups
have been working independently over the years to provide medical assistance, but now we will
work together to identify and help players more effectively in a common effort.”

HAROLD HENDERSON, the NFL’s executive vice president of labor relations, will serve as the
lead executive in this new initiative.

“Everyone wants to do the right thing to help former players with medical needs,” said
Henderson. “We want to do it in a coordinated, structured fashion. There have been ongoing
discussions with GENE UPSHAW (executive director of the NFLPA), and I know he sees this as
a high priority.”

The NFL is exploring a wide range of new ideas to address the medical needs of its former
players.

“We are seeking to determine how we can creatively approach the medical issues of former
players and guarantee their access to high-quality medical care at reasonable cost,” said
Commissioner Goodell. “This is principally directed toward those who are in dire need or can’t
afford the proper kind of care.”

Among the ideas being discussed:

• Better identification of players who need assistance and making the system more
efficient so that help can be delivered to these players.

• Arrangements with facilities in different areas of the country where former players can
obtain high-quality care at a reasonable cost.

• Collaborating with outside service groups to provide players with education and
guidance on obtaining medical care at reasonable costs that would expand access to
care for retired players.

• Ensuring availability of affordable assisted living facilities for former players.

Former NFL players who want to support these efforts will have the opportunity to contribute to
their former teammates by participating in fund-raising efforts, including golf tournaments and
online auctions.

The distribution of funds for medical needs will be managed by representatives of the
participating groups.

The 88 Plan, named after Pro Football Hall of Famer JOHN MACKEY, is an example of one
such fund that was created as part of the extended Collective Bargaining Agreement between
the NFL and its players in 2006. Former players in various stages of dementia, including
Alzheimer’s disease, may receive as much as $88,000 annually to assist in their medical care.

In recent weeks, the NFL office has spoken to SAM HUFF and JACK KEMP and several other
former players and the New York Jets’ CURTIS MARTIN for their views on how to address
these medical issues in the most effective way.

More than 900 former players and/or their families have received financial help in recent years
from either the NFLPA’s Players Assistance Trust or the NFL Alumni Association’s Dire Need
Fund.

In addition, 284 former players are receiving disability payments which total $19 million this
year, including some that receive as much as $224,000 annually.

# # #

According to "Alive In Baghdad", Biggest Problems Are Security, Water, and Electricity

For Senator John McCain to even claim that Iraq's safe is more than stretching the truth; it's distorting it. According to the blog for the video show Alive In Baghdad, conditions there are worse than unliveable. The blog reports:

"Now in Baghdad there are more problems then getting killed or kidnapped and one of those most important problems is the water and the electricity. The Iraqi people are tired of getting those promises from their government about fixing the electricity every month and official man comes on Al-Iraqiyah satellite channel and give a statement about fixing the power problem forever and everything is still the same, nothing has changed. ,"

On top of that, people who have nothing to do with politics are getting killed every day. For nothing. I can't understand why we're over there. It's not getting any better at all.

Cindy Sheehan Should Read "The Irony of Democracy"

I just got an email from a friend and about Cindy Sheehan -- the anti-war activist who's campaign was launched by the death of her son Casey in the Iraq War -- wrote a diary in the Daily Kos called "Good Riddance Attention Whore" and which outlines her displeasure with not just Republicans who are for the war, but Democrats who've also voted in such a way as to keep the effort going, and states that she's giving up her protest.

Cindy writes...

"I have come to some heartbreaking conclusions this Memorial Day Morning. These are not spur of the moment reflections, but things I have been meditating on for about a year now. The conclusions that I have slowly and very reluctantly come to are very heartbreaking to me.

The first conclusion is that I was the darling of the so-called left as long as I limited my protests to George Bush and the Republican Party. Of course, I was slandered and libeled by the right as a "tool" of the Democratic Party. This label was to marginalize me and my message. How could a woman have an original thought, or be working outside of our "two-party" system?

However, when I started to hold the Democratic Party to the same standards that I held the Republican Party, support for my cause started to erode and the "left" started labeling me with the same slurs that the right used. I guess no one paid attention to me when I said that the issue of peace and people dying for no reason is not a matter of "right or left", but "right and wrong."

Apparently Cindy never read "The Irony Of Democracy." This class book by Thomas Dye and L. Harmon Ziglar was introduced to me while I was a freshman at The University of Texas at Arlington. The basic premise of the Dye / Ziglar book is that America's ran by elitists and elite networks. These associations are formed in various ways mostly college-based, and solidify more for those who step into the poltical arena. These groupings are more powerful than parties, which explains how some Democrats could side with Republicans in voting for funding for The Iraq War.

"Elites are the few who have power, the masses are the many who do not" says Dye and Ziglar. And if you think about it, they're totally correct. We put a small set of people in office to make laws for us, so it should come as no surprise that that small gathering of people as its own outcome which at times runs counter to pure democracy.

What bothers me is that many people just don't get how our society is becoming even more divided in this way with the growth of the Internet. The Digital Divide is still a large problem, and it becomes more wide-spread with every new Web 2.0 application. There are many, including supposedly smart marketing people, who can't even define the term Web 2.0 I'm serious.

A recent survey (also reported in Marketing News) by Market Tools, reported that nearly 80% of marketers have no clue what Web 2.0 is.

I increasingly find that many supposedly well-educated Americans have no idea of the power of the Internet let alone how it can positively and negatively impact their lives and business objectives. Thus, they're rendered as much a part of the masses as anyone, and leave a growing set of aspects of society foreign to them, even as they don't know what they're missing. It's tragic. Plus, it's creating a whole class of Internet Elites -- the more things change, the more they remain the same.

So Cindy, and anyone in the American Marketing Association, read The Irony Of Democracy, before it's too late!

Women Still Face Stupid Ideas In The 21st Century

I visited Amanda Congdon's site and saw this photo where someone wrote "She A Woman" in response to a test question for a math quiz that asks why "Tracy" is wrong in the answer she gave.

This is a sure sign that America has a long way to go in that women are still viewed as second class citizens. I'll add that were it not for Barack Obama, I'd be a stanch Hillary Clinton supporter. I just think Barack's better, but I do think Hillary would be a great President as well.

Sony's OLED TV Technology -- Flat Screen TV Is Here!

In one of my favorite movies, "2001 A Space Odessey," a common device was something called a flat-screen television. Just as thick as a sheet of paper, it had a clear image where one could watch television from any angle, even with it sitting flat on a table.

Now, Sony's introducing the real, world's first flat-screen television. Called OLED, it's only 10 millimeters thick, basically wafer-thin. The clarity is without peer and the technology itself will revolutionize pop-culture. It's so thin and flexible that I can see jackets and coats with flat-screens as per of them.

See the video!

Video - Barack Obama Slams Romney And McCain For Lying About His Support Of The War On Terrorism

In this video, Presidential Candidate Senator Barack Obama -- addressing the Coalition of Black Trade Unionists at their annual convention in Chicago -- wasted no time in firing back against Republican Presidential Candidates Mit Romney and John McCain for their claim that Senator Obama's against the troops and the War on Terror because he voted against the Iraq spending bill, which passed earlier this week.

Here's the video:

Bengals Coach Marvin Lewis Is Right About Racial Profiling - Garry Edmondson Should Appologize To NFL And Chris Henry

Bengals Coach Marvin Lewis made this comment a few days ago:

"I think there's profiling, no question," Lewis said when Patrick asked him if he thought players were profiled. "We're (Cincinnati) a small place - our guys stand out, and they know that, and you've got to do things the right way. But when you are arrested for, or you are pulled over for, not putting on your turn signal, there's something wrong there. Many people make right turns without putting on their turn signals and it's unfortunate that we've had a guy that's pulled over for not putting on his turn signal."

The NFL stepped in and as a results, Coach Lewis was forced to take back his statements. But he's right. Cinncinati's police department does racially profile, and indeed was the target of a lawsuit and a fact-finding effort in 2001. In addition, if one does a search on Cinncinati and racial profiling, they find a littany of informatn connecting that city to the issue of racial profiling.

And now, we have this:

Kenton County Attorney Garry Edmondson on Thursday called Bengals wide receiver Chris Henry a "lowlife" and said he doesn't think he owes anybody an apology.

Edmondson on Monday had told reporters that Henry had failed a drug test, then later said results were "inconclusive."

His office has yet to issue any statement about the test results.

Henry's lawyer said Wednesday that test results show Henry is clean, and that he is owed an apology.

On Thursday, Edmondson said he's "shocked" anybody would be sympathetic toward Henry.

Comment on this story and Chris Henry

"This is a lowlife not worth the attention," said Edmondson, who made the comments in an interview with David Wells, The Enquirer's editorial page editor.

This is terrible. Garry Edmondson should be made to appologize to the NFL and to Henry for this statement. He's trying to convict Henry via the news media, which in itself should be illegal.

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.”