Terrell Owens Claims Media Saya He's Selfish Player - AP

T.O. blames media for portraying him as selfish player
Posted: Monday July 17, 2006 8:21PM; Updated: Monday July 17, 2006 8:29PM

IRVING, Texas (AP) -- Terrell Owens blames the media for portraying him as a selfish player, although he admits a tendency of saying things about others that he wouldn't want said about himself.

In an interview with Bryant Gumbel airing Tuesday night on HBO's Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel, Owens acknowledges dishing out more criticism than he's willing to take.

"The only thing I can really think of is maybe it was the way I grew up, you know," he said, according to a transcript released Monday to The Associated Press. "I got picked on so much, and it's like I feel like I'm still constantly being picked on."

Owens said he doesn't think reporters are necessarily conspiring against him as much as using him "to gain viewers' attention." As a result, he believes that he is "misunderstood." He said other players have been, too, "but I feel like I have been one of the main guys who've been vilified."

Why?

"That's the million-dollar question," he said. "Why me? ... At some point it does get to me. And I can't say it enough. Dude, I'm human and that's what I'm trying to get people to understand."

Owens also discussed his spat with quarterback Donovan McNabb that eventually led to his release by the Eagles.

As he wrote in a recently released book, Owens said he believes McNabb was jealous of the attention Owens was receiving in Philadelphia and that things boiled over when McNabb cursed at him in a huddle after a play. Owens said he took it as more than something said in the heat of competition.

"When I tried to address that after the game, he blew me off," Owens said. "So, that let me know it's more than just being competitive. It was more than that."

Owens is scheduled to report to his first training camp with Dallas Cowboys at the end of next week.

Copyright 2006 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Wecoming Walter Anaruk Of FieldPosition.com

Walter Anaruk runs Fieldposition.com, the most popular NFL football podcast in the World. Walter graciously accepted my invitation for him to join this NFL Business Blog and our team of contributors, Anja Crotts, Bill Chachkes, and myself. I'm totally jazzed to have him here.

Zennie on Fieldposition.Com - Talking About The NFL Hedge Fund Scandal

Fieldposition.com is the number one football podcast on Yahoo! Walter Anaruk is the founder and host of Fieldposition, and someone I was introduced to via our own Bill Chachkes.

Walter was kind enough to seek out my view on the NFL Hedge Fund Scandal. The result is a podcast that you can hear with a click here: NFL Hedge Fund Scandal.

This show starts with Walter and Mark's discussion on Reggie Bush and how he will fit into the New Orleans Saints personnel groupings. Mark says that Saints Halfback Deuce McCallister will not be happy with sharing time with Reggie Bush as the season progresses. Walter says that Deuce wants to win.

They then turn to the matter of Ben Rothlisbugger and the Steelers offense, and other topics.

After that, they turn to the NFL Hedge Fund Scandal, and my talk.

On the whole, Fieldposition.com is an entertaining and informative podcast, and it's no wonder that it's number one in its category.

In this video below, the Israel bombing of Beirut Airport is shown behind a discussion of the reason and rationale for the attacks, this one the second. The MSNBC claim is that Israel believes Hezbollah is moving terrorists to Iran. There are videos which claim that Syrah and Iran are financing Hezbollah.

More on this claim soon...

Rocketboom - Amanda Congdon Tells More On CNET

I just saw a new article that sheds even more light on what Andrew Baron said to Amanda Congdon and which led to the departure of Congdon from the vlog show.

Amanda still claims that she was fired and that Andrew wanted to reduce her role and ownership.

If this is the case, Andrew's in big legal trouble, shood Amanda sue.

Here's the article.

But in case the link's killed...

Here it is below:

What does it feel like to have all this media frenzy over this breakup and over what your future is?

Well, for this to be very public is kind of jarring. I intended with my video to communicate with the Rocketboom viewers because the situation was being (kept) from them for days. And when I put out the video and Andrew put out the notice on Rocketboom.com that I was headed to Hollywood and that I had quit Rocketboom and all of these untruths, I just had to make it clear what really had happened, and so I posted the information on my blog.

One interesting thing is how fast and how far your response to the "official" news spread. In the past, the tools didn't exist for that to happen.
Exactly, yeah that's what's so exciting--the transparency. The corporations can't run and hide anymore from the facts.


So I'm assuming that this is kind of a long way from what you thought you would be getting into when you responded to that ad on Craigslist to go work for Rocketboom?

Yes, you know, I come from the mainstream side of things, from the acting side of things: theater in New York and commercials. And to jump in online and really become totally immersed in Internet culture has been just a growing experience, and it has changed me in so many ways. And it has been so exciting, and I just love how I can communicate with anyone anywhere in the world and how I can make content with people from anywhere in the world.

What's next for you? What are you going to do?

I don't know. I really honestly don't. I think right now I should probably start looking into all the e-mails that I've gotten. I've gotten, you know, about 2,000 e-mails at this point--a lot of them containing different offers and I haven't even been able to really look at them because I've been so busy with the press. So that will be my very next step.

You still own 49 percent of Rocketboom, right?
Yes. I own 49 percent and it's legally registered with the bank.

So that means you have a stake in its future, and I'm curious, from your perspective, what do you think is next for Rocketboom?

I have no idea. I sincerely wish Andrew the best, and I sincerely hope that he is successful with whomever he chooses as his new face since he seems to only be interested in faces.

What is your reaction to Rocketboom not meeting its commitment to get back up and running Monday?
I'm sorry about that, but I'm not very surprised.

Do you think it was a little ambitious then to try to get things going so quickly?
I think the fact that Andrew thought he could replace me within a few days is just very telling about how he felt about me and my talents and skills.

If you have creativity and you have determination and focus, you can make a good video blog.
Do you think you and Andrew can ever patch things up?
If Andrew is interested in working as business partners and is willing to straighten out a lot of the misinformation he has continued to spread online over the last few days, then maybe we could talk. But it would have to be a business relationship only. I don't think that we could ever be friends.

Do you think your fans will follow you to wherever you go next?

Well, they've told me they will. So I am hoping they will keep true to their words. I guess time will tell.

So, I'm curious. Based on the success of Rocketboom, a lot of people are starting video blogs. What advice would you give them?

To make sure that they stick to a regular schedule. If they are going to be up Monday through Friday every week, be up and have a video blog out Monday to Friday every week. Or if you can only commit to weekly or monthly just make sure that you do what you say you're going to do and also take it down a notch and be casual. Don't try to be television because video blogs aren't Internet TV. They're video blogs, and they are much more candid, much more personal.

At the same time, only a few will create successful video blogs. Do you think it's hard for people to believe that maybe it's not quite as easy as it looks?

I think that it's just about creativity. If you have creativity and you have determination and focus, you can make a good video blog. I think it's about doing something that you feel that you are an expert at. What I would recommend for anyone trying to start a video blog is, anything that you feel you know a lot about, that's probably the best topic for you to explore.

Rocketboom - Joanne Colan - "Hottest Woman On the Planet" Replaces Amanda Congdon Today

Andrew Baron hired Joanne Colan to replace the departed Amanda Congdon at Rocketboom. It's now called Rocketboom 2.0, but who's Joanne Colan?

Joanne Colan is "the hottest woman on the planet" according to this blogger. She's also the former MTV Europe VJ, and formerly the music/DJ curator at Table 50.

Her Linkedin bio explains...

Joanne Colan has 7 years experience hosting, writing, co-producing and creating broadcast television and radio for major networks and cable channels across international markets.

From 2000-2004, Joanne was an MTV Networks Europe VJ. She wrote, co-produced and hosted Top 20 Countdown, MTV News, MTV Movie Special and hosted live international events e.g. MTV Europe Music Awards, MTV Presents, MTV's Winterjam. Chosen to front the pan-European MTV brand, Joanne's shows were broadcast to over 124 million households in over 50 countries & territories.

Joanne generated top ratings for MTV. Responsible for MTV's European Top 20, she won Best European Satellite Music Programme in 2001 voted by viewers in the What Satellite UK & Europe TV Poll.

Joanne also fronted MTV's World Aids Day Campaigns in the US & South Africa for MTV's news; social awareness divisions.
In 2003, Joanne was instrumental in launching MTV France, hosting the flagship show, MTV Crew, the first ever locally produced live French language MTV France show.

Bilingual in French/English, Joanne worked for TF1, France's premier Network. The channel devised "At 18" for Joanne, a travel show focusing on young adults' lives in lesser known cultures in Armenia, Algeria, Lenanon & Iran. Travelling with a 2 person crew, Joanne delivered in depth personal profiles and rare location coverage under often hostile and unlikely circumstances.

Since the start of her television career, Joanne has built a warm working relationship with favorite British institution, the BBC. Working in the UK as host, writer, researcher and production coordinator for both BBC Radio and BBC Television.

Joanne's first Rocketboom episode was a good one. It starts with her sporting a hockey mask and Andrew Baron sitting on the floor acting as if he's lost his marbles over the whole Amanda episode. Then Joanne goes into Rocketboom on-the-street-host action and does a good job, immediately showing her bli-lingual talent.

I understand that Joanne is also a published vocalist. Joanne's new blog is at http://joannecolan.net .

She's also in this YouTube video...

NFLPA Hedge Fund Scandal - The Word From Kelly McKean at Blue Corner

To get more in-depth answers on the NFLPA Hedge Fund Scandal, I turned to my friend Kelly McKean, who's the founder and Principal of Blue Corner.

Blue Corner is a boutique marketing and capital introduction firm based in San Francisco. They specialize in building relationships with clients who use the services offered by independent research analysts and both alternative and traditional investment managers.

The firm was founded on the belief that by combining industry best practices with integrity, professionalism and hard work, that they can deliver tangible results to their clients.

1. Kelly, what is a hedge fund?

A private investment vehicle whose manager receives a significant portion of its compensation from incentive fees tied to the fund's performance -- typically 20% of annual gains over a certain hurdle rate, along with a management fee equal to 1% of assets.

The funds, often organized as limited partnerships, typically invest on behalf of high-net-worth individuals and institutions. Their primary objective is often to preserve investors' capital by taking positions whose returns are not closely correlated to those of the broader financial markets.

Such vehicles may employ leverage, short sales, a variety of derivatives and other hedging techniques to reduce risk and increase returns. The classic hedge-fund concept, a long/short investment strategy sometimes referred to as the Jones Model, was developed by Alfred Winslow Jones in 1949.


2. What, if anything, can the NFL PA do to recover their losses?

The assets for the rogue hedge fund have been frozen -- I suppose a judge will decide how the assets are returned to investors on a pro-rata basis.


3. The players are suing the NFL PA. Can they win?

I cannot speculate the answer to this. If the Players Association did not perform proper due diligence on the fund, they could be liable.

Superman Returns...As O.J. Simpson

Now before you get into a tizzy, I'm not implying that O.J, Simpson killed his wife. I don't believe he did. But he did do something that Superman does in Superman Returns, and so they have at least one action in common.

To determine what that is, read on.

I came into the theater wanting to like Superman Returns before I saw it. In other words, I came with a bias. I'm one of those who remembers watching the black-and-white "Superman" TV show as a kid. I was never really into the Superman comics, preferring Wonder Woman (!), but I did watch "The Super Friends" and "The Justice League of America" cartoons.

Then there was Richard Donnar's "Superman" -- a masterpiece of a film that launched the career of soap opera actor Christospher Reeve, who we think of as anything but now.

What made Superman an incredible film was that it was faithful to the character I and others of my generation remember as kids: the defender of truth, justice, and the American way.

And that doesn't go for invading Iraq.

In other words, Superman was part of my childhood. I never watched one episiode of the popular TV series "Lois and Clark" or "Smallville" for that matter. (Well, I did see one "Smallville" story, which was pretty good.) They don't present the Superman I remember.

In other words, I don't associate Superman with sex, child support, birth control, jealously, stalking, homelessness, or alcoholism. Yet Brian Singer's deals with all of these issues either directly or indirectly in Superman Returns.

A Work Not Marvelous, But I Do Wonder...

Superman Returns is the result of a 13-year collective quest to make a new Superman movie, an effort that seemed as if it was going to be stuck in development hell until it was saved by Director Brian Singer and Producer Chris Lee. Two years and $250 million later, Superman Returns was released on June 30, 2006.

Superman plays Brandon Routh, who like Reeve before him was a soap opera actor, and who basically looks like a cross between Reeve and Dean Cain from "Lois and Clark" -- he's more Reeve than Cain, to be sure. 23-year old Kate Bostworth takes on Lois Lane, a character set in Zeitgeist stone by Margo Kidder and Terry Hatcher.

The cast is rounded by the appearance of Frank Langella as Perry White, the editor of The Daily Planet. (As a momentary aside, Langella's getting a lot of work of late, and he's sinks his teeth into every role.)

Finally (at least for the purpose of this review) one of my favorite actors, Kevin Spacey, plays Superman's enemy, Lex Luthor.

The question is how does each actor do compared to the ones who've come before them. My answer: not bad at all. It's not the actors that are the problem, it's the material they're given.

It's terrible.

The story goes like this: Superman crash land on Earth -- and right onto his adopted mother's farm -- after a five year absence. Apparently astronomers discovered the remains of Krypton so Superman went back to investigate the find for himself. After all it's his home planet.

The trouble is he left without telling anyone where he was going -- except his Mom. So after enjoying some sleep in a comfortable bed at home and a game of "fetch" so unfair to the dog the canine gives up, Clark Kent returns to Manhattan -- opps, Metropolis -- and to his old job at the newspaper The Daily Planet, courtesy of Editor-In-Chief Perry White.

Jimmy Olsen's there (played by Sam Huntington) as is Lois Lane, at least her chair's there; she's part of a press group on the maiden voyage of a Boeing 777 carrying a new Space Shuttle into the sky.

He's reacquainted with her after a spectacular scene segment -- hampered by one major flaw -- where Clark Kent / Superman saves the 777 from crashing into a baseball stadium after a midair malfunction directly related to the doings of Lex Luthor.

Clark Kent / Superman is obviously anxious to see Ms. Lane, but discovers that she's moved on. She's got a husband-to-be -- Richard, played by James Mardsen -- and a five year old kid with an asthma problem and a weird ability to throw pianos when excited. Right, five years old. When Clark Kent / Superman sees the photo of Lois new family and Olsen fills him in on the new beau, Kent cracks the picture frame in an anger he struggles to hide. This guys jealous, big time. But he's Superman, which means that he could do some damage if he gets pissed. Better a planet than a family, right?

When Clark Kent / Superman leans of the home address of Ms. Lane, he flies off as Superman to -- well, go there. He arrives and while floating in air, uses his X-ray vision to observe the activity of the Lane household. We and he see the action one room at a time, and I feel creepy. At this point, I started to put this segment together with the picture frame cracking accident and think of Clark Kent / Superman as...

O.J. Simpson.

Finally Clark Kent / Superman sees Lois and Richard in the kitchen and with his super hearing listens to her say she's not in love with Superman anymore. At this point, he hangs in the air for a moment just long enough to make you believe he may do something rash, like blow the house down. Just think if he caught them making love, which the segment seems to communicate the possibility of happening. What then? Pound his fist in anger hard enough to make them think there's an earthquake and stop?

Why the OJ comparison? Well, one thing he did was go to the home of the guy his wife was seeing and peer into his window while she was "doing it" with him. What did he do?

Well, both he and Clark Kent / Superman did get angry. In Clark Kent / Superman's case, he flew off to Earth orbit, crying.

He Can't Find A Home...

Clark Kent / Superman can't seem to find a place to live. On three occasions he says he's still looking for one. Never finds one. He just hangs in space listening to just about everyone on Earth, picking and choosing where he goes at any moment in time. That's fine, but it seems to take away from the responsible Clark Kent, who knows he needs a home and one would think a place to entertain other than the Fortress of Solitude. Instead we get the homeless Clark Kent.

On top of all that Clark Kent / Superman reacts with an annoying indifference to the kid he sires and this is where the material show it's problem of lack of passion. In real life, Clark Kent / Superman would have asked Lois why she wasn't on birth control or something. To be fair, he does sneak back to Lois home to see his kid, but then that's what bugs me yet again.

Why couldn't he have just asked Lois to see him?

Moreover, why didn't Lois invite him? I actually liked Kate Bostworth as Lois. She played the role of Lois as Mom real well.

I also liked Kevin Spacey's Lex Luthor, that is until he and his men beat up Superman / Clark Kent in a scene way too violent for the Superman movies.

$250 Million For This?

Finally, I come to the matter of the special effects that give shape to this movie. The airplane save scenes were really great. But the whole effect just plain fell apart for me when the 777 was in the baseball stadium. The face that it's not really there is obvious by the bleed lines between the aircraft and the real life stadium. It just takes away from the impact of the scene.

It left me wondering where the $250 million went. For that money, they should have been able to realize resolution so detailed the bleedlines were eliminated, but no. Yes, there's two scenes in King Kong that have the same problem, but they're minor and small in time, and way outnumbered by some jaw dropping effects, like Kong himself.

But in Superman Returns these bleedlines are everywhere, even on Superman himself as he flies. It was disappointing.

Do I Or Don't I Want A Sequel?

As I write this, Superman Returns is being clobbered at the box office. It has two problems: Pirates of The Carribean II and it's $250 million price tag. "Pirates" arrghed up $132 million in just a weekend. That would pay for 50 percent of the cost of Superman Returns, which has made $142 million in two weeks, and it's revenue gain is declining; it only took in $21 million last weekend, and with more flicks coming out, the number of screens it's on will shrink, making the breakeven target of $250 million harder and harder to reach. Ouch.

I believe Superman deserves a better movie life than this. Given what Singer brought to the screen this time, I'm not excited to see the sequel. But given the box office, getting one made may be hard to do.

The lesson here is clear. Don't mess with a kid's view of a comic book legend by making him less of a hero. Adults know heroes are flawed, but we don't want our childhood ones to be.

The Superman in Superman Returns is not the Man of Steel I remember as a kid; he's not the one I want to see today. Apparently, many agree.

Heck, I'll bet O.J would too.

NFLPA Hedge Fund Scandal

Two players are suing the NFL Player Association in a hedge fund scandal.

According to this Yahoo! Report:

"The two former NFL defensive backs insisted Friday that the league and its players' union are to blame for the $20 million they and five other current and former players lost in an alleged investment scam.

The seven players have sued the league and its union to recover the money, claiming the union endorsed the services of an investment firm even though its manager had liens against him.

According to authorities, Kirk Wright and his company collected as much as $185 million from at least 500 investors since 1997 and misled some of them to believe the value of those investments was increasing using false statements and documents. As recently as Jan. 25, the firm reported $166.6 million in assets spread across five hedge funds it manages and advises. That money is now missing, according to the SEC.

While Steve Atwater, 39, and Blane Bishop, 35, wouldn't disclose how much money they each lost, they said the scam has affected their lives and perhaps their futures, as they have relied on their NFL earnings for their retirements and vacations."

Geoffrey Rapp at The Sports Law Blog writes that..

The leading negligence case by an athlete against his own union is Peterson v. NFLPA, in which the court found for the NFLPA in an athlete's claim for misdirecting him to an "injury grievance" procedure when he ought to have filed a "non-injury grievance."

The court explained:

A union breaches its duty of fair representation only when its conduct toward a member of the collective bargaining unit is "arbitrary, discriminatory, or in bad faith." . . . The Supreme Court has long recognized that unions must retain wide discretion to act in what they perceive to be their members' best interests. . . . A union's representation of its members "need not be error free." . . . We have concluded repeatedly that mere negligent conduct on the part of a union does not constitute a breach of the union's duty of fair representation. . . . [A] union's unintentional mistake is "arbitrary" if it reflects a "reckless disregard" for the rights of the individual employee, but not if it represents only " simple negligence violating the tort standard of due care."

But there's no clear evidence in this new lawsuit that the NFL was trying to poorly invest funds. But according to Atwater and Bishop the NFLPA hired Wright without checking his background. Both players signed up for the NFLPA's Financial Advisor Fund , and that's how they were matched with Kirk Wright, who had been apprehended by authorities.

Will this have impact on the NFL's retirement fund? I don't think so. This was a program that some -- not all -- players particpated in, so it should have no impact at all on the total NFLPA retirement system. What should change is the NFLPA's way of evaluating hedge fund managers.

Oh..What is a hedge fund? It's bascially defined as a private investment fund or pool that trades and invests in various assets such as securities, commodities, currency, and derivatives on behalf of its clients, typically wealthy individuals. Some Commodity Pool Operators operate hedge funds, though there are many variations on this definition.

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.

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.

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 .

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.

Rocketboom - Amanda Congdon Sounds Off On What Happened To End Rocketboom As We Know It

Amanda Congdon wrote her explaination of what happened to end Rocketboom as we know it, in her blog. Here it is below.

I am disheartened by Andrew Baron's decision to spread misinformation. He knows I cannot move to LA without a job...but insists on spinning things this way to shore up his assertion that I am "walking away" from Rocketboom. I did not walk away. I did not accept Andrew's idea of "partnership". I'll explain more a little further down.

It's not true. I'm presently living with my parents in Connecticut until I can get back on my feet.

Below you will find a letter written by Andrew on Sunday, June 25, two days after he pulled the plug on Rocketboom. My responses, which were sent to Andrew on the same day, are in red (italics here).

Andrew responded the next day by saying he would not respond to this letter. This then was followed by days of back and forth negotiations, ending yesterday, on Independence Day, with Andrew telling Chuck Olsen, our mediator, that he was taking control of the show and my option was to be the "face" of rocketboom with no involvement beyond that (I might in the future be allow to "produce shows", but not for the time being). Very old media. Considering I have personally written, produced, and hosted Rocketboom and was already a producer on Jet Set, this was totally unacceptable. I don't know any "partnership" that functions like that.

I had hoped to keep things civil, and thought my video message to the Rocketboom viewers was very neutral. I felt the need to communicate with the RB audience, without getting into the nitty-gritty of "he said, she said". Dirty laundry is not attractive. That said, ALL the facts, at this point, based on Andrew's actions, need to be presented.


...


Dear Amanda, this is my last attempt to reach out and let you know I really wish you would stay.

Andrew, you fired me.

After everything that has built up over the last several months (and longer apparently) and with everything I have learned about your disinterest in my various levels of critical input, I can understand why you would need to leave and I as I have always said, I will never hold you back.

I'm sorry you feel that way. I've repeatedly expressed my respect for your many gifts. Especially:

1. You are an exceptional executive producer. Your instincts for what will work or not, and your general vision for the creation of content and distribution for videoblogs is, I believe, unparalleled.

2. You are an exceptional speaker. Whether at conferences, in business meetings or during consulting, you excel at describing the power of Rocketboom and the medium.

3. You are an ingenious curator. Your extraction of outstanding content from all resources is, again, unparalleled.

4. You are a superb navigator of the blogosphere. Additionally, I have always entrusted you with the final decisions of the physical design of Rocketboom.

In fact, it saddens me that you have not had the time and/or willingness to significantly participate creatively in Rocketboom for some months now. We've sent you things during the production process, and what we've received back is criticism after the show has already been produced or after it is too late to make changes. Statements like "I'll continue to check my blackberry but please dont wait on me if it starts to slow you down" and "I will have my phone so I can still chime in but dont feel ever wait on me for any answers if I cant respond in time" really don't cut it.

As you know, when I gave you the 49% of Rocketboom I told you that I hoped it would work out and that the reason why I gave you that percentage was so that you would become involved enough to stay with the company.

I have always been and still am intensely involved in Rocketboom.

Since I told you so many times that I would never want to hold you back from moving on to L.A. to pursue your own thing - since you always said this was really your passion well before I met you -we agreed that you would not take the 49% if you were to move away to L.A. on your own.

That is completely incorrect. There was no agreement about forfeiture of the 49%. We together have had a detailed plan for some time in preparation for the move to LA. And please note I was moving to LA on Rocketboom business, not only to "do my own thing". You did say you would never hold me back, and you also made it clear that doing Rocketboom would not be mutually exclusive of pursuing other passions. Our plan was as follows:

5/05 Amanda told Andrew she was serious about moving to LA by 10/05. Andrew agreed and said that was completely reasonable, since current technology allows Rocketboom to be produced from anywhere.

10/05 Amanda and Mario stored their possessions, gave up their apartment and took a sublet in preparation for the move. Andrew was fully aware.

10/05-4/06 Amanda and Mario continued to sublet. The move was repeatedly delayed, long beyond the original "completely reasonable" time frame. Finally, with Andrew's consent, Rocketboom moved forward to actual transition.

4/06 A plan was implemented for Andrew and Mario to co-direct shoots, gradually transitioning Mario to be interim director. A new professional director was to be hired in LA. What actually happened was that Andrew attended shoots infrequently and by 5/06 had stopped attending altogether.

5/21/06 At this time, the term of Amanda and Mario's sublet was up. Andrew had not attended shoots for nearly a month, and there would be no Rocketboom paycheck for June. Nevertheless, production continued by Amanda and Mario at Amanda's parents' home in Connecticut.

6/16/06 Andrew, Mario and Amanda agreed upon a departure date for LA within the next couple of weeks. Within the next few days, June 30th was chosen. Andrew's assistant had a list of possible editors in LA (which was never delivered to Amanda despite numerous requests). Zadi and Steve were excited to have Amanda nearby to better co-produce Rocketboom's project, The Jet Set Show.

6/23/06 Mario received a call from Andrew in essence saying that Mario and Amanda must either move back to New York or Rocketboom was over.

Since you have claimed that you are moving next week, and because you have never suggested a plan for how this move can integrate into Rocketboom, and because you have already said your goodbye, I get the message and will now move on myself the best I can.

Andrew, see our long term and extensive plan described above.

And, as it turns out, I cannot move to LA because our plan was for me to be engaged in, and compensated for, work on Rocketboom there. Since you will no longer allow that, I have no source of income and therefore cannot move.

With regards to tomorrow's show and the future of Rocketboom, I am not sure what I will do, but you will be honored and respected and encouraged. My plan is to simply say that you are moving on to L.A. to take on the world, that this was always your dream and that you are a obviously a brilliant personality who will no doubt take it by storm.

Please do not speak for me. We've had a long standing agreement in good faith about me continuing Rocketboom from LA, which you have now reneged upon.

Should anyone react and consider the move to be a shame, I will always defend you for following your own dreams and aspirations and staying true to your own interests with acting and now producing.

Again, please do not speak for me. My dreams and aspirations included Rocketboom.

You have wanted to move to L.A. since before I met you, so I am sorry that we could not manage getting there sooner together with Rocketboom still working.

As we've both acknowledged, Rocketboom could not only work but grow stronger by having a presence on both coasts.

With all my love and support for you as a friend, I will never stop caring about you and will always look forward to seeing you bloom.

Andrew, I've said repeatedly that I think you are a genius. Still, there have been problems. Recently, you have treated me as an employee rather than a partner. That may explain your feelings about the 49%.

Business and production can and should be done from both coasts, as we have both acknowledged. To dictate where I live is unnecessary and outrageous and has resulted in the present situation.

And Andrew, our agreement stands. I do own 49% of Rocketboom.

With respect to our show, I suggest we delve into the archives and do a "best of" week. This will allow us some time to work things through.

We had an agreement, Andrew. You should honor it.

Please let me know your thoughts.

Andrew

Sincerely,


Amanda
posted by Amanda at 5:42 PM on Jul 05 2006

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________
This is my -- Zennie's -- response to Amanda's blog post.

Sad. Tearfully sad to read, because the problem is obvious to me as I read this.

To look back, Andrew recruited you via his Craiglist post, but obviously -- even by his most current words expressed here -- failed to consider how your role would evolve.

When I started "SBS Personalities" I had (and have) this simple rule: "My job is to make you a star." Think about that for 30 seconds. It means that if I place you in a role to present an image, it's not only my job to promote you in that role, but to make sure your needs and desires are catered to.

I took on that idea because I knew four-square that such a relationship materializes anyway once the person in the "image" role becomes a hit.

Andrew forgot -- indeed, didn't know -- that he was placing you in this position. Moreover, and I think this is where he felt he was losing control as your popularity grew, "Rocketboom" became not so much your story, but you, your brother, and your boyfriend as a vehicle and Andrew probably believed your relationship with him was deteriorating to the point where the show was no longer fun for him.

In other words, Andrew may have felt -- I don't know him -- that he was becoming an "appendage" with every moment and with every "ally" you brought into the picture: brother, boyfriend, etc. I can see his point of view, but my approach would have been to really make sure we've got a detailed corporate structure in place, where you're a corporation with stock.

Why?

Because under that umbrella you can distribute stock to brother, boyfriend, etc, and Andrew can still have his 51 percent. But it would cause you to figure out how much stock you -- and Andrew -- were willing to give up to the others. Or just pay them, where they become employees.

See?

Having written this, your relationship can be repaired, if you like. If you like. If you like (again). But what you have to return to is what you like about doing Rocketboom, and each other. Then really hash out the matter of who does what and the real big issue -- starting a company.

Funny. At Vloggercon I told Andrew this is what he needed to do.

I think the two of your are stronger as a team rather than separate. Amanda, you've clearly established a name for yourself and will go far. Andrew's new version of Rocketboom will not be the success it was because it lacks you.

Plus, there's the other problem: how do you, Andrew, regain the confidence and support of sponsors like Earthlink? This spat is public. Everyone of note is seeing it. It will impact the value of your sponsorships, and not in a good way.

In closing, I wish you God's speed. I believe Amanda that you have a singular talent and wit, and business savvy. I certainly see that, and I think all you wanted was to be seen as the great business woman that you are.

That's nothing to be ashamed of.

Dina Kaplan For Rocketboom Host!

Blip.tv's Dina Kaplan should be be the next host of Rocketboom.
See Dina, here!

Dina Kaplan For Rocketboom Host!

Blip.tv's Dina Kaplan should be be the next host of Rocketboom.
See Dina, here!

Amanda Congdon Fired From Rocketboom - Heads To LA??

Amanda Congdon Fired From Rocketboom - Heads To LA??

Click to Play

Amanda Congdon -- in my view the business side of Rocketboom -- has been fired. As her vlog reports -- complete with an upside down map -- she's no longer with the organization she owned 49 percent of. I met Amanda at Vloggercon and -- as I told her -- came away convinced that she was developing a good business head.

I also explained to Andrew Baron that they seemed to work as brother and sister. Rocketboom -- at the time I talked to Andrew at Vloggercon -- lacked a real corporate structure, other than being an LLC without stock. If Amanda owns 49 percent of Rocketboom and there's no Articles of Incorporation and Bylaws to govern "who's bringing what" to the total value of the Rocketboom LLC, then Amanda could claim that her 49 percent is the "image" of Rocketboom, and thus be paid a royalty for each time Andrew uses a rerun in the future.

For his part, Andrew uses the RB blog to explain what happened:

"RB Announcement:

Amanda Congdon has decided to move to L.A. to pursue opportunities that have arisen for her in Hollywood.

We wanted to meet her request to move production out to L.A., however, we are a small company and have not been able to figure out a way to make it work, financially and in many other ways at this time. So sadly we bid Amanda adieu and wish her all the best.

Rocketboom goes on.

Andrew Baron, the founder and creator of Rocketboom, will stay with the company in New York and will continue to produce and direct the show. We are in the daunting process of recruiting a replacement for Amanda.

While Amanda will be sorely missed, we have big plans for Rocketboom and are determined to make the show better than ever.

After Field Week and a week on hiatus, we know that you are hungry for the news! Rocketboom will be back with a news episode and an interim host this MONDAY, JULY 10. "

....and certainly less than the 250,000 daily viewers the show drew with Amanda Congdon. What Andrew and others are about to get is a hard and tough business lesson: image rules on the Internet. Andrew took an unknown and made her known without a solid plan to build a business around her as her popularity grew.

It was obvious that he was in uncharterted water with this business venture. Now, he's got to dig himself out of a hole he's created. His ability to do that will be the test of his business savvy and determination.

But first, I'd give one more crack at working things out with Amanda. She's going to be huge -- can I say "huger" -- with or without Andrew. If I were him, I'd take the "with."

The idea of having a Hollywood location is totally workable, and at Vloggercon Andrew Baron talked about -- heck, bragged about -- the number of "Rocketboom correspondents" that were nationwide. So they could have worked out something.

The real truth's out there....

Formats available: Quicktime (.mov), Flash Video (.flv)

This video was originally shared on blip.tv by unboomed with a No license (All rights reserved) license.

Hello folks!

Now a part of the SBS blog, I'm looking forward to contributing more material to coincide with the NFL's upcoming season. GO SEAHAWKS!

SI's Michael Silver Tells Denise Debartolo York To Give The 49ers Back to Eddie Debatolo

And I agree. Mike's rather funny "letter" to her, recently posted on the SI website, is chocked full of good observations on how the NFL would welcome "Mr. D" back to football.

It's worth reading. But in case SI takes it down, here it is:

Dear Mrs. York,

I know we haven't spoken much over the years, and your husband and I certainly won't be yukking it up on the golf course anytime soon, so I thought I'd try writing.

Simply put, I have some free advice for you, a small suggestion that can get you the key to the city of San Francisco and a free pass to heaven (upon reaching the afterlife) in one bold stroke.

Give your brother back his football team.

There, I said it. And if you've got a few minutes, I'll explain everything.

Why listen to me, you ask? Having grown up in L.A. rooting for the 49ers before your family purchased the franchise, I know what it's like to be the maligned standard-bearer of an impotent organization, and I can relate to the ridicule and scorn to which you and some of your family members are subjected by the 49ers faithful. Having covered Joe Montana on a daily basis -- and, not coincidentally, having parlayed my years as a Niners beat writer for the Santa Rosa Press Democrat into a gig covering the NFL for Sports Illustrated -- I am qualified to comment on miracle comebacks.

In your case, it will take a doozy ... the ownership equivalent of The Catch. After staying in the shadows while your brother, Eddie DeBartolo, became the best owner in sports, presiding over a franchise that won five Super Bowls in 14 years and went nearly two decades without a losing streak, you took over the team, ceded managing power to your husband, John, and watched the organization plummet to laughingstock status. I could (and will) give a long, sordid detailing of the 49ers' demise, but the Cliffs Notes version is that the product on the field stinks, and many of your employees hate coming to work each day.

Back to Eddie for a moment: You may have seen my story in last week's SI -- or perhaps you've read some of the reaction pieces, many of them irresponsibly reported, in which a quote from your brother expressing his desire to get back into the NFL, and even pondering the idea of buying the Raiders and moving them to L.A., is somehow proven to be "wrong." It has also been erroneously reported that he and I had this conversation at the Super Bowl Reunion gala he threw in Vegas a couple of months ago, which is a tale as tall as the replica Eiffel Tower behind the Paris Hotel and Casino where the event was staged.

But I digress. The story's most important revelation was that, according to Jerry Jones and another prominent NFL owner, they'd lobby their peers to approve your brother's re-entry should he attempt to purchase a team. Both insist Eddie would be approved, and with commissioner Paul Tagliabue set to retire and a new wave of progressive owners in place, I believe them.

That is a somewhat stunning development, given the way in which Eddie made his inglorious exit eight years ago. Certainly you remember it well, since you and your husband had front-row seats. Embroiled in a Louisiana gaming scandal that would soon land him under federal indictment -- Eddie had been shaken down by former governor Edwin Edwards while attempting to secure a riverboat casino license -- your brother followed the advice of his closest confidante, then-49ers president Carmen Policy, and ceded control of the team to you, who owned the other 50 percent. Tagliabue, fearful of the investigation's gambling overtones and potential legal consequences, approved of the switch as well.

From that point on, Eddie was considered toxic waste, a disgraced felon-to-be who'd never again be allowed to come within 500 feet of an NFL owners' meeting. He ended up pleading to a reasonably minor felony -- failing to report an extortion attempt -- and was given two years' probation. He also paid a $1 million fine to the NFL.

But the real killer for Eddie was that despite more than a year's worth of behind-the-scenes maneuverings in an effort to regain control of the team, he lost his pride and joy. Other than his wife and daughters, the 49ers were what Eddie loved most, and -- let's not mince words -- you played a significant role in taking them away. Sure, as Eddie would admit, his own recklessness and awful judgment made the takeover possible in the first place. But rather than serving as a supportive sibling, you reacted more like a scorned spouse or punitive parent, blocking his attempts to regain control. Finally, you gave up your share of the family real-estate empire in exchange for a franchise that, it seems to me, you had very little desire to operate.

Now, even though I probably could, I'm not going to rehash every petty detail in the blood feud between you and your brother. If he has taken the high road and forgiven you, at least to the point where the two of you speak semiregularly (even if he and your husband most assuredly don't), it's not my place to instigate.

That said, let me at least remind you of the rage you reportedly felt when Eddie's legal problems and free spending coalesced: You made a point of taking away his private jet, as if to reprimand him for his impunity. I imagine that you, as the hardworking, clean-living, behind-the-scenes achiever, resented the way your brother, with his charm and largesse, sucked up the bulk of the attention while sometimes screwing up along the way.

I'm sure you had your reasons for being angry, and none of us -- and certainly not your brother -- is perfect. From what I can tell, you are a woman who has done many, many generous and noble things for various charities and organizations. Your aversion to publicity seems utterly sincere (we all remember the time you made a mad dash out of a luxury box to avoid those Monday Night Football cameras), and under your husband's management the franchise slowly seems to be making some hopeful strides.

On the other hand, things aren't exactly Super in San Francisco. The team has gone 13-35 over the past three seasons. The once-lengthy waiting list for season tickets has all but dried up, and the stadium situation is deplorable. That bond measure to allocate public funding to help build a mall and stadium complex in Hunter's Point, the one that narrowly passed after your brother and Policy's indefatigable campaigning? It's all but dead, and there doesn't seem to be a viable alternative on the horizon.

I could go on and on about the mess of a front office, how a bunch of whiz kids who think they're the NFL's answer to Moneyball buzz around the halls of the team facility acting like every other league talent evaluator is misguided. Instead I'll keep it positive: Mike Nolan seems to be a capable head coach, and I applaud you for being willing to spend more money on player salaries since he arrived.

Still, it's hard for me to believe that you're passionate about owning this football team. Your husband seems to enjoy being the man in charge, and word is that he now hopes to groom your son Jed as his successor.

That's one vision. Now here's a better one: Rid yourself of this headache. Move on. Do the practical thing. Do the right thing.

Look, it's not that complicated. Your brother has tons of money now and wants back into the NFL. The other owners would welcome him back. Forget all this talk about the Raiders, Saints and Bucs. Sell the team to Eddie and they'll hold a parade down Market Street in your honor.

Oh, and while you're at it, could you switch the uniforms back to the old red-and-gold?

Sincerely,
Michael Silver

Wonder Woman Movie Director Josh Whedon's Reported Script Trouble Scaring The Heck Out Of Wonder Woman Fans

Recently Wonder Woman Movie Director Josh Whedon did an interview where he said he found the script he's writing -- repeat, he's writing -- troubling. This bit of news sent Wonder Woman fans at Ultimate Wonder into a frenzy, with many fearing that the movie would be just terrible -- if it ever was made.

In this video below, Whedon' talks about his approach to the Wonder Woman Movie script.

ProFootballTalk.com's Cries Of "Reverse Discrmination" Are Down Right Silly

ProFootballTalk.com has interesting posts more often than not, but this one is down right silly. I'll post it first, then respond to it:

WHISPERS OF REVERSE DISCRIMINATION CONTINUE

In the wake of the recent hiring of Tony Softli by the Rams and Don Gregory by the Panthers, there continue to be whispers in league circles that teams are more willing to grant permission to African-American front-office candidates than they are for white candidates.

Under NFL rules, the only promotion in a new city that a team cannot block is a promotion that gives the employee "final say" authority over the roster, the draft, and/or the coach. For any promotion short of one in which "final say" is involved, teams can block front-office employees who are currently under contract.

Some league insiders are troubled by the fact that white front-office employees have been barred from non-"final say" promotions. Most recently, Patriors exec Tom Dimitroff (who is white) was refused permission to interview for the Rams' V.P./Player Personnel gig, which ultimately went to Softli.

Meanwhile, guys like Softli, Gregory, and former Broncos assistant G.M. Rick Smith (all of whom are African-American) received permission to leave their former teams for jobs that did not entail "final say" authority in a new city.

But other league insiders dispute the notion that teams are applying a double standard when deciding who gets permission and who doesn't. In Softli's case, for example, the strong thinking is that he got permission to leave not so that the Panthers could curry favor with the Fritz Pollard Alliance, but because the team was ready to see him go after he had spent two years or more scampering for a bigger gig elsewhere.

Also, it's our understanding that the search resulting in the hiring of Gregory to replace Softli included at least one white scout from another team who received permission to interview for the job, even though he was still under contract.

But regardless of whether African-American candidates are or are not receiving preferential treatment when it comes to getting permission under circumstances where permission can be denied, the human-nature reality of the situation is that the NFL's efforts to place more minorities into high-profile positions will prompt the guys who feel they're getting the short end of the stick to say so privately.

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Here's why that's totally silly. First, white front office candidates have been getting favorable treatment for over 100 years of pro football in America. During this time there were few complaints of discrimination. But in the 21st Century when a group of young, talented, professionally trained African Americans armed with experience and degrees -- in some cases Masters Degrees like me -- emerges and are considered for and get high-paying, high-profile front office jobs, some white candidates cry "reverse discrimination" and then go to ProFootballTalk.com, which publishes it.

I've seen ProFootballTalk.com show pictures of African Americans in ways that could be considered completely racist -- like the one where a photo of "Chef" from South Park was used to represent Raiders Head Coach Art Shell
(What's up with that?) -- but I've never seen that online publication point out racism or discrimination where it's active at any point in its coverage of the NFL.

Look, it's a new World, get with it. There are smart, young, professionally-trained black men who will more often than not be on someone's short list for an NFL job in the future, and in some cases get those jobs. ProFootballTalk.com should be applauding this development and not trying to make the world safe for anyone white and male who thinks an executive position in the league should be theirs because they're white and male.

In my case, at the 2003 Leigh Steinberg Super Bowl Party in Houston, Bucs Head Coach John Gruden and GM Bruce Allen paid me a great complement when they remarked that I would be a great front office person in the NFL -- and I'm not even looking for a job there! It was a totally unsolicited complement but one I take to heart as coming from two well-respected NFL men who do seek out talented African American, Latino, and generally people of color. That's a good thing.

We're out there: young, gifted, and black. Embrace us; don't fear us. Rejoyce in the continued elimination of racial barriers, don't whine because they no longer exist.

It's called competition. Call for more of it, not less.

NY Giants TE Jeremy Shockey On NFL Network Today - What's Up? Maybe He's Just High On Life?!?

I'm watching Jeremy Shockey on the NFL Network and just cracking up. I love the passion Jeremy Shockey brings to the game; the way he catches passes and bulls his way for yardage as he did in his first game as a rookie, a preseason tilt against the Houston Texans. But today -- as a veteran -- he was on the NFL Network as a guest and to be totally frank, he acted like he was a bit -- "loose."

Wow.

In all of the episodes of the NFL Network I've watched, I've never seen any guest talk while host Darren Horton was reading the teleprompter in the process of doing the show. Jeremy Shockey did this several times and even to the point where Horton finally gave in and said "This is the Jeremy Shockey Show."

It was hard to watch.

I'd like to be a fly on the walls of the NFL Network studio to learn what the producers thought of that performance.

They can't be slapping high-fives. But, then on the other hand, as it makes for good Internet chatter...

Hey, give Shockey his props, as he provided insightful and heartfelt comments on the late NY Giants Owner Wellington Mara, and his information on newly-hired LB Lavar Aarington, whom Shockey reports is ready to take on all challengers this season after a serious off-season workout program.

But what got me was the number of times Jeremy Shockey rubbed his nose with his left thumb. Check it out -- again and again and again. What's he flicking away? Does he normally do this? Again, he's a massive talent -- there he goes again with the thumb but with the right hand this time -- but what's the deal?

Maybe -- with the white suit (cool, it is) and the thumb act and the interruptions -- he's bucking for a role in Miami Vice II.

Regardless, Shockey has his fans, including me. One produced this cool video: