2008 NFL Free Agents Chart List

Who are the players on the NFL free agency block this year? Where did they go? To answer that question SBS did some research and went to ESPN and Profootballtalk.com to see who went where, and in some cases why. We present the table first, then some commentary.

2008 NFL Free Agent Chart List

Player	Pos.	FA Type	Ht.	Wt.	Exp.	2007 Team	2008 Team	Grade
Hamza Abdullah	S	RFA	6-2	216	3	Broncos
Flozell Adams	OT	UFA	6-7	340	10	Cowboys	Cowboys
Sam Aiken	WR	UFA	6-2	215	5	Bills	Patriots
Ethan Albright	C	UFA	6-5	257	13	Redskins	Redskins
Stephen Alexander	TE	UFA	6-4	250	10	Broncos
Roc Alexander	CB	UFA	5-10	190	4	Texans
Larry Allen	G	UFA	6-3	325	14	49ers
Jared Allen	DE	Franchised	6-6	270	4	Chiefs	Chiefs
Morten Andersen	PK	UFA	6-2	225	25	Falcons
Charlie Anderson	LB	UFA	6-4	243	4	Texans	Dolphins
Courtney Anderson	TE	UFA	6-6	270	4	Falcons	Bills
Derek Anderson	QB	RFA	6-6	229	3	Browns	Browns
Tim Anderson	DT	UFA	6-3	304	4	Falcons	Falcons
Mike Anderson	RB	Released	6-0	230	8	Ravens
Stacy Andrews	OT	Franchised	6-7	342	4	Bengals	Bengals
Richard Angulo	TE	UFA	6-8	266	4	Jaguars	Jaguars
Tom Ashworth	OT	Released	6-6	306	7	Seahawks
Nnamdi Asomugha	CB	Franchised	6-2	210	5	Raiders	Raiders
Oshiomogho Atogwe	FS	RFA	5-11	210	3	Rams
Adrian Awasom	DE	Released	6-5	280	3	NY Giants
Player	Pos.	FA Type	Ht.	Wt.	Exp.	2007 Team	2008 Team	Grade
Brendon Ayanbadejo	LB	UFA	6-1	228	5	Bears	Ravens
Boss Bailey	LB	UFA	6-3	235	5	Lions	Broncos
Rodney Bailey	DE	UFA	6-3	309	7	Cardinals
Billy Bajema	TE	RFA	6-4	255	3	49ers
Shawn Barber	LB	Released	6-2	240	10	Texans
Marion Barber	RB	RFA	6-0	220	3	Cowboys
Idrees Bashir	DB	UFA	6-2	198	6	Lions
Gary Baxter	CB	UFA	6-2	210	7	Browns	Browns
Anthony Becht	TE	UFA	6-5	280	8	Buccaneers	Rams
Jacob Bell	OL	UFA	6-4	295	4	Titans	Rams
Tatum Bell	RB	UFA	5-11	213	4	Lions	Lions
Yeremiah Bell	S	UFA	6-0	200	4	Dolphins	Dolphins
Kendrell Bell	LB	Released	6-1	245	7	Chiefs
Jay Bellamy	S	UFA	5-11	200	14	Saints
Michael Bennett	RB	UFA	5-9	207	7	Buccaneers	Buccaneers
Kevin Bentley	LB	UFA	6-0	238	6	Seahawks	Texans
Joe Berger	G	RFA	6-5	305	3	Cowboys
Mitch Berger	P	UFA	6-4	228	12	Cardinals
Bernard Berrian	WR	UFA	6-1	185	4	Bears	Vikings
Rob Bironas	PK	RFA	6-0	205	3	Titans
Player	Pos.	FA Type	Ht.	Wt.	Exp.	2007 Team	2008 Team	Grade
Darryl Blackstock	LB	Released	6-3	244	3	Cardinals	Bengals
Dwayne Blakley	TE	UFA	6-4	257	4	Falcons	Titans
Chris Bober	OT	Released	6-5	310	8	Chiefs
Rocky Boiman	LB	UFA	6-4	236	6	Colts
Michael Boley	LB	RFA	6-3	236	3	Falcons
Marty Booker	WR	Released	6-0	210	9	Dolphins	Bears
Ryan Boschetti	DT	UFA	6-4	311	4	Redskins	Redskins
Michael Boulware	S	UFA	6-3	220	4	Texans	Vikings
Kyle Brady	TE	Released	6-6	280	13	Patriots
Tyler Brayton	DE	UFA	6-6	280	5	Raiders	Panthers
Lance Briggs	LB	UFA	6-1	240	5	Bears	Bears
Ruben Brown	G	UFA	6-3	300	13	Bears
Troy Brown	WR	UFA	5-10	196	14	Patriots
Ralph Brown	CB	UFA	5-10	185	8	Cardinals
Chris Brown	RB	UFA	6-3	220	5	Titans	Texans
C.C. Brown	S	RFA	6-0	208	3	Texans
Josh Brown	PK	UFA	6-0	212	5	Seahawks	Rams
Jason Brown	C	RFA	6-3	320	3	Ravens
Milford Brown	G	UFA	6-5	330	6	Rams
Elton Brown	G	RFA	6-5	332	3	Cardinals
Player	Pos.	FA Type	Ht.	Wt.	Exp.	2007 Team	2008 Team	Grade
Isaac Bruce	WR	Released	6-0	188	14	Rams	49ers
Mark Bruener	TE	UFA	6-4	260	13	Texans	Texans
Mark Brunell	QB	UFA	6-1	217	15	Redskins	Saints
Tedy Bruschi	LB	UFA	6-1	247	12	Patriots	Patriots
Fernando Bryant	CB	Released	5-11	185	9	Lions	Patriots
Jerametrius Butler	CB	Released	5-10	185	7	Bills
James Butler	S	RFA	6-3	215	3	NY Giants
Reche Caldwell	WR	UFA	6-0	210	5	Redskins
Chris Canty	DE	RFA	6-7	300	3	Cowboys
John Carney	PK	UFA	5-11	185	18	Chiefs
David Carr	QB	Released	6-3	216	6	Panthers	NY Giants
Chris Carr	CB	RFA	5-10	180	3	Raiders
Drew Carter	WR	UFA	6-3	200	4	Panthers	Raiders
Jerome Carter	S	Released	5-11	219	3	Rams	Rams
Kevin Carter	DE	Released	6-6	305	13	Buccaneers	Buccaneers
Tim Carter	WR	UFA	6-0	187	6	Browns
Dexter Carter	RB	Released	5-9	170	8	Bears
Rock Cartwright	RB	UFA	5-8	218	6	Redskins	Redskins
Antoine Cash	LB	Released	6-1	223	2	Buccaneers	Buccaneers
Aveion Cason	RB	UFA	5-10	204	7	Lions	Lions
Player	Pos.	FA Type	Ht.	Wt.	Exp.	2007 Team	2008 Team	Grade
Oliver Celestin	FS	UFA	6-0	207	4	Cardinals
Jesse Chatman	RB	UFA	5-8	223	5	Dolphins	NY Jets
Antonio Chatman	WR	UFA	5-8	183	5	Bengals	Bengals
Brandon Chillar	LB	UFA	6-3	242	4	Rams	Packers
Danny Clark	LB	UFA	6-2	245	8	Texans	NY Giants
Anthony Clement	OT	UFA	6-8	320	10	NY Jets
Chris Clemons	DE	UFA	6-3	240	4	Raiders	Eagles
Keary Colbert	WR	UFA	6-1	200	4	Panthers	Broncos
Ricardo Colclough	CB	UFA	5-11	195	4	Browns	Panthers
Colin Cole	DT	RFA	6-1	315	3	Packers
Erik Coleman	S	UFA	5-10	200	4	NY Jets	Falcons
Rod Coleman	DT	Released	6-2	285	9	Falcons
Todd Collins	QB	UFA	6-4	228	13	Redskins	Redskins
Dustin Colquitt	P	RFA	6-3	210	3	Chiefs	Chiefs
Rosevelt Colvin	LB	Released	6-3	250	9	Patriots
Marquis Cooper	LB	UFA	6-3	213	4	Steelers
Deke Cooper	S	UFA	6-2	210	5	Panthers
Chris Cooper	DE	Released	6-5	280	6	Cardinals
Jarrod Cooper	DB	UFA	6-1	215	7	Raiders
Terry Cousin	CB	UFA	5-9	185	11	Jaguars
Player	Pos.	FA Type	Ht.	Wt.	Exp.	2007 Team	2008 Team	Grade
Casey Cramer	TE	RFA	6-2	250	3	Titans
Chris Crocker	S	UFA	5-11	192	5	Falcons
Alge Crumpler	TE	Released	6-2	262	7	Falcons	Titans
Daunte Culpepper	QB	UFA	6-4	265	9	Raiders
Donte Curry	LB	UFA	6-1	240	7	Panthers	Panthers
Karlos Dansby	LB	Franchised	6-4	250	4	Cardinals	Cardinals
Chuck Darby	DT	UFA	6-0	297	7	Seahawks	Lions
Devard Darling	WR	UFA	6-1	215	4	Ravens	Chiefs
Russell Davis	DT	UFA	6-4	315	9	NY Giants
Sammy Davis	CB	UFA	6-1	195	5	Buccaneers	Buccaneers
Keith Davis	S	UFA	5-11	205	5	Cowboys	Dolphins
Chauncey Davis	DE	RFA	6-2	277	3	Falcons
Andre Davis	WR	UFA	6-1	195	6	Texans	Texans
Rob Davis	C	UFA	6-3	284	12	Packers
Rashied Davis	WR	RFA	5-9	187	3	Bears
Ron Dayne	RB	UFA	5-10	245	8	Texans
Curtis Deloatch	CB	UFA	6-2	214	4	Panthers
Will Demps	S	UFA	6-0	208	6	Texans	Texans
Rick DeMulling	G	UFA	6-4	304	7	Redskins
Trent Dilfer	QB	Released	6-4	247	14	49ers
Player	Pos.	FA Type	Ht.	Wt.	Exp.	2007 Team	2008 Team	Grade
Nat Dorsey	OT	UFA	6-7	335	4	Browns
Mike Doss	S	UFA	5-10	207	5	Vikings
Marques Douglas	DE	UFA	6-2	292	7	49ers	Buccaneers
Eddie Drummond	WR	UFA	5-9	190	6	Chiefs
T.J. Duckett	RB	UFA	6-0	254	6	Lions	Seahawks
Jason Dunn	TE	Released	6-6	274	11	Chiefs
Warrick Dunn	RB	Released	5-9	180	11	Falcons	Buccaneers
Tim Dwight	WR	UFA	5-8	180	10	Raiders
Andre Dyson	CB	Released	5-10	183	7	NY Jets
Glenn Earl	S	UFA	6-1	215	4	Texans	Texans
Nick Eason	DE	UFA	6-3	305	5	Steelers
Kalimba Edwards	DE	Released	6-6	265	6	Lions
Isaiah Ekejiuba	LB	RFA	6-4	240	3	Raiders
Ebenezer Ekuban	DE	UFA	6-3	275	9	Broncos	Broncos
Jason Elam	PK	UFA	5-11	195	15	Broncos	Falcons
Aaron Elling	PK	UFA	6-0	201	4	Bengals
John Engelberger	DE	UFA	6-4	260	8	Broncos	Broncos
Trai Essex	OL	RFA	6-4	324	3	Steelers	Steelers
Tim Euhus	TE	Released	6-5	256	4	Cardinals
Jason Fabini	OT	UFA	6-7	309	10	Redskins
Player	Pos.	FA Type	Ht.	Wt.	Exp.	2007 Team	2008 Team	Grade
Jeff Faine	C	UFA	6-3	291	5	Saints	Buccaneers
Alan Faneca	OG	UFA	6-5	307	10	Steelers	NY Jets
Jonathan Fanene	DE	RFA	6-4	291	3	Bengals	Bengals
Justin Fargas	RB	UFA	6-1	220	5	Raiders	Raiders
Heath Farwell	LB	RFA	6-0	235	3	Vikings
Christian Fauria	TE	UFA	6-4	250	13	Panthers
Jeff Feagles	P	UFA	6-1	215	20	NY Giants	NY Giants
Robert Ferguson	WR	UFA	6-1	209	7	Vikings	Vikings
Nick Ferguson	S	UFA	5-11	201	8	Broncos
Jim Finn	RB	Released	6-0	245	8	NY Giants
Travis Fisher	CB	UFA	5-10	189	6	Lions	Lions
Ryan Fitzpatrick	QB	RFA	6-2	225	3	Bengals
Mike Flanagan	C	Released	6-5	301	12	Texans
Bryan Fletcher	TE	RFA	6-5	230	3	Colts
Drayton Florence	CB	UFA	6-0	195	5	Chargers	Jaguars
George Foster	OT	UFA	6-5	338	5	Lions	Lions
DeShaun Foster	RB	Released	6-0	222	6	Panthers	49ers
Keyaron Fox	LB	UFA	6-3	235	4	Chiefs	Steelers
Domonique Foxworth	CB	RFA	5-11	180	3	Broncos
Bubba Franks	TE	Released	6-6	265	8	Packers	NY Jets
Player	Pos.	FA Type	Ht.	Wt.	Exp.	2007 Team	2008 Team	Grade
Simon Fraser	DE	Released	6-6	300	3	Browns	Falcons
Andre Frazier	DE	Released	6-5	255	3	Steelers	Steelers
Gus Frerotte	QB	Released	6-3	233	14	Rams
Lennie Friedman	G	UFA	6-3	295	9	Browns	Browns
Derrick Frost	P	UFA	6-4	208	4	Redskins	Redskins
Vincent Fuller	S	RFA	6-1	190	3	Titans
Samkon Gado	RB	Released	5-10	226	3	Dolphins
Jabar Gaffney	WR	UFA	6-1	200	6	Patriots	Patriots
Justin Gage	WR	UFA	6-4	212	5	Titans	Titans
Michael Gaines	TE	UFA	6-3	277	4	Bills	Lions
Dylan Gandy	G	RFA	6-3	302	3	Colts
Wayne Gandy	OT	Released	6-5	308	14	Falcons
Antonio Garay	DT	UFA	6-4	303	3	Bears
Gilbert Gardner	LB	UFA	6-1	228	4	Titans
Randall Gay	CB	UFA	5-11	190	4	Patriots	Saints
Tony Gilbert	LB	UFA	6-0	244	5	Jaguars	Jaguars
John Gilmore	TE	UFA	6-5	257	6	Bears	Buccaneers
Bryan Gilmore	WR	UFA	6-1	193	7	49ers
Matt Giordano	S	RFA	5-11	200	3	Colts
David Givens	WR	Released	6-0	215	6	Titans
Player	Pos.	FA Type	Ht.	Wt.	Exp.	2007 Team	2008 Team	Grade
Aaron Glenn	CB	UFA	5-9	183	14	Jaguars
Randall Godfrey	LB	UFA	6-2	245	12	Redskins
Ian Gold	LB	Released	6-0	223	8	Broncos
Adam Goldberg	OT	UFA	6-7	318	5	Rams	Rams
Jonathan Goodwin	OL	UFA	6-3	318	6	Saints	Saints
Amon Gordon	DT	Released	6-2	305	3	Ravens	Ravens
Brandon Gorin	OT	UFA	6-6	308	6	Rams	Rams
Martin Gramatica	PK	UFA	5-8	175	8	Saints	Saints
Quinn Gray	QB	UFA	6-3	246	4	Jaguars
Roderick Green	LB	UFA	6-2	274	4	49ers	49ers
Trent Green	QB	Released	6-3	217	14	Dolphins	Rams
Cornell Green	OT	UFA	6-6	315	8	Raiders	Raiders
Justin Green	RB	RFA	5-11	251	3	Ravens	Ravens
Eric Green	CB	RFA	5-11	194	3	Cardinals
Nick Greisen	LB	UFA	6-1	244	6	Ravens	Ravens
Kris Griffin	LB	RFA	6-3	245	3	Browns
Boomer Grigsby	FB	Released	5-11	249	3	Chiefs	Dolphins
Jordan Gross	OT	Franchised	6-4	300	5	Panthers	Panthers
Rex Grossman	QB	UFA	6-1	217	5	Bears	Bears
D.J. Hackett	WR	UFA	6-2	208	4	Seahawks	Panthers
Player	Pos.	FA Type	Ht.	Wt.	Exp.	2007 Team	2008 Team	Grade
Rex Hadnot	C	UFA	6-2	325	4	Dolphins	Browns
Mario Haggan	LB	UFA	6-3	263	5	Bills
Clark Haggans	LB	UFA	6-4	243	8	Steelers
James Hall	DE	Released	6-2	280	8	Rams
Bobby Hamilton	DE	UFA	6-5	285	12	Browns
Ken Hamlin	S	Franchised	6-2	209	5	Cowboys	Cowboys
Geoff Hangartner	C	RFA	6-5	301	3	Panthers	Panthers
Joselio Hanson	CB	RFA	5-9	185	3	Eagles
Joey Harrington	QB	Released	6-4	220	6	Falcons	Falcons
Kwame Harris	OT	UFA	6-7	322	5	49ers	Raiders
Marques Harris	LB	RFA	6-1	245	3	Chargers
Ben Hartsock	TE	UFA	6-4	265	4	Titans	Falcons
Justin Hartwig	C	Released	6-4	312	6	Panthers	Steelers
Tim Hasselbeck	QB	UFA	6-1	214	6	Cardinals
Jovan Haye	DE	RFA	6-2	285	3	Buccaneers
Verron Haynes	RB	UFA	5-10	222	6	Steelers
Albert Haynesworth	DT	Franchised	6-6	320	6	Titans	Titans
Devery Henderson	WR	UFA	5-11	200	4	Saints	Saints
Kelly Herndon	CB	Released	5-10	180	6	Titans
Maurice Hicks	RB	UFA	5-11	205	4	49ers	Vikings
Player	Pos.	FA Type	Ht.	Wt.	Exp.	2007 Team	2008 Team	Grade
Reynaldo Hill	CB	RFA	5-11	185	3	Titans
Shaun Hill	QB	UFA	6-3	235	6	49ers	49ers
Victor Hobson	LB	UFA	6-0	252	5	NY Jets
Nathan Hodel	C	UFA	6-2	238	6	Cardinals	Cardinals
Kelly Holcomb	QB	Released	6-2	212	11	Vikings
Warrick Holdman	LB	Released	6-1	235	9	Broncos
Daven Holly	CB	RFA	5-10	185	3	Browns
Terrence Holt	S	Released	6-2	204	5	Cardinals	Panthers
Brad Hoover	FB	UFA	6-0	245	8	Panthers	Panthers
Von Hutchins	DB	UFA	5-9	181	4	Texans	Falcons
Chidi Iwuoma	CB	UFA	5-9	184	7	Titans
Larry Izzo	LB	UFA	5-10	228	12	Patriots	Patriots
Grady Jackson	DT	UFA	6-2	345	11	Jaguars
Scott Jackson	G	RFA	6-4	300	3	Texans	Texans
Darrell Jackson	WR	Released	5-11	206	8	49ers
Nate Jackson	TE	UFA	6-3	235	5	Broncos	Broncos
William James	CB	UFA	6-0	200	7	Eagles	Bills
Jason Jefferson	DT	RFA	6-1	295	3	Bills
Leon Joe	LB	UFA	6-1	235	4	Bills	Buccaneers
Landon Johnson	LB	UFA	6-2	232	4	Bengals	Panthers
Player	Pos.	FA Type	Ht.	Wt.	Exp.	2007 Team	2008 Team	Grade
Trevor Johnson	DE	Released	6-4	260	4	Rams
Spencer Johnson	DT	UFA	6-3	286	4	Vikings	Bills
Eric Johnson	TE	UFA	6-3	252	7	Saints	Saints
Bryant Johnson	WR	UFA	6-3	216	5	Cardinals	49ers
Julius Jones	RB	UFA	5-10	211	4	Cowboys	Seahawks
Kevin Jones	RB	Released	5-11	228	4	Lions
Nathan Jones	CB	UFA	5-10	192	4	Cowboys	Dolphins
Mark Jones	WR	UFA	5-9	185	4	Buccaneers
Dhani Jones	LB	UFA	6-1	240	8	Bengals	Bengals
Bennie Joppru	TE	UFA	6-4	255	5	Seahawks
William Joseph	DT	UFA	6-5	308	5	NY Giants	Raiders
Bhawoh Jue	S	UFA	6-0	200	7	Cardinals
N.D. Kalu	DE	UFA	6-3	265	10	Texans	Texans
Matt Katula	C	RFA	6-6	272	3	Ravens
Jevon Kearse	DE	Released	6-4	265	9	Eagles	Titans
Ethan Kelley	DT	UFA	6-2	338	3	Browns
Brian Kelly	CB	UFA	5-11	193	10	Buccaneers	Lions
Tommy Kelly	DE	UFA	6-6	300	4	Raiders	Raiders
Chris Kemoeatu	G	RFA	6-3	344	3	Steelers	Steelers
Kenoy Kennedy	S	Released	6-1	215	8	Lions
Player	Pos.	FA Type	Ht.	Wt.	Exp.	2007 Team	2008 Team	Grade
Jimmy Kennedy	DT	UFA	6-4	325	5	Bears	Jaguars
Eddie Kennison	WR	Released	6-1	201	12	Chiefs
Kenny King	DT	Released	6-4	284	5	Ravens
Travis Kirschke	DE	UFA	6-3	298	11	Steelers	Steelers
Dan Klecko	DL	UFA	5-11	275	5	Colts	Eagles
Sammy Knight	S	UFA	6-1	215	11	Jaguars	NY Giants
Michael Koenen	P	RFA	5-11	195	3	Falcons
Ross Kolodziej	DT	UFA	6-3	292	7	Cardinals
Niko Koutouvides	LB	UFA	6-2	238	4	Seahawks	Broncos
Brian Kozlowski	TE	UFA	6-3	265	14	Redskins
Ryan Krause	TE	UFA	6-3	244	4	Packers
Dan Kreider	FB	UFA	5-11	255	8	Steelers
Clint Kriewaldt	LB	Released	6-1	248	9	Steelers
Ryan Kuehl	C	UFA	6-5	276	11	NY Giants
Travis LaBoy	DE	UFA	6-3	260	4	Titans	Cardinals
L.P. Ladouceur	C	RFA	6-4	255	3	Cowboys	Cowboys
Kyle Larson	P	UFA	6-1	204	4	Bengals	Bengals
Ty Law	CB	Released	5-11	200	13	Chiefs
ReShard Lee	RB	UFA	5-10	220	4	Raiders
Byron Leftwich	QB	Released	6-5	250	5	Falcons
Player	Pos.	FA Type	Ht.	Wt.	Exp.	2007 Team	2008 Team	Grade
Mike Lehan	CB	UFA	6-0	190	5	Dolphins	Dolphins
Teddy Lehman	LB	UFA	6-1	238	4	Lions	Buccaneers
Matt Lehr	G	UFA	6-2	304	7	Buccaneers
Cory Lekkerkerker	OT	Released	6-7	323	3	Dolphins
Cleo Lemon	QB	UFA	6-2	215	4	Dolphins	Jaguars
Jim Leonhard	S	Released	5-8	185	3	Bills
Jamal Lewis	RB	UFA	5-11	245	8	Browns	Browns
Damione Lewis	DT	UFA	6-2	301	7	Panthers	Panthers
Michael Lewis	WR	UFA	5-8	173	7	49ers
Ryan Lilja	OG	UFA	6-2	290	4	Colts	Colts
Chris Liwienski	G	UFA	6-5	325	9	Dolphins
Brandon Lloyd	WR	Released	6-0	200	5	Redskins	Bears
Sean Locklear	G	UFA	6-4	308	4	Seahawks	Seahawks
Daniel Loper	OL	RFA	6-6	320	3	Titans	Titans
Jared Lorenzen	QB	RFA	6-4	285	3	NY Giants
Omare Lowe	CB	UFA	6-1	195	6	Falcons
David Macklin	CB	UFA	5-10	206	8	Redskins	Rams
Anthony Maddox	DT	RFA	6-1	295	4	Texans
Reno Mahe	RB	UFA	5-10	212	5	Eagles
Marquand Manuel	S	UFA	6-0	209	6	Panthers	Broncos
Player	Pos.	FA Type	Ht.	Wt.	Exp.	2007 Team	2008 Team	Grade
Olindo Mare	PK	Released	5-11	190	11	Saints
Lemar Marshall	LB	UFA	6-2	225	6	Bengals
Jamie Martin	QB	UFA	6-2	205	13	Saints
Evan Mathis	OG	RFA	6-5	304	3	Panthers	Panthers
Jerome Mathis	WR	Released	5-11	191	3	Texans
Keenan McCardell	WR	UFA	6-1	188	15	Redskins
Justin McCareins	WR	Released	6-2	215	7	NY Jets	Titans
Andy McCollum	C	UFA	6-4	300	14	Rams
Josh McCown	QB	UFA	6-4	213	6	Raiders	Dolphins
Matt McCoy	LB	Released	5-11	230	3	Saints	Buccaneers
Bobby McCray	DE	UFA	6-6	261	4	Jaguars	Saints
Marlon McCree	S	Released	5-11	202	7	Chargers	Broncos
Stockar McDougle	OT	UFA	6-6	348	8	Jaguars
Jerome McDougle	DE	UFA	6-2	264	5	Eagles
Anthony McFarland	DT	Released	6-0	300	9	Colts
Brandon McGowan	S	RFA	5-11	205	3	Bills
Corey McIntyre	FB	RFA	6-0	244	3	Falcons
Seth McKinney	C	UFA	6-3	315	6	Browns
Terrence Melton	LB	UFA	6-1	235	4	Panthers
Ahmad Merritt	WR	RFA	5-10	195	4	Cardinals
Player	Pos.	FA Type	Ht.	Wt.	Exp.	2007 Team	2008 Team	Grade
Billy Miller	TE	UFA	6-3	253	8	Saints	Saints
Caleb Miller	LB	UFA	6-3	225	4	Bengals
Fred Miller	OT	Released	6-7	314	12	Bears
Hanik Milligan	S	UFA	6-3	200	5	Rams
Travis Minor	RB	UFA	5-10	203	7	Rams
Mel Mitchell	S	UFA	6-1	225	6	Patriots
Kawika Mitchell	LB	UFA	6-1	253	5	NY Giants	Bills
Rashad Moore	DL	Released	6-3	325	4	Patriots	Falcons
Mewelde Moore	RB	UFA	5-11	209	4	Vikings	Steelers
Langston Moore	DT	RFA	6-1	305	3	Lions
Kindal Moorehead	DT	UFA	6-2	285	5	Panthers	Falcons
Aaron Moorehead	WR	UFA	6-3	200	5	Colts
Vernand Morency	RB	RFA	5-10	212	3	Packers
Sean Morey	WR	Released	5-11	193	6	Cardinals
Dan Morgan	LB	Released	6-2	245	7	Panthers	Saints
Rob Morris	LB	Released	6-2	243	8	Colts
Randy Moss	WR	UFA	6-4	210	10	Patriots	Patriots
Eric Moulds	WR	UFA	6-2	225	12	Titans
Scott Mruczkowski	OG	RFA	6-5	318	3	Chargers	Chargers
Gene Mruczkowski	C	UFA	6-2	305	4	Dolphins
Player	Pos.	FA Type	Ht.	Wt.	Exp.	2007 Team	2008 Team	Grade
Muhsin Muhammad	WR	Released	6-2	215	12	Bears	Panthers
Matt Murphy	TE	UFA	6-5	264	5	Bills	Bills
Chris Myers	C	RFA	6-4	295	3	Broncos	Texans
Chris Naeole	OG	Released	6-3	330	11	Jaguars
Craig Nall	QB	UFA	6-3	230	6	Packers
Lorenzo Neal	RB	Released	5-11	255	15	Chargers
Ryan Neufeld	TE	UFA	6-4	245	7	Bills
Jeremy Newberry	C	UFA	6-5	315	10	Raiders
Donnie Nickey	S	UFA	6-3	210	5	Titans
J.T. O'Sullivan	QB	UFA	6-2	227	5	Lions	49ers
Antwan Odom	DE	UFA	6-5	274	4	Titans	Bengals
Shane Olivea	OG	Released	6-4	312	4	Chargers
Dan Orlovsky	QB	RFA	6-5	230	3	Lions
Shantee Orr	LB	UFA	6-0	250	5	Jaguars	Browns
John Owens	TE	UFA	6-3	270	5	Lions	Lions
Calvin Pace	LB	UFA	6-4	272	5	Cardinals	NY Jets
Samie Parker	WR	UFA	5-11	190	4	Chiefs
David Patten	WR	UFA	5-10	190	11	Saints	Saints
Lonie Paxton	C	UFA	6-2	260	8	Patriots	Patriots
Karl Paymah	CB	RFA	6-0	195	3	Broncos
Player	Pos.	FA Type	Ht.	Wt.	Exp.	2007 Team	2008 Team	Grade
Alvin Pearman	RB	Released	5-10	208	3	Seahawks
Kalvin Pearson	S	RFA	5-10	200	3	Buccaneers	Lions
Tab Perry	WR	Released	6-3	208	3	Bengals	Dolphins
Stephen Peterman	G	RFA	6-4	323	3	Lions
Michael Pittman	RB	UFA	6-0	228	10	Buccaneers
Marcus Pollard	TE	UFA	6-3	255	13	Seahawks
Derrick Pope	LB	UFA	6-0	232	4	Dolphins	Vikings
Jerry Porter	WR	UFA	6-2	220	8	Raiders	Jaguars
Hank Poteat	CB	UFA	5-10	195	7	NY Jets
Peerless Price	WR	UFA	5-11	194	9	Bills
Pierson Prioleau	S	UFA	5-11	188	9	Redskins
Mike Pucillo	G	UFA	6-4	306	6	Redskins
Jeb Putzier	TE	Released	6-4	256	6	Texans	Seahawks
Tim Rattay	QB	UFA	6-0	200	8	Cardinals
Chris Redman	QB	UFA	6-3	223	5	Falcons	Falcons
J.R. Reed	S	RFA	5-11	202	4	Eagles	Eagles
James Reed	DT	Released	6-0	286	7	Chiefs
Jacques Reeves	CB	UFA	5-11	192	4	Cowboys	Texans
Darrell Reid	DT	RFA	6-2	288	3	Colts
Tutan Reyes	OL	UFA	6-3	310	8	Jaguars	Jaguars
Player	Pos.	FA Type	Ht.	Wt.	Exp.	2007 Team	2008 Team	Grade
Robert Reynolds	LB	UFA	6-3	247	4	Titans
Tony Richardson	RB	UFA	6-1	238	13	Vikings	NY Jets
Chris Roberson	CB	Released	5-11	185	2	Jaguars
Bryan Robinson	DE	UFA	6-4	304	11	Bengals
Jeff Robinson	C	UFA	6-4	250	14	Seahawks
Brett Romberg	C	UFA	6-2	298	4	Rams	Rams
Mike Rosenthal	OT	UFA	6-7	318	9	Dolphins
Oliver Ross	OT	Released	6-4	327	9	Cardinals
Allen Rossum	CB	Released	5-8	178	10	Steelers	49ers
Orpheus Roye	DT	Released	6-4	330	12	Browns
Mike Rucker	DE	UFA	6-5	270	9	Panthers
Sean Ryan	TE	UFA	6-5	265	4	NY Jets	Dolphins
Blaine Saipaia	OG	Released	6-3	315	4	Lions
B.J. Sams	DB	UFA	5-10	185	4	Ravens
Asante Samuel	CB	UFA	5-10	185	5	Patriots	Eagles
Lewis Sanders	CB	Released	6-1	210	8	Falcons
Cecil Sapp	RB	UFA	5-11	229	5	Broncos	Broncos
Gerome Sapp	DB	UFA	6-1	216	5	Ravens
Benny Sapp	CB	UFA	5-9	190	4	Chiefs
Bo Scaife	TE	RFA	6-3	249	3	Titans
Player	Pos.	FA Type	Ht.	Wt.	Exp.	2007 Team	2008 Team	Grade
Rich Scanlon	LB	UFA	6-2	249	4	Titans
Bo Schobel	DE	UFA	6-5	264	4	Cardinals
Lance Schulters	S	UFA	6-2	202	10	Dolphins
Josh Scobey	RB	UFA	6-0	220	6	Seahawks
Ian Scott	DT	UFA	6-3	302	5	Eagles
Bryan Scott	S	UFA	6-1	219	5	Bills	Bills
Darrion Scott	DE	UFA	6-3	289	4	Vikings
Jake Scott	G	UFA	6-5	295	4	Colts	Titans
Chad Scott	CB	UFA	6-1	205	11	Patriots
Junior Seau	LB	UFA	6-3	250	18	Patriots
Mike Seidman	TE	UFA	6-4	261	5	Colts
Gerald Sensabaugh	S	RFA	6-0	218	3	Jaguars	Jaguars
Adam Seward	LB	RFA	6-2	248	3	Panthers
Josh Shaw	DT	RFA	6-2	290	4	Raiders	Raiders
L.J. Shelton	OT	Released	6-6	345	9	Dolphins
Jason Simmons	S	UFA	5-9	198	10	Texans
Brian Simmons	LB	Released	6-3	244	10	Saints
Mark Simoneau	LB	UFA	6-0	245	8	Saints	Saints
Barry Sims	OT	Released	6-5	300	9	Raiders
Justin Smiley	G	UFA	6-3	311	4	49ers	Dolphins
Player	Pos.	FA Type	Ht.	Wt.	Exp.	2007 Team	2008 Team	Grade
Justin Smith	DE	UFA	6-4	275	7	Bengals	49ers
Corey Smith	DE	UFA	6-2	250	5	Lions	Lions
Derek Smith	LB	Released	6-2	237	11	49ers	Chargers
Dwight Smith	S	Released	5-10	201	7	Vikings	Lions
Antonio Smith	DL	RFA	6-4	280	4	Cardinals
Wade Smith	C	UFA	6-4	318	5	NY Jets
Musa Smith	RB	UFA	6-0	232	5	Ravens
Raonall Smith	LB	UFA	6-2	245	6	Rams
Keith Smith	CB	UFA	5-11	192	4	Lions	Lions
L.J. Smith	TE	Franchised	6-3	258	5	Eagles	Eagles
Isaac Sopoaga	DT	UFA	6-2	325	3	49ers	49ers
Nick Sorensen	S	UFA	6-3	205	7	Browns	Browns
Takeo Spikes	LB	Released	6-2	242	10	Eagles
Greg Spires	DE	Released	6-1	265	10	Buccaneers
Donnie Spragan	LB	UFA	6-3	242	7	Dolphins
Brian St. Pierre	QB	UFA	6-3	230	5	Steelers
Donte' Stallworth	WR	UFA	6-0	200	6	Patriots	Browns
Josh Stamer	LB	UFA	6-2	236	5	Bills
Max Starks	OT	UFA	6-8	337	4	Steelers
Randy Starks	DT	UFA	6-3	312	4	Titans	Dolphins
Player	Pos.	FA Type	Ht.	Wt.	Exp.	2007 Team	2008 Team	Grade
Aaron Stecker	RB	UFA	5-10	213	8	Saints	Saints
Alex Stepanovich	C	UFA	6-4	300	4	Bengals	Falcons
Todd Steussie	OT	UFA	6-6	310	14	Rams
Jerramy Stevens	TE	UFA	6-7	260	6	Buccaneers
David Stewart	OL	RFA	6-7	318	3	Titans
Matt Stewart	LB	UFA	6-3	236	7	Browns
Barry Stokes	OG	UFA	6-4	310	8	Lions
Omar Stoutmire	S	UFA	5-11	205	11	Redskins
Donald Strickland	CB	UFA	5-10	187	5	49ers	49ers
Terrell Suggs	LB	Franchised	6-3	260	5	Ravens	Ravens
Will Svitek	OT	RFA	6-6	300	3	Chiefs
Joe Tafoya	DE	UFA	6-4	258	6	Cardinals
Thomas Tapeh	FB	UFA	6-1	243	4	Eagles	Vikings
Vinny Testaverde	QB	UFA	6-5	235	21	Panthers
Anthony Thomas	RB	Released	6-2	221	7	Bills
Josh Thomas	DE	UFA	6-5	271	4	Colts	Colts
Fred Thomas	CB	UFA	5-9	185	12	Saints
Dontarrious Thomas	LB	UFA	6-2	241	4	Vikings	49ers
Zach Thomas	LB	Released	5-11	228	12	Dolphins	Cowboys
Kiwaukee Thomas	CB	Released	5-11	188	8	Bills
Player	Pos.	FA Type	Ht.	Wt.	Exp.	2007 Team	2008 Team	Grade
Chaun Thompson	LB	UFA	6-2	255	5	Browns	Texans
Tyson Thompson	RB	Released	6-1	220	3	Cowboys
Travares Tillman	S	UFA	6-1	205	7	Dolphins
LaBrandon Toefield	RB	UFA	5-11	232	5	Jaguars	Panthers
Reggie Torbor	LB	UFA	6-2	250	4	NY Giants	Dolphins
Keith Traylor	DT	Released	6-2	340	16	Dolphins
Larry Tripplett	DT	Released	6-2	293	6	Bills
Jeremiah Trotter	LB	UFA	6-1	262	10	Buccaneers
Ben Troupe	TE	UFA	6-4	270	4	Titans	Buccaneers
Marcus Trufant	CB	Franchised	5-11	197	5	Seahawks	Seahawks
Ross Tucker	OG	UFA	6-4	310	5	Redskins
B.J. Tucker	CB	Released	5-10	188	3	49ers
Marques Tuiasosopo	QB	UFA	6-1	220	7	NY Jets
Jerame Tuman	TE	Released	6-4	253	9	Steelers	Cardinals
Matt Turk	P	UFA	6-5	240	12	Texans	Texans
Kyle Turley	OT	UFA	6-5	306	9	Chiefs
Michael Turner	RB	UFA	5-10	237	4	Chargers	Falcons
Lawrence Tynes	PK	UFA	6-1	202	4	NY Giants	NY Giants
Jerheme Urban	WR	RFA	6-3	212	4	Cardinals
Ben Utecht	TE	RFA	6-6	251	4	Colts	Bengals
Player	Pos.	FA Type	Ht.	Wt.	Exp.	2007 Team	2008 Team	Grade
Keydrick Vincent	G	UFA	6-5	325	7	Cardinals	Panthers
Billy Volek	QB	UFA	6-2	214	8	Chargers	Chargers
Kimo Von Oelhoffen	DL	UFA	6-4	299	14	Eagles
Michael Waddell	CB	Released	5-10	180	4	Titans
John Wade	C	UFA	6-5	299	10	Buccaneers
Mike Wahle	G	Released	6-6	304	10	Panthers	Seahawks
Aaron Walker	TE	UFA	6-6	270	5	Rams
Frank Walker	CB	UFA	5-11	196	5	Packers	Ravens
Darwin Walker	DT	Released	6-3	294	8	Bears
Javon Walker	WR	Released	6-3	215	6	Broncos	Raiders
Al Wallace	DE	UFA	6-5	275	8	Bills
Tyson Walter	OG	UFA	6-4	300	6	Packers
Troy Walters	WR	UFA	5-8	171	8	Lions
Derrick Ward	RB	UFA	5-11	228	4	NY Giants	NY Giants
Matt Ware	CB	UFA	6-2	214	4	Cardinals
Greg Warren	OL	RFA	6-3	252	3	Steelers
Nate Washington	WR	RFA	6-1	185	3	Steelers
Ted Washington	DT	UFA	6-5	375	17	Browns
Kelley Washington	WR	UFA	6-3	215	5	Patriots	Patriots
Fred Weary	G	UFA	6-4	308	6	Texans
Player	Pos.	FA Type	Ht.	Wt.	Exp.	2007 Team	2008 Team	Grade
Leonard Weaver	RB	RFA	6-0	242	3	Seahawks
Jason Webster	CB	UFA	5-9	187	8	Bills	Patriots
Chris Weinke	QB	UFA	6-4	232	7	49ers
John Welbourn	OT	Released	6-5	310	9	Chiefs
Dante Wesley	CB	UFA	6-1	210	6	Panthers	Panthers
Travelle Wharton	OL	UFA	6-4	312	4	Panthers	Panthers
Tracy White	LB	UFA	6-0	234	5	Packers	Packers
Jason Whittle	G	UFA	6-4	279	9	Bills	Bills
Casey Wiegmann	C	UFA	6-2	285	12	Chiefs	Broncos
Ernest Wilford	WR	UFA	6-4	223	4	Jaguars	Dolphins
Jimmy Wilkerson	DE	UFA	6-2	290	5	Chiefs	Buccaneers
Marcus Wilkins	LB	Released	6-2	231	6	Falcons
Madieu Williams	S	UFA	6-1	203	4	Bengals	Vikings
Tank Williams	S	UFA	6-3	223	6	Vikings	Patriots
Maurice Williams	OT	UFA	6-5	315	7	Jaguars	Jaguars
Shaud Williams	RB	Released	5-7	193	4	Bills
Corey Williams	DT	Franchised	6-4	313	4	Packers	Browns
Demorrio Williams	LB	UFA	6-0	232	4	Falcons	Chiefs
Eugene Wilson	DB	UFA	5-10	195	5	Patriots	Buccaneers
Gibril Wilson	S	UFA	6-0	209	4	NY Giants	Raiders
Player	Pos.	FA Type	Ht.	Wt.	Exp.	2007 Team	2008 Team	Grade
Cedrick Wilson	WR	Released	5-10	183	7	Steelers
Stanley Wilson	CB	RFA	5-11	189	3	Lions
Kris Wilson	TE	UFA	6-2	251	4	Chiefs
Coy Wire	S	Released	6-0	220	6	Bills
Floyd Womack	OT	UFA	6-4	328	7	Seahawks
Damien Woody	G	UFA	6-3	325	9	Lions	NY Jets
Mike Wright	DL	RFA	6-4	295	3	Patriots	Patriots
Ellis Wyms	DT	UFA	6-3	290	7	Seahawks	Vikings
Renaldo Wynn	DE	UFA	6-3	296	11	Saints
Dexter Wynn	CB	UFA	5-9	175	4	Texans
Bryant Young	DE	UFA	6-3	305	14	49ers
Brian Young	DT	UFA	6-2	298	8	Saints	Saints

2008 NFL Free Agent Chart List Commentary



What's interesting is that the Indianapolis Colts did not match an offer for TE Ben Utecht and so the second tight end in the Colts system is off to the Cinncinati Bengals. Some write that this leaves a hole , but in my view, Ben dropped a number of passes that could have meant the difference between the Colts being in the Super Bowl and where they ended up. Additionally, the NFL Draft is deep in quality tight ends, so the Colts may make a move there.



As to quaterbacks, the Oakland Raiders paved the way for the Jamarcus Russell era when they traded QB Josh McCown to the Miami Dolphins. The Browns kept the surprising Derrick Andersen. The Rams released Gus Ferrotte, which may spell the end of his long career.



The big news amoung running backs is that Julius Jones is now a Seahawk rather than a Cowboy. That leaves just Marion Barber at RB for Dallas, while Jones is paired with Shaun Alexander, which doesn't make him happy , but wil light a fire under him.



The biggest WR stories are first that Randy Moss is still a Patriot and that Denver WR Javon Walker was released and picked up by the Oakland Raiders.



The defensive line story is that Bengals DL Justin Smith was gotten by the SF 49ers. Some had him going to the Bucs, but this is a great acquisition for the Niners.



We'll have more updates soon.

"Club Paris" and Paris Hilton - What Happened To Club Paris?

If you do a search on Paris Hilton, one result that comes up is a reference to something called "Club Paris." What that is -- or was -- or kind of is, I guess, is a set of nightclubs, the first of which opened in Orlando in 2004 and then in Jacksonville and just around the time that city was hosting the Super Bowl.

But then both closed in 2007. Why?

Well from my peering around, it seems that Club Paris' death was due to a disagreement between a club entrepreneur named Fereidoun "Fred" Khalilian and Paris Hilton. Reportedly, Hilton was paid seven-figures for Fereidoun "Fred" Khalilian to gain the right to place her name on what was to be a string of night clubs starting in -- of all places -- Orlando. (The photo shows Paris and Fred in happier times.)



I mean, nice try there, but let's face it, Orlando's not the first city anyone associates with Paris Hilton or nightlife. I guess catching the resort / Disney World crowd was the idea, but then why not try to negotiate with the Disney people? Oh well.

The first Club Paris opened in Orlando in 2004, but I can tell from the press release (see the link before this sentence) that there would be trouble simply because even though Paris is mentioned extensively, there's no -- not one direct quote from her. There's one from her lawyer, but not her.

So it's no wonder Hilton failed to show up on time for the grand opening. For that, Paris said she was "skiing in the Swiss Alps and got caught at the airport with holiday travel." A reasonable excuse in my view, but then I'm a Paris Hilton fan. (Why? Because she has a head for business -- she's an entrepreneur and a great one at that. She's not living off family money and has done well making her own cash, yet is not recognized for that, which is a total shame.)

That behavior and subsequent episodes where Hilton did not show up to planned Club Paris events was the straw that broke the camels back for Fereidoun "Fred" Khalilian. Accord to an agreement contract, Hilton was to come to the club twice a month..

Look out Orlando , the 2005 New Year’s Eve Party to attend is the grand opening of "Club Paris," the first of a handful of clubs worldwide to be named after socialite Paris Hilton.

Seems like Paris Hilton knows something about nightclubs, so it makes sense the hotel heiress is the latest inspiration for a series of clubs that will bear her signature name.

Club Paris, named after "The Simple Life" star, plans to open on New Year’s Eve in Orlando. Local businessman Fereidoun "Fred" Khalilian hopes to open other Club Paris nightclubs locations include Las Vegas, New York City, Miami Beach, London and Paris.

Rumors leaked stated that Hilton will earn a "seven-figure" signing bonus for lending her name to the club. In return, she is contractually obligated to appear at the club at least twice a month. Hilton also helped select the interior design and is scheduled to attend the opening.

It opened and lasted for one year, then closed. Some point to the fallout between Paris and "Fred" as the reason for the closure, but I think it was more than that. The Club has a $20,000 back-rent debt and Consolidated Investment and Capital Corp., which loaned the money to Club Paris LLC to acquire the liquor licenses, is still owed $526,240.65 on a liguor license that was up for sale in February of this year.

On top of all that, Fred was arrested twice -- once for sexual assault, then for an old warrant of assault on a law enforcement official. The details aside, its clear that Fred's pissed off a number of women in that area, as more than one have complained of his boorish behavior. In fact, the anger is such that someone made a MySpace page devoted just to his sexual assault problems.

But it seems that the rape charges were indeed questionable. Khalilian was released from jail after two witnesses, a a guard and a cab driver cast doubt on a rape allegation, according to his lawyer, Mark NeJame. The Florida attorney's website reports that "Both men said the woman appeared happy and content after spending 70 minutes in the nightclub owner's home. And a text message she sent afterward to Khalilian's cell phone asked him to send her some clothing and thanked him, NeJame said.
Khalilian was required while on bail to wear a GPS tracking device, abstain from drinking alcohol, and stay out of his nightclub between 10 p.m. and 8 a.m., NeJame said.

Whatever the case, it's clear someone does not like Khalilian.

Meanwhile, Paris presses on.

A year after her celebrated DUI problems, the heirress still finds herself near the top of Internet searches and was the star attraction in South Africa recently for the My Coke Fest Rock Festival. Also, her singing album, started with Scott Storch, who Paris met through Khalilian, is still available.

Paris Hilton's Club Paris - What Happened To Club Paris?

If you do a search on Paris Hilton, one result that comes up is a reference to something called "Club Paris." What that is -- or was -- or kind of is, I guess, is a set of nightclubs, the first of which opened in Orlando in 2004 and then in Jacksonville and just around the time that city was hosting the Super Bowl.

But then both closed in 2007. Why?

Well from my peering around, it seems that Club Paris' death was due to a disagreement between a club entrepreneur named Fereidoun "Fred" Khalilian and Paris Hilton. Reportedly, Hilton was paid seven-figures for Fereidoun "Fred" Khalilian to gain the right to place her name on what was to be a string of night clubs starting in -- of all places -- Orlando. (The photo shows Paris and Fred in happier times.)



I mean, nice try there, but let's face it, Orlando's not the first city anyone associates with Paris Hilton or nightlife. I guess catching the resort / Disney World crowd was the idea, but then why not try to negotiate with the Disney people? Oh well.

The first Club Paris opened in Orlando in 2004, but I can tell from the press release (see the link before this sentence) that there would be trouble simply because even though Paris is mentioned extensively, there's no -- not one direct quote from her. There's one from her lawyer, but not her.

So it's no wonder Hilton failed to show up on time for the grand opening. For that, Paris said she was "skiing in the Swiss Alps and got caught at the airport with holiday travel." A reasonable excuse in my view, but then I'm a Paris Hilton fan. (Why? Because she has a head for business -- she's an entrepreneur and a great one at that. She's not living off family money and has done well making her own cash, yet is not recognized for that, which is a total shame.)

That behavior and subsequent episodes where Hilton did not show up to planned Club Paris events was the straw that broke the camels back for Fereidoun "Fred" Khalilian. Accord to an agreement contract, Hilton was to come to the club twice a month..

Look out Orlando , the 2005 New Year’s Eve Party to attend is the grand opening of "Club Paris," the first of a handful of clubs worldwide to be named after socialite Paris Hilton.

Seems like Paris Hilton knows something about nightclubs, so it makes sense the hotel heiress is the latest inspiration for a series of clubs that will bear her signature name.

Club Paris, named after "The Simple Life" star, plans to open on New Year’s Eve in Orlando. Local businessman Fereidoun "Fred" Khalilian hopes to open other Club Paris nightclubs locations include Las Vegas, New York City, Miami Beach, London and Paris.

Rumors leaked stated that Hilton will earn a "seven-figure" signing bonus for lending her name to the club. In return, she is contractually obligated to appear at the club at least twice a month. Hilton also helped select the interior design and is scheduled to attend the opening.

It opened and lasted for one year, then closed. Some point to the fallout between Paris and "Fred" as the reason for the closure, but I think it was more than that. The Club has a $20,000 back-rent debt and Consolidated Investment and Capital Corp., which loaned the money to Club Paris LLC to acquire the liquor licenses, is still owed $526,240.65 on a liguor license that was up for sale in February of this year.

On top of all that, Fred was arrested twice -- once for sexual assault, then for an old warrant of assault on a law enforcement official. The details aside, its clear that Fred's pissed off a number of women in that area, as more than one have complained of his boorish behavior. In fact, the anger is such that someone made a MySpace page devoted just to his sexual assault problems.

But it seems that the rape charges were indeed questionable. Khalilian was released from jail after two witnesses, a a guard and a cab driver cast doubt on a rape allegation, according to his lawyer, Mark NeJame. The Florida attorney's website reports that "Both men said the woman appeared happy and content after spending 70 minutes in the nightclub owner's home. And a text message she sent afterward to Khalilian's cell phone asked him to send her some clothing and thanked him, NeJame said.
Khalilian was required while on bail to wear a GPS tracking device, abstain from drinking alcohol, and stay out of his nightclub between 10 p.m. and 8 a.m., NeJame said.

Whatever the case, it's clear someone does not like Khalilian.

Meanwhile, Paris presses on.

A year after her celebrated DUI problems, the heirress still finds herself near the top of Internet searches and was the star attraction in South Africa recently for the My Coke Fest Rock Festival. Also, her singing album, started with Scott Storch, who Paris met through Khalilian, is still available.

FOX LIES ON PASTOR WRIGHT and BARACK OBAMA

This is the actual sermon that The Rev. Pastor Jeremiah Wright gave regarding the trajedy of September 11th 2001. This sermon is not cut as the other one that was. Listen carefully because what he's explaining is that a White American Ambassador was the person who explained that America was paying the price for its foreign policy.

Clinton Friends Snooping Around Obama Passport Records Illegally

In an election full of surprises and twists, this is the latest one. Senator Barack Obama's passport records were illegally accessed and on three occasions timed during Obama success in the primary season.

There's an alledged connection between the operatives in this case and the Clintons. Since Hillary Clinton is opposing Barack Obama for President, it's logical to look to her and her staff for evidence of wrong-doing. But to peak into private passport records is totally wrong and it seems that's where the U. S. State Department is starting.

The person who is over the U.S. State Department is Maura Harty, a State Department official in charge of the Bureau Of Consular Affairs during the first two breaches of Obama's passport, had served as an ambassador under now former President Bill Clinton.

The obvious question is were former Clinton cronies behind even one of the investigations?

I'm glad I'm not clearing the air!


Zennie

Breaking News: 2 Fired Over Obama Passport File Breach

This unequivocally appears to be a politically motivated move by the grossly incompetent and arrogant Bush administration.

NBC News

Two contract employees of the State Department were fired and a third person was disciplined for accessing passport records of Sen. Barack Obama "without a need to do so," State Department officials confirmed to NBC News.

The three people who had access to Obama's passport records were contract employees of the department's Bureau of Consular Affairs, NBC News has learned. The unauthorized activity concerning Obama's passport information occurred in January.

"A monitoring system was tripped when an employee accessed the records of a high-profile individual,” a department official told NBC News. "When the monitoring system is tripped, we immediately seek an explanation for the records access. If the explanation is not satisfactory, the supervisor is notified."

Explaining why the contractors had access to the files, the official said: "The State Department uses cleared contractors to design, build and maintain our systems and cleared contract employees provide support to government employees and several steps of passport processing including data entry, file searches, customer service and quality control.

"Each time an employee logs on, he or she acknowledges the records are protected by the privacy act and that they are only available on a need-to-know basis," the official added.

Taylor Marsh and MSNBC Misquote Barack Obama

Sometimes there are people who are so busy looking for smoking guns they see ghosts. Taylor Marsh is one of those people. Taylor Marsh is so upset that Hillary Clinton will lose to Barack Obama that she stoops to misquoting Senator Obama.

Barack appeared on a popular radio show called "Angelo Cataldi"

If you see the show's website , it glowingly praises Senator Obama, writing:

Philadelphia's Angelo Cataldi interviewed Barack Obama this morning on Philadelphia's Sports Radio, WIP-AM 610.

Cataldi, a wildly popular sports personality in Philadelphia, did a great interview, which you can listen to here. According to local listener Eric Schmeltzer:

Cataldi and his crew were raving about Obama for two hours after his interview was done. Guys were calling in saying they didn't know who they were going to vote for, until Obama called in, and that cinched it for them. Cataldi was saying he's going to do everything to elect him, and was getting his tux ready for the inaugural ball.

Another Philadelphia talk radio host, Michael Smerconish, who was in the audience for Obama's speech, had nothing but glowing praise for it and its message when he appeared on the the Today Show this morning. Smerconish's praise was notable, because his radio show caters to a right wing audience. Since appearing on the Today Show, Smerconish's listeners apparently have driven him to couch his praise of Obama. But its really too late now, as he's already spoken. It looks like even right wing radio talk show hosts like Obama!

One of the questions posed by Chris Matthews of MSNBC's Hardball was how he was going to get the regular beer drinking guys working day jobs to vote for him.

Obama seems to be doing just fine in this area. It looks like a pretty good move on his part to go on Sports Radio, especially for a guy that has some other moves of his own like this left handed layup.....

But Taylor Marsh can't stand that, so she prints this misquote of what Senator Obama said on the interview:

The point I was making was not that my grandmother harbors any racial animosity. She doesn't. But she is a typical white person who, uh, if she sees somebody on the street that she doesn't know there's a reaction that's been been bred into our experiences that don't go away and that sometimes come out in the wrong way and that's just the nature of race in our society. We have to break through it..."

But that's not exactly what he said. Obama said this:

"The point I was making was not that my grandmother harbors any racial animosity. She doesn't. But she is the typical White person, who uh, if she sees somebody on the street that she doesn't know. You know, There's a reaction that it's been bread into our experiences that don't go away and sometimes come out in the wrong way, and that's just the nature of race in our society we have to break through it. And what makes me optimistic is you see each generation being a little less like that, and that's powerful stuff"

The radio host didn't flinch at that, and gave Obama a glowing review.

Maybe some people aren't ready for straight talk about race. It seems Taylor Marsh is not.

March Madness To Cost $1.7 Billion In Lost Work

This staggering figure will only lend to the current economic turmoil surfacing throughout the United States.

BOSTON (CBS) ― A newly released report estimates that $1.7 billion will be lost in productivity during the two weeks of March Madness.

March Madness is when the NCAA holds its men's college basketball championship tournament, and an estimated 37.3 million workers participate in office pools. The report prepared by global outplacement consultancy Challenger, Gray & Christmas, Inc., says the annual distraction could cost as much as $1.7 billion in wasted work time when the tournament starts on Monday and ends April 7.

Up to 1.5 million workers are expected to watch games online from their desks.

The report is based on the number of people expected to participate in office pools, the amount of money they earn and the amount of work time in March Madness related activities, such as tournament conversation at work and watching live videos of the games during business hours.

Be part of the solution: Patience is a virtue

Obama's Misunderstood speech in Philadelphia wasn't about race, it was about the fundamental Christian virtue of forgiveness. Color-based prejudice shaped the Reverend Jeremiah Wright, and he obviously made some over-the-top statements during some sermons, but the message is much broader than race.

We all make mistakes. Nobody is perfect. But we can learn. It is short-sighted to assume the mistakes are the person, and Obama is using this opportunity not just to showcase his diplomacy in dealing with the delicate, potentially divisive issues of color-oriented prejudice, but also to remind us of the cornerstone of his philosophy: We must forgive. We must distinguish the person from their actions. We must dare to hope that they can learn, and grow, and change for the better.

Though in context Reverend Wright's words are not so outrageous as the soundbites made it seem, Obama was right to point out the errors in Wright's thinking, and statements; he remains righteous in his willingness to nonetheless embrace the man.

Barack Obama Rules YouTube After Historic Speech

On the heels of what many have called one of the greatest speeches in history, Senator and Presidential Candidate Barack Obama's video of the speech has been seen over 4 million times and as of this writing dominates YouTube. Early this morning it was the number one video with just over 2 million views, but also there were different copies of the same video posted on YouTube by different channel owners.

Five of the top ten videos this morning were the Obama speech, and a whooping 15 of the top 20 in the "News and Politics" section of YouTube were all the same speech. As of this writing, Obama still rules the News and Politics section of YouTube with 9 of the top 20 videos and if one counts the Iraq Speech video, 10 of the top 20 on YouTube's News and Politics section were Obama videos.

I've not seen this kind of video view performance by a candidate since Ron Paul and that wasn't one speech, it was a combination of supporter-made videos and appearance videos. This, for Obama, is all for one speech, his presentation called "A More Perfect Union".

Now, one would think that the number of videos of the same Obama speech on YouTube would stop there, but not so. I clicked over to the second page of top-viewed videos in the News and Politics section, and saw that another 11 of the top 20 most-seen videos on the second page of the "News and Politics" section were the Obama "A More Perfect Union" Speech. That means of the top 40 videos as of 11:43 AM, PST on March 20th, 2008, 22 of the top 40 videos in the News and Poltics Section were of the Obama speech.



That's amazing.

It means not only that there's a hunger to see the speech, but to see it repeatedly and for people who did not have a chance to see the orginal telecast to view it for the first time. The speech is drawing so many views that we should start looking at it as a television show unto itself, with a nielsen rating. That rating today, starting from 2 AM to now, would be about a "5" share because I estimate that about 5 million people have seen this on YouTube alone. And that does not count the Barack Obama website or any other video distribution company that has a file of the video in its system. So we could safely say that the speech ranks a "6" overall. Not bad for an online version of a 37 minute speech.

Plus, that does not include the ratings for the actual television version of the speech.

But it also means that Senator Obama's message is out and that it's being warmly received. From this perspective, it must be reported that Senator Obama objective of causing a new level of dialog about race has been achieved and with rousing success.

Mission accomplished?

Be part of the solution: Every journey begins with a single step

Each time a man stands up for an ideal, or acts to improve the lot of others, or strikes out against injustice, he sends forth a tiny ripple of hope... and crossing each other from a million different centers of energy and daring those ripples build a current that can sweep down the mightiest walls of oppression and resistance.

~Robert F. Kennedy

We are at a defining moment in our history. Five years after the start of a dumb war, we're ensnared in a quagmire that's ruining our ability to take care of our own problems, while it generates ill will that drives people into the camps of terrorists who seek to destroy our very way of life. Imagine what we could have done with all the money we've spent in Iraq.

Barack Obama has the plan to get us out. The time is now.

Hillary Clinton's Schedule Shows Events W/ Whoopi Goldberg and David Copperfield

Hillary Clinton's schedule as First Lady was just released today and it's about 11,000 pages of information on daily schedules. What's there? Well, a lot of "private meetings" and blocked out names. I started by looking at the year of the Lewinsky scandal's announcement: 1998.

I see that she had a number of "soft events" for 1998 and buttressing my claim that after the Lewinsky Scandal Hillary Clinton had less contact with actual policy makers and more ceremonial duties as a percentage of the whole, for example, Clinton was entertained by Whoopi Goldberg and David Copperfield on February 8, 1998.

Well, it's no wonder the star of "The View" is so blindly behind Senator Clinton; she thinks's she's going to be invited to tell jokes to her again!

The schedule also notes that David Copperfield escorted the "First Lady" from the audience to the stage. But I have to ask if she went backstage with Coppperfield, as so many other women have done. In fact, this is the perfect pattern of Copperfield: taking women from the audience and up to the stage and then. Well, then. Well, do you think Copperfield hit on Hillary Clinton?

Nah!

There's more here, but the initial read is that Hillary Clinton had no obvious high level meetings or gatherings that would indicate great foreign policy experience beyond the health care focus of her first few months and certainly not after the Monica Lewinsky Scandal.

Stephanie Agresta Shows Boobs at BlogHaus at SXSW By Scobble

Stephanie Agresta at BlogHaus at SXSW, originally uploaded by Robert Scoble.

Wow, now here's a picture you would not expect to see from a "tech" event, but it's here. Stephanie Agresta, whom I met last year, was at SXSW (South By Southwest) in Austin, when blogger Robert Scobble took this photo.

But Stephanie's more than this. She's a New York-based Internet Marketing Consultant with a great track record and solid clients.

Here's one of Stephanie's videos made at SXSW:

Francisco Da Costa Gets The Outster From Chris Daly in SF

Who is this guy? Well he's not the greatest person. He's a local San Franciscan who I give space to here because he's also pissed off a lot of people, but not in the same way as Mike Cherico.

In his opposition to a local development project, Francisco Da Costa managed to hurl racial insults at just about everyone. Check out what Heather Knight at the SF Chronicle reported:

Activist quits Prop. F coalition over controversial writings

Heather Knight - SF Chronicle, March 19, 2008

A heated debate over two June ballot measures that would dramatically reshape San Francisco's Bayview-Hunters Point has taken an ugly turn over one proponent's Internet postings, which people on both sides of the campaign are calling racist, sexist and anti-Semitic.

Francisco Da Costa, a City Hall gadfly and environmental activist, has long posted his controversial thoughts on Bayview-Hunters Point and City Hall politics on various Web sites. But apparently nobody took much notice of his rants until he became a signed proponent of Proposition F. That measure would mandate that half of the new homes built under redevelopment plans for the Hunters Point shipyard and Candlestick Point be affordable.

Proposition G, the competing measure, is backed by Lennar Corp., the construction company that wants voter approval to remake the area. It has pledged that 25 percent of new homes will be affordable and calls the 50 percent mandate a "poison pill" that would kill the project.

Da Costa blasted the many high-priced political consultants and media men hired by Lennar for being "Jews that make so much money off poor people in the Bayview and want to make more."

He also wrote, "History sure will repeat itself but this time it will be reminiscent of a time when Crystals fell from the ceilings and there was a hue and cry." Many have read this as a reference to Kristallnacht, the night in 1938 Germany that saw the destruction of Jewish neighborhoods.

Da Costa also blasts African American supporters of Prop. G, alluding to them being slaves to Lennar by writing they can "partake in the bread crumbs - the same old way the Plantation was run - Masta, Masta, Masta."

When Da Costa's writings surfaced in recent weeks, they were promptly condemned by several political clubs including the powerful Democratic County Central Committee. The committee last week also voted to endorse Lennar's Prop. G and oppose Prop. F.

Scott Wiener, chair of the committee, said the group voted on the merits of the measures, but noted the Prop. F campaign's embracing of Da Costa even though his style was well-known at City Hall and raised eyebrows.

"It's one thing if you associate with someone and then out of the blue they say something offensive," Wiener said. "It's quite another thing if you have someone with a track record of acting in a really inappropriate and bizarre way, and then you consciously choose to make that person your main proponent."

Supervisor Chris Daly, Prop. F's most prominent backer, said he has heard Da Costa speak at multiple Board of Supervisors meetings and that his public testimony can be "uncomfortable." But Daly said he only became aware of Da Costa's writings on Thursday. The next day Daly said he asked Da Costa to step aside as a proponent of the campaign, which he agreed to do.

"We had a problem within the coalition and we dealt with it," Daly said. "It would be great if we could discuss the merits of the measures and vote them up or down based on the merits."

Da Costa told The Chronicle that he "never, ever" meant for the crystals comment to be taken as anti-Semitic, but he doesn't regret the other remarks. He said they reflect his anger at the city's most powerful people doing nothing to help children and the elderly in Bayview-Hunters Point.

"It's not politically correct but it's frustration," he said. "I say it as I feel it."

According to Giannina Miranda with the city's Department of Elections, San Franciscans will receive voter information handbooks before the June election - with Da Costa's name as a proponent of Prop. F even though he has asked for it to be removed.

"The proponents cannot remove their name right now," she said. "It's past the deadline."

Mike Cherico - Glamour Blogger Pissed Off "JE" Englebert and A Lot Of People

Ok.So I get a press release on some guy named Mike Cherico and wonder what the hell's going on with a dude I've never even heard of? This is what I was sent:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

MARCH 19TH 2008
NEW YORK, NEW YORK

GLAMOUR BLOGGER HAS MORE SCAMS

Glamour Magazine execs weren't the only ones duped by newly unemployed dating blogger Mike Cherico. Nightlife Kingpin and Co owner of Manhattan hot spots Suzie Wong’s and Prime, "JE" Englebert also had run-ins with the former famous blogger.

Cherico was using Glamour's name and trading his blog articles for personal hook-ups.

One such instance occurred last Halloween, when he allegedly offered Englebert a spot in his blog, only in exchange for tickets to the Playboy Mansion’s hottest party of the year. Three days before the big bash in L.A. Cherico reportedly bragged about the party on his blog and initiated his own demise by asking women what to wear to such an event like the mansion's annual Halloween party.

Cherico never made it to the Halloween bash and it wasn’t long before Cherico showed up in New York demanding bottle service at one of JE’s nightclubs.

Now, what’s next for JE?, as he approaches his next big Playboy Mansion party on April 19th

To me, the guy was fired. Big deal? Why the effort to continue to throw mud at him? What's the deal?

So I do a little Internet picking around with the links I'm given by this media guy via email, but it's not enough for me. So I look beyond them.

Well, Mike Cherico is a 32-year old now former sex blogger who wrote for Glamour Magazine, had a blog called "Man Needs Date" and apparently dated a lot of women who did not get pleasure from the experience, or let's just say he didn't give them a proper orgasm.

Seriously.

But, Ok. What else?

Well the problem is that he's pissed off the wrong people, like "JE" Englebert. Mike Cherico was with a well-known magazine and used his status to get what he wanted and did, but never gave in return and he angered a lot of women he dated and wrote about them. And in some cases he did this with (new) media people, that's the error.

If it's true you never mess with a person who buys their Internet ink by the barrel, then it's more true that you never refuse to give an orgasm to a person who has a blog or works for a magazine. By dating a female blogger called "Miss Smarty Shoes", then acusing her of having herpes and then hitting on another woman in front of her , then writing about it on his blog, that pretty much sealed the deal for Mike's ouster at Glamour, as she shot back at him, and all of this was picked up by thje blog, Jezebel, and the rest is history.

When someone makes a blog with the title "Men Who Annoy Us: Don't Date This Man" you know you've got massive problems. Mike needs a PR fix, fast!

Stay tuned. I can't believe Mike's not speaking out about this, if only to keep whatever fame he's got going a bit longer.

9-11 Commission Report "Agrees" With Pastor Wright On 9-11

Senator Barack Obama gave a speech that was historic and timely in talking about the need to talk about race in America. This speech, or the need for it, was created by mainstream non-Black America's first-time exposure to the firery oratory of a minister in a Black Church.

Retired Pastor Jeremiah Wright's sermons, portions of which were captured on video and seen by many, were described as upsetting and disagreeable. And it seems that talk show after talk show has someone Black agreeing with the overall idea that everything -- everything -- Pastor Wright said was wrong.

This is what drew my attention and caused me to look at, first, what Pastor Wright was recorded as saying and, second, an event that Pastor Wright talked about: September 11th 2001.

Now, before I continue I will report that I will never forget any aspect of "9-11" or where I was on that day. It started for me, waking up on my couch after having gone to sleep watching television. It was on Channel 2, KTVU TV, Oakland, and the first sight on the screen was the fire that broke out in One World Trade Center. I thought the building was just on fire, but as you may remember if you were around then, it was evident that the building had been struck by a plane, and then we watched as another aircraft ran right into the second tower.

It was a moment which caused me to reach for the phone and call everyone I knew from here to New York City. And on top of all of that, I didn't know if we were a target in some way. Remember the Pentagon was hit as well. And all of this was on television unfolding before us.

I was scared and so were a lot of people who didn't go to work that day in Oakland. People who gathered at establishments like Arazmendi, the place known for its thin-crust pizza and yummy pastries -- a great start in the morning turned into an all day hangout to talk about what was going on, and so it was this for the rest of that week.

I'll never forget that.

But one question I had was "Why?" What did we -- America -- do? And given that it seemed to me like a crime rather than an act of war (where we could not blame a country) I wondered who we would get -- what person could we jail? Who could we blame? That was the first time I heard of Osama Bin Ladin. It would not be the last time.

A few years later, the 9-11 Commission released the findings of its extensive review of how 9-11 came to be and what we could do to make sure it did not happen again. There are parts of the commission's report that's telling regarding what we did -- or more to the point, what we did not do.

What it all boils down to is that America did not take Radical Islam seriously and moreover, America has not even heard of Radical Islam. Meanwhile the socio-economic foundation that created 9-11 was being formed. The 9-11 Commission report states:

In the 1970s and early 1980s, an unprecedented flood of wealth led the then largely unmodernized oil states to attempt to shortcut decades of development. They funded huge infrastructure projects, vastly expanded education, and created subsidized social welfare programs. These programs established a widespread feeling of entitlement without a corresponding sense of social obligations. By the late 1980s, diminishing oil revenues, the economic drain from many unprofitable development projects, and population growth made these entitlement programs unsustainable. The resulting cutbacks created enormous resentment among recipients who had come to see government largesse as their right. This resentment was further stoked by public understanding of how much oil income had gone straight into the pockets of the rulers, their friends, and their helpers....

By the 1990s, high birthrates and declining rates of infant mortality had produced a common problem throughout the Muslim world: a large, steadily increasing population of young men without any reasonable expectation of suitable or steady employment-a sure prescription for social turbulence. Many of these young men, such as the enormous number trained only in religious schools, lacked the skills needed by their societies. Far more acquired valuable skills but lived in stagnant economies that could not generate satisfying jobs.

Millions, pursuing secular as well as religious studies, were products of educational systems that generally devoted little if any attention to the rest of the world's thought, history, and culture. The secular education reflected a strong cultural preference for technical fields over the humanities and social sciences. Many of these young men, even if able to study abroad, lacked the perspective and skills needed to understand a different culture.

Frustrated in their search for a decent living, unable to benefit from an education often obtained at the cost of great family sacrifice, and blocked from starting families of their own, some of these young men were easy targets for radicalization.


A Jihad is a holy war, and in Bin Ladin, who was the product of the dynamics described above, Radical Islam had its holy warrior. Bin Ladin was a hero in the triumph of Afganitan over the Soviet Union in 1988. The 9-11 Commission reports:

April 1988 brought victory for the Afghan jihad. Moscow declared it would pull its military forces out of Afghanistan within the next nine months. As the Soviets began their withdrawal, the jihad's leaders debated what to do next.

Bin Ladin and Azzam agreed that the organization successfully created for Afghanistan should not be allowed to dissolve. They established what they called a base or foundation (al Qaeda) as a potential general headquarters for future jihad.

And Bin Ladin got no help from the U.S. in the Afghad jihad. Late, he would target the United States, first for sending troups into Somalia:

After U.S. troops deployed to Somalia in late 1992, al Qaeda leaders formulated a fatwa demanding their eviction. In December, bombs exploded at two hotels in Aden where U.S. troops routinely stopped en route to Somalia, killing two, but no Americans. The perpetrators are reported to have belonged to a group from southern Yemen headed by a Yemeni member of Bin Ladin's Islamic Army Shura; some in the group had trained at an al Qaeda camp in Sudan.44

When Pastor Wright said "The Chickens were coming home to roost," it's these developments that he was referring to. What Pastor Wright is recorded as saying is, according to ABC News:

Rev. Jeremiah Wright, former pastor of Sen. Barack Obama's church, Chicago's Trinity United Church of Christ, "said the U.S. had brought on the [9-11 terrorist] attacks with its own terrorism." ..."We bombed Hiroshima, we bombed Nagasaki, and we nuked far more than the thousands in New York and the Pentagon, and we never batted an eye. We have supported state terrorism against the Palestinians and the black South Africans, and now we are indignant. Because the stuff we have done overseas has now been brought back into our own front yard. America's chickens are coming home to roost."

Unfortunately, there is nothing in the 9-11 Commission Report to refute those statements. With respect to the complex laticework of events that formed the disaster that is September 11, 2001, Pastor Wright is painfully correct.

What is increasingly clear to me is that America does not know about itself and what it has done. We entered Somalia with what both the Bush and Clinton Administration believed were good intentions or at least they were presented that way to the American public -- to disarm to allow the delivery of food after the ouster of the dictator Siad Barre, whom the U.S. gave aide to during his tenure -- and watched as our collective lack of understanding of the cultural landscape and the warring factions led to what PBS called "An Ambush". An Ambush led by Osama Bin Ladin. An Ambush that served as preview of what was to come later: September 11, 2001.

The U.S Government may have told the public the aim of the troup visit was to disarm, but to Somalis it seemed more like an occupation.

Osman Ato, a wealthy Somali businessman and supporter of American troup involvement, told the New York Times:

"Otherwise, you can be assured any wrong move will worsen the situation," said Mr. Ato, who has financed General Aidid and led the warlord's forces in some clan battles in Somalia this year. "We expect the Americans to behave as a friendly force, not as an occupation force."

But even before the American troup occupation, it was clear America had a history in Somalia and not a good one. This is what Former U.S Ambassador to Somalia Robert Oakley said in 1995 about Ato and the U.S. in Somalia:

"He's very shrewd," said Robert Oakley, a former United States Ambassador to Somalia and its special envoy during the United Nations mission there. "Obviously he knows how to make deals and how to work with the Americans. He understands what makes sense to us.

"Not that he's our man," he (Oakley) said. "Politically, he can't afford to be too close to the Americans. He's one of the people keenly aware of how much damage we did to Somalia. "

The "damage we did to Somalia" is described in detail by Alex de Waal in his document called "U.S. War Crimes in Somalia". What did we do in Somalia? According to De Waal, the "humanitarian" intentions were a cover for occupation of Somalia by the United States under the "emerging doctrine of ‘humanitarian intervention’ " by the United States. And in that effort, it's also clear, according to Waal, that American soldiers were not respectful of Somalis, and that's putting it mildly:

Waal reports...

When the Marines landed on Mogadishu beach on 9 December 1992, hopes were high that they would solve the problems of Somalia. But not only had they disappointed on that front—particularly on the issue of disarming the militiamen—but the behaviour of a large number of the troops was deplorable. Many countries had sent hardened paratroopers and other combat troops on a mission in which police training and civil engineering skills were needed. In many cases the operations quickly degenerated into routine brutality against Somali civilians.

Waal also presents the July 12, 1993 U.S attack on Somali Civilians and a death toll estimated at between 60 to 500 people, and which so upset the people there, that an angry crowd turned on, then killed, four journalists.

Waal's account of the U.S. in Somalia in 1993, and the 9-11 Commission Report are must read documents by all Americans. The one figure that's ties both together is Osama Bin Ladin.

Pastor Wright is correct: the Chickens that were hatched in Somalia did come home to roost. As a Black American, I'm used to foreign policy being discussed in the church. That this is shocking to some Americans makes me wonder just how much they know about their own United States.

If the "common American" doesn't know American Culture and is not aware of or interested in what the United States actually does around the World, then that person can be easily manipulated by powerful political forces, some of the same that caused the errors in Somalia in 1993 that eventually created the foundation for 9-11 in 2001.

Pastor Wright is right.

Respect our veterans, let them VOTE!

Today marks the fifth anniversary of the start of the War in Iraq. More Americans have now died in Iraq that were killed by the terrorist attacks on the 11th of September, 2001. Countless more have been injured, both physically and psychologically, yet the Veterans Administration continues to dis-serve those who they are chartered expressly to aid. They don't even want to help Veterans register to vote. Something is very wrong.

The VA, as a federal agency, has the discretion under the National Voter Registration Act of 1993, (the so-called Motor Voter Law) to determine if it would serve as a voter registration agency, according to election law experts. The NVRA mandated that state agencies from motor vehicle departments to welfare offices offer people the chance to register to vote, while federal agencies such as the VA can opt to register voters. Why does the VA continue to function as an impediment to our veterans on issues from disability payments to voter registration?

"Keeping faith with those who serve must always be a core American value and a cornerstone of American patriotism. Because America's commitment to its servicemen and women begins at enlistment, and it must never end."

— Barack Obama,
Speech in Kansas City, MO,
August 21, 2007

There are currently more than 400,000 claims pending with the Veterans Benefits Administration. You would be staggered to learn the error rates in processing these claims. The Walter Reed fiasco showed that we don't always provide returning service members, coming home with record levels of combat stress, the services they've earned, and until Senator Barack Obama stepped in we were expecting them to pay for their own meals as in-patients.

Barack Obama believes America has a sacred trust with our veterans. He is committed to creating a 21st Century Department of Veterans' Affairs that provides the care and benefits our nation�s veterans deserve. He is explicitly intent on mental health treatment for troops and veterans suffering from combat-related psychological injuries.

From the benefits bureaucracy to the refusal to provide transition services and help homeless veterans with such basic rights as access to psychological treatment and registration to vote, the Veterans Administration is in a shambles. The time for change is now.

A March 6th letter from Senators Feinstein and Kerry to James B. Peake, Secretary of Veterans Affairs, stated, "Nearly one year ago, your predecessor, Secretary Nicholson, was questioned about the lack of access to nonpartisan voter registration services for our nation's veterans. A response to this inquiry was never received."

The letter also noted that "despite this lack of response, we now understand that the VA has engaged in litigation against voter registration efforts by third-party groups in VA facilities. In light of the Federal Circuit Court of Appeals decision that voter registration groups are not allowed to register veterans, we strongly urge you to focus on what the VA can do to ensure all veterans have access to registration."

This is unacceptable. The time for change at the VA is now. We need a new sense of urgency. Barack Obama has a record of acting to help veterans as a member of the Veterans' Affairs committee, he understands TBIs and PTSD, and he has a plan ready to go.

Respect, courtesy, and support are not too much to expect. Join Veterans for Obama.

Source: After trade to Raiders, Hall to get seven-year, $70 million deal

ESPN.com news services


Atlanta Falcons cornerback DeAngelo Hall says he will finalize a contract with Oakland by Thursday morning, allowing the trade sending him to the Raiders to be completed.

A source told ESPN's Chris Mortensen that the deal is for seven years and worth $70 million. The amount of guaranteed money and bonuses in the contract have not been finalized.

The source also told Mortensen the teams are discussing possibly more compensation than just a second-round pick for the Raiders to acquire Hall, a two-time All-Pro.

If the deal goes through as planned, the Falcons will have three second-round draft picks and four of the first 48 selections under first-year general manager Thomas Dimitroff.

Hall said he is scheduled to fly to Oakland on Wednesday to meet with Raiders officials, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

"There is just some tweaking of the language that needs to be done, some minor details," Hall told the newspaper. "No deal breakers."

Hall, a former first-rounder taken with the eighth pick in the 2004 draft, would be paired with Nnamdi Asomugha, giving Oakland one of the top cornerback tandems in the game.

The move would also provide insurance if Asomugha were to leave as a free agent following next season. The Raiders placed the exclusive franchise tag on Asomugha, guaranteeing him at least $9.465 million in 2008. They still would like to sign him to a long-term deal.

If the deal goes through, the Raiders would have only one draft pick in the first three rounds. Oakland picks fourth in the opening round and traded its third-round pick last year to New England for a pick used to draft offensive lineman Mario Henderson.