Tuesday, May 30, 2006

Seattle Seahawks QB Gibran Hamdan Named NFL Europe Offensive Player Of The Year

NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE

WWW.NFLMedia.com

Joe Browne, Executive Vice President-Communications
Greg Aiello, Vice President-Public Relations

SEAHAWKS QB HAMDAN NAMED NFL EUROPE LEAGUE OFFENSIVE MVP; PANTHERS DT BROWN & FRANCE’S GARDENT SHARE DEFENSIVE HONORS
SEATTLE PLACES NFL-BEST FIVE PLAYERS ON ALL-LEAGUE TEAM;
GREEN BAY, HOUSTON & MINNESOTA EACH PLACE TWO AS WORLD BOWL XIV KICKS OFF SATURDAY

The NFL Europe League announced its annual awards today at World Bowl Media Day at the LTU Arena in DÏ‹sseldorf, Germany.

Quarterback GIBRAN HAMDAN (Seattle Seahawks) of the Amsterdam Admirals was named the NFL Europe League Offensive Most Valuable Player while Admirals defensive tackle TONY BROWN (Carolina Panthers) and French linebacker PHILIPPE GARDENT of the Cologne Centurions were named the Co-Defensive MVPs. Frankfurt Galaxy head coach MIKE JONES was named Coach of the Year.

Hamdan led the Admirals to a 6-1 record before suffering a season-ending injury. The Indiana product led the league in completion percentage (63.0 percent), passing yards (1,629) and touchdowns (12) while posting the highest passer rating in NFL Europe League history (113.4).

Brown helped anchor the Amsterdam defense, registering 40 tackles, 4.0 sacks, one fumble recovery, an interception and five passes defensed. The former Memphis standout also blocked two field goals.

France’s Gardent led the league with 70 tackles for the Centurions and is the first national, or non-American, player to win an MVP award in NFL Europe history.

The league also announced its all-NFL Europe League team. Seattle placed an NFL-high five players on the squad, while Green Bay, Houston and Minnesota each had two. Among the six NFL Europe teams, World Bowl participants Amsterdam (8) and Frankfurt (5) led the way.

Included among the All-NFL Europe League team selections that will play in World Bowl XIV are Frankfurt running back ROGER ROBINSON (Arizona), Amsterdam wide receivers SKYLER FULTON (Seattle) and CHAD LUCAS (Green Bay), and Frankfurt defensive standouts BRANDON HAW (Seattle) and JEROME NICHOLS (Green Bay).

Robinson, allocated by the Arizona Cardinals, set the league’s single-season rushing record with 1,087 yards (MIKE GREEN, 1,057; Barcelona 2001) as the Galaxy had the top-ranked offense and rushing offense.

Seattle wide receiver Fulton led the league with 53 catches and 992 yards, the third best single-season total in NFL Europe history. Amsterdam teammate Lucas, allocated by Green Bay, topped the league with eight touchdown receptions, including an Europe League-record four in one game (April 8 at Berlin).

Safety Haw and defensive tackle Nichols were key components of Frankfurt’s top-ranked defense. Seattle’s Haw led NFL Europe with five interceptions while Green Bay’s Nichols had a league-best 7.0 sacks.

Yello Strom World Bowl XIV between the Admirals and Galaxy will be played this Saturday, May 27. The NFL Network will broadcast the game in the United Stats at 12:00 PM ET with CURT MENEFEE and BRIAN BALDINGER calling the action.

In Video, CNN's Lou Dobbs Uses White Supremacist Group As News Source For Immigration Story

In an earlier post, I asked if CNN's Lou Dobbs was racist. Well, this new information is really making me think the saying "where there's smoke there's fire" is very true. Here's the smoke.

Surely CNN's Lou Dobbs knew what he and his staff were doing. A news segment not only features the use of a map that was obtained from a white supremacist organization called The Council of Concerned Citizens , but that organization featured the Lou Dobbs story on its website (scroll down the front page to see the map.)

More disturbing is the segment seems entirely based on information developed by The Council of Concerned Citizens. So Lou Dobbs seems to be practicing a form of racist activism that hides as television journalism.

Here's the video:



The CNN Lou Dobbs segment has the name of the source -- The Council of Concerned Citizens -- right on it. Now, how do I know it's a white supremacist group? Well, they say so on their site. To see the long-winded viewpoint, cick here or read this crap from the page:

A Statement of the Principles

of the

Council of Conservative Citizens


The American men and women who make up the Council of Conservative Citizens (CofCC) believe in, commit themselves to, and pledge to work for and support these fundamental principles of American civilization, liberty, justice, and national safety:

(1) We believe the United States is a Christian country.

We believe that the United States of America is a Christian country, that its people are a Christian people, and that its government and public leaders at all levels must reflect Christian beliefs and values.

We therefore oppose all efforts to deny or weaken the Christian heritage of the United States, including the unconstitutional prohibitions of prayers and other religious expression in schools and other public institutions.

(2) We believe the United States is a European country and that Americans are part of the European people.

We believe that the United States derives from and is an integral part of European civilization and the European people and that the American people and government should remain European in their composition and character.

We therefore oppose the massive immigration of non-European and non-Western peoples into the United States that threatens to transform our nation into a non-European majority in our lifetime.

We believe that illegal immigration must be stopped, if necessary by military force and placing troops on our national borders; that illegal aliens must be returned to their own countries; and that legal immigration must be severely restricted or halted through appropriate changes in our laws and policies.

We also oppose all efforts to mix the races of mankind, to promote non-white races over the European-American people through so-called "affirmative action" and similar measures, to destroy or denigrate the European-American heritage, including the heritage of the Southern people, and to force the integration of the races.

(3) The United States is a sovereign and independent nation.

We believe the United States is a sovereign and independent nation, that our independence as a nation is the most precious legacy of our Founding Fathers, and that all treaties, agreements, conventions, international organizations, and institutions must recognize and respect our national sovereignty and independence.

We therefore oppose the so-called "New World Order" and its attempts to abolish national sovereignty and independence and to construct a one-world state in which America would vanish and Americans would be enslaved.

We call for the U.S. government to withdraw from membership in the United Nations, the World Court, the International Monetary Fund, NAFTA, and the World Trade Organization.

We oppose any attempt to place American military personnel under foreign command. We oppose any effort to place Americans, military or civilian, on trial before, or subject them to legal punishments by, international courts or organizations.

We oppose, and we support official U.S. renunciation of, any treaty, agreement, or convention that seeks to dictate law to the United States or any state, that violates national sovereignty, or denies or violates the constitutional rights of Americans.

(4) The United States is a constitutional republic.

We believe the United States is a constitutional republic, governed by law and by the original intent of the United States Constitution and of the men who framed it. We believe the Constitution can be changed only by the proper procedure of amendment or constitutional convention and not by court decision, popular majority, political whim, or legislative fiat.

We therefore oppose the "imperial judiciary" in the U.S. Supreme Court and the federal courts that has usurped more and more power to itself in the last century and has imposed on our country the most odious and harmful rulings.

We reject the legitimacy and constitutionality of the rulings handed down by the imperial judiciary; we support the appointment of judges and justices who are qualified to interpret the Constitution and the laws and are committed to their proper interpretation; and we support the impeachment of judges and justices who usurp or claim powers not granted them by the Constitution.

We also oppose the "imperial bureaucracy" that imposes unconstitutional administrative decrees in such fields as business, agriculture, labor, and education that tyrannically interfere with personal liberty and dignity, private property, the sanctity of the family, and ethical conduct.

We support the abolition of those government agencies at the federal, state, and local levels that have no constitutional foundation, including the U.S. Departments of Education, Housing and Urban Development, Energy, Health and Human Services, and similar agencies.

We support the separation of powers that is a fundamental principle of the U.S. Constitution and of basic human liberty. We support the restoration of the constitutionally proper balance among the three branches of the federal government and the reduction of their powers, size, personnel, and costs to the limits intended by the Constitution.

(5) We believe in States' Rights, the Right to Keep and Bear Arms, and the Bill of Rights.

We believe in states' rights, as guaranteed by the Ninth and Tenth Amendments to the Constitution; in the individual right to keep and bear arms, as guaranteed by the Second Amendment to the Constitution; and in all the rights and liberties guaranteed by the body of the Constitution and the Bill of Rights.

We therefore oppose all efforts by the federal government to dictate to the states and local governments and communities, and we oppose federal efforts to engineer or impose behavior and beliefs on citizens and communities. We oppose "gun control" in all forms and demand that all such legislation and policies be repealed.

We also oppose all such legislation as so-called "hate crime" or "bias crime" laws. Such laws merely penalize thought and expression rather than genuinely criminal action and are a dangerous and frightening step toward government Thought Control. Similarly, we oppose all so-called "politically correct" speech codes and "sensitivity training" in schools, colleges, universities, and businesses that punish free expression, restrict thought and study, intimidate dissent, and generally demean and diminish human communications and community.

We also oppose, as stated, all efforts to deny Americans their rights of religious expression and worship as guaranteed in the First Amendment, as well as efforts to deny rights of assembly and association.

(6) The traditional family is the basic unit of human society.

We believe in the traditional family as the basic unit of human society and morality, and we oppose all efforts by the state and other powers to weaken the structure of the American family through toleration of sexual licentiousness, homosexuality and other perversions, mixture of the races, pornography in all forms, and subversion of the authority of parents.

(7) Private property and free enterprise are the foundations of our economy.

We believe in private property and free enterprise as the foundations of our economic life and the basis of American wealth. We oppose efforts by the state to regulate, plan, manage, control, or nationalize private property in any form. We oppose the ruinous taxation that government has imposed on working Americans and we call for real tax reform that will allow working men and women to retain what they have earned. We support the repeal of the estate tax. We affirm that the best economic decision-maker is the individual acting in what he believes is his own best interest.

We believe that tax policies and other economic legislation and policies should reflect the importance of small businessmen, the family farm, and other independent, locally and privately owned and operated enterprises.

While we accept the need for some public welfare, health care, unemployment, and old age assistance, we believe in such programs only as a last resort for those who truly need them.

We believe tax laws should encourage private charity rather than public support for the poor, the disabled, and the sick and elderly who are unable to care for themselves. We support welfare programs that seek to return recipients of welfare to productive work as soon as possible. We oppose all welfare for immigrants, whether legal or illegal.

(8) Cultural, national, and racial integrity.

We support the cultural and national heritage of the United States and the race and civilization of which it is a part, as well as the expression and celebration of the legitimate subcultures and ethnic and regional identities of our people. We oppose all efforts to discredit, "debunk," denigrate, ridicule, subvert, or express disrespect for that heritage. We believe public monuments and symbols should reflect the real heritage of our people, and not a politically convenient, inaccurate, insulting, or fictitious heritage.

(9) A Strong National Defense.

We believe in the strongest possible defense for the United States. We oppose the presence of homosexuals and women in the military services and especially of women in combat roles.

(10) America First Foreign Policy.

We believe that in the aftermath of the U.S. victory over Soviet Communism, the United States has little need to retain the political and military commitments to allies made during the Cold War. While we wish these allies well, we believe we cannot continue to support their defense budgets, guarantee their security, fight their wars, or finance their governments and economies through foreign aid. We therefore call for a comprehensive review of all U.S. diplomatic commitments and U.S. withdrawal from those alliances and commitments that no longer serve our national interests or that threaten to entangle us in unnecessary foreign wars, conflicts, and quarrels.

We therefore oppose continued membership in NATO and similar outdated Cold War alliances; we oppose sending American troops on U.N. peace-keeping missions or into similar unconstitutionally undeclared wars under the names of "police actions." We oppose sending American military personnel into wars and conflicts that do not concern our national security and interests. We oppose ever sending American military men into combat without the intention to achieve victory. We oppose using American prisoners of war as diplomatic "bargaining chips" under any circumstances, and we oppose abandoning American POWs to merciless enemies after the cessation of conflict to suit the political interests of office-holders. We oppose all foreign aid and call for its termination.

We support the investigation of lobbying groups that represent the interests of foreign states or foreign powers and the enactment of legislation that will outlaw lobbying Congress or the executive branch on behalf of foreign states.

(11) America First Trade Policy.

We believe that just as our nation has legitimate international political and military interests, so it also has a legitimate international economic interest. We believe our trade policy should reflect our national economic interest and that the protection of our economy, including the jobs of our workers, our farms, and our manufacturing industries, is a vitally necessary duty of our national government.

(12) Traditional Education under Local Control.

We believe that education is primarily the concern of parents and families and local communities and therefore we oppose federal aid to education and federal efforts to control or direct education. We believe that education should inform and build the mind and character, not brainwash children with political propaganda or "liberate" them from the traditional values and loyalties their families have taught them.

We therefore oppose all "sex education" as well as so-called "multiculturalist" and "Afrocentric" curricula, "Outcome-Based Education," and similar radical indoctrination in the schools. We oppose all efforts to inflate grades, adulterate or "dumb down" tests and examinations, and introduce irrelevant and wasteful courses for the purpose of advancing some backward students over others more talented or more productive. We believe the schools, public, private, and parochial, should teach students to be proud of being Americans and proud of their national and local identities, and that they should instill in them the values of Western, Christian, and American civilization.

We support the authority of teachers and school administrators to discipline students, including the authority to expel them from school if students will not abide by the rules and laws of the community.

We support the right of parents to send their children to private schools or to educate their children at home if they so desire, without government intrusion or control. We support the right of private schools to select their own students, faculty, curricula, standards, and methods of administration.

(13) Strong and Just Law Enforcement.

We believe in the moral and legal responsibility of the individual and therefore that good behavior should be rewarded and bad behavior should be punished. We believe the most effective and most just response to crime is swift, certain, and morally appropriate punishment. We believe in capital punishment for the crimes of murder, rape, treason, and espionage. We oppose the substitution of the pseudo-sciences of psychiatry, sociology, and "rehabilitation" for real justice.

We believe law enforcement should be mainly a function of local and state government, and we therefore oppose all efforts to establish a national police force or to nationalize law enforcement; we oppose similar efforts to create a global or international police force and to "globalize" law enforcement. We oppose the extradition of law-abiding American citizens to trials before foreign courts under laws to which they have never assented. We oppose all international criminal tribunals and all efforts to diminish national sovereignty through the internationalization of criminal law. We support the termination of all international trials for "war crimes" and "genocide."

While we support and deeply respect all law enforcement officers, we also insist that law enforcement at all levels operate within the law, that law enforcement respect the rights of all citizens, and that spying on and harassment of loyal and law-abiding citizens by law enforcement agencies, by the military services, or by intelligence services at any level of government should be strictly forbidden and severely punished.

(14) Protection of the Environment and Natural Heritage.

We believe that the natural environment and resources of a nation are among its most precious, valuable, and irreplaceable treasures. We believe in the protection of the environment from reckless greed as well as from irresponsible government. We support the protection of truly endangered species of wildlife and areas of natural beauty.

The Rolling Stones - The Rain Fell Down - A Great Video

Of all of the videos, this is the clearest one by far. It's "The Rain Fell Down" and it's a pretty interesting, if racy, number. I like the guitar play here, as well as the urban colors and dense feel of the production. I've also included the lyrics below the video.



Rain Fell Down Lyrics from http://www.sing365.com
It was a filthy block of flats
Trash was on the floor
The stink was in my nose
Hinges off the doors

She took me in her room
All was spick and span
Fixed me up a drink
Turned down all the lamps

And the rain fell down
On the cold hard ground
And the phone kept ringing
And me made sweet love

Why do we live in this strange grey town?
They build it up and let it all fall down
Feel like we're living in a battleground
Everybody's jazzed

Why do we live in this strange grey town?
The paint is peeling and the sky's turned brown
The bankers are wankers and every Thursday night
they just vomit on the ground

And the rain fell down
On the cold grey town
And the phone kept ringing
And we made sweet love
And we made sweet love

Everybody's dreaming
Everybody's scheming

Watching the rain fall down

She cooked me up some eggs
Then she made some tea
Kissed me on the cheek
Then I turned on her tv

It was all the usual crap
All the usual sleeze
For 10,000 quid
Some bimbo spilled the beans

And the rain fell down
On the cold grey town
And the phone kept ringing
And we made sweet love
And we made sweet love

Rolling Stones - Paint It Black Video - 1966

The Rolling Stones are captured in this black and white video singing their now iconic hit "Paint it Black." Here's the video, folloed by the lyrics:



I see a red door and I want it painted black No colors anymore I want them to turn black I see the girls walk by dressed in their summer clothes. I have to turn my head until my darkness goes

I see a line of cars and they're all painted black. With flowers and my love, both never to come back
I see people turn their heads and quickly look away. Like a newborn baby it just happens ev'ryday

I look inside myself and see my heart is black. I see my red door and it has been painted black
Maybe then I'll fade away and not have to face the facts. It's not easy facing up when your whole world is black

No more will my green sea go turn a deeper blue. I could not forsee this thing happening to you
If I look hard enough into the setting sun. My love will laugh with me before the morning comes

I see a red door and I want it painted black. No colors anymore I want them to turn black
I see the girls walk by dressed in their summer clothes. I have to turn my head until my darkness goes

Hmm, hmm, hmm...

I wanna see it painted black, painted black. Black as night, black as coal. I wanna see the sun, blotted out from the sky
I wanna see it painted, painted, painted, painted black. Yeah

Monday, May 29, 2006

"Net Neutrality" Lining Up As Battle Between Old Economy (AT&T, etc,) and New (Google, Microsoft, etc.)

The matter of the maintenance of "Net Neutriality" is growing to massive proportions in the online world. On May 26th, the US house passed legislation that should keep the flow of online information unfettered by price gouging.

The basic objective is to make sure that the free flow of data remains just that -- free. There's legislation presented and backed by a set of large, old economy telecommunications firms, and led by AT&T, such that faster connection speeds would require payment of a fee. It's believed that this cost is large enough to essentially divide the Internet into "haves and have nots" and hamper the ability of small web-based companies (like mine) to grow. Indeed, the simple application of a charge of any size splits the Internet into two economies. It's for that reason -- to start -- that any user fee proposal should be rejected.

Look, we're not talking about an Internet tax; this is a way for the Old Economy companies to make money. The AT&T's of the world are upset that the small firms like Vonage and Skype are able to undercut their business by offering free long distance service using your computer and their phone lines (!) through the Internet, thus reducing the need for the services offered Old Economy firms.

The Old Economy firms are threatened by the continuation of a process that started almost 20 years ago: the constant and inexorable decrease in market value that they have suffered since the mid-80s. A chain of events started when the Federal Government forced the then-powerful AT&T to share its cable lines with other long distance providers. Ever since that point, the "Baby Bells" have been trying to slow the rate of decrease in market share and in any way.

Now, the only proof I have of this is rather powerful. In 1988 I was to be hired as part of a consulting team led by The San Francisco Consulting Group. I was to constuct a System Dynamics model of the US long distance telephone industry. That team was to determine how the market for long distance service was changing and how the client -- GTE -- should respond to this change. In other words, how they should achieve "a soft landing" as their market share decreased. The schematic I created for the model was formed to have a pattern of numerical behavior such that each long distance company was losing market share as new players arrived on the scene.

That was before the emergence of the Internet, which didn't become a major factor in how we communicate until 1995. But after that year, the number of Internet-equipped computers increased dramatically, as did the number of Internet-based services and companies. In 10 years, we've went from dial up to DSL to Broadband, and the one constant in this process has been the use of phone lines used by companies like AT&T.

Ever hungry for new forms of revenue generation, the firms that provide Broadband service -- and standard telephone service -- saw a way to cut off competition from the "Vonages" of the World: force them to pay for faster Internet speeds.

In this, they found the perfect driver to increase revenues and at the same time hamper the growth of the Global Economy. It's easier now than even before in our history for a small business to have a global reach using the World Wide Web. The cost barrier to entry for many is close to zero if one knows how to find the free services needed.

But from the perspective of thee AT&T's of the World, their revenue gain would be unescapable; absent a way of hacking the system, billions of users would have to pay them for faster access, thus introducing a new barrier to entry for small companies in the Global market.

As I think about it, such a move isn't even good for the AT&T's of the World.

Why?

Hackers and Viruses.

The incorporation of such a fee -- an economic tax -- would invite the anger of geeks everywhere. And when geeks get angry, they don't pick fights, they change systems. AT&T would be the target of every geek hacker in the World. Eventually -- I believe -- there would be a set of gates or holes that would eventually hamper the collection of fees for faster access. But I give this process ten years to unfold and another five to render the fee system useless. Meanwhile, the World's economy would stuffer from the delayed birth of the next Vonage, Google, or Sports Business Simulations.

Thank god Congress made the right step toward net netrality.

"Oilers Rap" - An Example of The Worldwide Spread Of Afro-American Culture

This fan was captured on camera "freestyling" -- coming up with rap lyrics on que without notes -- after an Edmonton Oliers NHL Hockey playoff game. His girlfriend provides the "beat box."

Now, if I told you this happened, you might assume the people were black and American. You'd be wrong.

You might think they were wearing "hip hop" clothing. Wrong again. (They're well dressed.)

Marketers should take note of this video, because it's a shining example not just of the Worldwide spread of African American culture, but of how the music tastes of young people have changed. Think about it. The guy rapping in this video probably practices this daily. It's not bad.

Here's the video I call "Oilers Rap."

Saturday, May 27, 2006

The Rolling Stones - Gimme Shelter - A Classic Song

If you want to feel the cultural impact of the Rolling Stones, just play the video below and give a listen to "Gimme Shelter". You'll come away saying "I know I've listened to that tune tons of times -- in movies, grocery stores, and bars...wow." It's another song from the greatest rock band in the World.

Here's the video:

The Rolling Stones - Under My Thumb

It's amazing to think this single song is as old as me, and it still rocks. The Rolling Stones are a band that comes along perhaps once in a millenium. Artists who bring people together regardless of age, race , or sex. They're still playing "Under My Thumb" -- live.

Check out this black and white video for a blast to the past. For more on the Rolling Stones, see Wikipedia with a click here.

Sarah McLachlan - Building A Mystery - Almost 10 Years Later, It Still Endures

I'm not an expert on the analysis of music, but it's amazing that Sarah McLachlan's "Building a Mystery" has lasted so long beyond its 1997 introduction. I even found an interesting technical analysis of the song.

Whatever the reason it is -- to me -- a haunting song about a woman talking about the reasons she both loves and lothes her male lover. Still, it can be quickly turned around to apply to a male thinking of a female lover. I remember playing this song over and over again while driving from Oakland to Pasadena in 1998, and to see a woman I cared about very much, but seemed a little bit distant emotionally. So, at least the song seems to apply in my life -- but that's not the subject here.

I think this video helps to communicate her song by simply playing her song.

Here's "Building a Mystery"

Friday, May 26, 2006

Anna Kournikova Ranked 21st On Lycos50 - Tennis Player Still Popular After Inactivity - Video

As of today, Anna Kournikova, the popular and sexy tennis player is still a popular lookup on the Internet, and she's not even playing tennis. As of today, she ranks 21st on the Lycos50 -- a website that tracks what people search for online. Paris Hilton's still number one, but she does things to keep herself in the public eye. Anna hasn't done anything.

One view of Anna I find real and interesting is this Adidas commercial, which I learned was banned, but I don't know why. Check it out:

Reggie Bush, Matt Leinart, and New Stadiums Give Saints and Cardinals Fans Hope - NFLMedia.com

But the jury's still out for the Cardinals, who were the favorite of many last year, before they actually played a regular season game.

WWW.NFLMedia.com
Joe Browne, Executive Vice President-Communications
Greg Aiello, Vice President-Public Relations

NFC NEWS 'N' NOTES
FOR USE AS DESIRED
FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION,
NFC-N-2 5/18/06
CONTACT: MICHAEL SIGNORA (212/450-2076)

HOPES HIGH FOR SAINTS & CARDINALS
AS FANS CAN'T WAIT FOR 2006 KICKOFF

The calendar may read May, but it's football season year-round for legions of passionate NFL fans from coast to coast.
And on the heels of an NFL Draft that was watched by a record number of TV viewers, among those most excited for Kickoff 2006 Weekend are fans in America's Gulf Coast region and Arizona. Bring on the season!

After a year of unprecedented challenges, the New Orleans Saints welcome a youthful, energetic new head coach in 42-year old former Dallas Cowboys assistant head coach SEAN PAYTON.

"I hope that in some small way the effort of this team will represent the city and region well and show the country that New Orleans is back and a team to be reckoned with in the NFC South," says Payton.

Sharing that enthusiasm is the club's new quarterback DREW BREES, one of the most sought-after free agents in the league who elected to bring his talent to New Orleans, where he continues his rehabilitation from a shoulder injury.

"I feel great right now and I'm way ahead of schedule," says Brees of his rehabilitation. "I've been throwing for almost five weeks and I'm looking forward to being 100 percent by training camp. I'm just so excited to be a part of this team and this community. New Orleans and the region are very alive, and you have a lot of great citizens who are very committed to rebuilding the city and are excited about Saints football."

That excitement reached a crescendo on draft day on April 29 when the Saints used the No. 2 overall selection on Heisman Trophy-winning running back REGGIE BUSH of USC, one of the most dynamic players in college football history. Bush joins a backfield that includes a two-time All-Star in former Mississippi standout DEUCE MC ALLISTER.

"Everybody is excited," McAllister says. "The highlights of what Reggie has done at USC show that he can really add a dimension to our offense. We have two different games and I think we'll create mismatches for teams defending us."
Adds Bush, "It's a blessing to be here. I think I can do a lot not only for the organization, but the city itself. I can't wait to get started."
That start before the hometown fans will come on Monday, September 25 in a restored Louisiana Superdome against the NFC South rival Atlanta Falcons. The Saints have already broken their season-ticket record with 54,969 sold.

The theme of excitement is echoed approximately 1,300 miles to the west of Louisiana in the Valley of the Sun, where fans of the Arizona Cardinals are thrilled by the prospects ahead for the team. And much like in New Orleans, that excitement was stoked by the signing of a prized free agent – and cemented with a draft class loaded with potential.

"The Cardinals were the right situation for me," says running back EDGERRIN JAMES, who joined the club this spring after seven record-setting seasons with the Indianapolis Colts, sparking a ticket-buying frenzy that helped the Cardinals sell out their season ticket allotment for the season. "The sooner we get going, the better."

The team will "get going" in the brand-new Cardinals Stadium this season. The state-of-the art facility, which will open in August and host Super Bowl XLII on February 3, 2008, has received global media attention for its innovative design which features the first fully retractable grass surface in North America.

Adding to the high hopes for 2006 was a draft class that includes a pair of USC Trojans in quarterback MATT LEINART and guard DEUCE LUTUI.

"We are really gaining new fans every day," says Cardinals head coach DENNIS GREEN. "We have sold out season tickets and we will have a packed stadium. It's going to be a terrific atmosphere and we are all looking forward to it."

Reggie Bush Pays To Wear Jersey #25 - Darren Rovell, ESPN

I'm not sure Reggie Bush's marketing guy Mike Orenstein is ready to work with the number 25. I gave him the answer; for Bush to have #25 and do a "5 to 25" campaign. I guess he didn't see it!

Bush to wear No. 25 this coming season
By Darren Rovell
ESPN.com

Reggie Bush will get to wear No. 5 after all. There will just be a "2" in front of it.

Bush's marketing agent, Mike Ornstein, told ESPN.com on Thursday that his client will wear No. 25 next season for the New Orleans Saints.

Bush will get the number from Saints running back Fred McAfee. Ornstein said that rather than directly pay McAfee a fee for the use of the number, Bush will give half the money he had earmarked for charity to McAfee to use for the charity of his choice. Bush has pledged to donate 25 percent of his jersey sales royalties to Hurricane Katrina-related causes.

"We all went and dug into our pockets, and the city is as devastated today as the day it happened," Ornstein said. "And now, everyone has gone on to the next disaster."

To get No. 5, which he wore in high school and college, Bush needed the NFL Competition Committee to change the league's numbering rules. Currently, running backs are allowed only to wear numbers between 20 and 49. Earlier this week, the committee decided not to change the rules.

"Hopefully, they will change the rules next year so that Reggie can go back to wearing his old number," Ornstein said.

The delay of the decision might have hurt sales of Bush jerseys in the weeks since he was chosen second overall in the NFL draft. Eddie White, a vice president at Reebok, which makes the league's jerseys, said Bush's jersey had ranked first in preorders but is now in second place behind Vince Young's No. 10 for the Tennessee Titans. Young, who wore No. 10 at the University of Texas, has had that number with the Titans since draft day.

"It was a bunch of baloney that not having the No. 5 would hurt his sales," White said. "He could have worn any number, as long as we could have sold it that [draft day] Sunday, like we did for Vince Young and A.J. Hawk and Matt Leinart. But because he didn't have anything, he's behind Vince."

Darren Rovell, who covers sports business for ESPN.com, can be reached at Darren.rovell@espn3.com.