Arizona Cardinals Get Naming Rights Deal - Univ. of Phoenix Stadium Announced

Cardinals Sell Stadium Naming-Rights For $154M Over 20 Years

The NFL Cardinals yesterday formally announced that the Univ. of Phoenix will pay an average of $7.7M per year for 20 years for naming rights to the team’s stadium. The school also gains signage and a variety of advertising, marketing and merchandising opportunities. The deal marks the first time an NFL venue has been named after an educational institution (Cardinals). In Phoenix, Scott Wong reports the deal also “grants the university opportunities for in-stadium and community promotions; television and radio advertising during game broadcasts and pre- and post-game shows; and access to the facility for special events” (ARIZONA REPUBLIC, 9/27).

Terrell Owens Suicide Attempt - Where's Felicia Terrell Owens?

FLASH! Click for the latest news on Terrell and Felicia!

The story of Terrell Owens is one of not just a talented, but outspoken wide receiver, but of a case example of bad sports journalism in an era that's rampant with it. The Dallas Cowboys wide receiver is commonly the focus of stories on what he said or what someone said about him, but far less frequently do we hear about his love life.

It's almost assumed that because he's a successful athlete, he has a good one. There are stories about him with Ford Agency Model Felicia Terrell Owens, and reports that he's going to marry her. But who is she? Do they live together? Are they happy? The assumption -- by the lack of coverage -- is they must be.

But that's not necessarily true. I know this for a fact.

My cousin is the late running back Fred Lane, Jr. Fred played for both the Carolina Panthers and the Indianpolis Colts. During the growth of his career in the NFL, his parent, my uncle and aunt Fred and Mary, warned him about picking the right woman because many would be after his money. They were particularly concerned about his choice of woman to first date and then eventually marry. That woman's name is Diedra Lane.

As it turned out, Diedra shot and killed Fred Jr. in an attempt to get his insurance money that failed. And just a year later she was arrested for attempting to rob a bank.

No one has written anything of substance about Terrell's girlfriend and supposedly his future wife, who's pictured here, other than she's a model. How did they meet? How did he propose to her? Where was she when he was taking these pills? Why was his publicist -- Kim Etheridge -- the woman making the call to police and not Felicia? Is Felicia the cause of his depression? You know that other sportswriters will focus on the idea that Terrell was expressive to hide depression. I don't buy that. Someone should find and talk to Felicia and find out what's going on.



At a time where it seems everyone wants to know something about anyone, it's really weird that when it comes to the black male athete, little is written about their love life. Think about it. Guys like Terrell Owens and Donovan McNabb are in the media eye, but for some strange reason never the focus of articles on who they're married to or dating. I have to turn to a hip-hop website to learn that Ravens Linebacker Ray Lewis was dating pop-star TLC's "Chilli" Thomas.

This lack of love life coverage is not true for Arizona Cardinals Running Back Matt Leinart, for example. The press follows his love life all too often. This is also true for A.J. Hawk, the rookie linebacker for the Green Bay Packers, who just married Brady Quinn's sister.

Why?

Ok, in retrospect, we don't read about athlete's love lives as much in general. Look in deep in Terrell's depression, and I'll bet Felicia pops up somewhere, and that's too bad. It's always said that behind every great man, there's a woman. Terrell's reportedly best woman -- he said this to ESPN -- was his late grandmother. Who's there now?

Fire Tom Walsh - Former Raider WR Tim Brown Says "It Was A Horrible Offense" When He Played In It

This is what Tim Brown said in the Contra Costa Times about the Raiders offense under Offensive Coordinator Tom Walsh:

"You just can't run that offense in the NFL anymore," Brown said. "They're calling timeouts, spending most of their timeouts before 10 minutes is up in the second quarter. They're getting delay penalties, getting to the line of scrimmage late, because those plays are 20 words long.

"I know that it was a horrible offense way back when. We just had to make plays and make things happen way back when. Being that the 40-second clock has come into play, and a lot of other rules have come into play since he was (last) in the league, I knew that would be a tough adjustment for him. Even zone blitzes and things of that nature. That makes that offense very tough. It was very one-dimensional, trying to audible was very difficult."

Superdome - Green Day and U2 In Video

Green Day -- from the SF Bay Area -- and U2 played to a great crowd to kickoff the return of the New Orleans Saints to the Superdome to play the Atlanta Falcons.

Michael Vick Passing In The Pocket; Throws To Michael Jenkins - Video

For those who remark that Atlanta Falcons QB Michael Vick can't sit in the passing pocket, read the defense, and throw a completion, here's video proof he can. This against the Panthers two weeks ago.

Superdome - Saints Block Falcons Punt For First Touchdown Of The Game

This is the play that started the tidalwave of celebration. Even watching this on TV I could feel the crowd going totally nuts. The blocked punt came because the Saints used an uncommon middle rush stunt, which was such that it created a hole that the eventual blocker ran through.

Watch and listen:

Reggie Bush Gives To Devery Henderson; Saints Double Reverse Scores v. Falcons In Superdome - Video

This play sent the Superdome crowd into a sky-high frenzy. They were already jazzed up after the blocked punt.

What's interesting about this particular play is that the first ball carrier -- Reggie Bush -- lines up as a split end. Note there's no tight end on that side, but because the Falcons don't play their weak side linebacker up on the line of scrimage, Bush can come in to get the hand-off without fear of being downed for a loss.