Thursday, November 09, 2006

San Francisco 49ers Tell SF Mayor Gavin Newsom They Plan To Move - SF Chronicle

The real question is how does this impact San Francisco's Olympics Bid?

49ers tell San Francisco mayor they plan to move
By JOSH DUBOW, AP Sports Writer
Wednesday, November 8, 2006

(11-08) 22:30 PST San Francisco (AP) --

The San Francisco 49ers ended negotiations with the city about building a new stadium and plan to move to either Santa Clara or somewhere else in California, The Associated Press learned Wednesday night.

Owner John York notified Mayor Gavin Newsom of the team's decision earlier Wednesday, a city official close to the negotiations told The AP on condition of anonymity because no announcement had been made.

Team spokesman Aaron Salkin declined to comment Wednesday night. Phone messages left on the office and cell phone of Lisa Lang, the 49ers vice president for communications, were not immediately returned.

The sides had been talking over the last few months about building a privately financed stadium at Candlestick Point that was going to be part of the city's bid for the 2016 summer Olympics.

The team's current lease at Candlestick runs through the 2008 season and the team holds three five-year options that could extend it through 2023.

The current stadium at Candlestick is one of the most run-down in the league, leading the team's desire to seek a new stadium with revenue-generation suites and luxury boxes. The plan to build a stadium also included public housing, retail and office space.

The city was not going to contribute any money to the stadium but was willing to possibly help with some of the infrastructure costs.

The 49ers headquarters are currently based in Santa Clara, located about 30 miles south of San Francisco.

Los Angeles and Anaheim also are seeking an NFL team. The mayors of the two cities met last month with new commissioner Roger Goodell to offer their competing plans to lure a team back to southern California.

Los Angeles city leaders want to build a new stadium within the walls of the historic Memorial Coliseum, featuring 200 luxury boxes and 15,000 club seats at a cost of $800 million.

Goodell also met with Anaheim Mayor Curt Pringle about his city's plans to sell the NFL 53 acres at the below-market price of $50 million to build a new stadium adjacent to Angel Stadium.

The Los Angeles area hasn't had an NFL team since after the 1994 season when the Raiders returned to Oakland and the Anaheim-based Rams moved to St. Louis.

The Problem With The Raiders Passing Game - A Note To Raiders Fans

A fan called Hawaiian Raider at Raiderfans.net wrote this post below that I had to respond to. He seems to think there's nothing reallly wrong with the Raiders Offense. He doesn't really know what to look for. Read on...


Hawaiian Raider: So what? [B]Execution[/B] has nothing to do with it? What? Fire Whisenhunt - last season's SB Champ OC and the next greatest coming of a coach in here? Why not? His offense isn't [I]executing[/I] either.

And it's the thing about the whole matter concerning our offense - [I]execution[/I]. A perfectly timed screen-pass that has the Pitt D off guard, is thrown a little bit behind by Andrew and then dropped by Lamont. Walsh's fault?

Gallery and Lamont [I]both[/I] can't block Merriman so, Walsh's fault?

Grove, first with Aaron, and then Andrew can't execute a center-to-QB exchange 3 times in one game and it's Walsh's fault?

Sims get's holding called on him nearly twice in a row that kills moderate to long gainers and it's Walsh's fault?

And the broadcast of the 'Zona game displays a graphic in which Randy Moss had 3 drops in the game, and right on cue Randy drops his fourth - and it's Walsh's fault?

And if you watch the game, we use the same base formation that all teams run that have a single-back: called "1" or "A" in high-school, referred to as "Ace" or "Single-Back" in most systems in the pros, with X(WR), Y(TE), Z(Slot-R) and another TE - with the QB and HB (RB). From this base set, Walsh's offense has [I]shifted[/I] into everything from 3 wide to 3 TEs. His offense has shifted into split-backs, line-up in power Is', ran end-arounds, reverses and [I]thrown off of them[/I]. And despite the perception, there's been 3-step and 5-step drops too - not only 7-step drops.

And there's a little mis-information in terms of the "pass to Slaughter". It was immediately addressed: he was only out in a pattern to clear-out, which he did effectively as he had Joey Porter hanging all over him. He wasn't the primary receiver. So, it's Walsh's fault that Andrew threw to him? Chad Slaughter able to draw Joey Porter on him in the end zone is brilliant! Throwing the ball to him wasn't. Not Walsh's fault.

Otherwise, there is room for improvement, specifically, using a "shotgun" in obvious passing situations instead of having a clumsy-footed Andrew dropping back 7-steps. And maybe, if it's second-n-goal from the 1, you go with another pound up the gut and see what happens before you send Chad out in a pattern.



Me I've got to take this on. Please don't be mezmorized by formations. The problem with the Raiders Offense rests in two areas: 1) blocking style, and 2) a lack of timed passes in the offense. The way the Raiders play under Shell / Walsh (since Art defends Walsh) is such that 1) prevents 2) and causes the sack problems we see.

Art has consistently said that he wants the offensive linemen to [I]block until the quaterback finds an open receiver. [/I] Think about it. It's a philosophy that goes back to the time Art Shell was the Raiders OT. They had a drill where they would block and block until the whistle was blown -- sometimes for 10 seconds.

But when Art played the defensive lineman was a different breed -- generally smaller than the offensive lineman they faced. Then the Dallas Cowboys drafted and played offensive linemen who were over 300 pounds and ushered in the era of smash-mouth football.

That development forced general managers to draft bigger defensive linemen who were equally as strong as their offensive counterparts. And in some cases, offensive linemen in college were converted to defensive line in the NFL as projects.

After this wave of evolution we now have this development over the last 10 years: massive rashes of QB injuries, the installation of the Bill Walsh Offense as the standard system with it's timed passes, or just the use of timed passes. The current New England Patriots are a 3 and 5 step passing team with timing.

Now, were in a time where Art's old way doesn't work. The way he remembers -- holding blocks forever -- also produced a lot of holding calls and sacks. I remember a 1977 game against the Denver Broncos where Ken Stabler was sacked five times and threw four interceptions.

The Raiders offense has the steps -- but not the timing. The QB JUST takes steps, but the steps are seldom consistent and not monitored by the coaches and it's obvious in watching them. The Raiders don't run the patterns that other teams do that GO with three and five step passes.

For example, the Texas Passing combination (has nothing to do with UT) where in a formation with a tight end (TE) and a running back behind the offensive tackle nect to the TE, the tight end runs an "Up" pattern, and the running back runs a pattern that starts out with a run to the flat, but then turns back up and then into the short middle of the field, calls for a five steps, but three big steps, and two small, then one hitch step, then throw -- if the defensive linebacker has cleared the middle for the running back.

When playing a Tampa Two coverage, this is what happens. The middle linebacker goes to the deep middle, which is why the Texas concept was created -- by Mike Holmgren when he was with the 49ers. The Raiders have nothing like that.

But also pay attention to the fact that the Raiders don't pay attention to the details of the steps. To them, it's ok as long as we have the steps.

Wrong.

The Raiders should make sure that the QB in a three step drop pass has the ball for not longer than 1.3 - 1.5 seconds. For a five step drop, 3 seconds. That's it.

IF the Raiders do this, their offensive linemen will not give up as many sacks as they have.

But there's more.

Offensive design.

The Raiders have never used a formation to force the defense to show their coverage. What formation does this best? The five wide receiver set.

Now before you go on a rant about the Raiders line, let me explain that would be wrong. Football is a time / motion study. If we have five wide receivers the defense has to commit five of 11 people to cover them. That leaves six people. You should have a free safety, so now we're down to five people. I'll take that.

I'll call three step passes, sprint outs, and roll outs. I'll bring my running back in motion and give the back the ball as the back is coming behind the quarterback. It's called the "Jet" run.

This is something the Raiders don't have. They need to change how they think about the passing game if they are to expect to win.

Wednesday, November 08, 2006

Raiders Tyler Brayton Fight - Video Of Knee To Groin Of Seahawk's TE Jerramy Stevens

Accordiing to ESPN, Oakland Raiders defensive lineman Tyler Brayton will be fined, but not suspended for his knee to the groin of Seattle Seahawk's TE Jerramy Stevens. Here's the video of what happened.

Monday, November 06, 2006

Raiders Coach Art Shell Willing To Stick With Tom Walsh - And Fall With Him Too



Well, Art Shell really stuck his foot in it. In the article that appears below, he says "I like Tom Walsh." But that's not the way a team wins. Later in the article, Raiders Owner Al Davis says that Tom Walsh "Is a bright guy. You'll see that in time."

Wait.

It only takes a few moments of time for any level of intellectual greatness to emerge in any field of endeavor, and that includes football. What are the Raiders going to do, wait until they have the personel to win with whatever Tom Walsh does? That's silly and will never happen.

It's appearent that the only way Tom Walsh knows what he's doing is because Al Davis and Art Shell don't know what they're doing, and they hired the guy.

Look, your offensive scheme either works, or it doesn't work. There's nothing in between. Thus we see a textbook example of failure. Making a terrible decision based on blind loyalty and sticking with it because of -- yep -- blind loyalty. There's nothing in Tom Walsh's "system" to suggest greatness or innovation. There's not a single NFL coach or GM that's willing to stick their neck out and say the Raiders Offensive system is the best in the NFL.

And the numbers prove it's not. If this keeps up, Bill Walsh will ask Tom Walsh to stop using his last name.

So watching the Raiders Offense is going to be a form of torture for a while. As long as this management-by-friendship continues, Shell will ultimately produce a losing team and avoid giving young black offensive minds any chance to show that they really do know what they're doing.

And I'm not talking about running bed-and-breakfast homes.


_____________________________________________________________________

Shell stands by his coach
Raiders' Walsh is still upbeat
David White, Chronicle Staff Writer
Monday, November 6, 2006

Offensive coordinator Tom Walsh is in charge when the Raiders have the ball. Off the practice field, you can usually find him smiling and strolling, but it can't possibly be connected to production levels.

Going into Sunday, his overall offense -- or the Al Davis offense, if the boss still wants his name attached to this -- is ranked 32nd in a 32-team league, making it just as bad in the NFL as the team's passing offense.

The Raiders are last in yards per play.

And, rushing yards per carry.

Also, passing yards per net play.

Don't forget interceptions per throw, or giveaways all together.

Or, sacks per pass play.

First downs per game, too.

Plus, for those into scoreboards, the Raiders have produced the fewest offensive points in the NFL.

So, why does Walsh look like the happiest man in Alameda this 2-5 season?

Maybe because his immediate supervisor is thrilled with him.

"Yes, I am," Raiders coach Art Shell said.

Never mind that you have a tough time getting a starter to praise Walsh beyond calling him cool or a nice guy.

Forget that Warren Sapp, the unafraid team leader, half-joked about Walsh "flipping pancakes" the last time a pass to an offensive tackle scored, making Sapp the umpteenth person to drop a bed-and-breakfast reference on the pride of Swan Valley, Idaho, where Walsh ran a B&B during a lengthy break from football.

Lay aside the dumbfounded employees within the hierarchy, one of whom described the Raiders' offense as "an absolute embarrassment" under Walsh. The daily e-mail bag produces ALL-CAPS requests for Walsh to be the NFL's fourth offensive coordinator canned this season.

Walsh can't defend himself. Shell hasn't allowed media access since Walsh sat down with reporters during training camp to discuss Sega games, Ronald Reagan and chicken Marsala.

So, Shell does the standing up for him.

"I like Tom Walsh," Shell said, tersely enunciating every syllable. "Tom Walsh has been with me for a long time. I like what he does. Everybody criticizes the guy, but the guy is a very smart guy. The guy knows exactly what he's doing."

But, Walsh's offense has not scored a touchdown in four out of seven games. Wind and sideways rain tonight in Seattle might make matters even more difficult for his charges.

"There's a whole lot of so-called geniuses in this league, too, and they're not doing as well as a lot of other people think they should," Shell said. "Tom Walsh can coach. I trust him."

That last sentence explains everything.

Walsh and Shell go way back, and Shell is ever the loyalist.

Walsh was Shell's play-caller during his first run as Raiders head coach, all the way up to the day Shell was fired after the 1994 season. They were co-assistants from 1983-89.

Shell decided long ago that if ever got another head coaching job, Walsh would be his right-hand man. Shell made good when the Raiders re-hired him in February, even though Walsh had been out of the NFL for 12 years, serving as mayor in small-town Idaho and running that B&B.

Nothing is going to change Shell's mind at midseason, and Davis is the only person with overriding power. For now, Davis is backing Shell.

"Tom Walsh is tremendously bright," Davis said in August during his most recent interview. "You will find that out over time."

It's taking time, no doubt.

Walsh has worked with second-year quarterback Andrew Walter since Aaron Brooks went down with a bruised pectoral muscle in Week 2.

He didn't have wide receiver Jerry Porter at his disposal until last week, and lost another key receiver, Doug Gabriel, in a late-August trade to New England, where the player has 22 catches for 302 yards and three touchdowns.

The offensive line hasn't pass-protected, running back LaMont Jordan is off the 1,000-yard pace and star attraction Randy Moss is suddenly dropping balls.

So, it's not as if Walsh is dealing with overachievers, but still.

Walsh calls the plays. There's no truth to rumors that tight ends coach John Shoop -- the former Chicago Bears offensive coordinator -- has assumed some play-calling duties, a team source said.

If results don't change soon, it's only a matter of time before players stop speaking in subtle code for "This reeks."

"At times, we're just banging our head against the wall," Walter said. "We need to shake it up, I believe. It's been frustrating and certainly we need to get better.

"I'm a player. I try to play. Certainly, coaches can answer that better than myself, but I know we need to do something different."

Time To Praise Indianapolis Colts' Head Coach Tony Dungy



Almost every week -- in fact of late every week -- we hear or read about how great New England Patriots Coach Bill Belichick is or how many rings he has. Last week, all we listened to was how Belichick was going to come out with a mad-scientist-level game plan for the Colts game. Or if it's not Bill Belichick, it's Dallas Cowboys Head Coach Bill Parcells. Yes, I know both have a combined total of five Super Bowl rings, but there's one coach who has the second highest winning percentage of all NFL head coaches from 1999 to 2005 according to NFL.com, and has won a remarkable 30 of his last 33 regular-season games. This coach just beat Bill Belichick for the second consecutive year.

Indianapolis Colts' Head Coach Tony Dungy.

No, Tony doens't have the rings, and he's not flashy or given to the loud shout or the quick quip, or even the use of weird hair gel. But what Tony has is a steady temperment and the kind of focus, determination, and managerial accumen that has few peers.

Managerial acumen? Yeah.

Think about it. Tony stays in the background of his team's glorious stars like Peyton Manning, Marvin Harrison, Bob Sanders, Dwight Freeney, and many others. He has a group of talented assistants like Offensive Coordinator Tom Moore and Defensive Coordinator Ron Meeks. They all do their jobs well and gain praise -- especially Manning, who may be the best quarterback of the 21st Century. But at the end of the game, they all turn to Dungy. As Manning said after the Denver Broncos game, Dungy is a calming force while your in the middle of a game. Reminding you of what to do in certain situations.



Like the late Dallas Cowboys Head Coach Tom Landry, Dungy calls on his faith in God for guidance and calm. It certainly helped him last year with the passing of his son James. And it was during that most trying of times that America saw just how much this "All-Pro Dad" was loved by everyone in the NFL and in sports.

Dungy is also an incredible role model, especially for African American young men. It's a true and rare event to see the national TV cameras pointed at a black male leader of a team headed for a remarkable record. But it's a welcome and much needed image, and one that Dungy's fully aware of. But with that, Dungy does not seek the spotlight. He's not on every talk show. He's not trying to upstage his star quarterback. He's not a fixture on the NFL Network -- except when the Colts win.

What everyone is seeing this year is just how good Dungy is at leading and managing his on-the-field organization. And now, as we begin talking about the Colts driving toward perfection, it's time to praise Tony Dungy.

Indianapolis Colts' Perfect - Beat New England Patriots 27-20 - Indy Star

Prime-time punchout

By Phil Richards
phil.richards@indystar.com

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- Peyton Manning piled up the big numbers but the Indianapolis Colts' much-maligned defense made a bunch of the big plays Sunday as it contributed five takeaways to the Colts' 27-20 victory over the New England Patriots at rowdy, chilly Gillette Stadium.

It's only midseason, but the Colts' 30th victory in their past 33 regular-season games pushed them to 8-0 and gave them what amounts to a three-game lead on the Patriots (6-2) in the chase for the AFC's No. 1 playoff seed, because of the head-to-head tiebreaker. The Colts are at least two games ahead of everyone else in the conference and remained three up on Jacksonville (5-3) in the AFC South.

It was the Colts' second consecutive victory at New England after a run of nine losses in succession here.

Manning completed 20-of-36 passes for 326 yards and two touchdowns to become only the second Colts quarterback to throw for 300 yards in three consecutive games. John Unitas did it in 1963.

"You have to win as a team," Manning told an NBC reporter after the game. "You can't win playing as an individual against these guys."

The Colts embodied team. On a night when they were outrushed 148 yards to 53, the defense kept taking the football away.
Defensive tackle Raheem Brock forced and recovered a fumble. Safety Antoine Bethea intercepted one pass in the Colts end zone. Safety Bob Sanders stole another at the Colts 3-yard line.

The second of linebacker Cato June's pair of interceptions came on a pass that deflected off Patriots running back Kevin Faulk and put the game away. It came with 1:18 to play with New England driving and at the Colts 39.

"They were around the ball," Patriots quarterback Tom Brady said. "They've got good aggressiveness on defense. They got their hands on it. They didn't drop any."

Adam Vinatieri, who played the first 10 years of his career for New England before signing with the Colts as a free agent in March, had a forgettable homecoming night. He converted 23- and 31-yard field goals but missed from 37 and 46. He was booed throughout by the sellout crowd of 68,756.

Colts wide receiver Marvin Harrison caught eight passes for 145 yards and two touchdowns. It was his seventh 100-yard game against the Patriots, two more than he has against any other NFL team.

Harrison's most spectacular catch was for the third-quarter game-winner, the touchdown that gave the Colts a 24-14 lead. He beat cornerback Eric Hobbs into the end zone. Harrison stretched with his left hand, tipped Manning's pass, then gathered it in and got both feet down before he fell out of bounds.

It was touch, artistry, ballet. And it came against one of the NFL's top defenses.

New England hadn't permitted a touchdown in its past two games and was the only team in the league that hadn't allowed an opponent to score more than 17 points in a game all season.

"The thing I like about our team is we're finding different ways to win," Colts coach Tony Dungy said. "We're still not playing our best."

Manning came into the game on a roll. In victories over Washington and Denver, he had thrown for 342 yards and four touchdowns and 345 yards and three touchdowns, respectively.

After missing his first two passes Sunday, he hit his next nine for 140 yards and two touchdowns as the Colts took a 14-7 lead.

"We had them in a chase position most of the night," Manning said. "That was part of the plan and it worked out well for us."

Sunday, November 05, 2006

Tickets for Pats / Colts Game Still Available!



Tonights game pitting the New England Patriots and the Indianapolis Colts is coming, yet tickets are still available.
You can get tickets for this classic matchup at the New England Patriots Tickets Exchange with a click here.

Saturday, November 04, 2006

Chris Simms - Tampa Bay QB On Injured Reserve - Out For Season - ESPN

Bucs quarterback Simms lands on season-ending IR
Associated Press

TAMPA, Fla. -- Tampa Bay quarterback Chris Simms was placed on injured reserve Friday, and the Buccaneers activated third-year backup Luke McCown from the physically-unable-to-perform list.

Simms has been sidelined since having his spleen removed after taking several hard hits during a loss to Carolina on Sept. 24. He was hopeful of playing again this season until doctors told him last week that the earliest he might be able to return would be late December.

McCown partially tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee during a workout in June. He was placed on PUP during training camp and had to sit out at least the first six weeks of the season.

The Bucs obtained the 25-year-old from Cleveland in a draft-day trade in 2005. As a rookie with the Browns two years ago, he made four starts and completed 49 percent of his passes for 608 yards, four touchdowns and seven interceptions.

McCown began last season as the third-stringer behind Brian Griese and Simms. He moved up to No. 2 when Griese suffered a season-ending knee injury and Simms took over the starting job and led Tampa Bay to its first playoff berth in three years.

With Simms out for the season, rookie Bruce Gradkowski is the starter. Tim Rattay is the other backup.

Copyright 2006 by The Associated Press

NFL INJURY REPORT FOR WEEK NINE - NFLMEDIA.COM

NFL Injury Report For Week 9 From NFLMedia.com

FOR USE AS DESIRED
NFL-PER-9B 11/3/06
WEEK 9 INJURY REPORT --_FRIDAY
Following is a list of quarterback injuries for Week 9 Games (November 5, 6):
Kansas City Chiefs Out Trent Green (Head)
Seattle Seahawks Out Matt Hasselbeck (Knee)
Tampa Bay Buccaneers Out Chris Simms (Splenectomy)
Miami Dolphins Doubtful Daunte Culpepper (Knee)
Oakland Raiders Doubtful Aaron Brooks (Right Shoulder)
Jacksonville Jaguars Questionable Byron Leftwich (Ankle)
Cincinnati Bengals Probable Anthony Wright (Appendix)
New England Patriots Probable Matt Cassel (Right Shoulder)
New England Patriots Probable Tom Brady (Right Shoulder)
Washington Redskins Probable Mark Brunell (Ribs)
Following is a list of injured players for Week 9 Games:
MIAMI DOLPHINS AT CHICAGO BEARS
Miami Dolphins
DOUBTFUL QB Daunte Culpepper (Knee)
QUESTIONABLE LB Channing Crowder (Foot); CB Travis Daniels (Knee); LB
Derrick Pope (Hamstring); G Jeno James (Knee)
Listed players who did not participate in ''team'' practice:
(Defined as missing any portion of 11-on-11 team work)
WED Daunte Culpepper
THURS Daunte Culpepper
FRI Daunte Culpepper
Chicago Bears
QUESTIONABLE CB Devin Hester (Hamstring)
PROBABLE DT Tank Johnson (Shoulder)
Listed players who did not participate in ''team'' practice:
(Defined as missing any portion of 11-on-11 team work)
WED All Players Practiced
THURS All Players Practiced
FRI Devin Hester
KANSAS CITY CHIEFS AT ST. LOUIS RAMS
Kansas City Chiefs
OUT QB Trent Green (Head)
QUESTIONABLE T Kevin Sampson (Foot); LB Rich Scanlon (Knee); CB Benny
Sapp (Knee)
Listed players who did not participate in ''team'' practice:
(Defined as missing any portion of 11-on-11 team work)
WED Trent Green; Kevin Sampson
THURS Trent Green; Kevin Sampson
FRI Trent Green; Kevin Sampson
St. Louis Rams
QUESTIONABLE LB Pisa Tinoisamoa (Hand)
PROBABLE CB Travis Fisher (Ankle)
Listed players who did not participate in ''team'' practice:
(Defined as missing any portion of 11-on-11 team work)
WED Pisa Tinoisamoa; Aaron Walker
THURS Pisa Tinoisamoa; Travis Fisher
FRI Pisa Tinoisamoa
CINCINNATI BENGALS AT BALTIMORE RAVENS
Cincinnati Bengals
OUT C Rich Braham (Knee); T Levi Jones (Knee); WR Kelley
Washington (Hamstring)
DOUBTFUL LB Brian Simmons (Neck)
PROBABLE DT Sam Adams (Knee); DE Robert Geathers (Neck); LB Rashad
Jeanty (Foot); CB Johnathan Joseph (Ankle); S Kevin
Kaesviharn (Knee); DT John Thornton (Wrist); QB Anthony
Wright (Appendix)
Listed players who did not participate in ''team'' practice:
(Defined as missing any portion of 11-on-11 team work)
WED Rich Braham; Levi Jones; Kelley Washington; Brian Simmons;
Sam Adams; Kevin Kaesviharn; John Thornton
THURS Rich Braham; Levi Jones; Kelley Washington; Brian Simmons;
Johnathan Joseph
FRI Rich Braham; Levi Jones; Kelley Washington; Brian Simmons
Baltimore Ravens
QUESTIONABLE CB Corey Ivy (Abdomen)
PROBABLE TE Todd Heap (Thigh); WR Clarence Moore (Foot); PR B.J.
Sams (Shoulder); TE Quinn Sypniewski (Neck); S Dawan
Landry (Knee); S Gerome Sapp (Thigh); LB Adalius Thomas
(Neck); TE Daniel Wilcox (Back)
Listed players who did not participate in ''team'' practice:
(Defined as missing any portion of 11-on-11 team work)
WED Corey Ivy; Clarence Moore; Quinn Sypniewski; Dawan Landry;
Adalius Thomas; Gerome Sapp
THURS Todd Heap; Corey Ivy; Clarence Moore; B.J. Sams; Quinn
Sypniewski; Dawan Landry; Gerome Sapp; Adalius Thomas
FRI Corey Ivy; Todd Heap; B.J. Sams; Dawan Landry
GREEN BAY PACKERS AT BUFFALO BILLS
Green Bay Packers
OUT RB Vernand Morency (Back); RB Brandon Miree (Elbow)
QUESTIONABLE CB Charles Woodson (Knee); LB Abdul Hodge (Knee); DT
Cullen Jenkins (Ankle); WR Greg Jennings (Ankle); DT Johnny
Jolly (Ankle)
PROBABLE DT Corey Williams (Knee); RB Ahman Green (Knee)
Listed players who did not participate in ''team'' practice:
(Defined as missing any portion of 11-on-11 team work)
WED Vernand Morency; Charles Woodson; Brandon Miree; Cullen
Jenkins; Greg Jennings; Corey Williams; Johnny Jolly; Ahman
Green
THURS Vernand Morency; Brandon Miree; Charles Woodson; Johnny
Jolly
FRI Vernand Morency; Brandon Miree
Buffalo Bills
QUESTIONABLE WR Sam Aiken (Hamstring); DE Ryan Denney (Hamstring); G
Tutan Reyes (Shoulder)
Listed players who did not participate in ''team'' practice:
(Defined as missing any portion of 11-on-11 team work)
WED Sam Aiken; Ryan Denney; Tutan Reyes
THURS Sam Aiken; Tutan Reyes
FRI Sam Aiken; Tutan Reyes
ATLANTA FALCONS AT DETROIT LIONS
Atlanta Falcons
OUT DE John Abraham (Groin)
QUESTIONABLE G Kynan Forney (Shoulder); LB Edgerton Hartwell (Knee)
Listed players who did not participate in ''team'' practice:
(Defined as missing any portion of 11-on-11 team work)
WED John Abraham; Kynan Forney; Edgerton Hartwell; Grady
Jackson; Fred McCrary
THURS John Abraham; Edgerton Hartwell
FRI John Abraham; Edgerton Hartwell
Detroit Lions
OUT DT Shaun Cody (Toe)
QUESTIONABLE DE James Hall (Shoulder)
Listed players who did not participate in ''team'' practice:
(Defined as missing any portion of 11-on-11 team work)
WED Shaun Cody; James Hall
THURS Shaun Cody; James Hall
FRI Shaun Cody; James Hall
TENNESSEE TITANS AT JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS
Tennessee Titans
OUT DE Antwan Odom (Knee)
QUESTIONABLE WR Roydell Williams (Finger); TE Ben Hartsock (Hamstring); DE
DeQuincy Scott (Foot); DT Randy Starks (Chest); LB Robert
Reynolds (Quadricep); LB David Thornton (Shoulder); WR
Bobby Wade (Shoulder); WR David Givens (Hand); G Benji
Olson (Ankle)
Listed players who did not participate in ''team'' practice:
(Defined as missing any portion of 11-on-11 team work)
WED Antwan Odom; David Thornton; Bobby Wade; DeQuincy Scott;
Ben Hartsock
THURS Antwan Odom; Robert Reynolds; Ben Hartsock; DeQuincy Scott;
Bobby Wade
FRI Antwan Odom; Ben Hartsock; DeQuincy Scott; Robert Reynolds
Jacksonville Jaguars
OUT CB Terry Cousin (Groin); DT Marcus Stroud (Ankle); RB Derrick
Wimbush (Ankle); T Stockar McDougle (Ankle)
DOUBTFUL DE Brent Hawkins (Groin)
QUESTIONABLE QB Byron Leftwich (Ankle)
PROBABLE CB Rashean Mathis (Hamstring); RB Fred Taylor (Thigh); DE
Marcellus Wiley (Groin); WR Ernest Wilford (Hamstring); DE
Bobby McCray (Foot); S Donovin Darius (Knee); DT John
Henderson (Hamstring); RB Maurice Jones-Drew (Thigh)
Listed players who did not participate in ''team'' practice:
(Defined as missing any portion of 11-on-11 team work)
WED Terry Cousin; Marcus Stroud; Derrick Wimbush; Stockar
McDougle; Brent Hawkins; Donovin Darius; Maurice Jones-Drew;
Fred Taylor; Rashean Mathis; John Henderson
THURS Terry Cousin; Marcus Stroud; Derrick Wimbush; Stockar
McDougle; Brent Hawkins; Byron Leftwich; John Henderson
FRI Terry Cousin; Marcus Stroud; Derrick Wimbush; Stockar
McDougle; Brent Hawkins; Byron Leftwich; John Henderson
NEW ORLEANS SAINTS AT TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS
New Orleans Saints
OUT TE Ernie Conwell (Knee)
QUESTIONABLE WR Joe Horn (Groin); T Jammal Brown (Ankle); RB Reggie
Bush (Ankle)
PROBABLE T Zach Strief (Finger); CB Fred Thomas (Hamstring); WR
Michael Lewis (Hamstring); T Jon Stinchcomb (Toe)
Listed players who did not participate in ''team'' practice:
(Defined as missing any portion of 11-on-11 team work)
WED Ernie Conwell; Reggie Bush; Jammal Brown; Joe Horn
THURS Ernie Conwell; Jammal Brown; Joe Horn
FRI Ernie Conwell; Joe Horn; Jammal Brown
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
OUT QB Chris Simms (Splenectomy)
QUESTIONABLE LB Shelton Quarles (Knee); DE Simeon Rice (Shoulder); DT
Ellis Wyms (Ankle)
PROBABLE CB Juran Bolden (Hip)
Listed players who did not participate in ''team'' practice:
(Defined as missing any portion of 11-on-11 team work)
WED Chris Simms; Shelton Quarles; Simeon Rice; Ellis Wyms
THURS Chris Simms; Simeon Rice; Ellis Wyms
FRI Chris Simms; Simeon Rice; Ellis Wyms
DALLAS COWBOYS AT WASHINGTON REDSKINS
Dallas Cowboys
DOUBTFUL DE Jason Hatcher (Ankle)
PROBABLE WR Terry Glenn (Quadricep)
Listed players who did not participate in ''team'' practice:
(Defined as missing any portion of 11-on-11 team work)
WED Tyson Thompson
THURS All Players Practiced
FRI Terry Glenn
Washington Redskins
DOUBTFUL WR Santana Moss (Hamstring)
PROBABLE WR Brandon Lloyd (Shoulder); T Chris Samuels (Calf); T Jon
Jansen (Calf); LB Lemar Marshall (Ankle); RB Clinton Portis
(Ankle); WR Antwaan Randle El (Heel); WR David Patten
(Hamstring); CB Carlos Rogers (Thumb); QB Mark Brunell (Ribs)
Listed players who did not participate in ''team'' practice:
(Defined as missing any portion of 11-on-11 team work)
WED Santana Moss; David Patten
THURS Santana Moss; Brandon Lloyd; Jon Jansen; David Patten
FRI Santana Moss; Jon Jansen; David Patten
HOUSTON TEXANS AT NEW YORK GIANTS
Houston Texans
QUESTIONABLE T Ephraim Salaam (Ankle)
PROBABLE DE Anthony Weaver (Knee); DE Mario Williams (Foot); LB
Kailee Wong (Hamstring); RB Ron Dayne (Illness)
Listed players who did not participate in ''team'' practice:
(Defined as missing any portion of 11-on-11 team work)
WED Ephraim Salaam; Mario Williams
THURS Ephraim Salaam
FRI Ron Dayne
New York Giants
DOUBTFUL WR Sinorice Moss (Quadricep); DE Justin Tuck (Foot)
QUESTIONABLE CB Sam Madison (Hamstring); LB Brandon Short (Quadricep);
WR Plaxico Burress (Back Spasms); DE Osi Umenyiora (Hip
Flexor)
PROBABLE CB Frank Walker (Hamstring); WR David Tyree (Ankle)
Listed players who did not participate in ''team'' practice:
(Defined as missing any portion of 11-on-11 team work)
WED Sinorice Moss; Justin Tuck; Sam Madison; Brandon Short; David
Tyree; Osi Umenyiora; Plaxico Burress; Jim Finn; Amani Toomer;
Corey Webster
THURS Sinorice Moss; Justin Tuck; Sam Madison; Brandon Short; David
Tyree; Osi Umenyiora; Plaxico Burress
FRI Sinorice Moss; Justin Tuck; Sam Madison; Brandon Short;
Plaxico Burress; Osi Umenyiora
MINNESOTA VIKINGS AT SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS
Minnesota Vikings
OUT WR Marcus Robinson (Back); LB Napoleon Harris (Wrist)
QUESTIONABLE DT Kevin Williams (Ankle)
PROBABLE LB Ben Leber (Illness); G Artis Hicks (Neck); T Marcus Johnson
(Ankle); S Darren Sharper (Knee); DT Pat Williams (Knee); C
Matt Birk (Knee)
Listed players who did not participate in ''team'' practice:
(Defined as missing any portion of 11-on-11 team work)
WED Marcus Robinson; Napoleon Harris; Pat Williams; Matt Birk;
Kevin Williams; Ben Leber; Artis Hicks; Marcus Johnson; Darren
Sharper
THURS Marcus Robinson; Napoleon Harris; Pat Williams; Matt Birk;
Kevin Williams; Ben Leber; Artis Hicks; Marcus Johnson; Darren
Sharper
FRI Marcus Robinson; Napoleon Harris; Kevin Williams; Ben Leber;
Artis Hicks; Marcus Johnson; Darren Sharper; Pat Williams; Matt
Birk
San Francisco 49ers
OUT TE Vernon Davis (Fibula)
QUESTIONABLE RB Maurice Hicks (Concussion); S Chad Williams (Quadricep)
Listed players who did not participate in ''team'' practice:
(Defined as missing any portion of 11-on-11 team work)
WED Vernon Davis; Maurice Hicks
THURS Vernon Davis; Chad Williams; Maurice Hicks
FRI Vernon Davis; Chad Williams
CLEVELAND BROWNS AT SAN DIEGO CHARGERS
Cleveland Browns
OUT T Ryan Tucker (Illness)
QUESTIONABLE TE Kellen Winslow (Knee); LB Willie McGinest (Ankle); S Justin
Hamilton (Ankle); CB Daven Holly (Illness); G Joe Andruzzi
(Knee); CB Leigh Bodden (Ankle); DE Orpheus Roye
(Hamstring); WR Dennis Northcutt (Ribs)
PROBABLE CB Jereme Perry (Ankle)
Listed players who did not participate in ''team'' practice:
(Defined as missing any portion of 11-on-11 team work)
WED Joe Andruzzi; Dennis Northcutt; Daven Holly; Ryan Tucker; Willie
McGinest; Orpheus Roye
THURS Joe Andruzzi; Leigh Bodden; Daven Holly; Willie McGinest;
Dennis Northcutt; Orpheus Roye; Ryan Tucker
FRI Ryan Tucker; Willie McGinest; Daven Holly; Joe Andruzzi; Leigh
Bodden; Orpheus Roye; Dennis Northcutt
San Diego Chargers
QUESTIONABLE LB Shaun Phillips (Calf)
PROBABLE S Bhawoh Jue (Knee); S Clinton Hart (Hip); DE Igor Olshansky
(Knee)
Listed players who did not participate in ''team'' practice:
(Defined as missing any portion of 11-on-11 team work)
WED Igor Olshansky; Shaun Phillips; Bhawoh Jue; Clinton Hart
THURS Shaun Phillips; Igor Olshansky; Clinton Hart
FRI Shaun Phillips
DENVER BRONCOS AT PITTSBURGH STEELERS
Denver Broncos
PROBABLE CB Champ Bailey (Ankle); RB Tatum Bell (Toe); RB Cedric
Cobbs (Ankle); LB Ian Gold (Hamstring); RB Kyle Johnson
(Ankle); C Chris Myers (Shoulder); TE Tony Scheffler (Hip); DT
Gerard Warren (Toe); LB D.J. Williams (Foot); LB Al Wilson
(Thumb)
Listed players who did not participate in ''team'' practice:
(Defined as missing any portion of 11-on-11 team work)
WED All Players Practiced
THURS All Players Practiced
FRI All Players Practiced
Pittsburgh Steelers
OUT LB James Harrison (Ankle); C Jeff Hartings (Knee); S Mike
Logan (Hamstring); WR Willie Reid (Foot)
PROBABLE LB Larry Foote (Shoulder); LB Clark Haggans (Ankle); DT Casey
Hampton (Hamstring); WR Santonio Holmes (Shoulder); G Chris
Kemoeatu (Ankle); RB Dan Kreider (Ankle); WR Sean Morey
(Toe); S Troy Polamalu (Foot); CB Deshea Townsend
(Quadricep); WR Cedrick Wilson (Groin)
Listed players who did not participate in ''team'' practice:
(Defined as missing any portion of 11-on-11 team work)
WED James Harrison; Jeff Hartings; Mike Logan; Willie Reid; Deshea
Townsend
THURS James Harrison; Jeff Hartings; Mike Logan; Willie Reid
FRI James Harrison; Jeff Hartings; Mike Logan; Willie Reid
INDIANAPOLIS COLTS AT NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS
Indianapolis Colts
OUT DT Montae Reagor (Head)
QUESTIONABLE LB Keith O'Neil (Ankle); LB Rob Morris (Hamstring); WR Aaron
Moorehead (Back); CB Nicholas Harper (Knee); CB Matt
Giordano (Calf); DE Dwight Freeney (Shoulder); T Ryan Diem
(Upper Arm); LB Gary Brackett (Knee); RB Joseph Addai
(Wrist); WR Terrence Wilkins (Knee); TE Ben Utecht (Low
Back); WR Brandon Stokley (Knee); S Bob Sanders (Knee); RB
Dominic Rhodes (Low Back); DT Darrell Reid (Abdomen)
PROBABLE P Hunter Smith (Right Groin); K Adam Vinatieri (Right Groin)
Listed players who did not participate in ''team'' practice:
(Defined as missing any portion of 11-on-11 team work)
WED Montae Reagor; Bob Sanders; Brandon Stokley; Rob Morris; Matt
Giordano; Ryan Diem; Nicholas Harper; Keith O'Neil
THURS Montae Reagor; Keith O'Neil; Ryan Diem; Matt Giordano; Rob
Morris; Brandon Stokley
FRI Montae Reagor; Keith O'Neil; Rob Morris; Matt Giordano; Ryan
Diem; Brandon Stokley; Bob Sanders
New England Patriots
QUESTIONABLE CB Willie Andrews (Thigh); WR Reche Caldwell (Knee); LB Don
Davis (Lower Leg); RB Kevin Faulk (Ankle); WR Jabar Gaffney
(Hand); TE Daniel Graham (Ankle); CB Ellis Hobbs (Wrist); G
Russ Hochstein (Knee); WR Chad Jackson (Hamstring); T Nick
Kaczur (Shoulder); T Matt Light (Hand); RB Laurence Maroney
(Ankle); TE Garrett Mills (Thigh); G Steve Neal (Shoulder); DE
Richard Seymour (Elbow); CB Antwain Spann (Shoulder); TE
David Thomas (Hand); DE Ty Warren (Shoulder); S Eugene
Wilson (Hamstring)
PROBABLE QB Tom Brady (Right Shoulder); QB Matt Cassel (Right
Shoulder)
Listed players who did not participate in ''team'' practice:
(Defined as missing any portion of 11-on-11 team work)
WED Antwain Spann; David Thomas; Ty Warren; Eugene Wilson;
Richard Seymour; Russ Hochstein; Chad Jackson; Steve Neal;
Nick Kaczur; Garrett Mills; Daniel Graham; Ellis Hobbs; Willie
Andrews; Reche Caldwell; Don Davis; Kevin Faulk; Jabar
Gaffney
THURS Russ Hochstein; Daniel Graham; Ellis Hobbs; Kevin Faulk; Chad
Jackson; Nick Kaczur; Matt Light; Laurence Maroney; Garrett
Mills; Steve Neal; Richard Seymour; Antwain Spann; David
Thomas; Ty Warren; Eugene Wilson; Jabar Gaffney; Willie
Andrews; Reche Caldwell; Don Davis
FRI Willie Andrews; Reche Caldwell; Don Davis; Kevin Faulk; Jabar
Gaffney; Daniel Graham; Ellis Hobbs; Russ Hochstein; Chad
Jackson; Nick Kaczur; Matt Light; Laurence Maroney; Garrett
Mills; Steve Neal; Richard Seymour; Antwain Spann; David
Thomas; Ty Warren; Eugene Wilson
OAKLAND RAIDERS AT SEATTLE SEAHAWKS on Monday
Oakland Raiders
DOUBTFUL QB Aaron Brooks (Right Shoulder)
QUESTIONABLE S Jarrod Cooper (Hamstring); RB Zack Crockett (Knee); S
Michael Huff (Shoulder); RB LaMont Jordan (Back); G Barry
Sims (Abdomen)
PROBABLE RB Justin Fargas (Shoulder); CB Tyrone Poole (Ankle); DT
Warren Sapp (Hip)
Listed players who did not participate in ''team'' practice:
(Defined as missing any portion of 11-on-11 team work)
WED Barry Sims; Justin Fargas
THURS Barry Sims; Justin Fargas
FRI Practice Not Complete
Seattle Seahawks
OUT RB Shaun Alexander (Foot); QB Matt Hasselbeck (Knee)
DOUBTFUL LB D.D. Lewis (Toe); DT Marcus Tubbs (Knee)
QUESTIONABLE WR Bobby Engram (Illness); T Sean Locklear (Ankle); C Chris
Spencer (Knee)
PROBABLE DT Rocky Bernard (Toe); WR Darrell Jackson (Foot)
Listed players who did not participate in ''team'' practice:
(Defined as missing any portion of 11-on-11 team work)
WED Matt Hasselbeck; Shaun Alexander; D.D. Lewis; Marcus Tubbs;
Sean Locklear
THURS Matt Hasselbeck; Shaun Alexander; D.D. Lewis; Marcus Tubbs;
Chris Spencer; Sean Locklear; Darrell Jackson
FRI Shaun Alexander; Matt Hasselbeck; D.D. Lewis; Marcus Tubbs;
Sean Locklear; Chris Spencer

Libby Chansky For "The Bachelorette"

I met Libby Chansky at the Stanford Athletics Hall Of Fame Dinner on Friday, November 3rd. She and I were part of a large group there to celebrate the induction of my good friend Michael Dotterer, who remains the only two-sport player to receive four letters in Stanford history.

Libby wants to be the bachelorette on "The Bachelorette" and to that end, we took this quick video. It's kind of a teaser. For more info contact info@sportsbusinesssims.com

Friday, November 03, 2006

Ted Haggard Admits To Buying Meth From Mike Jones, A Male Esccort Accuser

Ted Haggard, the outspoken enemy of Gay Marriage, was just filmed live on CNN explaining that he did buy sex from Mike Jones, the male prostitute who's accusing Haggard of having sex with him.

Haggard says he went to visit the Mike Jones but didn't exactly explain who referred him to the man, or for that matter why he purchased Meth from him. He would only say that he didn't use the drug -- "I threw it away."

There's more to this story. Stay tuned.

Zennie Weighing In On New Media And "Audience Engagement"



As the number of websites and blogs and video blogs grows, and the rate of increase of readers away from traditional media and to new media continues -- apparently unabated given the fact that the currently young population that gets 70 percent of its news online is only getting older -- there are more and more debates over the "value" of new media.

These discussions are generated by advertisers and marketers, understandably upset and vexed over this rather sudden traffic shift away from the properties they use to present ads to people. A large part of the problem that generates their concerns and questions is simply a lack of participation in new media; at a recent American Marketing Association convention, only five percent of the attendees at a conference session actually knew what Web 2.0 was. In other words, the best way to understand blogs and vlogs is to run blogs and vlogs -- it seems many advertiser and marketers do not.

But they do control considerable sums of money. And faced with the ever-growing prospect of spending that money on an ad that goes into a blog, they're asking questions about value -- and who can blame them. Yes, the questions are based on a certain lack of knoweldge, but to be rather frank (not Ze) they're not being assisted by the very operators of blogs and vlogs.

Very recently there was a rather interesting dust-up between Ze Frank and Rocketboom over traffic. Ze Frank points to results from the Alexa system, which I personally do not recomend using because it incorrectly measures the number of links to Sports Business Simulations, and therefore miscalculates our traffic and by a frightening amount. Alexa, it seems, can't really distinguish between one URL used to direct a person to another URL.

In SBS case, we have URLs that send people to specific pages within our site. Alexa has a massive problem with this. Alexa also can't combine traffic from various blogs we own that are in SBS branding and design but at different URLs. Frustrated with this massive problem, I searched for the perfect traffic tool and after a period I didn't think one existed. But after a chance encounter with someone who worked for AdBrite, at The Grove, a San Francisco Internet Cafe, I was directed to an onlne device called "Hitslink."

Hitslink is perfect. It allows SBS to not only combine our sites, but see where our traffic is coming from, where it goes from page to page, and what pages it exits from. I can see what links were used to get to our sites, navigation paths in the site, how long people stick around, and what pages they use to get out of the site. I can see specific visitors and what city they came from and what pages they've went to. I've even scared the heck out of some people I know by asking them why they were looking up information on, say, CalPac, on my blogsite! I've also been able to contact potential new users of our simulations and ask them about their needs.

I find Hitslink particularly useful for those SBS vlogs which contain a specific video. Our vlog "Kate On Sports" is designed by me and such that each video is a separate page in the vlog site. Thus, we can easy track not just video popularity, but who links to that specific video because they link to the page -- even far more than any YouTube or Blip.tv direct link.

So if you're looking for the perfect engagement masuring device, look no further than Hitslink, and forget Alexa.

In closing, I find the combination of Hitlink and the video view reports from Blip.tv and YouTube to be very effective. I can see what percentage of blog viewers are actually looking at the videos posted, as well as being able to count traffic "horizontally" -- accross video distribution platfors -- and "vertically" -- from video to video. (OK, I developed those terms for SBS. I had to as there was no vernacular to describe the various traffic origination directions. Problem solved.)
Try Hitslink; dump Alexa.