This was an amazing performance by a rookie running back who's definitely quicker than Dommick Rhodes and could have had 200 yards had he not shared the running duties with Rhodes. But that written, it's good to have the "one-two" punch.
Joseph Addai (four TDs) leads Colts past Eagles
INDIANAPOLIS (Nov. 26, 2006) -- Indianapolis opened the season with a precarious chase of perfection through the air. They were finally grounded -- and on Sunday night, Joseph Addai took off running.
Against a strong Philadelphia defense, the running back slashed and powered his way to a career-high 171 yards, setting a franchise rookie record by scoring four touchdowns in the Colts' 45-21 rout of the Eagles.
For Indianapolis (10-1), it was a refreshing change from Peyton Manning's weekly rescue missions. The Colts were the last unbeaten team before a loss to the Cowboys last week, and their big rebound means a chance to clinch a fourth consecutive AFC South title with a victory next week at Tennessee.
Against the Eagles, the two-time MVP mostly was a spectator. Instead, Addai was the one making offense look easy, with his slashing runs, quick burst and overpowering style eating up chunks of yardage on nearly all 24 carries.
To Addai, it wasn't enough.
"A lot of running backs come in and do good the first year and after that they go into the tank," he said. "I've got to become more consistent."
Addai, who entered this week as the top rookie runner in the NFL, had 91 yards rushing and three touchdowns in the first half to tie a Colts' rookie record for scores, first set by Billy Vessels in 1956.
He also caught two passes for 37 yards, giving him 208 total yards.
Addai's four touchdowns tied an NFL rookie record for rushing scores in one game; he shares that mark with eight other players. He also broke a franchise record for points scored by a rookie in a game -- the previous high was 18, reached in 1956, 1994 and 1996.
"I think it started way back in camp, just learning little key things," Addai said. "That's what you have to do as a rookie is work on the small things and you'll do pretty good."
Manning finished 14-for-20 for 183 yards with one touchdown and one interception, but broke yet another record.
His first completion, a 17-yarder to Reggie Wayne on the game's opening series, made Manning the fastest player in league history to 3,000. The two-time MVP achieved the feat in 139 games, breaking a record previously shared by Dan Marino and Drew Bledsoe of 146, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.
He finished the night with 3,013 completions but was more content with the victory.
"Guys were disappointed after last week," Manning said. "You always want to get a win and get that taste out of your mouth."
In contrast, the Eagles (5-6) did little right.
From a poor early decision to challenge Wayne's one-handed, 38-yard catch to a botched double-pass that was picked off by Nick Harper to David Akers' missed 36-yard field goal, the game was filled with mistakes -- and few could be attributed to the absence of quarterback Donovan McNabb, who is out for the season with a torn knee ligament.
In the first half alone, Joseph Addai rushed for 91 yards and three touchdowns.
The first time Philadelphia did score, on L.J. Smith 's 1-yard TD catch with 1:19 left in the half, it left Manning too much time and he closed out the first half by setting up Adam Vinatieri's 44-yard field goal.
"We just didn't make the plays out there," Eagles coach Andy Reid said. "I'm going to step up and tell you it starts with us, as coaches, and I've got to continue to take a close look at that and make sure we're putting the right guys in the right positions."
Jeff Garcia, McNabb's replacement, was 19-for-23 for 140 yards with two TDs before leaving with a strained right forearm. Brian Westbrook rushed 20 times for 124 yards, becoming the first Eagles since Wilbert Montgomery in 1981 with three consecutive 100-yard games, it was little solace.
"It's a situation where we've got to be methodical with the football," Garcia said. "In a situation like that, we just didn't do enough."
Manning got started quickly. He led Indy on a 79-yard opening drive, capped by Addai's 15-yard run to make it 7-0.
Addai followed that with a 10-yard run on the first play of the second quarter to give Indy a 14-0 lead, then extended the margin to 21-0 when he made two terrific cuts on another 15-yard run.
Philadelphia finally answered on Smith's TD catch, but the Colts got a 44-yard field goal as time expired to make it 24-7 at the half.
The second half wasn't much better for Philly. Indianapolis forced a quick punt and Manning led the Colts on an 89-yard drive, capped by a 15-yard TD pass to Reggie Wayne for a 31-7 lead.
Addai sealed it with a 4-yard TD run late that gave Indy a 38-21 lead.
"We rode the hot hand a little bit," Tony Dungy said. "We actually ran the ball this game probably more than we have in a while, so people got a chance to see what he can do. ... He knows he's a good back, and he just wants to come in here and fit in, and he's done that very well."
GAME NOTES:
Tight end Dallas Clark limped into the locker room moments before halftime with a sprained right knee. The Colts gave no further update.
Philadelphia defensive tackle Brodrick Bunkley was inactive after missing the team flight Nov. 25.
The Eagles have not won in Indianapolis since December 1993.
Colts right tackle Ryan Diem left the game during the first quarter with a back muscle injury and did not return.
McNabb is scheduled to have surgery Nov. 28 in Alabama.
AP NEWS
The Associated Press News Service
Sunday, November 26, 2006
NYPD Cops Shoot Black Unarmed Groom In Car After Bachelor Party 50 Times; No Explaination - AP
What is our society coming to? This is absolutely disguisting and sick. It should not be allowed to occur in America, let alone anywhere else. The cops not only killed the man, but almost knocked off people nearby with the rain of bullets -- and he and they were not armed!
Updated: 11:39 AM EST
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Groom Fatally Shot by Police Outside Strip Club
Vigil Planned for Man Gunned Down Hours Before He Was to Wed
By ADAM GOLDMAN, AP
NEW YORK (Nov. 26) - Sean Bell and his fiancee had already shared a high school romance, then two children. In the early hours of what was to be their wedding day, their reception hall lay waiting, covered in satin and adorned with balloons.
But the ceremony never arrived Saturday, after police shot 50 rounds at the groom's car as he drove away from his bachelor party, killing the 23-year-old just hours before he was set to walk down the aisle.
The hail of gunfire at a car full of unarmed men drew a furious outcry from family members and community leaders, including the Rev. Al Sharpton. Two passengers, who had been celebrating with the groom at a strip club, were also injured; one was struck by at least 11 bullets.
The officers' shots struck the men's car 21 times after the vehicle rammed into an undercover officer and hit an unmarked NYPD minivan. Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly said Saturday night it was too early to say whether the shooting was justified.
The wild gunfire hit nearby homes and shattered windows at a train station, though no residents were injured.
Police thought one of the men in the car might have had a gun. But investigators found no weapons. It was unclear what prompted police to open fire, Kelly said.
On Sunday morning, a few hours before a planned noon vigil for the victims, Sharpton told ABC's "Good Morning America" that the volume of shots fired alone raised questions about the police's actions.
"How does one justify 50 shots at unarmed men?" Sharpton asked.
Also Sunday, the group 100 Blacks in Law Enforcement Who Care said it is issuing a vote of no confidence in Kelly over the shooting. It is also calling for the removal of the chief of the Organized Crime Control Bureau, Anthony Izzo, who it says created the undercover unit involved in the incident.
Additionally, the group wants a re-examination of what it says is a policy that allows officers from the organized crime control unit to consume alcohol on the job. "Who knows whether or not that was a factor in this particular shooting?" said Marq Claxton, a retired police detective and one of the founders of the group.
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A police spokeswoman did not immediately offer comment on the group's demands Sunday.
Kelly said the incident stemmed from an undercover operation inside the strip club in the Jamaica section of Queens. Seven officers in plain clothes were investigating the Kalua Cabaret; five of them were involved in the shooting.
According to Kelly, the groom was involved in a verbal dispute outside the club after 4 a.m. One of his friends made a reference to a gun.
An undercover officer walked closely behind Bell and his friends as they headed for their car. As he walked toward the front of the vehicle, they drove forward - striking him and a nearby undercover police vehicle.
The officer who had followed the group on foot was apparently the first to open fire, Kelly said. That officer had served on the force for five years. One 12-year veteran fired his weapon 31 times, emptying two full magazines, Kelly said.
It was the first time any of the officers, who all carried 9 mm handguns, had been involved in a shooting, Kelly said.
At some point, Bell backed his car up onto the sidewalk, hitting a building gate. He then drove forward, striking the police vehicle a second time, Kelly said.
It was unclear whether the shooters had identified themselves as police, Kelly said.
Kelly's account of the events was based on statements made by witnesses and the two officers who did not shoot their weapons. Police could not question the other officers because the district attorney must first complete an investigation, Kelly said.
The groom was driving. Joseph Guzman, 31, was in the front passenger's seat and was shot at least 11 times. Trent Benefield, 23, who was in the back seat, was hit three times. Both men were taken to Mary Immaculate Hospital, where Guzman was listed in critical condition and Benefield was in stable condition.
Kelly said there may have been a fourth person in the car who fled the scene.
Three officers, including the officer hit by the car, were treated and released. Another detective remained hospitalized for hypertension, Kelly said.
Abraham Kamara, 38, who lives a few blocks from where the shooting occurred, said he was getting ready for work at about 4 a.m. when he heard bursts of gunfire.
"First it was like four shots," he said. "And then it was like pop-pop-pop like 12 times."
Kelly said undercover officers were inside the club to document illicit activity. With one more violation the club would be shut down, Kelly said.
He said the establishment, next to an auto-body repair shop on a gritty block across from a Long Island Rail Road station, had a "chronic history of narcotics, prostitution and weapons complaints" and had been closed by authorities for three months last year.
Sharpton said Bell and his fiancee had two children, a 3-year-old and a 5-month-old.
Robert Porter, who identified himself as Bell's first cousin, said he was supposed to be a DJ at the wedding. He said about 250 people were invited to the ceremony and were flying in from all over the country. He said his cousin wasn't the type to confront police and that he was "on the straight-and-narrow."
"I can't really express myself. It's a numb feeling," Porter said. "I still don't want to believe it, a beautiful day like this, and he was going to have a beautiful wedding, he was going to live forever with his wife and children. And this happened."
This isn't the first time the NYPD has come under scrutiny over police-involved shootings.
In 1999, police killed Amadou Diallo, an unarmed West African immigrant who was shot 19 times in the Bronx. The four officers in that case were acquitted of criminal charges.
And in 2003, Ousmane Zongo was shot to death during a police raid. The 43-year-old, a native of the western African country of Burkina Faso, repaired art and musical instruments in Manhattan. He was hit four times, twice in the back.
Associated Press Writers Jennifer Peltz, Tom Hays and Cristian Salazar contributed to this report.
Updated: 11:39 AM EST
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Groom Fatally Shot by Police Outside Strip Club
Vigil Planned for Man Gunned Down Hours Before He Was to Wed
By ADAM GOLDMAN, AP
NEW YORK (Nov. 26) - Sean Bell and his fiancee had already shared a high school romance, then two children. In the early hours of what was to be their wedding day, their reception hall lay waiting, covered in satin and adorned with balloons.
But the ceremony never arrived Saturday, after police shot 50 rounds at the groom's car as he drove away from his bachelor party, killing the 23-year-old just hours before he was set to walk down the aisle.
The hail of gunfire at a car full of unarmed men drew a furious outcry from family members and community leaders, including the Rev. Al Sharpton. Two passengers, who had been celebrating with the groom at a strip club, were also injured; one was struck by at least 11 bullets.
The officers' shots struck the men's car 21 times after the vehicle rammed into an undercover officer and hit an unmarked NYPD minivan. Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly said Saturday night it was too early to say whether the shooting was justified.
The wild gunfire hit nearby homes and shattered windows at a train station, though no residents were injured.
Police thought one of the men in the car might have had a gun. But investigators found no weapons. It was unclear what prompted police to open fire, Kelly said.
On Sunday morning, a few hours before a planned noon vigil for the victims, Sharpton told ABC's "Good Morning America" that the volume of shots fired alone raised questions about the police's actions.
"How does one justify 50 shots at unarmed men?" Sharpton asked.
Also Sunday, the group 100 Blacks in Law Enforcement Who Care said it is issuing a vote of no confidence in Kelly over the shooting. It is also calling for the removal of the chief of the Organized Crime Control Bureau, Anthony Izzo, who it says created the undercover unit involved in the incident.
Additionally, the group wants a re-examination of what it says is a policy that allows officers from the organized crime control unit to consume alcohol on the job. "Who knows whether or not that was a factor in this particular shooting?" said Marq Claxton, a retired police detective and one of the founders of the group.
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* · 47,000 Pounds of Turkey and Ham Recalled
A police spokeswoman did not immediately offer comment on the group's demands Sunday.
Kelly said the incident stemmed from an undercover operation inside the strip club in the Jamaica section of Queens. Seven officers in plain clothes were investigating the Kalua Cabaret; five of them were involved in the shooting.
According to Kelly, the groom was involved in a verbal dispute outside the club after 4 a.m. One of his friends made a reference to a gun.
An undercover officer walked closely behind Bell and his friends as they headed for their car. As he walked toward the front of the vehicle, they drove forward - striking him and a nearby undercover police vehicle.
The officer who had followed the group on foot was apparently the first to open fire, Kelly said. That officer had served on the force for five years. One 12-year veteran fired his weapon 31 times, emptying two full magazines, Kelly said.
It was the first time any of the officers, who all carried 9 mm handguns, had been involved in a shooting, Kelly said.
At some point, Bell backed his car up onto the sidewalk, hitting a building gate. He then drove forward, striking the police vehicle a second time, Kelly said.
It was unclear whether the shooters had identified themselves as police, Kelly said.
Kelly's account of the events was based on statements made by witnesses and the two officers who did not shoot their weapons. Police could not question the other officers because the district attorney must first complete an investigation, Kelly said.
The groom was driving. Joseph Guzman, 31, was in the front passenger's seat and was shot at least 11 times. Trent Benefield, 23, who was in the back seat, was hit three times. Both men were taken to Mary Immaculate Hospital, where Guzman was listed in critical condition and Benefield was in stable condition.
Kelly said there may have been a fourth person in the car who fled the scene.
Three officers, including the officer hit by the car, were treated and released. Another detective remained hospitalized for hypertension, Kelly said.
Abraham Kamara, 38, who lives a few blocks from where the shooting occurred, said he was getting ready for work at about 4 a.m. when he heard bursts of gunfire.
"First it was like four shots," he said. "And then it was like pop-pop-pop like 12 times."
Kelly said undercover officers were inside the club to document illicit activity. With one more violation the club would be shut down, Kelly said.
He said the establishment, next to an auto-body repair shop on a gritty block across from a Long Island Rail Road station, had a "chronic history of narcotics, prostitution and weapons complaints" and had been closed by authorities for three months last year.
Sharpton said Bell and his fiancee had two children, a 3-year-old and a 5-month-old.
Robert Porter, who identified himself as Bell's first cousin, said he was supposed to be a DJ at the wedding. He said about 250 people were invited to the ceremony and were flying in from all over the country. He said his cousin wasn't the type to confront police and that he was "on the straight-and-narrow."
"I can't really express myself. It's a numb feeling," Porter said. "I still don't want to believe it, a beautiful day like this, and he was going to have a beautiful wedding, he was going to live forever with his wife and children. And this happened."
This isn't the first time the NYPD has come under scrutiny over police-involved shootings.
In 1999, police killed Amadou Diallo, an unarmed West African immigrant who was shot 19 times in the Bronx. The four officers in that case were acquitted of criminal charges.
And in 2003, Ousmane Zongo was shot to death during a police raid. The 43-year-old, a native of the western African country of Burkina Faso, repaired art and musical instruments in Manhattan. He was hit four times, twice in the back.
Associated Press Writers Jennifer Peltz, Tom Hays and Cristian Salazar contributed to this report.
Amanda Congdon - "Dance Across America" Is Silly Fun
This is a down right silly vlog. But for some reason I can't put my finger on, I liked it. The music is kitch, and so is the whole concept, but it works at what I presume it's supposed to do -- catch your attention for a moment.
Check it out...
Check it out...
Saturday, November 25, 2006
Lincoln Mark 9 - The Car Ford Must Build To Save The Lincoln Brand
Over the past 10 years, Ford Motor Company has ruined the Lincoln brand simply by robbing it of its identity forged over 40 years. Lincolns were always luxury cars and not trucks or SUVs. Yet in its unreasonable march to have an SUV for every taste Ford wrecked Lincoln and paid less attention to its signature brands the Town Car and the Mark series.
These cars were the backbone of Lincoln for years. Bill Ford may say that they don't do well in focus groups, but I counter that Ford took the passion out of them. That has transfered to Mercedes and BMW, and if they can make cars that stir the soul, why can't Ford make a Lincoln that shakes the blood.
A Lincoln like the Mark 9 Concept car. A car introduced in 2001 that Ford still has not made. No wonder observers are betting on Ford's demise; they don't roll the dice and make cars like this. This would -- with the proper marketing -- save Ford and reclaim Lincolns's position as a luxury brand against Cadillac.
Jim Mora Sr. Is Off-Base: Is This Because Michael Vick's Black?
Recently, Jim Mora Sr. made a comment that Michael Vick was a "coach killer." I really think that's an off-base statement, and I've got to wonder to what degree Michael Vick's skin color has to do with this. I mean if Mora Sr. was the coach of the Falcons, would he have started, let alone draft Vick?
I say no.
I state this based on a lot of drive-time hours spent listening to the elder Mora on Fox. One day, Mora said that he'd routinely hire any coach with an Italian last name. He did say this, went on and on about it, and I fumed. I was thinking "I guess that's a weird way of saying he'd never give a young black head coach a chance."
Wow.
So I immediately formed the view that the elder Mora may have a race issue that clouds how he sees NFL talent, including Michael Vick. Mr. Mora, I've got news, the problem with the Falcons passing game rests in the design of the passing game, not in Michael Vick.
I was just watching the NFL Network's telecast replay of the Falcons / Ravens game of last Sunday. I noticed that the passes called by Mora Junior's staff -- Greg Knapp -- were all five or seven step drops or play action. No three step drops. None of the quick passes to receivers who are standing on the line of scrminage. Nothing to take the pressure off the Falcons offensive line. Nothing.
The passes were the same one's I've seen the Falcons run game after game -- in other words, they're predictable.
So when the passing pocket collapsed, as did happen often, Vick was forced to run.
This is bad coaching in action. The Falcons are great at designing running plays for Vick, but terrible -- and I mean just bad -- at creating a great passing system.
And Michael Vick gets blamed for a problem that would have given backup Matt Schaub a separated shoulder.
Geez.
The Falcons need to fix their passing game, before it's too late.
Jim Mora Says Michael Vick Is A "Coach Killer" - AP
I will comment on this in a separate post, but here's the news. I think Jim Sr's way off base here.
Vick 'speechless' after coach's father rips him
Falcons rally around Vick after elder Mora calls QB a 'coach killer'
Chris Gardner / AP
Falcons quarterback Michael Vick has struggled in the last three games. Earlier this week, Jim Mora's father labeled Vick as a "coach killer" on his radio show.
Updated: 2:02 p.m. AKT Nov 22, 2006
FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. - The Atlanta Falcons closed ranks around embattled quarterback Michael Vick, who was clearly stunned by reports that Jim Mora’s father referred to No. 7 as a “coach killer.”
Vick said Wednesday that he shut off his cell phone because he was getting so many calls about comments made by Mora’s father, a former NFL coach who shares the same name with his son.
“Honestly, I don’t even know what to say,” Vick said. “I think it was inappropriate. But, hey, when you’re commentating, I guess you’ve got a right to say what you want to say. I just keep playing football. At the same time, it’s crazy.”
Earlier this week, during his show on Fox Sports Radio, the elder Mora agreed with the co-host’s description of Vick as a “coach killer.”
“It worries me a little bit because my son is the head coach down there,” Mora added. “But he’s a great athlete, my son likes him a lot, he’s a good kid. But he’s not a passer. And you need a passer at quarterback to be successful consistently in the National Football League. And he ain’t getting it done in that category.”
The younger Mora said he’s spoken with his father about the statement — “he regrets it” — and went to great lengths to show that he’s still got faith in his quarterback, despite a three-game losing streak that has severely hurt the Falcons’ playoff hopes.
Jason Calacanis Ponders His Next Gig After AOL
Jason Calacanis -- pictured here at the UC Berkeley Haas School of Business -- the man credited with putting New York City's growing digital media industry on the map of popular culture and who sold his network of weblogs to AOL for $25 million, is pondering his next job having quit AOL just over a week ago.
On his blog, Jason lists the following possibilities:
1. Weblogs, Inc. of Podcasting
2. Weblogs, Inc of Video
3. Run NickDenton.net: all Nick Denton news all the time.
4. Become a professional poker player.
5. Buy CNET/Become CEO of CNET (no offer has been made--really)
6. Buy an ailing newspaper, reinvent.
6. Become a VC
7. Put 100% of my energy into CalacanisCast/JasonNation
8. Take a job at a Hollywood agency and start over in the movie business
9. Do a media roll-up (i.e. buy 20 small to medium-sized media properties and take get them to scale)
10. Partner with Peter Rojas and start a gadget company (i.e. a non-DRM, wifi enabled, Mp3/Media player)
You guys have any ideas?
If you do visit his blog, which you can do by clicking on the link to it from this post..
Friday, November 24, 2006
Ticketmaster Sells $500 New England Patriots Tickets, Yet Not Being Sued
Yep. That's right. The New England Patriots are suing StubHub, which isn't a ticket brokerage but an exchange and does have below face tickets posted for many events, for allowing the sale of high priced tickets for up to and over $500.
Well, Ticketmaster has tickets for the Chicago Bears' visit to New England for $500, but you want to know why the New England Patriots aren't suing them?
Because they benefit from it. Check out this link to the proof with a click on this sentence.
This lawsuit should be thrown out of court. Ticketmaster's probably behind the scenes pulling the chains of unknowning Boston fans who want lower ticket prices, yet don't know what to do.
The simple fact is that Ticketmaster's own online system is getting the sales tar beaten out of it by StubHub's and Ticketmaster can't stand it. Ticketmaster wants to be the only ticket brokerage and seeing StubHub, which is not a brokerage but a simple market exchange online, as a threat to its survival.
Folks, don't be fooled by the Patriots or Ticketmaster in this lawsuit, they're not trying to do the fans a favor at all. At least that's my reasoned and experienced view.
Well, Ticketmaster has tickets for the Chicago Bears' visit to New England for $500, but you want to know why the New England Patriots aren't suing them?
Because they benefit from it. Check out this link to the proof with a click on this sentence.
This lawsuit should be thrown out of court. Ticketmaster's probably behind the scenes pulling the chains of unknowning Boston fans who want lower ticket prices, yet don't know what to do.
The simple fact is that Ticketmaster's own online system is getting the sales tar beaten out of it by StubHub's and Ticketmaster can't stand it. Ticketmaster wants to be the only ticket brokerage and seeing StubHub, which is not a brokerage but a simple market exchange online, as a threat to its survival.
Folks, don't be fooled by the Patriots or Ticketmaster in this lawsuit, they're not trying to do the fans a favor at all. At least that's my reasoned and experienced view.
New England Patriots Sue StubHub - Profootballtalk.com's Latest Report
Profootballtalk.com may have rolled up it's sleaves -- and it does this well -- but it totally misdiagosed the entire matter of the New England Patriots' lawsuit against StubHub. First of all, and this shows just how dumb the lawsuit is, StubHub can't "induce" a season ticket holder to scalp. In no ad material does StubHub encourage any ticket poster to do this. So if the Pat's lawsuit focuses on this idea, it's wrongheaded.
Second, Profootballtalk.com claims that 30 tickets per game sold at StubHub's sites are fake -- but that's not StubHub's fault as many ticket brokers are guilty of selling fraudulent tickets and try to use StubHub to do this; Stubhub's the only company that actually does have a money-back guarantee to protect this. Ticketmaster has no such program, which brings me to Ticketmaster.
Ticketmaster is a true ticket brokerage, period. They've even told high-priced secondary ticket market tickets to Presidential inuagurations. But why isn't Ticketmaster, which sells nothing but at or over face value tickets, being sued? Because it has a contractual relationship with the New England Patriots. For example, Ticketmaster has tickets for the upcoming Patriots / Bears game for up to $500, far in access of the face value for the ticket. Why isn't Ticketmaster the focus of the lawsuit? Well, because the site where the tickets are sold belongs to Ticketmaster and the New England Patriots.
Check it out for yourself. If one know's what to look for, what appeared to be a lawsuit based on the idea of stopping ticket scalping, turns out to be a tool to clear the competition for Ticketmaster, leaving them to jack up prices.
Nice.
Here's Profootballtalk.com..
MORE ON PATS' SCALPING SUIT
We've rolled up our sleeves and tracked down some more information regarding the lawsuit filed on Tuesday by the New England Patriots against online ticket scalping company StubHub.
Okay, actually the stuff kind of fell into our laps but, hey, we take what we can get.
The action, as we understand it, isn't an effort by the team to attack the near-universal and long-standing practice of people selling tickets to sporting events for value greater than the price printed on the thing. Whether it's a guy with a computer or a laminated piece of cardboard with "I NEED TICKETS" in block letters, someone always will be looking to make a buck (or a few hundred) via the re-selling of seats.
The Patriots are focusing on a more specific dynamic -- the focused efforts of StubHub to induce season-ticket holders to engage in activities that violate their individual agreements with the franchise.
Put simply, the folks who have secured the ability to buy tickets to all Patriots home games agree not to re-sell the tickets at an increased price. For individuals who can't use their tickets to a given game, the team maintains a waiting list of folks who can acquire the tickets at face value, plus a relatively small service charge from Ticketmaster.
StubHub, we're told, was placed on notice of these contractual rights and responsibilities, yet has continued to induce season ticket holders to breach their agreements via specific advertisements in publications like the Boston Globe, which ads contain messages like "Are you a Patriots season-ticket holder who can't sell your tickets?"
The prevalence of the advertising efforts caused the organization to become concerned that the franchise is condoning the practice. The other problem is that some of the tickets bought and sold through StubHub are counterfeit. Per a source with knowledge of the situation, roughly 30 tickets per game purchased via StubHub end up being phony. And although StubHub eventually refunds the money, the consumers typically must jump through multiple hoops to make it happen.
Thus, one of the claims in the lawsuit is that StubHub has tortiously interfered with the team's relationship with its season-ticket holders, and the primary goal is to get the company to stop the practice. Any damages recovered will go to the Patriots Charitable Foundation, not to the team itself.
With all that said, the decision of the Patriots to pursue the action against StubHub creates a real risk that the media will begin to scrutinize more carefully the involvement of teams in the scalping of tickets -- including the widespread manner in which some teams turn profits on the sale of Super Bowl seats. But it appears that StubHub backed the Patriots into a corner on this one, and it should prompt any NFL team that maintains a relationship with StubHub to re-examine the wisdom of dealing with a company that might have provoked a course of action that, depending on how the dominoes fall, could eventually make it harder to realize those late January windfalls.
Second, Profootballtalk.com claims that 30 tickets per game sold at StubHub's sites are fake -- but that's not StubHub's fault as many ticket brokers are guilty of selling fraudulent tickets and try to use StubHub to do this; Stubhub's the only company that actually does have a money-back guarantee to protect this. Ticketmaster has no such program, which brings me to Ticketmaster.
Ticketmaster is a true ticket brokerage, period. They've even told high-priced secondary ticket market tickets to Presidential inuagurations. But why isn't Ticketmaster, which sells nothing but at or over face value tickets, being sued? Because it has a contractual relationship with the New England Patriots. For example, Ticketmaster has tickets for the upcoming Patriots / Bears game for up to $500, far in access of the face value for the ticket. Why isn't Ticketmaster the focus of the lawsuit? Well, because the site where the tickets are sold belongs to Ticketmaster and the New England Patriots.
Check it out for yourself. If one know's what to look for, what appeared to be a lawsuit based on the idea of stopping ticket scalping, turns out to be a tool to clear the competition for Ticketmaster, leaving them to jack up prices.
Nice.
Here's Profootballtalk.com..
MORE ON PATS' SCALPING SUIT
We've rolled up our sleeves and tracked down some more information regarding the lawsuit filed on Tuesday by the New England Patriots against online ticket scalping company StubHub.
Okay, actually the stuff kind of fell into our laps but, hey, we take what we can get.
The action, as we understand it, isn't an effort by the team to attack the near-universal and long-standing practice of people selling tickets to sporting events for value greater than the price printed on the thing. Whether it's a guy with a computer or a laminated piece of cardboard with "I NEED TICKETS" in block letters, someone always will be looking to make a buck (or a few hundred) via the re-selling of seats.
The Patriots are focusing on a more specific dynamic -- the focused efforts of StubHub to induce season-ticket holders to engage in activities that violate their individual agreements with the franchise.
Put simply, the folks who have secured the ability to buy tickets to all Patriots home games agree not to re-sell the tickets at an increased price. For individuals who can't use their tickets to a given game, the team maintains a waiting list of folks who can acquire the tickets at face value, plus a relatively small service charge from Ticketmaster.
StubHub, we're told, was placed on notice of these contractual rights and responsibilities, yet has continued to induce season ticket holders to breach their agreements via specific advertisements in publications like the Boston Globe, which ads contain messages like "Are you a Patriots season-ticket holder who can't sell your tickets?"
The prevalence of the advertising efforts caused the organization to become concerned that the franchise is condoning the practice. The other problem is that some of the tickets bought and sold through StubHub are counterfeit. Per a source with knowledge of the situation, roughly 30 tickets per game purchased via StubHub end up being phony. And although StubHub eventually refunds the money, the consumers typically must jump through multiple hoops to make it happen.
Thus, one of the claims in the lawsuit is that StubHub has tortiously interfered with the team's relationship with its season-ticket holders, and the primary goal is to get the company to stop the practice. Any damages recovered will go to the Patriots Charitable Foundation, not to the team itself.
With all that said, the decision of the Patriots to pursue the action against StubHub creates a real risk that the media will begin to scrutinize more carefully the involvement of teams in the scalping of tickets -- including the widespread manner in which some teams turn profits on the sale of Super Bowl seats. But it appears that StubHub backed the Patriots into a corner on this one, and it should prompt any NFL team that maintains a relationship with StubHub to re-examine the wisdom of dealing with a company that might have provoked a course of action that, depending on how the dominoes fall, could eventually make it harder to realize those late January windfalls.
Thursday, November 23, 2006
New England Patriots Win Super Bowl XXXVIII - Video Of Wining Field Goal; Reaction
I was at this Super Bowl as this happened. Here someone's video of Adam Viniateri's kick giving the New England Patriots the win over the Carolina Panthers in a dramatic game.
Monte Poole - Oakland Tribune Columnist On Randy Moss and Raiders
Marriage between Moss and Raiders just won't work
Column by Monte Poole
Article Last Updated:11/22/2006 08:08:46 AM PST
THEY LIKE to throw the deep pass, so they obtained theleague's superior deep threat.
They embrace the notion of baggage and talent in a single package, so they acquired a touchdown machine with a renegade reputation.
They needed a new start, he needed a new start, and it just made sense, given their apparent compatibility, that they become partners and begin their sprint toward prosperity.
The Raiders' decision 20 months ago to marry Randy Moss was, theoretically, conceived in the lap of logic, a practically perfect match of player and system. Nowhere in the NFL was there a man whose talents better fit his team's schemes and concepts than Randy and the Raiders.
Now, 26 games later, there is no avoiding the evidence branding this union an abject failure. Raiders-Moss has been downright catastrophic, leaving both parties grotesquely disfigured, ruined for the foreseeable future.
Moss came here to collect another 40 or 50 touchdowns, revive a sagging franchise and put an exclamation point on a Hall of Fame career.
Moss will, in all likelihood, leave town at age 30, with signs of midcareer burnout, wondering ifhis highway to Canton was sabotaged by his brief and joyless stay behind the eye patch.
Remember how Moss was welcomed to Oakland after the trade? He arrived at Oakland International, was whisked into a limo and received a police escort to Raiders headquarters.
It was an entrance fit for a savior or a king. Insofar as Moss was generally considered NFL royalty, it was a conspicuous manifestation of the value the team placed in its newest member.
The Raiders had made a bold move, doing whatever was necessary to make themselves matter again, creating significant buzz around the city and the league. The Raider Nation was ecstatic.
Since that day, however, they have won six games, while losing 20. It is the most pathetic 26-game stretch of the 431/2 years they have spent under the spell of Al Davis.
Moreover, Moss has become irrelevant.
He has been, in Oakland, an acutely unexceptional wide receiver. Once drawn to the end zone like a flower to the sun, Moss rarely finds the place and doesn't always look comfortable when he does. His Pro Bowl status is practically rusted over.
As this season has slogged along, Randy's focus has turned foggy, his hands have hardened, and his passion has turned to apathy. It's as if he has cloned the most despised athletic characteristics of so many other talents who came and went, having dumped a pile of unfulfilled promise across local hopes.
Do the names Billy Owens, Rickey Dudley, Jeff George, Ruben Sierra or J.J. Stokes mean anything?
Seeing Moss jog to a stop, arms passively at his sides, witnessing Kansas City safety Jarrad Page intercept Aaron Brooks' pass — intended for Moss — in the end zone Sunday was merely the latest sign of Randy's disgust with his employer.
Even before that, though, you couldn't pitch a dart in the dark without hitting a flashing red light of his displeasure here.
Just last Friday Moss asked, rather politely, to be sent elsewhere, anywhere.
Four days before that, he conceded his formerly reliable hands have become a liability, saying it may be the result of his unhappiness here.
A few weeks before that, he implied knowledge of why the Raiders aren't able to finish off even average opponents — but kept his thoughts to himself.
It was last month when he asked a simple question, the essence of which was: Since the Raiders aren't doing what they can to win, why should I?
It was Moss, you may recall, who warned us during summer that some "fishy" stuff was going on with the Raiders.
After eight losses in 10 games, the fish is old and stinking and visible to the world.
Raiders-Moss wasn't a predictable disaster on the order of Bobby and Whitney, Britney and K-Fed, or O.J. and Fox News. But the result is the same, an ugly breakup to which both parties contributed.
The Raiders should have known what everybody else knew about Moss, that he requires considerable maintenance and does his best work under optimum conditions. That, they have not provided. Not even close.
Yet for a while, Moss was the model teammate, praised for his selflessness, his humor, his efforts to generate esprit de corps.
What did that get him? The man who scored 91 touchdowns in 109 games in Minnesota has scored 11 in 26 games in Oakland. The dynamic tandem of Moss and Jerry Porter never quite materialized.
So this has been a slow erosion of Randy's already fragile mental toughness. As things have splintered and frayed and fractured around him, Moss clearly became demoralized, giving up on his team and, by extension, himself.
No wonder he wants out. It is the best thing for him and for the Raiders. Both parties, easy targets for critics, need to see if they can recapture what they once possessed.
On New Year's Eve night, after the their last game, the Raiders should vow to move Moss. Such an act would acknowledge the obvious: Sometimes marriages seemingly made in heaven sink to a substantially lower place.
Monte Poole can be reached at (510) 208-6461 or by e-mail at mpoole@angnewspapers.com.
Donovan McNabb Out; Terrell Owens Doens't Care - ESPN
Torn ACL ends McNabb's year; swelling delays surgery - ESPN
Associated Press
PHILADELPHIA -- Donovan McNabb tore a ligament in his right knee and will miss the rest of the season, the third time in five years the Eagles will finish a campaign without their hard-luck quarterback.
No sympathy from T.O.
IRVING, Texas -- Donovan McNabb shouldn't expect a "Get well soon" text message from Terrell Owens.
"Absolutely not," Owens said Tuesday.
But, T.O., don't you remember McNabb sending you one following your reported suicide attempt that turned out to be an accidental overdose?
"I'm not even going there, dude," Owens said, laughing and shaking his head. "I wouldn't even make up a story like that. It's not even worth it. Just not even worth it."
Although McNabb has said he reached out to Owens following his brief hospital stint in September, Owens has maintained he never received anything from McNabb.
The mixup or media ploy -- depending on whose side you're on -- only added to the bitter feelings between the former Philadelphia teammates whose friendship dissolved oh-so-publicly.
McNabb was rolling to his right and was bumped out of bounds after throwing an incomplete pass Sunday when he grabbed his leg in pain early in the second quarter of Philadelphia's 31-13 loss to the Titans.
He was immediately tended to by trainers, carted off the field and later taken to a hospital. The Eagles said McNabb, a five-time Pro Bowl selection in the midst of a possible career year, tore his anterior cruciate ligament.
"That's normally an eight-month-to-a-year injury," Eagles coach Andy Reid said, "so he's done for the year."
According to reports on the Eagles Web site, McNabb was examined by Dr. James Andrews in Birmingham, Ala., on Monday. The famed orthopedic surgeon concluded that swelling in the knee would prevent immediate surgery.
McNabb was officially placed on injured reserve Tuesday. Linebacker Torrance Daniels was promoted from the practice squad to take McNabb's roster spot. Quarterback Omar Jacobs was signed to the practice squad.
McNabb will work with Eagles staff for the next two to three weeks to reduce swelling. Philadelphia head athletic trainer Rick Burkholder updated McNabb's condition on Monday, saying the quarterback also suffered minor meniscus damage.
"[McNabb] accepts that injuries are part of the game. He is disappointed, I know," Burkholder told philadelphiaeagles.com. "The last thing I said to him last night when he was leaving was, 'We'll get you right,' and he said, 'We've got to get these guys right.' His concern was his teammates more than him at the time. I don't think any of us expect anything less out of Donovan."
While Burkholder acknowledged that the recovery time for this kind of injury is almost a year, he also said, "Some depends on what happens when they get in there and look around to see whether there is any other damage."
McNabb came into Sunday's game tied with Peyton Manning for the league lead with 18 touchdown passes and was second in the league with 2,569 yards passing.
Titans defensive end Kyle Vanden Bosch, who bumped McNabb out of bounds on the play, said he was trying to get a hand in the quarterback's face as he was trying to get off the pass.
"I really feel bad for him," Vanden Bosch said. "You know I never play with the intent to get anybody hurt and I've been through two ACL injuries myself and you know my thoughts and prayers go out to him."
McNabb was replaced in the lineup by Jeff Garcia, who finished the game 26-for-48 for 189 yards and threw a touchdown pass to L.J. Smith.
"You never think he's not going to get up and come back on the field," Garcia said. "He's a great player and he was having a great year. And he is a leader on this team and he will be missed in many ways."
Donovan McNabb injured his right knee early in the second quarter against the Titans.
The Eagles fell to 5-5 with the loss, but Reid said he would expect the team to bounce back.
"He's a great player," Reid said. But "we can still win football games with the guys that we have."
McNabb missed the final seven games last season with a sports hernia and Philadelphia finished 6-10, a frustrating follow-up to the Eagles' Super Bowl run. McNabb also sat out the final six regular-season games of the 2002 season with a broken ankle before returning for the playoffs.
The Eagles were 2-5 with Mike McMahon filling in for McNabb last season and went 5-1 with Koy Detmer and A.J. Feeley starting the last six games in '02.
McNabb was 6-for-13 for 78 yards and threw an interception in the end zone before leaving the game.
Reid said he would determine later whether Garcia would start in place of McNabb against Indianapolis next week. Feeley was re-signed by the Eagles in the preseason and is the team's third quarterback.
Copyright 2006 by The Associated Press
Associated Press
PHILADELPHIA -- Donovan McNabb tore a ligament in his right knee and will miss the rest of the season, the third time in five years the Eagles will finish a campaign without their hard-luck quarterback.
No sympathy from T.O.
IRVING, Texas -- Donovan McNabb shouldn't expect a "Get well soon" text message from Terrell Owens.
"Absolutely not," Owens said Tuesday.
But, T.O., don't you remember McNabb sending you one following your reported suicide attempt that turned out to be an accidental overdose?
"I'm not even going there, dude," Owens said, laughing and shaking his head. "I wouldn't even make up a story like that. It's not even worth it. Just not even worth it."
Although McNabb has said he reached out to Owens following his brief hospital stint in September, Owens has maintained he never received anything from McNabb.
The mixup or media ploy -- depending on whose side you're on -- only added to the bitter feelings between the former Philadelphia teammates whose friendship dissolved oh-so-publicly.
McNabb was rolling to his right and was bumped out of bounds after throwing an incomplete pass Sunday when he grabbed his leg in pain early in the second quarter of Philadelphia's 31-13 loss to the Titans.
He was immediately tended to by trainers, carted off the field and later taken to a hospital. The Eagles said McNabb, a five-time Pro Bowl selection in the midst of a possible career year, tore his anterior cruciate ligament.
"That's normally an eight-month-to-a-year injury," Eagles coach Andy Reid said, "so he's done for the year."
According to reports on the Eagles Web site, McNabb was examined by Dr. James Andrews in Birmingham, Ala., on Monday. The famed orthopedic surgeon concluded that swelling in the knee would prevent immediate surgery.
McNabb was officially placed on injured reserve Tuesday. Linebacker Torrance Daniels was promoted from the practice squad to take McNabb's roster spot. Quarterback Omar Jacobs was signed to the practice squad.
McNabb will work with Eagles staff for the next two to three weeks to reduce swelling. Philadelphia head athletic trainer Rick Burkholder updated McNabb's condition on Monday, saying the quarterback also suffered minor meniscus damage.
"[McNabb] accepts that injuries are part of the game. He is disappointed, I know," Burkholder told philadelphiaeagles.com. "The last thing I said to him last night when he was leaving was, 'We'll get you right,' and he said, 'We've got to get these guys right.' His concern was his teammates more than him at the time. I don't think any of us expect anything less out of Donovan."
While Burkholder acknowledged that the recovery time for this kind of injury is almost a year, he also said, "Some depends on what happens when they get in there and look around to see whether there is any other damage."
McNabb came into Sunday's game tied with Peyton Manning for the league lead with 18 touchdown passes and was second in the league with 2,569 yards passing.
Titans defensive end Kyle Vanden Bosch, who bumped McNabb out of bounds on the play, said he was trying to get a hand in the quarterback's face as he was trying to get off the pass.
"I really feel bad for him," Vanden Bosch said. "You know I never play with the intent to get anybody hurt and I've been through two ACL injuries myself and you know my thoughts and prayers go out to him."
McNabb was replaced in the lineup by Jeff Garcia, who finished the game 26-for-48 for 189 yards and threw a touchdown pass to L.J. Smith.
"You never think he's not going to get up and come back on the field," Garcia said. "He's a great player and he was having a great year. And he is a leader on this team and he will be missed in many ways."
Donovan McNabb injured his right knee early in the second quarter against the Titans.
The Eagles fell to 5-5 with the loss, but Reid said he would expect the team to bounce back.
"He's a great player," Reid said. But "we can still win football games with the guys that we have."
McNabb missed the final seven games last season with a sports hernia and Philadelphia finished 6-10, a frustrating follow-up to the Eagles' Super Bowl run. McNabb also sat out the final six regular-season games of the 2002 season with a broken ankle before returning for the playoffs.
The Eagles were 2-5 with Mike McMahon filling in for McNabb last season and went 5-1 with Koy Detmer and A.J. Feeley starting the last six games in '02.
McNabb was 6-for-13 for 78 yards and threw an interception in the end zone before leaving the game.
Reid said he would determine later whether Garcia would start in place of McNabb against Indianapolis next week. Feeley was re-signed by the Eagles in the preseason and is the team's third quarterback.
Copyright 2006 by The Associated Press
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