Stadium Naming Rights Deals Make Rebound
By Ben Klayman
Reuters
Sports stadium naming rights deals seemed bad karma a few years ago amid accounting scandals and the dot-com bust, but they have rebounded with a vengeance, with bigger dollar amounts and more comprehensive plans.
Companies are no longer simply slapping a name on a stadium. They are devising complex brand-burnishing strategies involving logos, advertising and technology deployment with a view to boosting profits.
Financial services company Citigroup Inc. agreed last week to pay the New York Mets a reported record $400 million over 20 years for rights to name their new baseball park, set to open in 2009, Citi Field. In California, the Oakland A’s said network equipment maker Cisco Systems Inc. would pay $120 million over 30 years to name their new stadium Cisco Field, to be built in nearby Fremont.
“What you’re seeing today and why you’re able to get $20 million a year out of a relationship with Citibank, for instance, is that these are strategic alliances designed to drive business between the two organizations,” said David Carter, executive director of the USC Sports Business Institute.
The Mets-Citigroup agreement tops the 30-year, $300-million naming rights deal the National Football League’s Houston Texans have with Reliant Energy Inc., according to Bonham Group, a Denver sports marketing and consulting firm that has negotiated a number of similar deals.
Teams are only too happy to sign such deals as they look to squeeze every possible dollar from their properties, analysts said. And past scandals have not scared off either side.
The most infamous name change occurred in 2002, when the Houston Astros baseball team re-acquired their stadium naming rights from bankrupt energy trader Enron Corp. in order to sell them to Coca-Cola Co.’s Minute Maid.
Other sports venues have seen similar changes. The football stadiums of the Tennessee Titans and Baltimore Ravens, respectively, switched from names linked to a former unit of cable company Adelphia Communications and Internet services provider PSINet, both of which filed for bankruptcy.
As companies look to connect with customers, naming rights deals will remain lucrative for the teams, said Fred Popp, chief executive of SME, a New York sports branding and design firm.
“Clients need to bypass the brain and go right for the heart,” Popp said. “Sports brands are surrogates. They allow the typical consumer brand to engage the consumer in a highly emotional way, in a way that you just can’t establish with your product alone.”
Naming rights alone are not enough, however, The Mets deal also includes the right to put the Citi brand throughout the new park, the use by Citigroup of Mets logos, the bank’s purchase of advertising on the Mets’ cable network and the joint development of business opportunities.
The Cisco deal includes the sale by the company of 143 acres of land to the Oakland team for a new stadium. Cisco’s technology in the ballpark will allow services such as the ability to upgrade tickets in on-site ticket kiosks, order souvenirs or food using a mobile device, and view replays at your seat and save them to a personal Web page.
Cisco treasurer, David Holland, who negotiated the deal, said it aligns closely with his San Jose, California-based company’s business objectives, which include getting more of its technology into sports venues.
“In the past, we have not been a company that looks to hang our sign on these kinds of venues,” he told Reuters. “If you look at how Cisco’s business has evolved, particularly in the last few years and most recently with the acquisition of Scientific Atlanta, we are moving closer and closer to the (consumer) of our equipment.”
While still growing accustomed to new ballpark names, fans accept them as the price to be paid for competitive teams and lower taxes related to stadium construction.
“Nowadays, when you talk about the costs of stadiums, you understand eventually it’s going to go to the highest bidder,” said Mets fan Nick Parente.
“I’m just looking forward to the new stadium, in all honesty, because even though Shea was one of the older stadiums, it wasn’t one of the prettiest,” said the 37-year-old Hoboken, New Jersey, resident, who works in aviation insurance underwriting.
The Mets shouldn’t get too comfortable with their record-setting deal, however.
Analysts said the NFL’s New York Giants and Jets’ new football stadium—planned for 2010—features a large venue, two major teams in a popular sport and the New York market, suggesting yet another new record is likely.
Sunday, December 10, 2006
San Francisco 49ers, Monster Park, Stadium Naming Rights, And Corporate Responsibilty
Oracle, who's name now graces the Oakland Arena, and Monster Cable, which placed its name on the stadium where the San Francisco 49ers play, have got themselves into a big mess.
Now that both companies have their names on publically-owned stadium, they're discovering they can't get away with treating the public poorly.
This Oakland Tribune article tells the story:
Naming rights not all companies get
Oracle, others find monikers on arenas bring community expectations
By Barbara Grady, BUSINESS WRITER - Oakland Tribune Article Last Updated:12/10/2006 02:50:10 AM PST
A cheerleading squad from an inner city Oakland high school and their parents are angry with Oracle Corp. ever since the company -- whose name is emblazoned on the arena of the Golden State Warriors -- turned the students away from an Oracle trade show.
A San Francisco neighborhood of immigrants and members of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors are upset with Monster Cable Products Inc. because the Brisbane company -- whose name is all over the 49ers football stadium -- has laid off 120 employees who have scant chances of finding new jobs.
What Oracle and Monster Cable are learning -- the hard way -- is that with the naming rights to big professional sports stadiums comes higher expectations about how the companies will behave in the community. Redwood Shores-based Oracle, one of the world's largest software companies, is paying about $3 million a year for Oracle Arena to be the name of the Warriors' home. Huge red Oracle signs are not only highly visible to every driver on Interstate 880, every pedestrian in the neighborhood and every basketball fan coming to the arena for games, but Oracle's name also appears in newspaper, magazine and online accounts of games played at the arena.
Monster, paying $6 million over four years for naming rights to the 49ers stadium, gets the same huge publicity benefit by having its name on the former Candlestick Park not far from Highway 101.
So when the Oracle signs piqued the interest of the cheerleaders from Castlemont High School, the coach, a parent and squad members decided one October afternoon to visit the huge Oracle OpenWorld trade show in San Francisco.
To their hurt and dismay, the students were turned away from the show. "They didn't have to act that way to teenagers," said Lillian Foster, coach of the Castlemont cheerleading squad. "They asked us not to come in because they thought all we wanted to do was pass out fliers."
Said Ethel Davis, grandmother to one student, "You have these kids trying to go to learn about computers and people are shunning them."
Strike one for Oracle community relations in the hometown of its arena. Oracle officials did not know about the visit and said contracted security guards, not Oracle employees, turned the students away.
"We would have gladly welcomed the students if we knew" in advance of their interest, said Bob Wynne, chief spokesman at Oracle. The squad later was hosted at a Warriors' basketball game and is in discussions with Oracle about a donation.
Still -- like Monster Cable -- Oracle learned a lesson. "Getting the naming rights has put more expectations on Monster to explain our actions as a business," said Daniel Graham, spokesman for Monster Cable.
Citing pressure from overseas competitors, Monster laid off 120 employees from its Brisbane plant in late October. Almost all of them were longtime employees of immigrant background and limited English skills, said San Francisco Supervisor Jake McGoldrick, who represents the district in which many laid-off workers live.
Now Monster Cable faces threats of losing naming rights to the 49ers stadium because of community anger over layoffs.
"He should take the letters M-O-N-S-T-E-R off the walls of that ballpark and we will gladly release him from the contract. He can use the money to help the workers," McGoldrick said of Monster Chief Executive Noel Lee. Lee founded the company 27 years ago in the Richmond district, which McGoldrick rep resents.
When Monster moved to Brisbane, many workers followed him. Monster gave four weeks severance pay and four weeks extended health benefits to the laid-off workers. But the workers want the same severance that Monster gave to previously laid-off workers, which is four weeks plus one week for every year an employee worked at Monster, according to McGoldrick and an association representing the workers.
"The City and County of San Francisco shares a special connection with your company since your name is attached to the stadium at Candlestick Point," Supervisors Aaron Peskin, McGoldrick and Ross Mirkarimi wrote to Monster Cable. "We have seriousÊconcerns about the layoffs. As a major employer in the Bay Area, Monster Cable's mass layoffs will be felt throughout the City and County."
Lee responded in a letter to the supervisors that four weeks of severance pay is more than what other manufacturers often do and that "we are one of the highest-paying employers in the local manufacturing industry" by paying $12 to $25 an hour. "To imply that we do not treat our people well is uninformed."
But sports marketing consultant Zennie Abraham, chief executive of Sports Business Simulations of Oakland, said the high public exposure a company gets from a sports stadium naming contract puts a higher obligation on that company to act on behalf of the community.
"The name is in the public's face and because that company is associated with a good organization -- for example, the Warriors -- the general expectation from the community is that the company is going to be good," Abraham said.
"Only a big company has enough money to demand that its name is placed on a facility, but they do it because they know they are going to get enormous marketing benefits," Abraham said. With that publicity, "it's absolutely inherent in naming-rights contracts (that) they open themselves up to community concerns."
In some stadium naming contracts, such as ones crafted by American Airlines in Dallas and FedEx in Landover, Md., the naming-rights contract comes with agreements to sponsor community programs in the city, he said. The most infamous mistake involving naming rights might have been Enron Park in Houston. After the Enron scandal erupted, the Astros quickly bought out the 30-year, $100 million naming-rights deal with Enron and found a new, more palatable sponsor, Minute Maid.
Now that both companies have their names on publically-owned stadium, they're discovering they can't get away with treating the public poorly.
This Oakland Tribune article tells the story:
Naming rights not all companies get
Oracle, others find monikers on arenas bring community expectations
By Barbara Grady, BUSINESS WRITER - Oakland Tribune Article Last Updated:12/10/2006 02:50:10 AM PST
A cheerleading squad from an inner city Oakland high school and their parents are angry with Oracle Corp. ever since the company -- whose name is emblazoned on the arena of the Golden State Warriors -- turned the students away from an Oracle trade show.
A San Francisco neighborhood of immigrants and members of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors are upset with Monster Cable Products Inc. because the Brisbane company -- whose name is all over the 49ers football stadium -- has laid off 120 employees who have scant chances of finding new jobs.
What Oracle and Monster Cable are learning -- the hard way -- is that with the naming rights to big professional sports stadiums comes higher expectations about how the companies will behave in the community. Redwood Shores-based Oracle, one of the world's largest software companies, is paying about $3 million a year for Oracle Arena to be the name of the Warriors' home. Huge red Oracle signs are not only highly visible to every driver on Interstate 880, every pedestrian in the neighborhood and every basketball fan coming to the arena for games, but Oracle's name also appears in newspaper, magazine and online accounts of games played at the arena.
Monster, paying $6 million over four years for naming rights to the 49ers stadium, gets the same huge publicity benefit by having its name on the former Candlestick Park not far from Highway 101.
So when the Oracle signs piqued the interest of the cheerleaders from Castlemont High School, the coach, a parent and squad members decided one October afternoon to visit the huge Oracle OpenWorld trade show in San Francisco.
To their hurt and dismay, the students were turned away from the show. "They didn't have to act that way to teenagers," said Lillian Foster, coach of the Castlemont cheerleading squad. "They asked us not to come in because they thought all we wanted to do was pass out fliers."
Said Ethel Davis, grandmother to one student, "You have these kids trying to go to learn about computers and people are shunning them."
Strike one for Oracle community relations in the hometown of its arena. Oracle officials did not know about the visit and said contracted security guards, not Oracle employees, turned the students away.
"We would have gladly welcomed the students if we knew" in advance of their interest, said Bob Wynne, chief spokesman at Oracle. The squad later was hosted at a Warriors' basketball game and is in discussions with Oracle about a donation.
Still -- like Monster Cable -- Oracle learned a lesson. "Getting the naming rights has put more expectations on Monster to explain our actions as a business," said Daniel Graham, spokesman for Monster Cable.
Citing pressure from overseas competitors, Monster laid off 120 employees from its Brisbane plant in late October. Almost all of them were longtime employees of immigrant background and limited English skills, said San Francisco Supervisor Jake McGoldrick, who represents the district in which many laid-off workers live.
Now Monster Cable faces threats of losing naming rights to the 49ers stadium because of community anger over layoffs.
"He should take the letters M-O-N-S-T-E-R off the walls of that ballpark and we will gladly release him from the contract. He can use the money to help the workers," McGoldrick said of Monster Chief Executive Noel Lee. Lee founded the company 27 years ago in the Richmond district, which McGoldrick rep resents.
When Monster moved to Brisbane, many workers followed him. Monster gave four weeks severance pay and four weeks extended health benefits to the laid-off workers. But the workers want the same severance that Monster gave to previously laid-off workers, which is four weeks plus one week for every year an employee worked at Monster, according to McGoldrick and an association representing the workers.
"The City and County of San Francisco shares a special connection with your company since your name is attached to the stadium at Candlestick Point," Supervisors Aaron Peskin, McGoldrick and Ross Mirkarimi wrote to Monster Cable. "We have seriousÊconcerns about the layoffs. As a major employer in the Bay Area, Monster Cable's mass layoffs will be felt throughout the City and County."
Lee responded in a letter to the supervisors that four weeks of severance pay is more than what other manufacturers often do and that "we are one of the highest-paying employers in the local manufacturing industry" by paying $12 to $25 an hour. "To imply that we do not treat our people well is uninformed."
But sports marketing consultant Zennie Abraham, chief executive of Sports Business Simulations of Oakland, said the high public exposure a company gets from a sports stadium naming contract puts a higher obligation on that company to act on behalf of the community.
"The name is in the public's face and because that company is associated with a good organization -- for example, the Warriors -- the general expectation from the community is that the company is going to be good," Abraham said.
"Only a big company has enough money to demand that its name is placed on a facility, but they do it because they know they are going to get enormous marketing benefits," Abraham said. With that publicity, "it's absolutely inherent in naming-rights contracts (that) they open themselves up to community concerns."
In some stadium naming contracts, such as ones crafted by American Airlines in Dallas and FedEx in Landover, Md., the naming-rights contract comes with agreements to sponsor community programs in the city, he said. The most infamous mistake involving naming rights might have been Enron Park in Houston. After the Enron scandal erupted, the Astros quickly bought out the 30-year, $100 million naming-rights deal with Enron and found a new, more palatable sponsor, Minute Maid.
Thursday, December 07, 2006
NFL INJURY REPORT - WEDNESDAY | MARVIN HARRISON CLOSES IN ON 1,000
FOR USE AS DESIRED
NFL-PER-14A 12/6/06
MARVIN HARRISON CLOSES IN ON 1,000
Indianapolis Colts wide receiver MARVIN HARRISON has 995 receptions in his 11-year career. With five catches this Sunday against the Jacksonville Jaguars, Harrison will join JERRY RICE (1,549), CRIS CARTER (1,101) and TIM BROWN (1,094) as the only players in NFL history with 1,000 career receptions. Harrison will play in his 167th game this week and can reach 1,000 catches in the fewest games in league annals. Rice accomplished the feat in 181 games.
4=1
Following is a list of quarterback injuries for Week 14 Games:
Miami Dolphins Out Daunte Culpepper (Knee)
Minnesota Vikings Doubtful Brooks Bollinger (Left Shoulder)
Carolina Panthers Questionable Jake Delhomme (Right Thumb)
Cleveland Browns Questionable Charlie Frye (Right Wrist)
New England Patriots Probable Tom Brady (Right Shoulder)
New York Jets Probable Chad Pennington (Calf)
Philadelphia Eagles Probable Jeff Garcia (Neck)
St. Louis Rams ms Probable Marc Bulger (Ribs )
Following is a list of injured players for Week 14 Games:
CLEVELAND BROWNS AT PITTSBURGH STEELERS on Thursday
Cleveland Browns
OUT DE Orpheus Roye (Knee)
QUESTIONABLE QB Charlie Frye (Right Wrist); S Justin Hamilton (Back); CB
Jereme Perry (Knee); LB Mason Unck (Groin); TE Kellen
Winslow (Knee)
PROBABLE LB Willie McGinest (Pectoral); S Brian Russell (Elbow); LB
Chaun Thompson (Ankle); CB Leigh Bodden (Ankle)
Listed players who did not participate in ''team'' practice:
(Defined as missing any portion of 11-on-11 team work)
TUES Orpheus Roye; Charlie Frye; Mason Unck; Kellen Winslow
WED Orpheus Roye; Charlie Frye; Mason Unck
Pittsburgh Steelers
OUT WR Hines Ward (Knee); WR Cedrick Wilson (Ankle); S Troy
Polamalu (Knee); S Ryan Clark (Groin)
Listed players who did not participate in ''team'' practice:
(Defined as missing any portion of 11-on-11 team work)
TUES Hines Ward; Cedrick Wilson; Troy Polamalu; Ryan Clark
WED Hines Ward; Cedrick Wilson; Troy Polamalu; Ryan Clark
TENNESSEE TITANS AT HOUSTON TEXANS
Tennessee Titans
OUT DE Antwan Odom (Knee)
QUESTIONABLE RB LenDale White (Hip); TE Ben Hartsock (Hamstring); DE Josh
Savage (Hamstring); DT Robaire Smith (Hamstring); G Benji
Olson (Back)
Listed players who did not participate in ''team'' practice:
(Defined as missing any portion of 11-on-11 team work)
WED Antwan Odom; LenDale White; Josh Savage; Robaire Smith;
Benji Olson
Houston Texans
PROBABLE RB Jameel Cook (Knee); DT Thomas Johnson (Hamstring); DE
Anthony Weaver (Knee); DE Mario Williams (Foot)
Listed players who did not participate in ''team'' practice:
(Defined as missing any portion of 11-on-11 team work)
WED Jameel Cook; Anthony Weaver; Mario Williams
BALTIMORE RAVENS AT KANSAS CITY CHIEFS
Baltimore Ravens
DOUBTFUL LB Dan Cody (Knee); RB Musa Smith (Neck)
QUESTIONABLE LB Dennis Haley (Ankle); G Keydrick Vincent (Thigh); TE Daniel
Wilcox (Thigh)
Listed players who did not participate in ''team'' practice:
(Defined as missing any portion of 11-on-11 team work)
WED Dan Cody; Musa Smith; Dennis Haley; Keydrick Vincent; Daniel
Wilcox
Kansas City Chiefs
PROBABLE TE Tony Gonzalez (Shoulder); T Kyle Turley (Shoulder)
Listed players who did not participate in ''team'' practice:
(Defined as missing any portion of 11-on-11 team work)
WED Tony Gonzalez; Kyle Turley
NEW YORK GIANTS AT CAROLINA PANTHERS
New York Giants
OUT T Luke Petitgout (Fibula)
DOUBTFUL DE Michael Strahan (Foot)
QUESTIONABLE CB Corey Webster (Toe)
PROBABLE LB Antonio Pierce (Knee)
Listed players who did not participate in ''team'' practice:
(Defined as missing any portion of 11-on-11 team work)
WED Luke Petitgout; Michael Strahan; Corey Webster; Antonio Pierce
Carolina Panthers
QUESTIONABLE QB Jake Delhomme (Right Thumb); RB Nick Goings (Shoulder);
LB Brandon Jamison (Thigh); CB Ken Lucas (Thigh); TE Kris
Mangum (Hip); S Mike Minter (Knee)
PROBABLE WR Taye Biddle (Tooth); RB DeShaun Foster (Elbow); RB Brad
Hoover (Back); G Mike Wahle (Shoulder)
Listed players who did not participate in ''team'' practice:
(Defined as missing any portion of 11-on-11 team work)
WED Jake Delhomme; Nick Goings; Brandon Jamison; Ken Lucas; Kris
Mangum; Mike Minter; Taye Biddle
OAKLAND RAIDERS AT CINCINNATI BENGALS
Oakland Raiders
OUT T Robert Gallery (Elbow); RB LaMont Jordan (Knee)
DOUBTFUL WR Jerry Porter (Hip); DE Lance Johnstone (Knee); G Corey
Hulsey (Knee)
QUESTIONABLE G Barry Sims (Abdomen)
PROBABLE TE Randal Williams (Back); DT Anttaj Hawthorne (Shoulder); K
Sebastian Janikowski (Back)
Listed players who did not participate in ''team'' practice:
(Defined as missing any portion of 11-on-11 team work)
WED Practice Not Complete
Cincinnati Bengals
OUT T Levi Jones (Knee)
DOUBTFUL C Rich Braham (Knee)
QUESTIONABLE C Eric Ghiaciuc (Knee); WR Kelley Washington (Hamstring)
PROBABLE WR T.J. Houshmandzadeh (Back); DT Shaun Smith (Illness);
DT John Thornton (Knee); S John Busing (Knee); DT Sam
Adams (Knee)
Listed players who did not participate in ''team'' practice:
(Defined as missing any portion of 11-on-11 team work)
WED Levi Jones; Rich Braham; Eric Ghiaciuc; Kelley Washington; T.J.
Houshmandzadeh; Shaun Smith; John Thornton; Sam Adams
MINNESOTA VIKINGS AT DETROIT LIONS
Minnesota Vikings
DOUBTFUL RB Chester Taylor (Ribs); QB Brooks Bollinger (Left Shoulder)
QUESTIONABLE G Artis Hicks (Ankle)
PROBABLE C Matt Birk (Neck); T Marcus Johnson (Foot); TE Jermaine
Wiggins (Knee); DT Pat Williams (Knee); CB Cedric Griffin
(Neck); LB Napoleon Harris (Wrist); P Chris Kluwe (Wrist); WR
Marcus Robinson (Ankle)
Listed players who did not participate in ''team'' practice:
(Defined as missing any portion of 11-on-11 team work)
WED Chester Taylor; Brooks Bollinger; Artis Hicks; Matt Birk; Marcus
Johnson; Jermaine Wiggins; Pat Williams; Cedric Griffin;
Napoleon Harris; Chris Kluwe; Marcus Robinson
Detroit Lions
OUT DT Shaun Rogers (Knee/IR); CB Fernando Bryant (Concussion)
QUESTIONABLE WR Devale Ellis (Shoulder); LB Teddy Lehman (Hamstring)
PROBABLE T Jeff Backus (Foot)
Listed players who did not participate in ''team'' practice:
(Defined as missing any portion of 11-on-11 team work)
WED Shaun Rogers; Fernando Bryant; Teddy Lehman; Jeff Backus
INDIANAPOLIS COLTS AT JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS
Indianapolis Colts
OUT TE Dallas Clark (Knee)
QUESTIONABLE RB De De Dorsey (Quadricep); CB Antoine Bethea (Shoulder);
WR Brandon Stokley (Knee); S Bob Sanders (Knee); LB Keith
O'Neil (Ankle); DE Robert Mathis (Knee); T Ryan Diem
(Abdomen)
Listed players who did not participate in ''team'' practice:
(Defined as missing any portion of 11-on-11 team work)
WED Dallas Clark; Bob Sanders
Jacksonville Jaguars
PROBABLE G Vincent Manuwai (Wrist); RB Montell Owens (Shoulder); LB
Jorge Cordova (Hamstring); CB Terry Cousin (Groin); WR
Cortez Hankton (Hamstring); P Chris Hanson (Left Hamstring);
LB Clint Ingram (Shoulder); RB Maurice Jones-Drew
(Hamstring); CB Ahmad Carroll (Groin); LB Kenneth Pettway
(Knee); LB Daryl Smith (Shoulder); S Nick Sorensen
(Hamstring); DT Marcus Stroud (Ankle); CB Brian Williams
(Hamstring); RB Derrick Wimbush (Ankle); TE George Wrighster
(Shoulder)
Listed players who did not participate in ''team'' practice:
(Defined as missing any portion of 11-on-11 team work)
WED All Players Participated
ATLANTA FALCONS AT TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS
Atlanta Falcons
DOUBTFUL CB Jason Webster (Groin)
PROBABLE CB Jimmy Williams (Ankle); DE John Abraham (Groin); DT
Grady Jackson (Knee); T Todd Weiner (Knee)
Listed players who did not participate in ''team'' practice:
(Defined as missing any portion of 11-on-11 team work)
WED Jason Webster; John Abraham; Grady Jackson; Todd Weiner
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
QUESTIONABLE CB Juran Bolden (Quadricep); LB Shelton Quarles (Knee); TE
Alex Smith (Ankle); DT Ellis Wyms (Ankle)
Listed players who did not participate in ''team'' practice:
(Defined as missing any portion of 11-on-11 team work)
WED All Players Practiced
PHILADELPHIA EAGLES AT WASHINGTON REDSKINS
Philadelphia Eagles
QUESTIONABLE CB Roderick Hood (Hamstring); DE Darren Howard (Knee); S
Michael Lewis (Concussion)
PROBABLE LB Shawn Barber (Knee); QB Jeff Garcia (Neck); CB William
James (Knee); LB Matt McCoy (Shoulder); S Quintin Mikell
(Foot); LB Jason Short (Knee); RB Brian Westbrook (Toe)
Listed players who did not participate in ''team'' practice:
(Defined as missing any portion of 11-on-11 team work)
WED Roderick Hood; Darren Howard; Michael Lewis
Washington Redskins
QUESTIONABLE CB Kenny Wright (Knee); LB Khary Campbell (Hamstring)
PROBABLE S Troy Vincent (Hamstring); TE Todd Yoder (Thigh); DE Phillip
Daniels (Ankle); T Jon Jansen (Calf); C Casey Rabach (Shin)
Listed players who did not participate in ''team'' practice:
(Defined as missing any portion of 11-on-11 team work)
WED Kenny Wright; Todd Yoder; Jon Jansen; Casey Rabach
NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS AT MIAMI DOLPHINS
New England Patriots
OUT S Eugene Wilson (Groin); S Rodney Harrison (Shoulder)
QUESTIONABLE LB Eric Alexander (Shoulder); LB Don Davis (Knee); TE Daniel
Graham (Ankle); T Ryan O'Callaghan (Neck); CB Ellis Hobbs
(Wrist); WR Chad Jackson (Groin); RB Laurence Maroney
(Back)
PROBABLE QB Tom Brady (Right Shoulder); LB Corey Mays (Hamstring);
DE Richard Seymour (Elbow)
Listed players who did not participate in ''team'' practice:
(Defined as missing any portion of 11-on-11 team work)
WED Eugene Wilson; Rodney Harrison; Eric Alexander; Don Davis;
Daniel Graham; Ryan O'Callaghan; Ellis Hobbs; Chad Jackson;
Laurence Maroney
Miami Dolphins
OUT RB Ronnie Brown (Hand); QB Daunte Culpepper (Knee); G
Jeno James (Knee)
PROBABLE CB Will Allen (Groin); RB Sammy Morris (Ankle); WR Wes
Welker (Shoulder); DE Jason Taylor (Forearm); DT Keith Traylor
(Knee)
Listed players who did not participate in ''team'' practice:
(Defined as missing any portion of 11-on-11 team work)
WED Ronnie Brown; Daunte Culpepper; Jeno James
GREEN BAY PACKERS AT SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS
Green Bay Packers
DOUBTFUL T Mark Tauscher (Groin)
QUESTIONABLE RB P.J. Pope (Hamstring); LB Ben Taylor (Hamstring); TE David
Martin (Ribs)
PROBABLE LB Nick Barnett (Hand); CB Patrick Dendy (Concussion); RB
Noah Herron (Ankle); RB Ahman Green (Knee); CB Charles
Woodson (Shoulder)
Listed players who did not participate in ''team'' practice:
(Defined as missing any portion of 11-on-11 team work)
WED Mark Tauscher; David Martin; Ahman Green; Charles Woodson
San Francisco 49ers
OUT TE Eric Johnson (Knee); LB Derek Smith (Hamstring); T Adam
Snyder (Knee)
QUESTIONABLE DT Anthony Adams (Knee); CB Shawntae Spencer (Ankle)
PROBABLE T Jonas Jennings (Ankle)
Listed players who did not participate in ''team'' practice:
(Defined as missing any portion of 11-on-11 team work)
WED Eric Johnson; Derek Smith; Adam Snyder; Anthony Adams;
Shawntae Spencer; Jonas Jennings
DENVER BRONCOS AT SAN DIEGO CHARGERS
Denver Broncos
OUT RB Cecil Sapp (Ankle)
QUESTIONABLE TE Stephen Alexander (Ankle); K Jason Elam (Left Hamstring);
T Adam Meadows (Hamstring); LB Al Wilson (Neck)
PROBABLE S Hamza Abdullah (Hip); LB Keith Burns (Knee); DE Patrick
Chukwurah (Finger); G Ben Hamilton (Thigh); S Quentin Harris
(Finger); TE Nate Jackson (Ribs); TE Mike Leach (Thumb); WR
Brandon Marshall (Ankle); T Erik Pears (Ankle); TE Chad
Mustard (Shoulder); CB Darrent Williams (Shoulder); DT
Demetrin Veal (Knee)
Listed players who did not participate in ''team'' practice:
(Defined as missing any portion of 11-on-11 team work)
WED Practice Not Complete
San Diego Chargers
QUESTIONABLE G Kris Dielman (Ankle); WR Keenan McCardell (Calf); S Marlon
McCree (Calf); DE Luis Castillo (Ankle); WR Malcom Floyd
(Ankle); LB Randall Godfrey (Calf); S Clinton Hart (Ankle); DE
Derreck Robinson (Foot); RB Michael Turner (Hamstring)
PROBABLE WR Kassim Osgood (Elbow); S Bhawoh Jue (Knee); DE
Jacques Cesaire (Finger); LB Shaun Phillips (Calf)
Listed players who did not participate in ''team'' practice:
(Defined as missing any portion of 11-on-11 team work)
WED Practice Not Complete
SEATTLE SEAHAWKS AT ARIZONA CARDINALS
Seattle Seahawks
DOUBTFUL LB D.D. Lewis (Toe); C Robbie Tobeck (Hip); TE Itula Mili
(Concussion)
QUESTIONABLE RB Mack Strong (Ankle); WR Bobby Engram (Illness)
PROBABLE DT Rocky Bernard (Foot)
Listed players who did not participate in ''team'' practice:
(Defined as missing any portion of 11-on-11 team work)
WED Practice Not Complete
Arizona Cardinals
DOUBTFUL DT Kendrick Clancy (Ankle)
PROBABLE RB Marcel Shipp (Ribs); LB Brandon Johnson (Illness)
Listed players who did not participate in ''team'' practice:
(Defined as missing any portion of 11-on-11 team work)
WED Kendrick Clancy; Marcel Shipp; Brandon Johnson
BUFFALO BILLS AT NEW YORK JETS
Buffalo Bills
OUT LB Angelo Crowell (Fibula)
QUESTIONABLE LB John DiGiorgio (Ankle); RB Willis McGahee (Ankle); CB
Terrence McGee (Ankle)
Listed players who did not participate in ''team'' practice:
(Defined as missing any portion of 11-on-11 team work)
WED Angelo Crowell; John DiGiorgio; Willis McGahee; Terrence
McGee
New York Jets
QUESTIONABLE DE Bryan Thomas (Shoulder); RB B.J. Askew (Foot); CB David
Barrett (Hip); LB Matt Chatham (Foot); S Rashad Washington
(Illness); S Eric Smith (Foot)
PROBABLE RB Kevan Barlow (Calf); CB Andre Dyson (Thigh); DE Shaun
Ellis (Ankle); RB Cedric Houston (Knee); WR Justin McCareins
(Foot); DT Rashad Moore (Hand); QB Chad Pennington (Calf);
WR Brad Smith (Shoulder)
Listed players who did not participate in ''team'' practice:
(Defined as missing any portion of 11-on-11 team work)
WED Bryan Thomas; B.J. Askew; David Barrett; Matt Chatham;
Rashad Washington; Eric Smith
NEW ORLEANS SAINTS AT DALLAS COWBOYS
New Orleans Saints
DOUBTFUL RB Aaron Stecker (Hamstring)
QUESTIONABLE WR Marques Colston (Ankle); DE Will Smith (Knee); WR Joe
Horn (Groin)
PROBABLE T Jon Stinchcomb (Stomach); LB Scott Fujita (Ankle); RB
Reggie Bush (Shoulder)
Listed players who did not participate in ''team'' practice:
(Defined as missing any portion of 11-on-11 team work)
WED Aaron Stecker; Marques Colston; Joe Horn; Jon Stinchcomb;
Reggie Bush
Dallas Cowboys
No injuries to report
Listed players who did not participate in ''team'' practice:
(Defined as missing any portion of 11-on-11 team work)
WED All Players Participated
CHICAGO BEARS AT ST. LOUIS RAMS on Monday
Chicago Bears
OUT DT Tommie Harris (Knee)
QUESTIONABLE LB Leon Joe (Hamstring); S Todd Johnson (Ankle); CB Nathan
Vasher (Hamstring)
Listed players who did not participate in ''team'' practice:
(Defined as missing any portion of 11-on-11 team work)
WED Practice Not Conducted
St. Louis Rams
DOUBTFUL LB Isaiah Kacyvenski (Concussion)
QUESTIONABLE CB Tye Hill (Thigh); S Jerome Carter (Ankle); S Oshiomogho
Atogwe (Concussion); DE Victor Adeyanju (Forearm)
PROBABLE WR Kevin Curtis (Calf); RB Stephen Davis (Hamstring); WR
Torry Holt (Knee); QB Marc Bulger (Ribs); RB Paul Smith
(Neck); G Adam Timmerman (Ribs)
Listed players who did not participate in ''team'' practice:
(Defined as missing any portion of 11-on-11 team work)
WED Isaiah Kacyvenski; Tye Hill; ll; Jerome Carter; Oshiomogho Atogwe
NFL-PER-14A 12/6/06
MARVIN HARRISON CLOSES IN ON 1,000
Indianapolis Colts wide receiver MARVIN HARRISON has 995 receptions in his 11-year career. With five catches this Sunday against the Jacksonville Jaguars, Harrison will join JERRY RICE (1,549), CRIS CARTER (1,101) and TIM BROWN (1,094) as the only players in NFL history with 1,000 career receptions. Harrison will play in his 167th game this week and can reach 1,000 catches in the fewest games in league annals. Rice accomplished the feat in 181 games.
4=1
Following is a list of quarterback injuries for Week 14 Games:
Miami Dolphins Out Daunte Culpepper (Knee)
Minnesota Vikings Doubtful Brooks Bollinger (Left Shoulder)
Carolina Panthers Questionable Jake Delhomme (Right Thumb)
Cleveland Browns Questionable Charlie Frye (Right Wrist)
New England Patriots Probable Tom Brady (Right Shoulder)
New York Jets Probable Chad Pennington (Calf)
Philadelphia Eagles Probable Jeff Garcia (Neck)
St. Louis Rams ms Probable Marc Bulger (Ribs )
Following is a list of injured players for Week 14 Games:
CLEVELAND BROWNS AT PITTSBURGH STEELERS on Thursday
Cleveland Browns
OUT DE Orpheus Roye (Knee)
QUESTIONABLE QB Charlie Frye (Right Wrist); S Justin Hamilton (Back); CB
Jereme Perry (Knee); LB Mason Unck (Groin); TE Kellen
Winslow (Knee)
PROBABLE LB Willie McGinest (Pectoral); S Brian Russell (Elbow); LB
Chaun Thompson (Ankle); CB Leigh Bodden (Ankle)
Listed players who did not participate in ''team'' practice:
(Defined as missing any portion of 11-on-11 team work)
TUES Orpheus Roye; Charlie Frye; Mason Unck; Kellen Winslow
WED Orpheus Roye; Charlie Frye; Mason Unck
Pittsburgh Steelers
OUT WR Hines Ward (Knee); WR Cedrick Wilson (Ankle); S Troy
Polamalu (Knee); S Ryan Clark (Groin)
Listed players who did not participate in ''team'' practice:
(Defined as missing any portion of 11-on-11 team work)
TUES Hines Ward; Cedrick Wilson; Troy Polamalu; Ryan Clark
WED Hines Ward; Cedrick Wilson; Troy Polamalu; Ryan Clark
TENNESSEE TITANS AT HOUSTON TEXANS
Tennessee Titans
OUT DE Antwan Odom (Knee)
QUESTIONABLE RB LenDale White (Hip); TE Ben Hartsock (Hamstring); DE Josh
Savage (Hamstring); DT Robaire Smith (Hamstring); G Benji
Olson (Back)
Listed players who did not participate in ''team'' practice:
(Defined as missing any portion of 11-on-11 team work)
WED Antwan Odom; LenDale White; Josh Savage; Robaire Smith;
Benji Olson
Houston Texans
PROBABLE RB Jameel Cook (Knee); DT Thomas Johnson (Hamstring); DE
Anthony Weaver (Knee); DE Mario Williams (Foot)
Listed players who did not participate in ''team'' practice:
(Defined as missing any portion of 11-on-11 team work)
WED Jameel Cook; Anthony Weaver; Mario Williams
BALTIMORE RAVENS AT KANSAS CITY CHIEFS
Baltimore Ravens
DOUBTFUL LB Dan Cody (Knee); RB Musa Smith (Neck)
QUESTIONABLE LB Dennis Haley (Ankle); G Keydrick Vincent (Thigh); TE Daniel
Wilcox (Thigh)
Listed players who did not participate in ''team'' practice:
(Defined as missing any portion of 11-on-11 team work)
WED Dan Cody; Musa Smith; Dennis Haley; Keydrick Vincent; Daniel
Wilcox
Kansas City Chiefs
PROBABLE TE Tony Gonzalez (Shoulder); T Kyle Turley (Shoulder)
Listed players who did not participate in ''team'' practice:
(Defined as missing any portion of 11-on-11 team work)
WED Tony Gonzalez; Kyle Turley
NEW YORK GIANTS AT CAROLINA PANTHERS
New York Giants
OUT T Luke Petitgout (Fibula)
DOUBTFUL DE Michael Strahan (Foot)
QUESTIONABLE CB Corey Webster (Toe)
PROBABLE LB Antonio Pierce (Knee)
Listed players who did not participate in ''team'' practice:
(Defined as missing any portion of 11-on-11 team work)
WED Luke Petitgout; Michael Strahan; Corey Webster; Antonio Pierce
Carolina Panthers
QUESTIONABLE QB Jake Delhomme (Right Thumb); RB Nick Goings (Shoulder);
LB Brandon Jamison (Thigh); CB Ken Lucas (Thigh); TE Kris
Mangum (Hip); S Mike Minter (Knee)
PROBABLE WR Taye Biddle (Tooth); RB DeShaun Foster (Elbow); RB Brad
Hoover (Back); G Mike Wahle (Shoulder)
Listed players who did not participate in ''team'' practice:
(Defined as missing any portion of 11-on-11 team work)
WED Jake Delhomme; Nick Goings; Brandon Jamison; Ken Lucas; Kris
Mangum; Mike Minter; Taye Biddle
OAKLAND RAIDERS AT CINCINNATI BENGALS
Oakland Raiders
OUT T Robert Gallery (Elbow); RB LaMont Jordan (Knee)
DOUBTFUL WR Jerry Porter (Hip); DE Lance Johnstone (Knee); G Corey
Hulsey (Knee)
QUESTIONABLE G Barry Sims (Abdomen)
PROBABLE TE Randal Williams (Back); DT Anttaj Hawthorne (Shoulder); K
Sebastian Janikowski (Back)
Listed players who did not participate in ''team'' practice:
(Defined as missing any portion of 11-on-11 team work)
WED Practice Not Complete
Cincinnati Bengals
OUT T Levi Jones (Knee)
DOUBTFUL C Rich Braham (Knee)
QUESTIONABLE C Eric Ghiaciuc (Knee); WR Kelley Washington (Hamstring)
PROBABLE WR T.J. Houshmandzadeh (Back); DT Shaun Smith (Illness);
DT John Thornton (Knee); S John Busing (Knee); DT Sam
Adams (Knee)
Listed players who did not participate in ''team'' practice:
(Defined as missing any portion of 11-on-11 team work)
WED Levi Jones; Rich Braham; Eric Ghiaciuc; Kelley Washington; T.J.
Houshmandzadeh; Shaun Smith; John Thornton; Sam Adams
MINNESOTA VIKINGS AT DETROIT LIONS
Minnesota Vikings
DOUBTFUL RB Chester Taylor (Ribs); QB Brooks Bollinger (Left Shoulder)
QUESTIONABLE G Artis Hicks (Ankle)
PROBABLE C Matt Birk (Neck); T Marcus Johnson (Foot); TE Jermaine
Wiggins (Knee); DT Pat Williams (Knee); CB Cedric Griffin
(Neck); LB Napoleon Harris (Wrist); P Chris Kluwe (Wrist); WR
Marcus Robinson (Ankle)
Listed players who did not participate in ''team'' practice:
(Defined as missing any portion of 11-on-11 team work)
WED Chester Taylor; Brooks Bollinger; Artis Hicks; Matt Birk; Marcus
Johnson; Jermaine Wiggins; Pat Williams; Cedric Griffin;
Napoleon Harris; Chris Kluwe; Marcus Robinson
Detroit Lions
OUT DT Shaun Rogers (Knee/IR); CB Fernando Bryant (Concussion)
QUESTIONABLE WR Devale Ellis (Shoulder); LB Teddy Lehman (Hamstring)
PROBABLE T Jeff Backus (Foot)
Listed players who did not participate in ''team'' practice:
(Defined as missing any portion of 11-on-11 team work)
WED Shaun Rogers; Fernando Bryant; Teddy Lehman; Jeff Backus
INDIANAPOLIS COLTS AT JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS
Indianapolis Colts
OUT TE Dallas Clark (Knee)
QUESTIONABLE RB De De Dorsey (Quadricep); CB Antoine Bethea (Shoulder);
WR Brandon Stokley (Knee); S Bob Sanders (Knee); LB Keith
O'Neil (Ankle); DE Robert Mathis (Knee); T Ryan Diem
(Abdomen)
Listed players who did not participate in ''team'' practice:
(Defined as missing any portion of 11-on-11 team work)
WED Dallas Clark; Bob Sanders
Jacksonville Jaguars
PROBABLE G Vincent Manuwai (Wrist); RB Montell Owens (Shoulder); LB
Jorge Cordova (Hamstring); CB Terry Cousin (Groin); WR
Cortez Hankton (Hamstring); P Chris Hanson (Left Hamstring);
LB Clint Ingram (Shoulder); RB Maurice Jones-Drew
(Hamstring); CB Ahmad Carroll (Groin); LB Kenneth Pettway
(Knee); LB Daryl Smith (Shoulder); S Nick Sorensen
(Hamstring); DT Marcus Stroud (Ankle); CB Brian Williams
(Hamstring); RB Derrick Wimbush (Ankle); TE George Wrighster
(Shoulder)
Listed players who did not participate in ''team'' practice:
(Defined as missing any portion of 11-on-11 team work)
WED All Players Participated
ATLANTA FALCONS AT TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS
Atlanta Falcons
DOUBTFUL CB Jason Webster (Groin)
PROBABLE CB Jimmy Williams (Ankle); DE John Abraham (Groin); DT
Grady Jackson (Knee); T Todd Weiner (Knee)
Listed players who did not participate in ''team'' practice:
(Defined as missing any portion of 11-on-11 team work)
WED Jason Webster; John Abraham; Grady Jackson; Todd Weiner
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
QUESTIONABLE CB Juran Bolden (Quadricep); LB Shelton Quarles (Knee); TE
Alex Smith (Ankle); DT Ellis Wyms (Ankle)
Listed players who did not participate in ''team'' practice:
(Defined as missing any portion of 11-on-11 team work)
WED All Players Practiced
PHILADELPHIA EAGLES AT WASHINGTON REDSKINS
Philadelphia Eagles
QUESTIONABLE CB Roderick Hood (Hamstring); DE Darren Howard (Knee); S
Michael Lewis (Concussion)
PROBABLE LB Shawn Barber (Knee); QB Jeff Garcia (Neck); CB William
James (Knee); LB Matt McCoy (Shoulder); S Quintin Mikell
(Foot); LB Jason Short (Knee); RB Brian Westbrook (Toe)
Listed players who did not participate in ''team'' practice:
(Defined as missing any portion of 11-on-11 team work)
WED Roderick Hood; Darren Howard; Michael Lewis
Washington Redskins
QUESTIONABLE CB Kenny Wright (Knee); LB Khary Campbell (Hamstring)
PROBABLE S Troy Vincent (Hamstring); TE Todd Yoder (Thigh); DE Phillip
Daniels (Ankle); T Jon Jansen (Calf); C Casey Rabach (Shin)
Listed players who did not participate in ''team'' practice:
(Defined as missing any portion of 11-on-11 team work)
WED Kenny Wright; Todd Yoder; Jon Jansen; Casey Rabach
NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS AT MIAMI DOLPHINS
New England Patriots
OUT S Eugene Wilson (Groin); S Rodney Harrison (Shoulder)
QUESTIONABLE LB Eric Alexander (Shoulder); LB Don Davis (Knee); TE Daniel
Graham (Ankle); T Ryan O'Callaghan (Neck); CB Ellis Hobbs
(Wrist); WR Chad Jackson (Groin); RB Laurence Maroney
(Back)
PROBABLE QB Tom Brady (Right Shoulder); LB Corey Mays (Hamstring);
DE Richard Seymour (Elbow)
Listed players who did not participate in ''team'' practice:
(Defined as missing any portion of 11-on-11 team work)
WED Eugene Wilson; Rodney Harrison; Eric Alexander; Don Davis;
Daniel Graham; Ryan O'Callaghan; Ellis Hobbs; Chad Jackson;
Laurence Maroney
Miami Dolphins
OUT RB Ronnie Brown (Hand); QB Daunte Culpepper (Knee); G
Jeno James (Knee)
PROBABLE CB Will Allen (Groin); RB Sammy Morris (Ankle); WR Wes
Welker (Shoulder); DE Jason Taylor (Forearm); DT Keith Traylor
(Knee)
Listed players who did not participate in ''team'' practice:
(Defined as missing any portion of 11-on-11 team work)
WED Ronnie Brown; Daunte Culpepper; Jeno James
GREEN BAY PACKERS AT SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS
Green Bay Packers
DOUBTFUL T Mark Tauscher (Groin)
QUESTIONABLE RB P.J. Pope (Hamstring); LB Ben Taylor (Hamstring); TE David
Martin (Ribs)
PROBABLE LB Nick Barnett (Hand); CB Patrick Dendy (Concussion); RB
Noah Herron (Ankle); RB Ahman Green (Knee); CB Charles
Woodson (Shoulder)
Listed players who did not participate in ''team'' practice:
(Defined as missing any portion of 11-on-11 team work)
WED Mark Tauscher; David Martin; Ahman Green; Charles Woodson
San Francisco 49ers
OUT TE Eric Johnson (Knee); LB Derek Smith (Hamstring); T Adam
Snyder (Knee)
QUESTIONABLE DT Anthony Adams (Knee); CB Shawntae Spencer (Ankle)
PROBABLE T Jonas Jennings (Ankle)
Listed players who did not participate in ''team'' practice:
(Defined as missing any portion of 11-on-11 team work)
WED Eric Johnson; Derek Smith; Adam Snyder; Anthony Adams;
Shawntae Spencer; Jonas Jennings
DENVER BRONCOS AT SAN DIEGO CHARGERS
Denver Broncos
OUT RB Cecil Sapp (Ankle)
QUESTIONABLE TE Stephen Alexander (Ankle); K Jason Elam (Left Hamstring);
T Adam Meadows (Hamstring); LB Al Wilson (Neck)
PROBABLE S Hamza Abdullah (Hip); LB Keith Burns (Knee); DE Patrick
Chukwurah (Finger); G Ben Hamilton (Thigh); S Quentin Harris
(Finger); TE Nate Jackson (Ribs); TE Mike Leach (Thumb); WR
Brandon Marshall (Ankle); T Erik Pears (Ankle); TE Chad
Mustard (Shoulder); CB Darrent Williams (Shoulder); DT
Demetrin Veal (Knee)
Listed players who did not participate in ''team'' practice:
(Defined as missing any portion of 11-on-11 team work)
WED Practice Not Complete
San Diego Chargers
QUESTIONABLE G Kris Dielman (Ankle); WR Keenan McCardell (Calf); S Marlon
McCree (Calf); DE Luis Castillo (Ankle); WR Malcom Floyd
(Ankle); LB Randall Godfrey (Calf); S Clinton Hart (Ankle); DE
Derreck Robinson (Foot); RB Michael Turner (Hamstring)
PROBABLE WR Kassim Osgood (Elbow); S Bhawoh Jue (Knee); DE
Jacques Cesaire (Finger); LB Shaun Phillips (Calf)
Listed players who did not participate in ''team'' practice:
(Defined as missing any portion of 11-on-11 team work)
WED Practice Not Complete
SEATTLE SEAHAWKS AT ARIZONA CARDINALS
Seattle Seahawks
DOUBTFUL LB D.D. Lewis (Toe); C Robbie Tobeck (Hip); TE Itula Mili
(Concussion)
QUESTIONABLE RB Mack Strong (Ankle); WR Bobby Engram (Illness)
PROBABLE DT Rocky Bernard (Foot)
Listed players who did not participate in ''team'' practice:
(Defined as missing any portion of 11-on-11 team work)
WED Practice Not Complete
Arizona Cardinals
DOUBTFUL DT Kendrick Clancy (Ankle)
PROBABLE RB Marcel Shipp (Ribs); LB Brandon Johnson (Illness)
Listed players who did not participate in ''team'' practice:
(Defined as missing any portion of 11-on-11 team work)
WED Kendrick Clancy; Marcel Shipp; Brandon Johnson
BUFFALO BILLS AT NEW YORK JETS
Buffalo Bills
OUT LB Angelo Crowell (Fibula)
QUESTIONABLE LB John DiGiorgio (Ankle); RB Willis McGahee (Ankle); CB
Terrence McGee (Ankle)
Listed players who did not participate in ''team'' practice:
(Defined as missing any portion of 11-on-11 team work)
WED Angelo Crowell; John DiGiorgio; Willis McGahee; Terrence
McGee
New York Jets
QUESTIONABLE DE Bryan Thomas (Shoulder); RB B.J. Askew (Foot); CB David
Barrett (Hip); LB Matt Chatham (Foot); S Rashad Washington
(Illness); S Eric Smith (Foot)
PROBABLE RB Kevan Barlow (Calf); CB Andre Dyson (Thigh); DE Shaun
Ellis (Ankle); RB Cedric Houston (Knee); WR Justin McCareins
(Foot); DT Rashad Moore (Hand); QB Chad Pennington (Calf);
WR Brad Smith (Shoulder)
Listed players who did not participate in ''team'' practice:
(Defined as missing any portion of 11-on-11 team work)
WED Bryan Thomas; B.J. Askew; David Barrett; Matt Chatham;
Rashad Washington; Eric Smith
NEW ORLEANS SAINTS AT DALLAS COWBOYS
New Orleans Saints
DOUBTFUL RB Aaron Stecker (Hamstring)
QUESTIONABLE WR Marques Colston (Ankle); DE Will Smith (Knee); WR Joe
Horn (Groin)
PROBABLE T Jon Stinchcomb (Stomach); LB Scott Fujita (Ankle); RB
Reggie Bush (Shoulder)
Listed players who did not participate in ''team'' practice:
(Defined as missing any portion of 11-on-11 team work)
WED Aaron Stecker; Marques Colston; Joe Horn; Jon Stinchcomb;
Reggie Bush
Dallas Cowboys
No injuries to report
Listed players who did not participate in ''team'' practice:
(Defined as missing any portion of 11-on-11 team work)
WED All Players Participated
CHICAGO BEARS AT ST. LOUIS RAMS on Monday
Chicago Bears
OUT DT Tommie Harris (Knee)
QUESTIONABLE LB Leon Joe (Hamstring); S Todd Johnson (Ankle); CB Nathan
Vasher (Hamstring)
Listed players who did not participate in ''team'' practice:
(Defined as missing any portion of 11-on-11 team work)
WED Practice Not Conducted
St. Louis Rams
DOUBTFUL LB Isaiah Kacyvenski (Concussion)
QUESTIONABLE CB Tye Hill (Thigh); S Jerome Carter (Ankle); S Oshiomogho
Atogwe (Concussion); DE Victor Adeyanju (Forearm)
PROBABLE WR Kevin Curtis (Calf); RB Stephen Davis (Hamstring); WR
Torry Holt (Knee); QB Marc Bulger (Ribs); RB Paul Smith
(Neck); G Adam Timmerman (Ribs)
Listed players who did not participate in ''team'' practice:
(Defined as missing any portion of 11-on-11 team work)
WED Isaiah Kacyvenski; Tye Hill; ll; Jerome Carter; Oshiomogho Atogwe
NY Giants' LaVar Arrington to Testifiy in Court for Carl Poston
Another Great Piece by Mr. Staple-see my endnote:
LaVar to support agent before House
BY ARTHUR STAPLE
Newsday Staff Writer
December 7, 2006
LaVar Arrington will testify before a House subcommittee today on behalf of his agent, Carl Poston, who drew a two-year suspension from the NFL Players' Association for his representation of Arrington when he signed a contract with the Redskins in 2003.
The injured Giants linebacker, who thought he was cheated out of a $6.5-million roster bonus by the Redskins, yesterday lashed out at the union.
"They suspended [Poston] without a hearing, the NFLPA," he said. " ... They do a lot of foul stuff. It's like organized crime, to be honest with you. They are bad.
" ... Richard Berthelsen, general [counsel] of the NFLPA, was basically representing the Redskins. I'm a conspiracy-type guy. Then you've got a guy who's supposedly going to take Gene Upshaw's job, Troy Vincent, and he ends up in Washington with a good deal. Just seems like the whistle doesn't want to be blown. I know the PA does things they definitely shouldn't do. I don't think, by any stretch of the imagination, they have the best interests of the players at heart."
Poston was suspended after the NFLPA's committee on agent relations and conduct determined Poston erred in having Arrington sign the deal in which the roster bonus was omitted.
The hearing to which Arrington referred never took place, Berthelsen said. The case was settled and Arrington didn't get his money.
My take: i'm a union man and a moderate democrat, which may annoy some(sorry) but i can tell when union is acting like a Union and when it's only out to benefit itself. I was a rep. for the NYC teachers Union for over ten years(they leave something to be desired as well). Arrington isn't the first player to complain about Upshaw and Co. And they stopped calling themselfs a "UNion" a long time ago...so if a Player has an agent and a manager, why do they need a PA for?? Todays players aren't our fathers Players Playing in our parents NFL, when they needed the pensions they get. They is why it's more of a business now then it was 30 years ago..
LaVar to support agent before House
BY ARTHUR STAPLE
Newsday Staff Writer
December 7, 2006
LaVar Arrington will testify before a House subcommittee today on behalf of his agent, Carl Poston, who drew a two-year suspension from the NFL Players' Association for his representation of Arrington when he signed a contract with the Redskins in 2003.
The injured Giants linebacker, who thought he was cheated out of a $6.5-million roster bonus by the Redskins, yesterday lashed out at the union.
"They suspended [Poston] without a hearing, the NFLPA," he said. " ... They do a lot of foul stuff. It's like organized crime, to be honest with you. They are bad.
" ... Richard Berthelsen, general [counsel] of the NFLPA, was basically representing the Redskins. I'm a conspiracy-type guy. Then you've got a guy who's supposedly going to take Gene Upshaw's job, Troy Vincent, and he ends up in Washington with a good deal. Just seems like the whistle doesn't want to be blown. I know the PA does things they definitely shouldn't do. I don't think, by any stretch of the imagination, they have the best interests of the players at heart."
Poston was suspended after the NFLPA's committee on agent relations and conduct determined Poston erred in having Arrington sign the deal in which the roster bonus was omitted.
The hearing to which Arrington referred never took place, Berthelsen said. The case was settled and Arrington didn't get his money.
My take: i'm a union man and a moderate democrat, which may annoy some(sorry) but i can tell when union is acting like a Union and when it's only out to benefit itself. I was a rep. for the NYC teachers Union for over ten years(they leave something to be desired as well). Arrington isn't the first player to complain about Upshaw and Co. And they stopped calling themselfs a "UNion" a long time ago...so if a Player has an agent and a manager, why do they need a PA for?? Todays players aren't our fathers Players Playing in our parents NFL, when they needed the pensions they get. They is why it's more of a business now then it was 30 years ago..
Wednesday, December 06, 2006
NFL - WEEK 14 INJURY REPORT -- TUESDAY - NFLMEDIA.com
FOR USE AS DESIRED - NFL
NFL-PER-14 12/5/06
WEEK 14 INJURY REPORT -- TUESDAY
Cleveland Browns Questionable Questiona ble Charlie Frye (Right Wrist)
CLEVELAND BROWNS AT PITTSBURGH STEELERS on Thursday
Cleveland Browns
DOUBTFUL DE Orpheus Roye (Knee)
QUESTIONABLE CB Leigh Bodden (Ankle); QB Charlie Frye (Right Wrist); S Justin
Hamilton (Back); CB Jereme Perry (Knee); LB Willie McGinest
(Pectoral); S Brian Russell (Elbow); LB Chaun Thompson (Ankle); LB
Mason Unck (Groin); TE Kellen Winslow (Knee)
Listed players who did not participate in ''team'' practice:
(Defined as missing any portion of 11-on-11 team work)
TUES Orpheus Roye; Charlie Frye; Mason Unck; Kellen Winslow
Pittsburgh Steelers
OUT WR Hines Ward (Knee); WR Cedrick Wilson (Ankle); S Troy
Polamalu (Knee); S Ryan Clark (Groin)
Listed players who did not participate in ''team'' practice:
(Defined as missing any portion of 11-on-11 team work)
TUES Hines Ward; Cedrick Wilson; Troy Polamalu; Ryan Clark
NFL-PER-14 12/5/06
WEEK 14 INJURY REPORT -- TUESDAY
Cleveland Browns Questionable Questiona ble Charlie Frye (Right Wrist)
CLEVELAND BROWNS AT PITTSBURGH STEELERS on Thursday
Cleveland Browns
DOUBTFUL DE Orpheus Roye (Knee)
QUESTIONABLE CB Leigh Bodden (Ankle); QB Charlie Frye (Right Wrist); S Justin
Hamilton (Back); CB Jereme Perry (Knee); LB Willie McGinest
(Pectoral); S Brian Russell (Elbow); LB Chaun Thompson (Ankle); LB
Mason Unck (Groin); TE Kellen Winslow (Knee)
Listed players who did not participate in ''team'' practice:
(Defined as missing any portion of 11-on-11 team work)
TUES Orpheus Roye; Charlie Frye; Mason Unck; Kellen Winslow
Pittsburgh Steelers
OUT WR Hines Ward (Knee); WR Cedrick Wilson (Ankle); S Troy
Polamalu (Knee); S Ryan Clark (Groin)
Listed players who did not participate in ''team'' practice:
(Defined as missing any portion of 11-on-11 team work)
TUES Hines Ward; Cedrick Wilson; Troy Polamalu; Ryan Clark
Let New York Giants RB Brandon Jacobs Loose!!
Arthur Staple covers the NY Giants for Newsday, and also runs the Paper's Giants Blog-here is his piece today-see my notes at the end!-Draftnik
Use the big guy more and let him loose
December 6, 2006
The lessons learned from the most recent Giants loss are pretty simple, the way we see it:
1. Don't take stupid penalties.
2. Put Brandon Jacobs on the field more.
The first is obvious to everyone. The second may be as well, even though the coaching staff doesn't necessarily agree. But the Giants' two red-zone failures - worse than inside the 20, these were inside the 5 - illustrate how Tom Coughlin and offensive coordinator John Hufnagel got a little too cute with their play-calling.
The first try was in the third quarter, with the Giants trailing 10-7. On first-and-goal from the 4, Eli Manning tries one of the Giants' signature passes, a fade to Plaxico Burress in single coverage, but Burress is well covered by Anthony Henry and the pass falls incomplete.
Second-and-goal, Tiki Barber is on the field. He is stopped for a 1-yard loss by linebacker Akin Ayodele, who sprints through the line untouched. On third-and-goal, Manning's throw to Jeremy Shockey would have been a touchdown, but the ball was off target by a couple feet.
OK, lesson learned. Right? Anyone?
In the fourth quarter, again trailing by a field goal, the Giants marched down to a first-and-goal, this time from the 8. Jacobs rushed for 4 yards, then came off the field. Manning tried what Coughlin called a "knockdown" screen, a dump pass at the line of scrimmage, but the Cowboys' blitz obscured Manning's view of Barber and the pass went to his feet.
On third-and goal, Manning made a poor decision, looking nowhere else but for Burress, who had Aaron Glenn and Roy Williams close by. Glenn nearly picked off the pass, and the Giants settled for another field goal.
Here was Coughlin's explanation: "[Jacobs] comes in by circumstance, by situation, with the personnel that goes along with it. If it was goal line, Brandon would have been in there. If it was short-yardage, Brandon would have been in there. He plays by personnel and by situation. He's not in there in certain personnel combinations."
That explanation doesn't hold, though. Jacobs has had 15 touches inside the 10 this season, eight for touchdowns, and only half of those were from the 1 or 2. He is the short-yardage back, and he is behind Barber, who does so much for the offense.
But when you've lost four games in a row and had two such glaring offensive failures in one winnable game, it's hard to make the argument that you did the right thing and just didn't execute.
Jacobs is not infallible - he did bounce outside a little too fast on the fourth-and-1 play in the second quarter Sunday instead of just bulling his way behind Jim Finn - and he's still a young, brash player, as shown by a taunting penalty after a big run against the Bucs. And he's still a little raw as a blitz protector and blocker, which is why Coughlin seems so against putting Barber and Jacobs on the field at the same time.
But when Jacobs is supposed to be in, he needs to be in. And here's a suggestion, now that Derrick Ward has shown that even a straight-ahead runner cannot overcome the Giants' bad kick-return blocking: Make Jacobs the kick returner.
He's already out there as Ward's lead blocker, so he knows the schemes. He's 6-4, 264 pounds and almost welcomes contact, because he runs over at least one opponent every game. And his open-field decision-making is improving rapidly. Manning trusts him as a check-down receiver, and Jacobs' acrobatic catch and 43-yard run against the Cowboys should cement his status as a guy who makes things happen when he has the ball.
He's the back of the future and he certainly appears ready to take over next season when Barber is retired. Why not see what he can do with more time and more touches now? What have the Giants to lose?
Storylines
Just win one, baby
The Giants have lost four straight, they're a bit demoralized, but they are amazingly now the No. 5 seed in the NFC. It's all still in their hands. "We just need to win one," Shaun O'Hara said. Some of O'Hara's teammates talked about running the table, but it starts with one win on Sunday against the Panthers.
Revenge?
The 23-0 rout by Carolina in January might not be foremost in the Giants' thoughts, with both teams fighting just to reach the postseason, but the playoff shutout at home could become a rallying cry for the Giants, who look for anything to motivate them. More pertinent is how Eli Manning will handle DE Julius Peppers, and how the secondary will contain Steve Smith.
Whither Strahan
No. 92 gave his foot a test on the Giants Stadium turf on Sunday before deciding that he wasn't ready. He may still not be ready for this week's game, despite its huge implications. "I'm not putting any time limit or time frame on it now," Strahan told WFAN Monday. "This thing just takes time to heal."
Statlines
Brandon Jacobs has eight touchdowns on 87 touches (77 rushes, 10 receptions) this season. How that stacks up against some of the leading all-purpose backs in the NFL:
Rush/Rec.
Attempts Yards Avg. TD
M. Barber, Dal. (left) 123 714 5.8 13
B. Jacobs, Giants 87 509 5.9 8
L. Tomlinson, SD 308 1794 5.8 26
L. Johnson, KC 342 1687 4.9 15
B. Westbrook, Phi243 1493 6.1 10
Ok So "B-Jac" doesn't get used enough-agreed, but hey..it's like every time you put him in you Telegraph to the other team that your going to get him the ball. Manning's skills Just are not as developed yet as they could be. He still looks to the lead receiver too often, which is why he throws some Dumb Picks at times. He looked better Sunday then he did throughout the whole losing streak...and Carolina will be P.O.ed that they let Philly get past them....
Sunday, December 03, 2006
NFL Super Bowl Game - Our New Blog
We've got a new blog. This one's specifically on the largest single-day sports event in the World, the Super Bowl. Check out this new blog in our network with a click on the title of this post.
Friday, December 01, 2006
The New Yorker Cartoon - A Widget Here
Another cool widget I found is one of the famous New Yorker cartoons. This one, which is at the top of this blog, changes each day -- or at least it's supposed to. We'll see. But I've got it here.
We've Got Cool Widgets Here! - Streampad Music Player and Haystack Social Media Widget
Ok. You certainly hear the music playing here. Not too jarring, catchy, rock but more easy-listening. But you're wondering where it comes from, right? It's from the Streampad Music Player located in the left side bar of this blog. Just scroll down and you'll see it. And right below it is the Haystack Social Media Network, where you can see who's who in business around the country. No, not necessarily big players in business, just people like you and me, who hope to get big.
If you're wondering where I got these widgets, it's a place in cyberspace called Widgetbox. Check it out!
Thursday, November 30, 2006
San Francisco 49ers Had Secret Stadium Talks With City of Santa Clara For One Year
Clear evidence that the 49ers were not working honestly with the City and County of San Francisco and like any lie, it's eventually revealed.
NINERS SECRETLY WOOED SANTA CLARA FOR A YEAR
Newsom aides say paper trail shows the team was not honest with S.F.
Cecilia M. Vega, John Coté, Chronicle Staff Writers
Thursday, November 30, 2006
The San Francisco 49ers engaged in detailed talks with South Bay officials about the possibility of relocating the team to Santa Clara for more than a year before the team actually announced its intention to move there, records show.
Written correspondence between the 49ers and South Bay officials obtained by The Chronicle indicate that talks had taken place since at least October 2005 and remained active through this fall while the team simultaneously worked on brokering a deal to build a new $600 million to $800 million stadium at Candlestick Point in San Francisco.
Aides to San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom say the yearlong paper trail shows the team was not honest with the city during its stadium talks over the past year.
Niners representatives, however, say the documents simply illustrate how the five-time Super Bowl championship team explored all its options in Santa Clara to ensure that city would be an adequate stadium site in case San Francisco was not.
"The mayor's office, city attorney, developer and community leaders were all under the impression that the 49ers were committed to San Francisco," Newsom's spokeswoman Jennifer Petrucione said Wednesday. "It's clear from these documents that wasn't the case. ... The level (of detail) in the documents demonstrates that the 49ers were pursuing Santa Clara at a level that does not indicate good faith."
In the months leading up to the 49ers' Nov. 9 press conference announcing plans to relocate to a parking lot near Great America amusement park, there were confidential meetings between the team and South Bay officials, team requests for a soil report from land near the proposed stadium site and offers of game tickets to a Santa Clara County official, according to the documents.
But while San Francisco officials say the documents suggest the team was not negotiating in good faith with the city, the 49ers contend they were always forthright about their intentions and made it clear that Santa Clara was long considered the backup plan in the event that the San Francisco deal fell apart -- as it eventually did.
"As I look at backup sites around the Bay Area, I'm going to do my due diligence checklist and I'm going to see if a site works or doesn't work," said Larry MacNeil, the team's chief financial officer, who has been involved in talks with both Santa Clara and San Francisco.
The Chronicle obtained the series of e-mails between South Bay officials and the team from San Francisco City Attorney Dennis Herrera's office through San Francisco's Public Records Act. Herrera had requested copies of the documents from Santa Clara officials in the wake of the team's announcement it would move south.
The written communication between the team and officials in the South Bay show a long-standing relationship, sometimes a light-hearted one, with 49ers officials anxious to learn more about the site and Santa Clara officials eager to woo the team.
In October 2005 -- as the 49ers publicly acknowledged their desire to build a stadium, housing and retail development at Candlestick Point -- the records show that team officials were at the same time engaged in secret discussions with a Santa Clara County official about the possibility of building a stadium there.
In an Oct. 5, 2005, e-mail marked "confidential," Santa Clara County Assessor Larry Stone wrote to MacNeil and suggested that "separate, confidential meetings" be scheduled with then-San Jose Mayor Ron Gonzales, Vice Mayor Cindy Chavez and officials from the San Jose Sports Authority.
On Wednesday, Stone said the team subsequently decided that official talks were premature and that no meeting with Chavez or Gonzales ever took place.
Still, he wanted the meetings to be kept quiet in part out of concern that the team could be perceived as unfairly negotiating a stadium deal with two different cities -- which is exactly how some in San Francisco interpreted the action after learning of the written exchanges.
"We didn't want to put the 49ers in a position where they were seen as playing one community off against another, which is absolutely not what they were doing," Stone said.
San Francisco Supervisor Tom Ammiano said he was "chagrined but not surprised" to learn the team had been communicating with South Bay officials about a possible stadium there since October, 2005.
"Was it disingenuous? Yes," he said. "But in my point of view, it's what's accepted as business practice and it's about the bottom line. That's the carnivorous part of it."
In the October, 2005, e-mail, Stone also declined an offer by the team for tickets to a game in San Francisco, but asked if MacNeil "could arrange a couple of tickets" to a 49ers game in Seattle, his hometown, and to "let me know the cost."
When asked about the request, Stone said he attended the Seattle game and paid for the two tickets.
"I paid for everything that I got from the 49ers. I don't take gifts," Stone said.
Though the written exchanges date back to 2005, communication between the 49ers and South Bay officials over a potential stadium move stretch back to at least Dec. 19, 2003, when Kevin Moore, a member of the Santa Clara Stadium Association who has since become Santa Clara's vice mayor, sent a letter to 49ers co-owner John York touting the advantages of moving the team to Santa Clara.
And Stone acknowledged he and 49ers officials have had about a dozen meetings or phone calls since the fall of 2005 about potential sites in Santa Clara County. The team looked at about six different sites and may have conducted a wind velocity test at a site in San Jose, Stone said Wednesday.
South Bay officials repeatedly echoed 49ers assertions that throughout all of the talks during the past year, the discussions were preliminary and meant to illustrate that Santa Clara would be the backup in case problems arose at Candlestick Point.
"They made it clear in the first meeting and they made it clear in every meeting after that that their first choice was San Francisco," Stone said. "But they said this was a problematic site, and it's only prudent for us to a have a backup site if the project feasibility study doesn't indicate that it's workable."
The team's announcement in early November to leave San Francisco caught Newsom and his top aides, who had been negotiating with the team for nearly a year, by surprise. Reeling from the shock of possibly losing a National Football League franchise founded in the city 60 years ago, Newsom said the day after the team's announcement that 49ers co-owner John York had not been a "straight shooter" during the talks.
On Wednesday, however, team officials challenged that assertion. MacNeil provided copies of his own e-mail exchanges showing that in July he warned San Francisco officials that Santa Clara was the backup site.
"I wanted everybody to be clear that we were ... working on backup sites because it's the prudent thing to do," said MacNeil, who also said he reminded San Francisco officials during numerous meetings that discussions about a possible stadium in Santa Clara were also occurring.
In the end, the 49ers rejected the San Francisco stadium plan because the team had so many concerns about the project, which included a plan to build 6,500 housing units around the stadium and a retail hub.
Insiders also say Newsom's failure to return York's phone calls during the negotiations did not make for a pleasant relationship between the two camps.
In Santa Clara, the dealings appear to have been friendlier.
More than 30 pages of e-mail and other communications between the 49ers and Santa Clara officials suggest that many of those involved developed a casual working relationship.
In one exchange, MacNeil and a city official joked about technical snafus, including how the official accidentally called a psychiatrist's office when he attempted to dial the 49ers phone number. MacNeil later responded: "I may need the number to that psych office. Hang on to that."
The exchanges, however, contain few details about how a proposed stadium deal would actually work or be financed.
On July 18, the 49ers went public with their preliminary stadium plans for Candlestick and excitedly showed off computer renderings of what a new 68,000-seat arena would look like. A spokeswoman for the team cautioned then that if the proposal fell through in San Francisco, Santa Clara was the backup.
The next day, a Santa Clara city official wrote in an e-mail that the 49ers had made it clear to Santa Clara that they were "committed" to building at Candlestick Point. But in the same note, the official acknowledged that City Councilman Moore, who initially helped lure the team to Santa Clara, "has been in conversations with the Niners for a number of months."
By September, the 49ers were fully engaged in discussions at San Francisco City Hall about the Candlestick plans, and the team even backed city efforts to host the 2016 Olympic Games and said the Games could be held in the new stadium.
But even though the team was pushing ahead with talks in San Francisco, on Sept. 11, MacNeil sent an e-mail to Santa Clara officials requesting soil reports and geological studies done on land across the street from the proposed Great America stadium site.
"One of the things about a stadium is it's a really heavy building," he said when asked about the exchange Wednesday. "The soil can be a really significant factor in construction costs."
That same day, MacNeil reportedly expressed concern about the Candlestick site development during a meeting with San Francisco officials. A few days later, his boss, John York, was so concerned about the future of the deal that he sent a letter to Newsom saying the city should not base the centerpiece of its Olympic plans on a stadium project that had not yet been finalized. Like the stadium project, the Olympic dreams also fell through.
Santa Clara officials, however, were happy to oblige the 49ers in their request for information.
"They are trying to figure out what the structural challenges might be in siting a stadium in the Great America parking lot," Assistant City Manager Ronald Garratt wrote in the Sept. 11 e-mail. "They are anxious to get the info."
Oct. 5, 2005
Santa Clara County Assessor Larry Stone indicates he and 49ers Vice President Larry MacNeil held "productive and informative" meetings. Stone suggests "separate, confidential meetings" with San Jose officials. The meetings never happen.
Oct. 9, 2005
The San Francisco 49ers publicly confirm they're contemplating building a major stadium development at Candlestick Point.
July 18, 2006
Niners go public with preliminary stadium plans for Candlestick Point and show off computer renderings.
July 19, 2006
Santa Clara Assistant City Manager Ronald Garratt writes that City Councilman Kevin Moore "has been in conversations with the Niners for a number of months," but 49ers have made clear they're "committed" to building at Candlestick Point.
Sept. 11, 2006
49ers officials are "anxious" to get Santa Clara soil reports or geological studies from the nearby convention center as they consider building a stadium across the street, Garratt writes.
Sept. 14, 2006
Team co-owner John York sends a letter to Mayor Gavin Newsom saying the city should not base the centerpiece of its 2016 Olympics plans on a stadium project that has not been finalized.
E-mail the writers at cvega@sfchronicle.com and jcoté@sfchronicle.com.
NINERS SECRETLY WOOED SANTA CLARA FOR A YEAR
Newsom aides say paper trail shows the team was not honest with S.F.
Cecilia M. Vega, John Coté, Chronicle Staff Writers
Thursday, November 30, 2006
The San Francisco 49ers engaged in detailed talks with South Bay officials about the possibility of relocating the team to Santa Clara for more than a year before the team actually announced its intention to move there, records show.
Written correspondence between the 49ers and South Bay officials obtained by The Chronicle indicate that talks had taken place since at least October 2005 and remained active through this fall while the team simultaneously worked on brokering a deal to build a new $600 million to $800 million stadium at Candlestick Point in San Francisco.
Aides to San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom say the yearlong paper trail shows the team was not honest with the city during its stadium talks over the past year.
Niners representatives, however, say the documents simply illustrate how the five-time Super Bowl championship team explored all its options in Santa Clara to ensure that city would be an adequate stadium site in case San Francisco was not.
"The mayor's office, city attorney, developer and community leaders were all under the impression that the 49ers were committed to San Francisco," Newsom's spokeswoman Jennifer Petrucione said Wednesday. "It's clear from these documents that wasn't the case. ... The level (of detail) in the documents demonstrates that the 49ers were pursuing Santa Clara at a level that does not indicate good faith."
In the months leading up to the 49ers' Nov. 9 press conference announcing plans to relocate to a parking lot near Great America amusement park, there were confidential meetings between the team and South Bay officials, team requests for a soil report from land near the proposed stadium site and offers of game tickets to a Santa Clara County official, according to the documents.
But while San Francisco officials say the documents suggest the team was not negotiating in good faith with the city, the 49ers contend they were always forthright about their intentions and made it clear that Santa Clara was long considered the backup plan in the event that the San Francisco deal fell apart -- as it eventually did.
"As I look at backup sites around the Bay Area, I'm going to do my due diligence checklist and I'm going to see if a site works or doesn't work," said Larry MacNeil, the team's chief financial officer, who has been involved in talks with both Santa Clara and San Francisco.
The Chronicle obtained the series of e-mails between South Bay officials and the team from San Francisco City Attorney Dennis Herrera's office through San Francisco's Public Records Act. Herrera had requested copies of the documents from Santa Clara officials in the wake of the team's announcement it would move south.
The written communication between the team and officials in the South Bay show a long-standing relationship, sometimes a light-hearted one, with 49ers officials anxious to learn more about the site and Santa Clara officials eager to woo the team.
In October 2005 -- as the 49ers publicly acknowledged their desire to build a stadium, housing and retail development at Candlestick Point -- the records show that team officials were at the same time engaged in secret discussions with a Santa Clara County official about the possibility of building a stadium there.
In an Oct. 5, 2005, e-mail marked "confidential," Santa Clara County Assessor Larry Stone wrote to MacNeil and suggested that "separate, confidential meetings" be scheduled with then-San Jose Mayor Ron Gonzales, Vice Mayor Cindy Chavez and officials from the San Jose Sports Authority.
On Wednesday, Stone said the team subsequently decided that official talks were premature and that no meeting with Chavez or Gonzales ever took place.
Still, he wanted the meetings to be kept quiet in part out of concern that the team could be perceived as unfairly negotiating a stadium deal with two different cities -- which is exactly how some in San Francisco interpreted the action after learning of the written exchanges.
"We didn't want to put the 49ers in a position where they were seen as playing one community off against another, which is absolutely not what they were doing," Stone said.
San Francisco Supervisor Tom Ammiano said he was "chagrined but not surprised" to learn the team had been communicating with South Bay officials about a possible stadium there since October, 2005.
"Was it disingenuous? Yes," he said. "But in my point of view, it's what's accepted as business practice and it's about the bottom line. That's the carnivorous part of it."
In the October, 2005, e-mail, Stone also declined an offer by the team for tickets to a game in San Francisco, but asked if MacNeil "could arrange a couple of tickets" to a 49ers game in Seattle, his hometown, and to "let me know the cost."
When asked about the request, Stone said he attended the Seattle game and paid for the two tickets.
"I paid for everything that I got from the 49ers. I don't take gifts," Stone said.
Though the written exchanges date back to 2005, communication between the 49ers and South Bay officials over a potential stadium move stretch back to at least Dec. 19, 2003, when Kevin Moore, a member of the Santa Clara Stadium Association who has since become Santa Clara's vice mayor, sent a letter to 49ers co-owner John York touting the advantages of moving the team to Santa Clara.
And Stone acknowledged he and 49ers officials have had about a dozen meetings or phone calls since the fall of 2005 about potential sites in Santa Clara County. The team looked at about six different sites and may have conducted a wind velocity test at a site in San Jose, Stone said Wednesday.
South Bay officials repeatedly echoed 49ers assertions that throughout all of the talks during the past year, the discussions were preliminary and meant to illustrate that Santa Clara would be the backup in case problems arose at Candlestick Point.
"They made it clear in the first meeting and they made it clear in every meeting after that that their first choice was San Francisco," Stone said. "But they said this was a problematic site, and it's only prudent for us to a have a backup site if the project feasibility study doesn't indicate that it's workable."
The team's announcement in early November to leave San Francisco caught Newsom and his top aides, who had been negotiating with the team for nearly a year, by surprise. Reeling from the shock of possibly losing a National Football League franchise founded in the city 60 years ago, Newsom said the day after the team's announcement that 49ers co-owner John York had not been a "straight shooter" during the talks.
On Wednesday, however, team officials challenged that assertion. MacNeil provided copies of his own e-mail exchanges showing that in July he warned San Francisco officials that Santa Clara was the backup site.
"I wanted everybody to be clear that we were ... working on backup sites because it's the prudent thing to do," said MacNeil, who also said he reminded San Francisco officials during numerous meetings that discussions about a possible stadium in Santa Clara were also occurring.
In the end, the 49ers rejected the San Francisco stadium plan because the team had so many concerns about the project, which included a plan to build 6,500 housing units around the stadium and a retail hub.
Insiders also say Newsom's failure to return York's phone calls during the negotiations did not make for a pleasant relationship between the two camps.
In Santa Clara, the dealings appear to have been friendlier.
More than 30 pages of e-mail and other communications between the 49ers and Santa Clara officials suggest that many of those involved developed a casual working relationship.
In one exchange, MacNeil and a city official joked about technical snafus, including how the official accidentally called a psychiatrist's office when he attempted to dial the 49ers phone number. MacNeil later responded: "I may need the number to that psych office. Hang on to that."
The exchanges, however, contain few details about how a proposed stadium deal would actually work or be financed.
On July 18, the 49ers went public with their preliminary stadium plans for Candlestick and excitedly showed off computer renderings of what a new 68,000-seat arena would look like. A spokeswoman for the team cautioned then that if the proposal fell through in San Francisco, Santa Clara was the backup.
The next day, a Santa Clara city official wrote in an e-mail that the 49ers had made it clear to Santa Clara that they were "committed" to building at Candlestick Point. But in the same note, the official acknowledged that City Councilman Moore, who initially helped lure the team to Santa Clara, "has been in conversations with the Niners for a number of months."
By September, the 49ers were fully engaged in discussions at San Francisco City Hall about the Candlestick plans, and the team even backed city efforts to host the 2016 Olympic Games and said the Games could be held in the new stadium.
But even though the team was pushing ahead with talks in San Francisco, on Sept. 11, MacNeil sent an e-mail to Santa Clara officials requesting soil reports and geological studies done on land across the street from the proposed Great America stadium site.
"One of the things about a stadium is it's a really heavy building," he said when asked about the exchange Wednesday. "The soil can be a really significant factor in construction costs."
That same day, MacNeil reportedly expressed concern about the Candlestick site development during a meeting with San Francisco officials. A few days later, his boss, John York, was so concerned about the future of the deal that he sent a letter to Newsom saying the city should not base the centerpiece of its Olympic plans on a stadium project that had not yet been finalized. Like the stadium project, the Olympic dreams also fell through.
Santa Clara officials, however, were happy to oblige the 49ers in their request for information.
"They are trying to figure out what the structural challenges might be in siting a stadium in the Great America parking lot," Assistant City Manager Ronald Garratt wrote in the Sept. 11 e-mail. "They are anxious to get the info."
Oct. 5, 2005
Santa Clara County Assessor Larry Stone indicates he and 49ers Vice President Larry MacNeil held "productive and informative" meetings. Stone suggests "separate, confidential meetings" with San Jose officials. The meetings never happen.
Oct. 9, 2005
The San Francisco 49ers publicly confirm they're contemplating building a major stadium development at Candlestick Point.
July 18, 2006
Niners go public with preliminary stadium plans for Candlestick Point and show off computer renderings.
July 19, 2006
Santa Clara Assistant City Manager Ronald Garratt writes that City Councilman Kevin Moore "has been in conversations with the Niners for a number of months," but 49ers have made clear they're "committed" to building at Candlestick Point.
Sept. 11, 2006
49ers officials are "anxious" to get Santa Clara soil reports or geological studies from the nearby convention center as they consider building a stadium across the street, Garratt writes.
Sept. 14, 2006
Team co-owner John York sends a letter to Mayor Gavin Newsom saying the city should not base the centerpiece of its 2016 Olympics plans on a stadium project that has not been finalized.
E-mail the writers at cvega@sfchronicle.com and jcoté@sfchronicle.com.
New York Giants G.M. Ernie Accorsi To Retire - Profootballtalk.com
Profootballtalk.com reports on the retirement of NY Giants G.M. Ernie Accorsi
ACCORSI DEFINITELY RETIRING
Though the recent disintegration of the New York Giants has prompted us to wonder whether G.M. Ernie Accorsi might feel obligated to abandon his plans to retire in order to clean up the mess (again) before riding off into the sunset with his jet black hair gleaming in the rays, a league source tells us that Accorsi definitely is retiring. We heard a few years back that Accorsi had wanted to call it quits, but decided to stick around as the team made the transition from Jim Fassel to Tom Coughlin.
Per the source, Accorsi is out the day after the team's last game. His office, we're told, is already in the process of being packed up.
A huge baseball fan, Accorsi plans to attend spring training, operating out of a new house he has purchased in Jupiter, Florida, roughly 100 miles north of Miami.
On Wednesday, we noted that there are rumors Accorsi ultimately will do some consulting work for the Dolphins. The fact that he'll have a place in the vicinity will do little to quell the scuttlebutt in this regard.
And while we have plenty of respect for Accorsi's lengthy NFL tenure (he crossed over after working as a sportswriter), we continue to believe that he deserves his fair share of blame for the state in which the team presently finds itself. In hindsight, why did he think that a collection of strong personalities like Tiki Barber and Michael Strahan and Plaxico Burress and Jeremy Shockey and LaVar Arrington would ever succeed, especially with a hard-nosed head coach and an aw-shucks quarterback who couldn't lead a turd out of a toilet?
In times of adversity, a "team" comes together. The team that Accorsi built has, to date, been coming apart under pressure.
Oakland Raiders' "Judas?" Mike Lombardi According to Oakland Tribune
I saw this post at the Oakland Tribune's site, which would not have seen the light of blogsphere -- given the Trib's design -- day were it not for this effort. Jerry McDonald of the Oakland Tribune points to Raiders Senior Assistant Mike Lombardi -- on the left in this photo -- as the cause of the organizational back-stabbing problems Art Shell pointed out on Wednesday. The link is here.
The weirdest place on earth
Posted by Jerry McDonald - NFL Writer on Wednesday at 8:15 pm
There’s an informer in the ranks.
That’s what Art Shell wanted to get off his chest Wednesday, the day after he reluctantly demoted his close friend Tom Walsh and made John Shoop his offensive coordinator.
With no prompting other than a question about the difficulty of making the change, Shell began a lengthy monologue in which he blamed a person in the Raiders organization for trashing his tenure as coach and Walsh’s work as offensive coordinator.
Shell defended Walsh as a man and as a coach before launching into his indictment of an insider he wouldn’t name.
He talked about “bleeding silver and black'’ and named others who feel the same way such as CEO Amy Trask, Mr. Raider, Jim Otto, and executive John Herrera.
Then he got to the point.
I’ll edit these quotes only a little because it’s pretty remarkable stuff:
“There has been an attack on my family. And when I say my family, I mean the Raider family. When the fox is in . . . your hen house, under the guise of football sources in the National Football League making statements and not being part of this thing, not just making statements about me but ownership, how can you accept a paycheck from somebody that’s given you a job and given you an opportunity to try and excel in life,'’ Shell said.
“Then (you) turn around and call your cronies around the league and it gets back to me and I’m tired of it. It’s coming back to my desk. I’m a fighter. I sit back and I watch things happen and then it gets to the point where you cross the line. That line has been crossed and I won’t sit back and allow it to happen any more. When you root against me, you’re rooting against the Raiders. When you root against Tom Walsh, you’re rooting against the Raiders. And for someone to do that is unconscionable. It’s detestable and I think it’s an outrage. But that’s what has happened since I’ve been here. Tom has taken a lot of the brunt of that.
“You know when you . . . leave fingerprints and the law finds your fingerprints, you can tell who they are? When you make statements with your voice and your words you can also tell who’s making those statements because you know the people. I wanted to say something because I’m a fighter and I refuse to allow anybody to try to take away from what I’m doing here.
“I’m trying to win football games for the Raiders and I expect everybody in this organization to be on teh same page with me. Right now, everybody is not.'’
Shell said he has not confronted the mystery snitch,but may in the future. When asked if he had spoken to Davis about it, Shell said, “I have talked to people, and I’m going to leave it right there. I just wanted to make that statement, I wanted to get that off my mind, because it’s been bothering me for awhile now, and I wanted to say something.'’
It was suggested to Shell it sounded a little bit like 1994, when he and Walsh were fired by Davis, and he said it did except the problem that year was on his coaching staff and “I don’t have that problem on my staff now.'’
That year, Mike White ended up with Shell’s job when the team returned to Oakland.
Then there was a line that will make Davis’ head explode.
“Every organization should be here on the same page, from the bottom up, from the groundskeeper up . . . I went to Kansas City, that’s the way it was. Every individual was on board. Atlanta, every individual was on board. And it should be like that here.'’
Ouch.
The Raiders need to be more like the Chiefs.
Let’s attempt to sort out the latest bit of dysfunction from Raider Central.
First, it’s pretty clear Shell thinks the informer is personnel executive Mike Lombardi. It was Lombardi who lobbied hard for Bobby Petrino as head coach. Davis thought enough of Petrino to offer him the job, Petrino turned it down.
When Shell was hired, Davis made it sound as if the whole Petrino offer was Lombardi’s doing _ as if anyone else but Davis would hire the coach of the Raiders.
Lombardi is rarely with the team anymore when the Raiders come off the field. Instead, it’s Sean Jones who has Shell’s ear. Lombardi is usually out taking a walk on the streets iin the area of the Raiders facility around practice time.
I was told in the offseason that it was Lombardi who brought in guard Tonio Fonoti to be signed, with Shell sending him away, flunking him on his physical because of excess weight.
Shell also said it wasn’t a former player who was doing the talking, so that leaves out Tim Brown, Rich Gannon and Lincoln Kennedy, all of whom have been critical of their former team in their new roles as media analysts.
It isn’t anyone on the P.R. staff. Mike Taylor would drink poison from a Mike Shanahan mug before he said anything negative about the Raiders.
Admittedly, you couldn’t convict Lombardi in a court of law with any of that evidence. If Shell believes it’s Lombardi, he should meet the issue head on and talk to him directly and with purpose.
The fact the Shell has to make his case the media at all underscores one of the fundamental flaws with the Raiders. The organization is in constant chaos because there is no clear chain of command after Davis in terms of football.
If Davis really wants Shell to be the man to return the Raiders to something respectable, he should give him the power to do it. Short of Amy Trask, he should be able to say the word and fire anyone he suspects of failing to get with the program or telling secrets to the media.
The Raiders aren’t run that way.
It’s great to be a player. Davis loves the players, pays them well, puts them on a pedestal. As for coaches, front office and support staff, Davis is capable of the act of kindness for someone truly in need. But as daily work environments go, it’s tough. You talk to some people who get out, find other jobs, and they act as if they escaped a mental hospital and joined the real world.
What a strange place.
Wednesday’s news and notes
– Offensive players seemed genuinely excited by Shoop’s ascension to offensive coordinator, believing he will bring a sense of energy and tempo to a unit that sorely needs it.
More on that Thursday.
– Place kicker Sebastian Janikowski as seen walking stiffly to his car at practice time. Shell announced he had a sore back and the Raiders will look at place kickers in case Janikowski can’t play.
– LT Robert Gallery did not practice and will not play, missing his third game with a dislocated elbow.
– LG Barry Sims got in some limited reps, but isn’t expected to face Houston.
– C Adam Treu was placed on the injured reserve list and is out for the season. Chris Morris was elevated from the practice squad and will handle long-snapping duties.
Just in case Morris looks shaky, Joe Condo, a long-snapper with NFL experience in New England and Dallas was signed to the practice squad. QB Kent Smith was released from the practice squad.
– The Raiders announced a “significant'’ amount of tickets remained for the Houston game. It was a departure from their weekly announcements expressing optimism about selling out and having the blackout lifted.
Bottom line? If you don’t have at ticket, you’ll be listening on the radio. The Raiders were spared the indignity of becoming the first team to have a blacked out game when a Buffalo home game was blacked out last week.
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