San Diego Chargers' GM A.J. Smith's Constant Fucking With Head Coach Marty Schottenheimer Reaches Boling Point - Schott Fired

Yep. That headline sums it all up. "Chargers' GM A.J. Smith's Constant Fucking With Head Coach Marty Schottenheimer Reaches Boling Point - Schott Fired"

It has been known and well-told that San Diego Chargers General Manager A.J. Smith has not worked to get along with Head Coach Marty Schottenheimer. Indeed, A.J. Smith doesn't have the best image with a number of people. In my book, and that of others, this is stupid. The GM's supposed to get along with the coach -- indeed, supply the coach with a steady stream of capable players that the coach can teach his system to and hopefully win a Super Bowl or two.

But A.J. Smith doesnt' see life this way. Indeed, Smith can be considered as one who was openly screwing with the desires and fortunes of Coach Schottenheimer, from not only failing to retain star quarterback Drew Brees, but earlier passing on Michael Vick -- a sure jersey-seller if not star quarterback -- and basically stocking up on look-alike immoblie White QB's A.J. Feeley, Drew Brees, Phillip Rivers, and Eli Manning for a New York minute. You can't fault Defensive Coordinator Wade Phillips or Offensive Coordinator Cam Cameron for taking head jobs, you know and I know that typical teams at least lift a wallet to retain their most talented teachers.

This is weird.

Everything about it reads hollow. Look at Chargers' President Dean Spanos statement:

"Today I made an extremely difficult decision: Marty Schottenheimer is no longer the head coach of the San Diego Chargers.

"This decision was so hard because Marty has been both a friend and valued coach of our team. But my first obligation is always to do what is in the best interest of our fans and the entire Charger organization. I must take whatever steps are necessary to deliver a Super Bowl trophy to San Diego. Events of the last month have now convinced me that it is not possible for our organization to function at a championship level under the current structure. On the contrary, and in the plainest possible language, we have a dysfunctional situation here. Today I am resolving that situation once and for all.

"My decision means that our organization will be obligated to pay the last year of Marty Schottenheimer's contract and will begin an intense search for a new head coach at this relatively late date, but these are sacrifices that I believe are necessary to give the Chargers the best possible chance to win on the field this season.

"Our fans deserve to know what changed for me over the last month. When I decided to move ahead with Marty Schottenheimer in mid-January, I did so with the expectation that the core of his fine coaching staff would remain intact. Unfortunately, that did not prove to be the case, and the process of dealing with these coaching changes convinced me that we simply could not move forward with such dysfunction between our head coach and general manager. In short, this entire process over the last month convinced me beyond any doubt that I had to act to change this untenable situation and create an environment where everyone at Charger Park would be pulling in the same direction and working at a championship level. I expect exactly that from our entire Charger organization in 2007."

Dean Spanos must be smoking a big one to think the Chargers are going to have "the best possible chance to win on the field this season." In one fell swoop, he took the best-team in the NFL from early 2008 Super Bowl favorite, to possible division cellar foder for the Oakland Raiders, much to the delight of the Raider Nation.

Ohhh!!!!!!!!

Dean and A.J. have taken a big risk and there's no high reward. Keeping their head guy - a renowned teacher -- was the action that had the best upside. Now, that's gone.

I'm going to go out on a limb and state that Spanos decision was one based on emotion, a snap-judgement, and an argument with Marty. It wasn't calculated at all. How could it be? Spanos himself described the climate as a 'dysfunctional situation.' What does that tell you? It explains that at some point in the recent past, someone had a big angry discussion. I'm betting it was Smith and Schott, with Spanos getting in the middle.

Nick Campena laid it out first back in March 6, 2006, when he wrote: "Looking out from shore, it appears the reluctant marriage between Chargers General Manager A.J. Smith and coach Marty Schottenheimer is this close to the rocks – and the surf's up. There's trouble in what not long ago was perceived as a replenishing paradise."

Campena pointed to the Drew Brees matters, and a February 26th article by Jim Trotter of the San Diego Union-Tribune, where Trotter noted Schottenheimer as stating "I think it's important that there always be communication between the coach and the general manager,” he said during a break at the annual NFL Scouting Combine. (of 2006) “I've sought to see that realized, but, quite frankly, there hasn't been as much communication as I would like.. I think we all understand that ours is a very difficult, competitive enterprise, and in my opinion it's important that everybody is aimed in the same direction.”

Is that the case with the Chargers?

“We'll have to maybe wait and see,” he said.

Well, apparently it's not -- the Chargers are apparently torn apart. And the last time this happened, Bobby Ross was the head guy and Bobby Bethard was the GM. The Chargers never smelled a playoff end-zone after that affair.

Some online newhounds -- the people at Profotballtalk.com seem to think that A.J. Smith is the next person to be fired. This corner says "great" but I also state that allowing rumors of hiring Pete Carroll to replace Schottenheimer is wrong-headed. First, there's nothing to state that Carroll will be a great NFL head coach, second, you don't need the Rooney Rule to know their are great Black and Latino head coaches out there.

Indeed, if the Chargers can't find a good Black head coach out of the 131 assistants in the NFL game, they must be totally stupid. I hope I'm wrong.

But now that I think about it, racism is borne of stupidity, so the Chargers shoud be careful.

Young wants to finish as a 49er

Although a deal isn't yet near, the San Francisco 49ers have begun negotiations aimed at accommodating the wishes of star defensive tackle Bryant Young to play at least one more season, and to finish his career with the only team for which he has ever worked.

Bryant Young
Defensive End
San Francisco 49ers

Profile
2006 SEASON STATISTICS
Tot Ast Solo FF Sack Int
52 42 10 0 6 0

Young, 35, is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent on March 2, and the 13-year veteran and four-time Pro Bowl performer wants to play again in 2007, as long as it's with the 49ers.

One of the NFL's premier defensive tackles during his tenure in the league, and also one of its classiest performers, Young is clearly nearing the end of a celebrated career. But he demonstrated in 2006, when his playing time was purposely reduced in an effort to maximize his production, that he can still be an effective defender.

In 16 games, most of them at tackle, Young posted 52 tackles and he led all 49ers' defensive linemen in sacks, with 5½. The performance earned him a spot as a Pro Bowl alternate. Young played some at left end, when San Francisco was aligned in a 3-4 front, a scheme coach Mike Nolan wants to use even more in 2007.

"He still has something left," Nolan said. "And you always want people like him around your football team. Any organization, any community, wants guys like him."

Flush with plenty of salary cap space this spring, San Francisco figures to add some veteran players as the team continues to transition to a 3-4, but the feeling is that Young can still contribute as a strongside end.

He earned a base salary of $2.25 million and part of the current negotiations are based on finding financial ground that meets the needs of both sides.

The reduced workload, something on which San Francisco coaches have been working the past several seasons, has helped extend Young's career and his effectiveness. He has missed only three games the last two years and has never been sidelined more than four games in a season.

In 192 career games, the former Notre Dame star, a first-round choice in the 1994 draft, has 570 tackles, 83 sacks, 10 forced fumbles and six recoveries.

Cowboys Owner Jones Fully in Charge Again

Jones Back Atop Cowboys' Hierarchy-see my comments at the end.

By JAIME ARON
AP Sports Writer

IRVING, Texas -- Jerry Jones insists Wade Phillips will have as much input into personnel decisions for the Dallas Cowboys as Bill Parcells had. It even says so in his contract, Jones added.

Then came the kicker: Dave Campo and Chan Gailey had the same wording in their contracts.

So forget what's on the legal documents and focus on the reality. After four years of working alongside Bill Parcells, Jones is once again taking full advantage of his dual titles as owner and general manager.

"It's just not correct that I don't have the ability or the energy or the skills to do what I do every time I make a decision," Jones said Thursday, following the hiring of Phillips. "I talk to a lot of people and get a lot of different perspectives before I make a decision. I get a lot of input and I factor it. If I didn't get the input and didn't do the homework, shame on me."

Jones views the Parcells experiment as vindicating. He sucked in his ego and appeased his critics by bringing in a proven "football guy" to help shape the organization.

And while Jones says "We are better off in a very significant way because Bill was here," he couldn't help but point out that the Cowboys won as many playoff games under their high-falutin' coach (zero) as they did under Gailey and Campo, who were mocked for being Jones puppets.

"It didn't work," Jones said of the Parcells Era. "We had some success, but at the end of the day we did not have the kind of success we wanted."

Thus, Jones feels free to doing things another way. His way.

He went into the coaching search looking for someone who could develop quarterback Tony Romo. Norv Turner was his best bet, although Jones was so impressed with Jason Garrett that he hired him away from Miami without knowing what role he'd have.

Jones liked the idea of Turner and Garrett working with Romo and the rest of the offense. Problem was, Jones still had to fix the team's bigger problem: defense.

He could've hired Ron Rivera to put in the 4-3 scheme Rivera used to get the Chicago Bears into the Super Bowl. But Jones, the general manager, decided he really wanted to stick with the 3-4 scheme that Jones, the owner, had spent so much time and money putting together for Parcells the last two years.

"I looked at it with an open mind," Jones said of changing defensive styles. "But at the end of the day, I decided I didn't want to. I wanted to keep going in the way we were going. ...

"I think it is fair for somebody in my role to make those decisions about the way you're going and the schemes in general, the philosophy," Jones added. "Now, that doesn't mean I'm going to tell (the coach) how to line up and whether to shade or stunt, those sorts of things. That's not what I'm going to do. But I can decide we are going to play the 3-4."

That led him back to Phillips, with Garrett running the offense.

"There's no question his availability opened some possibilities up with going with a more defensive-oriented head coach," Jones said.

Jones knows that he's taking a risk by entrusting Romo's development to Garrett, whose only coaching experience is two years as Miami's quarterbacks coach.

But it's a risk the former oil wildcatter is willing to take.

"Jason will be operating without a net," Jones said. "I like that. I think that brings out the best in people."

Garrett definitely has a good pedigree.

The son of a longtime NFL scout who spent many years working for the Cowboys, Garrett graduated from Princeton and played for the Cowboys, breaking in under Turner while backing up Troy Aikman. He later played for offensive gurus Jon Gruden in Tampa Bay and Sean Payton in New York.

Jones said he was thinking about hiring Garrett before Parcells retired. Now that he's here, he's already considered the front-runner to eventually replace Phillips.
Maybe yes, maybe no. But one thing is certain: When that time comes, Jones will having the final say.


OMG: so Jones thinks that BECAUSE Bill Parcells ONLY went 34-32 and lost 2 Playoff games in 4 years that HE(Jerry Jones/Owner/General Manager) knows more about football then Parcells, or even Jummy Johnson?? Come now...we have been down this road....Jones has come a long way since 1989,..but still, He's not Paul Brown. Lets remember Mr. Jones' comment when he and Jimmy Johnson parted ways: I can get Barry Switzer to run this team.....and so he did...but it was still Johnson's Team and scheme that won. I'm a better Talent Evaluator then Jerry Jones is. So is my Late Father Btw...and all he ever did was Play Millitary service Football in Post war Germany, and then coach our Team in the NYC Housing Authority Athletic leauge.....
If the Cowboys are successful again it will be because of WADE Phillips,..not Jerry Jones....

Former NFL Field Official says he was fired over race issue.

This is an AP wire service report from over the weekend.

NFL Official Says Firing Spurred by Race
By DAVID B. CARUSO
Associated Press Writer


NEW YORK -- A former supervisor of NFL officials sued the league in federal court Friday, claiming he was unfairly fired after some referees lodged false complaints that he was racially biased.

Earnie Frantz, a head linesman in the NFL from 1981 to 2001, said he was fired as associate supervisor of officiating in the spring of 2005.

In a lawsuit filed in Manhattan, Frantz said part of his job as a supervisor included grading the performance of officials after each week of play.

But while performing that role, the suit said, Frantz became a target of complaints by "a vocal component of the minority officiating crew," who complained that he was racially biased and graded minorities more harshly than whites.

"In terminating Mr. Frantz's employment, the NFL bowed to the pressure of the minority members of the officiating crews whom he supervised," the suit said.

Frantz, who is white, claimed in the suit that he was essentially fired "because of the color of his skin."

NFL spokesman Greg Aiello confirmed that Frantz was let go by the league, but disputed the former official's account of how it happened.

"While we have not seen the specific allegations, we know that Earnie Frantz's departure from the NFL had nothing to do with issues of race," Aiello said in an e-mail message to The Associated Press.

He declined to elaborate.

Frantz, who lives in Massachusetts, is seeking unspecified damages, penalties and back pay. His attorney, Scott Korenbaum, did not immediately return a phone message Friday.

Anna Nicole Smith - Was She Murdered?

I'm saddened to learn of the passing of Anna Nicole Smith , but the main question that should be asked is was she murdered? It seems like a logical action to invetigate given the millions she was battling for from the estate of her late husband and the bad feelings some members of the family had for her.

I think it's a sad that this is not looked into more. Or it could be a suicide, but regardless the pictures not pretty for the final outcome.

Norv Turner happy to stay in Bay Area

Here is One FRom Zennie's Backyard.....my thoughts at the end...(Draftnik) BC

49ers happy to retain Turner
Coordinator to get extension
Kevin Lynch, Chronicle Staff Writer
Friday, February 9, 2007


The naming of Chargers defensive coordinator Wade Phillips as the Cowboys' head coach set off quiet celebrations from the Bay Area to Hawaii. While 49ers offensive coordinator Norv Turner might be disappointed he didn't get the Cowboys' job after a long and highly-publicized flirtation, the 49ers were pleased.
"It's great, I'm happy for the team," running back Frank Gore said from Hawaii, where he's practicing for Saturday's Pro Bowl. "You can tell from the middle of (last) season to the end, we were scoring points and getting a lot of yards -- doing anything we wanted to do. Now when we go into training camp, there's no more learning. We can just go."
Turner issued a statement through the team.
"I have a great situation with the 49ers, and I'm excited about continuing the progress we made on offense last season," he said. "(Team owner) John York and (coach) Mike Nolan were instrumental in lending their support to me in the interview process in Dallas."
The 49ers will extend and add money to Turner's contract, which was due to expire at the end of the 2007 season.
With Turner staying, the offense doesn't have to adjust to a third offensive coordinator in three years. Turner replaced Mike McCarthy when McCarthy was hired as the Packers head coach, and Turner ditched the 49ers' long-standing West Coast offense for a "digital" scheme.
The offense responded to the more simplified system. The team went from 105.6 in average rushing yards per game to 135.8.
Quarterback Alex Smith went from throwing one touchdown and 11 interceptions to tossing 16 touchdown passes and 16 interceptions while taking every snap.
Smith said Turner, who has tutored Hall of Fame quarterback Troy Aikman, was instrumental in his development. Turner also hatched creative game plans and mixed in a variety of trick plays.
No one is sure of what transpired in Dallas, where Turner appeared to be a front runner after interviewing 12 days ago with owner Jerry Jones, new offensive coordinator Jason Garrett and outgoing coach Bill Parcells.
Turner was then captured on television giving a high-five to Jones after both heard the announcement that former Cowboys wide receiver Michael Irvin won election to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. News was also leaked that Turner, who was the Cowboys offensive coordinator when Dallas won consecutive titles in 1992-'93, attended an owners' party during Super Bowl week with Jones.
Turner was actually a guest of host Wayne Huizenga, the owner of the Dolphins, whom he worked for in 2002-'03.
Some reports said Turner differed with Jones over control of the coaching staff and play calling. But a league source said Turner, a Martinez native, was comfortable making demands of Jones because Turner knew he had a good situation with the 49ers.
Gore believes the 49ers can go to another level offensively in 2007.
"I'm happy, real happy, especially with the young team we have, and the young quarterback, the young offense," he said. "All that progress we made toward the end of the year, that's just going to continue. We can just keep playing off of it. We can keep growing, working hard in the offseason, and next year is going to be crazy, just crazy."
Briefly: Gore brought running backs coach Bishop Harris and fullback Moran Norris with him to Hawaii. He also brought family and friends and requested 25 tickets for the game. Guard Larry Allen paid for offensive line coach George Warhop's trip to the islands. ... The 5th annual Crab Cracking Contest at Union Square in San Francisco on Feb. 24 from 3 to 5 p.m. will benefit the 49ers Foundation. Members of the team will demonstrate their crab-cracking acumen during the food-, beer- and wine-tasting festival.


Yes: Norv is a Better OC then he is a head coach. Alex smith is dancing a jig right now he's so happy. This also Sets up the Niners incase Nolan should leave for whatever reason, although I doubt that now....

Field Position Podcast Featuring Bill Chachkes, Zennie Abraham, Wil Mara, and Walter Anaruk

Bill Chachkes leads a round-robin discussion with Field Position’s Walter Anaruk, NFL Business Blog and Sports Business Simulations CEO Zennie Abraham, and noted author Wil Mara who’s most recent novel The Draft is on shelves now.

The group discusses the ever changing NFL coaching carousel and the hype surrounding the Super Bowl. They delve into why the issue of Colts Head Coach Tony Dungy’s and Bears Head Coach Marvin Lewis’ race is not only newsworthy but very relevant to our every day lives. Then they delve into the Super Bowl, breaking down player match-ups, offensive and defensive philosophies, and coaching styles.

You can hear this MP3 download with a click on this sentence.

Wade Phillips the new Dallas Cowboys Head Coach

I went all the Way to the Hometown newspaper of Wade Phillips-see my end notes

BOB WEST
The Port Arthur News

PORT ARTHUR —
It’s a little scary — no make that downright frightening — when Jerry Jones and I come to the same conclusion on a football coach. But I must give Jethro a standing ovation for having the good sense to go against the grain of conventional wisdom and hire Wade Phillips as Bill Parcells’ successor.

Wade is easily the best coach of the 10 Jones interviewed, and will be the Cowboys best coach since Jimmy Johnson. If it is possible to get Dallas back to the Super Bowl in what is less than an ideal situation, as far as the owner being too hands on, this son of a Bum will get it done.

Up front, I must admit that I am about as unbiased on Wade as I was on Jimmy. I’ve known him since Neil Morgan gave him his first head coaching job at Orange Stark High School, his wife, the former Laurie Nunez of Port Neches, was a bridesmaid when my wife and I got married and there’s nobody I respect more than his dad — Bum Phillips.

That said, I have absolutely no reservations in crawling out on a limb in print and saying the guy who quarterbacked Port Neches-Groves to a 7-2-1 record in 1964 was a great hire. I said the same thing when Jones hired Johnson to replace Tom Landry, didn’t waver after the Cowboys went 1-15 his first year and wound up looking like a genius.

Actually, there is that one reservation about Jones, but Wade has the ideal personality to deal with him. Like Bum, who skillfully dealt with a jerk of an owner in Houston named Bud Adams until a devil named Ladd Herzeg got his ear, Wade’s people skills and lack of overblown ego can make it work with Jethro.

What impresses me about Jones’ bold move is that Wade was not the popular hire. Or, as some of the clueless idiots on ESPN keep saying, “a sexy hire.” From Dallas Hall of Famers Troy Aikman and Michael Irvin to Jimmy Johnson, to the Metroplex media, Jones was besieged with people around him lobbying for Norv Turner.

It certainly looked like the decision had already been made last week in Miami, when Jones and Turner kept being spotted together. The way everybody had it figured, Jones was going to interview Chicago defensive coordinator Ron Rivera — the guy Norv wanted as his DC — after the Super Bowl, then make the announcement.

Jones, however, went against the grain, and he’s going to get skewered in a lot of circles for it. What most of the critics don’t understand, though, is that Jerry has long admired Wade, sought his opinion often over the years and was obviously sold after an eight-hour interview a couple of weeks ago.

Perhaps the only one not surprised at the decision was Bum Phillips. Every time I checked with Bum the last couple of weeks, he kept saying he had a good feeling Wade was going to get the job. I kept saying reminding him that all the evidence pointed to Norv Turner. But Bum didn’t waver.

Contacted Thursday morning, as he was enroute to the press conference at Valley Ranch, the 80-year-old father of the new Cowboy coach was ecstatic.

“I didn’t know anything in advance and Wade didn’t either,” he said. “But I just felt that Jerry Jones knows enough about football that he couldn’t spend eight hours with Wade and not realize this was an exceptional coach and the man he needed.

“I am so happy,” he continued. “This is great for Wade and it’s going to be great for the Cowboys. Wade’s a great coach. He’s a better coach than I ever was. Him not being able to hire all his own assistants is not the perfect situation, but he can make it work.”

That part of the terms of accepting the job was taking Jones’ choice, Jason Garrett, as offensive coordinator is going to cause considerable grief for Wade. The first person I spoke with in Dallas on Thursday, a guy whose football knowledge I hold in high regard, said he will be labeled as Jones’ puppet for going along with Garrett and other assistants Jones wants to retain.

If that’s the case , so be it. Wade’s no fool and he didn’t go into this with his eyes closed. He’s 60--years old, he’s totally confident in his abilities and he wanted one more shot at being an NFL head coach. Seeing as how he’d more or less been blackballed by Buffalo owner Ralph Wilson, there might not be another opportunity.

Really, what does he have to lose? Being head coach of the Dallas Cowboys is one of the glamor jobs in all of professional sports? As opposed to his last six coaching stops, where he walked into losing situations, the Cowboys are a playoff team that could be a Super Bowl team — especially in the NFC — with a few tweaks.

Ok: so we have beat this old Horse to death at this Point here on this Blog, at our sister Podcast Website-Fieldposition.com, and all over the internet. several people wanted Ron Rivera, Norv Turner, Jim Caldwell, and a few sick indivuals even want
Anyone available from the Parcells tree(anyone sen Ray Handley lately?) This is the right choice for the Cowboys of now,..because no one is riding into Dallas on a white Horse like Jimmy Johnson did.....

The Playboy Super Bowl Party Was Fun; So Was The Super Bowl!

Yep. I attended my first Playboy Party and fifth Super Bowl. More with a click here!

NFL Game in UK already promised a Sellout

Ticket Requests Pour in for NFL in London- See my comment at the end
By Associated Press

February 7, 2007, 9:38 AM EST

LONDON -- The NFL's first regular-season game outside North America already looks like a big hit. More than 500,000 tickets were requested by about 160,000 fans in the three days following Friday's official announcement, the NFL said Wednesday.

The ticket request process ends Feb. 18, two months before tickets go on sale for the Oct. 28 game between the Miami Dolphins and the New York Giants at Wembley Stadium.


Wembley is expecting to seat between 85,000-90,000 for the game.

"Nearly all these requests have come from UK based fans," said Alistair Kirkwood, the managing director of NFL UK. "These figures do not take into account the allocation of tickets for Dolphins and Giants fans from the United States, so we anticipate a very quick sellout when tickets go on sale in early March."

On Sunday, more than 4,000 fans gathered in London to watch the Super Bowl at Super Bash, which is in its fourth year.


So how much will these tickets Cost? Let's book our hotels now........

Sporting News Final NFL Power Rankings for 2006-07

Final 2006-07 NFL Power Poll
By Mike Nahrstedt - SportingNews


Final rank, plus a look ahead to 2007

ADVERTISEMENT

1. Colts. Sure, there's room at the end of that laser, rocket arm for another ring.

2. Bears. Who would you rather be, Grossman or Bartman? Man, tough call.

3. Patriots. Don't bet against the Pats ending an excruciating two-year title drought.

4. Chargers. Arizona desert would be a good spot for Marty to exorcise his demons.

5. Ravens. The core players are old, but you can say that about the Stones, too.

6. Saints. That glass slipper? It just might fit the next time around.

7. Eagles. Invincible was great, but wouldn't it be nice if it applied to McNabb?

8. Jets. You know, that Mangini guy, he seems to be working out OK.

9. Seahawks. Seattle remains the class of the NFC West. (Talk about your oxymorons.)

10. Chiefs. Need some DTs, OTs, WRs … stop me if you've heard this before.

11. Cowboys. Enough with the fuss over the coach. Who's gonna be the holder?

12. Broncos. When upgrading D-line, Denver should look beyond Cleveland this time.

13. Titans. Wouldn't Pacman look good in a Bengals uniform? I'm just sayin'.

14. Giants. Something tells me Coughlin ain't the guy to fix a fractured locker room.

15. Jaguars. If you have the answer at QB, please call 1-877-JDELRIO.

16. Steelers. NFL can never have too many coaches named Mike. Tomlin makes five.

17. Bengals. 2007 goal: More wins than arrests. Hey, you gotta reach for the stars.

18. Bills. Move Buffalo to the NFC, and suddenly it's playoff-caliber.

19. Panthers. DeShaun? DeAngelo? DeSomebody has to run the ball for DePanthers.

20. Packers. It would take a Lambeau-sized leap of faith to put the Pack in SB42.

21. Falcons. This just in: Vick is not a great passer. But isn't that what QBs do?

22. Rams. Let's just say Jackson ain't shakin' in his cleats about a Faulk return.

23. 49ers. Well, they'll be the best team in the Bay Area again.

24. Texans. A Domanick by any other name is still injury-prone.

25. Dolphins. Welcome back, Ricky Williams. T.O. can't handle all the lunacy alone.

26. Cardinals. You can put the Super Bowl in Arizona, but you can't put Arizona …

27. Redskins. Two scarcities in D.C.: allies for Dubya and W's for the 'Skins.

28. Bucs. Bucs need to make a deep playoff run or Chucky could be toast.

29. Browns. Romeo, Romeo! Wherefore art thy offense and defense, Romeo?

30. Vikings. Wouldn't Culpepper look good in purple right about now?

31. Lions. If it's lightning and Millen is nearby, head his way--the man is fireproof.

32. Raiders. To paraphrase the Wizard's guard: Not no way, not no how.

A ring for Eli Manning?

Peyton thinks brother is on right path and also could be a champ

BY ARTHUR STAPLE
Newsday Staff Correspondent

February 6, 2007

MIAMI -- Peyton Manning had taken time to savor his first Super Bowl win and his MVP award for leading the Colts to a 29-17 victory over the Bears on Sunday night. Yesterday, he promised that his kid brother will stand in the same spot someday.

"There's no doubt in my mind that Eli will lead his team to a Super Bowl, probably more than one," Peyton said. "I know how hard he works. There's no question he's going to be fine."

The quarterback brothers talk plenty of football during the season, exchanging tips on defenses one of them has seen. Eli told Newsday on Friday that Peyton had barely sat down to relax in his Indianapolis home after beating the Patriots for the AFC championship when he started asking Eli for tips on the Bears.

Sunday night - early yesterday morning, actually - the two were talking football again, even though there are no more games to be played this season.

"We talked, like we do after games. We got into the X's and O's," Peyton said. "He sees things like I see things. He said, 'The safety is really holding his looks to the very end and coming down late.' It's fun to talk about a game you just won with your brother, who's an NFL quarterback."

Eli's Giants started this season playing Peyton's Colts, and for the Manning family, there might have been as much hype for that game as there was for the Super Bowl. The Colts won in September, 26-21, at Giants Stadium and won their next eight, a typical run for Peyton.

Eli and the Giants ... well, you know how that went. A 6-2 start, a midgame meltdown against the Bears and a stumble to a .500 finish. Along with plenty of questions about Eli's maturation in his second full season of starting.

Now that Peyton has his coveted ring, his status as one of the game's great quarterbacks is assured. He said Eli, who at 26 is almost five years younger, is still on the right path.

"He's been a huge supporter of me throughout my entire career and life," Peyton said. "I'm a huge supporter of him. He's been right there, with the rest of my family."

There already have been plenty of changes for Eli - his old position coach, Kevin Gilbride, is his new offensive coordinator, and Chris Palmer is his position coach - and Peyton could see some new faces when the Colts begin their title defense.

His quarterbacks coach, Jim Caldwell, might get a chance to interview with the Cowboys for their head-coaching job. Dominic Rhodes, who ran for 113 yards Sunday, is a free agent. So are defensive end Dwight Freeney and linebacker Cato June. Even coach Tony Dungy is weighing whether to retire now that he has won a Super Bowl, the first for a black head coach.

But Peyton, who hasn't missed a game in nine NFL seasons, is the Colts' constant. He finally won by not being the impatient Peyton of old, by settling for short completions and handoffs in the rain Sunday. But he's not looking to kick back now.

"In some cases, I've seen past quarterbacks that have won a Super Bowl getting 'the pass.' They kind of get the pass when they have a bad year. People say, 'He won a Super Bowl; we'll give him the pass,'" he said. "I guess what I'm saying is, I don't want the pass. I want to be held accountable each and every year. Next year, my goal is to be better, and I feel like I should be because of the experience I gained this year."

So Lets Give Peyton a hand here People. Anyone seen that Monkey??