Hybrid Limo? - Bauer's Worldwide Transportation Offers Lexus 400h

Not one to be outdone or to escape the latest trend, Bauer's Worldwide Transportation has annouced they are offering Lexus 400h hybrid cars for rent as limousines.

As far as I know, Bauer's is the first limo company to offer hybrid cars. You can find our more about their service by clicking on Hybrid Cars

Chicago Bears Offer Coach Lovie Smith Less Because He's Black - Chicago Sun-Times

Carol hit it right on the head. It serves as a reminder of the stupidity of racism.

Smith talks make you wonder
Race appears to be factor in contract negotiations

February 27, 2007
BY CAROL SLEZAK Sun-Times Columnist

Is it business as usual for the Bears, or something more? We know that chants of ''cheapskate'' won't shame Ted Phillips or his McCaskey superiors into coming to terms with Lovie Smith on a contract extension. When it comes to lowballing their employees, the Bears really have no shame.
But -- funny thing -- every so often they surprise us by opening up their checkbook. Like in 2003, when they approached middle linebacker Brian Urlacher to talk about a new deal while he still had two years remaining on his original contract. Quicker than you could say, ''He's a Bear for life,'' they locked up Urlacher through 2011. The $56.65 million deal included a $13 million signing bonus, an additional $6 million in roster bonuses and an 18-person suite at Soldier Field. The model for the deal was the $49 million contract that Baltimore Ravens middle linebacker Ray Lewis had signed the year before.

''We're very, very comfortable with these numbers,'' general manager Jerry Angelo said at the time about Urlacher's contract.

So why is it so difficult to find a comfort level with Smith? Last year, Phillips said he needed to see more of Smith. Funny, all it took for the Bears to extend Dick Jauron's contract was one winning season. Based on the team's success in 2001, when it went 13-3, Jauron got a new four-year deal in 2002 reportedly worth more than $2 million a season, or more than double his original contract that had paid him $1 million a season.

''It's a fair deal,'' Phillips said. ''Tearing up Dick's last year was the smart thing to do in recognition of the job he did.''


A proven commodity
It turned out to be a bad decision. But then, Smith is not Jauron. I wonder, has Phillips seen enough of Smith yet? Because everyone else knows what Smith has accomplished in the last two seasons, beginning with two division titles and ending with an NFC championship. And everyone else knows what other head coaches are being paid. First-year head coaches Bobby Petrino ($4.8 million a season) and Cam Cameron ($2.5 million), for instance. Career underachievers Norv Turner (in excess of $3 million) and Wade Phillips (between $2M and $3M). And other recent Super Bowl coaches, such as Tony Dungy ($5M), Jeff Fisher ($5.4M), Brian Billick ($5.7M) and Mike Holmgren ($8M).
Smith, who is scheduled to make a league-low $1.45 million next season, has coached his way into the $5 million range. The Bears had no problem ripping up Urlacher's contract to pay him Ray Lewis money. Why are they having such a problem committing Jeff Fisher or Brian Billick money to Smith? He's the best coach the Bears have had since Mike Ditka, and he might be better than Ditka in the long run. Yet, as Smith reminded us last week, he has ''been trying to get a contract done since the start of last year.''

The picture that has emerged, while still blurry, gives rise to a legitimate question: Is Smith's race a factor in the Bears' hesitancy to pay him? If Smith, an African American, were white, would the deal have been done long ago? I'm sure the Bears would rather be called cheap than prejudiced. But they've opened themselves up to this scrutiny by their mishandling of Smith's negotiations.

Ordinarily a coach's contract would not give rise to concern in February, especially when the coach has a year left on his original deal, as Smith does. But Smith's situation is hardly ordinary. He was the NFL coach of the year in 2005, and he brought his team to the Super Bowl in 2006. The Bears have said they want to keep him around, yet they seem to be doing their best to alienate him. At last report, they had offered Smith less than $3.5 million a year. The entire league is wondering what's wrong in Chicago. Damage already has been done.

Smith isn't the only one feeling disenfranchised these days. Instead of an Urlacher-type deal, linebacker Lance Briggs got slapped with the franchise tag. Meaning the Bears want Briggs, who made the Pro Bowl the last two seasons, but they don't want to pay him what he's worth. A reminder, perhaps, that there can be only one face of the Bears, and the Bears have chosen Urlacher.


Lovie's got it coming

The Bears have the right to make their own decisions. But they must know that those decisions will be viewed in a broader context, as they should be. Sports have become a measuring stick for many societal issues. Just last week, for instance, Wimbledon finally recognized that women deserved the same prize money as men. The actual differential between the women's and men's prizes had been shrinking over the years; the paycheck for the women's champ -- $1.117 million -- was about 95 percent of the $1.17 million won by the men's champ last year. But it was still important, if only symbolically, to equalize the prizes.
It's just as important for the Bears to give Smith his due.

Fortunately for the Bears, the organization's long history of penny-pinching has many describing their treatment of Smith as business as usual. But is that really all that's going on here? I'm not so sure.

Willis McGahee Wants To Be Traded - Bills Coach Dick Jauron Will Seek Trade

Bills Would Listen to Offers for McGahee-See my Ending....
By JOHN WAWROW
AP Sports Writer

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. -- Calling no player "untouchable," Buffalo Bills coach Dick Jauron said the team would consider trade offers for starting running back Willis McGahee.

"It's in our best interest to listen to everybody, and no people are untouchable," Jauron told The Associated Press at the NFL's annual scouting combine at Indianapolis on Monday. "He's a good back. He's our starting running back right now. It's no surprise to me at all that people are interested."

Asked specifically if McGahee is on the trading block, Jauron said: "Well, people talk. People talk in the league all the time."

It's unusual for trade discussions to be made public, or for a coach to acknowledge any talk that involves players -- particularly a player of McGahee's caliber. The three-year starter has one year left on his contract and had expressed interest in seeking an extension with Buffalo.

News that the Bills would shop McGahee first came up last weekend, when New York Giants general manager Jerry Reese expressed interest in the player as a potential replacement for Tiki Barber, who retired after last season.

"There is some Willis McGahee talk," Reese had said. "We'll investigate Willis, we'll investigate everybody with trade talk. We'll leave no stone unturned."

Reese's comments created a stir in Buffalo, where the Bills had previously sidestepped questions about McGahee's long-term status with the team.

McGahee was unavailable for comment and his phone number is not listed. His agent, Drew Rosenhaus, did not immediately return calls.

Buffalo's first-round pick out of Miami in 2003, McGahee is coming off a down season in which he finished with a career-low 990 yards rushing, but led the team with six touchdowns rushing in 14 starts.

In 2005, he had 1,247 yards rushing and five touchdowns in 15 starts. He established himself as the Bills starter in 2004 with 1,128 yards rushing and 13 touchdowns in 11 starts. That performance led the team to trade former starter Travis Henry to Tennessee the following summer.

McGahee sat out his rookie season recovering from major knee surgery.

The Bills have been disappointed in McGahee for conducting most of his offseason workouts in his native Miami, rather than traveling to the team's Orchard Park headquarters. McGahee also created a stir last month, when he was quoted in a magazine article suggesting the NFL consider moving the Bills to Toronto.

McGahee later released a statement saying his comments were taken out of context and that he would never suggest such a move.


Willis don't talk like that.......

We know you need to take the High road here or your current team will fine the Bejesus outta you.....but hey...if you can make more Money downstate? Why not. but what people don't remember is the Knee Injury you suffered at the end of your college career, or how your Slimebag of an agent Rosenhaus duped everyone in the NFL into thinking you were Really talking to other teams on the phone while you were on ESPN Supposedly waiting for a call...when it was Drew himself hanging dead air on your cell phone.

The question is will that Knee take another hit?? or were these last few years the Peak of your Playing performance.....are you On the decline Willis?? Or could you Put out another 4 or 5 years(the average life span of a NFL runningback at peak player performance is 4.6 years).......

St. Louis Rams Release Veteran G Adam Timmerman

Rams Release Veteran G Adam Timmerman See my ending.....
By R.B. FALLSTROM
AP Sports Writer

ST. LOUIS -- The St. Louis Rams have released veteran guard Adam Timmerman, a team stalwart who played in two Super Bowls for the team.

Timmerman was informed by Rams coach Scott Linehan on Monday that he was being released from the club, his agent, Mark Bartelstein, said. Timmerman, 35, has no plans to retire.

"I think they just wanted to make a change," Bartelstein said. "It's a difficult thing for Adam. He feels great and he's looking forward to having a great season.

"His body feels great and he's ready to go. This is a tough part of the business."

The Rams were expected to announce the release on Wednesday, though Bartelstein said it could happen as early as Tuesday. Linehan was at the NFL's annual scouting combine in Indianapolis.

Timmerman ended this season with a rib injury.

The Rams signed Timmerman as a free agent from Green Bay after the 1998 season. He became part of the starting lineup at right guard and stayed there the next eight seasons, earning two Pro Bowl selections and appearing in 10 playoff games and two Super Bowls for the Rams.

Timmerman had a streak of 204 consecutive games, including the playoffs, since his rookie season in 1995 with the Packers. However, he missed the Rams' last three games last season due to cracked ribs.

The Rams brought in a young offensive line that included Richie Incognito at Timmerman's right guard spot. Incognito will have that spot at the start of training camp.

Rams offensive coordinator Greg Olson said in January that the team has some "aging veterans up front who have done a tremendous job for the team," but who eventually would be replaced.

So another team is cutting veteran depth and veteran salary to get Young....too Bad because Timmerman still had some fuel left to burn.....

Linebackers stand to make Big Money

Linebackers Vying for Top of Draft Chart --See my endnote.

By MICHAEL MAROT
AP Sports Writer


INDIANAPOLIS -- Patrick Willis and Paul Posluszny grew up in different worlds. One considered attending the Naval Academy and representing his country on the battlefield -- if he couldn't become the next Western Pennsylvania kid to star at Linebacker U. The other dreamed of creating a better life for his siblings in the South.

Now their divergent paths have crossed here, at the NFL's annual scouting combine, where the award-winning linebackers are vying to become first-round picks in April's NFL draft.

"It would be a blessing, especially the way I grew up," Willis said, when asked what he would do with his riches. "It would help me take care of those who helped me along the way and make sure that if I have children they won't have to go through what I went through."

Willis endured the kind of childhood experiences no youngster should.

The real-life nightmare began when his mother left home, abandoning her four children and forcing them to fend for themselves with an uninterested father. Willis was 4 years old.

Two years later, Willis was cooking meals for his siblings, and by age 10, Willis was working in Tennessee's cotton fields with his grandmother, earning $110 per week. The money went to his dad so he could pay the family's bills.

As a teenager, the situation worsened. When Willis learned his father was abusing his sister, Ernicka, he turned him in to child services and suddenly, Willis and his siblings needed to find a new family, one that would give them the love and respect they deserved.

When Chris and Julie Finley took in Willis, becoming his legal guardians, things changed. Eventually, Willis earned a scholarship to Mississippi and began emerging as one of the Rebels top players.

As a junior, he led the nation with 90 solo tackles despite playing with a broken finger, a sprained knee, a sprained foot and a separated right shoulder -- pains that paled in comparison to his life off the field.

But just when it seemed everything was finally going right, Willis was struck by another tragic chapter. Last summer, his 17-year-old brother, Detris, a two-way starter on his high school football team in Bruceton, Tenn., drowned while swimming with friends. Willis delivered the eulogy.

He played his senior season like he a man on a mission. Willis finished with 137 tackles, 11 1/2 for losses and three sacks. He was an All-American, the SEC's defensive player of the year and the Butkus Award winner as the nation's top linebacker. He also earned the coveted Chucky Mullins Courage Award, named for the former Mississippi player who was paralyzed during a game in 1989. Mullins died in 1991.

Last month, he added the Senior Bowl's defensive MVP award to his list of honors.

Yet even now, the wounds still cut deeply. Asked to explain what happened to his parents, the soft-spoken, polite linebacker simply said: "There were complications with my dad, and my mother was never really around."

In 22 years, he's overcome more obstacles, challenges and disappointments than most people experience in a lifetime and Willis believes the tribulations have helped him grow as a player, too.

"My real-life experience taught me how to compete through adversity," he said. "No matter what happens, if someone knocks you down, you have to find a way to get up and get the job done. That's what you have to do."

Posluszny's road to the combine took a more conventional route.

After sweeping both the 2005 Butkus and Bednarik awards, most figured he was off to the NFL. The expectations increased when Hall of Famer Jack Ham called Posluszny the best linebacker to ever play at Penn State, a comment that even surprised the humblest of players.

"I couldn't believe he said it because I know all the great linebackers that went before me, and I can't stack up to them," Posluszny said. "(Shane) Conlan, (LaVar) Arrington, whoever. If I picked the best, I'd have to say it was Jack Ham because he's in the Hall of Fame."

Yes, Posluszny admits he contemplated leaving school early -- until one play late in last year's Orange Bowl took away that option. When Posluszny tried to leap over a block by Lorenzo Booker, the Florida State running back hit Posluszny in the knee with his helmet.

The toughest Nittany Lion on the roster couldn't just shake off this one; two ligaments were partially torn. Posluszny feared he might need surgery, but doctors said he simply needed rest.

To Posluszny, it was an agonizing two months.

"It was long, long and boring," he said. "The injury wasn't very significant, but it was a long rehab process."

The other part was that Posluszny had to start all over, proving to scouts he could make it all the way back to his old form.

While he matched his 2005 totals with 116 tackles and three sacks, Willis wound up winning the Butkus Award and may have unseated Posluszny as the No. 1 linebacker in this year's draft.

The way teams look at it, though, they can't go wrong. Both are talented, tested and terrific on the field. And in a world where team officials often talk about needing "character guys," they will be hard-pressed to find two more compelling cases than those offered by Posluszny's comeback and Willis' fight for survival.

"Stepping up to this level, I'm going to have to do something regardless of what background I came from or what division I played at," Willis said. "It doesn't matter where you're from, as long as you show up when it's time."


Here we have a Great piece about the top twp LB's in this Draft. What you never get from the piece is that after Willis and Posluszny the talent level drops off a considerable amount. The Next best LB might not get selected untll the latter part of the second round, unlike last year where there were ten valid LB's who could have been selected in the TOP half of round 1.

Could Willis find Happyness wearing a different color Blue??

From Pro Football weekly's "the Whay we Hear It".....
Reese’s comments about McGahee offer new wrinkle to Giants’ RB outlook


The most intriguing thing to come out of new Giants GM Jerry Reese’s mouth at the Scouting Combine shouldn’t have come out at all. When asked about the possibility of acquiring Bills RB Willis McGahee, Reese did not refuse to comment — as he should have, given that McGahee is still under contract and that it could be considered tampering for another team to talk about a player’s availability. Yet, the comment that the Giants will do their due diligence on McGahee at least raised the intrigue level around one of the more interesting positions on the team heading into free agency. Sources with knowledge of the Giants’ interests suggest that the team will add at least one, perhaps two, backs this season — either through free agency, the draft or a trade. The latter had been considered the least likely until Reese’s comments, because the organization is believed to like Brandon Jacobs as a lead back, albeit one who will carry less responsibility than the recently retired Tiki Barber. Later, Reese even went on to say that, ideally, Jacobs would carry the ball 20 times and that another back might get 15 carries in a hypothetical division of labor before the Giants have even made any moves.


Ok so we know that The Giants are Panting like a wanton schoolgirl over McGahee and the Packers Ahman Green, and the Giants RB coach Jerheld Ingrham is something of a magic man when it comes to Backs with issues(can we call him the RUNNINGBACK wisperer??) But you can't call this "tampering" when the player himself has made it known that he wants a trade, the team he plays for has said they will make a trade, and the Giants didn't offer a contract number in thin air like the Jets did last year with the Deion Branch affair(which they were cleared of any wrongdoing BTW).
Still, not that Bright on Reese's part to tip his hand that way, and it's not something either of his two predecessors would have done. The Late George Young, who Had a hand in bringing Reese into the organization would have talked a 1,000 dollar an hour escort out of her 401K without telling her he was giving it to the little sisters of the poor, and Ernie Accorsi could be accused of many things, but one of them was not loose lips...so unless this was a big smoke screen....

Small School Prospects-IVY LEAUGE

Prospects From the IVY LEAGUE who could be drafted or signed as free
agents in 2007-By Bill Chachkes (the Draftnik)

Everyone knows or seems to know the players available for this draft
from the big named schools, but what about the "Unknowns", the
"Sleepers". These are the players who are good enough to play
somewhere, who could make a roster if they were to have a chance.

As i spent the 2006 college football season on the inside of IVY
League Football, i got to focus on these players who otherwise might
not get a mention by most outlets. While they are not ranked in order,
DeOssie and McCarthy stand out as two of the better prospects at their
positions in ALL of college football, Artis is versatile, Mizell and
Fuseiler add senior depth to the skill positions they play, and
Terrell displays the ability to be a quality QB at the next level. All
16 players deserve a mention if for no other reason then they helped
elevate their teams level of play.


1)LB Zak DeOssie(6'4"240)-The premier defensive player in The Ivy the
last 2 years-he's every bit the player his dad Steve was(Cowboys &
Giants) and them some. Great Moves toward the ball most times but can
look out of place in open space. Excellent Tackler, a tireless worker
and very bright.Will find himself on an NFL roster in 07.

2) J.J. Artis-DB-Princeton(6'0"195) The Leader of the Tigers
Defense-Helped earn the team it's first IVY title since 1964. Was in a
3 way tie for the team lead with 3 int's. Very fluid runner in the
open field. Might be able to convert to FS. Very good cover skills.
Doesn't get turned around easily by opposing WR's. able to take on
bigger WR's and bring them down in the open field.

3) Chris Mizell-TE-Penn(6"4" 250) This quiet powerhouse of a young man
was the team's best downfield blocker the last two years. He had 31
grabs for 292 yards with a 9.4 Yards per catch avg. Played HS Ball at
NYC's Horace Mann, one of the best private school football programs in
the northeast. Soft Hands, but could use work on deep routes.

4) Ed McCarthy-OL-Yale(6'5" 302) Easily the Best OL in the ivy this
year. Ed has been Honored by the National Football Foudation, named to
the Walter Camp 1-AA All America Team, American Football Coaches Assn.
1-AA Team, and won the Boston Gridiron club's "Swede Nelson" award. Ed
also has football in his Family DNA, as his Dad also played at Yale
and had a brief stint in the NFL. The Bulldogs led the ivy in Rushing
with over 200 yds. avg per game, as McCarthy led the way blocking.

5) Matt Barsamian-OL-Columbia(6'5"282) Can play every position on the
line, but would best be suited to play Guard or Center at the next
level. Can also long snap. Great footwork and knows how to keep his
hands from getting him into trouble. Good leader, was one of team
co-captains in 05 and 06. Could make a team based on his special teams
contribution.

6) Jeff Terrell-QB-Princeton(6'3"220) Terrell has passed for nearly
4,500 yards the last two seasons, and rushed for nearly 800 yards as
well. A gunslinger with a strong arm, he's not afraid to pull it down
and run or take a sack if need be.Great passing accuracy and tight
spiral. Lead his team to a share of the 2006 Ivy title and has
compiled 16 out of 20 wins the last two years.

7) Ryan Fuseiler-WR/TE-Dartmouth(6'5"228) This is the next Colston, no
doubt. Smooth routes, great hands, good footwork. Not afraid to go
over the middle and take a hit going for the ball.Very hard to tackle
afterthe catch. Not Blessed with blazing speed,but has a burst after
the catch and could clock a sub 4.5 40 time with a good personal
training coach. If he's not on a roster in 07, someone isn't watching
enough tape.

8) Joe Sandberg-RB-Penn(6'0"200) This is a no nonsense young man who
gets the job done. 210 attempts in 10 games with 1,042 net yards
rushing, a 5.0 yd. per carry average and 104.2 yds. per game. A strait
forward runner between the tackles who doesn't have many moves, but
hits the open hole with a nice burst. Also has good hands as a
receiver out of the backfield. Might have wound up a Cowboy if
Parcells had stayed, as he hails from Parcells hometown(Oradell NJ)
and Played HS ball at Bergen Catholic.

9) Tad Crawford-DB-Columbia(6'3" 196) Tad posted his second 100+
Tackle season in a row, and earned all Ivy Honors for the second time
as well, Very "ball aware", very good coverage skills. Could play in
nickel or dime situations. Very fast and hard to tackle after an
interception. Could also play specials as a gunner or return man.
another player who belongs on a roster at the next level.

10) Mike Berg-DL-Harvard(6'2.5" 268) A unanimous all Ivy selection for
the second year, Berg is a fierce competitior and a penetrating
defensive lineman. Not only did Harvard lead the nation in sacks, the
average rushing attempt vs their defense was less then 2 yards per
carry! Controls the "Pit" with his dominating play, and seems to play
bigger then he actually is. Second on the team in sacks over his four
years.

And 6 more....Frank Fernandez(OC) and Clifton Dawson(RB) of Harvard,
Colin MDonough(P) of Princeton, Brian Fairbanks(DL) and Sean
Estrada(OL) from Penn, and Adam Brekke(LB) of Columbia