Monday, April 30, 2012
Sunday, April 29, 2012
Saturday, April 28, 2012
Jones-Drew a no-show for Jaguars' offseason workouts
If it's not mandatory, Maurice Jones-Drew won't be there.
The Jaguars began voluntary offseason workouts Tuesday without their star running back, who instead will train on his own in California, his offseason home. New head coach Mike Mularkey said he expected all players on the roster to be present other than injured defensive tackle Terrance Knighton and disgruntled Josh Scobee, who hasn't signed the franchise tender since the team applied the restrictive tag in March.
Jones-Drew led the NFL in rushing with 1,606 yards last season.
The move isn't all that unfamiliar to the Jaguars' organization. Fred Taylor was often excused from voluntary workouts because of his proven dedication to fitness and veteran leadership status by former coach Jack Del Rio.
The obvious differences: Jones-Drew isn't excused according to Mularkey and the team is working with a new coaching staff.
Copyright (C) 2012 The Sports Xchange. All Rights Reserved.
Payton, Petrino needed bosses who could save them from themselves
AD Jeff Long (left) could have saved Bobby Petrino from himself. (Getty Images)
Bobby Petrino and Sean Payton might not seem like they have a lot in common, but something ties them together, and it should serve as a lesson to every big-time coach in sports, especially college and professional football.
Petrino and Payton's common thread? Neither had a boss.
Oh, on paper, they had superiors, but in reality, they had none. They were CEOs of their teams. The people above them were either sycophants or incompetent. There was no board with strict oversight. No one with the power to say: Wait, hold on, you're doing what?
No one to say: Nah dude, we don't do bounties, here. If you don't cut that s--- out, I'm firing you.
Or: Hold on, Bobby ... why exactly are we bypassing university rules and overlooking more qualified applicants to speed up the hiring of a ... very ... pretty ... young lady? Hey, wait a minute, tell me more about this Jessica Dorrell? In fact, tell me everything.
There was no one with the true power to say no because the power of Petrino and Payton had grown larger than the power of their alleged bosses.
A general manager on an NFL team or an athletic director at a college is supposed to act like an airbrake when coaches suddenly start doing impossibly stupid things. The problem in both of these cases was the inaction or even enabling of the bosses, specifically Arkansas athletic director Jeff Long and Saints general manager Mickey Loomis.
Various NFL sources say Payton has effectively been the top man at the Saints for several years and his power was cemented (and grew considerably) after New Orleans won the Super Bowl. Payton and Drew Brees were portrayed as men who saved the city. It was around this time that the bounty scandal was in full swing.
For the most part, Loomis was a wimp who basically did whatever Payton wanted. There's a reason Payton received a full-year suspension and Loomis far less. Payton was the ringleader and Loomis the stooge, the bad lieutenant who followed Payton's instructions.
What was really needed was an intervention, but there was no one powerful enough to take on Payton. Payton was the power.
Where was owner Tom Benson in all of this? Who knows? I covered the late Wellington Mara, who was intricately involved in every decision of the team he owned, the Giants. I have no frame of reference for a Benson. I covered the late George Young, the longtime Giants general manager, and Ernie Accorsi, who followed Young. They were vastly different from the Longs and Loomises. They were men of intellect and action who weren't perfect but understood that bosses have to act like bosses.
What Long did, in many ways, is an even larger disgrace than Loomis. Petrino pushed Long to bypass school affirmative action rules requiring a 30-day period for jobs to be posted before interviews could commence so Petrino could quickly usher in his girlfriend. Long may not have known the two had a previous relationship, but he should have smelled something was rotten. Instead, his response to Petrino was yes sir. Whatever you want sir. Cream with that coffee, Mr. Petrino?
Petrino pushed for the interview process to begin just five days into the waiting period, according to a story in Sports Illustrated. "We feel that flexibility is needed," Long wrote at the time.
Petrino is flexible, all right.
Dr. Fritz Polite, sports management professor at Tennessee and director of the Institute for Leadership, Ethics & Diversity, told SI that Arkansas' speed in ignoring affirmative action procedures demonstrated "the power lies with the coach to sidestep rules ... simply because he's winning."
Petrino's success allowed him to hop over Long, and in the process Long became impotent. It's an old story that hasn't changed in decades in college football, and the lessons have not been learned from the numerous scandals in which a coach made himself king. University presidents are clueless (maybe purposely so) and athletic directors compliant and sometimes worse, fearing reprisal from a coach who has more power than anyone on campus.
Those in power above the coach self-castrate knowing the coach is the true ruler of the empire.
The same thing happened with the Saints.
What Long and Loomis should have done was cut the pretense and, whenever they saw Payton and Petrino, make a simple gesture.
They should have saluted.
RG3 a Redskin? Baylor/Cowboys fans having (a lot of) trouble with the idea
Wildly popular RG3 is going to win the Redskins some converts in Texas. (Getty Images)
WACO, Texas -- It's difficult to tell whether fans really mean it in Baylor country, a region that also bleeds the silver and blue of the Dallas Cowboys.
The expression that's not quite a smirk but borderline utter disbelief indicates the fan base that loves to hate the Redskins doesn't yet view the soon-to-be scenario of Robert Griffin III becoming a folk hero in Washington as reality.
They've had enough time to consider the prospect, and likely reality, of the Baylor demigod and Heisman winner being drafted by the hated Redskins. That doesn't mean they've had enough time to accept it.
There might not be enough stages of grief to allow for Baylor fans to reach acceptance, even when Griffin strolls into Dallas Cowboys Stadium wearing enemy colors.
Tye Barrett, who earned both his bachelor of arts and master's degrees from Baylor, wouldn't even refer to that team from D.C. by name -- and that's clearly a universal strategy in and around Waco.
Barrett has hosted parties at his tailgate spot on the grounds of Baylor's Floyd Casey Stadium for the past two seasons. He knows who RG3 is, and he knows the Redskins will likely draft the Bears' Heisman winner.
There's no confusion in his response. The question is commentary.
"Who?" said Paxton Dove, who owns The Dancing Bear Pub near the Baylor campus.
Dove's pub turned up the television volume during the Heisman ceremony when Griffin III's name was announced as Baylor's first-ever Heisman winner.
Dove hasn't ruled out the possibility that the Indianapolis Colts will take Griffin III. Or at least he hasn't given up hope.
Nevertheless, when the Redskins gave the St. Louis Rams three first-round draft picks and a second-rounder to move up to the No. 2 spot in this month's NFL Draft, many Baylor/Cowboys fans' hearts sunk.
It doesn't seem likely that the Colts will pass on Stanford's Andrew Luck, and the love-fest between Griffin III and the Redskins keeps on going and growing. So the Baylor/Cowboy fans have started exchanging text messages with some version of the question "Will you like the Redskins?"
The Cowboys definitely have a stronghold in Waco. Vendors could be spotted on just about every corner in town selling T-shirts during the Cowboys' Super Bowl seasons in the early 1990s.
But whether it's the Cowboys' failure to get back to the Super Bowl, the arrival of the Houston Texans or the natural contrary nature of some, Dallas has a little less than 100 percent support in the Heart of Texas.
There are even Redskins fans. In fact, David Smoak, the host of Waco's sports radio afternoon drive-time show, has been a Redskins fan since the mid-1960s.
As excited about Griffin III going to the Redskins as Smoak is, he's even more enthusiastic about what it means for the Redskins.
"Yeah, no question," Smoak said. "When the news came down that Friday, I smiled. I'd rather see them go down doing that than going down with no chance."
Smoak's show, You Make The Call, fields calls from Baylor fans on a regular basis. More than anyone, he might have heard the resignation and sadness in the voices of Baylor/Cowboy fans as Griffin III's fate becomes more evident.
Instead, Smoak said he sees shifting fan loyalty, not just in this case but in general, especially among younger fans.
"The Cowboys have been in a rut, and I think there's a slight crack," Smoak said. "They might become Redskins fans. They would've been a fan of the team wherever he goes. But that kind of surprised me.
"I don't know if fans are as loyal or long-term committed as they used to be."
Smoak believes interest in RG3 will override hatred of the Redskins. To that end, he's already making plans to have a weekly segment with a Redskins beat writer as soon as training camp begins.
Smoak has even considered trying to get the radio station, a Cowboys affiliate, to pick up some Redskins broadcasts, though he acknowledges that will be difficult.
Though he seems to be on target in his assessment of younger Baylor fans and their reaction.
Baylor senior Chris Salazar reckons he will reserve a small slice of his rooting interest for Griffin III.
"I will buy a RG3 jersey and I will cheer for the Redskins and hope that RG3 plays well anytime that they are not playing the Cowboys," Salazar said. "And I will hope that he plays well when playing the Cowboys, just that the Cowboys will play better and win."
Ricky Thompson has been down this road before, sort of. Thompson starred at Baylor at wide receiver in the mid-1970s, was drafted by the Colts and then traded to the Redskins.
He grew up a Cowboys fan, but he said the feeling quickly disappeared when he went to Washington before the start of the 1978 season.
"It took me not very long to convert," Thompson said. "Once you get involved with the Redskins, you are not a Cowboy fan."
Thompson now serves as the sideline reporter for the Baylor Sports Radio Network on autumn Saturdays. During the week he's the president of the First National Bank of Central Texas.
He's happy to be seeing Griffin III go from his alma mater to one of his past employers.
"I'm thrilled," Thompson said. "I think that's exceptional. I told him, 'If you're the first pick, you're drafted by the team that drafted me; if you're the No. 2 pick you're going to the team that I love.'"
For his part, Griffin III stated firmly during his pro day press conference that he did not grow up a Cowboys fan.
"No tension there," he said. "I know there are a lot of Baylor fans that are Cowboys fans. We'll see what happens."
Griffin III wore an easy-going smile on his pro day. He has spent quality time with Redskins coach Mike Shanahan and owner Dan Snyder. He said given the time he has toured Washington, he likes the city. He attended President Obama's National Prayer Breakfast and he ran track in the nation's capital as a high school star.
For him, the prospect of going to the Redskins is bright.
Even while the idea makes Baylor/Cowboys fans gloomy.
"When I heard the Redskins made the move I was absolutely bummed out," Baylor/Cowboys fan Bob Johns said. "I hate the Redskins. I won't even have Redskins on my Fantasy football team. I hope he does well, but I won't pull for the Redskins. I hope he can have good numbers and they still lose. I guess I'm holding out hope that the Colts will somehow change their minds and take him."
San Francisco wants Super Bowl L in its new stadium
Posted: 03:24 PM ET April 16, 2012
By Josh Katzowitz | NFL Blogger
Will the Super Bowl L trophy be raised in San Francisco's new stadium? The Bay Area hopes so. (Getty) The Super Bowl location rotation is set for the next three years. In 2013, we'll head to New Orleans, then New York/New Jersey in 2014 and Glendale, Ariz., in 2015. If the city of San Francisco has its way, Super Bowl L will be live from the Bay Area.
That's the word from the Sacramento Bee, which reports that the 49ers want their new $1.02 billion stadium to play host to the Super Bowl in February 2016.
The new stadium will be located in Santa Clara, and since an NFL team has to play in a stadium for two seasons before a Super Bowl can be played there, that stadium would have to be ready for the start of the 49ers 2014 season.
As the Bee notes, interested cities can begin applying to the Super Bowl Advisory Committee to bid, and in October, the committee will decide on finalists. The NFL then likely will announce the winner of Super Bowl L in May 2013.
It'll be interesting, though, to see if Los Angeles can secure an NFL team in the next few years, because the league placing Super Bowl L in L.A, the site of Super Bowl I, would make plenty of sense (symbolically, at least).
If San Francisco ultimately doesn't win the right to host the Super Bowl in 2016, the 49ers would apply to play host to Super Bowl LI.
For more NFL news, rumors and analysis, follow @EyeOnNFL on Twitter, and subscribe to our Pick-6 Podcast and NFL newsletter. You can follow Josh Katzowitz on Twitter here: @joshkatzowitz.
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Latest NFL concussion suit cites Saints' bounties scandal
ATLANTA -- The four former NFL players who sued the league on Monday in a state court in Atlanta could be leading a wave of new lawsuits that cite the New Orleans Saints' bounty system for hard hits as evidence that pro football didn't properly protect its players from concussions.
Legal experts and trial attorneys say they expect more complaints against the NFL to point to the Saints' scandal after the ex-players filed suit contending the bounty system was another example that the league "explicitly relied on violence" and neglected to educate players on the dangers of concussions.
The claims give the new lawsuit an "added vitality" if attorneys can use it to bolster the idea that there's activity in the sport that goes beyond the typical violence associated with pro football, said Paul Haagen, co-director of the Center for Sports Law and Policy at Duke University.
"It adds color" to the complaint, Haagen added. "And by raising it you hope to raise a general buzz in the public that this is an issue."
The NFL's investigation found that former Saints defensive coordinator Gregg Williams offered thousands of dollars in cash payouts for violent hits over the past three seasons, including when the team won the Super Bowl. And while the four players named in the lawsuit don't claim to be victims of the scheme, they say it is indicative of a culture that has left them and other ex-players with debilitating conditions.
"There is nothing new or unique about what Gregg Williams said. Although the NFL has now punished Williams and the Saints, for almost its entire history the NFL glorified violent hits," said the complaint. "It encouraged its players to think of themselves as gladiators. But, along the way, the NFL failed to educate its players about the consequences of such a win-at-all costs mentality."
NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy said any allegation that the league intentionally sought to mislead players is without merit.
"It stands in contrast to the league's actions to better protect players and advance the science and medical understanding of the management and treatment of concussions," he said.
The lawsuit was filed on behalf of Myron Guyton, who played for the New York Giants and New England Patriots in the 1980s and 1990s; Lomas Brown, who played for five teams over a 17-year career that ended in 2002; Jessie Small, who played for the Philadelphia Eagles, the Phoenix Cardinals and the Houston Oilers between 1989 and 1993; and Willie Whitehead, who played for the San Francisco 49ers and New Orleans Saints from 1995 to 2006.
Atlanta attorney and NFL agent Von DuBose filed the lawsuit on behalf of the four players and their wives. He said the men suffer from memory loss, headaches, depression and other symptoms characteristic of those with traumatic brain injuries. They are among more than 1,000 former NFL players suing the league, according to lawyers involved. The cases say not enough was done to inform players about the dangers of concussions in the past, and not enough is done to take care of them today.
"I've been hearing this stuff for years. And it instantly made sense when this concussion information started to come out," said DuBose. "The dots started to connect."
Gabe Feldman, a sports law professor at Tulane University, said the reference to the bounty system could help plaintiffs paint a picture of the sport as "not only violent but unnecessarily violent." Although he doubts the new claim will be a "game changer," he expects more lawsuits to cite the scandal.
"It certainly could be persuasive in the eyes of a jury," he said.
The complaint filed Monday goes far beyond targeting the bounty system. It also says the league encouraged players to view themselves as warriors and sold films that lionized the most brutal hits, such as the 1992 NFL Films production, The Best of Thunder and Destruction. And it seeks to force the league to better educate players on the dangers of traumatic head injuries during the crucial period immediately after the draft.
The league's investigation found that Williams offered off-the-books cash payments of $1,500 for "knockouts," in which an opposing player was knocked out of a game, or $1,000 for "cart-offs," in which an opponent needed help off the field. The league has said the bounty pool grew as large as $50,000, and that as many as 27 Saints defenders may have taken part.
The investigation led to the indefinite suspension of Williams, who had taken a position with the St. Louis Rams and has since apologized for running the system, and the season-long suspension of Saints coach Sean Payton, who was found to have initially lied about the existence of a bounty program and instructed his defensive assistants to do the same.
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell last week rejected an appeal of Payton's season-long suspension.
Some legal analysts said claims from players who weren't involved in the bounty system may not survive a challenge from defense attorneys.
"Everyone knows, including anyone who's played in the NFL, that it's a violent game, said Matthew Mitten, the director of the National Sports Law Institute at Marquette University. "You didn't need the unfortunate circumstances of bounty-gate to tell us that."
But Bruce Hagen, an Atlanta attorney who has filed two lawsuits involving 33 different players, said the bounty system could play an important part in the lawsuits working their way through the courts.
"It shows that it's an institutionalized effort by management to go outside the bounds of the game as a way to motivate players even if it means intentionally having them injured," he said. "And that's wrong."
NFL schedule announcement set for Tuesday, 7 p.m. ET on NFL Network
Posted: 03:59 PM ET April 16, 2012
By Will Brinson | Senior NFL BloggerThe NFL schedule announcement is scheduled ... for announcement: the league announced on Monday that it would release the full 2012 NFL regular season schedule on Tuesday on NFL Network beginning at 7 p.m. ET.
We already know that the first game of the 2012 NFL season will come on a Wednesday: the Super Bowl champion Giants square off against their hated rival Dallas Cowboys on NBC during the 2012 NFL Kickoff.
The game was moved from the "traditional" Thursday slot to Wednesday because of Barack Obama's speech at the Democratic National Convention.
And, of course, we already know the opponents for 2012. What we don't know is when and how these teams will play.
Peter King of Sports Illustrated predicted (reported?) on Monday morning that one of the first weekend's prime-time games would feature Peyton Manning in his Broncos uniform, and we won't disagree with that notion.
Every game Manning gets will be highly scrutinized, as will all the Jets games, as a result of their trade for Tim Tebow. In fact, we'll go ahead and make a bold, baseless prediction: the NFL rolls with a double-header Monday Night Football game again in 2012, with the first game featuring the Jets and the second one featuring the Broncos. Drama!
Additionally, it'll be fascinating to see how the league handles the Saints situation. Interim coach Joe Vitt is suspended for the first six regular-season games of the season, meaning he'll lose seven weeks of action if the Saints bye comes during that time.
Friday, April 27, 2012
What Payton wants is obvious, but why would Saints want it, too?
Sean Payton (right) passed over esteemed OC Pete Carmichael (left) for the interim job. (US Presswire)
Sean Payton, smartest guy in every room he has ever walked into, thought he could do what he did and not get busted. Can you believe that? He thought he could get away with it.
I'm not talking about the bounty system his team used to target and then savage opposing players. I'm talking about the stuff that came afterward. The interim coach who was picked to replace Payton. I'm talking about that.
Once an arrogant SOB, always an arrogant SOB. That's Sean Payton, and then some. Arrogant, smarter-than-thou, the whole thing. He's a piece of work, this guy, because what he has done -- what he thought he could do, and get away with it -- is sacrifice New Orleans' 2012 season to serve the greater good.
The greater good being the star power of Sean Payton.
Look at the convoluted road the Saints traveled to pick a replacement for Payton, a process that Payton was allowed to oversee because, well, I'm not sure how to finish that thought. Because I'm not sure why Sean Payton, who has been such a wonderful Saints employee that he got himself suspended for a full season, was allowed to handpick the guy who would replace him.
All I know is Sean Payton handpicked some of the most obviously non-threatening guys he could. And I know why: Because Sean Payton is all about Sean Payton. Even as he has overseen three years of outrageous behavior that gutted the Saints -- cost them their head coach for 16 games, another coach for six games, their general manager for eight games, plus draft picks and fines -- Sean Payton made the call to replace Sean Payton with men who would do the job fairly well.
But not too well.
Because if someone did the job too well, um, that could cause a problem in 2013 when it's time for Sean Payton to return as head coach. Who needs or even wants Payton, that bounty-ignoring monster, if the Saints just went 13-3 without him?
So the first guy Payton tried to hire was his buddy Bill Parcells, who hasn't been good in years and who would have taken the job with a clear expiration date. Parcells turns 71 soon, and he wouldn't have been a threat to stay as head coach even if he'd turned back the clock to 1990 and gone 13-3. For one season Parcells would have replaced Payton as a favor to Payton, and then Parcells would have gotten the heck out of there.
Parcells was the perfect hire for Payton, but it didn't work out. Michael Lombardi at NFL.com posited the theory that it didn't work out because another member of the Saints' suspended posse, general manager Mickey Loomis, didn't want Parcells because Parcells -- while not a threat to Payton -- would have represented a threat to Mickey Loomis. Is that one true? No idea. Interesting theory, but I have no idea if Mickey Loomis operates in all-about-me mode.
Sean Payton? He lives in all-about-me mode, right down to the way he appeared at a Final Four concert next to Jimmy Buffett, who wore a T-shirt that said "Free Sean Payton." After Parcells said no, Payton turned to Joe Vitt. You know, the guy who can't even coach the first six games because he's suspended for the same reason as Payton. An interim coach gets no less threatening than one who can't even coach the whole season. Whatever happens in 2012, however good the season could theoretically go for the Saints, Vitt's impact will be marginalized by his six-game suspension.
But my suspicion is the Saints' 2012 season won't go that well at all, which I suspect would suit Sean Payton just fine. He wants to return in April 2013 as a martyr and a white knight, riding in from the wilderness to save the day. He can't save the day if the Saints go 13-3 in 2012, but he can sure save it if they're 8-8 or something similar.
And really, what else are the Saints going to do -- even with all that talent -- given the rudderless way they'll lurch through the 2012 season? One coach for six games, Joe Vitt for the next 10. Keep in mind, Joe Vitt is not head-coach material. That's an important fact here, because the Saints have another guy on staff who absolutely is head-coach material. But Sean Payton didn't turn to that guy as the interim coach. Didn't even consider him, from what I can gather.
Pete Carmichael is his name. He's the Saints offensive coordinator, X-and-O whiz kid, only 40 years old, close with quarterback Drew Brees. He's the next Sean Payton, is what he is, and he's so highly regarded around the league that he has been summoned by the Raiders and Colts to interview for head-coaching positions. But for his own franchise, sorry: You may be good, Pete Carmichael -- but you're no Joe Vitt.
See, Payton can't afford to have the Saints got 13-3 next season under Carmichael. That happens, and other teams would line up to hire Carmichael, and what then? You'd have Saints fans wondering if maybe the Saints should cut loose the tainted Sean Payton -- what's he done for us lately, anyway? -- and keep Pete Carmichael.
Payton can't have that. So he's not promoting Carmichael, which as an added bonus increases the odds that Carmichael returns in 2013 as the Saints offensive coordinator. It's diabolical micro-management, what I'm suggesting, but anyone who knows anything about Sean Payton knows he is capable of being that diabolical, and that micro-managing.
What I can't understand is why the Saints are letting him do it.
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Report: Saints LB Jonathan Vilma bracing for 2 to 8-game suspension
Posted: 05:47 PM ET April 16, 2012
By Ryan Wilson | NFL Blogger
Vilma's reportedly bracing for the worst. (Getty Images)
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell has already punished Saints coaches Sean Payton, Joe Vitt and former coach Gregg Williams; general manager Mickey Loomis; and the organization for their collective roles in the bounty scandal. The damage: a year's suspension for Payton, six games for Vitt, an indefinite suspension for Williams, eight games for Loomis, and for the franchise a $500,000 fine and two lost second-round picks (2012 and 2013).
But Goodell isn't done. There were players that had to carry out Williams' orders to injure opponents and one of them, linebacker Jonathan Vilma, could find out his fate by the end of the week. He's bracing for a suspension that could range anywhere from two to eight games, sources told NFL Network's Jason La Canfora Monday.
The NFLPA released a statement Monday morning indicating that they knew about the audio recordings of Williams urging his defense to take 49ers players that were released to the public days before Goodell ruled on the appeals of Payton, Vitt and Loomis.
“We learned of the tape as part of our effort to obtain any and all information related to an alleged pay-to-injure scheme," the statement read in part. "We had no control of the content and did not make a determination on the method of its release. To date, the NFL has not provided the NFLPA with detailed evidence of the existence of such a program.”
In March, a source told CBSSports.com's Mike Freeman that Vilma offered $10,000 to any teammate who knocked then-Vikings quarterback Brett Favre out of the 2009 NFC Championship Game.
As PFT.com's Mike Florio wrote Monday, "The allegation about Vilma putting up $10,000 ... is damning, but a fight over whether there is direct evidence of such a scheme could wind up working out well for Vilma's attempt to avoid a long suspension."
Whatever happens, the Saints have contingency plans: they signed linebackers Curtis Lofton and David Hawthorne, which led to this awkward Twitter exchange between Vilma and Sports Illustrated's Peter King.
Concerning the NFLPA's possible claim that there isn't enough evidence to punish Vilma, this is where we point out that, in the new collective bargaining agreement, the players agreed to let Goodell maintain full control of all disciplines handed down under the personal conduct policy. So don't be surprised if he comes down hard on Vilma.
For more NFL news, rumors and analysis, follow @EyeOnNFL on Twitter, and subscribe to our Pick-6 Podcast and NFL newsletter. You can follow Ryan Wilson on Twitter here: @ryanwilson_07.
Tags: Curtis Lofton, David Hawthorne, Jonathan Vilma, Ryan Wilson, Minnesota Vikings, New Orleans Saints, San Francisco 49ers, NFLMinnesota house committee puts Vikings stadium bill in doubt
ST. PAUL, Minn.-- The Vikings have had no stronger booster at Minnesota's Capitol than Gov. Mark Dayton, who now faces the Herculean task of trying to keep the team's bid to build a taxpayer-subsidized new stadium alive in the waning days of the legislative session after the proposal failed a committee vote in the state House.
The House Government Operations Committee voted 9-6 against the stadium bill Monday night, dealing a major blow to the team's decade-long effort to secure a replacement for the Metrodome. The vote came just after 10 p.m., following a four-hour hearing during which lawmakers heaped criticism on the $975 million planned partnership between the team, the state and the city of Minneapolis.
"Somebody's going to have to pull a rabbit out of a hat for this thing to be alive at this point," said Rep. Morrie Lanning, the chief House sponsor of the stadium plan. A Senate version of the stadium bill has been stalled in that chamber for the last month.
Lester Bagley, the Vikings' point man on the stadium push at the Capitol, said after the committee vote that the team was "extremely disappointed" at the outcome. "I guess I would ask the state, what else would you expect us to do? What else can we do?" he said.
Dayton has repeatedly stressed that he believes failure to help the team build a new stadium could result in Minnesota losing the Vikings to another city. The Democratic governor through a spokeswoman declined immediate comment on the committee vote.
Dayton was scheduled to meet Republican legislative leaders first thing Tuesday to talk about the final days of the session, which is expected to wrap up before the end of April. The developments of Monday night are likely to be a major part of that discussion. In addition to tying the team's future to Minnesota, Dayton has been touting the stadium proposal as a way to create thousands of construction jobs.
Bagley said the team would continue to push the proposal as long as the Legislature remains in session. "But this is extremely disappointing, and it sends a strong message to the Vikings and the NFL about the situation," he said. He would not say whether the committee vote made the team's future in Minnesota any less secure.
The proposal that fell in the House committee would have split the tab three ways for a stadium proposed to be built at the current Metrodome site in downtown Minneapolis: $398 million from the state from taxes on expanded gambling, $150 million from the city of Minneapolis from existing sales taxes and $427 million from the Vikings with assistance likely from the NFL.
Prior to the vote, Vikings officials faced tough questioning from several committee members who said they weren't convinced the proposal is a good deal for taxpayers.
"How do we as representatives of public taxpayers, how do we know we're getting a good deal?" asked Rep. Ryan Winkler, DFL-Golden Valley, who went on to vote against the proposal. Rep. Bev Scalze, DFL-Little Canada, questioned whether a football stadium was a defensible use for $398 million in proposed new tax revenue when the state is just starting to recover from several years of persistent budget shortfalls.
Rep. Dean Urdahl, R-Grove City, raised a question frequently heard from stadium bill critics as the team's bid has dominated headlines: "Why should we help a billionaire build a stadium he can afford to build himself?" he asked, referencing Vikings owner Zygi Wilf. Bagley defended the project as more than just a football stadium, pointing out it would be used for everything from high school sports tournaments to national events like hosting NCAA basketball finals.
Urdahl ultimately voted to keep the bill alive, one of five Republicans on the committee to support for it along with one Democrat. Of the nine no votes, five came from Democrats and four were from Republicans.
Leading up to the vote, Bagley had reiterated the view of the team's owners that the Metrodome is no longer sufficiently profitable compared with other NFL venues. While the team is committed to play in the Metrodome for the 2012 football season, it no longer has an active lease in the 30-year-old facility, and team officials have said they do not intend to sign one.
Report: Sean Payton banned from 'any contact' with Saints, other coaches
Posted: 10:23 AM ET April 17, 2012
By Will Brinson | Senior NFL Blogger
Payton's banned from contact with anyone on the Saints in 2012. (Getty Images)
Sean Payton got a hefty one-year suspension from the NFL and when he appealed that suspension to Roger Goodell, he got the Heisman from the commissioner. So we knew 2012 wouldn't be a fun year for Payton.
But according to a report from Adam Schefter of ESPN, it's worse than imagined: Payton is "not allowed to have any contact with the Saints organization or anyone around the NFL."
Additionally, any contact with coaching friends or members of the Saints organization must be reported to league executive Ray Anderson, which is an interesting little application of the honor code when it comes to Payton's suspension.
Payton's suspension begins Monday and ends in February, following the Super Bowl. So, if Payton does, say, bump into Mickey Loomis at Bed, Bath and Beyond on a Saturday in May, he has to ring up Anderson and self-report a violation of his suspension.
The obvious conundrum for Payton is this: he could break the honor code and keep his fingerprints on the 2012 Saints. And he could conceivably get away with it. But (in the hypothetical that he attempted to do so) if he got caught without self-reporting these violations, he might be in big trouble when reinstatement time rolls around.
Of course, from a practical standpoint, it's an absolute disaster: the people in the Saints organization and the NFL are, one assumes, his circle of friends. Surely he has compatriots outside the game, but if he wants to get dinner with a good friend in the Saints organization, it's unlikely the NFL would look on too kindly.
Report: Roman Harper, Will Smith could face bounty punishment from NFL
Posted: 09:22 AM ET April 17, 2012
By Will Brinson | Senior NFL BloggerThe NFL has yet to hand down punishments for players involved in the Saints bounty scandal. But it could be (very) soon, and word's starting to leak about who could be punished.
We already knew that linebacker Jonathan Vilma was "bracing for" a two-to-eight game suspension, but two new names emerged Monday afternoon: Roman Harper and Will Smith.
According to Jason LaCanfora of NFL Network, Harper and Smith are "featured prominently in the NFL's investigation" and "could end up facing more severe discipline" than many of the other players potentially involved in the bounty case.
One thing that these three players have in common: they were all Saints for the duration of the time Gregg Williams was there. Scott Fujita, as LaCanfora notes, was involved in a recent meeting, but only spent one year with the Saints.
It would make a lot of sense that the people who receive the majority of the punishment will be a significant part of the culture that Williams -- the perceived ringleader of the bounty punishment -- helped to install in New Orleans.
Vilma, whether or right or wrong, is considered the primary culprit on the players' end of things. It'll be interesting to see how the length of his suspension affects the rest of the players -- a big suspension for Vilma could indicate he's getting the brunt of the punishment or it could set the bar high for additional punishments to other players.
A shorter punishment would limit for Vilma would likely limit the exposure to suspension for the remainder of the defenders being eyed for suspension by the NFL.
Tags: Jonathan Vilma, Roman Harper, Scott Fujita, Will Smith, New Orleans Saints, NFLFreeman: Is union on wrong side of Saints case?
Posted: 09:16 PM ET April 16, 2012
By Mike Freeman | National NFL InsiderThis is what we know. Unless there is some sort of a last minute agreement between the NFL and union, Commissioner Roger Goodell is going to punish players that participated in the Saints bounty system. From all indications, he's going to come down very hard on some of them.
Second, the high level meetings between union officials and the league that have taken place over the past week or so, culminating in a four hour session on Monday that included union chief DeMaurice Smith and Saints quarterback Drew Brees, a member of the executive committee, have gone nowhere.
The union has stated publicly the NFL has not provided detailed proof of a pay-to-injure scheme.
So this is what's likely to happen (again barring some last minute change). Players will be punished for their role in the bounty scandal and both sides will then fight like hell. The union to overturn that punishment, the NFL to keep it in place.
Yet there's another angle to this and it's an important one and vital to the future credibility of a powerful union that most of the time does the smart thing and the right thing.
The union has an obligation to defend the players the Saints targeted for injuries. But the union, admittedly in a tough spot, isn't doing this.
The union is mostly defending the Saints. But the Saints players are the perpetrators. This is akin to the baseball union defending steroid cheats at the expense of a player base that follows the rules.
The union is run by smart and capable men, like Smith, but they just don't seem to notice a glaring blind spot which is they are defending the bad guys at the expense of the bounty victims.
Players Michael Crabtree, Aaron Rodgers, Cam Newton, Kyle Williams, Alex Smith, and maybe more, were targeted by Saints players. Shouldn't the union be more concerned about them?
There is also the uncomfortable fact that Brees continues to say the NFL has yet to provide proof to the NFLPA of its claims. To say that Brees has a tad bit of a conflict of interest is an understatement.
The punishment will come down soon. The union will fight like hell. But there are a few fights worth walking away from.
Tags: New Orleans Saints, NFLJets report for workouts as Ryan reaffirms Sanchez as starting QB
NEW YORK -- The New York Jets have no quarterback controversy.
That's what Rex Ryan has insisted throughout the offseason. And as his players got together at the team's facility for the first time as they prepare for the season, the Jets coach again clearly defined the roles for Mark Sanchez and Tim Tebow.
"Of course, Mark's the starter," Ryan said during a conference call Monday. "There's no question about it. That's how we look at it, but we know that Tim can help us, too. There's no doubt. ... Mark is our starting quarterback. We've said that. We understand Tim is a backup quarterback, but we also recognize the fact that this guy's an excellent football player and we're going to use his abilities."
The Jets briefly flirted with the idea of going after Peyton Manning before it was clear the former Indianapolis Colts star wasn't interested. New York then signed Sanchez to a three-year contract extension, showing confidence and a commitment to its young quarterback.
But things quickly -- and surprisingly -- changed as Manning signed with Denver, and the Broncos traded Tebow to the Jets for draft picks last month. Suddenly, the Jets had perhaps the NFL's most popular player at the same position in which they have a guy they drafted in the first round four years ago and have won four road playoff games with. Sanchez's role came into question, along with speculation over when -- not if -- Tebow will eventually overtake him for the starting job.
Sanchez has been widely criticized since the end of last season after he struggled to progress as many expected. A few unnamed Jets were also quoted in reports knocking the quarterback's abilities. Center Nick Mangold doesn't think Tebow's presence and high profile will cause Sanchez added anxiety.
"I think Mark's going to continue to be the same player and he's going to work his butt off, and he's going to be the quarterback that we need him to be," Mangold said. "If Mark was wishy-washy in his thoughts of his abilities and what his role was, I could see that creeping in, but Mark understands what he needs to do. And I think that sets the clear line. There's a lot of great backups in the league who can do the same things, but just don't have the same following that Tim does."
Added Ryan: "We're extremely happy to have both of them."
Tebow and Sanchez were among the players who reported to the team's facility in Florham Park, N.J., for voluntary workouts, marking the official start of preparations for the season. Ryan said a few players did not attend on the first day, but added that they aren't required to be there.
The plan, at least for now, is to have Sanchez lead new coordinator Tony Sparano's offense and use Tebow in a variety of packages, including the wildcat and in short-yardage situations.
"As much as any other trade or movement gets done, if it's going to help our team, I'm all for it," Mangold said. "I'm excited. Tim's won, obviously, a lot of games and brings a new dynamic for our offense."
Sanchez has tried to smooth the tensions in the Jets' locker room that helped lead to a disappointing 8-8 season. He and wide receiver Santonio Holmes were at the center of the issues, and their relationship was in serious need of repair, especially after Holmes was benched by former offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer in the season finale in Miami for arguing with teammates in the huddle.
"It happened down in Miami," Holmes said, "and that's where it's going to stay: down in Miami."
Sanchez called Holmes in the offseason to get past their differences, and the two worked out together in Florida along with a few teammates.
"I think it's the leadership part of Mark," Holmes said. "He's portraying those leadership qualities of being a guy that's going to be here for a while. By reaching out to me and wanting to spend some time with me and just chit chat and put everything behind us, I think it was a great thing for he and I to establish."
Holmes' tone turned a bit snippy, however, when he was asked about the locker room issues from last season.
"That happened in the past," he said, addressing reporters for the first time since after his benching in Miami. "We're worried about the 2012 season, and if you're not concerned with that, we don't have anything else to talk about."
He also didn't sound particularly contrite when asked if he regretted anything personally about how last season ended.
"Why should I?" he snapped.
Some fans and media speculated that the Jets might look to get rid of Holmes because of the issues, but he said that never crossed his mind.
"Nope," he said, before being asked why. "I signed a five-year contract."
Regardless, Ryan is with his teammates when it comes to putting last season far behind them. He stressed a "new beginning" for the team during a brief meeting.
"I don't care what you call it, a brotherhood, a tribe or whatever," he said. "We want to be special, and I think that starts right now with the offseason program and the conditioning and the OTAs and the minicamp."
Ryan, Mangold and Holmes all believe the Jets' chemistry problems were a learning experience, but it's not something any of them are thinking about now.
"We're not bickering little school children," Mangold said. "We're able to understand that things happen in the moment. This is a new team. This is not the 2011 Jets.
"This is the 2012 Jets, and we're looking forward to making it a much better year than it was last year."
Notes: Ryan said the team has had "casual" conversations about possibly doing HBO's Hard Knocks again, but wouldn't discuss it further unless they're officially approached by the cable network. The Jets appeared on the show in 2010, and owner Woody Johnson has said he'd be open to it again. ... Ryan said there's no indication the Jets will discuss a long-term deal with CB Darrelle Revis, who has two years left on his contract.
Broncos sign WR Brandon Stokley to 1-year deal
Posted: 04:48 PM ET April 16, 2012
By Ryan Wilson | NFL Blogger
Stokley returns to Denver, this time to rejoin Manning. (Getty Images)
Brandon Stokley last caught a pass from Peyton Manning in 2006, when both players were members of the Indianapolis Colts. Now the two good friends have again been reunited on the football field: the Broncos signed the wide receiver to a one-year deal Monday.
Stokley, who, like Manning will be 36 when the 2012 season begins, last played in the NFL in September 2011 with the Giants. In addition to stops in Indy and New York, the former fourth-round pick out of Louisiana-Lafayette also played in Baltimore, Seattle and Denver, where he's best remembered for this game-winning catch against the Bengals from Week 1 of the 2009 season.
Manning has had Denver-area throwing sessions with Stokley in recent months and made it clear that he'd welcome him to the team. "Any time that management wants to add good football players to this team, I'm all in favor of it," Manning said via CBSSports.com Rapid Reporter Andrew Mason.
Third-year Broncos wideout Eric Decker added that Stokley's "a savvy veteran, he's been around the league a while, so I can learn a lot from a guy like that."
Last week in a radio interview, Decker said that he'd been impressed with Manning. "The guy's still throwing the ball a long time, throwing it great, hitting you in the right spot," he said. "He's such a perfectionist. If he hits you in the belly button, he gets mad at himself for not hitting you in the chest. It's unbelievable to be around a guy who has those standards for himself."
Stokley made his NFL living as a slot receiver, a role he'll likely reprise in Denver. The Broncos had previously added tight end Jacob Tamme, a former Manning teammate in Indy, and Dallas Clark is still available.
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Tags: Eric Decker, Jacob Tamme, Peyton Manning, Ryan Wilson, Baltimore Ravens, Cincinnati Bengals, Dallas Cowboys, Denver Broncos, Indianapolis Colts, New York Giants, New York Jets, Seattle Seahawks, NFLManning joins workouts as Broncos get to work
ENGLEWOOD, Colo. -- Peyton Manning is joining his new teammates Monday at the Denver Broncos headquarters for the start of offseason workouts.
The four-time MVP, who signed with Denver after he was cut by the Colts, has been working out with wide receiver Eric Decker over the last month.
Manning is not only learning a new playbook in Denver but he's also trying to regain his arm strength following a series of neck operations that sidelined him for all of last season and led to his departure from Indianapolis.
With Manning replacing Tim Tebow, who was traded to the Jets, the Broncos are installing a no-huddle offense like the one Manning ran in Indy, where he won two AFC titles and a Super Bowl while rejuvenating the franchise.