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2005-11-07T13:36:00.000-08:00

Panthers silence Bucs, keep pace with Falcons
By JOHN VOGL News Sports Reporter
11/7/2005

It was a statement game between the Carolina Panthers and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. All the talk came from the Carolina side of the field. --football gambling--

The first-place showdown between the NFC South combatants was no contest Sunday, with the Panthers silencing the Bucs and their Raymond James Stadium patrons, 34-14. Carolina remained in a tie with Atlanta atop the division at 6-2, while the Bucs fell a game back at 5-3. "What's disappointing for us is we had an opportunity to make a statement and we didn't do it," said Bucs defensive tackle Anthony McFarland. --football gambling--

The start of the season is a distant memory for the Panthers and Bucs. Carolina won for the fifth straight time, diminishing a 1-2 start. Tampa started 4-0 but has lost three of four. --football gambling--

The Falcons kept pace by putting their game in Michael Vick's pocket and leaving Miami with a 17-10 victory. San Diego's LaDainian Tomlinson continued to run away with the Most Valuable Player race. He scored on three runs and one reception in a 31-26 victory over the New York Jets, becoming the first Charger to have four TDs in a game since Chuck Muncie against Denver on Nov. 29, 1981.--football gambling--

Top dog Panthers 34, Buccaneers 14Closing line: Panthers (-11/2). --football gambling--The scoop: Carolina scored the first three touchdowns of the second half, widening its 17-7 halftime lead. . . . The Panthers held the Bucs to 44 yards rushing, forcing Chris Simms to throw 42 passes in his second start for Brian Griese. Simms was picked off twice and sacked five times. Play of the Game: Simms attempted a sideline throw to Michael Clayton, but Chris Gamble stepped in front of it and returned it 61 yards to make the score 24-7 in the opening minutes of the second half. --football gambling--

Quote: "The thing they have that we don't have is a championship, and that's what we're trying to get," said Panthers receiver Steve Smith. Next: The Panthers host the Jets. Tampa welcomes Washington.--football gambling--

Best of the rest --football gambling-- Chargers 31, Jets 26Closing line: Chargers (-61/2). --football gambling--The scoop: Tomlinson almost had to take a back seat to, of all people, Brooks Bollinger. Chargers quarterback Drew Brees fumbled with 3:06 to play, and the host Jets had just 30 yards to go for the go-ahead touchdown. But a fourth-and-goal pass from the 3 by Bollinger, who replaced Vinny Testaverde (strained calf) in the third quarter, was swatted away by Quentin Jammer with 53 seconds left. . . . The Jets' Curtis Martin became the 16th player in history with 100 touchdowns, scoring on a 1-yard run on the first play of the second quarter. --football gambling--

Play of the Game: Ty Law had a chance to stop Tomlinson's 25-yard TD reception, but L.T. made a juke move that Law couldn't even react to, and Tomlinson burst by the frozen corner. Next: The Chargers (5-4) take the week off. New York (2-6) goes to Carolina.Falcons 17, Dolphins 10Closing line: Falcons (-21/2). --football gambling--

The scoop: The Falcons used Miami as a test subject. They kept Vick in the pocket, and he went 22 of 31 for a season-high 228 yards. . . . Atlanta went 11 for 17 on third downs and held the Dolphins to an 0-for-9 showing. . . . Miami gained just 208 yards. --football gambling--

Play of the Game/Buffalo buzz: Former Bills cornerback Keion Carpenter dived to intercept Gus Frerotte's pass on third-and-2 from the Atlanta 8, thwarting Miami's comeback with 2:41 to play. Quote: "People say I can't throw the ball from the pocket. I had to show them," Vick said. "From here on out, I don't want to hear that question." --football gambling--

Next: The Dolphins, tied for second with the Bills in the AFC East at 3-5, have division-leading New England in town. Atlanta hosts Green Bay.Redskins 17, Eagles 10Closing line: Redskins (-3). The scoop: Washington running back Clinton Portis closed the scoring with a 6-yard run late in the third quarter. . . . Pro Bowler Brian Westbrook, who signed a five-year contract extension reportedly worth $25 million, had 24 yards on 17 carries for the visiting Eagles. . . . Receiver Terrell Owens, suspended without pay Saturday, was involved in a locker room fight with Eagles "ambassador" and former teammate Hugh Douglas on Wednesday. --football gambling--

Play of the Game: On fourth-and-4 from the Washington 7 with 1:25 to go, a hurried Donovan McNabb threw an interception to safety Ryan Clark. Next: The last-place Eagles (4-4) host bye-rested Dallas (5-3) next Monday night. Washington (5-3) goes to Tampa.Browns 20, Titans 14Closing line: Browns (-3). --football gambling--

The scoop: The only thing Reuben Droughns took in Sunday was the applause from the Cleveland crowd after snapping the Browns' three-game losing streak. The running back, arrested on a charge of drunken driving Tuesday, had 116 yards rushing and 73 receiving. . . . Tennessee had a chance to win after Cleveland kicker Phil Dawson missed a 39-yard field goal with 39 seconds left. Steve McNair drove to the Browns' 28 with two seconds left, but his desperation pass to the end zone was picked off. . . . The victory came on the 10-year --football gambling--anniversary of owner Art Modell announcing he was moving the Browns to Baltimore. --football gambling--

Play of the Game: Droughns caught a short screen pass over the middle and weaved 51 yards to set up Jason Wright's 6-yard TD run in the third quarter - Cleveland's first rushing touchdown since Nov. 28 of last season. --football gambling--

Next: The Browns (3-5) travel to archrival Pittsburgh for a Sunday night game. The Titans (2-7) have a bye.Steelers 20, Packers 10Closing line: Steelers (-4). --football gambling--

The scoop: The Steelers became the fourth team in history to win 11 straight road games, earning the edge in the defensive battle. The Packers had only 65 rushing yards. The Steelers, with Charlie Batch playing for injured Ben Roethlisberger, had only 59 passing yards. Play of the Game: Bryant McFadden's cornerback blitz forced quarterback Brett Favre to fumble, and safety Troy Polamalu scooped up the ball for a 77-yard return to give the Steelers a 13-3 lead early in the second quarter. --football gambling--

Buffalo buzz: ReShard Lee, cut by the Bills in training camp, started at running back for Green Bay, fumbled on his second carry and didn't touch the ball again except on kickoff returns. Next: The Steelers (6-2) will try to tie Cincy for the AFC North lead when they host Cleveland. Green Bay (1-7) goes to Atlanta.Bears 20, Saints 17Closing line: Bears (-3). --football gambling--

The scoop: The few Saints fans who did show up in Baton Rouge, La. - and that group didn't include owner Tom Benson - saw Robbie Gould kick the game-winning field goal with six seconds to play. . . . Running back Thomas Jones injured his ribs in the first half, but Bears backups Cedric Benson (79) and Adrian Peterson (58) combined for 137 yards and a TD. . . . Only 32,637 showed up in LSU's 93,000-seat Tiger Stadium, which Benson said he would not return to because he feared for his safety. --football gambling--

Play of the Game: Gould's 28-yarder completed a 10-play drive over the final four minutes. Quote: "The owner has to make some decisions on this football team, and where this football team needs to be," Saints quarterback Aaron Brooks said, referring to Benson's reported desire to leave New Orleans. --football gambling--

Buffalo buzz: The Saints' Antowain Smith rushed for a game-high 110 yards on 17 carries. Next: The Bears (5-3) host San Francisco. The Saints (2-7) are off.Jaguars 21, Texans 14Closing line: Jaguars (-131/2). --football gambling--

The scoop: It took perfection for the Jaguars to come back against Houston. Byron Leftwich treated the home crowd to an 11-for-11, 162-yard performance in the second half, creating a pair of touchdowns in the final quarter to erase a 14-7 deficit. . . . Jacksonville tied the NFL record for consecutive games played without scoring 30 points, matching Cleveland's mark of 58 games set between 1995 and 2002. --football gambling--

Play of the Game: Greg Jones, who replaced injured starter Fred Taylor (ankle), scored the winning TD on a 12-yard run with 2:53 to play. Next: Jacksonville (5-3) hosts Baltimore. The Texans (1-7) go to Indianapolis.--football gambling--

One-sided wins Seahawks 33, Cardinals 19Closing line: Seahawks (-4). --football gambling--
The scoop: While he trails Tominlinson in the best player category, Shaun Alexander picked up votes as best rusher, getting 173 yards on 23 carries with two scores. He has an NFL-best 949 yards on the ground this season. . . . Kurt Warner replaced Josh McCown as Arizona quarterback and was booed by the home crowd. He threw for 334 yards and a touchdown, but he also had three interceptions and was sacked four times. --football gambling--

Play of the Game: Alexander, who went to the locker room late in the second quarter with a stomach ache, opened the third quarter with a franchise record-tying 88-yard touchdown run. Next: Seattle (6-2) has bye-rested St. Louis (4-4) in town. The Cards (2-6) welcome Detroit (3-5).Vikings 27, Lions 14Closing line: Vikings (-1). --football gambling--

The scoop: Minnesota dropped Detroit for the eighth straight time and moved into a tie with the Lions for second place in the NFC North at 3-5. . . . With Daunte Culpepper out for the season, the Vikings turned to quarterback Brad Johnson, who made his first start since Week Four of last season with Tampa Bay. He tossed two touchdown passes in front of the home crowd. . . . The Lions gave Joey Harrington the start in place of ailing Jeff Garcia, and he was sacked four times and threw two interceptions. --football gambling--

Play of the Game: Rookie Ciatrick Fason made the score 17-0 with a 3-yard touchdown run, the first of his career. Buffalo buzz: Former Bills cornerback Antoine Winfield had a second-quarter interception, and the Vikings converted it into a touchdown and 24-0 lead. --football gambling--

Next: The Vikings travel to face the New York Giants. The Lions are home against

Arizona.Giants 24, 49ers 6Closing line: Giants (-11). --football gambling--
The scoop: Brandon Jacobs put the game out of reach in the fourth quarter, rushing for two 1-yard TDs. . . . Eli Manning earned his first win outside Giants Stadium, improving to 1-5. . . . The 49ers extended their streak without a TD at home to 13 quarters. --football gambling--Play of the Game: Tight end Jeremy Shockey made the score 10-0 just 13 seconds before halftime, stretching to catch a 32-yard pass from Manning. --football gambling--

Next: The NFC East-leading Giants (6-2) host Minnesota. The 49ers (2-6) go to Chicago.Dog game of the day --football gambling--Bengals 21, Ravens 9Closing line: Bengals (-3). --football gambling--The scoop: Cincinnati kept Baltimore out of the end zone, forcing just three field goals by Matt Stover. . . . Ravens running back Jamal Lewis was held to 49 yards on 15 carries, the first time in eight games against Cincinnati he failed to run for at least 100 yards. --football gambling--

Play of the Game: Carson Palmer sealed it with 6:05 to go, capping a 91-yard drive with a 3-yard pass to Chris Henry. --football gambling--

Next: The Bengals (7-2) have a bye. The Ravens (2-6) go to Jacksonville.News wire services contributed to this report.--football gambling--

2005-11-02T06:37:00.000-08:00

Steelers Scratch Out Tough Win

AP Sports
11/01/2005

PITTSBURGH (AP) - The Pittsburgh Steelers finally won the kind of close game they've been losing at home all season. The problem was it wasn't supposed to be nearly this difficult, not against a depleted Ravens team whose season already seems to be fading away. -NFL Football-

Jeff Reed kicked a 37-yard field goal with 1:36 remaining after Ben Roethlisberger opened each half with touchdown passes to rookie tight end Heath Miller, and the Steelers held off the injury-weakened Ravens 20-19 Monday night to tighten up the AFC North race. -NFL Football-

But only with a sigh of relief did Pittsburgh (5-2) stay within a half-game of division leader Cincinnati. The Ravens (2-5) were without the last two NFL Defensive Players of the Year, Ray Lewis and Ed Reed, and, seemingly, much chance of ending what now is a seven-game road losing streak, but nearly pulled out a game it seemed only they thought they had a chance to win. -NFL Football-

"But our players know," Steelers coach Bill Cowher said. "This is still Baltimore. They still have some good players, and their coach challenged them and they responded." -NFL Football-

The Ravens, two-touchdown underdogs, took a 19-17 lead after an uncharacteristic botched play by Pittsburgh's special teams, a failed punt attempt in which rookie Greg Warren's snap to Chris Gardocki deflected off upback Sean Morey and resulted in Gardocki's incomplete pass. -NFL Football-

"It's a first," Cowher said, saying Warren mistakenly snapped the ball early. "But we were holding them to field goals rather than touchdowns and got a chance to win it in the end." -NFL Football-

Thanks to the mixup, the Ravens got the ball at the Steelers 45 with 5 1/2 minutes to play and a chance to steal a victory in a stadium where they haven't won since 2001. Matt Stover followed with his fourth field goal, a 47-yarder with 3:21 remaining that gave the Ravens their first lead - and, to the crowd of 64,178, brought back unpleasant memories of a 23-17 overtime loss to Jacksonville and a last-play 23-20 loss to New England at Heinz Field earlier this season. -NFL Football-

"I looked at Ben and said, `This is what it's all about,"' Cowher said. "He kind of smiled and has a look of confidence about him." -NFL Football-

Roethlisberger (18-of-30, 177 yards, one interception) then hit Antwaan Randle El for 14 yards and Quincy Morgan for 23 yards, and Jerome Bettis had an 11-yard run on the 60-yard drive that led to Reed's go-ahead field goal. -NFL Football-

Baltimore had one more chance to win it, but Anthony Wright's fourth-and-6 pass from his own 47 fell at Chester Taylor's feet and the Steelers ran out the clock. Wright was 25-of-44 for 252 yards and two interceptions as running back Jamal Lewis, a 2,000-yard back two years ago, was held below 100 yards for the seventh consecutive game. -NFL Football-

"I defy anybody to show me one frame of film that doesn't show us playing as hard as we could," Ravens coach Brian Billick said. "This group of guys had a lot of circumstances working against them, but they almost beat one of the best teams in the league." -NFL Football-

The Steelers are 11-0 in Monday night home games under Cowher and Roethlisberger, who was hit on the right knee during the first half and seemed to be bothered the rest of the game, is 18-1 as a regular-season starter. -NFL Football-

"I caught a cleat," Roethlisberger said. "They're going to take a look at it tomorrow and, hopefully, it will be nothing." -NFL Football-

Baltimore seemed to be in trouble at the start as the Steelers drove 79 yards on their opening possession to take a 7-0 lead on Miller's 4-yard touchdown catch. Baltimore, winless on the road for 350 days, couldn't have liked this, down 7-0 away from home against their biggest rivals before an offense that hadn't scored a touchdown in seven quarters got the ball. -NFL Football-

But a pregame pep talk from owner Steve Bisciotti was credited by the players as helping them think they could win. -NFL Football-

"I think that got us all pumped up," linebacker Bart Scott said. "He wanted to win as much as anybody in the locker room. We were missing some pretty big guys, but I think we did a darned good job against them." -NFL Football-

The Ravens matched the Steelers by driving 73 yards to tie it on Wright's 13-yard TD swing pass to Taylor on a third-and-12 play. -NFL Football-

Reed (42 yards) and Stover (22 yards) later traded field goals that followed turnovers to tie it at 10 at the half. Jamal Lewis fumbled after Roethlisberger pinned the Ravens back at their 1 with a quick kick - a play the Steelers have revived from the 1920s - but Roethlisberger later was intercepted for only the second time this season, by Adalius Thomas. -NFL Football-

The Ravens could have had a touchdown rather than the field goal, but Wright didn't see a wide-open Derrick Mason in the end zone on a third-and-4 play. Mason waved his arms at the quarterback in frustration, angering Wright, and the two exchanged words as they left the field ahead of Stover's field goal. -NFL Football-

Stover later missed a 43-yarder off the right upright that would have put Baltimore up. The Steelers then came out and started the second half exactly the way they did the first, with Roethlisberger going 6-of-6 on a 64-yard drive that again ended with Miller's 8-yard TD catch. Miller, the Steelers' first round draft pick, has six touchdowns in his first seven NFL games. -NFL Football-

Stover later made a 43-yarder, then hit a 49-yarder - the longest at Heinz Field - midway through the fourth quarter to get the Ravens to 17-16. -NFL Football-

"It's not the way we wanted to play this game, but when you're playing a divisional opponent and a tough opponent, you take what you can get," Steelers linebacker Joey Porter said. -NFL Football-

Notes: A week after rushing for 221 yards against Cincinnati, the Steelers were held to 101 yards, with Willie Parker getting 63 on 14 carries. ... Pittsburgh hasn't lost a Monday night home game since 1991. ... Stover went 4-for-5 in a stadium where visiting kickers had made only 67 percent of their attempts. ... Baltimore had scored only 22 points in its previous two games. ... The Steelers had dropped three of four at home dating to the AFC title game in January. ... Lewis (61 yards) has been held below 70 yards in five of seven games against Pittsburgh. -NFL Football-

2005-10-26T11:51:00.000-07:00

Panthers are what they are
By Darin Gantt The Herald

(Published October 26‚ 2005)

CHARLOTTE -- For weeks we've been wondering what exactly the Carolina Panthers are. -NFL Football-

Turns out, we're no closer to the truth than we were three months ago when training camp opened. -NFL Football-

Or maybe we are. -NFL Football-

Perhaps the Panthers are exactly what they appear to be, and that's a judgment than can't be made through any subjective measure. -NFL Football-

They might not be artistic successes. They might not even appear competent at times. Yet, they're 4-2, and at the moment, that's a groovy place to be. -NFL Football-

Scholars wince, reporters' eyes glaze over and fans throw their hands up when coach John Fox says: "It is what it is." -NFL Football-

It's not a terribly thought-provoking or even an interesting answer, especially when given in response to nearly every question. -NFL Football-

Perhaps if he stroked his chin, looked to the heavens and said it in Latin -- "Is est quis is est" -- it would seem more cerebral. -NFL Football-

That's hardly Fox's style, and would get even more funny looks than his current set of head-scratchers. -NFL Football-

As disheartening as it may be for those seeking greater meaning, it's the exact description of what they are. -NFL Football-

They're not a good 4-2 or a bad 4-2, they're simply 4-2. Ahead of some, behind some others, with much to fix but a number of other things to their credit. -NFL Football-

They can't run but they can stop the run. They throw a lot of interceptions but more touchdowns. They've won ugly but they've won. They're six points away from being 6-0. They're also 18 from being 0-6. -NFL Football-

To borrow another entry from the Fox phrase-book, it beats the alternative. -NFL Football-

In the landscape of the NFL, what they're doing is exactly what they need to be doing. -NFL Football-

There's a school of thought running rampant now that the NFL is in a bad spot, that the product is suffering because of the parity the league has long sought. -NFL Football-

That's partly because NFL football is cold and tactical, which some view as a bad thing. Those who advance that theory point to college football as the antithesis, all tailgate parties and pep bands, which to their minds translates to a better brand of the sport. It would be difficult to move farther from reality. -NFL Football-

There's a reason so few college players move on to the NFL. They're not good enough. Watching a weekend of college football provides a multitude of examples of people who simply can't play the game very well. The errors are all unforced. -NFL Football-

The NFL game has distilled what they do to its essence -- just the game, without the extras. It's a full-time job, and it shows. Coaches have become so sophisticated that the bad or the lazy stand out like sore thumbs. Players have refined themselves to the point that the simply good never make it. -NFL Football-

That has reduced the average NFL game to a handful of deciding plays, sometimes just one, that separate victory from defeat. That's why in the NFL, there's so much focus on the small things. -NFL Football-

Those who do them well are the ones who elevate themselves. -NFL Football-

It would be possible to argue that the three-time champion New England Patriots weren't as talented as any of the three teams they beat in the Super Bowl. Certainly not the 2001 Rams and probably not the 2004 Eagles. The 2003 Panthers were a near-mirror image, with defining personalities in most of the same spots. -NFL Football-

Maybe that's why their game in Houston came down to one or two plays, a costly error late which sent one team toward dynasty status and another searching for answers. -NFL Football-

When the margin is so small, you're never very far from either end of the spectrum. -NFL Football-

From that perspective, the Panthers will take their 4-2, warts and all. -NFL Football-

It's all they can do, and if they can improve on it, it may be enough. -NFL Football-

daringantt@carolina.rr.com

2005-10-18T17:47:00.000-07:00

Bulger's status for next game unknown

By JIM SALTER, Associated Press WriterOctober 18, 2005
-- NFL --
ST. LOUIS (AP) -- St. Louis Rams interim coach Joe Vitt is unsure whether quarterback Marc Bulger will be able to play against New Orleans on Sunday. -- NFL --
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Bulger sprained his right shoulder in the second quarter of the Rams' 45-28 loss Monday night in Indianapolis. Vitt said Tuesday that MRI results weren't available. -- NFL --
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``I don't want to assume anything yet, I think that's a hypothetical situation,'' Vitt said when asked about possibly losing Bulger. ``But I will say this: Jamie Martin was born and raised in this system and knows the system as good as anybody.''-- NFL --
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Results for Martin were mixed Monday night. The backup to Bulger completed 17 of 21 passes for 134 yards, one touchdown and two crucial interceptions.-- NFL --
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Martin's career with the Rams (2-4) dates to their Los Angeles days. He was on the Rams' practice squad in 1993 and spent time on and off with the Rams through 1996, when he saw action in six games. -- NFL --
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He played with Washington, Jacksonville, Cleveland and Jacksonville again before returning to back up Kurt Warner in 2001 and 2002.-- NFL --
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He was on the Jets' roster but didn't play in 2003, then played one game for St. Louis last season. In 27 career games, he has started three. -- NFL --
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Bulger's injury turned around what could have been a huge upset of the Colts, the NFL's only undefeated team.-- NFL --
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The Rams were ahead 17-0 in the second quarter when Bulger threw a pass that was intercepted by Cato June. On the return, Bulger was hurt on a block by linebacker David Thornton.-- NFL --
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``It was clean,'' Vitt said of the hit. ``Mark's trying to make a play. Mark's trying to make a tackle.''-- NFL --
The Colts outscored St. Louis 45-11 the rest of the way. -- NFL --
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Bulger walked off the field holding his shoulder and was taken to the locker room for X-rays. He returned to the sideline wearing his jersey without shoulder pads, and a bag of ice taped to his shoulder. -- NFL --
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He was 6-of-8 for 121 yards, including a 57-yard touchdown pass to Kevin Curtis. Even with the short outing, Bulger ranks second in the NFL with 1,769 yards passing, trailing only New England's Tom Brady. He leads the league in completions (145) and is second in passing attempts (223). -- NFL --
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Bulger missed two games last season with a shoulder injury after getting hurt against San Francisco in December.-- NFL --
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Beyond the quarterback situation, Vitt is searching for a way to shore up a defense that has allowed a combined 126 points the last three weeks.-- NFL --
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``I think last night emotionally we came out of that tunnel smoking,'' Vitt said. ``We went up there to win a football game and then some bad things started to happen to us.''-- NFL --
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Vitt said coach Mike Martz is feeling better as he recovers from a bacterial infection in the lining of his heart that has sidelined him indefinitely. -- NFL --
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``I think he's bleeding for us right now,'' Vitt said.
-- NFL --
As for Martz watching the game from home instead of the sideline: ``I could tell by his voice it wasn't easy.''-- NFL --

2005-10-10T12:34:00.000-07:00

NFL: Cards let win slip away

Up 20-10, team is undone by turnovers

ODEEN DOMINGO
The Arizona Republic

TEMPE - The chance for a Arizona Cardinals' victory was there yesterday, but the football kept ending up in the wrong hands.

The Cardinals turned the ball over six times, taking away at least 14 points from them and resulting in 10 Carolina points. - NFL Football -

The result was a 24-20 Cardinals' loss to the Panthers at Sun Devil Stadium in front of 38,809.

The Cardinals did just about everything they needed to do to win, racking up 366 yards and a 20-10 lead after three quarters. But turnovers and their inability to sustain longer drives did them in.

"You just keep banging your head on the wall, trying to figure out where to go from here after you have experienced the things we have experienced," Cardinals fullback Obafemi Ayanbadejo said. "There's no one word that can explain how heart-wrenchingly painful to be up 20-10 and think you're going to score again, and then end up being down 24-20 in a blink of an eye."

The Cardinals' fourth turnover was the game-changer. Up 20-10 late in the third quarter, the Cardinals were looking to put away the game. - NFL Football -

On a second-and-nine play from the Arizona 35, Anquan Boldin made a reception, but after a 10-yard gain was stripped of the ball by safety Thomas Davis. Carolina's Ken Lucas scooped up the ball and returned it to the Arizona 5 with 27 seconds left in the quarter.

"I tried to make the safety miss, but the ball got away from my body, and it got punched out," Boldin said of the fumble. "That was a bad play on my part. It probably was (a swing of momentum to the Panthers' favor). They weren't doing anything on offense at the point. I put that all on my shoulders."

The Cardinals' defense held the Panthers to 237 yards and 10 points before that but couldn't hold the Panthers from gaining 5 yards for a touchdown.

After Stephen Davis' 1-yard touchdown, the Panthers all of a sudden were in the game as they cut the Cardinals' lead to three, 20-17. - NFL Football -

"We didn't take good care of the ball," said Cardinals coach Dennis Green, whose teams is 1-4 heading into its off week. "I think any time you turn the ball over three times - they made two big plays, one on defense and one big play on offense, and we didn't do a very good job when we had the lead."

The Cardinals weren't able to get the ball moving on the next possession and punted. Scott Player's punt sailed out at the Panthers' 6 with 11:54 left.

But the Panthers moved down the field, using nine plays to get to the Arizona 4.

Quarterback Jake Delhomme then connected with Steve Smith for a 4-yard touchdown, and the Panthers took a 24-20 lead. - NFL Football -

2005-10-01T15:36:00.000-07:00

Cardinals, 49ers visit Mexico for landmark NFL game

MEXICO CITY (AFP) - The National Football League will stage its first regular-season game outside of the United States here Sunday when the Arizona Cardinals and San Francisco 49ers meet at Estadio Azteca.

American football becomes the last major North American sport to seize a global stage for a regular-season game. Basketball and ice hockey have opened seasons in Japan. Baseball has staged games in Mexico, Japan and Puerto Rico. - NFL Football -

"Mexico is the country with the most NFL fans outside of the United States," NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue said.

"Our fans in Mexico are knowledgeable and passionate and they are ready for this next step. They have supported the American Bowl games in record numbers, and NFL programming has been a part of television in Mexico for many decades." - NFL Football -

The largest crowd in NFL history was 112,376 at Estadio Azteca for a 1994 exhibition game between the Dallas Cowboys nd Houston Oilers. The reconfigured stadium will seat 85,000 for what would have been an Arizona home game.

"This game will provide a phenomenal opportunity to showcase the Cardinals to a national and international audience," Cardinals vice president Michael Bidwill said.

It might not be the best matchup for boosting American football's global appeal. The Cardinals are 0-3 and starting quarterback Kurt Warner will not play because of a groin injury suffered in last week's 37-12 loss to Seattle. - NFL Football -

"We're really disappointed. We felt we'd get off to a much better start than this," Cardinals coach Dennis Green said.

"Things I felt real strongly would work for us, right now they are not working for us. The job I felt I could do, I have not been able to do right now. I am not happy about it."

San Francisco, 1-2, edged St. Louis 28-25 in a season opener dedicated to the late Thomas Herrion, an offensive lineman who died after an August exhibition loss at Denver of a heart disease. - NFL Football -

The 49ers could match their win total for all of last season, when they went 2-14 - their only two victories coming over Arizona in over-time by identical 31-28 scores.

One less home game might be a blessing for desert gridiron fans.

The Cardinals have had a winning record only once in 17 seasons since moving to Arizona from St. Louis and have won only one playoff game since 1947, when the club, then based in Chicago, last won an NFL crown.

"We're just beating ourselves," said backup quarterback Josh McCown, set to start this weekend.

In 1976, the Cardinals defeated San Diego at Tokyo in an exhibition game, the first NFL game of any kind played outside North America. - NFL Football -

Another odd "home" game Sunday finds Buffalo facing New Orleans at San Antonio, Texas. The Bills and Saints, both 0-2, had the matchup shifted from the Superdome in the wake of Hurricane Katrina's devastation of the jazz mecca.

The Saints, who have been training and living here since the storm, played their first "home" game on the field of their opponents, losing to the New York Giants. The Alamodome should offer more comforts and supporters than before.

"I don't know what to expect," Saints coach Jim Haslett said. "I would hope to have 65,000 people cheering for us. I would think if they're coming to the game, they're going to root for us, but I'm not really sure." - NFL Football -

The Saints play games in San Antonio on October 16 against Atlanta and December 24 against Detroit and will play four other home games at Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge.

"Hopefully, we'll finally be settled into our routine," Saints quarterback Aaron Brooks said. "That will help out a lot."

Three of the NFL's four remaining unbeaten teams play at home Sunday with Tampa Bay entertaining Detroit, Cincinnati hosting Houston and Washington hosting Seattle.

The other unbeaten, Indianapolis, visits Tennessee as Colts quarterback Peyton Manning returns to the state where he was a collegiate star. - NFL Football -

Other games find St. Louis at the New York Giants, Denver at Jacksonville, San Diego at New England, Minnesota at Atlanta, the New York Jets at Baltimore, Philadelphia at Kansas City and Dallas at Oakland.

The Green Bay Packers visit Carolina on Monday. Pittsburgh, Miami, Chicago and Cleveland are idle. - NFL Football -

Copyright © 2005 Agence France Presse. All rights reserved. The information contained in the AFP News report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the prior written authority of Agence France Presse.

2005-09-26T10:37:00.000-07:00

Patriots win in last second

The New York Times

Quarterback Tom Brady approached the locker room door and bellowed the obvious.

"Oh, they hate us here," he yelled, to nobody in particular. "They hate us here. Wouldn't you hate us?"

Wouldn't all the teams in the National Football League hate the Patriots? They might, after they see a tape of what a dynasty looked like Sunday in Pittsburgh. New England was deeply flawed but resilient, mistake-prone but indomitable.
The Patriots, with considerable cracks in the foundation of their championships on display, beat the Steelers anyway, 23-20. The Patriots endured 10 penalties, three sacks, three turnovers, two critical injuries and innumerable missed opportunities, a recipe for loss for any other franchise infootball . But none of it mattered because Brady had the ball in his hand in the final minute and kicker Adam Vinatieri had the ball on his foot at the final second. Vinatieri, who kicked the 43-yarder that won the game, last missed a game-winning field goal chance in 2003.

In other major games, The Associated Press reported:

Eagles 23, Raiders 20 Donovan McNabb, playing with chest and groin injuries, threw for 365 yards and two touchdowns for the Eagles. The Raiders fell to 0-3 for the first time since 1992.

Falcons 24, Bills 16 Shaking off a tender hamstring, Michael Vick threw two touchdown passes and scrambled for 64 yards on nine carries.

Cowboys 34, 49ers 31 Drew Bledsoe threw a 14-yard touchdown pass with 1:51 to play and passed Joe Montana for eighth place on theNFL's career passing list.

Colts 13, Browns 6 The Colts won their seventh straight home game, their longest streak since moving to Indianapolis in 1984.

Chargers 45, Giants 23 At San Diego, where Eli Manning refused to play after being drafted by the Chargers, he received an ear-splitting rude welcome from the fans. For the Chargers, LaDainian Tomlinson ran for 192 yards and three touchdowns and threw for another.

Buccaneers 17, Packers 16 Carnell Williams broke Alan Ameche's record for most yards in the first three NFL games by rushing for 158 yards for Tampa Bay. Green Bay's Ryan Longwell missed an extra point for the first time in 157 attempts.

Bengals 24, Bears 7 Cincinnati, which entered the game with a league-leading 10 takeaways, picked off five of Kyle Orton's passes and became the firstNFL team with five interceptions in consecutive games since Cleveland in 1971.

Vikings 33, Saints 16 Daunte Culpepper, who had been picked off eight times, threw for 300 yards and no interceptions. Minnesota took advantage of two Saints turnovers deep in their end to take a 24-0 lead in the first half.

Seahawks 37, Cardinals 12 Shaun Alexander scored four times, including twice in a 30-second span early in the third quarter for Seattle.

2005-09-14T14:52:00.000-07:00

Football injuries contributed to ex-Steeler's death

Associated Press

PITTSBURGH -- Former Pittsburgh Steelers lineman Terry Long died from a brain inflammation that resulted, in part, from repeated head injuries suffered while playing football.

Long, 45, died at UPMC Passavant Hospital on June 7, a few hours after paramedics found him unconscious at his home. An autopsy was inconclusive, but subsequent tests on tissues and fluids taken from Long's body yielded the findings released Tuesday.

Long died of an inflammation of the lining of the brain, said Joseph Dominick, chief deputy coroner in Allegheny County. A contributing factor was "chronic traumatic encephalopathy" -- also known as dementia pugilistica -- a condition most often seen among career boxers.

"He wasn't a boxer, but that's a general term that we would use to denote changes in the brain of a degenerative nature," coroner Dr. Cyril Wecht said. "They can be from one intensely traumatic injury, or they can be from repetitive and cumulative injuries, which is what we believe happened here." - NFL Football -

Wecht's autopsy report said Long's brain suffered "repeated mild traumatic injury while playing football." Those repeated injuries made Long's brain more susceptible to meningitis, which can sometimes also be caused by an infection, but Wecht said that wasn't the case with Long.

"We now have partial closure on Terry's tragic death and demise," Mark Rush, his former business attorney and friend, said of the autopsy findings. "It certainly saddened me to learn that football, a sport Terry loved, possibly contributed to his death." - NFL Football -

Steelers spokesman Dave Lockett declined comment on the findings, which come two years after at least three manufacturers introduced new helmets in the NFL and college football designed to guard against concussions. The new helmets came in response to published studies showing players who had one concussion were more susceptible to others.

Wecht has done research in that area, and has jointly published a case study of Mike Webster, a former Steelers center and Hall of Famer who was diagnosed with football-induced dementia before he died in September 2002 at age 50.

Webster died of heart problems, but a federal judge earlier this year ruled the NFL should pay his estate disability benefits for football-related head injuries. - NFL Football -

"I'm not suggesting for one moment that we stop professional football. If I said that, I better leave the country," Wecht said. "I think more attention should be paid by scientists and biomechanical engineers in coming up with a better helmet."

Long started at right guard for the Steelers from 1984-91, when he attempted suicide with rat poison after he was suspended for violating the NFL's steroid policy. Long later rejoined the team, but didn't re-sign after that season.

Long had no children and was living alone after separating from his second wife in the months before he died. He was indicted by a federal grand jury in March on charges he fraudulently obtained loans for a chicken-processing plant which prosecutors allege he burned to the ground for the insurance money in September 2003. - NFL Football -

Long was awaiting trial when he died.

2005-09-06T10:06:00.000-07:00

Charleston's Molohon helps TeamUSA Football to win

LONDON -- With Charleston's Dave Molohon playing defensive end, TeamUSA Football defeated the Great Britain Bulldogs 63-10.

The early game against Team Canada was canceled in favor of jointly held practice sessions with Canada in which the USA players coached and pointed out the finer points of the USA game.

It was a set of good will events that will help build strong alliances between Canadian and American football players for several years to come.

Once the Canadians left for the return trip to Toronto the focus of TeamUSA Football shifted to preparing for the Cup match against Great Britain.

The Bulldogs employed a 46 Bear front and a sprint out passing attack that coach Wyland considered to be a formidable threat.

The defensive coordinator Andrew Hill, was a former player in NFL Europe and knew the defensive front very well. "It created very significant pass protection and run blocking challenges to us and we really made some specific changes to the way we handle those two facets of the game in order to attack the front and protect our quarterback. We knew they would be tough and that they would run several types of blitzes against us," said cach Wyland.

Nearly everyone on the TeamUSA offense was involved in moving the ball downfield. Rick Jenkins, Mike Banks, Al DeSerras and Marty Johnson all had break away runs. The passing attack, lead by former Florida A&M University QB Jorade Jackson, was simply unstoppable. Receivers James Martin, Cameron Jones and Jay Reid all had several cathes each and each scored touchdowns along with TE Dante Kendall. The defense was tested early on good, but very quick,drives by the British offense. The QBs were both elusive an accurate in their passing attack. It seemed that every time the British needed an accurate pass on third down theyh made the right decision and found an open receiver. The recievers were all extremely quick and ran precise routes. The game MVP was Jay Reid who caught several long passes and one TD. During one series he had two consecutive touchdown passes called back on offensive penalties. Jay also returned kickoffs and punts and was open all night against the young British defensive seconadary. TeamUSAFootball is planning to return to England in 2006 with it's regular adult team as well as a junior team made up of high school players under the age of 19 to compete against Canada, Great Britain and another country to be determined in the spring of next year.

Molohon was a starter as Team USA's Rush End. He was able to make the trip with sponsorship help from Gano Welding Supply, Sarah Bush Lincoln Hospital, Charleston Pizza Hut and Smyser Racing.

2005-08-30T07:29:00.000-07:00

Charting the NFL

Detroit News wire services

• Madden, Wright have Hall hopes: John Madden, who coached the Oakland Raiders for a decade before becoming one of the NFL's best-known television personalities, was nominated Wednesday as a finalist for the Pro Football Hall of Fame, along with former Cowboys offensive tackle Rayfield Wright.

The two, chosen by the Hall's seniors committee, will be joined by 13 other candidates from the modern era.

The vote for election will be Feb. 4, 2006, the day before Super Bowl XL in Detroit.

Four to six from that group will be elected to next year's class.

• Personnel dept.: Eagles running back Correll Buckhalter will miss the season after having his third season-ending knee surgery in four seasons. Buckhalter, who missed nearly all of camp, had surgery to repair a torn patella tendon in his right knee Tuesday.

... Three-time Pro Bowl tight end Bubba Franks agreed to a long-term contract with the Packers, his agent, Gene Mato, confirmed.

Franks has missed all of camp while the sides negotiated a deal after he refused to sign a one-year, $2.095 million contract. Franks signed a seven-year, $28 million deal, according to The Associated Press.

2005-08-24T08:48:00.000-07:00

Pac-10 football previews: Trojans looking to win it all again

LOS ANGELES — "Matt," barked a gnarled sportswriter in the first row at Pac-10 football media day, "ever think about the $10 million?"Surely he does, if for no other reason than Matt Leinart is continually asked about it. What he did, in essence, was make the most celebrated snub in history of a rich professional-sports contract, deciding to stay in college for his final year as USC quarterback.Maybe you regard as magnum stupidity turning thumbs-down to an eight-figure signing bonus and opting to return to the NCAA for little or nothing, but this much is also true: What Leinart did is pretty cool. - NFL Football - Yes, he took note of the contract signed by Alex Smith, the No. 1 pick, with the 49ers: six years worth $57 million, $24 million guaranteed."Who knows, it could have been me," Leinart said. "But whatever, I'm happy with what I'm doing. I'm living in L.A., hanging out. I've got a pretty good life."He disputes that it's as glamorous as it's portrayed. He must be talking about the fact that if you Google "Matt Leinart and dating," you come up with, in no particular order, reported relationships with Veronica Kay, actress/pro surfer; CaCee Cobb, Jessica Simpson's personal assistant; actress Alyssa Milano; and Kristen, from MTV's "Laguna Beach."Trojans at a glanceCoach: Pete Carroll, 5th year (42-9).Playmakers: QB Matt Leinart, RB Reggie Bush, RB LenDale White, WR Dwayne Jarrett, WR Steve Smith, LB Dallas Sartz, DE Frostee Rucker, S Darnell Bing.2004: 13-0 (consensus national champion). Defeated Oklahoma 55-19 in the Orange Bowl.Bud WithersAll this, and adulation, too. - NFL Football - "I kind of feel ... not like the spokesman of college football, but I think my decision to return to school has really affected a lot of people," he says. "I've gotten a lot of great compliments — kids, parents, all sorts of people."If I can send a message to people, that's what I'm going to send."Here's another message to college football: Look out.As if USC needed it, it enjoys the bonanza of all that Tom Lemming/Allen Wallace/oh-my-goodness talent surrounding the most accomplished college quarterback in the land.You envision the L.A.-living Leinart, out with a Southland starlet: "Oh yeah. Have I showed you my Heisman?""It's at my parents' house," Leinart said, responding to a question. "I actually asked my mom yesterday. She said, 'Oh, it's on the box in the closet.' "This is a mouthful, but it's what could come to Leinart in 2005: He has a chance to become the most decorated college-football player in history — a repeat Heisman winner (only Archie Griffin of Ohio State has done it) on a team trying to win an unprecedented three straight national titles. - NFL Football - Consider this: In his two seasons, Leinart has an obscene touchdown-to-interception ratio of 71-15. Carson Palmer, who won the Heisman in 2002 — but with a lesser cast in his early years — finished with a 72-49 number at USC.Surely, the offensive arsenal around Leinart affected his decision. The Trojans have eight starters back, including the running-back combo of mercurial Reggie Bush and masher LenDale White, and four of five starters on the offensive line.Leinart is asked to assess his receivers. He wades through Dwayne Jarrett, the Mike Williams clone who caught 55 balls as a freshman; Steve Smith, who made a touchdown catch against Oklahoma while a Sooner was pinning one arm; and tight end Dominique Byrd, who also had a 33-yard scoring reception with one hand against Oklahoma.There's one more — Patrick Turner, the latest 6-5 import from east of the Mississippi, this one a Parade All-American from Nashville, Tenn."We're going to expect a lot from him," Leinart said. - NFL Football - Considerable focus will be on the controversial coaching shakeup that saw the exit of wizard offensive coordinator Norm Chow, who gives way to quarterbacks coach Steve Sarkisian and coordinator Lane Kiffin, each in his early 30s."The people have changed, but the format is exactly the same," insisted coach Pete Carroll."They're coming into a situation where we've got a great team," added Leinart. "Those guys have a great offense with a lot of guys back. It's not like they've got to deal with a whole new offensive line or quarterbacks or receivers." - NFL Football - But on defense, the Trojans are remade. Only five starters return, and among the departed are top-shelf Shaun Cody and Mike Patterson up front and linebackers Matt Grootegoed and Lofa Tatupu."We'll be fine, I think," said end Frostee Rucker, leaning on one of the many trophy cases at USC's Heritage Hall. "We don't rebuild, we reload."In reference to the losses, defensive end Lawrence Jackson says, "Those were all great guys. That's the one thing guys have to get — quick experience. But I think we gain a lot of athleticism in the guys who replace them."Not that punting is a big thing at USC, but when the Trojans do, they turn to Tom Malone, whose 44.5-yard average is ahead of the school's career mark. Meanwhile, the placekicking job is expected to be given to Mario Danelo, son of ex-Washington State and New York Giants kicker Joe Danelo.Mostly, it's an embarrassment of riches here, befitting a program that has gone 40-4 since mid-2001. - NFL Football - "You get the collaboration of the best coaches and the best athletes around the nation," said Rucker.It's enough to make a Heisman Trophy winner come back for more.

Bud WithersSeattle Times

2005-08-15T08:56:00.000-07:00

QBs, pioneers enter NFL Hall

CANTON, Ohio — Dan Marino took the long, straight road to the Hall of Fame. Steve Young traversed a long and winding route.
Both got to the football shrine this weekend thanks to often dominant performances that few NFL quarterbacks could match and few defenses could handle. Marino was the most prolific passer in league history, and Young brought an exciting brand of uninhibited play to the game.
They will join yet another quarterback, Benny Friedman, and Fritz Pollard as the Class of 2005. Friedman and Pollard were NFL pioneers. - NFL Football -
Before drafting Marino with the 27th — yes, 27th — choice of the first round in 1983, when five quarterbacks went ahead of the Pittsburgh product, Dolphins coach Don Shula preferred a run-oriented offense and conservative play-calling. That all changed when Marino showed up in Miami. - NFL Football -
Marino became the most prolific passer the NFL has seen. When he left the Dolphins after the 1999 season, he had NFL bests of 4,967 completions, 8,358 passes, 61,361 yards and 420 touchdowns. His record of 48 TD passes in the 1984 season was broken by Peyton Manning last year.
Although he never won a Super Bowl, Marino was the 1984 league MVP, made three All-Pro teams and nine Pro Bowls. - NFL Football -
Young began his pro career in decidedly non-Hall of Fame style. He played for the Los Angeles Express of the USFL, then the ragtag Tampa Bay Buccaneers before Bill Walsh engineered a trade to get him to the 49ers.
Young sat behind Joe Montana from 1987-90, but replaced the future Canton inductee when Montana was injured in 1991. He kept the job most of the rest of the decade, leading the Niners to the 1994 NFL championship — their last title. - NFL Football -
The first modern-era, left-handed quarterback elected to the Hall of Fame, Young was the league's most valuable player in 1992 and '94.
Friedman played for four teams from 1927-34 and was one of the early NFL's great quarterbacks. A contemporary of Red Grange, he also was a strong draw at the box office. A college star at Michigan, his popularity stayed with him in the pros.
At 5 feet 8, 170 pounds, Friedman would have been a pip-squeak in today's game. He was an all-star during his career, though, and Grange once called him "the best quarterback I ever played against." - NFL Football -
Pollard was the first black head coach in the NFL, in 1921, and was an outstanding player. A running back, he led the Akron Pros to the 1920 championship with an undefeated record and later organized the Chicago Brown Bombers, an independent team of black players that barnstormed the country.

Barry Wilner
The Associated Press

2005-08-09T08:35:00.000-07:00

Vrabel's FBI file full of information

AM ESTFOXBORO – A football player doesn't necessarily need a high IQ if he possesses a substantial quotient of FBI. - NFL Football -
In the NFL, the acronym FBI does not refer to the investigative branch of the federal government. Instead, FBI is short for football intelligence. - NFL Football -
Patriots outside linebacker Mike Vrabel has consistently demonstrated an inherent knowledge on how the game should be played at the highest level. His FBI level is high.
``I think Mike's football intelligence is excellent,'' Patriots coach Bill Belichick said prior to yesterday's afternoon practice session at Gillette Stadium. ``Mike is a smart person period. He's a very smart football player and he understands everything pretty much conceptually that he would want to do. Not just what his assignment is, but what the overall purpose of the defense is. What the strengths are, what the weaknesses are and why you would want to be in one defense as opposed to another when you have multiple calls.'' - NFL Football -
Vrabel, a 6-foot-4, 261-pounder, recorded a career-high 76 tackles last season and was second on the team with 5 1/2 sacks. He has also been used by the Patriots on offense in goal line situations and has three receptions – all for touchdowns. In fact, Vrabel caught a touchdown passes from Tom Brady in each of the last two Super Bowls. - NFL Football -

Rich Thompson

2005-07-25T11:42:00.000-07:00

Without NFL star power, Blitz gets down and dirty

This year's National Football League season is shaping up as the least competitive in years-- if you're a computer gamer. That's because there's only one official league-sanctioned video game this year -- the 2006 edition of Electronic Arts' popular football simulator, Madden NFL. Thanks to some hard bargaining between the league and the world's largest computer game company, EA Sports now has an exclusive lock on NFL gaming titles.
That's bad news for gaming rival Take 2, which finally broke Madden's hold on the pro football gaming market last year with its superb NFL 2K5 game. Take 2's game was as good as Madden, at half the price, and sold millions of copies. EA responded with the nuclear option -- an NFL licensing deal that bars Take 2 from the market. Rumor has it that the company may try to re-enter through the backdoor, by creating a game that would feature retired NFL superstars. But not this year. The 2006 NFL season will be all Madden.
That's fine with the folks at Midway Games, which is odd when you consider that Midway also makes pro football video games. Unlike Take 2, Midway has no intention of bailing out of the business. Nor does the company plan to challenge EA's exclusive deal with the NFL. Instead, Midway is developing a different kind of football video game. Blitz: The League, which debuts in October, will combine sports action with seamy off-the-field drama, a combo that'll probably have executives of the image-obsessed stocking up on aspirin and Prozac.
Mike Bilder, the game's executive producer, said that Midway had planned to drop its licensing deal with the NFL even before the EA lock-down. ''Over the years, the NFL has gotten more restrictive," Bilder said. Blitz has never been a straight-up sports simulator like Madden. Born as a coin-operated arcade game in 1997, it featured exaggerated athletic moves and exceptionally violent tackling. ''It kind of bent the laws of physics and the general laws of football," said Bilder. The Blitz tradition continued as the title moved onto home video-game platforms.
But the NFL was uneasy about the game's outlaw aura, and resisted efforts to make Blitz a darker, edgier game. The league ordered the removal of some of the game's signature cheap-shot plays, like grabbing an opponent's face mask and slamming him into the ground. Bilder said the NFL didn't even want the game's digital players to suffer injuries. ''It was becoming very difficult for us to innovate," he said.
There'll be plenty of innovation in this year's Blitz. The game offers an entirely fictional football league, with teams like the Chicago Marauders and the New York Nightmare. In addition, ''this is the first football game with a story mode in it," said Bilder. Along with the hard-hitting games, players follow the lives of the team's manager and key players throughout the season.

Hiawatha Bray, Globe Staff

2005-07-18T09:01:00.000-07:00

SARNI: Collinsworth leaves Fox to join NBC NFL studio show

First John Madden.Now Cris Collinsworth.NBC's return to the NFL is looking stronger and stronger.Collinsworth, who has won five Sports Emmys for his studio work, is leaving the Fox broadcast booth to return to NBC as studio analyst and co-host of Sunday Night Football, which will start in 2006."This is a homecoming for Cris and it delights me to welcome him home to NBC Sports," said Dick Ebersol, Chairman, NBC Universal Sports & Olympics, who gave Collinsworth, the former Cincinnati Benagls receiver, his start from 1990-96."He is simply the best studio analyst in football. Since the day we started talking to the NFL about NBC's Sunday Night Football I knew this studio show was going to be a special place where people will gather for Football Night in America to watch highlights and analysis of the best games and the news and issues of the day. - NFL Football -
The very first call I made was to Cris."Collinsworth, 46, has been an NFL analyst for the past seven years for Fox. He has also been with HBO's Inside the NFL for the past 15 years. Bob Costas, who work with Collinsworth on HBO, is expected to be the host of the NBC show."It's good to be home myself, back with the guys that taught me the business; the guys that showed me the ropes early on and allowed me to make a living doing this for the last few years," Collinsworth said.Loyality - and perhaps money - convinced Collinsworth to sign a six-year deal "I'll start with the loyalty factor with Dick [Ebersol]," Collinsworth said about the move. "Here's a guy that gave me my first job in television, gave me a national forum doing the Notre Dame games, allowed me to do a national championship game about five years before I was really ready to do one. - NFL Football -
"That kind of got me jump-started. He promoted me to the No. 2 team early in my career with Marv Albert, and moved me into the studio for the first time, so there was a real feeling that I owed the guy. When somebody is the first to give you a chance to do some of this stuff, it's really a great opportunity."Ebersol said that NBC's studio show will be ground-breaking."It will be a show that has a real edge to it," he said. "Obviously, one of the major reasons that I wanted Cris and John Madden [Sunday Night Football analyst] so much in our employ is that I look at them as being the two most credible, energetic, passionate, curious people involved with football."The pre-game show obviously will be the first place for a real look at all the games of the day. This is really an opportunity to go through the games and the issues of the day in a way that has never been done before on network television. - NFL Football -
This is an instantaneous look at all the issues of the day while they are fresh in everybody's mind, including the audience's mind.""Most studio shows rehash and reanalyze what happened in the games the week before," Collinsworth said. "With this primetime game on NBC I will be the first person to comment on the games and issues that happened that day."

South Florida Sun-Sentinel

2005-07-11T13:55:00.000-07:00

Fields honored by football writers
Panther wins group's George Halas Award

NEW YORK - Carolina linebacker Mark Fields and Pittsburgh running back Jerome Bettis are among the winners of the Pro Football Writers Awards, announced Monday.
Fields, who returned to the NFL after battling cancer, won the George Halas Award. It's given to a player who performed despite injury or personal problems off the field. Bettis won the inaugural Good Guy Award, given to a league or club official for his cooperation with pro football writers.
Fields will miss the upcoming season with a recurrence of Hodgkin's disease. Sidelined in 2003 when the Panthers made the Super Bowl, he returned last season and made the Pro Bowl for the second time. He had 60 tackles, four sacks, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery and one interception.
Atlanta Falcons general manager Rich McKay won the Horrigan Award, which goes to a league or club official for his or her professionalism while helping football writers do their job.
The Philadelphia Eagles' public relations department won the Pete Rozelle Award for its excellence.
Reporter Jerry Green of the Detroit News won the McCann Award for his long and distinguished service.

Associated Press

2005-07-06T08:18:00.000-07:00

CBS SportsLine.com Launches Fantasy Football 2005
Best service for five years straight according to the Fantasy Sports Trade Association

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla., July 6 /PRNewswire/ -- CBS SportsLine.com, a leading Internet sports media organization and part of CBS Digital Media, today launched their suite of offerings for the 2005 Fantasy Football season, remaining the destination for Fantasy Football leagues, as well as individuals within every range of Fantasy Football experience
Once again, CBS SportsLine.com has managed to improve a product that already has a long history of superiority, having been recognized as the best Fantasy Football Commissioner product for the last five years by the Fantasy Sports Trade Association*.
New additions this year to the Fantasy Football Commissioner league management product include the League Record Book, a statistical history of your league and team that owners will find invaluable as a resource of information on seasons past and ones to come. Additionally, new features such as "Trade Bait", a tool that analyzes potential trades from your opponent's rosters, will enhance both the Fantasy Football Commissioner as well as the individual games.
Every owner using the Fantasy Football Commissioner product receives a content-rich, statistics-supported and personalized website with premium features such as live scoring and customizable reports for no additional cost.
Individual fantasy players seeking a league have a variety of options, ranging from a basic single game to the elite Double Diamond product, with multiple choices in between. Individuals can either join an existing league, or create a new league for others to seek out and join. Each single game league consists of twelve teams, with pre-established rules and scoring system. Single players receive all of the premium features available in the Fantasy Football Commissioner service at no extra charge.
"As the Fantasy business continues to evolve, one thing remains constant: CBS SportsLine.com is the unchallenged leader in the pay-to-play space and the only destination for serious Fantasy sports players around the world", said Steve Snyder, General Manager of CBS SportsLine.com. "Not only have we been recognized by the Fantasy Sports Trade Association as having the best service, but more importantly, our growing user base of both loyal and new customers indicates that Fantasy players are happy to pay a reasonable price to play a superior product."
The 2005 CBS SportsLine Fantasy Football Products
Fantasy Football Commissioner: The most customizable product on the market and one able to handle leagues with up to 20 teams. $149.95 per league, with an "early bird" discount of $20 (to $129.95) for leagues that pay on or before August 17, 2005. With an average league size of 12 to 16 teams, users will pay approximately $10 a piece for the top rated Commissioner league management product available.
Fantasy Football Double Diamond**: For individuals wanting to compete at the highest levels of Fantasy Football. With a price of $499.95 per team, each league champion will win a $3,500 league prize.
Fantasy Football Diamond**: Think you are a Fantasy Football All-Star? Fantasy Football Diamond gives users the chance to prove it. With a price of $249.95 per team, each league champion will win a $1,600 league prize.
Fantasy Football Platinum**: Ready to wade into a more experienced pool of Fantasy Football players? Fantasy Football Platinum will give you that opportunity. With a price of $99.95 per team, each league champion will win a $600 league prize.
Fantasy Football Gold**: Time to get serious about Fantasy Football? We certainly understand. With a price of $39.95 per team, each league champion will win a $200 league prize.
Fantasy Football Basic: A great game for Fantasy Football rookies who want a serious start to their playing career. Priced at $14.95 per team.

CBS SportsLine

2005-06-29T10:31:00.000-07:00

Xtreme Fantasy Football.com to Offer Expanded X-Factor Audio Reports for Fantasy Football Draft Weekends

Is it possible to hear the very latest NFL news while on the way to your fantasy football draft? It is now with special Draft Weekend editions of the X-Factor Audio Reports from Xtreme Fantasy Football.com.

Distribution Source : PRWeb

Responding to the growing popularity of their X-Factor Audio Reports, www.xtremefantasyfootball.com has announced that they will add special weekend editions for August 27th, 28th, and September 3rd. The reports are regularly made available to members for download every Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday throughout the preseason, regular season, and play-offs. They feature team analysis, individual player stats, projections, injury reports, start-don't start recommendations, as well as game previews and reviews.

According to company President Mike Bowser "Things can change dramatically in the last two weeks of the NFL preseason. Many of the games are played on Friday or Saturday nights making it difficult to get information from them if your draft is the next day. This is just our next step in keeping our members as informed and prepared as possible." The reports will be available at 9:00AM allowing members to load them to their MP3s or burn them to CDs and listen to them on the way to their fantasy football draft. They can be found in the members area of www.xtremefantasyfootball.com which is a full service fantasy football site offering articles, cheatsheets, and many other fantasy football related reports for $19.99 per season
Distribution Source : PRWeb

Nfl Football Team

2005-06-22T07:38:00.000-07:00

Nfl Football Team
Xtreme Fantasy Football.com to Offer Expanded X-Factor Audio Reports for Fantasy Football Draft Weekends

Is it possible to hear the very latest NFL news while on the way to your fantasy football draft? It is now with special Draft Weekend editions of the X-Factor Audio Reports from Xtreme Fantasy Football.com.

(PRWEB) June 27, 2005 -- Responding to the growing popularity of their X-Factor Audio Reports, www.xtremefantasyfootball.com has announced that they will add special weekend editions for August 27th, 28th, and September 3rd. The reports are regularly made available to members for download every Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday throughout the preseason, regular season, and play-offs. They feature team analysis, individual player stats, projections, injury reports, start-don't start recommendations, as well as game previews and reviews.According to company President Mike Bowser "Things can change dramatically in the last two weeks of the NFL preseason. Many of the games are played on Friday or Saturday nights making it difficult to get information from them if your draft is the next day. This is just our next step in keeping our members as informed and prepared as possible." The reports will be available at 9:00AM allowing members to load them to their MP3s or burn them to CDs and listen to them on the way to their fantasy football draft. They can be found in the members area of www.xtremefantasyfootball.com which is a full service fantasy football site offering articles, cheatsheets, and many other fantasy football related reports for $19.99 per season.

Distribution Source : PRWeb