Nfl Football - Football Betting

2005-11-07T12:35:00.000-08:00

Westbrook's new deal worth nearly $25M extension
By Len Pasquarelli
ESPN.com
Updated: Nov. 7, 2005, 1:52 AM ET

While the acrimony between recalcitrant wide receiver Terrell Owens and the Eagles continues, Philadelphia has made peace with one of its other star offensive performers.--football gambling--The Eagles on Sunday signed running back Brian Westbrook to a five-year contract extension that runs through the 2010 season and is worth slightly less than $25 million. It includes bonuses between $9 million and $10 million. This spring, Westbrook signed a one-year restricted free agent qualifying offer for $1.43 million. --football gambling--

"I'm glad to have an opportunity to continue my career in Philadelphia," Westbrook said in a statement Sunday. "I've worked very hard to put myself in a position to receive a long-term contract and I'm glad the Eagles have recognized my talents and dedication to this team." --football gambling--

Without the extension, Westbrook would have been eligible for unrestricted free agency after this season. In what is projected as a very lean free agent pool, Westbrook might have been one of the most coveted players in the market. --football gambling--

"As I've said many times before, Brian is a big part of this offense and a big part of this team as a representative on and off the football field," coach Andy Reid said in a statement. "I really believe both the player and the team benefit from each other." --football gambling--

Securing Westbrook, who is clearly a key to the Eagles' offense, has been a priority for team president Joe Banner. But until recently, the numbers were not right, and the sides had a difficult time defining the financial market for a player who is not the prototype franchise-type running back. --football gambling--

A sticking point in negotiations had been Westbrook's compensation over the first three seasons of the deal, valued at $16 million. The Eagles had been offering $7 million to sign and $14 million over three. "In the end, we are happy that we were able to secure a contract that keeps Brian in Philadelphia and rewards him for his outstanding contributions to the Eagles organization," said Westbrook's agent, Fletcher Smith, who, along with CSMG partner Kennard McGuire, has negotiated major deals in the past year for Lions defensive tackle Shaun Rogers, Rams left tackle Orlando Pace, and Jaguars defensive end Reggie Hayward totalling more than $37 million. --football gambling--
The contract will be forwarded to the league office Monday, which is the NFL's deadline for being able to push much of the salary cap impact into this year. Philadelphia, which entered the weekend about $10 million under the cap, has plenty of room to spare. --football gambling--

Arguably the NFL's top salary cap manager, Banner is adroit at such in-season extensions. And because he almost always assures the Eagles have sufficient cap room to complete such extensions, they have become an annual event, it seems. Talks with Westbrook have been ongoing and were ratcheted up in recent days. --football gambling--

Westbrook, 26, has been the subject of much scrutiny in Philadelphia because the feeling is that he has not gotten enough carries in an Eagles offense heavily skewed toward the pass. Two weeks ago, the former Villanova standout publicly acknowledged that the team needed to lean more on the running game, and that he needed more "touches" in general. --football gambling--

ick in the 2002 draft, Westbrook is regarded as one of the NFL's premier all-around backs. He began his career primarily as a return man and third-down back, but became the full-time starter in 2004. --football gambling--

In 50 appearances, including 30 starts, Wesbrook has carried 418 times for 1,922 yards and 11 touchdowns. He also has 158 receptions for 1,544 yards and 11 scores. Westbrook has 78 carries for 304 yards and one touchdown in seven games this season, along with 39 catches for 423 yards and four touchdowns. --football gambling--

Len Pasquarelli is a senior NFL writer for ESPN.com. To check out Len's chat archive, click here . Michael Smith contributed to this report.--football gambling--

2005-11-02T10:07:00.000-08:00

Charger's sister shot to death

VALDOSTA, Ga. (AP) -- The sister of San Diego Chargers linebacker Randall Godfrey was found fatally shot in her car Tuesday after a wreck following a chase by her former boyfriend, police said. -NFL Football-

Deidre Miller, 29, may have been shot before the chase, which ended when her car ran into a clump of trees two houses from her home in northern Lowndes County, sheriff's detective Wanda Edwards said. -NFL Football-

Authorities were searching for Julonda Lecedrick Clayton, 28, of Jacksonville, Fla. -NFL Football-

Edwards said Clayton dropped off Miller's 4-year-old son at his daycare center, and the child told daycare workers that Clayton shot his mother. -NFL Football-

Godfrey, who played at the University of Georgia, was drafted by the Dallas Cowboys in 1996. He also has played for the Seattle Seahawks and Tennessee Titans and is in his second year with the Chargers. -NFL Football-

Chargers spokesman Bill Johnston said Godfrey had been informed. "He's aware and he has gone to be with his family," Johnston told The Associated Press. -NFL Football-

Miller picked up her son from her mother's house Tuesday morning to take him to daycare. The child was in the car during the chase. -NFL Football-

Edwards said it appeared Miller sped out of her driveway and Clayton followed. She could have been trying to drive through a clearing in a neighbor's yard, the detective said. -NFL Football-

2005-10-31T12:30:00.000-08:00

Colts sticking to their routine

Dungy decides not to use bye for more preparation to play Patriots

By Mike Chappell

mike.chappell@indystar.com

October 31, 2005

The Indianapolis Colts are confident they will be prepared for next Monday night's much-anticipated rematch with the New England Patriots in Foxborough, Mass.

Prepared, not over-prepared. -NFL Football-

His team's bye week provided coach Tony Dungy and his staff an opportunity to use the extra time to plan, and practice, for a showdown with nemesis New England that will affect each team's postseason aspirations. -NFL Football-

So, how did Dungy use the additional time? He spent the weekend in Tampa, Fla., fishing, not obsessing over the Patriots. -NFL Football-

Focus turns to New England on Wednesday morning when the players return to the Union Federal Football Center for the first time after a five-day vacation. That's when they'll be given the game plan. That's when they'll start worrying about the scheming of coach Bill Belichick, the efficiency of quarterback Tom Brady and the erratic nature of the Patriots' defense. -NFL Football-

The idea has been to adhere as much as possible to a normal NFL schedule, regardless of the abnormal hitch presented by the bye week. -NFL Football-

It's an approach Dungy gleaned from his association with Pittsburgh's Chuck Noll and Minnesota's Dennis Green. Noll earned a spot in the Pro Football Hall of Fame by directing the Steelers to four Super Bowl titles. There were no byes when his teams ruled the NFL, but there were self-imposed rules that governed his preparation. -NFL Football-

"He always believed you were a creature of habit, and the habit of preparing exists as well,'' Dungy said. "I worked for Dennis for four years and he was the same way. -NFL Football-

"Those guys have been in a lot of big games. They impressed on me there was a danger of over-preparing.'' -NFL Football-

When the Colts reported to Terre Haute, Ind., for the start of training camp on July 27, they were aware they opened the regular season Sept. 11 at Baltimore and had another critical trip to Foxborough on Nov. 7. Yet they weren't preoccupied by either. -NFL Football-

Dungy never has been one to take six weeks to prepare for a season opener or look past one opponent to another down the line. The bye week afforded him a chance to add another week of preparation for New England, but he resisted the urge. -NFL Football-

"Guys aren't used to doing it that way and don't always play as well,'' Dungy said.

"You're used to saying, 'OK, we've got three-and-a-half days to prepare.' All of a sudden you've got seven, eight or 10 days, and that can throw you out of whack.''

Routine rules. -NFL Football-

Wednesday's practice will allow the coaching staff to put the finishing touches on any schematic modifications that were deemed necessary last week and install the offensive and defensive plans for New England. -NFL Football-

"The second day (Thursday), we're going to know what we do in short-yardage, goal-line, the red-zone area,'' Dungy said. "The next day we'll do what we always do on the third day. -NFL Football-

"We don't want to disrupt that.'' -NFL Football-

Not even for another clash with New England, because from the Colts' viewpoint, the opponent -- even the hated Patriots -- is secondary to properly preparing themselves.

"We're worrying about us,'' defensive tackle Corey Simon said. "The only thing we can control is us.'' -NFL Football-

Quarterback Peyton Manning is 2-10 against the Patriots and has not won in seven trips to Foxborough. If anyone could justify altering his routine, it's the NFL's two-time Most Valuable Player. -NFL Football-

That's not going to happen. -NFL Football-

"Certainly we know it is an important game and people are going to be excited about it, '' Manning said. "But we have to take the same approach we've always taken. -NFL Football-

Hopefully we can have a good week of practice and go up there and play well.''

As boring as it sounds, maintaining a routine is paramount. -NFL Football-

"One reason we've gotten off to a good start is because we have taken every opponent one game at a time,'' Manning said. "A lot of people wanted to focus on this game in Week 1. I guarantee you, if we would have been thinking about this game from Week 1, if we would have been preparing for this game in training camp, we would not be 7-0 at this point. -NFL Football-

"We have taken care of business to this point.'' -NFL Football-

2005-10-20T22:01:00.000-07:00

Week Seven game previews

By PFW staff Oct. 20, 2005

Kansas City at Miami

Hurricane Wilma has forced the NFL to move this game from Sunday to Friday night, cutting the preparation week short for both teams, especially the visiting Chiefs.

The Chiefs come in looking to build on their solid home win over the Redskins last week, while the Dolphins return home after physical losses at Buffalo and Tampa Bay. In the first game after their bye week, the Chiefs’ offense looked sluggish and out of sync.

The running game struggled, and the passing game only produced 15 completions in 25 attempts, including a 60-yard touchdown on a screen pass to Priest Holmes. The top two passing options, TE Tony Gonzalez and WR Eddie Kennison, combined for just two catches vs. the Redskins.

The Dolphins’ multiple-look defense ranks among the league’s best, with MLB Zach Thomas registering double-digit tackles in every game this season. Look for the Chiefs to try to pick on Miami CB Travis Daniels, a rookie.

The Dolphins’ RB tandem of Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams struggled vs. the Buccaneers’ league-leading run defense last week but could do well this week, running up the middle vs. Chiefs DTs Lional Dalton and John Browning. Look for Miami to use a second tight end to help block DRE Jared Allen and free up TE Randy McMichael to run pass routes. Dolphins DE Jason Taylor could be hobbled with a foot injury.

Detroit at Cleveland
The story of the week in Motown is the culmination of the long-rumored QB controversy. Joey Harrington and the offense are sputtering, and with Jeff Garcia nearly ready to return from a broken leg, the Lions have not ruled out the possibility of a change behind center. No matter who gets the ball, RB Kevin Jones (2.7 yards per carry) and the offensive line (14 sacks allowed) need to improve. The Browns’ offense is a pass-first system designed to get the ball out of the hand of QB Trent Dilfer quickly. Dilfer doesn’t have great talent around him, and the running game, in particular, is lacking playmakers. RB Lee Suggs will miss another game with a broken thumb. His replacement, Reuben Droughns, has a long run on the year of 24 yards and an average of 3.8 yards per carry. Cleveland is one of only three teams (Arizona and Washington are the others) that has yet to score a rushing touchdown this season. The Browns know they’ll have to score plenty to win with a run defense that ranks 29th in the league, yielding 140.2 rushing yards per game. Yet Cleveland may be without one of its best weapons, rookie WR Braylon Edwards (arm), whose availability is in doubt. And it remains to be seen whether the Lions are capable of capitalizing on the vulnerability of the Browns’ run defense.
Green Bay at Minnesota
If the Packers are going to go on a winning streak, now is the time. Green Bay is 1-4 out of the gate for the second year in a row. The Packers turned it on at this point a year ago by opening up the offense. The Vikings have allowed 24 or more points in four of five games and might be just the catalyst the Packers need. Green Bay was on bye last week, affording the team an opportunity to get RB Ahman Green (thigh) and others healthy. Green is 17th in the NFC in rushing (3.4-yard average) and has not scored a touchdown this year. The Vikings’ ship is a wayward vessel in more ways than one. QB Daunte Culpepper has been lost without WR Randy Moss, who set the tone and created a lot of room for the offense to operate since 1998. Without Moss, teams are playing the run with seven defenders and begging Culpepper to throw into traffic. The Packers don’t blitz much and have only one pass-rushing threat, DE Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila. WR Nate Burleson has resumed physical activity after sitting out since Week Two with a knee injury. Burleson’s return might be a positive for Culpepper.
Indianapolis at Houston
The Colts trounced the Rams 45-28 on Monday night, outscoring the Rams 45-11 in the final three quarters. Indianapolis is more balanced than it had been in recent seasons. Using more of a ball-control offense this season, Peyton Manning’s numbers are way down, and the offense isn’t scoring at the rate that it did last season. Yet, the much-improved Indy “D” is leading the NFL in points allowed — it ranked 19th last season — and it now ranks 11th in total defense. The Colts made slow adjustments against teams using the 3-4 defense last season, and the Texans stayed with Indianapolis until the fourth quarter of their second 2004 meeting, a 23-14 Colts win at Houston. The last two games at Houston between these teams were decided by a total of 12 points, including a three-point Colts win in 2003. Houston’s punchless offense has scored 54 points in five games. With QB David Carr having been sacked an incredible 30 times in five games, the Texans shuffled their offensive line a week ago, with only mildly positive results (three sacks allowed). Now they have lost starting ORG Zach Wiegert with an ankle injury, causing a further shake-up. RB Domanick Davis has been the offense’s only consistent performer, and he’ll have to be Houston’s meal ticket this week. The Colts can be run on if you can move their defensive tackles. If Davis has success, it means the Texans will have slowed the pace of the game to a suitable level.
New Orleans at St. Louis
The black rain cloud that has parked itself above the Saints for much of the season seems to have found a new victim, the St. Louis Rams. Rams head coach Mike Martz is on an indefinite leave of absence from the team while he tries to recover from an infection in his heart. Starting QB Marc Bulger helped the Rams build a 17-0 lead over undefeated Indianapolis on “Monday Night Football” but then was knocked out of the game with a sprained AC joint in his throwing shoulder. Backup QB Jamie Martin came in and guided the Rams from a 17-0 lead to a 45-28 loss. Martz won’t be on the sideline for the third straight game when the Saints come to town. Bulger likely will be on the sideline for the next two games and maybe longer with his shoulder injury. With Martin under center, the Rams will rely on RB Steven Jackson to lead the offense. Jackson is becoming more of a dual-threat like his predecessor, Marshall Faulk, who is now his backup. Jackson had 88 yards rushing and a TD on 17 carries, and he had five catches for 39 yards vs. the Colts. The Rams’ secondary is still struggling, but the Saints probably won’t challenge them much. Saints WR Joe Horn has battled a nagging hamstring injury for the past month and may not play. The Saints will stick to their productive running game, where they had a smooth transition last week in their first game without injured starter Deuce McAllister. RBs Antowain Smith (12 rushes, 88 yards, two TDs) and Aaron Stecker (16 rushes, 86 yards) shared ball-carrying duties vs. the Falcons, with Smith earning the start and Stecker coming in mostly on third downs and for a change of pace.

2005-10-10T11:40:00.000-07:00

NFL: Michaels has hunger for Monday Night Football

By Sam Farmer, Los Angeles Times

It's a fall Monday, the sun is down, the pulse rate is up, and millions of Americans are tuning in to "Monday Night Football," the longest-running live prime-time show in television history.

Filling the air is the familiar baritone of Al Michaels, TV's best play-by-play announcer. Twenty TV cameras are rolling, poised to capture the action from every conceivable angle. A crescendo is building.

Are you ready for some ... roast beef on a French roll?

Hey, a guy's got to eat, even when 20 million people are listening to his every word. It's 9 p.m., and Michaels, John Madden and the crew have been in and out of production meetings for the past 12 hours. Michaels typically snacks during the first half, washing down Snackwell cookies, Junior Mints and green grapes with cup after cup of coffee, then has a light dinner in the second half, stealing bites during commercials. He's a discreet eater and a picky one; he never lets a vegetable touch his plate, let alone his lips.

The millions of football fans watching the game have no idea that Michaels is eating dinner along with them. After more than 40 years in the business, the previous 19 with "Monday Night Football," his delivery is so fluid, so close to flawless, it's hard to believe that he's concentrating on anything but what's happening on the field.

But he is. In fact, it's astounding he has time to glance at the field at all, what with all the information flying his way. He's talking through his headset to the main production truck and to statistician Steve Hirdt in another truck, interpreting hand signals from the spotter just off camera to his left, and being handed a steady stream of in-game promos on index cards from the stage manager.

In front of Michaels are 14 monitors -- seven for him, seven duplicates for Madden -- each showing a different aspect of the game, among them team stats, individual stats, the game clock, what the network is showing, a shot looking back at them in the booth. Each also has his own telestrator, allowing him to use a finger to draw on the screen.

The job of processing all that information, producer Fred Gaudelli said, is for Michaels like "being an air-traffic controller who's trying to land his own plane at the same time."

A week ago, for the first time in its 35-year history, "Monday Night Football" allowed a reporter to observe a broadcast from the booth. The program is in its last season with ABC and next year will switch to ESPN, bringing Michaels along for the ride. Madden will head to NBC next season for "Sunday Night Football." As for the rest of the "Monday Night Football" crew -- a group 75 strong on game day -- the future is uncertain. Everyone's treating this season as a last hurrah.

2005-10-01T14:46:00.000-07:00

Ex-Football Star Arrested on Drug Charges

By Merissa Green and Roy Fuoco
The Ledger

AUBURNDALE -- A 25-year-old former high school football star and NFL player was arrested on drug charges during a traffic stop.

Allen Bernard Reese, of 3034 Lantana Circle, Auburndale, was charged with trafficking more than 28 grams of cocaine, possession of drug paraphernalia, resisting an officer without violence, criminal mischief and corruption by threat of public servant.

Reese, also known as "Tank," is being held at the Polk County Jail without bail.

Reese was stopped at 42nd Street about 4:15 p.m. Wednesday because his license was suspended and his vehicle tag had expired, according to a Polk County Sheriff's Office report.

When Reese pulled his vehicle over, he fled on foot, the report stated.

Deputies were able to capture him shortly after he fled.

Upon returning to his vehicle, deputies found 60 grams of cocaine on the passenger floorboard, the report stated.

While at the book-in facility, deputies said, Reese kicked the holding facility glass, breaking it. The damage was estimated at $400.

Deputies also accused Reese of threatening a detective. The report stated that Reese said "I'll get you, your wife and kids." And he also is reported to have said "You will see me again."

Reese, a 1999 graduate of Auburndale High School, was a star football player, weightlifter and wrestler for the Bloodhounds. He played running back and nose tackle in football, rushing for 1,336 yards and 11 touchdowns his senior year and was selected first-team All-State by the Florida Sports Writers Association.

He also won a state title in weightlifting his senior year and was fourth in the state in wrestling.

Reese began his college career at Hutchinson Community College in Kansas, then transferred to Kansas State University as a junior, where he played defensive tackle. After his senior season, he was named first-team All-Big 12.

An undrafted free agent, Reese was with the Kansas City Chiefs in 2003.

After playing in Berlin in NFL Europe in the spring of 2004, Reese was in training camp with the Indianapolis Colts but was cut just before the season began after suffering a knee injury.

Reese played in the Arena League this past spring for the Colorado Crush. He missed most of the season with an injury but was activated late in the season.

Family members were shocked to learn about Reese's arrest. Shay Reese, his stepsister, said he barely came home to visit unless it was to borrow her mother's car. She also said she was shocked to learn he may be involved in drugs.

"It doesn't seem like that's him," she said.

Shay Reese said her stepbrother probably was depressed after suffering a knee injury. He had dreams of making it big in the NFL, she said.

Copyright 2005 The Ledger

Kenneth Harrison, Reese's former high school football coach, said he hasn't talked to Reese for eight months.

"If it's true, I'm saddened by it," he said about the arrest.

Harrison said he hopes that Reese can get his life back on track.

2005-09-26T11:34:00.000-07:00

Inside the NFL
Around the league with Observer staff writer Pat Yasinskas

Eli Manning to face jilted Chargers

He is Peyton's little brother and Archie's son, but Eli Manning firmly is standing on his own two feet as he prepares for the biggest game of his life.The second-year quarterback is showing he can win in theNFL. The New York Giants are 2-0, and he has been efficient, throwing three touchdown passes. - NFL Football -

He's also setting himself up for what might be the NFL's most brutal welcome since John Elway went to Baltimore 22 years ago. The Giants play at San Diego tonight, and the history still is fresh.

Eli (and perhaps his father) made it so well known before last year's draft that he wouldn't play for San Diego, that the Chargers had no choice but to draft Eli and trade him to the Giants for the rights to Philip Rivers (N.C. State) and a package of draft choices.

"I'm happy where I am," Eli Manning said. "I made the right decision. I know I did."

Notice Eli's repeated use of the word "I." That was intentional. The feeling just about everywhere last year was that Archie Manning orchestrated the whole ordeal because he didn't respect the Chargers front office and coaching staff. - NFL Football -

But Eli went out of his way to clarify the events to reporters in New York last week.

"My dad got brought into the situation and he was getting a lot of bad credit and being harassed quite a bit," Eli said.

"He wasn't part of this. It wasn't his decision. He didn't talk me into this. It was my decision."

Maybe Archie's off the hook, but Eli's not. He's sure to get a rough reception from San Diego fans, already angry about the Chargers' 0-2 start.

The last time something like this happened was when Elway refused to play for the Baltimore Colts, who drafted him first overall in 1983. The Colts grew frustrated and traded Elway to Denver. - NFL Football -

Elway and the Broncos had to go to Baltimore 22 years ago this month, and it created one of the uglier scenes in NFL history.

"I had been in the National Football League for 18 years at that time and I had never seen anybody get booed that loudly in the pregame warm-ups," former Broncos coach Dan Reeves said. "It just didn't stop. It was the worst thing I had ever seen.''

Elway struggled with the noise. He collected three delay penalties and was crushed by an inspired defense as the Colts built a 10-3 lead.

But the folks in San Diego might want to take this as a cautionary tale. Reeves decided to pull Elway in the fourth quarter and turned to veteran Steve DeBerg.

"The crowd immediately quieted down," Reeves said. "We had a chance to execute."

DeBerg led the Broncos to two touchdowns and a 17-10 victory. Coach Talk

Genius?

When he was a coordinator in Minnesota, Brian Billick was considered an offensive genius. As the head coach in Baltimore, his offense has been nothing short of embarrassing, and it's getting worse. Aside from two garbage-time touchdowns, the Ravens have been outscored 33-3. They rank last in rushing yards, and rushed for 14 yards against Tennessee. - NFL Football -

Billick's reputation is destroyed and his offensive coordinator Jim Fassel, who many thought would parlay this job into another head coaching gig, isn't far behind. With Fassel calling the plays, the Ravens have thrown 104 passes and run 34 times. Somebody might want to tell Fassel that Jamal Lewis used to be one of the best runners in the league.

Subtle shots

Although he's got a reputation for being blustery, Dallas coach Bill Parcells can be subtle when it suits him. Parcells danced enough to avoid a potential fine, but he made it pretty clear he's not happy the Giants were given an extra home game when the league gave New Orleans a "home'' game at Giants Stadium because of Hurricane Katrina."I'm not commenting,'' Parcells said. "I'll let Jim Haslett talk. He's the one qualified.'' - NFL Football -

Haslett, the Saints coach has made no effort to hide his anger, and has said the other teams in the NFC East should be upset about the advantage given to the Giants. Parcells was asked if Haslett's comments made sense.

"I do think he has a highly intelligent perspective,'' Parcells said.

The Charlotte Observer

2005-09-16T08:29:00.000-07:00

Redskins sign kicker Novak, cut KR Brown

ASHBURN, Va. (Sept. 13, 2005) -- Former Maryland kicker Nick Novak signed with the Washington Redskins, who also cut kick returner Antonio Brown. - NFL Football -

The Redskins needed a kicker after John Hall strained his quad Sept. 11 in a 9-7 victory against the Chicago Bears. Hall hasn't been ruled out for the Sept. 19 game against the Dallas Cowboys, but coach Joe Gibbs indicated it was unlikely Hall will be ready to play. - NFL Football -

Novak spent the preseason with the Chicago Bears. He is the leading scorer in ACC history; he scored 393 points in four years with the Terrapins. - NFL Football -

Novak becomes the 11th kicker on the Redskins regular-season roster in a little over five seasons. Three kickers were used last season because Hall had four separate leg injuries.

AP NEWS
The Associated Press News Service

Copyright 2005, The Associated Press, All Rights Reserved

2005-09-16T08:26:00.000-07:00

Bears agree to terms with T St. Clair

LAKE FOREST, Ill. (Sept. 13, 2005) -- The Chicago Bears agreed to terms with offensive tackle John St. Clair and waived offensive tackle Marc Colombo to make room on the roster.

St. Clair, the St. Louis Rams' third-round draft pick in 2000, has started 30 of 46 career games during five seasons in the NFL. He started 14 games as right tackle in his first season with the Miami Dolphins in 2004, but went to a backup role at guard during the preseason before being waived on Sept. 7. - NFL Football -

With the Rams, St. Clair started a career-high 16 games, including three at left tackle, in 2003. The 6-foot-6, 318-pounder from Virginia did not play during his first two NFL seasons.

Colombo was drafted in the first round by the Bears in 2002 and started seven of 18 games he played over four seasons with Chicago. - NFL Football -

2005-09-06T09:20:00.000-07:00

Are you ready for some football? TV sure is

Steve Kroner

For people who simply cannot get enough of the NFL, there are two options -- the NFL Sunday Ticket "SuperFan" package on DirecTV and NFL Network "On Demand" through Comcast digital cable -- that should go a long way in satisfying the thirst for highlights and stats, everything from A (Atlanta Falcons) to Z (Miami defensive tackle Jeff Zgonina).

One of the main attractions of the NFL Network "On Demand" feature is a four-letter word: free. Comcast digital-cable subscribers don't have to pay anything more to receive the NFL Network programming.

That programming ranges from market-specific offerings (in the Bay Area, that means 49ers and Raiders fare) to shows with league-wide appeal.

For the fan interested in 32 teams, the offering that most likely will get his or her attention is "Weekly Replay." Scheduled to be available at 12:01 a.m. Mondays, "Weekly Replay" provides about 12 minutes of highlights of each Sunday game (and, as the schedule dictates, games played Thursday and/or Saturday).

For the fan who filters things through either red-and-gold or silver-and-black glasses, there is "Local Replay," which will have highlights of each 49ers and Raiders game available throughout the season. In other words, if in late November you want to review the Raiders-Patriots opener, you can access clips of that game on "Local Replay."

As of Saturday, the NFL Network "On Demand" page for a San Francisco digital-cable customer listed three sections: 1) 2005 NFL Preview, which had season-preview features of 3-4 minutes for every team; 2) NFL Network Xtra, which had programming ranging from NFL Network's signature show, "NFL Total Access," to a three-part series on the Miami Dolphins' cheerleaders; and 3) Local Zone, which one would assume is where the 49ers' and Raiders' "Local Replay" editions will be found.

Local Zone also provides NFL Films shows featuring the Bay Area teams. The three offerings available Saturday: the highlight film of the 1976 Patriots-Raiders playoff game, the highlight film of the 1977 Raiders-Colts "Ghost to the Post" playoff game and a highlight film of a November 1985 Broncos-Raiders matchup listed as "DEN vs. OAK."

Those three offerings indicated two "lacks" in Local Zone at that point: one, programming about the 49ers and two, a sense of history. That's because a 1985 Broncos-Raiders game should be listed as "DEN vs. L.A." Or, more accurately, it shouldn't be offered in a Bay Area Local Zone.

In any event, DirecTV subscribers who purchase the NFL Sunday Ticket package (access to all the morning and afternoon Sunday telecasts costs $280 for the season) can acquire the "SuperFan" upgrade for an additional $99.

One key component of the "SuperFan" tier is called "Game Mix," which provides a checkerboard-like screen with eight telecasts. Customers who have interactive receivers can click on one of the eight telecasts to get that game full-screen, then can click back to the eight-telecast checkerboard.

Another intriguing feature of the "SuperFan" option is the "Red Zone Channel," which provides highlights throughout the day and switches to possibly dramatic moments in various games. One drawback, though, is only Fox games get the "Red Zone" treatment; CBS games aren't part of the deal.

"SuperFan" customers also receive "Short Cuts" on Mondays and Tuesdays. These are versions of entire games; with almost all non-action trimmed, the "Short Cuts" last 20-30 minutes.

So, say, on Dec. 19, the "Short Cuts" version of the 49ers-Jaguars game could have everything from A (49ers defensive tackle Anthony Adams) to Z (Jacksonville long-snapper Joe Zelenka) in 25 minutes.

Briefly: Blackout restrictions still apply to Sunday Ticket subscribers; in other words, if a Raiders game is blacked out in the Bay Area, Sunday Ticket subscribers won't see it, either. ... The Monday news conferences of Raiders head coach Norv Turner and 49ers head coach Mike Nolan will get live TV coverage this season. At noon, Comcast SportsNet (digital-cable Channel 400 in the Bay Area) has Turner's conference from Alameda. At 12:30 p.m., KBHK (Channel 44) airs Nolan's conference from Santa Clara.

2005-08-30T08:57:00.000-07:00

How today's owners are shaping the direction of the NFL

By Stefan Fatsis, The Wall Street Journal

When the moguls who run the National Football League gather these days, Jerry Jones, the outspoken owner of the Dallas Cowboys, likes to tell a story.

In his matter-of-fact Arkansas drawl, Mr. Jones says he has worked hard to generate as much revenue as possible for his franchise, and in turn theNFL as a whole. Then he turns to a fellow owner, Mike Brown of the Cincinnati Bengals.

Mr. Brown, the Dallas owner says, is a nice fellow. But they don't approach the football business the same way. Just consider, Mr. Jones says, that Mr. Brown decided to name his team's new stadium after his father, the legendaryNFL coach Paul Brown -- sacrificing millions of dollars he could have earned selling the name to a corporation.

"And that's just the difference between us," Mr. Jones said at one recent meeting, according to a person who was present.

After signing $24 billion in new television contracts earlier this year -- with more to come -- the future of the NFL certainly seems secure. But as the league opens its 86th season next week, the divisions among its 32 team owners have never been more profound.

The wedge issue is a basic one: How much, if any, of the growing streams of income generated by teams in their own markets -- about 15 percent of theNFL 's projected revenue of $5.7 billion this season -- should the wealthiest teams share with their partners? The debate has led to a split among owners that threatens to redefine a league characterized for decades by its unity.

"The problem now is it's beginning to get so acrimonious that it's pitting partner against partner," Jacksonville Jaguars owner Wayne Weaver said in an article posted on the team's Internet site in June that advocated substantial revenue sharing.NFL headquarters in New York asked the Jaguars to remove the article.

For the most part, the owners divide along income lines, with rich teams in big markets squaring off against less-wealthy ones in smaller cities. But, as Mr. Jones's story shows, this basic divide often goes much deeper, tapping into highly contentious areas such as league tradition, family history and corporate responsibility.

The result is that when it comes to the most crucial issues, the owners generally fall into one of four broad factions:

-- The old guard, or traditionalists, who inherited their teams or bought them before the NFL's modern, big-business era. Some, like Wellington Mara of the New York Giants, operate in big markets. Some, like Ralph Wilson of the Buffalo Bills, a charter member of the old AmericanFootball League, operate in small ones. But they all have seen the NFL struggle and band together for the common good, and believe protecting every team is more important than maximizing individual income. To that end, most want to increase revenue sharing.

-- The entrepreneurs, who own big-revenue teams and bought them relatively recently. This bloc, headed by Mr. Jones, who purchased the Cowboys in 1989, insists on keeping local revenue to pay down the debt they took on to buy their teams and build stadiums. They also have fought for new marketing opportunities. They are aggressive businessmen who made their money elsewhere-and are willing to challenge theNFL's established doctrines.

-- The power brokers. Owners from both of the groups above carry heft in determining league policy. But the power brokers are a particularly important subset. They head or sit on important policy-making committees such as television and finance, and can influence votes. Some power brokers, like Robert Kraft of the New England Patriots, own big-market teams. Others, like Mr. Weaver in Jacksonville and Jerry Richardson of the Carolina Panthers, operate smaller-market ones. These owners divide on how much revenue sharing is appropriate -- and their influence is critical in marshaling support one way or another.

-- The swing votes. Some are new owners -- like Home Depot Inc. founder Arthur Blank of the Atlanta Falcons -- who could ally with the entrepreneurs and turn into power brokers. Others have a historically low profile on league matters, like Microsoft Corp. co-founder Paul Allen, who owns the Seattle Seahawks but rarely attendsNFL meetings. They tend to go with the crowd -- and are being lobbied intensely on revenue sharing by owners from the other camps.

One secret to the NFL's rise has been its ability to bridge such internal differences at crucial junctures. In 1961, owners agreed to negotiate league-wide national television contracts and divide the proceeds equally. The result: today's TV bonanza. In 1966, the league agreed to merge with the rival AFL. The move ended a costly competition that had eroded theNFL's popularity and finances, and brought the NFL an expanded footprint and single marketing focus. In 1993, owners and players crafted a collective-bargaining agreement that included the first-ever cap on team payrolls and guaranteed players a percentage of revenue. The resulting labor peace has endured to date.

Now revenue sharing has brought the NFL to yet another crossroads. As the financial demands on teams grow -- and the roster of business-driven owners expands with every franchise sale -- no longer is it clear that the interest of the collective comes first. Marc Ganis, a franchise consultant who works withNFL teams, notes that some decisions by owners on nonfinancial issues already have broken along revenue lines, with four or five "no" votes where zero or one were the norm.

The NFL already shares lots of money among teams. In addition to TV fees, teams share equally a percentage of ticket sales, as well as national sponsorship and licensing contracts. Last year, each team received $110.8 million in national revenue, according to the annual report of the community-owned Green Bay Packers. The biggest chunk, $84 million, came from the league's network-television contracts.

When the sharing arrangements were drawn up, local revenue was a minuscule portion of income, so it wasn't included in the deals. But over the past decade,NFL executives say, growth in revenue generated locally -- from stadium luxury suites, local sponsorships and other sources -- has outstripped that of national revenue.

The result: a wide disparity among franchises. According to a senior club executive, the top eight teams in total revenue last season averaged $75 million more than those in the bottom quarter, up from a $30 million gap in 1998.

The league doesn't release financial data for individual franchises, nor do any teams besides the Packers. But there are clear signs of the differences. Houston's three-year-old stadium boasts a $10 million-a-year naming-rights deal with Reliant Energy Corp. The building has 196 luxury suites, priced from $55,000 to $250,000 a year. Meanwhile, Paul Brown Stadium has 112 luxury suites, priced at half that or lower, Mr. Brown says. The league doesn't consider luxury-suite revenue to be ticket revenue, so it isn't shared.

The problem is that the local money does count toward calculating the league-wide salary cap, which has risen 37 percent since 2000 to $85.5 million per team this season. (Including benefits,NFL teams will on average spend more than $100 million apiece on players this season.) Left unchecked, lower-revenue teams say, the chasm will create a permanent state of competitive imbalance -- in recruiting and paying players, in building training facilities, in hiring coaches. That would mark a sharp departure for a league that has thrived on the notion that every team, every season, has a realistic chance to play in the Super Bowl.

NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue last year created a panel of 12 owners to find a revenue-sharing solution. Concerned about the lack of progress, Mr. Tagliabue in June ordered the owners to meet monthly. But the group has yet to produce a proposal. People involved in the process say owners have been unable to agree on whether there should be any revenue sharing at all, let alone who gets how much and under what circumstances.

"It's a mistake to think that common sense will prevail again," says Michael MacCambridge, author of "America's Game," a history of theNFL.

The NFL declined to make Mr. Tagliabue or other executives available for interviews. Earlier this month, the commissioner said the revenue debate had existed since teams began sharing ticket money in 1935. "The issue will be discussed in 2035 and 2135," Mr. Tagliabue told the Associated Press. "We'll get it resolved, but it's a constant issue in a vibrant, growing sports league."

To the revenue-challenged teams, the disparities are structural: Markets the size of Cincinnati and Jacksonville can't compete with Dallas, Washington and New York in selling luxury suites and sponsorships, and in raising prices. "We aren't selling as many socks and sweatshirts as some of our partners seem to be," says Mr. Brown of the Bengals, who adds that he is unfazed by criticism from Dallas's Mr. Jones. "It isn't that we're indifferent. We get done what we can get done in our market."

Mr. Brown says he shouldn't be pressured to operate like owners with big debt payments. He says his goals are different: to run a viable family business and pass it on to his children, not to maximize its sale value. He says larger-revenue teams shouldn't be discouraged from generating as much income as possible -- but they should have to pay what he calls the added salary expense their business success creates for others. "Don't pass it on to us," he says.

Other traditionalists say memories of a league where owners bailed each other out keep the NFL's sense of unity strong. "People try to compare this to a normal business," says Dan Rooney of the Pittsburgh Steelers, whose father, Art, bought the team for $2,500 in 1933. "It isn't."

Mr. Rooney has embraced the entrepreneurs' tactics. He sold the naming rights of his team's new stadium to a local icon -- H.J. Heinz Co. -- and markets aggressively. Still, team executives say, profit margins are slipping annually.

Under a proposal from Mr. Rooney and Mr. Weaver of the Jaguars, 34 percent of every team's local revenue would be placed into a pool and divided among the 32 teams. (TheNFL currently divides a small amount of teams' local income -- about $40 million -- among a few teams with the least revenue.)

Such unilateral sharing has been met with staunch opposition. Dallas's Mr. Jones and a few other owners have staked out the far end of the argument: They don't want to give other teams another cent. "We already share 85 percent of our revenue," Mr. Jones says of the league as a whole. The remainder "has far more costs associated with it, far more risk associated with it, far more capital investment associated with it."

The owners of the Bengals and the Arizona Cardinals, Mr. Jones and others point out, inherited their teams and have taxpayer-funded stadiums. By contrast, Daniel Snyder and his ownership group bought the Washington Redskins for $800 million in 1999 and still have about $250 million in acquisition debt. They pay $40 million a year to operate FedEx Field.

Requiring teams to share more income, the entrepreneurs argue, will create disincentives to investment. In league meetings, Mr. Jones has said he would have little reason to pay for extra luxury suites in a new stadium if he had to give away the income they produce, according to a person present. The New York Jets and New York Giants, who are working on new stadiums, have raised similar concerns.

Mr. Jones says changing the system is unfair to owners who joined the NFL under the expectation they would operate under the current one. Plus, he says, there's no evidence that extra revenue has engendered winning, or that teams lack the ability to stay financially sound. "Then what's the exercise?" Mr. Jones says. "The exercise is at some given point 'I want some of what you've got.' That's not what we're about as a league."

Some newcomers also say some old-guard teams don't appreciate the league's potential. "They don't view this as the kind of humongously valuable business that it is," an adviser to one big-revenue owner says. Teams at the bottom of theNFL food chain, the entrepreneurs argue, need to be more aggressive in their businesses -- particularly when, thanks to low expenses, they already are profitable.

The anti-revenue-sharing forces -- the most aggressive entrepreneurs, plus some high-revenue wannabes -- have had an ally in the chairman of the revenue committee: Robert McNair, a former energy executive who paid $700 million to buy the expansion Houston Texans and invested more than $100 million more in start-up and stadium costs.

In his role, Mr. McNair has had the ability to steer the conversation. One of his first steps, as part of information gathering for the panel, was to rank clubs not only by total local revenue but also by local revenue after factoring in debt and capital expenditures. This pared revenue numbers for big-income teams and raised some poorer ones. In the adjusted rankings, the Bengals, for instance, moved into the top half of the league, one league executive says.

The expense-based rankings didn't win Mr. McNair new friends among some traditionalists and middle- and low-revenue teams. They also prompted a debate over what expenses should count in such a calculation. Stadium debt? Yes, because that helps a team make money. Franchise-acquisition debt? Maybe not, since no one is forced to buy a team.

Mr. McNair has sent several messages to his partners: expenses matter, teams need to work to generate income, revenue-sharing checks shouldn't be permanent. "If someone started with a team 40 or 50 years ago, their main concern was ... selling enough tickets to be able pay their laundry bill," Mr. McNair says. Now, he says, league-wide economics require every team to try to generate as much income as possible. Revenue sharing, he says, shouldn't be "a landing pad for those who just want to sit back and relax."

According to NFL executives, owners are moving toward agreement on the need for "qualifiers" for revenue sharing. Before receiving money, teams would have to show they are worthy. How much are they making as a percentage of cash flow? Are they spending a minimum percentage of revenue on players?

Some owners have backed giving the league the authority to force an owner to sell a team that fails to meet financial-performance standards over time, league executives say. Another proposal would force owners to repay revenue-sharing money if they sell the franchise.

Complicating matters is the expiration in 2007 of the NFL's labor agreement. A revenue-sharing deal is considered a prerequisite because teams want to know how much they are sharing with each other before deciding how much to share with the players. The union favors revenue sharing because it wants every team to be able to spend equally on players. If they can't, "my players on those teams will suffer," says Gene Upshaw, executive director of theNFL Players Association.

Mr. Upshaw wants the NFL to earmark 64 percent of total league revenue for players. Currently they get 64 percent of a smaller pool of football-related revenue. The league is offering 57 percent of total league revenue-which would amount to little increase, says Mr. Upshaw.

Mr. Tagliabue, the commissioner, is known as an effective deal maker who can bring down the hammer when necessary. Under NFL rules, any change will need the support of three-quarters of owners. Anti-revenue-sharing owners believe they have enough votes -- from the entrepreneurs, as well as from some power brokers, swing owners and even a traditionalist -- to block draconian sharing. "We're not rolling over," the owner of one big-market team says. Mr. Jones believes there should be no change without unanimous support. "I'm not sure you can do it -- legally," he says.

A likely solution is some sharing of currently unshared local revenue -- but with enough qualifiers to satisfy the entrepreneurs and avoid a permanent schism. The trick for Mr. Tagliabue will be convincing everyone that, as in the past, the right choice will make theNFL even stronger than it is today.

"We now have 32 owners, and everyone has their own agenda," says the Patriots' Mr. Kraft. "We have to be careful that we keep a sense of tradition balanced with ... adaptation to the times we're in."

2005-08-24T08:04:00.000-07:00

Football: Pro football is carrying far too much weight

Common sense and science have been warning for some time that we are pushing athletes toward some natural limits of size, speed and toughness without regard for how they get there, or stay there. Even so, there remains no shortage of kids willing to risk everything for the opportunity.
By most accounts, 23-year-old Thomas Herrion was one of those.
He hung on with the Dallas Cowboys until the final cuts at training camp last year, played in the NFL Europe, spent much of the summer working out in the sweltering Texas heat and was chasing a spot on San Francisco's roster when he collapsed and died just a few minutes after walking off the field after a preseason game in Denver on Saturday night. The reason Herrion worked so hard, he told pals, was so he could buy a house for his mother.
The cause of Herrion's death won't be determined until toxicology tests are completed, which usually takes about three to six weeks. He was listed as a 6-foot-3, or 1.90-meter, 310-pound, or 140-kilogram, guard, but estimates of his playing weight by some former teammates and coaches often added between 10 and 30 pounds.
That sounds big - too big to be healthy, according to some medical experts - but it's just about average for National Football League linemen these days.
Twenty years ago, some experts were warning that supersizing football was a recipe for disaster. Explaining how so many NFL players got so big was easier. Before baseball was outed by Jose Canseco, football had Lyle Alzado. He played a different sport in an earlier era, but Alzado, who admitted steroid use after his career was over, was just as provocative and just as certain that players on every side of him played juiced, too.
"There are freaks of nature," he liked to say, "but not enough to fill an NFL roster."
It's even more true today. By every measure, steroid use is down, there still aren't enough "freaks of nature" to go around, and yet players are bigger than ever.
When Alzado ran riot with the Broncos, Browns and Raiders in the 1970s and 1980s, the NFL didn't test for steroids, and there were no more than two dozen 300-pounders. Two seasons ago, the offensive linemen on all but three teams averaged 300 pounds. According to this season's rosters, as many as 350 players have already tipped the scale at that weight.
When the Vikings All-Pro lineman Korey Stringer died four years ago of complications from heat stroke, it forced the NFL to rethink the strategy of brutal practices in brutal weather. But left unexamined were the underlying dangers - how a heart set up to support someone who should weigh 220 pounds would hold up in someone at 320.
"Pick any of the body's systems - skeletal, muscular, circulatory - the same is true across the board," Bob Goldman, a prominent steroids researcher and sports medicine expert, said at the time.
A few years earlier, Goldman finished a study on the evolution of linemen on college and university teams from 1950 through 1990. Over that time, they added, on average, 50 pounds of bulk. But, he said, he thinks that most of the new generation came by their bulk honestly.
"Money is a powerful incentive," he said. "If you can develop a lineman who's 6-8 and 330 with the same speed and agility of a guy who's 250, who's more dangerous?"
The NFL began answering the question with a rule change in the mid-1970s. Stuck with a spate of low-scoring games, the league's competition committee decided to allow offensive lineman to extend their arms to block, and stopped cornerbacks from jamming receivers at the line of scrimmage.
Those changes resulted in smaller, quicker, even lighter cornerbacks and receivers. Lineman just got bigger and bigger.
All those warnings went largely unheeded. Linemen didn't grow to 300-plus pounds in the NFL; they began arriving that way. And many of them were not just big but agile, too - despite having 25 percent to 30 percent body fat, meaning they were carrying as much as 90 extra pounds.
The increased size also increased the risk of strokes, high blood pressure, traumatic joint injuries and cardiovascular problems. As unsettled as we should be by what happened to Herrion it's a little late to be surprised.

Common sense and science have been warning for some time that we are pushing athletes toward some natural limits of size, speed and toughness without regard for how they get there, or stay there. Even so, there remains no shortage of kids willing to risk everything for the opportunity.
By most accounts, 23-year-old Thomas Herrion was one of those.
He hung on with the Dallas Cowboys until the final cuts at training camp last year, played in the NFL Europe, spent much of the summer working out in the sweltering Texas heat and was chasing a spot on San Francisco's roster when he collapsed and died just a few minutes after walking off the field after a preseason game in Denver on Saturday night. The reason Herrion worked so hard, he told pals, was so he could buy a house for his mother.
The cause of Herrion's death won't be determined until toxicology tests are completed, which usually takes about three to six weeks. He was listed as a 6-foot-3, or 1.90-meter, 310-pound, or 140-kilogram, guard, but estimates of his playing weight by some former teammates and coaches often added between 10 and 30 pounds.
That sounds big - too big to be healthy, according to some medical experts - but it's just about average for National Football League linemen these days.
Twenty years ago, some experts were warning that supersizing football was a recipe for disaster. Explaining how so many NFL players got so big was easier. Before baseball was outed by Jose Canseco, football had Lyle Alzado. He played a different sport in an earlier era, but Alzado, who admitted steroid use after his career was over, was just as provocative and just as certain that players on every side of him played juiced, too.
"There are freaks of nature," he liked to say, "but not enough to fill an NFL roster."
It's even more true today. By every measure, steroid use is down, there still aren't enough "freaks of nature" to go around, and yet players are bigger than ever.
When Alzado ran riot with the Broncos, Browns and Raiders in the 1970s and 1980s, the NFL didn't test for steroids, and there were no more than two dozen 300-pounders. Two seasons ago, the offensive linemen on all but three teams averaged 300 pounds. According to this season's rosters, as many as 350 players have already tipped the scale at that weight.
When the Vikings All-Pro lineman Korey Stringer died four years ago of complications from heat stroke, it forced the NFL to rethink the strategy of brutal practices in brutal weather. But left unexamined were the underlying dangers - how a heart set up to support someone who should weigh 220 pounds would hold up in someone at 320.
"Pick any of the body's systems - skeletal, muscular, circulatory - the same is true across the board," Bob Goldman, a prominent steroids researcher and sports medicine expert, said at the time.
A few years earlier, Goldman finished a study on the evolution of linemen on college and university teams from 1950 through 1990. Over that time, they added, on average, 50 pounds of bulk. But, he said, he thinks that most of the new generation came by their bulk honestly.
"Money is a powerful incentive," he said. "If you can develop a lineman who's 6-8 and 330 with the same speed and agility of a guy who's 250, who's more dangerous?"
The NFL began answering the question with a rule change in the mid-1970s. Stuck with a spate of low-scoring games, the league's competition committee decided to allow offensive lineman to extend their arms to block, and stopped cornerbacks from jamming receivers at the line of scrimmage.
Those changes resulted in smaller, quicker, even lighter cornerbacks and receivers. Lineman just got bigger and bigger.
All those warnings went largely unheeded. Linemen didn't grow to 300-plus pounds in the NFL; they began arriving that way. And many of them were not just big but agile, too - despite having 25 percent to 30 percent body fat, meaning they were carrying as much as 90 extra pounds.
The increased size also increased the risk of strokes, high blood pressure, traumatic joint injuries and cardiovascular problems. As unsettled as we should be by what happened to Herrion it's a little late to be surprised.

Common sense and science have been warning for some time that we are pushing athletes toward some natural limits of size, speed and toughness without regard for how they get there, or stay there. Even so, there remains no shortage of kids willing to risk everything for the opportunity.
By most accounts, 23-year-old Thomas Herrion was one of those.
He hung on with the Dallas Cowboys until the final cuts at training camp last year, played in the NFL Europe, spent much of the summer working out in the sweltering Texas heat and was chasing a spot on San Francisco's roster when he collapsed and died just a few minutes after walking off the field after a preseason game in Denver on Saturday night. The reason Herrion worked so hard, he told pals, was so he could buy a house for his mother.
The cause of Herrion's death won't be determined until toxicology tests are completed, which usually takes about three to six weeks. He was listed as a 6-foot-3, or 1.90-meter, 310-pound, or 140-kilogram, guard, but estimates of his playing weight by some former teammates and coaches often added between 10 and 30 pounds.
That sounds big - too big to be healthy, according to some medical experts - but it's just about average for National Football League linemen these days.
Twenty years ago, some experts were warning that supersizing football was a recipe for disaster. Explaining how so many NFL players got so big was easier. Before baseball was outed by Jose Canseco, football had Lyle Alzado. He played a different sport in an earlier era, but Alzado, who admitted steroid use after his career was over, was just as provocative and just as certain that players on every side of him played juiced, too.
"There are freaks of nature," he liked to say, "but not enough to fill an NFL roster."
It's even more true today. By every measure, steroid use is down, there still aren't enough "freaks of nature" to go around, and yet players are bigger than ever.
When Alzado ran riot with the Broncos, Browns and Raiders in the 1970s and 1980s, the NFL didn't test for steroids, and there were no more than two dozen 300-pounders. Two seasons ago, the offensive linemen on all but three teams averaged 300 pounds. According to this season's rosters, as many as 350 players have already tipped the scale at that weight.
When the Vikings All-Pro lineman Korey Stringer died four years ago of complications from heat stroke, it forced the NFL to rethink the strategy of brutal practices in brutal weather. But left unexamined were the underlying dangers - how a heart set up to support someone who should weigh 220 pounds would hold up in someone at 320.
"Pick any of the body's systems - skeletal, muscular, circulatory - the same is true across the board," Bob Goldman, a prominent steroids researcher and sports medicine expert, said at the time.
A few years earlier, Goldman finished a study on the evolution of linemen on college and university teams from 1950 through 1990. Over that time, they added, on average, 50 pounds of bulk. But, he said, he thinks that most of the new generation came by their bulk honestly.
"Money is a powerful incentive," he said. "If you can develop a lineman who's 6-8 and 330 with the same speed and agility of a guy who's 250, who's more dangerous?"
The NFL began answering the question with a rule change in the mid-1970s. Stuck with a spate of low-scoring games, the league's competition committee decided to allow offensive lineman to extend their arms to block, and stopped cornerbacks from jamming receivers at the line of scrimmage.
Those changes resulted in smaller, quicker, even lighter cornerbacks and receivers. Lineman just got bigger and bigger.
All those warnings went largely unheeded. Linemen didn't grow to 300-plus pounds in the NFL; they began arriving that way. And many of them were not just big but agile, too - despite having 25 percent to 30 percent body fat, meaning they were carrying as much as 90 extra pounds.
The increased size also increased the risk of strokes, high blood pressure, traumatic joint injuries and cardiovascular problems. As unsettled as we should be by what happened to Herrion it's a little late to be surprised.

The Associated Press

2005-08-15T09:54:00.000-07:00

Dolphins' Williams has net worth of $230,000
Running back's generosity one reason for financial problems, friends say.

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — Ricky Williams gave many reasons for his decision to return to football. - NFL Football -
But one, above all, speaks the loudest: his bank account balance.
The Miami Dolphins running back, who has earned more than $16 million in his five-year NFL career since leaving the University of Texas, has a net worth of less than $230,000, according to a review of his financial records found in court documents and state and county records.
Williams was forced to make his holdings and debts public earlier this year when he was sued for child support by a woman in Hawaii, the mother of one of his three children.
According to a financial affidavit submitted on his behalf on Jan. 11, 2005, he owes nearly $1.1 million, including unpaid child support, agent fees and taxes. - NFL Football -
And that does not take into account the $8.6 million that a federal judge said he owes the Dolphins for breach of contract after suddenly announcing his retirement a week before training camp began last season.
Three weeks ago, after his first practice since returning to the Dolphins, Williams mentioned debt as a reason for playing football again. - NFL Football -
"Everyone knows I have three children, so I was looking at my future," he said. "Whether I wanted to go back to school or start a new job, I'd have that settlement chasing me, so I can't say that it didn't play into my decision."
Williams is paying child support for two children in the amount of about $100,000 a year. His other child lives with him. - NFL Football -
Since signing his first contract with the New Orleans Saints in 1999, an incentive-based deal that could have been worth as much as $68 million, his money has evaporated.
As of January, according to the financial affidavit, his assets amounted to $1,321,675, most of that from selling all of his properties. Minus money he owed, his net worth at the time was $228,841. - NFL Football -
Williams' career earnings — even after paying about 40 percent in combined state and federal taxes and 3 to 4 percent fees to agents — would have amounted to more than $8 million, according to estimates from several forensic accountants.
Where did all the money go?
Not into excesses, his friends say. Williams has often said he doesn't value material things. He spent several weeks in the Australian outback, living out of a Volkswagen van. Aside from real estate investments, his most extravagant purchase was a $140,000 1999 Ferrari Modena, according to Florida records. - NFL Football -
But Williams has splurged in the past. He bought paintings, hiring an artist to paint a mural in his son's room. At one point, he owned a motorcycle and six cars, including a Hummer, a Mercedes-Benz S600 and the Ferrari. And he told a newspaper in 2002 that he once cashed a $20,000 check from a paid appearance and went straight to a casino. He said he blew all the money in a half-hour of playing craps. - NFL Football -
Friends and business associates say Williams has spent or given away much of his earnings. He donated money to institutions, bought cars and homes for friends and family members, put his two sisters through college and sometimes just wrote checks to help people "get back on their feet," one friend said. - NFL Football -
"Ricky isn't any kind of crazy spender," said Renie Colwell, who ran the San Diego-based Ricky Williams Foundation, a charity for children that has been inactive since Williams' retirement. "He has been very giving, very helpful. Maybe to a fault."
Caring for his family was a priority for Williams.
He bought his mother a house valued at more than $200,000 in Austin, according to state records. He put his twin sister, Cassie, through college and also paid for a younger sister's schooling. - NFL Football -
Williams has three children — a 6-year-old daughter who lives in Boston with her mother, a 2-year-old son who lives in Hawaii with his mother and a 3-year-old son who lives with Williams.
He has a private agreement with the mother of his daughter, paying her $4,500 a month. He did not know about the son in Hawaii until last year, when Cherie Nicole Clark sued Williams to prove paternity and to request court-ordered child support.
Williams at first challenged that he was the father but later agreed to waive a paternity test, according to court documents. As part of a settlement, he pays Clark $4,200 a month in child support. - NFL Football -
Williams and girlfriend Kristin Barnes are living together in Boca Raton and raising his other son.
Soon after retiring, Williams behaved as if finances weren't a concern.
He toured with rocker Lenny Kravitz, a longtime friend. He studied yoga in India. He spent time in Australia's outback. He visited Thailand. He enrolled as a full-time student at a school for holistic medicine in California.
Financial troubles mounted with the paternity suit, and just as that case was being contested, an arbiter ruled last September that Williams had to repay the Dolphins $8.6 million for breach of contract.
At the time, Williams' financial statement in family court listed him as a student and unemployed. - NFL Football -
He made $812,755.47 through the first half of 2004, according to the statement, but listed "0'' dollars for the rest of the year.
He made $5,621,188 in 2003, according to a tax return he submitted to the court, and had $1,120,504 of gross earnings from the Dolphins in 2004. But most of that money, according to the financial affidavit, seemed to have been spent.
Besides the child support payment, Williams agreed to put $300,000 in a trust for his son in Hawaii. He would provide medical and dental insurance through his NFL coverage, and he took out a $500,000 life insurance policy on himself with that son as the beneficiary.
"Ricky Williams is an honorable and decent man," said Marsha Elser, his family court attorney. "This man has done the right thing since the beginning."
According to court documents, several insurance companies refused to write policies for Williams, an admitted marijuana user who played a high-risk sport and often traveled outside of the country. - NFL Football -
Williams never liked talking about his generosity. He said publicity would defeat the purpose.
So, with little or no fanfare, he donated the bulk of the $1 million it took to install an artificial football surface and top-of-the-line running track at his old high school, Patrick Henry High, in San Diego.
Williams made a "a very nice-sized donation" to the Alvarado Pop Warner League in memory of his late youth coach, said family friend Barbara Sanfilipo.
She believes Williams' unbridled charity has much to do with his financial problems.
"I would've liked to see him keep more of his money," Sanfilipo said. "There were too many people that had their hands out, and they were all taking." - NFL Football -
Williams' agent, Leigh Steinberg, has said that Williams' financial future depends in large part on what the Dolphins plan to do about the $8.6 million settlement.
The Dolphins have repeatedly declined to comment about what might happen to that money, and the NFL would not comment about what might happen if Williams is traded.
For now, Williams is receiving the league veteran minimum of $540,000. Since he is suspended for the first four games of the regular season because he violated the NFL's substance-abuse policy, Williams stands to make about $405,000 under his current deal. Had he not breached his contract, he would have made $3.6 million this year.

Carlos Frías
PALM BEACH POST

2005-08-09T07:37:00.000-07:00

Pro football shrine gets a new class
For the love of the game

Green felt no less humble about receiving the McCann Award than Marino and Young did about entering the Hall. The two quarterbacks expressed their feelings in separate national conference calls conducted before they arrived at Canton. - NFL Football -
Young and Marino played for the love of the game. As young players, they strove to compete, play and win. Making the Hall of Fame was not a primary thought.
"People always ask me, 'When did you know this was going to happen?'" Young said earlier this week. "And I always joke, 'My tail was on fire the whole time.' I didn't know I was supposed to look up and figure stuff out like that. It's welcome. It's a capstone for my career, and something that you can put the whole thing and wrap it up in a bow now, and it's a nice feeling."
Young struggled to establish his career early. - NFL Football -
He signed with the Los Angeles franchise of the U.S. Football League in 1984 out of Brigham Young. His NFL career began with the woeful Tampa Bay Buccaneers. After being traded to the 49ers, he played behind Joe Montana, another Hall of Fame quarterback, before moving into the starting job. - NFL Football -
Marino's success came much quicker. He became Miami's starter early in his rookie season of 1983. In 1984, Marino set the NFL's season record with 48 touchdown passes. It was bettered last year by Colts quarterback Peyton Manning. - NFL Football -
As it was with Young, Marino's focus was on beating defenses, not making the Hall of Fame.
"I don't think that anybody, when they start in the NFL, sets out to be in the Hall of Fame," Marino said. "When I first got here, I wanted to be the starting quarterback for the Dolphins. I wanted to be successful. I wanted to win a Super Bowl. To think about the Hall of Fame would be stretching it a little bit. But as your career goes on and I had the success, then you know there is a possibility, you definitely know that." - NFL Football -

Mike O'Hara / The Detroit News

2005-07-26T06:55:00.000-07:00

N.C.'s Heath Shuler, Former NFL Player, Making Run For Congress

WAYNESVILLE, N.C. -- Former NFL and Tennessee football player and Swain County native Heath Shuler is following a well-worn path as he tries to unseat North Carolina congressman Charles Taylor. - NFL Football -
The 33-year-old Shuler wants to be the Democratic candidate for the 11th congressional district seat in western North Carolina. - NFL Football -
The election isn't until next year, but Shuler is working to get his message of bringing the mountain values of North Carolina to Washington.
Taylor's office said the eight-term congressman is busy performing the job voters elected him to do. - NFL Football -
If he is successful Shuler would follow other football players such as J.C. Watts and Tom Osborne to Capitol Hill. - NFL Football -

The Associated Press.

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

NFL contemplating annual international games

MEXICO CITY (July 15, 2005) -- The NFL emphasized that its first regular-season game abroad this year may be just the start of a broader international push.

The league "is going to look at all of the markets that have indicated an interest in doing this around the world: several in Europe, Canada, Asia," Roger Goodell, the league's executive vice president, said at a news conference to talk about the Oct. 2 game between the Arizona Cardinals and San Francisco 49ers, the first regular-season contest outside the United States.
Goodell re-emphasized what commissioner Paul Tagliabue said when he announced the project: That if the game here between the Arizona Cardinals and San Francisco 49ers is a success, the league might "look to play an international game, maybe on an annual basis, and rotate that around to some of the markets that have an interest globally." - NFL Football -
But the league wants to know first how the game goes in North America's largest metropolis, one that has hosted five NFL preseason games. The first of those set a league attendance record of 112,376 in 1994 when the Dallas Cowboys met the Houston Oilers. - NFL Football -
Attendance this year can't top 105,000 because of modifications since then to Azteca Stadium.
The stadium's 7,200-foot altitude has helped make Azteca difficult for visiting soccer teams, including the U.S. national team in games against Mexico. In this case, San Francisco safety Tony Parrish said: "The altitude is going to affect both teams the same."
Goodell said the league will have to cope with teams' home-game stadium commitments. "We do the scheduling and most of the leases recognize that," he said, but acknowledged, "those will be issues we'll have to address as we look to how we expand this series if we find that this is the right way to do it." - NFL Football -
Mexico was chosen for the first game partly because it has the largest NFL fan base outside of the United States and regularly televised games have created loyal fans of the Cowboys, 49ers and Pittsburgh Steelers, among others. - NFL Football -
The country also has a national collegiate league and the NFL sponsors a national touch football series for youths. - NFL Football -
The Cardinals are the home team, in part because they stand to lose little from their home gate. The team, which is moving into a modern new stadium next year, often is lucky to fill half the seats at Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe, Ariz., its home field.

NFL.com wire reports

2005-07-11T15:34:00.000-07:00

Follansbee natives recognized

FOLLANSBEE - Recognition also was given to five Follansbee natives who went on to distinguish themselves as professional football players. Mayor Tony Paesano said each has brought notoriety to the city through their accomplishments in the sport.
Presented plaques and keys to the city by the mayor were:
€ Tim Anderson, a 1967 graduate of Follansbee High School who was recruited by Woody Hayes to play football at Ohio State University and went on to play with the San Francisco 49ers, Buffalo Bills and Canadian Football League.
Paesano described Anderson as a hard worker and "very tough linebacker" who played in two Rose Bowls.
Anderson thanked Paesano for his guidance, saying, "He made me a better man. I was more committed and focused, and it was because of him I found value in what was being done out there."
The owner of a construction company in San Francisco, where he now lives, Anderson has two sons.
€ Mike Ciccolella, a 1961 graduate of St. Anthony School who went on to play at Dayton University, where he was named to All-Conference and All-State teams and to the school's hall of fame before becoming a New York Giants linebacker from 1966 to 1969 and the team's rookie of the year.
Paesano, who also coached Ciccolella, said prior to his professional football career, Ciccolella had led St. Anthony's football team through an undefeated season.
"Follansbee has always been a part of my life," said Ciccolella.
The father of two, he now works in sales for a company that provides inventory control services to warehouses.
€ Glenn "Jeep" Davis, who grew up in Follansbee and attended Follansbee High School for a year before moving to Barberton, Ohio. A former Detroit Lion, Davis is best known for his accomplishments in track and field, having earned gold medals in the 1956 and 1960 Olympics and setting world records in many events.
Denny Williams, who had coached Davis at Follansbee, said Davis tried out for the Lions as a free agent and although he hadn't played football in college, sufficiently impressed the team's coaching staff to sign him on.
But his football career was cut short by problems with a shoulder injury he'd suffered in high school.
Williams accepted honors bestowed at the dinner on Davis' behalf, explaining Davis was unable to attend because he was recuperating from surgery.
€ The late Tony Leon, a 1934 graduate of Follansbee High School who played for the Washington Redskins, Boston Yanks and Brooklyn Tigers as an offensive guard and in other positions.
His brother, Jay of Wellsburg, said Tony had worked for Weirton Steel after finishing high school, when Russ Craft of Wellsburg encouraged him to try out with him for the University of Alabama football team.
Jay recalled that while playing for the Redskins, Tony earned a salary of $6,500 per year, about the cost of a house in those days and respectable at a time before television and mass merchandising, when NFL's revenue was limited to the admission charged of the games' patrons.
Following his football career, Leon owned and operated the Corner Cigar Store in Weirton and served two terms as Hancock County assessor.
The father of two and grandfather of two, he died in 1995 in Las Vegas, where he had moved to be close to one of his sons.
€ Rich Thomaselli, a 1975 graduate of Brooke High School who played football there and at West Virginia Wesleyan College before playing with the Houston Oilers, Green Bay Packers and Canadian Football League in the early 1980s.
A 195-pound fullback, Thomaselli said he knew his smaller stature would present a challenge in his football career but enjoyed the opportunity to play on professional teams.
"The way I played was faith, family and friends," Thomaselli said, adding, "I got real close to God when I played. I just prayed I'd be alive for the next play."
Thomaselli coached semi-pro football teams for a time and teams at Madonna, Burgettstown and other area schools in recent years while working for Weirton Steel. Recently he was hired for Brooke High School's varsity football coaching staff and as a substitute teacher for the Brooke County school district.

The Herald-Star

2005-07-06T09:27:00.000-07:00

Tiki Barber makes trip to Israel, visits with children

Giants running back Tiki Barber arrived in Israel this past week at the invitation of former Prime Minister Shimon Peres.
One of his first orders of duty: teaching children how to throw a football.
Barber visited the Palestinian territories Wednesday and was greeted by dozens of giddy children. One of them had a football, but no one knew how to use it. Soon, Barber began showing the children how to catch and throw the ball.
"I thought, 'Now I feel comfortable, now I'm home,'" Barber said Thursday. "I was telling them to keep their elbows up ... they did well."
The nine-year NFL player went to Israel thanks to Peres, who met the football player during a trip to New York earlier this year.
Barber visited religious shrines and also made an appearance on behalf of the Peres Center for Peace. One of the ways the center tries to improve relationships between Israelis and Palestinians is through children playing sports together.
After visiting the Palestinian children, whose freedom of movement is restricted because of Israeli security measures, Barber talked about places in New York where kids think the Hudson and East rivers are their boundaries.
"I'd like to work toward providing young people and older people with opportunities to see something else, allowing them to have ideas in their heads they never would have thought about," he said.
Watching children playing sports together on mixed teams in East Jerusalem, Barber said all the children looked the same to him.
"They're just kids, and I think that gives them a chance as a generation to solve this conflict," he said.
Speed racer
Willie Gault made a name for himself in the NFL with the Chicago Bears and Los Angeles Raiders, using his speed to become one of the top playmakers in the league. Now he is using his speed for something else.
Gault set the American 40-and-older record in the 200 meters at 21.80 seconds on June 11 at the Southern California Association USATF Masters Championships in Culver City, Calif. The old American record for the 200 in the M40 age group was 21.86, set by Bill Collins in 1992.
The 44-year-old Gault won USATF athlete of the week honors for his performance. Then last Sunday at the U.S. championships in Carson, Calif., Gault won a masters exhibition 110 hurdles race in 13.87.
Of course, Gault is no stranger to the track. He starred in football and track at Tennessee, and qualified for the 1980 Olympics, which the U.S. boycotted. He also won gold at the 1983 world championships in the 400 relay.
"It's almost like breathing for me -- it's my life's quest, it's my life's ambition," Gault told The Washington Post. "I run because I love it. I run because it makes me happy, I run because it's good for me and I'm going to run until I die."
Rookie learning
The NFL held its ninth annual rookie symposium this week in West Palm Beach, Fla. The four-day orientation introduced the 2005 draft class to life in the NFL before training camps begin.
"This helps the rookies get off to a good start with regard to the new lifestyle they are about to enter," said NFL vice president of player and employee development Michael Haynes, a Hall of Fame cornerback. "The lessons learned at the rookie symposium help players develop personal and professional goals that will sustain them during and beyond their playing careers."
The agenda featured topics including personal finance, life skills, personal conduct, life as a rookie, media policy, substances of abuse, personal experiences, family issues, player development, football operations, NFL security, success in the NFL and life after football.
Good guy
Cardinals quarterback Kurt Warner was selected the NFL's No. 1 Good Guy by The Sporting News in its annual awards to athletes from the NFL, NBA, NASCAR and major league baseball.
Nominated by their teams and leagues and chosen by the staff of the magazine, the Good Guys awards honor those athletes who serve and improve their communities by donating their time, energy and money.
Each year, Warner takes up to 10 kids faced with life-threatening illnesses and their families to Disney World for a week. He visited tsunami victims in February, adopted a group home for foster kids in December, taking them all to Christmas Eve dinner, and handed out game tickets to kids touched by faith-based social service outreach agencies.
Last month, Warner participated in the opening ceremony for the Arizona Special Olympics 2005 Summer Games and also represented the Cardinals at the 45th Annual Pop Warner Scholar All-American Banquet in Anaheim, Calif.
Atlanta Falcons running back Warrick Dunn was chosen as the magazine's overall "No. 1 Good Guy in Sports" out of a record 500-plus nominations.
Backstage pass
Paul McCartney gives fans a backstage look at the Super Bowl halftime show during an hour-long program airing on the NFL Network on July 3.
The behind-the-scenes look at the show in Jacksonville last February starts with McCartney's arrival five days before the game between New England and Philadelphia. The show takes viewers through the rehearsals, meetings, news conferences, wardrobe selection, interviews and his entire four-song set.
Cameras followed McCartney from the time he landed in Jacksonville all the way through his departure in this never-before-seen footage.
Not so fast!
It is not so easy to get a quick touchdown against the AFC East. Since the start of the 2003 season, the Buffalo Bills, New England Patriots and New York Jets have surrendered the fewest touchdowns in the NFL on scoring drives of four plays or less.
Each club has allowed only five such touchdowns in the last two years.
The Bills allowed an NFL-low one touchdown on a drive of four plays or less last season. The last team to give up only one such touchdown in a season was the 2001 Chicago Bears.
"We stress that we don't want to give up any big plays early and that we want to make offenses work to get first downs," Bills defensive coordinator Jerry Gray said. "The longer the opposing offense is on the field and the more they have to work for yards, the greater the chance that they will make a mistake, which our defense can capitalize on."

Andrea Adelson / Associated Press

2005-06-29T12:48:00.000-07:00

In brief
NFL: Carolina Panthers safety Mike Minter will be a host on the NFL Network's signature show, "NFL Total Access," for one week, next Tuesday through July 8 at 7 p.m. Philadelphia's Dhani Jones and Minnesota's Jermaine Wiggins will join Minter as hosts.

• The New England Patriots signed free-agent kick returner Chad Morton. He injured his right knee last year and appeared in six games for the Washington Redskins. He was released this month.

NFL YOUTH FOOTBALLL

2005-06-22T08:25:00.000-07:00

W&M’s football facilities growing

WILLIAMSBURG — Everything seemed the same about William and Mary football Sunday night. In reality, everything was different. A new day had dawned.

Three hundred sweat-soaked campers trudged past dust-encrusted tables, paint-peeled walls and other unsightly debris as they made their way from 70-year-old Zable Stadium to the Tribe’s adjacent practice field.
But on the other side of an archway stood quarterback Tom Brady, Super Bowl MVP of the New England Patriots . Brady was the featured attraction at the school’s All-Pro football camp, tossing passes to campers, dispensing advice.
Beside him was Tribe coach Jimmye Laycock, wearing a wide, constant smile. Who could blame him? Coincidence or not, welcoming one of the biggest names in pro football to campus was the perfect ending to one of the biggest news weeks in Laycock’s long tenure at the school.

At a banquet on Saturday, William and Mary announced that it would build a $10million, 30,000-square foot football facility on the same practice field the kid campers were moving toward to see Brady. Due for completion in August 2007, it will include locker rooms, coaches’ offices, training facilities, conference rooms and a football hall of memories.
Then came the kicker, kept secret even from Laycock: It will be called the Jimmye Laycock Football Complex, his reward for 25 years here and a school-record 170 victories.
Earlier in the week, William and Mary had announced that it was installing lights at Zable Stadium, courtesy of $650,000 in gifts from donors.
“It is time our football facilities meet the same high standard that our football team — and Jimmye Laycock — have established on and off the field each season,” athletic director Terry Driscoll said.
Dramatically improved facilities should make it easier for William and Mary to remain competitive within the Atlantic 10 this year and then the Colonial Athletic Association when the league begins football play in 2007. The Tribe has made nine postseason appearances under Laycock, and last year advanced to the I-AA semifinals. But it hasn’t been because of the school’s facilities, which include a locker room so small the entire team wouldn’t fit inside.
“Everyone says this should help recruiting, and it will,” Laycock said. “But it also will enable us to help players reach their full potential once they get here.”
That’s a sentiment with which Brady could identify, as he explained to his wide-eyed audience. As a kid, Brady attended camp at the College of San Mateo in California, where he learned to throw the football by watching camp counselor Tony Graziani, now an Arena Football League star. Brady didn’t start in high school until his junior year, was benched several times at Michigan and began his NFL career as a fourth-string project.
“These kids think I had everything early,” Brady said during a brief stop following the session. “I told them it doesn’t work like that. I told them the story of how I got to this point, the many steps I took in this process.
“There were many years of practice, study and preparation, of wanting to get to this point and doing whatever it took. I still have goals and dreams. It isn’t about how many times you fall; it’s about how many times you get up.”
Laycock stood nearby, beaming. He understood exactly what Brady meant.

By JIM DUCIBELLA, The Virginian-Pilot