NFL FanHouse

Jaguars Again NFL's Lone Blackout

Chris Burke — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 16:52:00 EST

Despite a still-struggling economy and a league that's unusually top-heavy this season, the NFL continues to -- somehow, some way -- sellout the majority of its games.

With the news Friday afternoon that Cincinnati had sold enough tickets its matchup with Baltimore to air on local TV, that left the floundering Jaguars as the only team blacked out for Week 9. It's the fourth time in four home games that Jacksonville has failed (by a large margin) to reach a sellout, and the third week this season that every home team but the Jaguars has avoided a local TV blackout.

Rather remarkably, only three teams thus far -- Jacksonville, Detroit and Oakland -- have been blacked out.

That's not to say that some teams haven't been close.

This was the third of five home dates in 2009 that Cincinnati has needed an extension to get potential blackouts lifted. The Bengals narrowly avoided that fate for its Week 1 game against Denver, then dodged the bullet again on Oct. 18 against Houston.

The Bengals were given an extension to sell out for the season opener against the Denver Broncos as well as the October 18 tilt against the Houston Texans. Cincinnati has now sold out 49 consecutive games -- the longest streak in franchise history -- dating back to Nov. 9, 2003.

San Diego's sidestepped blackouts on multiple occasions this season, as have the Buccaneers, Rams and Cardinals.

But it's likely more cases like the Jags are on the way -- many of the teams already scrambling to unload tickets are far from the playoff chase, almost guaranteeing that attendance will drop at some venues. Detroit has already had two games blacked out, and aside from its annual Thanksgiving Day appearance, will probably fall short of a sellout for the rest of 2009 -- against the Rams last week, Ford Field was filled to about half-capacity. Oakland, too, has had multiple blackouts (3), and with a 2-6 record plus ongoing internal strife, seem a prime candidate to fall short of sellouts from here out.

St. Louis, Cleveland, Tennessee, Washington, and Carolina might also run into issues before the end of the season as well.

But it's just the Jacksonville area -- again -- that will live without the NFL for a bit this Sunday.

Jaguars Again NFL's Lone Blackout originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Fri, 06 Nov 2009 16:52:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Larry Johnson Petition Pretty Clear Proof How Much Chiefs Fans Hate Him

Will Brinson — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 18:45:00 EST

Filed under: Chiefs, NFL Fans, NFL Coaching, NFL Media Watch, NFL Rumors

Larry Johnson is a mere 80 yards away from passing Priest Holmes as the all-time leading rusher in KC history, but if the fans who put together an online petition have their way, he won't get there.

You see, it turns out that LJ's recent actions -- tweeting at coach Todd Haley, calling reporters homophobic names, being suspended by the team -- combined with his past transgressions -- police problems, being suspended by the team (again) -- have created a sort of pent-up anger within the fanbase.

You can read the entire (and quite lengthy) petition here: petitiononline.com/StopLJ, but for those of you who don't care to parse through (deservedly) bitter, Midwestern ranting, here's the skinny: fans of the Chiefs are loyal, which is true, and they care deeply about and want to support their team, even when the Chiefs stink.

The petition seems to insinuate they realize that 12-win seasons aren't happening every year and they're not around the corner -- meaning they're cool with GM Scott Pioli rebuilding -- but that allowing Johnson to permanently etch his name atop a pretty important team record is simply unacceptable.

And you know what? I completely agree with them, at least in the sense that if I were a Chiefs fan, I would have wanted Johnson gone a long time ago, and I would be none too happy (particularly considering his production this season, which they cite in the petition) if he were still on the team despite his repeated efforts to not be a part of it.

Additionally, I salute these fans for taking a stand that doesn't involve eBay or craigslist -- as much as I would enjoy seeing Johnson up for purchase online, it's pretty inspiring to see a downtrodden group of fans take a stand on a moral level.

Larry Johnson Petition Pretty Clear Proof How Much Chiefs Fans Hate Him originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Wed, 04 Nov 2009 18:45:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Peter King on the 12-Year Journey of Monday Morning Quarterback

Michael David Smith — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 14:00:00 EST

Filed under: NFL Media Watch

When Peter King agreed to write a weekly Monday Morning Quarterback column for the 1997 NFL season, he figured it'd be a few hundred words, a week's worth of stuff that didn't fit into the pages of Sports Illustrated. That's not the way it worked out.

As it turned out, MMQB became several thousand words a week on everything and anything that King felt like writing, whether about football or about his family or about coffee. Now, with Monday Morning Quarterback available in book form, King talked to FanHouse about how the column got to this point.

He also addressed accusations that he's too close to Brett Favre, why he likes Twitter, and what it meant to be the subject of the New York Times crossword puzzle. The full interview is below.

Michael David Smith: Are you surprised by how big this column has become?
Peter King: I'm very surprised. To get 1.9 million or 2 million people to log on and read something is sort of a tribute to longevity. A lot of people get used to reading it every Monday after it started with sort of a cult following -- back in 1997 there weren't many original, web-only columns. The Internet was the Wild West and no one really knew what was going on.

There are dedicated football fans who want me to focus only on football, but I kind of want it to be sort of like a newspaper -- if you don't like the non-football stuff, just move on. If you don't want stuff about airplanes and TV shows and things like that, you'll move on. But I try to have that mix between the personal stuff and the majority of people who just want to read all the football they can.

Let me ask you about the part of the book that I'm sure will cause the most arguments: you list your Top 100 players of all time and of today. Peyton Manning is No. 1 of today and No. 25 of all time. If you do a revised edition in 10 years, where do you think Manning will be on the all-time list?
Well, one of the dangers of lists like this is using active players. I have gotten some reaction from people who say Manning is too high because he only has one Super Bowl ring. I don't agree with that. Why is it in baseball, we don't say about players who haven't won a World Series, that he wasn't a winner? Ted Williams didn't win a World Series, so we can't consider him the best hitter of all time? I've gotten a lot of questions about that list, and it's sort of the classic argument starter at a bar.

You've developed a big following on Twitter, and you post news and observations regularly. What do you like about it?
I got started on Twitter in April. I suppose the interesting part of it is the ability of fans to get access to people they really want to ask questions to. It's the ability to learn things from people in the business and from athletes. I'm not sure if over time I wouldn't have chosen to go on Twitter if Sports Illustrated hadn't asked me to, but I enjoy the ability to communicate with people. It's a cool way to have interaction with intelligent fans. I probably get more than my share of, "You're an idiot, you don't know what you're talking about," but those people I don't really engage with.

I told my Twitter followers I'd ask you a question that they submitted, so let me ask you one from Padrick Brewer: "Does King worry about oversharing with MMQB? How often does he edit personal stuff out or think twice about what he writes?"
Sure. I wouldn't write about stuff that my kids or my family didn't want me to write about. If I'm on an NFL training camp trip and I have a long off-the-record conversation with someone I'm not going to write, "I just talked to Player X or Coach Y and he gave me good stuff, but I can't tell you what he said." I just try to tell people what my life and my job are like.

You got your start as a print media guy, but you've embraced things like Twitter as well as writing the long Monday column on the web, writing a mailbag column where you interact with readers, and so on. Are too many print reporters unable or unwilling to embrace new media?
I think if you don't embrace the new media you're going to die. When I talk to young journalists I tell them, "Be versatile. Don't just think you'll work at the school paper and then get a job at a newspaper and be there the rest of your life." Newspaper circulation around the country is down 10 percent in a year, papers are dying and I just think it's important that young people have an appreciation for blogs, for new media. I'm not telling you anything you don't know, but being versatile is key. One of the things that helped me get a job at Sports Illustrated at age 31 in 1989 was that I tried to be versatile: when new things would come up, I was willing to try it.

Is your column a lesser product because you now watch games on TV in the NBC studio and you used to attend games in person?
That's a great question. It bothers me sometimes -- I wish I was in Green Bay this weekend to spend time with Favre, or with Aaron Kampman or Cullen Jenkins if they have a great game against Favre. That's one thing I simply can't duplicate sitting in the studio in New York. On the other hand, I get to see all the games now, and I think that has become a benefit. In preparing this book I went back and read some old columns and what I was doing then was writing the vast majority of my columns about one game. Now I'm able to touch on a lot of different games. Now the column is more diverse but not as nuts-and-bolts on any one particular team as it used to be.

Part of doing your job is cultivating sources. Are there any sources you've gotten so close to that you couldn't write about them objectively?
Well, I would say there are people who I've probably given the benefit of the doubt to more than some others over the years. I know people will say, "Oh, you love Favre." It's something I think about a lot. It's something I've tried very, very hard to make sure I'm fair. I realize that on a few occasions I have been overly fair at times. One time was when I took Favre's word for it that he didn't take a dive on the Michael Strahan record-breaking sack. I took his word for it, and probably in that case, I should have quoted him saying he didn't take a dive, and then said, "Hey, the picture tells the whole story, and whatever his words are, my feeling is he gave Strahan the sack record." That's how I feel now, and looking back on that it's something I view differently.

In October of 1995 you spent a week with Brett Favre and the Packers for an article that I think is one of the most insightful pro football pieces I've ever read. But did Favre giving you that kind of access make you too close to him?
That was a story about a week in the life of the Packers. Mike Holmgren let me go anywhere in the building and let me see basically everything. I didn't even know Brett Favre before that -- I had met him once -- but I walked into the building and he said to me, "Here's where I live, come over any time." I certainly did start to become close to him, but people who say I got too close to Favre and I'm always in his corner need to know that all of us in this business try as best we can to find out things others don't know. And my guess is that there's probably been 20 occasions over the last 14 years where I have written something about Favre that other people said, "I wish I had that." I can definitely look myself in the mirror and say that the only time where I would ever question my news judgment on Favre is after the Strahan sack. Every other time I've written about him, you put any story I've written about him, and I feel good about it.

You started that piece in 1995 by writing about all the various aches and pains Favre was suffering from. Are you amazed that he's still playing, 14 years later, and hasn't missed a single game in all that time?
To think that a guy can play every game at that position since 1992 is absurd. And that particular year -- I didn't know this at the time -- was the year that he was going through his Vicodin addiction. It's amazing to make it through one season, let alone all these years. He's a coach's son, one of these guys who just goes out there and plays. His father once almost whipped him after he scored a touchdown because he scored on a different play than his father called, and he's one of those guys who just thinks it's his job to go out there and play. He has a tough body, a high pain threshold and has also had a lot of luck never to get his knee rolled on the way Tom Brady and Carson Palmer have.

I understand you wanted to do a profile of Mark Sanchez and he declined?
Well, Sports Illustrated, after the Jets went to 3-0, wanted to do a story on Sanchez and how he's taken the town by storm, and I called the Jets and through the Jets, Sanchez declined. He said, "I want to accomplish something before I sit down for long profiles." I think that shows a good, smart kid. I did interview him at the Jets' facility, but for a story more about the Jets as a team than just about Sanchez.

You said at the start of your appearance on Charlie Rose that the NFL has potentially serious problems on the horizon with the labor situation. What's your best read on it: are we going to see games canceled because of a labor stoppage in 2011?
The thing to keep an eye on in the labor situation is that DeMaurice Smith has added essentially a third party in these negotiations, and that is the retired players. The players and owners can say whatever they want to about taking care of retired players, but the question is who's going to pay for it? I haven't heard anything from either the players or the owners about who's going to pay for it. I think instead of taking 60 percent of the gross, the players should take 59 percent of the gross and put 1 percent in a fund for indigent retired players. And then the owners should take their 40 percent and agree to just take 39 percent and put 1 percent in that fund. Because without both the players and the owners agreeing to that, they're not going to get the retired players taken care of.

Overall, I look at the tea leaves and the tea leaves say to me that we're headed headlong to a labor stoppage in 2011.

You and Mark Cuban had a little back-and-forth on Twitter about the football league he invested in, the UFL. In the book you mention that you attended the first XFL game. Is there room in this country for a second football league?
I think there's room but it has to be like the Pacific Coast League or the International League in baseball. A minor league, with minor league expectations. I was a very young sportswriter when Donald Trump ruined the USFL by prematurely saying, "We're going head-to-head with the NFL in the fall." That was idiocy. The UFL should be content with being a minor league. They should build a financial model based on getting 20,000 people to come to the games. I think it's great to have people like Cuban involved, but I don't think Mark Cuban gets into things to be a minor league.

What percentage of NFL players do you think are using performance-enhancing drugs?
Including HGH?

Yes.
I would say 10 or 15 percent. That's a guess, but I think you'd be naive to think HGH isn't being used by some players, if they think they're not going to get caught.

What have you written over the years that you're proudest of?
I really liked that Packers story. I wrote a story on the Dallas Cowboys around draft day 1991 covering Jimmy Johnson and their coaches and how they prepared for the draft and I was proud of that one because it helped people to understand how the Cowboys as a franchise worked. I think way back to my days in Cincinnati, I did a profile of the Reds' ownership -- including Marge Schott, who at the time no one knew -- and explained to Reds fans who these people were.

How's Paul Zimmerman doing?
It's going to be a long process. He was so damaged by these strokes that it's going to take him a long time to get back. But as Linda says every time I have any communication with her, she's amazed because he just won't give up and he'll do all the rehab he has to to try to get back to being able to communicate. He was always a guy you could talk to for hours. I hope he gets that back in some way.

What did it mean to you to be in the New York Times crossword puzzle?
Wow. it was totally bizarre. I just wanted to be one clue. I didn't want to be the theme. It was very strange. I do the crossword and I have to stop at Thursday. I don't think there are a lot of Sunday New York Times crossword people who also read Monday Morning Quarterback. I heard that a lot of crossword people were ripping the crossword constructor for putting me in there -- "Who's this guy?" and things like that. That's a good wake-up call that a lot of people don't care about some football writer. I'm just lucky to know that there are 1.9 million people who want to read what I write.

Peter King on the 12-Year Journey of Monday Morning Quarterback originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Thu, 29 Oct 2009 14:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Larry Johnson Slur Nets Him Some More Free Time

Will Brinson — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 15:25:00 EST

Filed under: Chiefs, NFL Media Watch, NFL Rumors

Recently, Larry Johnson has made waves -- to put it mildly -- not only with his angry tweeting at Todd Haley but also with his recent inappropriate comments to reporters. And now it appears as if he could be suspended by the Kansas City Chiefs sometime soon.

According to a statement from the Chiefs, Johnson has been asked to stay away from team activities while the NFL and Kansas City's front office conduct an investigation into his recent statements. All of this despite an apology from Johnson on Tuesday.

The Kansas City Chiefs and the National Football League are continuing to investigate the alleged comments made by Larry Johnson. Until that review is complete, the Chiefs have instructed Larry to refrain from practicing with the Chiefs or participating in other team activities. A decision regarding Larry's status will be made once the investigation has concluded.

Now, there's a couple of factors to consider here. First, Johnson apologized (you can read it at the KC Star if you want, but it's pretty standard, including a bit about not being a "good role model" and telling his coach, the commish, the fans and his teammates that he's sorry). So he at least deserves some sort of break on that end.

At the same time though, Bob Griese apologized too, and he's still staring down a one-week suspension for talking about Juan Pablo Montoya and tacos. The point there being that, as we all know, there's only so much a standard apology can do when a public figure says something highly offensive.

Additionally, Johnson allegedly referring to a group of reporters in a homophobic manner came directly on the heels of his Twitter freak-out -- it's a bad, back-to-back combination of publicly noted displays that Roger Goodell and Scott Pioli cannot possibly be enthused about.

However, they haven't suspended him yet, so there's always a chance that Johnson could end up just paying a lot of money to the organization and the NFL for his behavior. Of course, some people actually think that would be the best thing for the Chiefs -- Johnson's a distraction, no doubt, but he's certainly keeping people in Kansas City from staring too hard at the team's record.

Larry Johnson Slur Nets Him Some More Free Time originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Tue, 27 Oct 2009 15:25:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Steve McNair Jr., NFL in London: Week 7 NFL Live Tweet

Michael David Smith — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 12:37:00 EST

Filed under: NFL Media Watch

Steve McNair Jr, a senior wide receiver at Oak Grove High, is having a great season. He has received several scholarship offers and is also taking some snaps at quarterback. That's nice to hear.

The NFL is considering mandating helmets for umpires in 2010. That's long overdue.

Those are among the observations I've made on Twitter so far this Week 7 Sunday, and if you want more like it, you can follow along below or follow me on Twitter @MichaelDavSmith.

Twitter Updates on NFL Week 7

NFL on Twitter

Steve McNair Jr., NFL in London: Week 7 NFL Live Tweet originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Sun, 25 Oct 2009 12:37:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ron Jaworski Disses Dolphins' Wildcat

Michael David Smith — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 09:58:00 EST

Filed under: Dolphins, NFL Media Watch

The Miami Dolphins had a big game on Monday night, running wild against a very good New York Jets defense and doing it in large part with the wildcat formation. But Ron Jaworski, who called the game for ESPN, doesn't think the Dolphins' game plan is a game plan that can lead a team to a Super Bowl.

Asked on ESPN Radio Friday if a team can win a championship while relying heavily on the wildcat, Jaworski said, "No, I don't believe so -- I still believe it's a gimmick and a gadget."

Jaworski added that he thinks the Dolphins' personnel is well suited to using the wildcat occasionally, but that it should only be used occasionally, and should not be an integral part of the team's offensive game planning.

"They're very good at executing the running game. They don't run as well from traditional formations but they do very well with Ronnie Brown in the wildcat and Ricky Williams in motion. This offensive line is a very good offensive line that gets off the football and wins in the trenches. That's why the wildcat is so good in Miami, the running game, the running backs and the offensive line."

Jaworski made clear that he thinks the Dolphins run the wildcat effectively -- but he thinks that if the Dolphins are going to be an elite NFL team, they need to do it with a more prototypical NFL offense. Jaworski cited the Dolphins' 27-23 loss to the Colts in Week 2 as an example of a game in which they ran the ball well but still didn't win.

"Clearly, no one does it better than the Miami Dolphins, but I really believe that at the end of the season they're going to have to find a way to get some explosive plays out of the passing game," Jaworski said. "It was crystal clear in the Colts' game, they controlled the ball 45 minutes but when you run the football that well you're not going to score a lot of points."

I consider Jaworski the best NFL analyst on television, but I disagree with him here. I think the Dolphins have proven that the wildcat is more than just a gimmick: It can be an integral part of a winning game plan. I can't wait to see what the Dolphins throw at the Jets when the teams meet again in two weeks.

Ron Jaworski Disses Dolphins' Wildcat originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Fri, 16 Oct 2009 09:58:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Media Spotlight Shines on Brain Injuries In the NFL

Michael David Smith — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 13:30:00 EST

Filed under: NFL Injuries, NFL Media Watch

Concussions have plagued the National Football League for decades, but there may have never been a time when the problem of brain injuries suffered in practices and in games has been more on display than right now. Several major media outlets are closely monitoring the problem and reporting on the way brain injuries often affect football players long after their playing days are done.

The latest example came Sunday night on 60 Minutes, when former New England Patriots linebacker Ted Johnson told 60 Minutes correspondent Bob Simon that his concussions were so severe that he often couldn't see straight -- and yet he'd keep playing, because that's what's expected in the NFL.

"Lot of times, if I didn't get my vision back before the next snap, I'd have to have another linebacker call the plays. I couldn't see on the sideline. I couldn't see my defensive coordinator signaling in 'cause my vision was still blurred," Johnson said on 60 Minutes.

Concussions are also a focus of a new piece in the New Yorker by Malcolm Gladwell, who writes that while concussions are a serious problem, an overlooked problem in football is that hits can cause brain damage even when they don't result in a concussion:

Much of the attention in the football world, in the past few years, has been on concussions-on diagnosing, managing, and preventing them-and on figuring out how many concussions a player can have before he should call it quits. But a football player's real issue isn't simply with repetitive concussive trauma. It is, as the concussion specialist Robert Cantu argues, with repetitive subconcussive trauma. It's not just the handful of big hits that matter. It's lots of little hits, too.

And the New York Times has reported extensively on the long-term affects on the brain of a football career, including a story about a recent study finding that former NFL players in their 30s and 40s are 19 times as likely to suffer from Alzheimer's disease or similar memory-related diseases as the general population.

The fact that football players expose themselves to the risk of brain damage is certainly not breaking news. But an intense media spotlight on the subject is long overdue.

Media Spotlight Shines on Brain Injuries In the NFL originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Mon, 12 Oct 2009 13:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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NFL Twitter Updates: Week 5

Michael David Smith — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 12:00:00 EST

Filed under: NFL Media Watch

It's Week 5 of the NFL season, and by now you know that if it's Sunday, we'll have live NFL Twitter updates right here at FanHouse.

It's not a great NFL Sunday, with only three games -- Bengals vs. Ravens, Falcons vs. 49ers and Patriots vs. Broncos -- that match up two teams with winning records. But every NFL Sunday is sure to be fun, and if you want to keep posted on everything that's happening, follow along below or follow me on Twitter @MichaelDavSmith.

Twitter Updates on NFL Week 5

NFL on Twitter

NFL Twitter Updates: Week 5 originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Sun, 11 Oct 2009 12:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Steve McNair's Suicide Prevention Public Service Announcement Released

FanHouse Newswire — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 16:10:00 EST

Filed under: NFL Media Watch

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) -- Shortly before former NFL quarterback Steve McNair's mistress killed him and then herself, he recorded a public service announcement that urges young people thinking about suicide to call a hotline and "live to see better days."

The Tennessee Department of Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities shelved the announcement after McNair's July 4 death, and it never aired. The state released three versions of it to The Associated Press this week in response to a public records request.

In them, McNair says, "Each year too many young people are taking their own lives. So if you're feeling really down and have even thought about suicide, call 1-800-273-TALK, and live to see better days."

McNair donated his time to film the announcement in April on a sports field at Goodpasture Christian School in the Nashville suburb of Goodlettsville, where he had held summer youth football camps, then-department spokeswoman Jill Hudson said in July.

Post-production work was under way on 10-, 15-, and 30-second versions when McNair died.

Last year, Tennessee received a $1.5 million federal grant to help prevent suicide among young people. The Tennessee Suicide Prevention Network reports that suicide is the third leading cause of death for those ages 15 to 24, and about a third of Tennessee counties have suicide rates that exceed the national average.

Police investigating McNair's death concluded his 20-year-old mistress, Sahel Kazemi, had been "spinning out of control" in the days leading up to the shooting.

She had seen another young woman leaving the condominium where she and McNair were found dead. She was worried about money. She was arrested for DUI. She bought a gun and told a co-worker she was thinking about "ending it."

Family and friends described Kazemi as a sweet young woman who did not have it in her to kill someone and would not have wanted to kill herself.

When her family visited her in Nashville in May to celebrate her birthday, they said she was very happy and planning to move in with McNair. She thought he was in the final stages of a divorce from his wife of 12 years.

But she painted a different picture of the relationship less than two months later when she confided in a customer she met at the restaurant where she worked as a waitress.

Vera Mosley Buckner, of Decatur, Ala., said Kazemi told her she was in love with McNair, but he had recently started acting like he didn't want to spend time with her.

"'I don't know what to do,'" Buckner remembers her saying.

By Travis Loller, AP

Associated Press writer Randall Dickerson contributed to this story.

Steve McNair's Suicide Prevention Public Service Announcement Released originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Sat, 03 Oct 2009 16:10:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Michael Vick Re-Signs With Nike

FanHouse Newswire — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 23:05:00 EST

Filed under: Eagles, NFL Media Watch

NEW YORK (AP) -- Michael Vick is back with Nike two years after the company severed ties over the quarterback's involvement in a dogfighting ring.

"Mike has a long-standing, great relationship with Nike, and he looks forward to continuing that relationship,'' his agent, Joel Segal, said Wednesday.

Segal would not reveal terms of the agreement. Nike did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

The deal was announced during a panel discussion at the Sports Sponsorship Symposium by Michael Principe, the managing director of BEST, the agency that represents Vick.

The endorsement is the latest step forward for Vick as he seeks to rehabilitate his career and his image after serving 18 months in federal prison. On Sunday, Vick played his first regular-season game since December 2006.

"It is quite evident that athletes that run afoul of the law are by no means relegated to obscurity when it comes to pitching products,'' said David Carter, a professor of sports marketing at the University of Southern California.

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Michael Vick

Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Michael Vick speaks about dogfighting at Covenant Baptist Church in southwest Washington, on Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2009. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

Latest Michael Vick Images

Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Michael Vick speaks about dogfighting at Covenant Baptist Church in southwest Washington, on Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2009. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Michael Vick listens during his introduction to speak about dogfighting at Covenant Baptist Church in southwest Washington, on Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2009. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

Wayne Pacelle, president and CEO of the Humane Society of the United States, left, and Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Michael Vick, clap during the introduction for Vick to speak about dogfighting, at Covenant Baptist Church in southwest Washington, on Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2009. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Michael Vick, left, signs an autograph for Khristen Avery, 18, of Indian Head, Md., second from right, after speaking about dogfighting at Covenant Baptist Church in southwest Washington, on Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2009. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Michael Vick (7) throws a pass in the second quarter against the Kansas City Chiefs defense, including linebacker Jovan Belcher, right, and Demorrio Williams, center. The Eagles defeated the Chiefs, 34-14, Sunday, September 27, 2009, at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (David Eulitt/Kansas City Star/MCT)

MCT

PHILADELPHIA - SEPTEMBER 27: Quarterback Michael Vick #7 of the Philadelphia Eagles throws a pass during a game against the Kansas City Chiefs on September 27, 2009 at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Hunter Martin/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Michael Vick

Getty Images

PHILADELPHIA - SEPTEMBER 27: Quarterback Michael Vick #7 of the Philadelphia Eagles rolls out of the pocket during a game against the Kansas City Chiefs on September 27, 2009 at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Hunter Martin/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Michael Vick

Getty Images

PHILADELPHIA - SEPTEMBER 27: Michael Vick #7 of the Philadelphia Eagles talks to team mates in the huddle against the Kansas City Chiefs on September 27, 2009 at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Chris McGrath/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Michael Vick

Getty Images

Vick signed with the Philadelphia Eagles on Aug. 13. NFL commissioner Roger Goodell gave him his full reinstatement Sept. 3, saying he could return to the field in Week 3.

Vick participated in 11 plays, accounting for 30 total yards, in the Eagles' 34-14 win over the Kansas City Chiefs, as Philadelphia tries to use him in a variety of ways as a backup.

Nike, which signed Vick as a rookie in 2001, terminated his contract in August 2007 after the Atlanta Falcons star filed a plea agreement admitting his involvement in the dogfighting ring. At the time, Nike called cruelty to animals "inhumane, abhorrent and unacceptable'' and halted release of his fifth signature shoe, the Air Zoom Vick V.

Back when Vick first signed with the Eagles, Carter had said he was "too toxic for most companies to even consider taking a chance on him.'' What's changed? As Carter noted Wednesday, there has been little backlash to the quarterback's return to the NFL.

Protests have been limited, and the Eagles' sponsors have stood by them. That experience could make companies less wary about adding Vick as an endorser, though the biggest determinant might be no different from any other athlete: how well he performs on the field.

Retailer Dick's Sporting Goods said earlier this month that it wasn't carrying Vick's Eagles jersey in any of its 300 stores as a business decision.

Vick signed a $1.6 million deal with the Eagles, with a team option for the second year at $5.2 million. He was once a corporate star - holding multimillion dollar deals to market everything from sneakers to sports drinks. But those millions are long gone.

In July, Vick filed for bankruptcy protection while serving his sentence, saying he owed between $10 million and $50 million to creditors.

To Carter, Nike likely made a calculated business decision that the benefit of sales tied to Vick outweighed any potential public outrage.

Vick must still have some selling power if the company is getting behind him, he said. "Nobody understands their consumer and has their finger on the pulse of their consumer like Nike does.''

By Rachel Cohen, AP Sports Writer

AP Retail Writer Sarah Skidmore in Portland, Ore., contributed to this report.

Copyright 2009 The Associated Press. The information contained in the AP news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press.

Michael Vick Re-Signs With Nike originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Wed, 30 Sep 2009 23:05:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Terrell Owens Rips Rodney Harrison

Michael David Smith — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 07:47:00 EST

Filed under: Bills, NFL Media Watch

Buffalo Bills wide receiver Terrell Owens took to Twitter to lash out at former Patriots safety and current NBC analyst Rodney Harrison Sunday night, responding to Harrison ripping him on television by making pointed comments about Harrison's 2007 performance-enhancing drug suspension.

Owens went catchless for the first time since 1997 in the Bills' loss to the Saints, and in discussing the game on NBC's Football Night in America, Harrison (who previously said Owens called Owens "a clown") is "more concerned with his own stats than the team's success."

That prompted this response from Owens on Twitter:

I could less about Rodney Harrison! Anybody tht using steroids, yes STEROIDS rodney, is a cheater & cheated the game!
Is tht Y u used steroids b/c u were worried about ur stats or ws it b/c u were losing it? Lol! U're a loser & a cheater? Got any steroids I cn borrow?
Hey rodney! Send me sum steroids 2 the Bills facility next week!

Owens was referring Harrison's suspension for using human growth hormone, in violation of NFL policy. Harrison has always maintained that he used HGH only to recover from injuries and has never used anabolic steroids.

But those little details aside, the larger point here is that Owens has long had a reputation as a malcontent, and access to Twitter gives him an easy way to vent his frustrations. With the Bills off to a 1-2 start and Owens not getting involved in the offense, you can bet he'll have more opportunities to vent.

Terrell Owens Rips Rodney Harrison originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Mon, 28 Sep 2009 07:47:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Raiders Ban Rich Gannon From TV Production Meetings

Chris Burke — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 21:40:00 EST

Filed under: Raiders, NFL Media Watch

Rich Gannon was the MVP of the 2002 NFL season, leading Oakland to an AFC championship and Super Bowl berth. That's where things began to unravel between Gannon and the Raiders, though.

Gannon threw five interceptions in a Super Bowl XXXVII loss to Tampa Bay, then suffered serious injuries in 2003 and 2004. And now the Raiders don't even want him in the same building -- according to the San Francisco Chronicle, Oakland team officials have banned Gannon from participating in pregame television production meetings with his CBS crew, a direct violation of NFL policy.

"Rich Gannon is not welcome here," Raiders executive John Herrera told the Chronicle. "We told CBS we did not want him in our building, we did not want him to be part of our production meeting, and that's where it sits."

Herrera went on to argue that Gannon has repeatedly bashed the Raiders since becoming a TV analyst, quoting Gannon as saying that Oakland should just "blow up the building and start over" -- a statement that apparently sent Herrera and the rest of the Raiders franchise over the edge.

"We think in a post 9/11 world, that's not a very proper thing to say," Herrera told the Chronicle. "It's uncalled for. He seems to be a guy who can't get over the fact that he played the worst Super Bowl game in the history of the game and he wants to blame everybody but himself.

"I guess it's our fault he threw five interceptions."

Yeah, I can't imagine any reason Gannon would be jaded toward the Raiders ...

When the Chronicle asked LeslieAnne Wade, CBS' senior vice president of communications, about the situation, she backed Gannon: ""Rich Gannon is an objective and analytical broadcaster and he will be broadcasting the game as assigned by CBS."

NFL rules dictate that all teams must make the head coach and players available to the crew broadcasting a game for production meetings. The Raiders' decision to lock Gannon out will almost certainly lead to a fine from the league.

Sunday's Denver at Oakland game is blacked out in a 75-mile radius around the Oakland Coliseum because the Raiders failed to achieve a sellout.

(Update, Sept. 26: Because of the NFL's television rules, the Raiders decided to allow Gannon into the required meetings. "We have relented," Herrera said.)

Raiders Ban Rich Gannon From TV Production Meetings originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Fri, 25 Sep 2009 21:40:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Rodney Harrison Not on Twitter

Michael David Smith — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 11:40:00 EST

Filed under: Jets, NFL Media Watch

One of the more entertaining stories in the NFL last week was about former New England Patriots safety Rodney Harrison and current New York Jets safety Kerry Rhodes having a war of words over Twitter. But there's just one problem: Harrison, who's now an NFL analyst for NBC, isn't on Twitter. The account @Rodneyh37, which Rhodes and others assumed was written by Harrison, was bogus.

The person who's been writing the Twitter posts taking shots at Rhodes admitted as much on Friday, after ESPN's Adam Schefter tweeted that the account was fake. However, the guy running the account claims that everything he wrote was taken from things Harrison has actually said in interviews.

Harrison did, in fact, criticize Rhodes in a radio interview, which is what got Rhodes to respond. But still, someone was running a Twitter account that was made to look like it legitimately belonged to Rodney Harrison, when in fact it did not.

Fake Twitter accounts purporting to come from professional athletes are fairly common, so it's no great surprise that Harrison's account was fake. What is surprising is that Rhodes, whose Twitter account is verified as legitimately being written by him, took such umbrage at Harrison's account without stopping to think that the account might be bogus.

The lesson here is that sometimes professional athletes go out of their way to find things they can interpret as slights, to help get them fired up for games. That seems to be what Rhodes was doing by taking the shots from the fake Rodney Harrison personally. Using perceived slights to get pumped up for games is something Rhodes and Harrison have in common.

Rodney Harrison Not on Twitter originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Fri, 25 Sep 2009 11:40:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Steve Smith 'Jokes' Jake Delhomme: 'I Never Really Liked You as a Quarterback'

Will Brinson — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 09:45:00 EST

Filed under: Panthers, NFL Media Watch, NFL Video, NFL Rumors, NFL Quarterbacks

Jake Delhomme's had a rough, well, nine months. Ever since he threw 42* interceptions against the Arizona Cardinals in the playoffs last year, he's been scrutinized, particularly because he signed a new monster extension (even if it was for salary cap purposes).

And then, last week, he laid a total egg against the Eagles, essentially spotting Philly 21 points en route to an embarrassing opening week loss. Turns out, while that game was going on, Steve Smith was "joking" with JakeSixPicks on the sideline, stating, "I never really liked you as a quarterback. But as a person . . . I love you as a person." Prefer video proof? Fine!

Now, obviously Smith was joking -- after all, he said it to Jake's face. But Florio makes a pretty good point ... what if he's not joking about this? That's entirely possible, right? I mean, I constantly disguise insults at people I don't care for by wrapping them in sarcasm and humor, so why can't Smith? Personally, I think he really was kidding; he's worked with Delhomme too long -- and knows the Panthers' QB situation all too well -- to bother trying to start some unwarranted in-team turmoil. It would make about as much sense as randomly punching someone in the face.

*Approximate, based on what it felt like sitting at the game

Steve Smith 'Jokes' Jake Delhomme: 'I Never Really Liked You as a Quarterback' originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Thu, 17 Sep 2009 09:45:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Zebra Report: Don't Trust Announcers

Matt Snyder — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: NFL Media Watch, NFL Referees

Zebra Report is FanHouse's analysis of actual NFL rules and how they are to be applied ... because most fans think they could do a better job than the NFL officials, yet definitely could not. Click here for an introduction as to how we do things.

A broadcaster's job is to provide commentary along with the game. Thus, many fans are far too trusting when it comes to the application of the rules. Sure, many people think they are smarter than the announcers in some instances, but, for the most part, we've had certain things ingrained in our heads for so long -- "half can't end on a defensive penalty," for example -- we start to believe it. Then, when we see otherwise, we automatically assume the officials -- the ones actually paid to know the rules -- are the idiots.

That's a mistake.

Let us be cautious. On three different instances this weekend -- and I didn't see every game in its entirety, so there's a chance the number is far higher -- I heard broadcasting crews emphatically state rules incorrectly.

- First up, the notorious Raiders' touchdown reversal. I don't really want to get into a whole big thing here, because I've already done that in Nancy Gay's post on the subject. The most important part of the rule is this (from page 50 of the NFL Rule Book):

Item 1: Player Going to the Ground. If a player goes to the ground in the act of catching a pass (with or without contact by an opponent), he must maintain control of the ball after he touches the ground, whether in the field of play or the end zone.

Using that clause, it's impossible to argue the officials applied the rule incorrectly. If you think the ball never moved when it hit the ground in your judgment, OK. That's the only argument that can be made. The officials don't agree with that assessment, but it's definitely a judgment call at that point -- and I'm not getting into questioning those. Mike Golic on ESPN had a problem with it, but the way he was explaining it illustrated that he disagreed with the rule itself, not the interpretation of it on this particular play. And he's not alone.

Most of the more intelligent arguments I've seen boil down to the fact that people just don't like the rule. Many feel once a receiver has possession and both feet are down, it should be a touchdown. I'm not going to argue with that, but please understand that's not the current rule. You should be angry at the people who make the rules, not the people who enforce them (the officiating crew). Do you scream at a server in a restaurant if your food tastes like garbage? If so, why? He didn't make it, he just dropped it off at your table. Face it, you just don't like the rule (and, frankly, I don't either). File it along with the "tuck rule" (another rule I loathe) as ones you hate.

I've also seen "ground can't cause a fumble." True. But this wasn't a fumble, it was an incomplete pass.

I've seen people ask why it's different than when a runner breaks the plane of the end-zone with the ball and loses it. That's apples and oranges. A runner already has possession of the ball. A receiver has to establish possession, and holding the ball through when he hits the ground is part of the definition of possession.

Finally, I find it hilarious that people are taking the time to type out things like "they misinterpreted the rule" and then explaining why. Um, seriously? Did you write the rule? This is like going up to an airline pilot and telling him he's approaching the runway incorrectly. Like telling a surgeon she's holding her scalpel incorrectly. Like telling an engineer you could do a better job designing a safe bridge than he could. What a joke.

Anyway, if I ever hear of this play again, it will be too soon. Far too much scrutiny for a call in Week 1 that didn't even decide the game (the Raiders still could have stopped the Chargers at the end). And, Raider fans, enough with the conspiracy theories. No officials care which teams wins, contrary to what many have been saying.

Let me wash my hands now.

OK. Ready to move on ...

- As I said in the open, announcers don't always necessarily know the rules. A great example -- and perfect tie-in to last week's report -- happened in the Texans-Jets tilt. Matt Schaub got sacked and was clearly taken down by his collar. Jim Nantz thought horse-collar penalty should have been called. Phil Simms was trying to act like he knew why it wasn't, but he said something insanely dumb like, "it's because he wasn't running." Uhh, what? I don't even know what that means. Had Phil read last week's edition of Zebra Report, he would have known you can't be penalized for a horse-collar when taking down the quarterback while he's still between the tackles. It's one of the exceptions.

- In that same game, the Texans' defense got called for taunting at the conclusion of the first half, but the period was not extended for an untimed play. But why? We've had it ingrained in our heads for our entire football-watching lives that a half can't end on a defensive penalty. Right? Well, not necessarily. Here's the specific portion of the "Extension of a Period or Half rule that applies here (4-8-2b, page 23):

"If there is a defensive personal foul following the end of the second or fourth periods that occurs in the action immediately after the end of a down, the offensive team may choose to extend the period for an untimed down."

The offense can decline the penalty and go straight to halftime. In this case, the official play-by-play results of the game say it was declined. I have to say, though, I can't understand why the Jets would have done so. I wasn't watching the game at this exact moment, but it appears the Jets had just moved the ball to the Houston 18 yard line. A 15-yard penalty, in this case, would move the ball half the distance to the goal-line. They'd get an untimed play from the nine, but they declined this? No field goal or shot at the end-zone? I'm admittedly lost. I searched for an exception through pretty much the entire rule book, to see if there was a rule saying they'd have to decline the penalty. There doesn't appear to be one. We have this (4-8-2d, page 24):

If there is a personal foul or unsportsmanlike conduct foul that (1) is not in the continuing action immediately after the end of a down and (2) occurs between the end of the second period and the beginning of the third period (or between the end of the fourth period and the beginning of an overtime period), the penalty shall be enforced on the ensuing kickoff.

But nothing was enforced on the kickoff in the second half -- and I'm pretty sure the taunting foul was "in the action immediately" after the play, so this section wouldn't apply anyway. If anyone has any insight as to why the Jets declined the penalty, I'd love to hear it. Leave it in the comments section. I believe Ed Hochuli worked this game, so it's possible he gave a detailed explanation. Let me know in the comments if you heard anything. (see, interactivity is fun). Thanks to reader Josh from New York for the submission of this play.

- Donovan McNabb got hurt when taking a hit after he scored a touchdown. Whether or not it was late is purely a judgment call, so you can decide for yourself. The league already ruled they were fine with the no-call. You have to consider if you can reasonably expect guys moving at full speed to pull up or not. I did want to clarify something on the play, though. Forget about if you heard a whistle or not. Whistles are a formality most of the time (obvious exception is when a player is still on his feet but forward progress is stopped). It is the responsibility of the players to know when the play ends -- specifically when a runner is on the ground, out of bounds or in the end-zone. You could technically have a play end without a whistle, though you shouldn't expect to see one anytime soon for obvious reasons.

- Illegal contact has drawn the ire of fans in the early going. Looking specifically at a call against the Packers on Sunday night, Devin Hester appeared to have been contacted at exactly five yards off the line of scrimmage. It raised an interesting question: Why can't this be reviewed? Obviously, I'm totally against reviewing judgment calls, but is this really judgment? He's either outside five yards or he's not. You can review whether or not 12 men are on the field and whether or not the passer was across the line of scrimmage when throwing the ball downfield, so it seems to me you could review the 5-yard zone for this in addition to things such as players removing their helmets on the field (like Santonio Holmes did in the Super Bowl, though none of the officials saw him as they were in a conference about the actual play). Again, though, that's not up to the guys in stripes.

And ... exhale. We'll try to be less wordy next week and instead cover more plays, but it's a long season. We'll have time to discuss nearly every confusing rule we come across. See ya next week!

Got a rules-related question? Whether it's elementary, high school or NFL, email TZR and he'll see what he can do. He will not be replying to a single email concerning the Raiders touchdown reversal. No mas.

Zebra Report: Don't Trust Announcers originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Wed, 16 Sep 2009 10:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Tom Brady Ignores Suzy Kolber

Michael David Smith — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 07:23:00 EST

Filed under: Patriots, NFL Media Watch

Tom Brady led the New England Patriots to a come-from-behind win against the Buffalo Bills in his first game in more than a year on Monday Night Football, so it was obvious that Suzy Kolber would want to interview Brady afterward. But Brady wouldn't cooperate.

When ESPN cut to Kolber after the game, Brady was exchanging post-game handshakes. Kolber put her hand on Brady's arm and made clear that she wanted to interview him, but Brady just ignored her, and then said, "I'm going in," and started to jog to the locker room.

At that point Kolber started to jog alongside him and continue to question Brady, who said twice that he couldn't hear her. Brady never did stop to talk to her, but he did slow down from a jog to a walk long enough to say of the game, "It's not how we drew it up, but I'll take it. We did a lot of things poorly, but I'm glad we got the win."

And with that quote, the interview was over. I realize that NFL players often view interviews as an annoyance, but ESPN pays the NFL billions of dollars, and that's the reason the Patriots pay Brady tens of millions of dollars, and so Brady ought to just suck it up and give Kolber 15 seconds of his undivided attention when she asks for it. At the end of a great game featuring a great Brady comeback, Brady acted like a jerk.

What did you think of how Brady acted? Tell me on Twitter @MichaelDavSmith.

Tom Brady Ignores Suzy Kolber originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Tue, 15 Sep 2009 07:23:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Jimmy Johnson and FanHouse Preview The 2009 NFL Season

Will Brinson — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 17:15:00 EST

Filed under: Chargers, Cowboys, Eagles, Giants, Redskins, NFL Coaching, NFL Media Watch, FanHouse Previews, NFL Quarterbacks, NFL Predictions, NFL Analysis

Jimmy Johnson is a talented gentleman; it's rare when you see someone in the sport of football achieve success at the college level (Miami), the professional level (Dallas) and in the announcing booth (tell me you don't think Fox is easily the No. 1 preview show on Sundays. Go ahead. I dare you.)

So when given the chance -- courtesy of the fine folks at Proctor & Gamble, who make Old Spice (the official deodorant of NFL locker rooms) and Gillette (same but for the razor) -- to speak with him, podcast-style, about the upcoming season, I didn't flinch. Jimmy and I kick around the 2009 NFL season after the jump and debate whether the Steelers are underrated, if Carolina can win the South, who his sleepers from the NFC are, what he thinks of Emmitt Smith pitching pork and taking a jab at Wade Phillips, among other stuff. Enjoy.

Jimmy Johnson and FanHouse Preview The 2009 NFL Season originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Thu, 10 Sep 2009 17:15:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Opportunity 'Knocks': Why Every NFL Team Should Produce Its Own Show

Clay Travis — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 17:00:00 EST

Filed under: Bengals, NFL Media Watch

HBO has aired three episodes of "Hard Knocks" starring the Cincinnati Bengals. All three episodes, as usual, have been fantastic. The superstars, Chad Ochocinco, Carson Palmer, and Marvin Lewis reveal themselves to a greater degree than a season's worth of media coverage will manage, but so too do those outside the limelight, the executives, the coaches, the rookies. The show isn't just entertaining from a football perspective, it's managed what all great sports narratives accomplish and made you forget that it's telling a story about sports at all.

Most importantly, along the way, "Hard Knocks" has done something I didn't think was possible. It gave me a rooting interest in Cincinnati Bengals games. Prior to watching the show, I could have cared less whether the Bengals won or lost every game all season long. Now, I care. I'll be rooting for several guys on the field who otherwise would have been faceless numbers, and if a Bengals game is on television, I'll be much more likely to watch than I was before.

Let's begin with a thesis that most of you will agree with: the NFL is the most competitive pro sports league in America today. And, subscribing to the driving tenet of American capitalism, that competition makes every team better than they otherwise would be without the competition. What's more, no other pro league offers the promise and pratfalls of the NFL on a season-to-season basis. And no other league has to mine a greater pool of talent to find the right players for their teams. The drama and stakes are real, transparent and vivid. There are no guaranteed contracts, no healthy Stephon Marburys sitting in the stands cashing checks without playing, no baseball players signed to decades long contracts, whiling away the season at seafood buffets -- I'm looking at you C.C. Sabathia. Football is distilled rage, a natural television program brought to you every Sunday, sports as an altar of athletic worship.

As I've watched "Hard Knocks" this summer, I've found myself thinking: NFL teams compete against each other in every possible arena, but one, the direct marketing of their teams and players on television. What if they actually competed to make the best television shows about their team? To make their star players more than mere numbers on the field, to make you care about journeymen who even the biggest fans wouldn't recognize without their helmets on? Some shows would be so good you'd end up caring about teams and players that you've never cared about before. With the competition, sports television would be ratcheted up to a greater level than you've ever seen. When something worked really well, just like on the field each team would steal from every other team and the result would be distilled entertainment brilliance. And for those of us who are fans of particular teams, we'd end up with better footage and stories about our favorite teams than we'd ever seen before.

How amazing would this television be? Just thinking about it makes me giddy.

Of course teams wouldn't have to do this, but the ones that did would enjoy the risk and reward that comes with producing great television, more viewers, greater attention for their teams, and an increased fan base. Ultimately they'd sell more tickets, more merchandise, and make their team more desirable to play for. Before the NFL Balkan-ized regional sports television, we could all keep up with most teams without subscribing to DirecTV. With the advent of compelling NFL television shows, we could do the so once more. These shows would make us care more about our favorite teams than we already do, and they'd make us care about teams that we don't care about at all now.

Isn't this what ultimately keeps the turnstiles moving, a tangible connection between player, coach, and fan? Yet when it comes to media coverage, most teams outsource the production of their stories to people who don't know the players best: columnists, beat writers, television reporters and the like. What's more, they require that only a circumscribed piece of the players' lives be covered by these men and women? How many articles can a fan read about defensive line depth or the latest "rivalry" game laced with one cliche after another before he tears up the newspaper and screams? (Note: This would be a little harder to do with a Web site) Fans crave a connection with their players and teams, a sense of what the reality of their lives truly are like, yet most coverage of NFL stars makes these players, paradoxically, more remote than they already were before.

That remoteness is ironic now, because the players themselves are tearing down the walls that divide them from fans. With Twitter, Ustream, blogs, and other social media, players are opening up more aspects of their lives than they ever have before. All the while most teams try and tamp down on the personal attention.

Except for the consistently excellent "Hard Knocks."

Why does "Hard Knocks" succeed every fall? Because the show does a better job of revealing the characters on a football team than an entire season's worth of media coverage ever does. It isn't anesthetized platitudes. The players curse, they mock one another, they cry, they uplift us with their off-the-field heroism, they whine over their snaps, terrify and confound us with their megalomania. In short, they behave like people. Real, vivid people. Too many NFL teams are concerned about their players being shown in a negative light, and zealously monitor the player's media availability. I say that's shortsighted in today's era. Someone much smarter than me said we come to love people not because of their positive traits but because of their flaws. When Tony Soprano is a national hero, I think that point has already been proven. Football players are flawed just like us. Which, in the end, makes us root for them harder than we ever would have before. We'd rather watch an authentic asshole, than an inauthentic saint.

Put simply, how many people have been Bengals' fans for decades and feel like they have a better understanding of their team after three weeks of this television show than they have after the past three years of media coverage?

Tons.

Which brings me back to my original point, why isn't every team producing a television show like "Hard Knocks" for their fans to consume? I'm going to go ahead and knock down the anti-rationales for the team's producing their own television show.

1. Every team needs independent media to cover them.

First, I don't even know if I believe this anymore. Second, the team's own television show, just like "Hard Knocks," would be a supplement to existing coverage.

Clearly, there's an argument out there that if the team is involved in their own coverage, they'll slant the coverage to avoid bad news from getting out. My question for fans is what bad news isn't getting out now? If a player gets in trouble, the arrest record is public. If a player is under investigation, it gets leaked. Especially in today's Internet era. Bad news is getting out there, regardless. We don't need someone close to the team to get a terse, "no comment," followed by a report on how sad the offending player is for letting down his teammates.

As for whether the team slants the coverage, inevitably this would happen. But no television show, unless it's on an individual for every second of every day can completely convey reality. If the show conveys too little reality, then it wouldn't succeed. That is, if the show is a glorified puff piece that doesn't give fans a feeling that they're seeing something new, then people won't watch. Television is competitive, the best shows will survive and everyone will learn what works and what doesn't. There's already one successful example, "Hard Knocks," use it as the template and run with it.

2. Independent local media are "objective."

This is one of the great facades of sports journalism today, that most reporters are "objective." No, they aren't. The majority of local sports reporters, television, radio, and print, are rooting for their team, the team they cover, to win. It's against human nature not to. Personally, I don't see anything wrong with this. I actually think it's more ridiculous for someone to claim that they're completely objective when everything offers evidence that they're not. If you're capable of true objectivity, then why did you choose to cover games for a living? Why aren't you a judge or a university admissions counselor?

Here's an idea, why not give up objectivity as the standard and adopt something that the law uses, the voice of the reasonable fan. We rely upon the reasonable man on a jury to determine many of our legal complexities. If that's good enough for a court of law, why isn't it good enough for sports?

For national sports figures this might not work, but for 95 percent of sports reporters this would be perfectly fine. Moreover, I think this perspective is more likely to be trusted by fans because it puts a "bias" out in the open.
Would sports reporting really suffer? I don't think so. You'd still have to get your facts correct to be consistently trusted.

I think everything else would stay the same. Truly. Only reporters could be more honest.

3. Football is too serious to have a television show based around it. What about bulletin board material?

Child, please. Everyone would have bulletin board material. The reality is everyone already has bulletin board material. Most fans and media focus way too much on this stuff. But if a coach really cared about the potential impact of television content on a weekly game, then the show could air after the season, during the long, cold late winter when we're waiting for spring to arrive. Teams could experiment with which shows work best. Preseason, postseason, midseason, you name it. The great laboratory of NFL television would be concocting the best potion.

All of this coverage of sports as entertainment would be a nice antidote to what afflicts sports today, namely the idea that sports really matter and everyone should behave like they're members of the White House press corps. None of us are that important. Nor is our job. We write about games. I feel like Allen Iverson with his famous practice rant. We talkin' about games, man. Games.

4. The media is evolving, the team can get their story directly to the fans without a middle man.

The media is the middle man. If you can get your story directly to your consumer, why would the middle man need to take a cut of your profits?

The Washington Redskins have already started to do an awful lot of this. And it can be scary for all involved. But can't it also be liberating? Instead of pitching storylines to writers, the team has the potential to create the storylines. Then the media has the potential to determine whether those storylines are accurate or not.

Sooner or later, every NFL team is going to have to kiss the baby, now's the time.

Opportunity 'Knocks': Why Every NFL Team Should Produce Its Own Show originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Mon, 31 Aug 2009 17:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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ESPN on MNF: Fans Want Football

Michael David Smith — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 08:58:00 EST

Filed under: NFL Media Watch

BRISTOL, Conn. -- Everyone here at ESPN headquarters is taking pains to say that replacing Tony Kornheiser with Jon Gruden in the Monday Night Football booth is not an indictment of Kornheiser's work as an announcer. But in the next breath, everyone then talks about how great they expect Monday Night Football to be now that Gruden is a part of it.

More: Chris Berman on ESPN/NFL Relationship

Jay Rothman, senior coordinating producer for Monday Night Football, said Friday that he has no regrets about having Kornheiser in the booth, but he also thinks Gruden is one of the few people anywhere who can match Ron Jaworski in breaking down game tape -- and he thinks with play-by-play man Mike Tirico setting them up, Gruden and Jaworski will give hardcore football fans an education in the game, 17 Mondays a year.

"The fans want football," Rothman said. "That's what we're going to do."

Rothman pointed to Kornheiser's work when Monday Night Football went to New Orleans for the first Saints game after Hurricane Katrina as an example of the perspective he wanted Kornheiser to give the Monday Night booth.

"Tony brought a different wrinkle to it," Rothman said. "He elevated the game in the biggest moments."

But with Kornheiser gone, it's clear that ESPN is thrilled about the potential for Gruden and Jaworski to work together. During the preseason, ESPN officials say, Gruden and Jaworski have developed chemistry and learned from each other while breaking down film together, and some folks at ESPN are already suggesting that Gruden could become the next John Madden -- a coach who leaves the sidelines at a young age and then becomes even better known for his work on television than he was for his work in coaching.

Of course, that would mean Gruden never returns to coaching. It's equally possible that at the end of the 2009 season, as coaching vacancies begin to open up, Gruden will tell ESPN that he wants to get back in the game, and in 2010 Gruden will be on the sidelines and ESPN will be shuffling its Monday Night Football lineup once again.

Rothman says he hasn't even thought about that.

"I'm not worried about Jon," Rothman said. "Jon wants to be great. He wants to be awesome at this. He wants to, as he says, 'Choke it to death.' I honestly am not concerned about it. I think Jon is really loving the experience."

Follow me on Twitter @MichaelDavSmith.

ESPN on MNF: Fans Want Football originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Fri, 28 Aug 2009 08:58:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Chris Berman: Acquiring NFL Rights Showed ESPN 'We Did It'

Michael David Smith — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 07:30:00 EST

Filed under: NFL Media Watch

BRISTOL, Conn. -- When a father-and-son team here in Bristol got the bright idea 30 years ago to start a cable TV channel that showed nothing but sports, most people thought it was ridiculous.

"People did laugh at us," recalls ESPN President George Bodenheimer. "We were a joke in 1979 and 1980."

But no one is laughing now, and for Chris Berman, who has been the most recognizable public face of ESPN during its three-decade history, the moment when the network had truly arrived came when it secured a contract to show live NFL games in 1987.

"For us, getting the NFL in 1987 was kind of walking on the moon -- that was, 'We're here now. We did it,' Berman says. "That was the confirmation of everything we were hoping for."

Berman now says he thinks the 24/7 sports presence of ESPN has been as valuable to the NFL as getting the prestige of the NFL was to ESPN. Berman cited ESPN's live coverage of the NFL draft, which he describes as "the hardest thing I do," as an example of something where the network has helped the league realize its fans were passionate enough to follow the sport all year round.

"In 30 years I've expected to see some kind of ceiling, that sooner or later we're going to see some kind of ceiling of sports fandom," Berman said. "But we haven't. I keep waiting, but we haven't. "

Berman noted that the draft does so well on ESPN -- and now NFL Network as well -- that the league decided to expand its coverage to three days starting next year.

"Roger Goodell asked me what I thought about it," Berman said. "At first I thought, 'You have to be kidding me,' but I understand why they want to try it."

Still, Berman sounds like there's a small part of him that pines for the pre-1987 days when ESPN was like a small, exclusive club welcoming fans of the sports you couldn't get anywhere else.

"I even announced darts -- that's not the NFL," Berman says. "Australian football we should have on more because it's awesome. We had the CFL with Warren Moon. That was great."

Chris Berman: Acquiring NFL Rights Showed ESPN 'We Did It' originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Fri, 28 Aug 2009 07:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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