NFL FanHouse

Bruce Bowen Calls Out the Cowboys for Not Having a 'Team First Mentality'

Will Brinson — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 16:00:00 EST

Filed under: Cowboys, NFL Fans, NFL Eliminated Teams, NFL Coaching, NFL Media Watch, NFL Real Talk

The nice thing about being anyone on the San Antonio Spurs is that, well, you can generally sling criticism around; it's not a characteristic trait of any particular player on that team, but after so many years of solid team play and, well, just winning, they've got some sturdier walls than most glass houses.

Hence Bruce Bowen's recent comments to the San Antonio Express about the Dallas Cowboys, his favorite football team. See, it appears that Bruce, like every single person in the free world except Jerry Jones and Wade Phillips, doesn't think the Cowboys really have good chemistry.

"It's very disappointing," Bowen said of Sunday's painful showing by his favorites, "but character wins out over talent any day, at least in my book. You can see how infectious certain characters can be down the end of the road."

Bowen declined to name which of the Cowboys characters he considered "infectious," but he made it clear he believed the Cowboys were doomed by self-centered players.

Well, Bowen might have declined, but allow me: Pacman Jones, Terrell Owens and Roy Williams (the receiver). Of course, Pacman was probably more of a distraction than a totally destructive locker room presence, but still, anyone who thought bringing him to the Cowboys would result in anything positive is running a fool's errand.

And while Bowen is getting a bit aggressive in calling out another sport's players, what are the Cowboys going to do? Tell him he's wrong? Because, um, he's not.

Bruce Bowen Calls Out the Cowboys for Not Having a 'Team First Mentality' originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Tue, 30 Dec 2008 16:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Lions Have Bottomed Out, Now an Intervention Is in Order

Tom Mantzouranis — Mon, 29 Dec 2008 09:00:00 EST

Filed under: Lions, Pressing Issues, NFL Fans, NFL Real Talk

The 0-16 Lions have officially done it. This is 0for08, FanHouse's eye on the Detroit Lions and their quest for a winless season.

It had to end this way.

That is, to say, if this is actually the end.

The Lions are addicted to bad football. I've tried coming up with a justification for so many years of substandard play as well as faulty personnel moves on and off the field, and I've come to the conclusion that they're simply addicts. It doesn't make them bad people, it simply means that they've embraced what we deem destructive as suitable to their way of life. They are a gigantic failure of an organization comprised of hundreds of individual enablers.

This isn't to trivialize or poke fun at addictions of a much more serious nature -- addictions come in all shapes and sizes, from manageable to fatal, from heroin to Starbucks. This is a unique variety, and the Lions are deep in it. Those close to the team, as is always the case with addiction, have suffered the most, and they've tried all they could -- walkouts, websites, effigies -- to pull the Lions out of their hole. But the thing about addicts is that they have to recognize their problem, and that only usually comes when they've bottomed out, when they've fallen so far that they have to choose to embrace recovery.

As the first team to finish a season 0-16, it seems obvious that this Lions era has officially bottomed out. But do they think so?

Detroit Lions Timeline of Futility

When: Dec. 28, 2008 | What Happened: Detroit does the unthinkable, completing the first 0-16 season in NFL history with a 31-21 loss at Green Bay. Click through to see how the Lions have collapsed over the past decade.

Morry Gash, AP

When: July 1999 | What Happened: Just days before training camp opened, Barry Sanders - arguably the greatest player in Lions history - abruptly announced his retirement. The shocking announcement came just two years after Sanders rushed for more than 2,000 yards in the 1998 season and left Detroit reeling.

Jeff Kowalsky, AFP / Getty Images

When: Nov. 5, 2000 | What Happened: Bobby Ross, who coached Detroit to two playoff berths, announced his resignation after Week 10. The Lions were 5-4 at the time, then missed the playoffs under interim coach Gary Moeller when Chicago hit a last-second, game-winning field goal in Week 17

Tom Pidgeon, Getty Images

When: 2001 Offseason | What Happened: The Lions hired Matt Millen, right, and Marty Mornhinweg as team president and head coach, respectively. The two then orchestrated a 5-27 record in two years - including the start of an NFL record 24-game road losing streak - before Mornhinweg was fired.

Paul Sancya, AP

When: 2002 NFL Draft | What Happened: Following a miserable 2-14 2001 season, the Lions used the No. 3 pick to select quarterback Joey Harrington out of Oregon. Dubbed as a franchise savior, Harrington never produced a winning record in four seasons with Detroit.

Paul Warner, AP

When: Feb. 4, 2003 | What Happened: With the Mornhinweg mess in the past (who can forget the "We'll take the wind" overtime loss in Chicago?), the Lions turned to Michigan native Steve Mariucci as their new head coach. An exciting hire quickly soured for both Mariucci and Detroit.

Tom Pidgeon, Getty Images

When: 2003 and 2005 NFL Draft | What Happened: Matt Millen and the Lions turned their draft choices into a running gag. 2003 No. 2 pick Charles Rogers (left) broke his collarbone twice and is now out of the NFL. 2005 No. 10 pick Mike Williams showed up to his first training camp overweight and turned into a colossal bust.

Getty Images

When: Nov. 28, 2005 | What Happened: The marriage between Mariucci and the Lions became another short-lived debacle. The Lions finished a combined 11-24 in Mooch's first two seasons, then started 4-7 in 2005 before the team moved in another direction - again.

Ronald Martinez, Getty Images

When: Jan. 19, 2006 | What Happened: Millen's last major hire with the Lions came when he named Rod Marinelli head coach. Marinelli's future is up in the air, but Millen was finally fired during the 2008 season after a 31-84 overall record during his tenure.

Carlos Osorio, AP

When: May 12, 2006 | What Happened: The first big move in the Marinelli regime came when Detroit unloaded Joey Harrington, trading him to Miami for a sixth-round draft pick.

Rick Stewart, Getty Images

The fact that owner William Clay Ford intends to keep interim general manager Martin Mayhew and COO Tom Lewand, Matt Millen's old right-hand men and the "braintrust" of the organization since Millen's firing, at the top of the hierarchy seems to indicate that the answer is "no." While Rod Marinelli has been fired, he is just a personification of the problem. The only way to fix this organization is to tear it down, and that starts (and almost ends) with the team's decision-makers at the top.

That this isn't apparently an option is the sign of continued denial, not newfound acceptance.

And so the Lions will continue to toil away. They'll continue to promise that they've changed (firing Marinelli, drafting a shiny new toy with their first-overall pick), before stealing your television and pawning it off on the boardwalk for some quick cash. There will be a holding pattern of false hope and disillusionment.

There's another drastic move made by those who love an addict when it becomes obvious that they refuse to help themselves -- an intervention. At this point, it seems the only way the Lions will approach genuine change in William Clay Ford's lifetime. While Ford may sadly not be long for this world, and his son appears to have at least some semblance of common sense about the state of the franchise, the long-suffering beloveds of this franchise shouldn't have to suffer another day pining for a brighter tomorrow.

Roger Goodell has already set a precedent for getting involved in the otherwise in-house matters of another team when he interjected himself into the Jets-Favre-Packers triangle last summer. He did that because he saw a situation that was threatening the integrity of both franchises, one of its most famous players, and the league itself. This situation also threatens the integrity of a franchise (one with a valuable commodity the league has an interest in protecting, in Detroit's annual Thanksgiving game) and the league. The Lions have transcended sports and become a pop culture punchline at large, and it's not good for anyone for the league to have, ostensibly, 31 franchises.

Goodell can't force anything on the Lions, but he can add his weighty opinion and strongarm the team into doing the right thing for the fanbase which has resisted an atrophied economy to continuously (until very recently, that is) show up to support a team that constantly disappoints it. But there's not much give left. If something isn't done soon to remedy the Lions, the addiction will count the Lions, a piece of the league, and the city of Detroit as its ultimate victims.

The Lions Have Bottomed Out, Now an Intervention Is in Order originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Mon, 29 Dec 2008 09:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Marino Watch, Week 17: Drew Brees Goes Down Throwing Haymakers

Tom Mantzouranis — Sun, 28 Dec 2008 16:40:00 EST

Filed under: Saints, NFL Real Talk

(Getty Images)

The 2008 NFL season is inching closer to its end, while each passing week sees Drew Brees and Kurt Warner inch closer to Dan Marino's single-season record of 5,084 passing yards, set in 1984. We chronicle their quest in this new feature, Marino Watch. Think of it as McGwire/Sosa, without 'roids.

What He Did in Week 17

Drew Brees (vs. Carolina): 30-for-48 for 386 yards, four touchdowns, one interception

Where He Stands

Drew Brees: 5,068 yards (16 yards away)

Going Deep

In the end, the only person who could hold Brees back from breaking the single-season passing yardage record was Panthers punter Jason Baker.

Down by six late in the fourth and with Brees 61 yards away from Marino's mark, the Saints forced the Panthers to punt from their own 24. But Baker shanked the punt, sending it only 20 yards and giving the Saints the ball at Carolina's 45-yard line. Obviously, you can't throw for 61 yards from 45 yards out. Brees picked up all 45 of those yards in the air, finishing it with a touchdown to Lance Moore, but the Saints never got the ball back with a chance to pick up the spare.

Even if the Panthers had given the Saints a longer field to score on with that punt, there would be no guarantees that Brees would have gotten those remaining 16 yards. But with the way he and his receivers were clicking at that point in the game, it seems pretty likely that it would have happened.

So Marino's record stands for another year, but Brees gave those anticipating a new record an exciting second half, while at the same time almost satiating die-hard Saints fans who thought the team's mindset should have been "win first, record second."

After a dreadful first half, the Saints began to show signs of life on offense in the second half, and ratcheted it up with a 21-point fourth quarter that saw Brees air it out for 153 yards and three touchdowns when it appeared as if he'd be lucky to sniff 5,000 yards on the season, let alone Marino's 5,084.

But he did reach 5,000, becoming just the second player ever to do that, and his 10 300-yard games this year ties Rich Gannon's league record. That he did it while giving the team a late lead (which its secondary would proceed to blow) was even sweeter. Last week's air attack on the Lions seemed gratuitous, an acknowledgment from the Saints that they'd try to get Brees the record come hell or high water.

But this week wasn't about padding stats in garbage time, it was Brees playing the role of leader and carrying the team on his back when he had to. With every subsequent complete pass in the Saints' comeback attempt, you could see Brees' confidence grow, the team feed off it, and a distinct buzz in the crowd build.

It was the type of performance that reminds you why Brees is so valuable to the team. By all intents and purposes the team's season was over, and at halftime it wouldn't be unheard of if they chose to roll over and mail in the season's last two quarters. But Brees wouldn't allow that to happen -- he wanted the record, and the win.

And while 2008 wasn't his year by just a hair, don't count him out of this record in the future. Since arriving in New Orleans, Brees has posted two 4,400-yard campaigns and this year's 5,068-yard performance. He's got a pass-happy coach with whom he feels a deep connection and a great group of young receivers, and he's only now entering the prime of his career. Assuming he stays healthy, 2008 might have been Brees' warning jab, with the knockout punch yet to come.

Marino Watch, Week 17: Drew Brees Goes Down Throwing Haymakers originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Sun, 28 Dec 2008 16:40:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Chris Johnson and the Curious Incident of the Towel Celebration That Didn't Get Fined

Will Brinson — Fri, 26 Dec 2008 16:30:00 EST

Filed under: Patriots, Steelers, Titans, Pressing Issues, NFL Real Talk, NFL Rumors

Chris Johnson (and his wallet) have already met the wrath of Roger Goodell this year -- Johnson celebrated an early season touchdown by wailing on some bongos and got fined. It followed then, that he would get slapped with a similar monetary amount after pulling out a flag attached to his waist and waving it around during a touchdown celebration.

But he won't, and PFT found out why, after emailing NFL spokesman Greg Aiello:

"It was a towel that is legally part of his uniform," Aiello said. "There is not a violation of rules."

"Due to past inappropriate acts while on the ground," Aiello wrote, "the player demonstration guidelines were modified two years ago to prohibit celebratory actions while on the ground. So it's a blanket rule (not a snow-angel rule). You can't go the ground to celebrate a play."

Of course, this also explains why Wes Welker got stuck with a $10K fine for being creative. But more than that, it points out what a rigid, Spanish Inquisition style of discipline Goodell is taking with the NFL. The logical thing to do with touchdown celebrations is review them case by case -- although admittedly that leaves a lot more room to wiggle on the appeal process -- and just say "at your own risk of being fined."

Then, when something funny humorous, quick and original -- like bongo playing or snow angel making -- happens, it becomes a "no harm - no foul, let's move on" scenario. And when someone behaves stupidly, they get slapped with a fine. Hard to see how too many people would be upset by that.

Chris Johnson and the Curious Incident of the Towel Celebration That Didn't Get Fined originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Fri, 26 Dec 2008 16:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Matt Lepsis Used Drugs on the Field and Then Retired (Because He Got High) to Preach

Will Brinson — Fri, 26 Dec 2008 15:30:00 EST

Filed under: Broncos, Pressing Issues, NFL Media Watch, NFL Real Talk, NFL Rumors

Matt Lepsis is a fairly forgettable football name. He suited up as a Denver Bronco for 10 years before retiring last season. And his biggest claim to fame was probably winning a Super Bowl ring. At least until recently, when he told the Colorado Springs Gazette that he did a bunch of drugs while he was playing football, only to leave the sport and follow a higher calling.

"For the first six games of the year, I was high," Lepsis said of the 2007 season.

[...] "The first thing I did when I woke up in the morning was get high, and I would try to stay that way all day long," said Lepsis, who won't say what drugs he used.

"I look back on it, and it was really foolish of me," Lepsis said. "There were definitely times when I wasn't even really there. I was physically there, but I was in another place mentally."

The scary part is that the NFL's drug testing didn't uncover Lepsis' problems with illegal substances. Oddly enough, he doesn't discuss exactly what drugs he was doing -- presumably the notion of being "high" would indicate marijuana but, according to what science says pot does to your body and brain, repetitively getting groped, grabbed, knocked around and pushed on the ground sounds pretty miserable.

The story in the Gazette immediately smells like a memoir of some sort, which has already been done by Jason Peters, but the good news is that he is in seminary, seeking to become a preacher. That, hopefully, should keep his message from being any sort of awkward public relations-filled fiasco. But that doesn't mean the media won't be all over this. And Roger Goodell's testing policies.

Via PFT

Matt Lepsis Used Drugs on the Field and Then Retired (Because He Got High) to Preach originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Fri, 26 Dec 2008 15:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Wes Welker Gets Awesome Christmas Present: $10K Fine for Snow Angel Celebration

Will Brinson — Fri, 26 Dec 2008 10:15:00 EST

Filed under: Patriots, Pressing Issues, NFL Real Talk

So you know, the National Football League doesn't care what time of year it is. Okay? Got that? You do snow angels -- in the snow and on a football field of all places -- after a touchdown and you're going to get fined. Doesn't matter if Roger's supposed to be jolly for the season. And such is the case with Wes Welker, who just had to open up his purse for the NFL.

Welker said he wasn't sure if he would appeal, but he acknowledged his snow-angel-making days are over.

"It was a spur of the moment deal, and you can be sure that it won't happen again," Welker told Gasper.

Per NFL rules, players are not allowed to go to the ground for a touchdown celebration (unless it is a prayer). The official reason Welker was fined, the NFL confirmed today, was for "unsportsmanlike conduct for participation in an illegal demonstration by going to the ground."

Sadly, Welker's not ~~insane~~ "colorful" enough to do something stupid like change (or just create) to a religion that worships the Abominable Snowman and then try to appeal the suspension -- you best believe that Chad Javon would be all over that.

Of course, just because Welker complies wholeheartedly, well, that doesn't make the NFL fining people for doing snow angels or other colorful-yet-classy touchdown celebrations any less stupid.

Wes Welker Gets Awesome Christmas Present: $10K Fine for Snow Angel Celebration originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Fri, 26 Dec 2008 10:15:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Brett Favre Is Starting the Retirement Pump-Fake Game Really Early This Year

Will Brinson — Fri, 26 Dec 2008 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: Jets, Packers, NFL Fans, NFL Injuries, NFL Media Watch, NFL Real Talk

There needs be no explanation of what a horrible person Brett Favre is simply for putting us through the torturous media coverage of last year when he couldn't make up his mind about retiring. Defend him all you want -- that was a total and utter nightmare to live through as a sports fan.

But if you thought it would be any easier this year, you were wrong. Dead wrong.

"There's some throws I personally think I can make, but at times I haven't," Favre said. "I attribute some of that to age. I think . . . the physical that every player goes through after the last game will shed some light on some things."

"This very well could be my last game," Favre said. "I'm aware of that. I'd like to make it a memorable one."

And this "could very well be" my last day at my job, but that doesn't mean I'm going to stop everyone that walks by my desk to let them know that. Unfortunately, Favre is an attention junkie, so we all knew this was coming. He's already fashionably destroyed the entire Green Bay fanbase -- Aaron Rodgers' 5-10 season isn't helping matters -- and now it's New York's turn.

Unfortunately, they don't have the history with the gunslinger that the cheeseheads do, and there's a decent chance they just run him out of town when he tries to do the retirement shuffle. We can only hope anyway.

Brett Favre Is Starting the Retirement Pump-Fake Game Really Early This Year originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Fri, 26 Dec 2008 10:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Eric Mangini Uses Irrational Snowballphobia to Divert Attention From His Poor Coaching

Will Brinson — Wed, 24 Dec 2008 11:15:00 EST

Filed under: Jets, Seahawks, NFL Coaching, NFL Real Talk, NFL Rumors

Clearly the pressure of January is a bit much for Eric Mangini. First of all, his job is on the line. Secondly, he just lost to the freaking Seahawks in the snow (your team is from New York, dude). And finally, Shaun Ellis lobbed a giant chunk of snow into the crowd, causing quite the stir amongst the NFL's lawdogs.

Fortunately, Mangenius is smart enough to divert all the attention to Seattle security and his irrational fear of snowballs and their ability to blind humans.

"There were a lot of people that were hit with snowballs," Mangini said. "All you need is someone to get hit in the eye. It's just not a safe situation. It was disappointing to see that, but that stuff, we couldn't control that. How we can control it is how we respond."

"I thought there could have been more done to prevent what was happening in terms of the safety issues from the snowballs coming down," Mangini said. "But that being said, it doesn't justify us getting involved in any context."

Now, aside the fact that everyone and their brother has taken a snowball to the domepiece at least once or twice in their lives (and yet ... can still see out of both eyes), how about we just focus on the Jets for a minute. Clearly this is a team that lacks discipline (Ellis) and that hasn't been "coached up" properly, considering the nature of the AFC East and the firm command they had on the division just a month or so ago.

There are issues with fans throwing snowballs onto the field, but as Mike Holmgren pointed out, it's a "novelty" in Seattle -- if the Jets had taken care of business and won the game, we wouldn't even be talking about this.

Eric Mangini Uses Irrational Snowballphobia to Divert Attention From His Poor Coaching originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Wed, 24 Dec 2008 11:15:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Tom Coughlin Might Be Reversing His Stance on Playing Time During Week 17

Will Brinson — Wed, 24 Dec 2008 02:00:00 EST

Filed under: Chicago Bears, Giants, Patriots, Vikings, Pressing Issues, NFL Coaching, NFL Real Talk

It's entirely arguable that the way the New York Giants played in Week 17 against the Patriots, despite losing, propelled them into the postseason and eventually to a Super Bowl win.

Of course, you could also argue that such a discussion is pointless. Whatever. My main point is that Tom Coughlin typically -- as he wrote in a book -- does not believe in resting players in the final week of the season if there's nothing at stake.

"It is a difficult decision," Coughlin wrote after noting that many NFL coaches bench their stars in similar situations. "It becomes clear that the media and fans care more about a playoff game and therefore don't want our first-teamers to play. But I feel differently."

Naturally, then, you would expect to see every single Giant -- including Justin Tuck and Brandon Jacobs, both recently banged up -- playing full games against the Vikings this Sunday. Or perhaps not; it appears, judging by the somewhat hemming nature of a recent statement to the media, that Coughlin might have changed his tune.

"My answer to all of your questions will be that in conjunction with the medical people and with the idea of improving our game, having individuals perform at a higher level than we did in the last game, which is always our theme, we will do the best thing for our football team," Coughlin said.

"What's best for the Giants" and "Play every game like it's win or go home" are two entirely different statements. And while Coughlin isn't the type of guy to go back on his word, I don't think, he would be doing exactly that if the Giants don't pull out all the stops to beat the Vikings on Sunday.

Of course the most intriguing aspect of that game is that the Bears need a Giants win in order to have a shot at the playoffs ... and considering the broad effect that this game will have on the NFC playoffs as a whole, it'll be interesting to see what Coughlin ultimately decideds to do.

It's also interesting to remember that playing his full team against the Pats last year gave them valuable experience in Phoenix; it would be incredibly ironic if the Giants sat players against the Vikings and then later got booted from the playoffs by Minnesota.

Tom Coughlin Might Be Reversing His Stance on Playing Time During Week 17 originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Wed, 24 Dec 2008 02:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Confirmed: Ravens Knew About Jerry Jones' Scheduling Petition, Used It for Motivation

Will Brinson — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 15:00:00 EST

Filed under: Cowboys, Ravens, NFL Coaching, NFL Real Talk, NFL Rumors

Jerry Jones -- if the rumors are true -- made a serious karmic error by petitioning the NFL to schedule the Baltimore Ravens as the final opponent for the Dallas Cowboys at Texas Stadium. Sure, at the time the Ravens had a rookie head coach and a rookie quarterback, were coming off a disappointing season, and looked totally ripe for the picking at the hands of the unstoppable Cowboy juggernaut.

Hindsight, of course, is 20/20. But, as it turns out, the Ravens did get a whiff of what Jerry was up to, as Willis McGahee explained to me in an interview yesterday, and Jim Harbaugh used it for motivation.

Yeah our coach told us about ... you know they find out about the schedules in January, and you know, they wanted to schedule us for the final game in Texas Stadium, and our coach gave us a speech right before our meeting was over on Friday night ... and we knew it wasn't going to be no easy walk through for us or for them either.

So, yeah. That's pretty freaking awkward. And it goes to show just how lacking in humility and tact the Cowboys' owner can be at times -- he literally told the NFL, "I want to whip these guys silly as the last big fireworks show in Texas Stadium" (presumably because they were the only team to never play there?)

Obviously it's was an action that backfired heavily on him, but then again, most bulletin board material ends up that way.

Confirmed: Ravens Knew About Jerry Jones' Scheduling Petition, Used It for Motivation originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Tue, 23 Dec 2008 15:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Marino Watch, Week 16: Kurt Warner Bows Out, Drew Brees Bears Down

Tom Mantzouranis — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 14:00:00 EST

Filed under: Arizona Cardinals, Saints, NFL Real Talk

(Getty Images)

The 2008 NFL season is inching closer to its end, while each passing week sees Drew Brees and Kurt Warner inch closer to Dan Marino's single-season record of 5,084 passing yards, set in 1984. We chronicle their quest in this new feature, Marino Watch. Think of it as McGwire/Sosa, without 'roids.

What They Did in Week 16

Drew Brees (at Detroit): 30-for-40 for 351 yards and two touchdowns
Kurt Warner (at New England): 6-for-18 for 30 yards

Where They Stand

Drew Brees: 4,683 yards (401 yards away)
Kurt Warner: 4,320 yards (764 yards away)

Going Deep

While each quarterback has regressed in his chase of Marino leading up to Week 16, the two went different directions -- Brees, with the aid of a woeful Lions secondary, put himself back in a doable range. Warner, on the other hand, buckled under the snow and pressure in New England and took himself out of the race.

The Cardinals really had no shot -- they've been bad out of division all season long. Throw in the dreaded early game/cross-country trip and snowy conditions that go against everything the Cardinals are built for, and it's easy to see Warner struggling. But 30 yards and a relief appearance by Matt Leinart? Not the way you want to approach breaking a record (or entering the playoffs, for that matter). Still, it's over now, and Warner is out of the race, as so clearly depicted above.

Brees, on the other hand, carved out a nice chunk of the gap between he and Marino with a dominant performance over the Lions. Of course, it was the Lions, so all caveats apply, but a record is a record and Marino played some creampuff secondaries on his way to the mark, too. Humorously enough, when the game was well out of hand, Sean Payton kept calling pass plays -- it's obvious he and Brees want to get the record with nothing else to play for this season. Though a very good game will net the record against the Panthers, they won't be as accomodating as the Lions were.

Who's On Tap

Drew Brees: vs. Carolina (201.3 yards per game allowed -- 11th)
Kurt Warner: vs. Seattle (253.5 yards per game allowed -- 32nd)

Marino Watch, Week 16: Kurt Warner Bows Out, Drew Brees Bears Down originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Mon, 22 Dec 2008 14:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Insignificant Vikings Wideout Laughs at Bears, Says They Will 'Blow It' Tonight

Matt Snyder — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 12:45:00 EST

Filed under: Chicago Bears, Packers, Vikings, NFC North, NFL Real Talk

As if the Chicago Bears needed an extra boost of motivation for tonight's rivalry game against the Green Bay Packers. It's been provided anyway, courtesy of former unproductive Bears' wide receiver, Bobby Wade, who is currently a Vikings wideout.

"We need the Bears to blow it,'' Wade told reporters in Minneapolis with a laugh. ``Where are they playing, at home? Great. They'll definitely blow it.''

I don't know what's so funny. The Bears beat the Vikings 48-41 earlier this year in Chicago, and the Vikings blew the opportunity to control their own fate this week by losing to the Falcons at home. In fact, if you wanna talk about blowing it, the Vikings fumbled the ball seven times and lost four of them. This translated into a loss despite significantly outgaining Atlanta and winning the time of possession battle. If the Vikings didn't blow that game, the Bears wouldn't even presently matter to them.

Maybe Wade's laughing about how he's never mattered in the NFL, or that casual fans wouldn't recognize the difference between him and a used car salesman?

I kid, of course. He's coming off a career year in 2007, so I should leave him alone. You know, 54 catches for 647 yards and three touchdowns. Man, he was a beast. No wonder he's running his mouth.

As for the game tonight, there is just too much going for the Bears for me to even think they can lose. I know I'm biased, but they:

1) Need this game to stay alive for the playoffs. The Packers don't.
2) Are playing at home.
3) Have revenge on their mind after being embarrassed in Lambeau.
4) Have had 11 days of rest and preparation since their last game.
5) Are the better team.
6) Have been practicing outside, unlike the Packers.

Just for fun, I'll throw out a prediction.

Bears win 31-17. Devin Hester shakes free for an early long touchdown and this time Kyle Orton doesn't badly over-or-under-throw him.

Insignificant Vikings Wideout Laughs at Bears, Says They Will 'Blow It' Tonight originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Mon, 22 Dec 2008 12:45:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Keyshawn Johnson Says He Doesn't 'Trust Jake Delhomme'

Will Brinson — Sun, 21 Dec 2008 13:30:00 EST

Filed under: Giants, Panthers, NFL Coaching, NFL Media Watch, NFL Real Talk

Keyshawn Johnson says a lot of things that are relatively unimportant. But as far as ESPN Sunday morning analysts go, he's not that bad. Still, it's probably a bit aggressive to dog Jake Delhomme the way he did this morning, considering that he was on the Panthers for all of, oh, one year.

I don't trust Jake [Delhomme]. I've played with him. He's a good guy and everything, but in this situation he'll try to do too much if they put the ball in his hands, try to throw hand grenades like in Green Bay.

Well, obviously Key missed that whole "Smash and Dash" thing -- you know, where the Panthers run the ball about 40 times to wear the defense down and let Jake do his thing on third down if he has to, while picking spots to hit Steve Smith downfield.

Additionally, it's not like Jake hasn't taken a Panthers team to the Super Bowl or performed at an All-Pro level -- he has. And to further the point, if the Panthers put the ball in Jake's hand tonight, well, that's just plain stupidity on the coaching staff's part; the plan, as far as anyone should be concerned, is nothing more than a heavy dose of DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart.

Keyshawn Johnson Says He Doesn't 'Trust Jake Delhomme' originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Sun, 21 Dec 2008 13:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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DeAngelo Williams Credits ... Vinny Testaverde (??) for His Breakout 2008 Season

Will Brinson — Sat, 20 Dec 2008 21:00:00 EST

Filed under: Panthers, NFL Coaching, NFL Real Talk

DeAngelo Williams has had plenty of promise since he was drafted as a first rounder in 2006. But after two so-so years in terms of totals (his YPC were still stout) toiling behind DeShaun Foster -- for whatever reason -- he has finally exploded onto the scene in 2008, racking up 16 total touchdowns and 1,229 yards on the ground.

It was entirely possible that Jonathan Stewart could have taken over the roll of primary back this year too, keeping Williams from starting ... but obviously he didn't. So something must have happened, obviously, to spark this change in Williams' play. Turns out, it was a convo with Vinny Testaverde. Really.

[...]the once ageless quarterback who, before finally retiring at the end of last season, sat down the young running back and gave some wise, fatherly advice.

"I think he's probably impacted my season the most this year than anybody because of the conversation that we had before he left," Williams said Wednesday.

[...]"We had a lengthy conversation and everything he said to me made perfect sense," said Williams, Carolina's first-round pick in 2006. "From the film room down to work ethic and everything of that nature. He really left me with some things that really touched me and stayed on my heart, as you can tell from this season."

It makes complete sense -- Testaverde didn't have a 4,000 year NFL career by not preparing. But it's still odd to think about Vinny, who only played in Carolina for half a season, having such an impact on Williams, when they're two totally different players from, well, different generations.

The lesson, as always: Vinny >>> Mittens.

DeAngelo Williams Credits ... Vinny Testaverde (??) for His Breakout 2008 Season originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Sat, 20 Dec 2008 21:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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LenDale White Sends DeAngelo Williams a Care Package With a Smash/Dash T-Shirt

Will Brinson — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 00:39:00 EST

Filed under: Panthers, Titans, NFL Media Watch, NFL Real Talk, NFL Rumors

LenDale White is not going to let the whole "Smash and Dash" thing go. In case you missed it the first time around, he called out DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart for hijacking his and Chris Johnson's nickname and called them out publicly.

The Panthers' running backs kind of shrugged the business off and went back to not collapsing at the end of the season. LenDale, on the other hand, decided he wanted to really let them know who the real owners of the name were. By sending them a little care package.

Inside were two blue T-shirts featuring photos of White and teammate Charles (sic) Johnson that read: "Tennessee's Smash and Dash."

"These are nice," Williams said with a laugh as he held up a very large shirt. "I like them. But I wish LenDale had sent me one in my size instead of his."

Get it? Because he's fat. Which is a way more humorous insult than trying to grift an unoriginal nickname. The smart thing for White to do would probably be focusing on the Steelers game this weekend instead of trying to rile up a team that plays in another conference.

Not that it should matter much to Williams -- he knows darn well he just got snubbed for the Pro Bowl (he's the first backup) and you can most certainly expect he and Stewart to both run hard against the Giants Sunday night in what amounts to easily the most important game of the season for the NFC.

Tip of the cap to the O-Bubble

LenDale White Sends DeAngelo Williams a Care Package With a Smash/Dash T-Shirt originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Fri, 19 Dec 2008 00:39:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Berger Went All Crying Game Scene From Ace Ventura After Walker's 'Slobber Moment'

Will Brinson — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 16:51:00 EST

Filed under: Ravens, Steelers, NFL Real Talk, NFL Rumors

You know how the old story goes by now -- defensive back (Frank Walker) tries to take out kicker (Jeff Reed), so punter/holder (Mitch Berger) gets cheesed and goes after defensive back. In the heat of passion, defensive back spits in punter/holder's face, punter/holder pushes defensive back, the media freaks out about it and we all live happily ever after.

Or not. See, Walker has finally admitted that he did spit in Berger's mouth. Except -- get this -- he's trying to play it off as an accident. Or, a "slobber moment", if you will.

Frank Walker acknowledged that he spat in the face of Pittsburgh Steelers punter Mitch Berger, but the Ravens' backup cornerback called it an accident.

"It was just a slobber moment," Walker said.

Berger, naturally, still isn't buying this "accidental" business. That's probably because he was so upset that he spent the next 24 hours basically holding a plunger to his face.

The incident had a lingering effect on Berger.

"I think I kept spitting for 24 hours," he said. "I kept brushing my teeth. To have another man spit in your mouth like that ... it was gross."

And while I suppose you could twist that as homophobic, I'm going to get Berger's back here and say that I would probably be doing the same thing. Of course, he's a punter, so really, this is the most dangerous thing that's happened to him in like 15 years, but still: you never rub another man's rhubarb. Or something like that.

Berger Went All Crying Game Scene From Ace Ventura After Walker's 'Slobber Moment' originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Thu, 18 Dec 2008 16:51:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Refs in the Hood: An NFL FanHouse Roundtable on Instant Replay Officiating

Matt Snyder — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 15:30:00 EST

Filed under: Ravens, Steelers, AFC North, Pressing Issues, NFL Fans, NFL Real Talk, NFL Referees

As I mentioned in the Zebra Report, the controversial ending to the Steelers/Ravens game from this past weekend has caused NFL officiating and their use of replay to come under fire, not to mention the overall knowledge of NFL referees and if they should be asking for help on rules interpretation when under the replay hood. We NFL 'Housers figured we'd have a little discussion on the matter.

Bruce Ciskie: ProFootballTalk speculates that Walt Coleman didn't understand the rule on the Holmes "touchdown" in Baltimore on Sunday.

Mike Florio also cites the Steelers-Chargers finish and the "intentional grounding" on Aaron Rodgers against the Vikings as other examples of officials possibly not understanding rules. Obviously, the Rodgers play wasn't reviewable, but the other two were. When a referee goes under the hood, can he ask the booth what a specific rule is? I mean, I've seen the rulebook and I know it's insane. I've taken the NCAA officiating exam and done horribly at it, so it's hard for me to expect a human being to know every rule at all times.

Snyder: I have no idea, but I would assume they can ask about rules. Why wouldn't they be able to? You'd hope the experienced official up above would have a rulebook handy and they'd get it right. They aren't the ones on the field with their heads spinning on every play.

Tom Mantzouranis: But the rules about a reception in the end zone should be known by every NFL referee, player, and coach. I always thought the same rules applied as a carry -- no matter where the player's body is, it's where the ball is that matters.

Ciskie: Oh, I don't dispute that, Tom.

But I also don't dispute that there are human beings involved.

I think the big problem here is that the standard of "indisputable visual evidence" has been destroyed. There was an inexplicably bad replay decision in the Division II game Saturday where a call was overturned based on what was obviously a hunch and not the evidence available from the camera angles.

This isn't always the case, but it seems to be happening more often than in the past.

Snyder: Let's focus our discussion on the level of scrutiny, which is currently referred to as "indisputable visual evidence." Is that too much? Shouldn't an official be able to simply judge what call is correct without having to deal with the word "indisputable?" After all, a common fan's dispute of a call doesn't really mean that much when compared to an official with tons of NFL experience. It's like a member of a jury questioning the judgment of an expert witness' testimony. So maybe they should change the terminology?

Basically, is the current system working as it should, does it need to be tweaked, or should replay be outlawed altogether?

Ciskie: What bugs me is when a reasonable standard like "indisputable visual evidence" becomes a whole lot less than that. There's no way Walt Coleman saw indisputable visual evidence that the football was across the plane of the goal line, because that evidence doesn't exist.

I'm not as against replay as I once was, but the system they use in the NFL is just stupid. I understand why you let the referee make the final call, but I don't think it is effective anymore. The NHL system is much better, not because it sometimes takes a phone call to Toronto to decide a crucial call, but because people with full access to all angles of a play on huge TVs -- along with a rulebook available to check any necessary interpretations -- are making the decision.

I have Center Ice, meaning I watch a TON of games, and I can't remember the last time a ruling came down on a reviewed play that was anywhere near this controversial.

Either Coleman didn't understand the rule, or he majorly effed up. In either instance, that's more evidence that someone else should be conducting the reviews and making the final determination. As proven in the college game I referenced above, that doesn't solve all your problems, but maybe it would get us back to where the term "indisputable visual evidence" actually means something.

Ryan Wilson: I'm quite certain no one will believe me [Editor's note: He's a Steelers fan], but that's no different than any other day. So here goes: when I saw the play live I thought it was a touchdown because Santonio Holmes was standing in the end zone. Usually when guys are standing in the end zone, I just figured they've scored. Of course, Holmes was falling back towards the field and the officials ruled he was down at the two-inch line, so that sorta muddied things.

I was screaming for the mysterious "guys in the booth" to buzz down for a replay, and after seeing the down-the-line angle, I was pretty sure Holmes had scored. The aerial view offered more proof, but it's important to remember that that angle wasn't directly over the goal line (it appeared to be coming from the playing field, which would make it seem like Holmes was clearly in the end zone when he actually may not have been). That said, the first angle was enough for me, although I admit to being shocked that Coleman overruled the call on the field.

More stuff nobody will believe: if the Ravens had scored on a such a play I would've been fine with the officials giving them six points. Plus, as Ray Lewis pointed out, Baltimore didn't win or lose the game on that play. For health reasons, I agree.

Oh, and to answer Snyder's original question: I tend to agree with Mike Pereira, who says it's more important to get the call right, than to adhere to the "indisputable evidence" meme.

Snyder: I'll add that "just get it right," no matter how, is pretty much the officiating mantra from pee wee leagues all the way through the NFL. I always firmly believe the end result of getting the call right is the most important thing. In this situation, I happen to believe that for one about one nanosecond, Holmes had possession of the ball while breaking the plane.

Again, maybe they simply need to revisit the terminology being passed along to the public in regards to the semantics of "indisputable visual evidence."

Adam Gretz: It seems there's still quite a bit of confusion as to what the rule is. This is what I can find on the internets as to what the rule is in that situation: "Should a receiver make a legal catch of the ball with both feet in bounds in the end zone, a touchdown shall be awarded even if no part of the ball was deemed to break the plane of the goal line while in possession of the receiving player." [Editor's note: That's definitely not the rule. I guess we actually can't believe everything we read on the internet after all!]

Is this accurate? If so, the debate is over. If it's not -- and I don't know if it is -- then we're probably going to be hearing about this for quite a while.

That said, my first reaction was, "that's probably not a touchdown" and after I saw the replay I said, "There's no way they overturn that," and I was already screaming at my TV "YOU BETTER GO FOR THE WIN, TOMLIN!!!!!!" So, naturally, I was surprised to see the touchdown signal. [Editor's note: Yep, another Steelers fan]

Of course, as I said in the Torry Holt post, I'm not a fan of fans, media, teams, players -- whoever -- pointing the finger at the refs for losses. The Ravens still allowed the Steelers to drive 92 yards with the game on the line -- in Baltimore -- after failing to take advantage of the field position battle they were dominating throughout the game.

Chris Burke: There's no question in my mind that the problem is with that term: "Indisputable visual evidence."

I mean, say Coleman looks at the replay there, sees the blimp view that looks a lot like a touchdown, sees the sideline view that shows his feet down and the ball very possibly touching the plane. Hypothetically, let's just imagine at that point that Coleman is underneath the replay hood thinking "I'm 99% sure that he scored a touchdown." By the current rules, yes I suppose he got it wrong -- 99% is not indisputable visual evidence. But, as a ref, isn't he at least somewhat obligated to make the call he thinks is the correct call, regardless of the terminology?

I'm not sure what the perfect system is. I've seen the college replay system botch a lot of reviews, and I despise the NHL system where every review is conducted by someone at the league office in Toronto and the result phoned in. That said, I'd prefer the college system to the one that the NFL uses now -- I'm not even sure it's fair to put the ref in that situation when there are a few guys up in the replay booth with a bunch of TVs. All they have to do now is buzz down for a questionable call, so you may as well put them to work.

This would probably drag the review process out even further, but maybe the official that makes the call on the field should go watch the replay with the head ref. That way, they can compare what was witnessed live with the video evidence to determine if it's "indisputable."

Sportz Assassin: I like the challenge system the NFL has. I understand that we need to get the calls right, but I don't like that college football can review every play. I remember the UNC-Notre Dame game where the energy was sucked out of the building when they kept reviewing plays in the final minutes. Leaving it up to the coaches challenges, and getting the big missed calls in the final two minutes properly reversed, is fine by me.

However, I don't like the fact that the referee goes in a tent and watches a TV replay of what happened. Why can't there be a replay booth where a replay official makes the calls? I don't like the NHL or MLB deal where somebody sits in a office in Toronto/New York and makes every call in every game, either. There is no reason the NFL can't just have a replay official at each game who makes the final determination on his own. I mean, millions of people are sitting in front of huge HDTVs that are more equipped to make the proper call than a referee looking into a small hood.

Also, why is there not a camera that is always positioned on both sides of the goal line?

Josh Alper: Indisputable visual evidence always hits me the same way as reasonable doubt. I was on a jury once and there was more than a week of deliberations toward a verdict because a couple of people found that the doubts held by the other 10 weren't reasonable. I was one of the 10 who felt that it was, but certainly understand how what's reasonable for one person can be unreasonable for another.

I think the word indisputable works the same way. The word sounds quite definitive but when you're talking about one man's judgment, it isn't. The man doing the looking is a NFL referee, experienced and in charge of both a staff and a very valuable asset. If he sees something and believes something, he's not going to sit there and think about what someone else might be thinking. In short, if he believes it, it's indisputable to the only person whose opinion matters.

I've never really had an issue with the system. Calls are still wrong, no one seems to understand exactly what can and can't be reviewed and too many refs do a poor job of explaining why they make particular rulings. But I do think they get more calls right at the end of the day which should be what ultimately matters the most.

Ciskie: I don't think there's a good way to change the standard from "indisputable visual evidence." The "50 guys in a room" standard is a good one. Bottom line is that you should see something on the tape that makes it perfectly evident what really happened on the play. If you don't see that, you don't overturn the call.

As much as I'd love for "common sense" to be the ultimate standard, not enough people possess this important quality.

Snyder: I tend to agree that there isn't a great way to tweak the system. I think it does the job it's intended to do well over 90 percent of the time. If the general public doesn't think evidence is indisputable, well, who really cares? What matters are the trained and qualified eyes, and those are the people viewing the replays.

One idea I personally liked was Burke's idea of having the official(s) involved in the call going to watch the replay with the referee. I'm sure there are downfalls -- such as the old "too many cooks in the kitchen" cliche -- but I think it would be helpful for the guy who made the original call to watch along with the white hat. He could then easily say something like, "see that's what I thought I saw, but now that I see it slowed down it appears I was wrong." Or the opposite. He could watch the slow-motion replay and have it reaffirm what he saw in real speed.

Another possible downfall could be a disagreement in interpretation, but that is easily solved. The final word rests with the referee, for he is the boss. The official next to him is merely around for input. I also think this would safeguard against errors when the referee announces the verdict. When more heads are put together, the chances of errors -- like the Troy Polamalu touchdown/non-touchdown -- are drastically diminished.

So what does the public think? Is replay flawed, and if so, can it be fixed? Is the level of scrutiny properly in place, or is it unreasonable?

Refs in the Hood: An NFL FanHouse Roundtable on Instant Replay Officiating originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Tue, 16 Dec 2008 15:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Marino Watch, Week 15: Things Are Taking a Positive Turn for Mr. Marino

Tom Mantzouranis — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 14:00:00 EST

Filed under: Arizona Cardinals, Saints, NFL Real Talk

(Getty Images)

The 2008 NFL season is inching closer to its end, while each passing week sees Drew Brees and Kurt Warner inch closer to Dan Marino's single-season record of 5,084 passing yards, set in 1984. We chronicle their quest in this new feature, Marino Watch. Think of it as McGwire/Sosa, without 'roids.

What They Did in Week 15

Drew Brees (at Chicago): 24-for-43 for 232 yards, two touchdowns, two interceptions
Kurt Warner (vs. Minnesota): 29-for-45 for 270 yards, one touchdown, one interception

Where They Stand

Drew Brees: 4,332 yards (752 yards/376 yards per game away)
Kurt Warner: 4,290 yards (794 yards/397 yards per game away)

Going Deep

The prospects for Brees and Warner grew grim this week. Though they each have one cakewalk pass defense left on the schedule (Detroit for Brees, Seattle for Warner), they each took steps back in Week 15, and will each need at least one Herculean effort to get back on track.

Brees, as has been the case the last two years, was harrassed in a late-season game in Soldier Field. While he and the team caught up in the second half, he was pressured often early on, only tossing 93 yards before halftime. Pressure gets to almost any quarterback, but the brave Brees suffers worse than most, as he's more reluctant than most to take a sack. This means he throws more interceptions and incompletions, as was the case in Chicago. Of course, that style put him in the position to take down the yardage record in the first place, so you have to take the good with the bad, and in recent weeks it's been more bad for Brees.

That Arizona game, meanwhile, was just a disaster all around. The Vikings got out to an early 21-0 lead before Warner really had any chance to get something going, putting him behind the eight ball immediately. When you're so far behind, you have to turn to the air to catch up, which is Arizona's specialty. However, it also makes your offense one-dimensional and predictable. And Minnesota was able to protect its leaky secondary with an innate number of blitzes, which kept Warner off balance all day. In fact, he wouldn't have posted nearly the day he had if the Vikes hadn't have backed off into prevent coverage late in the game -- Warner had 83 yards alone in only part of the fourth quarter before he was pulled for Matt Leinart.

Who's On Tap

Drew Brees: at Detroit (220.9 yards per game allowed -- 21st)
Kurt Warner: at New England (211.8 yards per game allowed -- 16th)

Marino Watch, Week 15: Things Are Taking a Positive Turn for Mr. Marino originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Mon, 15 Dec 2008 14:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Cedric Benson Thinks He'd Have 1,800 Yards if He Was Still on the Bears

Matt Snyder — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 12:30:00 EST

Filed under: Chicago Bears, Bengals, AFC North, NFC North, NFL Real Talk

I've often said that Matt Forte is the antithesis of Cedric Benson, both on the field and off. On the field, he actually makes cuts, catches passes, and runs just as hard on each and every carry. Off the field, Forte is humble, gracious, hard-working, and he cares about his team winning football games. Oh, and he doesn't get arrested twice in the span of a few months.

Benson was the complete opposite of everything I said above. Arrogant, indifferent, lazy, running afoul of the law, unproductive, etc. With a recent quote, he proved he was also delusional.

''(Forte) is having a great year, but when I see the highlights, I see holes,'' Benson told reporters in Cincinnati. ''I see them using him in the slot, something they didn't do with me. If I was there right now with the holes I see, I'd probably have 1,800 yards right now. I definitely would have 1,500 by now. I congratulate him on all of his success. He is taking advantage.''

This is such a farce, I don't even know where to begin. I mean, 1,800 yards? With two games to go? Cedric Benson would be on the verge of a 2,000 yard season?

The reason the Bears didn't use Benson in the slot is because he's not versatile enough. He's not a quality pass-catcher, and he's not agile enough to shake coverage on the outside. Furthermore, what does lining up in the slot have to do with rushing yards?

Matt Forte is 10 times the running back and 20 times the man Cedric Benson is. I may actually be conservative in those unquantifiable, fictional numbers. Forte currently has 1,108 yards rushing. Yes, he was hampered with an injury last night, which drastically cut into his production and the production of the offense. Still, let's say he ended up at 1,200 yards. Cedric Benson is claiming he's at least 300 yards better, and probably 500 yards better, over the course of 14 games than Forte.

All I have to say is, have fun losing on a weekly basis in Cincy, Ced.

You definitely deserve it.

Cedric Benson Thinks He'd Have 1,800 Yards if He Was Still on the Bears originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Fri, 12 Dec 2008 12:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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LenDale White Accuses DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart of Hijacking His Nickname

Will Brinson — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 17:43:00 EST

Filed under: Panthers, Titans, NFL Fans, NFL Media Watch, NFL Real Talk

Fat men are generally funny and that stereotype (just roll with it, okay?) appears to apply to LenDale White as well, if you hear what he was spouting off at a recent press conference.

See, White was asked what he thought about DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart being nicknamed "Smash and Dash" for their on-field running prowess. And, since White claims he already has proprietary rights on that name, he was none too pleased.

"If they want a nickname, I can nickname them: 'Identity and Theft,'" said White, who's successfully paired with the speedy rookie Chris Johnson this season. "...I was upset because I made that phrase up myself. I mean I made it up. I don't know about NFL Network and all those other guys. I heard somebody say, 'Batman and Robin,' that's like cute, that's for them. If they want that name they can have it. The 'Smash and Dash' is something I made up."

"We've got a copyright and everything for it, I'll make sure I show the documents," White said. "It's well trademarked and it's copy written. I don't know if we're going to take legal action or not."

He also went on to say that he had been "swacced", which apparently means "swagger-jacked", and is definitely my new favorite term.

Now, while I would personally prefer the Stewart - Williams combo (I think they're collectively much more talented than White and Johnson, although I do love the speedy ECU grab), the nickname "Smash and Dash" is vastly more applicable to the Tennessee tandem, in terms of running style. So, I'm willing to concede it to him. Besides, at least he didn't call them weak a ... er, nevermind.

Via Deadspin

LenDale White Accuses DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart of Hijacking His Nickname originally appeared on NFL FanHouse on Wed, 10 Dec 2008 17:43:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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