Month: August 2008 (Page 24 of 50)

      Rams, Steven Jackson still far apart on new contract

      August 18, 2008 /

      As Steve Jackson holdout nears almost a month, the St. Louis Dispatch reports that he and the Rams have had no recent dialogue about extending his contract.

      So the holdout continues. As of Sunday, the Pro Bowl running back had missed 24 days of training camp and the preseason, 24 practices and two preseason games. At $15,116 per day, his fine total stands at $362,784 — or just under the minimum base salary for a second-year NFL player.

      For the first time, Rams coach Scott Linehan conceded Sunday that time is of the essence in getting Jackson ready for the season opener Sept. 7 in Philadelphia.

      “It is getting critical to where time now becomes more of an issue for just the physical part of getting ready for the opener,” Linehan said. “Every day we miss now … does start to factor in as to what the workload will be from the start.

      One has to believe that the Rams will eventually get this mess figured out, but will it be sooner rather than later? Antonio Pittman has received the bulk of the carries in the preseason and while he has shown flashes of potential, he can’t duplicate what Jackson does for the Rams’ offense in both the running and passing game. And at only 25 years old, Jackson is just starting to reach his prime so it’s imperative that St. Louis reaches a deal with the star back.

      Fantasy Football, NFL

      Will Peyton Manning be ready by Week 1?

      August 18, 2008 /

      Peter King of SI.com wonders aloud if Indianapolis Colts’ quarterback Peyton Manning will be ready to play by Week 1 of the NFL season after having an infected bursa sac near his left knee removed in mid July.

      After surgery, the knee was immobilized — for two weeks, I was told — and the infection treated with antibiotics to be sure it was totally eradicated from Manning’s system. “Then the incision had to heal,” said Polian. “That’s fine now. Now he begins — he’s begun — range-of-motion exercises. He’s in that process now. Now he’s at the point where Mother Nature has to take over. He’s close to optimum range of motion now. He’s on schedule, with no bumps in the road.”

      Here’s the big problem, as I see it. Polian says the doctors are not going to clear Manning unless they’re sure he can maneuver in the pocket and has the leg strength to play an NFL game. Now, if Manning spent the second half of July (or more) with the leg immobilized, with a little longer to wait before normal activity could be resumed, the resulting muscle atrophy would take a while to get over. Thus, as of Sunday, Manning was working hard to make sure he get could full range of motion and normal flexion in the knee.

      Considering he’s never missed a game in his career, the Manning-bursa sac story has been a relatively quiet one so far this summer. But King is right – this might become a huge issue in about a week if Manning can’t practice. In terms of being familiar with the playbook and offense, obviously Manning has zero learning curve to worry about seeing as how he knows Tom Moore’s system like the back of his hand. But it’s a different animal when you consider Manning still has to get his timing back with his receivers and get his legs ready for a full 16-game season.

      It’s easy to say, “Well it’s Peyton Manning – he’s going to play.” But even if he does, will he be 100%? There has to be some concerns brewing within the Colts’ organization, even if they do believe Jim Sorgi (who has never started an NFL regular season game) is a capable backup.

      Fantasy Football, NFL

      Madden NFL 09 Review

      August 18, 2008 /

      Wives and girlfriends have entered a dark time period with the release of the new “Madden.” Husbands and boyfriends everywhere will disappear for hours, days, weeks and months as they try to get their respective video teams to a video Super Bowl.

      Jason Zingale of Bullz-Eye.com reviewed “Madden NFL 09,” the latest edition in the popular video game series.

      Designed with the idea that if it’s not broke, don’t fix it, “Madden 09” plays almost exactly the same as its predecessor. There are some minor changes, though, that really make a difference in the long run. For starters, the graphics are unbelievable. Now, you’re probably thinking to yourself, “they were pretty darn impressive last year, too,” but once you realize just how drastic the difference is (from the crisper environments to the more believable weather effects), you’ll never be able to play a game of “Madden 08” again without noticing that your players don’t get muddy in the rain, or that they don’t leave footprints when running through the snow.

      That’s not all, either. You can now call bluff plays on the line of scrimmage, audibles are no longer spelled out for your opponent with hand signals, and celebrations (like dunks over the goal post or mimicking Chad Johnson’s riverdance) can be initiated by running into lighted areas of the endzone. It all makes the experience that much more realistic, and though the increased difficulty had me grumbling through my first couple of games, I wouldn’t have it any other way. This is “Madden” after all, and if Electronic Arts made it that easy to adapt to the new dynamics of gameplay each year, it wouldn’t be the most successful sports franchise in video game history. Happy Birthday “Madden,” and here’s to another great 20 years.

      General Sports, NFL

      Chad Johnson strains shoulder in preseason loss

      August 18, 2008 /

      Chad Johnson strained his left shoulder Sunday night against the Detroit Lions in the Bengals second preseason game. He was hurt on a pass from Carson Palmer that was intercepted by Lions cornerback Brian Kelly. From NFL.com:

      Johnson landed awkwardly on his left side after cornerback Brian Kelly intercepted a pass thrown his way on Cincinnati’s first series. Johnson rolled on the field in pain for several seconds, then went to the locker room for an examination. He did not return.

      Coach Lewis thinks that’ll be fine for the regular season. Is it just me, or is it looking like it’s going to be a tough season in general for Ocho Cinco? Let’s put it this way, I’m not drafting him in any fantasy leagues. Let’s just hope that doesn’t come back to haunt me.

      Fantasy Football, NFL

      Couch Potato Alert: 8/18

      August 18, 2008 /

      -Team USA’s basketball team has been on a tear throughout the Olympic Games. Be sure to tune in on Monday morning at 8:00 AM Eastern on the USA Network. This is the last game of pool play; the Men’s Quarterfinals begin this Wednesday.

      -The Angels and Rays play this week in a battle of two division leaders. Who would’ve thunk it? You can catch the final game of the series this Wednesday at 7:00 PM Eastern on ESPN2.

      -Anyone who’s been watching Hard Knocks: Training Camp with the Dallas Cowboys knows that it’s a very entertaining hour of television. With T.O., Tony Romo, and Adam “Pacman” Jones, how can it not be? Episode three of six airs this Wednesday at 10:00 PM Eastern on HBO.

      -For those of you who can’t wait for the NFL season to get here, check out the NFL Network all week long for replays of Week 2 of the NFL Preseason.

      Couch Potato Alert

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