Author: Anthony Stalter (Page 1057 of 1503)

      Chad Johnson deactivated for game against Steelers

      November 20, 2008 /

      The roller coaster ride that is the Cincinnati Bengals’ 2008 season continues as Chad “Ocho Cinco” Johnson will be deactivated for tonight’s game against the Pittsburgh Steelers for violating a team rule.

      Chad JohnsonThe Bengals made the announcement in a terse statement delivered here from the team’s downtown hotel and said there would be no other announcement until after the game.

      With wide receiver Antonio Chatman on injured reserve, the Bengals are looking at starting Chris Henry or Glenn Holt in place of Ocho Cinco, and it looks like rookie Andre Caldwell could get some time after practing Tuesday for the first time since he got injured against the Steelers Oct. 19.
      Ocho Cinco couldn’t be reached for comment.

      Even he has seemed surprised at times at how well he has behaved and has said all the right things despite the most frustrating season of his career that began with arthroscopic ankle surgery and has continued with a separated shoulder.

      As late as Tuesday he said, “Regardless of who the opponent is, my mind is really set to approach each game the same way, in the same positive manner and when the opportunities come, just make the plays.”

      The Bengals must not have filled their quota this year for suspending players. This team needs to break out the biggest broom they can find and do some major cleansing this offseason. Blow the whole thing up and start over.

      Clearly, this is an upgrade for T.J. Houshmandzadeh and Chris Henry, and probably a downgrade for Ryan Fitzpatrick. Housh is a solid play, but I wouldn’t want to start Henry against a very good Pittsburgh pass defense. Still, if you’re desperate, Henry became a viable spot starter with Ocho Cinco out.

      Fantasy Football, NFL

      Mike Florio said something stupid today

      November 20, 2008 /

      Mike Florio of SportingNews.com writes that because Donovan McNabb and other athletes didn’t know there were ties in the NFL that they don’t love the game of football as much as fans do.

      Donovan McNabbHowever, a player’s knowledge of the rules should be a factor in the overall process. It’s relevant because it shows whether he truly loves his sport or if he just plays for money and fame. It’s relevant to whether he can be counted on to do whatever is necessary to win — no matter if it’s in the first minute of the first quarter or in the final seconds of overtime.

      For players like McNabb, it’s hard to conclude they truly love pro football. If they did, they’d figure out at some point before turning 30 that tie games can happen, even if they don’t happen often.

      Here’s what we learned Sunday, when Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb declared with stunning nonchalance that he didn’t know an NFL game could end in a tie: Many pro athletes are motivated primarily by the fact they get paid a lot of money to do what they do.

      How else can anyone explain McNabb’s ignorance of a rule almost all NFL fans can recite without advance thought?

      As it turns out, several other Eagles didn’t know. Plenty of players on other teams also are saying they didn’t know, either.

      The message? They care. But they don’t care. Not like the rest of us, who’d play pro football for free and routinely fork over big money to watch others do it.

      McNabb + didn’t know about ties in the NFL = he doesn’t love football? There seems to be a lot missing from that equation.

      Ben Roethlisberger said that he didn’t know there were ties in football, but Florio doesn’t mention him, or any players from the Falcons-Steelers tie in 2002 who admitted they didn’t know there were ties either. Maybe these players don’t know about ties because they only happen once every six years. Hell, thousands of players go entire careers without playing to a tie.

      This is absolutely ridiculous that this is being made into such a big deal. The bigger deal is how the Eagles were even in this situation to begin with. They should have been running out the clock in the fourth quarter – not playing for overtime. Criticize McNabb for his horrid performance, but don’t focus on something as dumb as this. A gaff in the Steelers-Chargers game cost people roughly $64 million and Florio is writing about this.

      McNabb doesn’t love football because he didn’t know there were ties? What an asinine thing to say.

      NFL

      Edgerrin James wanted release but Cards denied request

      November 20, 2008 /

      According to ESPN.com Arizona Cardinals’ running back Edgerrin James wanted his outright release but the team denied his request.

      “We spoke with [general manager] Rod Graves because Edgerrin still believes he is a 1,000-yard back and he is healthy and he is still capable of being a 1,000-yard back for a team,” Rosenhaus said. “He is not playing now, and there are teams that are banged up at the running back position that he could help. We didn’t get the answer we were hoping for.”

      Graves said on Wednesday evening that Rosenhaus asked if the team would consider releasing James “and we declined it as a consideration.”

      “I explained to him that we still saw Edgerrin as a valuable member of our football team,” Graves said.

      “Edgerrin isn’t trying to cause any problems,” Rosenhaus said. “He has had a Hall of Fame career and he has enjoyed his stay in Arizona. But it’s apparent that he’s probably not going to be back with the Cardinals next season. If that’s the case, he can move and help another team and get a start now.”

      The writing was on the wall for James in Arizona when there were rumors in April that the team wanted to draft a running back. And now that Tim Hightower has emerged as a quality starter (he has been more effective than James has), there’s just no room for James. I don’t blame the team for wanting to hang on to him throughout the year for insurance, but it would be fair to James if the Cards parted ways at the end of the season to give him another opportunity to start somewhere.

      Fantasy Football, NFL

      Cubs re-sign Ryan Dempster for $52 mil

      November 19, 2008 /

      The Chicago Cubs re-signed starter Ryan Dempster to a four-year, $52 million contract.

      Ryan DempsterThe 31-year-old right-hander was 17-6 with a 2.96 ERA for the Cubs this season.

      “It was imperative that we kept him in house,” general manager Jim Hendry said. “No doubt in our minds that Ryan would have exceeded this deal on the streets in three or four weeks from now, the way the market is for starting pitching. Ryan was committed. From Day One he told us he wanted to stay. And it was a priority for us to try and get it done before we got too far down the road in the winter.”

      As the Cubs’ closer from 2005-07, Dempster saved 87 games in 102 chances. After earning a spot in the rotation during spring training following rigorous workouts last offseason, he returned to the starter’s role he held with the Marlins and Reds from 1998-2003.

      Dempster went 14-3 at Wrigley Field during the regular season.

      Not bad money for a guy that could only win at Wrigley Field last year. It’ll be interesting to see if the Cubs can now pull off a deal for Jake Peavy.

      Fantasy Baseball, MLB

      Mercury Morris a fan of unbeaten Titans

      November 19, 2008 /

      After basically rooting against the New England Patriots last year, NFL player Mercury Morris – who was a member of the undefeated 1972 Miami Dolphins – is backing the Tennessee Titans and their quest for perfection.

      “If the Titans show up [in the Super Bowl with a perfect record], they would be exactly like we were. Nobody believed after the 10th game, the 12th game, the 16th game,” Morris said on ESPN’s First Take on Monday.

      The 1972 Dolphins, who went 14-0 and then won three playoff games, are the last team to go undefeated. Morris rushed for 1,000 yards and 12 touchdowns that season.
      The Titans improved to 10-0 Sunday with a 24-14 victory at Jacksonville. New England finished the regular season 16-0 in 2007 but lost in the Super Bowl against the New York Giants, failing to finish undefeated.

      “The Patriots, you people were crowning them after the second game and the season was a formality. I kept trying to tell you,” Morris said on First Take.

      What, since nobody thinks the Titans can go undefeated Morris is all about them? Yet because the Pats were a juggernaut and everyone bought into their quest for perfection, Morris wanted them to fail?

      Is anybody else sick of this guy? I’m afraid that ESPN is going to keep going to Morris for his brilliant commentary every season while teams remain undefeated and that makes me feel sad inside.

      NFL

      « Older posts Newer posts »

      © 2026 The Scores Report – The National Sports Blog

      Theme by Anders Noren — Up ↑