Author: Anthony Stalter (Page 940 of 1503)

      Haynesworth won’t re-sign with Titans, will test free agent market

      February 18, 2009 /

      The best free agent defensive tackle available this offseason is set to hit the open market after Albert Haynesworth and the Tennessee Titans were unable to negotiate a new contract over the past couple weeks.

      Albert HaynesworthAfter weeks of negotiations, after hours of discussions, defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth has decided not to re-sign with Tennessee until he first gets to test the free-agent market, a source said Wednesday.

      Thus, other teams will have the opportunity to bid for Haynesworth, who will be one of the most coveted free agents on the open market.

      Haynesworth still could return to Tennessee, but it will not be anytime before free agency begins Friday, Feb. 27.

      A host of teams are expected to bid on Haynesworth, who is hoping to become the highest paid defensive player in NFL history. Haynesworth’s deal could turn out to average about $12 million per year with guaranteed money north of $30 million.

      It might be Tennessee that lands him. But other teams will get their chance.

      Haynesworth is easily the best defensive tackle prospect on the market and will command big bucks for any team willing to shell out for his services. He can be a dominating inside presence and is coming off two highly productive seasons. But questions remain about his character (ask Andre Gurode) and whether or not his production will drop after he receives his big contract.

      Still, similar question marks surrounded Shaun Rogers, but he proved to be a vital addition to the Browns’ defensive line after they acquired him from Detroit last offseason. Some team will pay big to have a disruptive player like Haynesworth on their defensive line.

      NFL

      Johnny Damon: ‘A-Rod didn’t murder anyone’

      February 18, 2009 /

      Johnny Damon talked about the Alex Rodriguez steroid situation at a recent press conference and what came out of his mouth was, well, less than intelligent.

      Johnny DamonJohnny Damon speaks to the media today in Tampa following A-Rod’s presser: “Yeah he did some bad things. He took a steroid. Definitely do not condone that, at all, but there could be a lot worse things he could have been doing out there. He hasn’t done a crime. So there’s worse things that he could have done but you know I’ve known Alex since he was 15 and he’s always been super nice to me and so I’m going to support him and try help him through this time. (Reporter: Johnny, what would have been worse?) Murdering someone… There’s plenty of things that could be worse than what he did. (Reporter: In your mind, is what he did cheating?) For part time in his career, perhaps, but you know what, the pitchers that were facing him too at the time were doing it.”

      In essence, Damon is right – murdering someone is worse than taking steroids. But saying, “you know what, the pitchers that were facing him too at the same time were doing it” is a juvenile argument. Too bad one of the reporters didn’t follow up with, “Well, if Roy Halladay jumped off a bridge, would A-Rod have done it, too?”

      It’s comments like Damon’s that prove that these guys are going to brush off the fact that they ever did anything wrong. In the grand scheme of things, are steroids that big of a deal? Not really. Depending on what steroid the person uses, they do more personal harm (acne, increased aggression, anaphylactic shock, cancer, blood clotting, depression, etc.) than anything. Is someone taking steroids worse than someone murdering someone? Of course not. But the fact remains that these guys used something to gain an unfair advantage and taint the great game of baseball. That’s the problem, and players like Damon and A-Rod continue to miss that point.

      MLB

      Jerry Jones hints that T.O. will be a Cowboy next year

      February 18, 2009 /

      All of the speculation that Terrell Owens won’t be a Cowboy next season might be a moot point after Dallas owner Jerry Jones recently suggested that his wideout will be back in Dallas in 2009.

      Jerry Jones“You and I both know that the one [player] you’re asking about all the time, if I gave you the answer that you want to hear, then you would have already had it,” Jones said. “So the fact you don’t have it ought to tell you something.”

      Jones assumes most of the media members want Owens gone. With some, it’s pretty obvious. So is there any way to interpret Jones’ answer as meaning the Cowboys plan to cut Owens any time soon?
      I don’t think so.

      And does the optimism that bubbled out of Jones at different times Tuesday afternoon suggest this is a man about to take a $9.6 million salary cap hit to get rid of his best receiver?
      I don’t think so.

      Jones isn’t going to change his ways now. He’s always been an owner that marches to the beat of his own drummer and that means chemistry always takes a backseat to talent in terms of teams he runs. Jones knows he has a ton of talent, but it just needs to come together. He’s waited for that talent to come together for two years now and he might have to wait longer if he continues to ignore the internal problems that are going on in the Cowboys locker room.

      NFL

      Browns taking a risk by not placing franchise tag on Jones?

      February 18, 2009 /

      Sean JonesAccording to the Cleveland Plain Dealer, the Browns are not expected to use their franchise tag on safety Sean Jones, who is set to hit the free agent market at the end of the month.

      Jones had an injury-plagued season and didn’t live up to his outstanding 2007 campaign, but then again, few Browns did. He finished with just 48 tackles, four interceptions and one forced fumble, compared to the 69 tackle, five-interception season he had the year before.

      The Browns must assume that Jones is already returning (he did say back in December that he wants to stay in Cleveland) and therefore don’t want to spend the $6.34 million that comes with tagging a safety. Plus, given his small injury concerns, they no doubt want his yearly figure to be significantly less than $6 million. (After all, his current salary is $2.145 million.)

      Generally, players don’t want to be tagged anyway. They prefer to work out long term contracts and avoid the risk that is associated with not having a contract in place after the season. But Cleveland is taking a risk by not placing at least a non-exclusive tag (which would cost them $4.3 mil for one year) on Jones because he could walk at any time. And 26-year old safeties that are assets in run support and decent ball skills don’t fall off trees in the NFL. Safety is one of the most sought after positions in the league and if Jones is allowed to hit the open market, another team might be willing to throw a decent amount of money at him for his services.

      The Browns can’t lose this guy. Even after an up and down season, he’s vital to their secondary. We’ll see if their risk pays off and he isn’t tempted to fly the coop.

      NFL

      A-Rod speaks, says he and cousin injected each other with over the counter substance

      February 17, 2009 /

      At a press conference on Tuesday, Yankees’ third baseman Alex Rodriguez said in a prepared statement that from 2001 to 2003, he and a cousin used a substance available over the counter in the Dominican Republic and that it was known as “boli.”

      “I didn’t think they were steroids,” he said. “That’s again part of being young and stupid. It was over the counter. It was pretty simple.”

      “All these years I never thought I did anything wrong.”

      He said he wasn’t sure how the drug use helped him, but admitted he had more energy.
      Rodriguez said he has not used human growth hormone or any other banned drug since then. He refused to identify his cousin.

      The three-time AL MVP and baseball’s highest-paid player spoke at the Yankees’ spring training camp 10 days after Sports Illustrated reported that he tested positive in 2003 for a pair of steroids during baseball’s anonymous survey in 2003. Two days after the story broke, Major League Baseball’s highest-paid player acknowledged that fact in an interview with ESPN.

      For years, Rodriguez denied using performance-enhancing drugs. But SI reported he was on a list of 104 players who tested positive during baseball’s 2003 survey. SI identified the drugs causing the positive test as Primobolan and testosterone.

      “We consulted no one and had no good reason to base that decision,” he said. “It was pretty evident that we didn’t know what we’re doing.”

      Hey, A-Rod’s human – he makes mistakes just like everyone else. But I have a hard time fathoming that he injected something into his body that he believed was just an energy booster.

      He’s a star athlete making millions of dollars, had a newborn baby on the way at the time and a wife. Forget the fact that he’s an athlete – as a man, shouldn’t he have gone to greater lengths to make sure that he wasn’t doing anything to harm himself or his family? It would be irresponsible if he or anyone else were out doing drugs with a child on the way and a family to take after. Considering he didn’t know what was going into his body, this situation is no different.

      He hasn’t tried to hide from this situation and that’s commendable. He is taking his medicine and will continue to do so throughout the rest of his career. But to me, he still seems like he’s trying to snake out of this situation. He still seems like he’s trying to play the role of victim by writing this entire situation off by saying he was young, naïve and stupid.

      Either way, as long as he’s not lying again, it’s over. He’s admitted his mistake and that’s more than Mark McGwire, Roger Clemens, Barry Bonds, Sammy Sosa and Rafael Palmiero have done.

      MLB

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