Category: NFL (Page 1027 of 1282)

      Mendenhall was ready to walk out on final year at Illinois

      June 16, 2008 /

      SPORTSbyBROOKS.com (from Champaign’s The News-Gazette) writes that former Illinois running back Rashard Mendenhall was ready to quit his final season at U of I, apparently because of head coach Ron Zook.

      “There was a point where we were at the stadium and I was ready to start walking out and my brother stopped me,” Mendenhall said. “I wasn’t walking out like I was playing around for the day. I don’t play around with stuff like that.”

      “I sat down and I was like, ‘If this is what football is, I don’t know if I want to do that anymore,’ ” Mendenhall said. “I’m not soft at all. I’m not scared of adversity. I don’t care if somebody’s yelling at me. That’s not what it was about at all.

      “My brother was the one who kept me there,” Mendenhall said. “He got me refocused. He let me realize it was bigger than me. It wasn’t all about me. It was about my family. It’s about kids I hadn’t even met yet who I would impact by (quitting). I love the game of football, but so much other stuff taints it.”

      Anybody that has played the game of football at any level knows how grueling it can be both physically and mentally. And it must be even tougher to play when you’re trying to earn a degree at the same time. Hopefully Mendenhall is enjoying the game more in Pittsburgh and will have a productive rookie season, because the guy has a load of talent.

      College Football, NFL

      Last straw? Shockey and Giants GM go at it

      June 14, 2008 /

      According to The North Jersey Record, Giants tight end Jeremy Shockey and GM Jerry Reese got in a shouting match Friday at the team’s minicamp.

      Shockey remained secluded Friday, the final day of the team’s mandatory minicamp, leaving Giants Stadium before the morning practice ended. Reports later surfaced he and Reese had an animated argument, apparently over some points the tight end listed Saturday as reasons for his unrest.

      One was the Giants’ insistence he watch Super Bowl XLII from co-owner Steve Tisch’s luxury box instead of from the sidelines. More important, however, was Shockey’s claim the Giants spread the rumors of his off-season unrest in hopes of drumming up trade interest.

      During an appearance last Saturday at Corona Park, Shockey said the Giants “released multiple things about myself. If you look back into the media, there’s always a source. Well, I’d like to know who the source is. We’ll go over here and deal it out ourselves.”

      If he figured Reese as the source, the argument might have been the “deal it out.”

      This situation is going to get worse before it gets better. If he wants to be traded, Shockey is going about it the wrong way by fighting with the general manager. If he continues to speak his mind to the media, the Giants will never get fair compensation in a trade. Either way, it might be time for the G-Men to part with this headache and give Kevin Boss a shot.

      Fantasy Football, NFL

      32 NFL Players that must produce in 2008

      June 13, 2008 /

      SI.com’s Ross Tucker notes one player from each of the 32 NFL teams that must make an early impact in the 2008 season.

      Derek Anderson, QB, Cleveland Browns: It doesn’t matter how well Anderson played in 2007 or what the numbers are on his new contract. If he doesn’t play well early, on a team with high expectations and primetime games galore, fans will call for local boy Brady Quinn.

      Aaron Rodgers, QB, Green Bay Packers: They won’t have a short leash with Rodgers as he likely will be given the whole season to show what he can do, but they took Brohm for a reason and there may be a guy in Mississippi who they have on speed dial should they need reinforcements from the cavalry. Rodgers needs to perform early in order to foster confidence among his teammates.

      Matt Jones, WR, Jacksonville Jaguars: Jones was taken in the first round by the Jaguars for a reason. Unfortunately, they still don’t know what that reason was. Jones stature took a hit with the signing of Jerry Porter and trade for Troy Williamson, though the departure of Ernest Wilford helps his cause towards being their red-zone threat.

      Donovan McNabb, QB, Philadelphia Eagles: Though it is not being talked about much in Philadelphia, if the Eagles get off to a horrific start, some members of the organization and fan base may clamor to see what Kevin Kolb can do…

      McNabb is so under appreciated it’s not even funny. As soon as he throws his first interception the fans in Philly will be calling for Kolb’s name. And this is a huge year for Rodgers, because quite frankly, I think Brian Brohm is going to be a solid pro quarterback.

      I doubt Matt Jones makes it out of Jacksonville’s camp and this is just a hunch, but I bet this will be D.A.’s last year in Cleveland. If he plays well, the Browns can try to ask for a king’s ransom in a trade. If he struggles, they might not get a lot in return, but Quinn becomes the starter in 2009 regardless. Again, that’s just a hunch.

      NFL

      Marcus Vick fought the law and the law won…again

      June 13, 2008 /

      SPORTSbyBROOKS.com posts a story from the Nofolk Virginian-Pilot about multiple-screw up Marcus Vick being cited for a DUI in eastern Virginia.

      According to Officer Chris Amos, police spokesman, a bicycle officer approached a couple arguing in a car in the 200 block of Granby Street around 2 a.m. Friday.

      When the officer asked for the man’s identification the car took off at high speed, Amos said. A few minutes later another officer spotted the car and stopped it in the 300 block of Armistead Ave.

      Vick, of the 5100 block of West Creek St., failed a sobriety test, Amos said, and was charged with DUI, misdemeanor eluding police, reckless driving and driving on a suspended license. The woman, identified as Delicia Lenora Cordon, 24, of Miami, was charged with being drunk in public.

      So in Vick’s flee from justice, he only managed to drive a mile and a half down the street? That’s not running from the law; that’s more like jogging from the law.

      That crazy Vick. He doesn’t even have the instincts to elude the authorities. No wonder he couldn’t stay in the league. What NFL team would take a guy that couldn’t even outrun the cops.

      It’s safe to say at this point that Momma Vick produced two fine, upstanding gentlemen. One’s in jail for breeding pit bulls so he can bet on them in fights, while the other stomps on people’s legs during football games, brandishes a gun in a fast food parking lot and is getting cited for DUI’s. Outstanding.

      College Football, General Sports, NFL

      Welcome to the 21st century – TSN to roll out a daily digit to boost online readership

      June 12, 2008 /

      For decades, The Sporting News (the weekly magazine, not the website) used to be the pillar of sports information, from news and insights, to scores and stats. But TSN has slowly realized that what they provide weekly in a magazine is already available daily on hundreds of sports sites on the web.

      That’s why TSN has decided to go with Sporting News Today, which is a digit daily (an e-mail basically) complete with news, scores, stats and more.

      The new business model is a mix as well: the digital daily will be free while the magazine, which will be reintroduced in September with an emphasis on analysis and commentary, remains $3.99 an issue. The magazine circulation is about 700,000.

      As the NYT explains, it’s a kind of “back to the future” move: take what the magazine was once known for—being the weekly sports Bible—and try to make it that kind of relevant in 2008 by providing a full morning briefing for “serious sports fans.” In today’s instant news world, can that work? Not in lieu of immediate gratification but as a way of providing a coherent picture the reader doesn’t have to piece together on his or her own, it just might.

      This is a logical and smart business move. Obviously nobody wants to wait a week for information that they can get on a daily basis. So by sending a daily e-mail and making it free, TSN will get people to view their content instead going to ESPN.com or any other website to get their sports information. (Or at least, that’s what the idea is in theory.)

      At least at the start, it’s a wise move for TSN to make this digit daily free. People have a short attention span as it is. If you want to charge for something that people can already get free elsewhere, their attention span gets even shorter.

      General Sports, MLB, NBA, NFL

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