Category: NFL (Page 150 of 1282)

PFW: Newton “has an enormous ego with a sense of entitlement”

Auburn University quarterback Cam Newton speaks with the media in New York in this December 11, 2010 file photo. Newton declared himself eligible for the 2011 NFL draft on Thursday. The Heisman trophy winner, who led the Tigers to a perfect 14-0 season capped by 22-19 victory over the Oregon Ducks in U.S. college football’s championship game on Monday, said on the Auburn website that he will forgo his senior year and pursue a professional career. REUTERS/Keith Bedford (UNITED STATES – Tags: SPORT FOOTBALL HEADSHOT)

Pro Football Weekly’s Nolan Nawrocki wrote a rather scathing review of Auburn quarterback Cam Newton for the publication’s annual draft magazine.

Under “Negatives,” Nawrocki wrote that Newton is “very disingenuous – has a fake smile, comes off as very scripted” and has a “selfish, me-first makeup.” But he didn’t stop there.

“Always knows where the cameras are and plays to them. Has an enormous ego with a sense of entitlement that continually invites trouble and makes him believe he is above the law — does not command respect from teammates and will always struggle to win a locker room . . . Lacks accountability, focus and trustworthiness — is not punctual, seeks shortcuts and sets a bad example. Immature and has had issues with authority. Not dependable.”

Wow, tell us how you really feel, Nolan. I guess he didn’t think that “has questionable character” quite summed up how he felt about Newton.

Pro Football Weekly is a well-respected publication and Nawrocki makes his living from giving his opinion, which is all he did here. Obviously somewhere along the line he thought Newton was being an immature kid with a sense of entitlement and Narworki decided to print what he saw/felt.

That said, could he have made it any more personal? It sounds like Nawrocki has a vendetta against Newton and that’s only going to shed negative connotations on PWF in some people’s eyes. You don’t talk about a prospect’s “fake smile” without sounding like a scorned lover and I wonder what kind of backlash Nawrocki is experiencing after writing the report.

Dez Bryant sued for unpaid debts

Dallas Cowboys Dez Bryant watches his 93-yard punt return against the New York Giants on the video board during the second quarter in Cowboys Stadium October 25, 2010 in Arlington, Texas. UPI/Ian Halperin

Maybe there was something to what Deion Sanders had to say last week about Dez Bryant.

A week after Deion stated publicly that the receiver “needs help,” Bryant is now being sued by a landlord in Stillwater, Oklahoma for failing to pay his rent.

“He still has not paid us,” said Bryce Campbell, the manager for Jim Campbell Property Management, the plaintiff in the case. “He will not answer our calls.”

Campbell said Bryant’s lawyers told his company that if they signed a form agreeing to drop the case, the leasing office would receive a check within two weeks.

“We never received anything,” Campbell said, “and that’s been months ago.”

“We were kind of excited he got a contract,” Campbell said. “OK, the guy just didn’t have the money. Now he’s got a contract. Five thousand is nothing to him….He hasn’t even attempted to (pay).”

This isn’t the first time that Bryant has been accused of not settling his debts. A New York jeweler claims that the receiver owes $240,000 for unpaid jewelry ordered sometime between January and May of 2010. A Texas jeweler also claims that Bryant has not paid $588,500 in jewelry, $15,850 in sporting event tickets and $11,000 in loans. Apparently those purchases were made between June 2009 and June 2010 when Bryant was still enrolled at Oklahoma State.

The issue involving Sanders was reportedly because Bryant backed out of an endorsement deal with Under Armour only to keep the sporting good company’s money. Considering he signed a five-year, $11.8 million contract that included $8.63 million in guaranteed money, Bryant could probably settle his debts in an hour.

But the problem obviously isn’t money. The problem is that this 22-year-old kid has no concept of responsibility. From the moment he walked onto campus at OSU, he’s had everything handed to him and now he’s like an adult child with millions of dollars to play with instead of toys. And because of the lockout, the Cowboys can’t offer him any structure or guidance, which is a shame.

In some ways I feel bad for Bryant because clearly nobody taught him about responsibility. But come on: a 7-year-old knows that if they want something, they have to pay for it. Did Bryant not think that he had to pay rent? Did he not think that he had to pay for the jewelry that he purchased?

Speaking of which, how did Bryant come into all of this jewelry? Did OSU give it to him? Did he receive it from a booster or an agent? How does someone accrue thousands of dollars in debt for jewelry, tickets and loans without having to pay for it up front? Did someone lead him to believe that all of this was free? (Not that that gives Bryant a free pass in the matter.)

I smell an NCAA investigation.

What is a “pegged” cap and why should you care?

DeMaurice Smith, NFL Players Association Executive Director, makes a statement after negotiations collapsed between the National Football League (NFL) and National Football League Players’ Association (NFLPA) in Washington on March 11, 2011. The last real hope for a quick end to the dispute ended when the union representing the players (NFLPA) filed a court application to dissolve itself after failing to reach an agreement with league and owners over a range of issues. REUTERS/Joshua Roberts (UNITED STATES – Tags: SPORT FOOTBALL EMPLOYMENT BUSINESS)

The latest scuttlebutt out of the NFL labor non-negotiation negotiations is the idea of a “pegged” cap, which was reportedly brought up by the players. A pegged cap is a stable salary cap that is based on revenue projections and goes up at a set amount each season. The last CBA had a salary cap based on actual annual revenue that could go up or down each year depending on which way the wind was blowing.

Why does this matter?

Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio explains…

If the actual numbers come in lower, the players still get paid. One major area of dispute has arisen from the question of whether and to what extent the actual performance exceeds the projected revenue growth. The owners’ offer of March 11 omitted that wrinkle; the players want to share in the upside.

The players, we’re told, prefer a “pegged cap” approach to expense credits because it entails simpler auditing and fewer disputes.

I’m on the players’ side in this debate, but if they are getting guaranteed pay no matter how the league is actually doing, then they can’t really demand a substantial share of the upside. If they have no downside, why should they get considerable upside?

Of course, it all depends on the projections used to create the pegged cap. If they’re conservative, and revenue is very likely to be greater, then the players do deserve a share. If the projections are aggressive, then the players should be happy they have stable salaries with no downside and forget about trying to get a piece of the additional revenue.

Florio continues…

As of right now, the two sides are $10 million apart per team on the the “pegged cap” approach, which is driven by projected revenues. The owners have offered $141 million per team in salary and benefits, and the players have requested $151 million. If they can bridge the gap and devise a procedure for handling any excess growth, they should be able to do a deal fairly quickly.

Well, that’s awfully optimistic given the current status of the negotiations, which are at a standstill. The two sides need to get talking again, but that is unlikely since they’re waiting on the courts to decide the fate of the lockout.

Tick-tock, people! (Don’t they know I have fantasy football rankings to put together?)

Police issue felony warrants for the arrests of Aqib Talib and his mother

Tampa Bay Buccaneers corner back Aqib Talib (R) runs after intercepting a pass meant for Washington Redskins Santana Moss (89) during 4th quarter of their NFL football game in Landover, Maryland October 4, 2009. REUTERS/Andrew Cameron (UNITED STATES SPORT FOOTBALL)

Texas police have issued felony warrants for the arrests of Bucs’ cornerback Aqib Talib and his mother, Okolo “Momma Be Packin’ Heat” Talib. (I’m kidding – that’s not her real nickname. I actually don’t know what her real nickname is. Probably “O” or something.)

According to the St. Petersburg Times, Talib could face five to 20 years in prison after he turns himself in for the second-degree felony charge of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. Talib’s mother was also charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and surrendered to police on Tuesday. The warrants stem from an incident that occurred on March 21 in which Talib allegedly opened fire on his sister’s boyfriend outside her home in Texas.

As I wrote yesterday when this news first broke, it sounds like Talib was trying to defend his family. He and his mother do have the right to bear arms (assuming the weapons were registered, of course) and if he felt that his life or the lives of those around him were in danger then maybe he should have fired the gun. Who knows? I wasn’t there and therefore can’t pass judgment.

That said, Talib is fortunate that he didn’t kill an innocent bystander by firing the weapon while trying to hit his sister’s boyfriend. He may wind up going to jail a la Michael Vick and Plaxico Burress because he didn’t think before he reacted. (Again though, I wasn’t there so I’m just basing everything off the published reports.)

We’ll see how everything plays out but this kid is in some serious trouble. Whether or not he broke any laws and will face punishment in court is uncertain at this point. But the NFL will monitor the situation and if he is charged, Talib can expect a suspension.

Erik Ainge: “I would’ve made Charlie Sheen look like Miss Daisy.”

Jets’ quarterback Erik Ainge recently opened up about a drug problem that he has apparently had since he was 11. In an exclusive interview with ESPN’s Rich Cimini, Ainge admitted that he needed to get help before his addiction killed him.

Ainge says that he was addicted to the hardest of drugs – heroin, cocaine and alcohol – and said that at the height of his problems he “would’ve made Charlie Sheen look like Miss Daisy.” (Apparently Miss Daisy wasn’t doing crack and heroin in the back of that car? Not sure if that reference applies, but I’ll cut Ainge some slack and move on.)

Ainge isn’t the only human being to suffer from drug problems and he certainly won’t be the last. If he stays sober, then good for him. He knew he needed help and he sought it. There are many people who never reach out and they wind up six feet under, so hopefully Ainge won’t be among those who have suffered a fatal ending.

As he said in the video, maybe him going public with his issue will help those who suffer from similar addictions.

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