Category: NFL (Page 750 of 1282)

      Collinsworth to replace Madden on NBC

      April 17, 2009 /

      Cris Collinsworth will take over for the now retired John Madden in the broadcast booth for Sunday Night Football games.

      Cris CollinsworthCollinsworth had the role before but never got to perform.

      The former Cincinnati Bengals receiver, who got his TV break working NFL games not deemed worthy of airing in much of the USA, had worked his way up to lead analyst on Fox until NBC lured him back to work games on TV’s most-watched night. NBC’s Sunday night games would supplant Monday Night Football as the NFL’s marquee prime-time package.

      Collinsworth sat out the 2005 season to wait for NBC’s 2006 kickoff. When Madden became available, a prospect no network has been known to resist, NBC suggested Collinsworth could still work the games — but doing play-by-play.

      NBC Sports chairman Dick Ebersol said Thursday that he didn’t want to talk about the analyst who would replace the only announcer to call Super Bowls on all four networks: “I just want to declare this ‘Celebrate John Madden Week.’ ” But then, Collinsworth is used to waiting.

      Collinsworth is pretty solid as an analyst, but he can be hit and miss calling games. He has the tendency to be an obvious-stator, but as he gains more confidence and experience I’m sure he’ll be fine.

      Hey, at least it’s not Bryant Gumbel.

      NFL

      Curry to invite 12-year-old leukemia survivor to draft

      April 16, 2009 /

      This is one of the coolest stories I have read in some time:

      Aaron CurryCurry wound up at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis, Tenn., on Monday. In a prearranged meeting set up by his agent and hospital officials, Curry told wide-eyed, 12-year-old Bryson Merriweather that he wanted a tour of the place. The boy had spent the better part of two years there undergoing five rounds of chemotherapy for leukemia, which is now in remission.

      “We were acting like he was just taking me on a regular tour around the hospital,” Curry said. “Toward the end, we ended up outside tossing each other a football, and I just started talking about the draft.

      “He said he had seen it, and I was telling him that I had been invited and if he would join me in this experience. So I said, ‘So come to New York with me and get drafted into the NFL.'”
      So joining Curry’s mother, fiancee and siblings at his draft table on April 25 will be Bryson, the Madison, Ala., boy who is determined to play football again — and get more people to be bone marrow donors.

      “I was showing him around and then he asked me,” Bryson said of Curry’s surprise offer. “And I’ve never been to New York before.”

      While Curry has been fortunate not to have a friend or family member affected by cancer, he was drawn to Bryson’s story when he was directed to the St. Jude hospital through his agent, Andy Ross.

      The article goes on to talk about young Bryson’s battle with cancer, so do yourself a favor and check it out.

      There are plenty of athletes who do good things for their community and it gets overlooked. I think what Aaron Curry is doing for this young man is special and I’ll be rooting for him on Sundays, no matter what team drafts him.

      NFL, NFL Draft

      Why Mark Sanchez will be a Cleveland Brown

      April 16, 2009 /

      mill

      Have you heard the latest draft rumors on Mark Sanchez? Apparently only the Lions, Rams, Seahawks, Browns, Jaguars, 49ers, Jets, Redskins and Broncos are either in love, smitten or downright want to get in bed with the USC quarterback.

      Is that all?

      It seems every day rumors of a new team being interested in Sanchez emerge and while it’s easy to get caught up in all the pre-draft speculation, it would obviously be wise not to believe everything you hear. That said, with the draft quickly approaching, I’ve thoroughly convinced myself that Mark Sanchez will in fact be a Cleveland Brown.

      Where there’s smoke, there’s usually fire and there’s a ton of smoke coming out of Cleveland that new head coach Eric Mangini isn’t a big Brady Quinn fan. Along with daily Sanchez-is-going-here speculation, there have been just as many Quinn-will-be-traded-here rumors. Maybe Mangini and new GM George Kokinis are just throwing up smokescreens to keep other teams guessing at what their draft day plans are. Or maybe (and this seems more logical by the day) Mangini and Kokinis want to blow up the entire roster and start over and that’s why Kellen Winslow was traded to the Bucs, Braylon Edwards will soon be dealt to the Giants and Quinn will be jettisoned to parts unknown.

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      College Football, NFL, NFL Draft, Rumors & Gossip

      John Madden retiring from broadcasting

      April 16, 2009 /

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      NBC made an announcement this morning that long-time NFL color commenter John Madden has decided to retire. Dick Ebersol also made an announcement of Madden’s retirement, but it’s unclear at this point whether or not this is effective immediately or if John will be in the broadcast booth through the 2009 season.

      Details to follow as they’re released.

      We’ve all laughed at the MadTV skits, the Frank Caliendo’s impersonations and the overall hilarity that comes with listening to a Madden broadcast. And if you’ve watched football long enough, there’s no doubt you’ve said to yourself many times throughout the course of a season, “What the hell is Madden talking about?”

      But one thing is sure: John Madden has always known football. He might go off on long tangents about what people are eating in the stands or wear out his commenting pen trying to describe a play. But if you get through all of that, he knows the game and even in these latter years where you think he’s off his rocker, he was still always through out a great nugget or two that made you say, “You know what? Madden is right.”

      Whether you like him or not, John Madden is an icon and a broadcast legend. Personally, I hope Madden gives us one more year in the booth before hanging it up.

      NFL

      Athlete Profile: Brian Cushing

      April 16, 2009 /

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      For this season at least, the University of Southern California should be known as Linebacker U.

      That title has traditionally been worn by Penn State University, but given that the Trojans will most likely have all three of their starting ’backers taken in the first round of this year’s NFL draft, it’s clear that an exception needs to be made.

      Perhaps the least heralded of the trio is Brian Cushing, a 6-3, 250-pounder who has stayed somewhat in the shadow of the better-known Clay Matthews and Rey Maualuga. Cushing is no secret to NFL scouts, however. In fact, there is a school of thought among draft experts that it is Cushing who, of the three, may end up having the most successful NFL career.

      The reasoning behind this thinking is due to a few things. For one, Cushing’s intensity level is unmatched. He was called a bulldog by both USC Head Coach Pete Carroll and linebackers coach Ken Norton, Jr. He plays the entire game at one speed – full speed – and can wreak absolute havoc on offenses due to his relentless motor and game-changing playmaking ability.

      Another reason for the scouts’ love affair with Cushing is the New Jersey native’s versatility. He is capable of playing any linebacker position, both on the inside and on the outside – an asset that makes him capable of fitting in with any defensive scheme.

      Lastly, teams can’t get enough of Cushing’s athleticism. He was actually recruited out of high school as a strong safety, but his work in the weight room led to such a dramatic weight gain that he grew into the linebacker position. Despite packing on the extra muscle, Cushing has managed to maintain the quickness and speed he displayed as a defensive back prospect.

      As with every potential draftee, Cushing has a few question marks surrounding him. One is that he and the rest of his USC teammates look better on tape because they all have played with such a strong supporting cast. Critics claim that if they did not have each other, they would be less impressive individually as prospects. A more serious concern is one that has dogged him since high school, and that is the issue of steroids. Despite never having failed a single drug test, Cushing has had to consistently endure claims that he uses steroids, including a recently surfaced report that was categorically denied by Cushing’s handlers and coaches.

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      College Football, NFL, NFL Draft

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