Nfl Football - Football Betting

2005-11-07T13:00:00.000-08:00

Huge MNF matchup highlights Week 9
By John Clayton
ESPN.com

Indianapolis Colts at New England Patriots (ABC, Monday, 9 p.m. ET) Scouting reportMonday night's Colts-Patriots game is the most anticipated of the year, and there are some interesting twists to the rivalry this time around. For once, the Colts don't have everything to lose if they can't beat the Patriots.--football gambling--

Since 2003, the Colts and Patriots have met four times with something on the line, and the Patriots won all four. The regular-season losses cost the Colts the chance to play at home in the playoffs. The playoff losses propelled the Patriots to the Super Bowl.--football gambling--

This time, the Colts are 7-0 and the Patriots are 4-3. If the Colts lose, it's unlikely it would affect their chances of having home-field advantage over the Patriots in the playoffs. In some ways, that takes away some pressure from the Colts, whose offense tends to unravel when playing the Patriots. If anything, the pressure is on the Patriots. But not as much as you would think.--football gambling--

Bill Belichick realized once he got into the season that his team was in for a tough fight. The schedule was ridiculously tough, with a five-game stretch from Week 2 to Week 6 in which the Patriots faced five non-division teams that won an average of 11 games last season. The Patriots limped into their Week 7 bye at 3-3, with a roster damaged by injuries. They had lost safety Rodney Harrison, left tackle Matt Light and halfback Kevin Faulk. Their secondary was patched together weekly because of injuries. Defensive tackle Richard Seymour had missed games with a knee injury and running back Corey Dillon struggled with an ankle injury. --football gambling--

The Colts, meanwhile, have lived a charmed life. They have faced only one team that currently has a winning record, division rival Jacksonville. Their 7-0 record came at the expense of teams with a combined record of 17-34. But that has helped solidify the Colts' confidence. The defense fought through its own injuries but ranks fourth in the league for fewest yards allowed (277.9) and is allowing an NFL-low 11 points a game. --football gambling--

Perhaps the most interesting thing happening with the Colts is how they are responding to being "Belichicked" on offense. Opposing teams have copied what Belichick has done so often to the Colts' offense. Knowing how efficient Peyton Manning can be slicing a defense apart through the air, defenses have dropped seven and eight men into coverage, taking away Manning's ability to go downfield.--football gambling--

Under those circumstances, Manning has no chance to repeat his 49-touchdown season. No problem. Manning cares more about the seven wins than the seven points and he is content handing the ball off to Edgerrin James and letting James be the team's most valuable player in the first half of the season. James leads the NFL with 801 rushing yards because Manning is seeing so few defenders in the defensive box in front of him and simply handing the ball off to James.--football gambling--

The interesting twist in Monday night's game is what strategies Belichick comes up with this time against the Colts. How will the Patriots be able to execute them? Because of a lot of different factors, this hasn't been a typical Patriots defense. It's given up 128.4 yards a game on the ground. Problems in pass coverage have let the Patriots fall to 26th in the NFL in total defense (359.1 yards per game) and points allowed (25.7 per game).--football gambling--

The return of Tedy Bruschi came at a perfect time. His presence helped seal the victory over the Bills, the only true team left in the AFC East to challenge the Patriots for the division title. With that victory Sunday night, the Patriots took a 1½-game lead and shouldn't have to worry about winning the division. But despite Bruschi's presence, the Patriots still gave up 394 total yards and 147 rushing yards.--football gambling--

At this point, the Patriots' biggest concern is getting a higher playoff seed. But they seem to be destined to get a third or fourth seed, which would add an extra game to their bid to win a fourth Super Bowl.--football gambling--

No doubt, this game will be the biggest challenge to the Colts' defense. Despite problems running the ball because of injuries in the backfield, the Patriots remain explosive on offense with Tom Brady leading the way. He's better than ever. He's completing 63.1 percent of his passes and he's getting the ball downfield to David Givens and Deion Branch. --football gambling--

This has the chance to be a high-scoring game. The Patriots need to win just to keep the seeds of doubt in the minds of the Colts. If these teams meet again, it will be in the playoffs, probably in Indianapolis. Keeping doubt in the minds of the Colts' players is important, which is why Tony Dungy knows he needs to take advantage of the situation and get this victory.--football gambling--

He won't find a better time to beat the Patriots. They still haven't gotten their defense together. By January, it could be a different story because Belichick will find ways to get this defense to peak at some point. --football gambling--

In some ways, the Colts come into this game with nothing to lose, but they also come in with more to gain. If they win, they would have a four-game edge over the Patriots in the playoff standings. They would gain a slight psychological edge if they win. But the Patriots are the Patriots. They have been the obstacle the Colts haven't been able to jump to get to the next level. Can they jump it this week? --football gambling--

This game should be fascinating to watch. John Clayton is a senior writer for ESPN.com. --football gambling--

2005-11-02T07:54:00.000-08:00

Fantasy Football: Be ready for sudden changes
By MICHAEL SALFINO
Special to the Union Leader

IT'S BEEN SAID that the only mistake is one from which we learn nothing. -NFL Football-

A few weeks back, we recommended selling Rams RB Steven Jackson. The statistical support was solid. St. Louis was running the ball 32 percent of the time, not enough for NFL running backs to make a fantasy impact (especially with Marshall Faulk getting much of the receiving touches). But Jackson has gone off since then. What happened? -NFL Football-

Rams coach Mike Martz, who calls the plays, subsequently developed serious heart problems and had to step down for the season. Since he's departed, the Rams have run the ball more than 50 percent of plays. Jackson has thrived in the expanded role. The lesson is to always be alert to circumstances that can change how players are used. Opportunity is as big a factor in predicting player performance as is talent. -NFL Football-

Let's again look at NFL defenses, so we can better exploit matchups as the fantasy season progresses. -NFL Football-

The most important passing statistic is yards per attempt (YPA). There are seven defenses that you want to avoid, as they are top 10 in allowing the fewest YPA and also yield one or less passing TDs per game. They are, in the order of lowest YPA (with TD passes allowed in parentheses), Ravens (7), Bears (6), Redskins (5), Jets (5), Bucs (2), Bengals (7), Colts (5). -NFL Football-

On the other extreme, these teams are bottom 10 in YPA allowed while also yielding more than 1.5 TD passes per game: Niners (16), Patriots (13), Titans (17), Chiefs (14), Vikings (14), Eagles (13), Rams (16), Packers (14). -NFL Football-

For running backs, these teams allow less than 4.0 per carry and less than one rushing TD per game (rushing TDs allowed in parentheses): Bucs (4), Bears (1), Panthers (4), Packers (2), Chargers (7), Steelers (5), Dolphins (5), Ravens (4), Seahawks (2). -NFL Football-

Allowing more than 4.0 per carry and one rushing TD per game: Bills (13), Texans (10), Cardinals (9), Redskins (9), Vikings (9), Saints (10), Cardinals (10). -NFL Football-

Buy

Rudi Johnson (RB, Bengals): He's scored only two TDs to date. But he's had a run longer than 10 yards in every game, is over 4.0 per carry and never sees eight-man fronts because of the Bengals passing game. Cincy has the most red zone possession in football, but Johnson only has three attempts all year inside the 3 (scoring twice). He could easily be among the league leaders in goal-line carries going forward. -NFL Football-

Mike Anderson (RB, Broncos): Tatum Bell is better. But Anderson is Mr. Inside and has as many runs inside the opposing 10 as does LaDainian Tomlinson (15). So he'll continue to score. -NFL Football-

Hold

Kevin Curtis (WR, Rams): The knee-jerk reaction is to get rid of him because St. Louis has a bye and then Torry Holt and Isaac Bruce are due back. But "due" is the key word. The Rams have downplayed Holt's knee injury for weeks and Bruce has turf toe and plays on turf. -NFL Football-

Jerry Porter (WR, Raiders): A perfect storm is brewing for Porter the next few weeks. Randy Moss is hobbled but distracting with his mere presence. The Raiders lost half their secondary last week and will be forced to put up 30 points every week. Plus, Porter is top 20 in WR targets (times thrown to). -NFL Football-

Sell

Fred Taylor (RB, Jaguars): Only the Texans and Niners have fewer red zone possessions than Jacksonville, so the TDs will be few and far between. -NFL Football-

Byron Leftwich (QB, Jaguars): The Jaguars have three pass attempts inside the opposing 10-yard line all year. Jake Plummer has 16 (10 TDs). -NFL Football-

For recommendations on which players to play this week, see the Matchup Meter on Salfino's Web site, www.RotoAction.com.

2005-10-29T18:42:00.000-07:00

Bills RT Williams to play against Patriots

NFL.com wire reports

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (Oct. 29, 2005) -- Buffalo Bills right tackle Mike Williams will play against the New England Patriots on Sunday night. -NFL Football-

After originally being listed as questionable, Williams was updated to probable after Friday night's practice. He participated fully for the first time this week. -NFL Football-

Williams, the fourth overall pick in the 2002 draft, has been nursing a left ankle injury he aggravated in a 38-17 loss to Oakland in Week 7. He missed two games earlier this year after originally being injured in Week 2 against Tampa Bay. -NFL Football-

Buffalo will be without Williams' backup, Greg Jerman, who sprained his right ankle against the Raiders. Second-year player Jason Peters, a converted tight end, will back up Williams. -NFL Football-

Cornerback and kickoff returner Terrence McGee is probable with a right knee injury sustained against Oakland, but coach Mike Mularkey said he should be ready to go against the Patriots. -NFL Football-

McGee practiced just hours after signing a four-year contract extension. -NFL Football-

2005-10-20T18:09:00.000-07:00

Hamlin at same bar as murder victim
Police not saying if Miliam was in fight with Seahawk
--- nfl ---
SEATTLE (AP) -- Police confirmed on Thursday that a man shot to death this week had been, a few hours earlier, at a bar where two men beat up Seattle Seahawks safety Ken Hamlin.--- nfl ---
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Officers did not say whether they believe Terrell Milam, 31, was involved in the fight with Hamlin early Monday, as Milam's family has contended. The detectives have been investigating whether there was a connection between the fight and Milam's death a few hours later.--- nfl ---
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Police Department spokesman Rich Pruitt said Milam, who had a long criminal history including a manslaughter conviction, visited with a number of other people in the time between the fight and when he was found dead on a sidewalk near Seattle's Seward Park, about 5½ miles from the bar.--- nfl ---
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Hamlin suffered a fractured skull, a blood clot on the brain and a fractured hand in the fight. He was moved out of the intensive care unit at Seattle's Harborview Medical Center on Wednesday, and remained in satisfactory condition Thursday--- nfl ---
.--- nfl ---
"Currently, he is getting much-needed rest," Hamlin's representative, Joel Anderson, told The Associated Press in an e-mail Thursday.--- nfl ---
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According to King County Superior Court and U.S. District Court documents, Milam had a long history of drug use. During a dice game in 1994, he shot an acquaintance -- a member of a rival gang -- five times, killing him, and was sentenced to 4½ years for manslaughter.--- nfl ---
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2005-10-10T14:42:00.000-07:00

Chargers' Foley hopes to play through pain

SAN DIEGO (Oct. 7, 2005) -- Outside linebacker Steve Foley, the Chargers' top pass rusher, gingerly went through practice Oct. 7 and said he'll be available to play when San Diego hosts Pittsburgh on Oct. 9. - NFL Football -

Foley missed practiced on Oct. 5 and Oct. 6 with an abdominal strain.

"It hurts, man," Foley said. "We've done everything we can do to this point; trying not to aggravate it." - NFL Football -

Foley, who had a team-high 10 sacks last year, has two this season.

He hopes adrenaline can get him through the game.

"If not for that, there is no way I could play," he said. "It's very frustrating not being able to practice and not be with the guys during the week. It's tough missing the two main work days. It's hard just coming out." - NFL Football -

Foley is banking on his experience compensating for his lack of practice time. "The biggest thing is getting those mental reps, and me knowing the defense well." - NFL Football -

2005-09-26T10:35:00.000-07:00

Mexico, beware: Cardinals no bueno

JOHN MCGRATH; THE NEWS TRIBUNE

This Sunday night, in Mexico City, the Arizona Cardinals will make pro-football history by serving as the “home” team for the first regular-season NFL game ever played outside the United States.

They might consider staying there.

Remember when the Cardinals, who won their most recent division title 30 years ago, were seen as the trendy pick to finish first in the NFC West? The high hopes – and we must emphasize the word “high” – were based on a defense that became respectable last year, an offense built around a trio of rangy receivers, and head coach Denny Green’s knack for turning around dormant teams.

Most of all, there was the sense the Cardinals’ time had come because, hey, anybody can have a bad century.

Arizona will not win a division title this season. It’s usually unwise to write off a team three weeks into a 16-game schedule, but these guys are a special case.

A week after an illegal procedure penalty cost the Cardinals a chance to rally for a last-second comeback victory against St. Louis, they put on a show of ineptitude at Qwest Field that bordered on the comical.

They couldn’t slow down the Seahawks’ rush. During the first half, Seattle defensive end Bryce Fisher ran past Leonard Davis, the Cardinals’ 6-foot-6, 366- pound tackle, as if he were standing still. (Come to think of it, he was.) Quarterback Kurt Warner was the lucky stiff who got to resemble a tackling dummy for Fisher, until the former league MVP strained a groin muscle scrambling out of the pocket and was replaced by Josh McCown.

Meanwhile, Arizona was disinclined to pressure Seahawks quarterback Matt Hasselbeck, failing to register a sack or even a hurried pass. No wonder they couldn’t force a turnover.

What the Cardinals did do was stop the clock, redefining the definition of “flag football.” They were charged with four false starts, two face-mask grabbings, and enough other violations to fill the glossary of an official’s rule book.

Flags were dropped on the visitors for encroachment. For delay of game. For offensive holding and for defensive holding. For illegal motion, and illegal use of hands, and illegal touch of a pass.

As if to underscore the totality of the team effort, the Cardinals also were penalized for 12 men on the field.

Had the Seahawks not declined four of the penalties, the Cardinals would have tied the franchise record for penalties in a game: 16, set against Green Bay in 1936.

“It’s just stupid penalties,” said second-year wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald. “We’re moving the ball, then there’s an offsides here, a holding there, a dropped pass, a missed block. It’s a cumulative effect, and everyone has to be accountable.”

The buck, of course, stops with Green.

“It’s not working,” the coach said after the 37-12 defeat left The Trendy Pick To Win The NFC West at 0-3. “Clearly, it’s not working.

“When I say it’s not working, I’m talking about the strategy that I put forth. The job I thought I could do, I am not able to do right now, and I’m not happy about it.”

Wideout Anquan Boldon, two seasons removed from a rookie campaign of unprecedented productivity, pondered the thought of 0-3.

“I’ve never been 0-3 my life,” said the former Florida State star, “so this is new territory for me.”

Really? The Cardinals haven’t gotten off to an 0-3 start since way back in, uh, 2004. Boldon can’t be faulted for disregarding his association with that dubious achievement, as a knee injury suffered in training camp kept him on the sidelines until midseason.

Still, you’ve got to wonder about the team-first commitment of somebody so cavalier in dismissing the facts.

Just as you’ve got to wonder how Chike Okeafor – the ex-Seahawks defensive end signed by the Cardinals as a free agent – appeared to skip off the field Sunday, evidently unfazed by the 25-point thumping.

“The game is supposed to be fun,” said Okeafor. “It’s supposed to be happy. That’s joy. That’s happiness coming out of me. If I didn’t give that back, I wouldn’t be appreciating the gift that I’ve been given.

“It goes back to why I had to leave: I wasn’t happy here. I owe it to myself to be happy.”

Yikes. Here’s the hoss the Cardinals brought in to beef up their pass rush, and he sounds like he finds motivation from the kind of sorority-house wall poster that typically portrays snuggling kittens.

“They didn’t deserve to have me here, know what I’m saying?” Okeafor continued. “I took myself elsewhere. I’ve got to be happy every day.

“It’s a game. We’re just big kids blessed to still play a game. That’s why I call it ‘recess,’ just going out there and having fun. If it’s not fun, it isn’t worth it. That’s the day I’ll hang it up, when it’s not fun anymore. Of course we like to win, but there’ll be a time for that.”

The grittiest face on the Arizona sideline Sunday? That would be the red bird on the team’s redesigned helmet. According to the NFL, “the Cardinal has a sleeker, tougher appearance.”

A crowd of 110,000 is expected to show up next week to watch the Cardinals take on the San Francisco 49ers at Estadio Azteca in Mexico City. Chike Okeafor has his work cut out for him.

He’s got six days to learn the Spanish word for “recess.”

2005-09-16T08:53:00.000-07:00

Newspaper: Csonka rescued in Bering Sea

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (Sept. 12, 2005) -- NFL Hall of Famer Larry Csonka was among six people plucked by helicopter from a stranded boat during a harrowing rescue in the Bering Sea, a newspaper reported. - NFL Football -

Csonka, his partner, and a film crew from his television show were not injured, but the boat was abandoned at sea, the Anchorage Daily News reported in its Sept. 11 editions.

Csonka was part of a group returning from filming a hunting trip on an isolated island about 100 miles west of Unalaska on Sept. 7 when their 28-foot boat encountered bad weather.

The newspaper reported that 9-foot seas and gale-force winds made it difficult to navigate the vessel, which then drifted away from the Aleut village of Nikolski. - NFL Football -

After hours of worsening conditions, the Coast Guard was called to help shortly after midnight Sept. 7. A Coast Guard helicopter was dispatched from Kodiak, 600 miles away; it arrived around 10:45 a.m. Sept. 8 and hoisted those on the battered boat one-by-one in a basket.

"We might very well have died if we stayed out there. It was tense," the 58-year-old Csonka told the newspaper Sept. 10 in a phone interview from a hotel in Unalaska.

"It was 10 or 12 hours of moment-to-moment with sea sickness and not being able to drink water because it was so rough, and hanging onto each other," he said. - NFL Football -

Csonka, his partner Audrey Bradshaw, film crew members John Dietrich and Rich Larson, and Thomas McCay, the guide for the hunt, were taping the event for the show North to Alaska when the weather worsened. Also on board the distressed boat was captain Dwight Johnson.

The former fullback for the Miami Dolphins, Csonka runs Zonk! Productions, which films episodes for his outdoor sports TV show. - NFL Football -

AP NEWS
The Associated Press News Service

Copyright 2005, The Associated Press, All Rights Reserved

2005-09-06T08:26:00.000-07:00

Jim Lachey named Columbus Destroyers Vice President of football operations

COLUMBUS, OH - Jim Lachey, former Ohio State Buckeye All-American and NFL All-Pro Offensive Lineman, has been named Vice President of Football Operations for the Columbus Destroyers, Destroyers Partner & Managing Board Member Jim Renacci announced today. Lachey will be involved in all aspects of the football operations, including scouting and signing free agent players. He will also coach the team's linemen this season. "Jim Lachey brings a wealth of football experience to the Destroyers organization," Renacci said. "He's been a winner at the collegiate and NFL levels and I look forward to working with him as we build a winning organization here in Columbus."
A native of St. Henry, Ohio, Lachey played at Ohio State from 1981-84, earning All-America recognition in 1984 by leading the Buckeyes to a Big Ten Conference Championship and berth in the Rose Bowl. He was a first round pick, 12th overall, in the 1985 NFL Draft and went on to enjoy an 11-year NFL career with the San Diego Chargers, Los Angeles Raiders and Washington Redskins. He won a Super Bowl title with the Redskins (Super Bowl XXVI) and was named All-Pro nine times during his NFL career, before retiring after the 1995 season. Lachey, the color analyst for Ohio State football radio broadcasts, served as the Destroyers television analyst on FSN Ohio last year.
The Destroyers finished the 2005 season fourth in the AFL in attendance, averaging 15,229 fans per game in eight home contests at Nationwide Arena. In addition, the Destroyers became one of only two teams in the league to draw over 250,000 fans combined during the past two years (Philadelphia). For further information on the Columbus Destroyers, visit www.ColumbusDestroyers.com or call (614) 246-HITS. The AFL will return to NBC this season; watch for the AFL on NBC schedule to be released this fall.

Copyright © 2005 OurSports Central

2005-08-30T09:52:00.000-07:00

Katrina could force alterations for weekend game plans

Andy Gardiner and Tom Pedulla, USA TODAY

College athletics administrators in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama this morning will begin assessing the damage caused by Hurricane Katrina and deciding whether they can play a long weekend of season-openingfootball games scheduled to begin Thursday.

Katrina's 100-plus mph winds Monday tore away pieces of the roof of the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans, home field for the NFL's Saints and Tulane University. The Saints flew to California on Sunday in preparation for a preseason game Thursday against Oakland and are not scheduled to play at the Superdome until Sept. 18.

The Saints evacuated to San Antonio last September when Hurricane Ivan threatened New Orleans.

"With the experience we went through last year there was considerably less chaos than there might have been," general manager Mickey Loomis said.

Tulane, which postponed the start of classes from Thursday to Sept. 7, bused the football team to Jackson, Miss., on Sunday. The Green Wave open Sunday at Southern Mississippi in Hattiesburg. But Jackson was struck by high winds and was without power Monday while Hattiesburg also was lashed by 100 mph winds and flooding rain, closing the school indefinitely.

Southern Miss coach Jeff Bower and Tulane coach Chris Scelfo were unable to participate in Conference USA's weekly teleconference Monday.

"We've got lots and lots and lots - I could say lots all day and it would not be enough - of damage," Forrest County emergency management center deputy director Beth Johnson told the Hattiesburg American.

Games in jeopardy because of storm damage begin Thursday with Jacksonville at Southeastern Louisiana and Northwestern State at Louisiana-Monroe. Saturday, North Texas is at LSU, Murray State at Mississippi State and Middle Tennessee at Alabama.

"We're just going to try to make it through the night and see what we find (this morning)," said Mississippi State spokesman Mike Nemeth. "We'll have a better picture then of what we're dealing with in terms of damage."

USA Today.com

2005-08-24T07:33:00.000-07:00

Thailand ousts USA for NFL Flag Football world championship

BEIJING, China (Aug. 21, 2005) -- The Bangmod Wittaya Middle School lived up to its billing as the tournament's team to watch with a thrilling 25-19 victory over the Michael Ann-Russell Jewish Community Center (MAR JCC) to win the NFL Flag Football World Championship (FFWC) for Thailand.
Building on a 13-0 halftime lead, Thailand bounced back after being tied at 19-19 and survived a turbulent last 38 seconds, forcing the MAR JCC to turn the ball over on downs at the 1-yard line as time ran out.
It is the first time the title has been won by an Asian team after Australia, Mexico and three teams from the USA had won the previous five competitions. The NFL is proud to partner with Motorola, Reebok, EA and Gatorade and promote this prestigious tournament, which motivates boys and girls to participate in a fun and safe sport.
"We are delighted and honored to be world champions," said Thailand coach Chanphen Nitiyanan, who played for the team in Vancouver in 2004. "The school has practiced very hard since last year when they only finished seventh and all that effort has paid off. We are all very happy."
USA Head Coach David Fried admitted: "Thailand is the best team in the tournament and they had the two best players here, which I've been saying all week. It's tough to lose, especially because of all the hard work we've put in and it's hard on everyone. We know how it feels to win a world championship, but it's harder to lose one."
Alex Ciklik, who scored all three USA touchdowns in the final, added: "You don't expect a team from somewhere like Thailand to win at an American sport, but they deserved it. Some things went against us and we should have played better in the first half. We outscored them in the second half, but it was too late by then."
Las Aguilas from Monterrey took third place as the Mexicans had too much firepower for the Tomken Road Middle School from Canada in a 35-24 win. Canada led 12-7 at halftime through touchdowns from Javion Kwayan and James Stamopoulos, but Gerardo Cortes added to his earlier score to edge Mexico ahead 14-12. Two Mexico touchdowns in quick succession meant Canada was always chasing the game, and despite a late score from Kadeem McPherson on a crossing pattern, Mexico held on.
Host nation China claimed fifth place overall, an impressive achievement considering the country's NFL Flag program is only two years old. The Guangzhou No. 41 Middle School beat Italy for fifth place. Seventh spot went to Japan, who outlasted Spain by a single point in a thrilling playoff, while Korea claimed ninth place with a 25-20 victory over winless Germany.

NFL.com

2005-08-15T10:31:00.000-07:00

Villaraigosa Offers Warning to the NFL

The message from Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa to the NFL: The longer the league takes to return a football team to Los Angeles, the more people in the city will forget why they wanted a team in the first place.
That warning was offered Wednesday by the mayor after Jerry Jones, the owner of the Dallas Cowboys, was quoted in The Times as saying that under certain circumstances, investing in a team in Los Angeles might not be an attractive proposition.
"I wasn't happy with what I read in the paper," Villaraigosa said in an appearance on KFI-AM radio.
"In some ways, why we haven't had a team here all these years is they've attempted to leverage us," he said. "My hope is that they are going to realize there are a lot of people who want a football team, but every year that they are not here is one more year where people start to forget.
"We need a football team here," Villaraigosa told radio host Rikki Kleiman. "It's the entertainment capital of America, and we need a football team here. What I've said, though, is we're not spending public money for it. We're not going to subsidize the building of stadiums."
Villaraigosa's remarks were consistent with the position of his predecessor, Mayor James K. Hahn. But they were nonetheless notable as his most forceful statement on the issue of a Los Angeles football team since his election in May.
As the deadline approaches for competing football venues to present deals to the league, Villaraigosa's comments served as a public reminder to NFL owners that the change in the city administration had not put public subsidies for a new team back on the table.
In its current round of negotiations, the league has not asked for public money. If it returns to the Los Angeles area, the NFL will pay for the construction of a stadium and then pass along the costs to the owner of the franchise.
NFL owners are meeting in Chicago this week to discuss their contract with the players' union and the related issue of revenue sharing, in which large-market teams effectively subsidize teams in smaller cities in order to improve the ability of smaller teams to compete. A majority of owners — but not Jones — favor retooling the revenue-sharing system.
Jones, who has long promoted the importance of the league returning to the nation's second-largest market, said the efforts to bring a team to Los Angeles probably would fail if team owners were required to share a higher percentage of the revenue they generated.
By Jones' estimate, the cost of occupying the Los Angeles market — not factoring in the price of the franchise — could easily approach $150 million a year. Therefore, he said, the owner of a Los Angeles franchise would need all the revenue streams currently available to pay down that debt.
Jones said a Los Angeles owner would have to "go out and be aggressive, hustle, build a fan base, and not necessarily make money compared to what the capital would make in another business that's going to go into L.A."
While the NFL has identified returning to Los Angeles as a priority, working out the league's financial issues is more pressing.
That does not mean the effort to get a Los Angeles-area team has stalled, however. The league has issued an October deadline for the competing sites — the Coliseum, Anaheim and possibly the Rose Bowl — to have ready-to-sign deals in place so that owners can choose a proposal if they desire. Villaraigosa said he had already held preliminary talks about bringing an NFL team back.
Hahn, who had made comments similar to Villaraigosa's, was criticized for not playing a more active role in trying to get a team for Los Angeles. It remains to be seen how active Villaraigosa will be in trying to bring a team to the Coliseum, just south of downtown.
NFL Vice President Joe Browne declined to comment on the situation except to say, "Our office prefers to continue to deal with the mayor and his staff privately and not in the media."
In the decade since the NFL last played in Los Angeles, owners have routinely espoused the importance of bringing the league back to the nation's second-largest television market.
NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue said in December that having a team in Los Angeles was a "top priority."
Councilman Bernard Parks, whose district includes the Coliseum, said he and Coliseum commissioners were keeping Villaraigosa up to date on issues involving the NFL. Parks said he was not concerned about the revenue sharing issue, but said it would have to be resolved by the owners through collective bargaining before any potential Los Angeles team owner could decide whether a deal made financial sense.
"It's a business decision that an owner must know what a stadium can produce," Parks said.
A source familiar with the negotiations, but who spoke on condition of anonymity, said that if a deal was completed by the October owners meeting, it might be helpful for the mayor to attend the meeting to promote the agreement.
The mayor said Wednesday that he looked forward to a privately-financed deal to bring football back. An aide said the mayor was not ruling out traveling to meet with NFL owners once a deal was completed.
"We think the Coliseum would be a great place, and we think there would be private-sector people who would be willing to bring a team here and do what we need to do to make that team successful," Villaraigosa said.
As if to put a point on his warning that Angelenos may lose passion for a return of football, Villaraigosa was scheduled to go Wednesday night to the Coliseum for a sport that is gaining in popularity locally: He was to attend the soccer match between Chivas de Guadalajara and Club America.

Patrick McGreevy and Sam Farmer Times Staff Writers

2005-08-09T06:22:00.000-07:00

'Madden,' 'Blitz' Remain As Football Video Game Field Thins

As NFL teams gear up at training camp and the latest edition of Electronic Arts' monstrously successful "Madden" game works its way to stores this week, fans of video game football may notice that there's something a bit different about this
if this season.
"Madden" is still around, but none of the other NFL gridiron gaming regulars will appear on store shelves this year. There won't be a new "NFL GameDay" or an "NFL Fever." There won't be a new edition of the "NFL 2K" series, which sold more than 2 million copies last year and took a bite out of the traditional 80 percent share of the market held by "Madden." There also won't be another "NFL Blitz," though the game's makers have come up with a bold way to compensate, by crafting an edgy football league of their own — "Ron Mexico" urine-testing included — and making a game about it. But for your NFL fix, there will only be "Madden."Where did all the video game football go?Critics, publishers and fans pin the blame on "Madden" maker EA. Last December the company announced that it had secured the exclusive video game rights to NFL teams for the next five years, and shortly thereafter announced that it had struck a similar deal to lock up exclusive rights to players on NFL rosters. Fans of NFL games other than "Madden" cried penalty."The major reaction when EA announced their exclusive deal in December was, 'God, this is a huge loss, not just for sports games but for the industry in general,' " said Chris Phillips, a 20-year-old college sophomore in Detroit. Phillips, who is also an editor for video game site OCGN.com, said he has been a big fan of "Madden" and the "NFL 2K" series.Michael Pachter, an analyst at Wedbush Morgan Securities, points out that exclusive deals are actually the norm in video games. No one thinks it's strange that only one company has the rights to make games about Tony Hawk or James Bond, he said. The fact that multiple companies could make NFL games or can still make NBA games is the exception. Still, he agreed that there was reason for concern. "I think it's inevitable that it will affect the quality of football games," he said. "Innovation is driven by competition."The move by EA last December meant that competing developers would have to think outside the NFL end zone and go with plan B. What fans of the "2K" series didn't know then is that their series, which routinely stacked up to "Madden" critically, if not commercially, had no plan B for 2005. "I am truly bummed that it's gone," Phillips said. Phillips added that he had been especially impressed with how "2K" made virtual football resemble broadcasts of the real thing. Now the series is on ice."2K" publisher Take Two Interactive declined to comment about its company's football future, but it has retained the services of Visual Concepts, the development studio behind the football franchise. The developer is rumored to be working on a football game that will star retired NFL legends, but if Take Two proceeds with such a game, it will not come out this NFL season.The first company to actually announce a survival strategy wasn't Take Two but Midway, publishers of the over-the-top "NFL Blitz." The day after EA's announcement, Midway announced that it had already decided to drop the NFL license and was taking its all-ages franchise into M-rated territory with a game that explores the dark side of pro football. (Midway is owned by Sumner Redstone, who also runs Viacom, the parent company of MTV.)Midway initially dubbed their new game "Blitz: Playmakers," a play off a then recently canceled ESPN show called "Playmakers," which also depicted football's seedier aspects. Now set for October release, the game has been renamed "Blitz: The League."Executive producer Mike Bilder, who has worked on "Blitz" games for five years, said he had been itching to put things in a football game that the NFL hasn't allowed. "Over the years the NFL has gotten more and more restrictive with what we could put in the product," he said. The old "NFL Blitz" had been a franchise defined by gravity-defying tackles that resembled pro-wrestling finishing moves. The team would create numerous brutal tackles, but then an NFL representative would review the moves. "They would inevitably nix about a third of them," he said.Bilder's team decided they could have more fun working with a league of their own. Midway brought in Peter Egan, a writer on ESPN's "Playmakers," to help craft a story about an edgy football league. While sports games usually skip story, Egan's narrative would actually propel a player through the season. "What we wanted to do was give the player the gritty, realistic experience they're looking for," said Egan. That means gamers playing "Blitz" will encounter dirty players, drug use, groupies and other less-than-Sunday-best aspects of pro football. If a member of the team is injured, players can choose to shoot him up with painkillers. Players can allow their team to train with supplements, buy clean urine to pass drug tests, bet on their own team's games to earn money — and face the financial and legal consequences of getting caught. Meanwhile, they'll face down a leg-breaking opposing lineman named Quentin Sands, who is colorfully voiced by NFL legend Lawrence Taylor. As a sign that they're having some fun with the NFL, the quarterback of the game's Atlanta Redhawks will be named Ron Mexico, the alleged alias of the Falcons' QB Michael Vick.Midway wasn't the only football developer looking to take its series in a grittier direction this year. After the EA exclusivity deal nixed the prospects of another "NFL GameDay," that franchise's caretaker, Sony, announced a new pigskin game called "Road to Sunday." Sony representatives had promised a non-NFL football game that included elements borrowed from fighting games and a story that involved Jamaican drug lords. Last month Sony canceled the game, with company representatives saying the game was simply not coming together.Also not making the dance this year is Microsoft's "NFL Fever," though the series was actually cut in early 2004, prior to the EA announcement. Microsoft representatives cited quality concerns.At this point, Pachter said, don't expect any new publishers to start making football games. Publisher Ubisoft, which produces the "Splinter Cell" and "Prince of Persia" games and is making a foray into basketball with a game based on the "And1" streetball scene later this year, was exploring the possibility of making football games last year, according to a source who discussed the plans with the company. But the company hasn't announced any plans for 2005.So for now, "Madden" and "Blitz" are gamers' football options. Will it be Michael Vick or Ron Mexico? Take your pick.

Stephen Totilo
EA Sports

2005-07-26T07:42:00.000-07:00

USA TODAY Sports Weekly Publishes Special Edition: Fantasy Football Guide '05

MCLEAN, Va., July 25 /PRNewswire/ -- A special edition of USA TODAY Sports Weekly devoted to the 2005 fantasy football season hits newsstands today. The Sports Weekly Fantasy Football Guide '05 will give fantasy football players all they need to know before going into their drafts.
Featured in this special issue:
* What's the number one thing that fantasy players need to know? The
unprecedented depth at running back this year will impact draft
strategies.
* Sports Weekly ranks the Top 200 players.
* Rankings and Capsules: We rank the players by fantasy positions --
quarterbacks, running backs, wide receivers, tight ends, kickers, and
for defenses.
* Mock Draft: Sports Weekly's own mock draft gives a view of how our
reporters think the draft could go.
* Depth charts and grades by position for all 32 NFL teams.
* Analysis of rookies and sleepers.
The Sports Weekly Fantasy Football Guide '05 will be on sale at newsstands through August at a cover price of $4.95. Sports Weekly publishes special editions throughout the year covering special events in baseball and professional football.
USA TODAY Sports Weekly covers baseball and professional football with detailed analysis and in-depth cover stories on the players and issues that shape the two sports. There is no off-season for either sport in Sports Weekly -- readers will find complete baseball and professional football coverage in all 52 issues throughout the year. USA TODAY Sports Weekly is published

Gannett Co.

2005-07-18T07:21:00.000-07:00

NFL introduces Mexico to first regular-season game on foreign soil

MEXICO CITY -- The NFL emphasized again Friday that if its first regular-season game abroad this year is successful, it could be the start of a broader international push.
The league "is going to look at all of the markets that have indicated an interest in doing this around the world: several in Europe, Canada, Asia," Roger Goodell, the league's executive vice president. Goodell spoke at a news conference to talk about the Oct. 2 game between the Arizona Cardinals and San Francisco 49ers, the first regular-season contest outside the United States.
Goodell re-emphasized what commissioner Paul Tagliabue said when he announced the project: that if the game here between the Arizona Cardinals and San Francisco 49ers is a success, the league might "look to play an international game, maybe on an annual basis, and rotate that around to some of the markets that have an interest globally."
But the league wants to know first how the game goes in North America's largest metropolis, one that has hosted five NFL preseason games. The first of those set a league attendance record of 112,376 in 1994 when the Dallas Cowboys met the Houston Oilers.
Attendance this year can't top 105,000 because of modifications since then to Azteca Stadium.
The stadium's 7,200-foot altitude has helped make Azteca difficult for visiting soccer teams, including the U.S. national team in games against Mexico. In this case, San Francisco safety Tony Parrish said: "The altitude is going to affect both teams the same."
Goodell said the league will have to cope with teams' home-game stadium commitments. "We do the scheduling and most of the leases recognize that," he said, but acknowledged, "those will be issues we'll have to address as we look to how we expand this series if we find that this is the right way to do it."
Mexico was chosen for the first game partly because it has the largest NFL fan base outside of the United States and regularly televised games have created loyal fans of the Cowboys, 49ers and Pittsburgh Steelers, among others.
The country also has a national collegiate league and the NFL sponsors a national touch football series for youths.
The Cardinals are the home team, in part because they stand to lose little from their home gate. The team, which is moving into a modern new stadium last year, often is lucky to fill half the seats at Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe, Ariz., its home field.

John Rice / Associated Press

2005-07-12T07:18:00.000-07:00

Mom provides inspiration for Dan Curran's NFL quest

CHELMSFORD -- Lung cancer.
Dan Curran is a tough guy. Always has been. How many high school kids lift cars by the bumper to get stronger?
On the football field, the chiseled 6-foot, 242-pound Chelmsford resident has always been tougher than nails.
But those two words -- spoken from a Saints Memorial Hospital doctor to his beloved mother -- buckled his knees when he received the news.
“It was like my world ended. She was everything to us,” said Curran, a 28-year-old professional football player via Chelmsford High School and the University of New Hampshire. “To be honest with you, you felt like your world was crashing down. We always had a special bond.”
All eyes were on Kay Curran at the Lowell hospital when the doctor delivered the news last October. Lung cancer?
It didn't seem fair -- she never smoked a cigarette in her life.
But Kay Curran didn't break down when the doctor left.
“I really feel bad for the guy. He's got a tough job to do,” she said to her family.
Five months later, on March 4, 2005, she died at her home, at the age of 69, surrounded by those she loved, including Dan.
More than 1,000 people attended
services. Earlier this week, a short distance from Simonian Alumni Stadium, where he brought fans, including his mother, to their feet at Chelmsford High, Dan Curran shook his head at that memory.
“I don't even know 1,000 people. Do you?” he asked.
For a while, the football fire which has always burned so intensely inside Dan Curran was extinguished. Football? How could he return to a game that requires so much physical and mental preparation when the loss of his mother left him so hollow?
Maybe he should hang up his pads. High school star. College star. Four-year Arena Football League standout. Maybe it was enough. But what about his dream of playing in the National Football League?
The dream is alive. He's working out six days a week in hopes of landing an invitation to his second NFL camp.
He's not a quitter, a trait he inherited from his mother.
--
From perfect to purgatory
A year ago, Curran was on top of the world.
He was coming off the best season of his career for the New Orleans VooDoo. During the 2004 campaign, Curran became the face of the VooDoo. Kids wore his shirts and the fullback/linebacker was one of three finalists for the Ironman Award, given to the AFL's Most Valuable Player.
Four NFL teams -- Houston, Kansas City, Atlanta and New Orleans -- talked to his agent before he signed his first NFL contract with the Saints and received a decent-sized signing bonus, especially for a fullback.
During the summer, he and his wife, Megan, became the proud parents of a son, Ty Thomas.
His life was “perfect.”
At New Orleans' training camp, Curran was not in awe. During the Saints' first preseason game, he made his first and only NFL carry, gaining five yards and a first down against the Jets.
Running down Lambeau Field for special teams duty against Green Bay was a thrill, but Curran was a late cut of the Saints.
He was in talks with Atlanta about signing with the Falcons when he received the devastating news about his mother. Suddenly, football wasn't so important. He never signed with Atlanta and later rejected an offer to play with an NFL Europe team.
“My priority was not football. It just wasn't where my heart was,” he said.
He wanted to be with his mother. Curran, who has three older brothers and one older sister, savored every moment.
“She went without a lot of stuff to make sure we had everything,” he said. “She made lunches for me when I was a senior in high school. It's like ‘Leave It To Beaver' stuff.”
It's a funny line, but Curran was closer to crying than laughing when delivering it.
Kay Curran, a Tewksbury High School Hall of Fame basketball player, made her children the center of her universe, especially when her husband, Thomas, died of a massive heart attack when Dan was 8.
Thomas Curran, a captain on the Chelmsford Fire Department, was still tired from helping battle a large out-of-town fire when he brought Dan to a hockey tryout the next day. Minutes later, Thomas Curran dropped to the ice in front of his son.
A registered nurse, Kay Curran sought a way to be home more with her children. Later, she cleaned houses to make ends meet. And, Dan Curran says proudly, she was always a person who thought of others before herself.
The life of a single parent is never easy. But Kay Curran never complained. She just sacrificed. And sacrificed some more. She never remarried. In fact, she never dated again.
“My dad was the love of her life,” Dan Curran said.
When her final moments came, Kay Curran looked death straight in the eye and didn't blink.
“She told me she was going to see my dad,” Dan Curran said.
The last time she saw her son play football in person was the spring of 2004. New Orleans was hosting Carolina, and Kay Curran was stunned to see so many VooDoo fans were wearing Curran's name on their shirts.
“I'll never forget the look on her face,” he said.
“I think him making it (in pro football) was a huge thing for her,” said Dan's brother, Sean. “But at the same time, when he came home, whether he scored five touchdowns or didn't get in the game, he still had to cut the grass and shovel the snow.”
--
Motivated by memories
Curran just wants a shot, a legitimate shot, to make an NFL roster this fall. His agent has talked to the Buffalo Bills. If it doesn't work out, he has a fall-back plan -- he recently became a certified financial planner.
“I respect all those (NFL) guys. But there's no fear there,” he said. “I know if I get (a chance) I'll be ready. I feel like I'm a better football player than I've ever been.”
When his workouts reach their toughest points, Curran derives motivation from his mother.
“She was one of the most competitive people I've ever met,” he said. “When she was in her 60s and playing Wiffleball with her grandchildren she would be out there diving (for the ball).”
Sean Curran remembers his mother playing street hockey with his son, then 7, and refusing to surrender a soft goal.
When Kay Curran was inducted into the Tewksbury High School Hall of Fame in 1997, she brought the audience to its feet when she said, “People say that some day my son Dan will be inducted into the Chelmsford High Hall of Fame. But I'll always have him beat because now I'm in the Tewksbury High Hall of Fame.”
It's a memory Dan Curran cherishes. One of thousands.

BARRY SCANLON, Sun Staff

2005-07-06T10:14:00.000-07:00

They've come a long way

Five years ago, Bismarck High coach Mark Gibson headed into the football season lamenting the fact that the need to build an offensive line from scratch would prevent him from using a promising 240-pound junior at fullback.Imagine a high school defense trying to haul down Greg Eslinger.Of course the move to offensive line hasn't turned out too badly for Eslinger. A two-time All-Big Ten selection at the University of Minnesota, Eslinger has been showing up on various All-American lists -- Associated Press, Sports Illustrated, ESPN, the Sporting News, Football Writers Association of America, Playboy, etc. -- the past two seasons. He's become a usual suspect on the watch list for any number of trophies, the Rimington (top center), Lombardi (top lineman) and Outland (top interior lineman).
Having already established as one of the best offensive linemen in college football, Eslinger is very much on the NFL radar. Matt Hayes, the college football columnist for the Sporting News, has already speculated that Eslinger has the potential to be a first-round draft choice.Now Scott Wright's NFL Draft Countdown Web site has listed Eslinger as the top center in college football and the 24th-best prospect among all seniors. Wright's assessment of Eslinger: "Lacks ideal size but is a great technician and is extremely smart."Until Eslinger went to Minnesota, it had been nearly 10 years since Bismarck had produced a Division I football player. But barring an injury, it's looking like Eslinger will become the Capital City's first NFL player.En fuegoEslinger isn't the only North Dakotan who has come a long way. Ten years ago Travis Hafner was an alternate for the Lions All-Star Class B basketball team -- which included future Minnesota Viking Jim Kleinsasser. Over the past month -- and certainly over the past week -- Hafner has been the hottest player in major league baseball.Hafner victimized the Detroit Tigers on Sunday with a performance he'll always remember. In Cleveland's doubleheader sweep Hafner was 6-for-10 with three homers, four runs scored and six RBIs. After hitting .379 with 12 homers and 37 RBIs in his last 29 games, Hafner's omission from the All-Star team is becoming a story for the second straight year.Last year, when he it .311 with 28 homers and 109 RBIs, was Hafner's breakout season. But it might not end up being a career year. With the Indians one game past the midpoint of their season, Hafner -- with 17 homers, 57 RBIs and a .314 batting average and an OPS of .999 -- is on pace to improve his stats in every category.Hafner still has to prove he can do it consistently, but if he keeps it up, he's going to supplant Darin Erstad as the best North Dakota native in major league history.Unlikely cover storyThe old International Basketball Association was a fun league to cover, but nobody expected to see any of its players turn up on the cover of Sports Illustrated. And if any of them were going to get there, you probably could have gotten pretty good odds that it wouldn't have been Troy Jackson.For those who don't remember, Jackson was a massive -- as in 6-10, 400-plus pounds -- center who did a stint with the Magic City Snowbears. Although he obviously had skill -- his older brother, Mark, is second on the NBA's all-time career assists list -- Jackson never made much of an impact in the IBA because of conditioning.But Jackson is one of five basketball players who made the cover of the June 13 SI. The 29-year-old Jackson, better known by his nickname "Escalade", and the others are featured by the shoe company And1 in basketball highlight tapes that feature flashy moves. Jackson's ability to shine at that size has made him something of an underground legend.

Lou Babiarz
Tribune sports

2005-06-29T14:55:00.000-07:00

Lions won't reduce offer to Drummond

They keep a one-year tender of $1.43 million as both sides continue to work on extension.

Lions return specialist Eddie Drummond has made the richest fair catch of his NFL career -- a $1.43 million base salary for 2005, without signing a contract.

The Lions decided Wednesday to keep in place the $1.43 million tender for Drummond, even though he has not signed it. The team had the right under league rules to reduce his base salary to $455,000 for 2005.

Wednesday was the deadline for restricted free agents to sign their tenders.

There was no consideration given to reducing Drummond's base salary, Tom Lewand, executive vice president of the Lions, said during a conference call.

The Lions are continuing negotiations on a long-term deal with Drummond's agent, Drew Rosenhaus.

"Certainly, we could have increased our leverage if we had reduced our tender," Lewand said. "Sometimes, it becomes about the player and the team and not the agent and the contract negotiator.

"We made a decision that it was the right thing to do to leave the higher offer in place."

Technically, Drummond cannot report to training camp next month because he is not officially under contract. But Rosenhaus said that's not a major issue. He does not expect Drummond to be a holdout.

"We're confident that we're not going to get down that road," Rosenhaus said during a telephone interview.

"We certainly expect to have a signed contract before training camp rolls around."

In the huddle
Quarterback Joey Harrington was guaranteed a $3 million roster bonus. The bonus is part of his rookie contract, signed in 2002.

By Mike O'Hara / The Detroit News

Nfl Football Pick

2005-06-22T07:57:00.000-07:00

Thompson almost left college football

LITTLE ROCK - Until the right man picked up the phone at just the right time, John Thompson was out of college football.Fired after two years as head coach at East Carolina, Thompson was whiling away December in Greenville, N.C., taking his two sons to school and enjoying walks with wife Charleen. They had put their all into East Carolina and the heave-ho hurt.Thompson said "not interested" to one coach in the Southeastern Conference and another in the Atlantic Coast Conference. He considered a lifestyle change, maybe the insurance business, a coffee shop, or a Krispy Kreme franchise. He even flew home to Arkansas to talk about coaching at Heber Springs.Drawing a paycheck but feeling empty, there was a day in mid-December when he realized he had to do something. The next day, Steve Spurrier called to follow up on a conversation from three weeks earlier. "I've always looked up to him as the best," Thompson said. "Wouldn't that be cool to work for him."The courtship was somewhat flirtatious. Spurrier asked if Thompson was interested and got a yes.They talked about golf and individual struggles. Spurrier avoided the hard sell; Thompson told his potential boss about the things that would be important - no second-guessing and someplace to put down roots after stops in Fayetteville, Gainesville and Greenville just this decade.On the followup call, Spurrier said, "I'm thinking about offering you this job in the morning and I said, 'Well, I'll be thinking about taking it if you offer it,'" Thompson said.The next morning, Spurrier called with a semi-formal, "You ready to go?" Thompson begged off until the afternoon. During a walk, he and Charleen decided to say yes, but when Spurrier called, he asked for another 45 minutes. OK, Spurrier said, but the hiring could make a needed splash and would help with recruiting.Obviously on the move, Spurrier then told him the media was available. "Why don't I just put you on the speaker phone and why don't we have our press conference right now?"That done, Spurrier wanted to know who else was available. Dave Wommack, fired as Arkansas defensive coordinator, and Tyrone Nix, Thompson said."He said, 'Let's go get 'em," Thompson said. He told Spurrier that both men would need multi-year contracts and Nix might need a title after being defensive coordinator at Southern Mississippi. If Wommack had an ego, there could have been a problem, but he and Thompson go way back. Within days, it was done, with Nix sharing the coordinator's title with Thompson. On the job only a few months, it has been fun, Thompson said. Spurrier can crack up a staff meeting with a remark about sending South Carolina malcontents on to Clemson or North Carolina. At Florida, Spurrier had a way with those things, like his quote about Tennessee's numerous appearances in the Citrus Bowl: "You can't tell Citrus without U-T.""If I tried to say those things, I'd be run out of the profession," Thompson said.It's the same on the golf course where there are no gimmes and Spurrier is apt to mention how he missed that identical putt only days earlier.During the spring, the coaches kept score - awarding points for specific accomplishments, including stops and turnovers on defense. Spurrier announced that the offense had won, the newspaper headline agreed, and Thompson's guys did the post-practice running. That night, Spurrier called Thompson to tell him he had revisited the scoring system and the defense did, indeed, win.Spurrier is neither a baby sitter nor a micro manager, Thompson said, adding that he wished he had worked for the man before becoming a head coach. "I was too much in it," he said.Concerned about doing too much too fast on defense, he cracked up when Spurrier sidled up prior to spring practice and asked, "Can you do some of those exotic blitzes?'On the first play of spring, all 11 on defense were standing and moving and offensive line coach John Hunt was pulling his hair out.

By Harry King