Nfl Football - Football Betting

2005-11-07T13:22:00.000-08:00

Indianapolis Colts at New England Patriots: Monday Night Football Showdown

The Indianapolis Colts vs. the New England Patriots is the Week 9 game everybody is looking forward to and sports bettors are licking their chops.--football gambling--

Miami Beach, FL (PRWEB) November 7, 2005 -- It is perhaps the most single anticipated game of Week 9 of the NFL. In fact, this could be the most looked forward to game of the 2005/2006 NFL season. --football gambling--

An undefeated Indianapolis Colts team plays in New England against the Super Bowl champion Patriots."This is one of those rare times when the New England Patriots opened as a +3 dog at home," commented former Indianapolis Colts cheerleader turned Sports Analyst for Gambling911.com, Lisa Perry. "The Patriots will definitely be the toughest team Indianapolis faces thus far this season. Outside of Jacksonville, none of the teams Indianapolis has faced are over the .500 mark."Lisa Perry was 7-4-1 with her Week 9 NFL plays going into Sunday night's game and she believes the game will be very close with a win by the Indianapolis Colts, but New England covers what is now a +4 1/2 line.--football gambling--

Lisa will be going against the general betting public which overwhelmingly had Indianapolis beating the spread at Sportsbook.com entering into the weekend. The online bookmaker reported 82% of all wagers were placed on the Colts. The Patriots have gone 6-0 against the Colts since 2001. In New England, Peyton Manning has never won. For the Colts, who ended their season in Foxborough in each of the last two years, a victory would mean a four-game advantage over the Patriots in the race for home-field advantage in the AFC playoffs. --football gambling--

The Patriots (4-3) have alternated wins and losses every game since opening the season with a victory over the Oakland Raiders. The toughest stretch of their schedule has been a five-game span against teams that were .500 or better entering Sunday -- four of them on the road. They went 2-3 in those games. Sports bettors and enthusiast alike are encouraged to read www.gambling911.com regularly and bookmark the web site as one of their favorites. --football gambling--

Gambling911.com features Free NFL picks, predictions, analyses, forecasts and vital line moves (provided by PinnacleSports.com) in addition to now showing which team side the majority of action is being taken on (care of Sportsbook.com). --football gambling--

Gambling911.com through its Sports911.com arm is also the first to news outlet to provide full results on the early Sunday afternoon NFL games each week.Check out www.gambling911.com and see more of sexy former Indianapolis cheerleader Lisa Perry in addition to all the top sports handicapping information available free at your fingertips. --football gambling--

About Gambling911.com: Gambling911.com is recognized as the global leader in gambling news as it relates to entertainment, sports and politics. The web site was mentioned in The Wall Street Journal and featured in numerous other publications and media outlets including the Miami Herald, Canadian Business Magazine, Winnipeg Free Press, Las Vegas Sun, The Hartford Courant and Fox Television. The web site will also be mentioned in Canadian Business Magazine this coming month. Gambling911.com is owned by Twenty-One Holdings, LLC.# # #--football gambling--

2005-11-02T11:15:00.000-08:00

NFL Roundup

Quarterback-thin Niners sign former Giant Palmer

SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) -- The San Francisco 49ers signed Jesse Palmer on Tuesday after losing their top two quarterbacks to injuries. -NFL Football-

Palmer, a fourth-round pick out of Florida by the New York Giants in 2001, was released before this season. Used primarily a backup in New York, he completed 63 of 120 passes for 562 yards, three touchdowns and four interceptions. -NFL Football-

"I'm just looking forward to coming in and working hard and trying to pick things up as quickly as I can," Palmer said. "I'm ready to do whatever they ask me to do, and whatever I can do to help this team win." -NFL Football-

The 49ers made the move after No. 1 overall pick Alex Smith went down with strained knee ligaments and backup Ken Dorsey hurt his ankle. Cody Pickett, the fourth-stringer at the start of the season, is expected to be San Francisco's fourth starter in five games Sunday against the Giants. -NFL Football-

The Niners earlier traded Tim Rattay, their opening day starter, to Tampa Bay. -NFL Football-

"It's difficult in my position because you are just waiting on injuries and that's often when your opportunity comes at this point into the season," Palmer said. "You never wish anyone ill health, but that's the reality of the business." -NFL Football-

To make room on the roster for Palmer, the 49ers waived free safety Jeremy Thornburg. The team also waived linebacker Roger Cooper from the practice squad. -NFL Football-

Cowboys release Thomas, put Singleton on IR

IRVING, Texas (AP) -- The Dallas Cowboys released running back Anthony Thomas on Tuesday and placed linebacker Al Singleton on injured reserve, ending his season. -NFL Football-

Thomas, signed in the offseason to provide depth behind starter Julius Jones, became expendable with the emergence of rookies Marion Barber and Tyson Thompson. He had two 1,000-yard seasons in four years with Chicago before signing a one-year deal with the Cowboys. -NFL Football-

Thompson caught the attention of coach Bill Parcells with a strong training camp and preseason. Barber has 222 yards and two touchdowns in two games as a replacement for Jones, who is battling an ankle injury. Thompson, an undrafted free agent, is the first Irving native to play for the Cowboys, and Barber is a fourth-round pick out of Minnesota. -NFL Football-

Singleton broke a collarbone in Sunday's 34-13 victory against Arizona. -NFL Football-

The Cowboys also placed defensive end Jay Ratliff (ankle) on injured reserve, and they signed safeties Tony Dixon and Lynn Scott, both former Cowboys. -NFL Football-

Lions sign well-traveled LB Wayne

DETROIT (AP) -- The Detroit Lions on Tuesday signed linebacker Nate Wayne to a one-year contract. -NFL Football-

Wayne signed with the Jacksonville Jaguars on May 16 after he was waived by the Philadelphia Eagles, where he spent the 2003 and 2004 seasons. Jacksonville released him in September. -NFL Football-

In 85 games over seven NFL seasons, the 6-foot, 237-pound linebacker had 545 total tackles, including 352 solo tackles and 16 sacks. Before playing with the Eagles, Wayne played in Denver and Green Bay. -NFL Football-

The Lions also signed wide receiver Glenn Martinez to the practice squad and released wide receiver Adam Herzing from the practice squad. -NFL Football-

Martinez has been active for two games with the Lions this season and caught one pass for 11 yards. -NFL Football-

Packers add three to practice squad

GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) -- Linebacker Atari Bigby was among three players added Tuesday to the Green Bay Packers' practice squad. -NFL Football-

The team released wide receiver Craig Bragg and linebacker Zac Woodfin. -NFL Football-

Bigby, a native of Jamaica, had signed with Miami as a non-drafted free agent out of Central Florida before being waived and then signing with the New York Jets. The Jets waived him Sept. 4. -NFL Football-

Also signed to the practice squad were two other rookie free agents -- fullback Greg Hanoian, out of Syracuse, and wide receiver Reggie Harrell, from Texas Christian. -NFL Football-

Cardinals re-sign Newhouse, release Carter

TEMPE, Ariz. (AP) -- The Arizona Cardinals re-signed wide receiver Reggie Newhouse on Tuesday and released cornerback Dyshod Carter. -NFL Football-

The Cardinals released Newhouse on Sept. 3 in the team's final roster cut. He played in three games for Arizona last season, with one reception for 5 yards. -NFL Football-

The move coincides with the uncertain status of wide receiver Anquan Boldin. Boldin left Sunday's loss in Dallas with a right knee injury. An MRI showed it was a bone bruise, rather than a more serious injury the Cardinals had feared. It's not known whether he'll play Sunday against Seattle. -NFL Football-

In another move, the team released safety Adrian Mayes from injured reserve. -NFL Football-

Browns release TE Miller

CLEVELAND (AP) -- The Cleveland Browns on Tuesday released veteran tight end Billy Miller, who did not catch a pass in three games with the team. -NFL Football-

Miller was signed by the Browns one week before the start of the regular season because Steve Heiden was the only healthy tight end on the roster. Aaron Shea returned from a strained chest muscle last month and Miller has seen little action since. -NFL Football-

Miller had 114 receptions for 1,212 yards and seven touchdowns in six seasons with Denver and Houston. He was Houston's leading receiver in 2002, catching 51 passes for 613 yards and three touchdowns. -NFL Football-

2005-10-31T12:50:00.000-08:00

NFL can’t allow Saints to relocate

Ben Smith

OK, I get this now. This is where Paul Tagliabue unleashes his inner Corleone, right? This is where he tells Tom Benson he’s comin’ to New Orleans for a little “chat.” -NFL Football-

This is where he tells San Antonio Mayor Phil Hardberger they need to reach an “accommodation.” -NFL Football-

This is where he shows up on both men’s doorsteps, unannounced, and suggests they go for a ride. Just the three of them. Clemenza will bring the canoli. -NFL Football-

OK, OK. So it’s a stretch to see the distinguished, bespectacled Tagliabue as a mob boss, putting the arm on unruly associates. But whatever hammer the man wields as commissioner of the National Football League, he needs to pick it up now. -NFL Football-

Heard the latest from the NFL, aka Now For (some) Larceny? -NFL Football-

The Raiders are having a hell of a year. -NFL Football-

Published reports in the San Antonio Express-News say Benson, the owner of the New Orleans Saints, plans to void his lease with the Louisiana Superdome, claiming that Hurricane Katrina has made it unusable. He’s already informed Louisiana officials he plans to abandon the Saints’ training facility in Metairie, La., claiming the damage caused by FEMA’s use of the facility for disaster relief has rendered it unusable, too. -NFL Football-

All of this is an alleged attempt to bail on New Orleans, whose storm-ravaged economy suddenly looks a lot less appealing than, say, that of San Antonio or Los Angeles. The first opened its arms to the Saints after Katrina, offering the use of training facilities and the Alamodome for three games. The second has had the Saints on its radar for years as a candidate for relocation. -NFL Football-

I don’t know what the standards are for vile behavior in the NFL these days – Bob Irsay’s moving violation and Art Modell painting the Browns purple used to be the benchmark – but clearly they are not what they used to be. They are far worse. -NFL Football-

What can you say about two cities openly taking advantage of a horrendous human tragedy to steal a piece of ravaged New Orleans’ civic identity? That perhaps I was too hasty in saying it was a good year for Raiders? That perhaps it’s more accurate to say it’s a better year for vultures – and that these days, when lunch is served in San Antonio and Los Angeles, carrion flambé is the preferred dish? -NFL Football-

At least in L.A. officials have displayed a little squeamishness about the propriety of all this. The general manager of the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, Pat Lynch, told Alan Abrahamson of the Los Angeles Times there’s no “time or place to ever bring up” the subject. And Bill Chadwick of the Coliseum Commission said it “clearly would be bad form for the commission to reach out to New Orleans.” -NFL Football-

In San Antonio, on the other hand, Hardberger has no such qualms. And apparently no conscience, either. -NFL Football-

He’s openly discussed what sort of improvements to the Alamodome would have to be made, and announced over a week ago that he expects negotiations between San Antonio and the Saints would begin early next year. All this appeared in an Express-News piece devoted to Hardberger’s “Saints relocation efforts.” -NFL Football-

Saints relocation efforts? -NFL Football-

What’s Hardberger’s next act, seducing the woman whose husband’s in a coma? -NFL Football-

That’s essentially what he’s doing here, and Benson – for all his poormouthing about keeping the Saints in New Orleans – is apparently amenable to it. This despite the fact that he’s given New Orleans little except years of lousy football. This despite the fact that New Orleans has given him 36 straight sellouts anyway. -NFL Football-

Even Paris Hilton would blush at this sort of crassness. -NFL Football-

Tagliabue, meanwhile, needs to do more than blush. He’s already pledged the league’s help to New Orleans; now he needs to sit on the vultures. He needs to remind L.A. that the reason it doesn’t have an NFL franchise is that it’s a serial failure as a pro football town. He needs to tell Hardberger that if he ever wants to see the Alamodome graced by an NFL logo, he needs to stop accessorizing his wardrobe with an eyepatch and a cutlass. -NFL Football-

Tags’ NFL is so obsessed with image it comes close to being pathological about it, what with all the fines for wayward shirttails or wearing the wrong socks. But nothing that’s happened in the last decade approaches this New Orleans business for tarnishing that image. Nothing – not Janet Jackson’s flashdance, not Terrell Owens’ dalliance with the “Desperate Housewives” – comes close to being this tawdry. -NFL Football-

Time to unleash the inner Corleone, Tags. Time for a little “accommodation.” Time to bring down the hammer on certain unruly associates, because suddenly it’s not about keeping that shirttail tucked in. It’s about owners and potential owners who can’t keep their ethics tucked in. -NFL Football-

Somewhere, Bob Irsay is chortling. He’s off the hook at last. -NFL Football-

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Ben Smith has been covering sports in Fort Wayne since 1986. His columns appear four times a week. He can be reached by e-mail at bensmith@jg.net; phone, 461-8736; or fax 461-8648 or at the "Ben Smith" topic of "The Board" at . Ben Smith has been covering sports in Fort Wayne since 1986. His columns appear four times a week. He can be reached by e-mail at bensmith@jg.net; phone, 461-8736; or fax 461-8648 or at the "Ben Smith" topic of "The Board" at .

© 2005 Journal Gazette and wire service sources. All Rights Reserved.
http://www.fortwayne.com

2005-10-20T22:12:00.000-07:00

Week Seven game previews
By PFW staff Oct. 20, 2005
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Tennessee at Arizona
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The Cardinals have had no stability at quarterback since Denny Green took over the team, and after injury-prone Kurt Warner hurt his groin vs. Seattle, there is more controversy surrounding the position. --- nfl ---
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Josh McCown has played like the quarterback Green thought he had before passing up Philip Rivers and Ben Roethlisberger. McCown has quickly established a rapport with Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin, who have each racked up more than 100 yards receiving the last two games with McCown throwing to them. McCown is more elusive than Warner and better able to stay off the ground behind a makeshift offensive line. --- nfl ---
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The Cardinals’ run game has been abysmal, so they will have to air it out to have a chance. They should be able to effectively isolate Tennessee’s --- nfl ---cornerbacks, with former first-round picks Pacman Jones and Andre Woolfork both struggling. Arizona’s cornerbacks, with rookie starters Antrel Rolle (knee) and Eric Green (shoulder) hurting, are not in much better shape, but defensive coordinator Clancy Pendergast finds ways to bring pressure with his fast --- nfl ---linebackers and solid bookends in Bertrand Berry and Chike Okeafor. --- nfl ------ nfl ---
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Also working in the Cardinals’ favor is Steve McNair’s inability to establish a rapport with his young receivers and the continuation of Travis Henry’s four-game suspension for substance abuse, leaving fragile RB Chris Brown to carry the workload by himself. WR Drew Bennett is sidelined with a hand injury, meaning the Titans will likely start two rookies at wide receiver.--- nfl ---
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One positive for the Titans has been the ability of their defense to pressure opposing quarterbacks, led by DLE Kyle Vanden Bosch’s 6½ sacks.--- nfl ---
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2005-10-10T13:30:00.000-07:00

Surgery ends season for Falcons' Hartwell

FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. (Oct. 10, 2005) -- Atlanta Falcons linebacker Ed Hartwell had surgery to repair a torn right Achilles' tendon and will miss the rest of the season.

Coach Jim Mora said the Falcons also expect to lose backup cornerback Chris Cash for the season with a broken arm. Hartwell and Cash were injured in Atlanta's 31-28 loss to New England on Oct. 9. - NFL Football -

Cash filled a key role in the secondary when he was signed after a season-ending injury to Kevin Mathis. But the loss of Hartwell could cause the most dramatic adjustments to the defense.

"We'll recover as a football team and Ed will recover, but we will miss his presence," Mora said.

Hartwell, the team's most significant free-agent acquisition of the offseason, was expected to lead the defense as a run-stopping middle linebacker. He was viewed by Mora and general manager Rich McKay as the missing piece from last year's team, which lost in the NFC championship game. - NFL Football -

Mora said the coaching staff was still discussing how to replace Hartwell. He had 30 tackles and a pass deflection before the injury.

Options include moving four-time Pro Bowl linebacker Keith Brooking from the outside to the middle spot, where he has significant experience. Ike Reese, playing behind second-year starting outside linebacker Demorrio Williams, could move into the starting lineup.

Another option is rookie Michael Boley, a fifth-round pick who has made his biggest contribution as the team's leader in special teams tackles.

"Having a guy like Ike gives you some flexibility," Mora said. "We have to decide as a staff what gives us the best combination of players to help us win games. We have to take into account special teams, and Ike is a big part of our special teams package. - NFL Football -

"I want to talk to Keith and talk to Ike, and then we'll decide and we'll go forward."

Reese finished the game at middle linebacker.

The Falcons also were without quarterback Michael Vick, out with a sprained knee. Mora said it's too early to predict Vick's status for their Week 6 game against New Orleans in San Antonio.

"I've got to believe Mike will make progress," Mora said. "We'll see. We should have a good feel Wednesday." - NFL Football -

Backup Matt Schaub passed for 298 yards and three touchdowns -- season highs for the team -- without an interception.

2005-10-01T15:51:00.000-07:00

Court sides with Pats in season ticket dispute
NFL.com Wire Reports

BOSTON (Sept. 30, 2005) -- A Connecticut company that sued to have its season ticket privileges restored by the New England Patriots after a male ticket holder was caught using a women's restroom has lost its appeal. - NFL Football -

Southington, Conn.-based Yarde Metals had appealed an earlier decision by the Suffolk Superior Court that found the Patriots had the right to rescind the season's tickets. - NFL Football -

The tickets were revoked after one of Yarde's guests used a women's restroom during an Oct. 13, 2002, game against the Green Bay Packers at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough.

Yarde Metals sued to regain its six seats. Suffolk Superior Court Judge Thomas Connolly ruled that the team was not out of bounds, although he called its decision "Draconian."

Yarde pursued the case, but the state appeals court also sided with the team. - NFL Football -

Although the court agreed that the team's decision was "harsh," it ruled that purchasing a season ticket doesn't constitute a contract guaranteeing the ticketholder the right to purchase seasons tickets indefinitely. - NFL Football -

"The annual 'automatic and unsolicited' offer from the Patriots to purchase season tickets may not thwart the Patriots' right to revoke ticket privileges for cause which the ticket holder agreed to as part of the season ticket package," the court ruled. - NFL Football -

The Patriots had offered Yarde a refund for the remaining tickets for the season.

2005-09-14T14:23:00.000-07:00

Ex-NFL QB heads USD turnaround

BY ALEX GOLDBERGER

Jim Harbaugh was born with a football in his right hand. Forty years later, after 15 seasons as an NFL quarterback, he did what his father did -- and what his brother and brother-in-law do -- he turned to coaching.

"My dad's a coach," said Harbaugh, now head coach at the University of San Diego, which will host the Bulldogs Saturday. "He's been coaching for 43 years. I sort of grew up around coaching -- games on Saturdays. So I knew I'd play as long as I could and then start coaching. It's such a great profession. I was always so proud of him growing up. He coached at Michigan and he was a celebrity almost. Stems from him, my mom, the relationship they had, the relationships he had with other coaches. Personally, as an adult, it's the way I'm wired. I need competition."

Indeed, the coaching bug bit Harbaugh even before his playing career was over. Over his final eight seasons in the NFL (1994-2001) -- including 1995, the year in which he finished runner-up in the MVP voting -- Harbaugh was an NCAA-certified unpaid assistant coach under his father, Jack, at Western Kentucky University, serving as offensive consultant, scout and recruiter.

When he finally took the reins of his own team, at San Diego before the 2004 season, coaching did not seem to come as naturally for the son as it had for the father. The Toreros lost four of their first six games, including a 61-18 thrashing at the hands of Pennsylvania (lowly Princeton also edged USD a week later, 24-17).

"We did have a tough schedule," Harbaugh said. "But the one thing about the west-coast offense is it takes some time to learn." - NFL Football -

It takes five games, it turned out. In San Diego's final loss of the season, quarterback Todd Mortensen carved up the Drake defense for 347 yards passing.

He, Harbaugh and the Toreros never looked back. After the team reeled off five consecutive victories to close out the season, Mortensen was named Pacific Football League co-Offensive Player of the Year and was signed by the Detroit Lions and Harbaugh -- the former Heisman finalist, first-round pick and Pro Bowler -- was one of the hottest names in Division I-AA coaching. - NFL Football -

"I take pride in the entire team," Harbaugh said when asked if he favored quarterbacks over his other players. "Quarterback is an important position, probably the most important on offense because he handles the ball every play. Maybe I'm a little biased for having played it, and since I coach the quarterbacks, but it's the head coach's responsibility for the success of the whole team, and I take great pride in wins and losses."

This season, with new starters at running back and quarterback, the Toreros (2-0) picked up right where they left off, vanquishing Azusa Pacific and Southern Oregon by a combined count of 81-6. - NFL Football -

Still, Harbaugh is quick to point out that Yale might just be in another class than San Diego and the rest of the PFL, widely regarded as second-tier within I-AA.

"We definitely welcome the competition with a team with the tradition of Yale," Harbaugh said. "Watching them on film, I think it's a great football team and should be a great challenge for our team."

It might please the Eli coaching staff to hear that Harbaugh was most concerned about Yale's wideouts, a major source of consternation for the Bulldogs since a preseason injury to receiver Chandler Henley '06 left the team without any starting experience at the position.

"They have playmakers on both sides of the ball," Harbaugh said. "I'm really impressed with their receiving corps. They're really athletic at that position." - NFL Football -

The upcoming battles in the trenches have also cost San Diego's coach sleep this week.

"They have such great size and strength," he said. "They're really big in the lines. That'll be a key matchup for us. It's sort of a David and Goliath thing."

Nevertheless, despite an 0-2 mark against Ivy League foes, Harbaugh is not worried about making a statement to the choice world of northeastern football. - NFL Football -

"Do I feel extra pressure? I don't feel any pressure. I don't have to block anybody or tackle anybody." - NFL Football -

Copyright © 1995-2005 Yale Daily News Publishing Company, Inc. All rights reserved.

2005-09-06T09:11:00.000-07:00

Scouting the NFL

Trying to predict which teams are going to do well during football season is often an entertaining — but difficult — task.
The first week of high school football is in the books, as is the first weekend of college football. There were a few surprises along the way.
Some of the more noticeable shockers included young Class AAAA foe Morrilton having its way with Russellville, the margin (40-7) of Hector’s win over Dover last Friday and, in the college ranks, the No. 7 Oklahoma Sooners dropping their season opener to TCU (at home, no less).
Many of the outcomes of the high school and college games give indication for a wild ride ahead in terms of determining who the favorites are.
Maybe even more puzzling is trying to predict who will win in the NFL. The professional football season starts Thursday night with the two-time defending Super Bowl champion New England Patriots and the Oakland Raiders.
The remainder of the NFL teams will be in action Sunday. With that in mind, the following is my feeble attempt at trying to predict who will be the division winners:
AFC
East Division: The Patriots have been the team to beat the last two seasons. I don’t see that changing this year.
The New York Jets have been in the hunt in recent years, and the Buffalo Bills return one of the top defenses from last season.
However, the Bills’ offense will have a sluggish start with rookie J.P. Losman getting the quarterback job, and the Jets won’t be able to beat New England.
The Patriots will repeat as division champions.
South Division: The Indianapolis Colts return one of the league’s most potent offenses. Peyton Manning set several passing records last year, including most touchdowns in a season with 49. Adding Corey Simon to the defensive side will give Indy a boost.
Not even Matt Jones can help the Jacksonville Jaguars outscore the Colts. Indianapolis wins the division again.
North Division: This one is a toss-up. Last season, The Pittsburgh Steelers finished the season with the best record in the NFL at 15-1 behind rookie phenom Ben Roethlisberger.
The loss of receiver Plaxico Burress and injuries to running backs Duce Staley and Jerome Bettis will most likely cause the Steelers to get off to a slow start.
Defense wins championships, and the Baltimore Ravens are very strong in that area. With the acquisition of receivers Derek Mason and Mark Clayton, along with the running game of Jamal Lewis, the Ravens have enough to edge Pittsburgh and win the division.
The only question is, will they put all their tools to use? I think they will.
West Division: Last season, the San Diego Chargers were probably one of the biggest surprises in the NFL. With Ladanian Tomlinson consistently finishing as one of the league’s top running backs, and the emergence of tight end Antonio Gates and quarterback Drew Brees into top-notch players, the Chargers have plenty of weapons on offense.
The Raiders added Randy Moss, and Kansas City beefed up its defense to go along with its high-powered offense. However, the Chargers should finish on top once again when it’s all said and done.
NFC
East Division: Terrell Owens has dominated most of the news from the NFL this offseason with his off-the-field antics. His attitude will be somewhat of a distraction for the Philadelphia Eagles, and losing receiver Todd Pinkston will be a factor as well.
The Eagle defense, though, can make up for the offense’s slack. The offense, by the way, is still no slouch, and that combination should give Philly another division title.
Watch out for the Dallas Cowboys, though, as they appear poised to make a strong run this season.
South Division: Everyone knows Atlanta Falcon quarterback Michael Vick is the leader of the Falcons. Vick missed most of last season with a leg injury, causing Atlanta’s season to go down the drain.
However, the Falcon defense helped carry the team last season and recorded an NFL-best 48 sacks. That strong defensive group and a high-powered offense will give Atlanta a good shot at repeating as division champions.
Standing in the way, though, is the Carolina Panthers, who were bothered by injury last season. With a healthy staff and one of the league’s top defenses, the Panthers should edge the Falcons this season.
North Division: Randy Moss is gone, but the Minnesota Vikings still have a strong offense. Daunte Culpepper will probably not have as good of numbers without Moss on the field, but the Vikings retooled their defense and that will help them keep Brett Favre and the Green Bay Packers from claiming the division title.
The Vikings should win the division and make some noise in the NFC playoffs.
West Division: This has to be one of the weakest divisions in the NFL. With the Arizona Cardinals and San Francisco 49ers turning into perennial losing teams, the NFC West has lost a lot of its luster.
The Seattle Seahawks and Saint Louis Rams, on the other hand, present very strong offensive attacks and should be considered dangerous come playoff time.
Either one could win the division. Whatever happens, the race should be tight down to the end. I’m going to say the Seahawks win the division, though.
All of this may sound far-fetched, and there are certainly many other factors to consider. Another thing to consider is that many times the expected never actually takes place, so anything can happen. Regardless, this should be an excitingNFL season.

Copyright © 2005, Russellville Newspapers, Inc.

2005-08-30T08:59:00.000-07:00

Steelers' Parker goes from college to NFL

Alan Robinson, AP Sports Writer

PITTSBURGH --Willie Parker prides himself on his speed, but even he didn't expect his NFL career to take off this quickly.

A college backup two years ago, he is now the Pittsburgh Steelers' likely opening day starter at running back.

Parker said Monday he hasn't been told he is officially on the team, yet he seems all but certain to start Sept. 11 against Tennessee because of injuries to Jerome Bettis (strained right calf) and Duce Staley (torn meniscus in knee).

Bettis, hurt Friday against the Redskins while carrying out a fake on a play he didn't carry the ball, has a recent history of leg and groin problems that suggests he won't be 100 percent if he tries to play so soon.

Bettis had an MRI test Saturday, but the team did not issue an official update until Monday. Coach Bill Cowher said Bettis probably will be listed as doubtful for Tennessee, meaning there's a 75 percent chance he won't play. - College Football -

Staley also said he could play a reduced role by the opener, although the team seems determined not to rush him back and risk him getting reinjured.

"The good thing is Jerome is walking around on his toes," Cowher said Monday. "There's an outside chance. But if Jerome is unable to go, Willie Parker will start."

It's quite a change for a player who has done very little playing, much less starting, since his high school days in North Carolina. - College Football -

Parker is almost glad he didn't know when training camp began last month he would be playing such a key role for a team coming off a 15-1 season.

"I'd have the jitters," he said. "I've always gotten the jitters before a game -- and I would have if you'd have told me that at the start of training camp."

The 5-foot-10, 209-pound Parker certainly doesn't fit the stereotypical image of a Steelers running back -- the Franco Harris-Bettis-Staley mold of power backs who gain their yards by strength and finesse rather than speed. - College Football -

Asked recently to list the Steelers' fastest five players, Parker said, "Me, me, me, me -- and Ike Taylor," a backup cornerback.

But the speed that allowed Parker to gain 51 yards on his only carry against the Redskins and average 10.2 yards on his 11 preseason carries to date didn't help get him off the bench at North Carolina. He started only five games his final three seasons there, none as a senior, partly because he refused the coaching staff's suggestions he put on more weight to better handle the punishment a starting back gets. - College Football -

After gaining only 181 yards as a senior, he signed with the Steelers as a rookie free agent and made the team in camp a year ago partly because of his excellent speed. He played little until running for 102 yards against Buffalo on Jan. 2, when most of the starters rested in a game that meant nothing to the Steelers. - College Football -

"It would be nice" to start, he said. "But it's not about me, it's about the team."

So far, the offense has been about Parker and little else. The offensive starters haven't scored a touchdown yet and, because they probably won't play much Thursday at Carolina, there's a chance they could go into the season without scoring since the playoffs.

Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger has downplayed the lack of production, most notably his own, by saying the offense has looked much better in practice and is on the verge of coming together.

"We're real close," he said. "Every week, I'm feeling more comfortable ... and we're only one or two plays away from really making things happen."

Still, wide receiver Cedrick Wilson said the offense "needs to get in the end zone before the season begins." - College Football -

"Everybody's pretty concerned," he said, dismissing talk the starters are downplaying their struggles. "But we're not game-planning plays yet ... and we're on the edge of exploding."

2005-08-24T08:01:00.000-07:00

Former NFL player Phillips held in Los Angeles

LOS ANGELES – A former NFL football player wanted on domestic violence charges in San Diego and Los Angeles was in custody today after allegedly driving a car into three teenagers with whom he had just played a game of pickup football.
Lawrence Phillips was arrested on a San Diego felony domestic violence warrant following the attack on the teenagers, which occurred in Exposition Park about 1:30 p.m. yesterday, said Los Angeles police Officer Sandra Escalante.
The 30-year-old Phillips could be charged with attempted murder in connection with yesterday's incident, authorities said.
Myrna Flores, the mother of a 15-year-boy injured in yesterday's vehicular assault, said her son, Rodney, told her Phillips had joined the game with him and his friends, who all gather regularly at the park, the Los Angeles Times reported.
After the game, Phillips apparently couldn't find some of his possessions and asked the boys repeatedly what they had done with them. "The kids were amazed," Flores told The Times. "The kids said they didn't know where his belongings were."

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Police said Phillips left, only to return a short time later.
"Mr. Phillips left and came back in his car and drove at the group of juveniles that he had been playing with," LAPD Lt. Richard Gammel of the Los Angeles Police Department told CBS2.
Phillips was allegedly targeting six teenagers, three of whom were struck and hospitalized. They were treated at California Medical Center and released, Flores told Times.
The car, a black Honda said by police to have been reported stolen in San Diego, had a dented hood and broken windshield.
Phillips, who was a running back with the St. Louis Rams, Miami Dolphins and San Francisco 49ers in the late 1990s, had been sought by police in Los Angeles and San Diego, where he has lived recently.
San Diego authorities were seeking Phillips in connection with two alleged assaults this month on a 28-year-old girlfriend, said San Diego police Sgt. Dan Cerar said.
On Aug. 2, Phillips allegedly assaulted the woman at her Mission Valley home, hitting her and choking her into unconsciousness.
Eleven days later, he allegedly attacked her again in a bathroom during a house party in the Kearny Mesa area. In both cases, he managed to run off before police could detain him, Cerar said.
The 6-foot, 220-pound Phillips allegedly has resisted arrest and recently told an officer, "There is no way you're going to arrest me," according to San Diego police Lt. Kathy Healey.
In December 2000, a Los Angeles judge issued an arrest warrant for Phillips when he failed to appear in court to face trial on charges of threatening and injuring a live-in girlfriend.
Phillips had been arrested seven months earlier at his Beverly Hills home after authorities responded to a domestic violence call there. His injured girlfriend was treated at the scene.
Phillips spent his teens in a West Covina group home and first attracted national attention for violent behavior when he was a star player at the University of Nebraska, according to The Times.
In 1995, he was charged with trespassing and assault for an attack on a college girlfriend, who said he threatened to shoot her in the kneecaps and elbows, prompting the university to provide her with 24-hour protection, The Times reported. Phillips pleaded no contest and was sentenced to a year of probation, according to the newspaper.
The St. Louis Rams made Phillips the sixth choice in the 1996 NFL Draft. He struggled initially with the Rams, and eventually was suspended for insubordination.
While with the Rams, Phillips, a graduate of Baldwin Park High School, pleaded no contest to a charge of driving while intoxicated in the San Gabriel Valley.
Phillips was released by the Rams in 1997 and signed with the Dolphins later that year, only to be released after pleading no contest to hitting a woman.
The San Francisco 49ers signed Phillips after losing star Garrison Hearst to an injury, but he was released in 1999 because of insubordination. In 2001, Phillips reportedly walked out on the Florida Bobcats of the Arena Football League.
Phillips helped lead the Canadian Football League's Montreal Alouettes to the 2002 Grey Cup but was released before the start of the 2003 season for not meeting the team's "minimum behavioral standards."

SIGN ON SANDIEGO NEWS

2005-08-15T10:02:00.000-07:00

NFL should tell T.O. his act won’t play here

A couple of weeks ago, Jerome Stanley, a respected NFL and NBA agent, called me just to say I was foolish for supporting Terrell Owens.
“I thought you were smarter than that, Jason,” said Stanley, the rep for my least-favorite NFL player, Keyshawn Johnson.
Last week, a representative of the NFL players’ association told me that he’d lost respect for Owens when the Philly receiver started criticizing Donovan McNabb.
“You don’t go after your quarterback, Jason,” the NFLPA rep said.
Friday night, at halftime of the Chiefs-Vikings exhibition game, I chatted with former league MVP Rich Gannon.
“You can’t have a guy like that on your team,” Gannon said of Owens.
I give up. Generally speaking, I can defend just about anything. I don’t give up on my positions easily. Take for instance, Jeff George. The Chicago Bears lost their starting quarterback, Rex Grossman, because of a broken ankle Friday night. You and I both know the Bears should sign George if they want to make a playoff run this season.
I can’t defend Terrell Owens anymore. He lost me last week when he shot basketball, pumped iron and did sit-ups in his driveway while TV cameras recorded all the action. He lost me with his continued attacks on McNabb.
Terrell Owens has gone too far.
He has every right to demand a new contract. His performance in last season’s Super Bowl was remarkable. Players with half his talent own contracts twice as lucrative as the one T.O. signed with the Eagles a year ago.
Owens is better than Marvin Harrison, the Indianapolis receiver who inked a deal with more than $20 million guaranteed. Owens received $9 million to sign with the Eagles. Yes, he foolishly agreed to the deal. He picked the wrong agent.
But I support T.O.’s right to try to finagle a new deal. NFL management demands pay cuts, so why can’t the players demand pay raises?
It’s just that I never imagined that Owens and his agent, Drew Rosenhaus, would look this sleazy and this silly going about getting one. I assumed they’d be somewhat savvy about it.
Instead, they’ve alienated the entire National Football League. McNabb, one of the league’s most popular players and someone who campaigned for T.O. to join the Eagles, has been damaged by Owens’ immaturity.
T.O. thinks he’s Rambo, capable of taking on the whole league.
It won’t work.
He’s moving into a dangerous area. You could make an argument that NFL owners would be wise to squash Owens and send a message to the rest of the players. If Owens’ theatrics work, if his media blitz and attack on McNabb lead to the Eagles trading him to the Atlanta Falcons, every player dissatisfied with his contract will go the T.O. route.
The NFL should blackball Owens. Run him out.
More and more NFL players are complaining about the control the league has over the expression of individuality. The players don’t understand that that control is one of the main reasons the league is so popular as a television force.
If the league shuts down Owens, it might shut up the rest of the whiners. At some point, the Eagles are going to make an aggressive move against Owens and claim that he breached his contract. If things don’t improve after T.O.’s one-week suspension, the Eagles are going to try to get rid of him and get back a significant piece of the signing bonus they handed Owens.
When (if) that happens, the key will be what other NFL owners do. T.O. can’t bounce to another team and land a fat contract. Owens can’t become the new Dennis Rodman. If T.O. gets traded and/or lands a better contract, the whole league will live to regret it.

JASON WHITLOCK

2005-08-09T07:27:00.000-07:00

NFL Day at the track

Football season may be a few weeks away, but on Sunday, folks at the track got to huddle up with some NFL greats from years past -- and it was all for a good cause.
NFL fan Paula Sperry said, "You see some names of the older gentlemen when I was growing up, and it is just a thrill to meet them." - NFL Football -
Former Giant and Pro-Bowl lineman Leonard Marshall signed autographs for fans. He said, "I think that most of the guys here care about the development of young adolescents and I think that it's equally important to us when we were coming up."
With a $5 donation, fans got the chance to meet a couple dozen NFL greats. The alumni are part a bigger group of former NFL players raising money for organizations that work with kids.
Tim Sherwin, President of the Upstate New York NFL Alumni said their motto says it all. He said, "Caring for kids is exactly what it says. The money goes to benefit children and there is a lot of charities that could use the support." - NFL Football -
The NFL players said it's great to raise money for kids, but it is also great to see old friends and guys they used to butt helmets with. - NFL Football -
"It is just as fun for me to be around these guys. It's the one thing you miss being around the fellas, you know the camaraderie, the locker room, everything associated with it," said Marshall.
Along with autographs, the NFL players hosted a 'meet the players lunch' and a charity golf outing. - NFL Football -
Sherwin expected to raise around $100,000, with all proceeds benefiting the Northeast Parent and Child Society.

Curtis Schick

2005-07-26T07:08:00.000-07:00

Former NFL Player Ray Oldham Dies Of Apparent Heart Attack

Chattanooga businessman and former NFL player Ray Oldham died Saturday morning after he apparently had a heart attack while on a bike ride. He was 54.The Oldham family will receive friends on Tuesday from 2-4 and 4-6 at the Heritage Funeral Home on East Brainerd Road. The funeral will be at the Heritage Funeral Home Chapel on Wednesday at 11 a.m. with interment to follow in Chattanooga Memorial Park.Chuck Sanders, a close friend and business associate, said Mr. Oldham went for a bike ride early Saturday morning. He was training for a 65-kilometer race. An official from the Hamilton County Sherriff's Department notified the family later that morning that Mr. Oldham's body had been found in Falling Water. - NFL Football -
I was very, very close to Ray,'' Mr. Sanders said. "He was a dear friend. This has been a struggle."It appears he died of natural causes, probably a heart attack. The officers at the scene said there were no marks on Ray or his bike.''Ray Oldham played football at Gallatin (Tenn.) High School and at Middle Tennessee State University. - NFL Football -
He was a defensive back for Pittsburg when the Steelers won the 1978 Super Bowl.In 1987, he opened the first office in Chattanooga for Raymond James and Associates. He started Investment Management Group in 1989, and in 1994 founded Champion Cleaners Franchise, Inc.Mr. Oldham joined FranChoice, a national franchise consulting company, in 2001. He was also a motivational speaker and since 2004 had formed VL Capital Partners, LLC, which has rights to the Victory Lane Quick Oil Change facilities throughout the state. - NFL Football -

Stan Crawley

2005-07-18T07:59:00.000-07:00

White Noise
The ABC's and 1-2-3's of planning your draft strategy

I have seen articles on the alphabet soup of fantasy football -- initials such as AVT, VBD, CIA, CYA, ADT. And I have seen columns on ranking players which like it or not, has to be done in one form or another. - NFL Football -
For years, I was a proponent of producing player predictions based on a mathematical model. The problem was, and remains, that no model can accurately predict the performance of NFL players. Sounds like a simple enough concept, but many don't get it. They spend hours poring over stat sheets from the past five years in an effort to project what Michael Bennett is going to do in 2005. When the truth is that no one has a real clue what to expect from Bennett this year. Or any other player for that matter. - NFL Football -
So what I want to do with this column is put down some easy to follow instructions that should help you manage your draft in such a way that you come away feeling like you have an edge on every other team. To do this, we are going to use three of the above alphabet combinations.
AVT (Average Value Theory) - NFL Football -
The problem I have with just about everyone's projections is that they tend to overproject the mid- and lower-tier players.
Check out any projection and you will find about 20 players targeted for 1,000 rushing yards and 10 or more TDs. Last year, only eight players rushed for over 1,000 yards while scoring 10 or more TDs on the ground. The year before there were eight such players too. This causes a disproportionate value to be placed on lower-tier players and negatively affects the drafts of anyone following those projections. The simplest way to overcome this is to use historical results to project slotted performances. - NFL Football -
Sounds complicated doesn't it? Well, it's not really. What you need to do is find a program that will allow you to input your scoring system and then produce a list of the top 100 performers at each position, with their scores, for each of the past three years. Average those numbers to come up with a projection for the coming year. - NFL Football -
Sideline Sports has a program called Fantasy League Manager that I use for this purpose. I paste those results into a spreadsheet that combines and averages the totals for me. With this, I can tell you that I expect the 18th-ranked running back to score 199 fantasy points in 2005. I can also tell you that between 2001 and 2004, the 18th-slotted back scored 180, 219, 197 and 200 points. Will this year's 18th-ranked back score exactly 199 points? Probably not, but he should be close enough that I don't over, or undervalue him. - NFL Football -
One thing to note: This system is inherently weak in predicting career seasons by players. There is no system in the world that is going to predict a 4,600-yard, 49-TD season like Peyton Manning had last year. That means the top rated players might actually outperform their projections by quite a bit. Last year, both Manning and Daunte Culpepper outperformed their slotted projections by about 90 points. But getting more than you expect is usually a very good thing.
Now all I have to do is rank the players. And for me, that is much easier than it was in the past. Because in the past I would spend days formulating projections of stats for all the players I might even think about drafting. Now all I have to do is rank the player. Do I think LaDainian Tomlinson will be better than Priest Holmes? Will Lee Suggs outperform Cedric Benson? I don't worry about the statistics -- which I can't accurately project anyway -- I just worry about who I think will have the better season. And I can change my mind whenever I want without worrying about what changing one player's projections will do to another's.

Greg Kellogg, Special to SI.com

2005-07-11T15:42:00.000-07:00

NCAA '06 goes deep

Like that Belinda Carlisle song, heaven is a place on earth.
Heaven is being the top college football player in the country, winning the Heisman trophy, being surrounded by pretty cheerleaders and ugly sycophants, promises of more fame and fortune around the corner.
Maybe I'm just playing too much NCAA Football '06. But these daydreams are a credit to the game's depth.
NCAA Football 2005 was one of last year's best sports games and its predecessor is even better. Created on EA Sports' Madden engine, it's a very similar feel to that franchise, with college football teams instead of professionals.
What's new this year is the "impact player." Teams usually have at least one "go-to" guy, the player who can always be relied on in pressure situations. You can call up plays that best suit your impact player, whether it's a quarterback who can run the option for a 15-yard break, or a speedy wide out who can leave everyone in his wake.
The game's main mode is the new Road to the Heisman, in which you create your own impact player, and enrol him as a freshman in one of the many schools available. You have four years to win the MVP trophy, and should you win it earlier, you have the option of going to the NFL draft early. Once Madden 2006 is released (in August), you'll be able to transfer that college player to a pro team.
In Dynasty mode, you can also recruit high school players during your season. You can invite them to your campus when you're playing a home game, and if you win, they're more likely to want to enrol at your school. This ensures the quality of your program year after year.
Home field advantage also returns this year, and on key plays, the stadium erupts and the screen shakes, rattling the visiting team and making a false start, interception, sack or incompletion more likely. And the right analog stick can now be used as either a hit stick (as in Madden) or to shake off defenders if you have the ball.
Now, most of us didn't attend Penn State, but that shouldn't put you off this title. I created my alma mater (Western Ontario) with ease, created uniforms, a stadium, playbooks, a coach, made myself quarterback and put all my university friends in other key positions. Heck, with enough patience, you can create every team in the CIS (Canadian Interuniversity Sport).
The bottom line is with all the options and personalization, this is a title that gives new meaning to "fantasy football." Don't sit this one out.

Nick Lewis
Calgary Herald

2005-07-06T09:38:00.000-07:00

Stram found sanctuary here

A kingfish of the football world has succumbed to complications associated with diabetes.Hank Stram, a Covington resident, devoted husband and father of six children, died Monday at St. Tammany Parish Hospital. He was 82.
Stram began establishing ties with the Northshore long before he ever dreamed of coaching a football team. According to an interview published by the New Banner some years ago, Stram said he was drawn here when he visited Tulane University in 1941 after being recruited to play football there.He never attended Tulane, choosing instead to play on the defensive line at Purdue University. But years later when Stram took the job as the Saints head coach under former owner John Mecom in 1975, he and wife Phyllis chose the Northshore as the place to build their home.
They built their Covington home in 1977."That was when there was only a four-way stop near Big Fred's," son Dale Stram said."Phyllis and I fell completely in love with the whole area," Stram told News Banner reporter Ray Broussard in 2001. "So, when I was released by the Saints, the question of where we were going to live was a no-brainer."That interview was conducted when Stram was 78 years old. He was still receiving hoards of fan letters, and he replied to each request for an autographed photograph, never leaving a fan without return correspondence.Anne Barnes, a neighbor and one of the Stram's closest Northshore friends, recalls the time when, as chairperson for the Youth Service Bureau's Chef Soiree, she asked Stram to serve as honorary chairman."Because of his love of children and his golf tournaments that benefited children, I thought Hank would be perfect as honorary chairman," Barnes said."He said, 'I have waited several years for you to ask me to do this,'" Barnes said."Hank was generous and supportive," Barnes said. "He agreed to meet all the chefs and get everyone together for a photo op. He was a very generous man. That was Hank."Dale Stram said his father's life on the Northshore was one of relaxation and a place to find sanctuary. He joined the Beau Chene Country Club in 1976 to play tennis and golf.Dale Stram said after his father left the Saints in 1977 he worked for CBS through 1995."The Northshore was where he came to relax," Dale Stram said. "He built a pool and liked laying by the pool and recharging his battery."Stram enjoyed entertaining his former football players at his Northshore home when they would pass through the area, Dale Stram said. He enjoyed eating out at Sal and Judy's and La Provence, and he enjoyed entertaining friends Jimmy Moran and Wilson Abraham, two of his Southshore friends who visited often. They played golf and tennis together.His profession as a coach is legendary. Stram took the Kansas City Chiefs to AFL titles in 1962, 1966 and 1969. Then he led them to two Super Bowls.He took them to the inaugural Super Bowl I in 1967, but the team lost to Vince Lombardi's Green Bay Packers, 35-10. But Stram's team returned to the Super Bowl again in 1970, this time garnering the title with a 23-7 win over the Minnesota Vikings.In 2003 he was elected into the NFL Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio.Stram is survived by his beloved wife of 52 years, Phyllis, sons Henry, Dale, Stu and Gary and daughters Julia and Mary Nell and a sister, Dolly.

Leslie Ackel
COVINGTON

2005-06-29T13:10:00.000-07:00

Sports Briefs: Security guard shot at NFL linebackers's party

From local and wire dispatches

Police are investigating the shooting of a security guard at a pool party given by NFL linebackers LaVar Arrington and Julian Peterson Saturday night. Investigators don't believe Arrington was near the spot where James Sidney was shot and injured. It was not clear whether Peterson was at the party. No one has been charged in the shooting and there are no suspects.
The New England Patriots signed free-agent kick returner Chad Morton, whose right knee was injured last year and he appeared in just six games for the Washington Redskins. Terms of the deal weren't disclosed. They also signed free agent guard Bryan Anderson and two 2005 draft picks, linebacker Ryan Claridge and quarterback Matt Cassel.

A Honolulu businessman, charged with defrauding the NFL of more than $500,000, has been placed on five years probation. Sports and business promoter Manuel Sanchez also was fined $25,000 and ordered to perform 250 hours of community service. The NFL sued the former chief executive officer with Tickets Plus in 2003, alleging it was owed $474,000 in Pro Bowl tickets sold by the company and a $100,000 event sponsorship fee. Sanchez has paid the NFL $557,000 since he was charged.

Nfl Football Ticket

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

SPORTS
Sweet home, Alabama: Riders recall CFL life south of 49th parallel with now-defunct teams

REGINA -- It has been 10 seasons since the Canadian Football League last set foot in the United States, a move that on many levels was nothing short of a disaster.
But for some of the men who played for U.S.-based teams, it was an enriching experience -- just not in the pocketbook.
"I loved it down there," says defensive back Eddie Davis, who broke in with the 1995 Birmingham Barracudas and is still playing today with the Saskatchewan Roughriders. "I pretty much lived like a professional football player, like I was in the NFL. I only made 30 grand that year -- and I spent every dime when I was down there.
"I left Birmingham with a truck and a TV. That's it."
The '95 season was the zenith of the CFL's presence in the U.S. The league had a five-team South Division, comprising the Barracudas, Baltimore Stallions, Memphis Mad Dogs, San Antonio Texans and Shreveport Pirates.
The following season, the Stallions were the Montreal Alouettes and players from four defunct U.S.-based teams had been dispersed throughout the Canadian-based clubs.
"I loved it," says Davis. "If (Birmingham) was still around, I'd probably still be down there.
"We had a really good team. Matt Dunigan was our quarterback and we had a few veterans on our team, but that team was pretty much all rookies. If we had stayed in the league, it would have been tough for these teams up here (Canada) to do something with us."
Alas, the point is moot. The CFL's stay in the U.S. lasted just three seasons.
"When the NFL awards a franchise, it gives (the team) a year or so to get things in place," says Roughriders general manager Roy Shivers, who was the Barracudas' GM. "We went in in something like three months.
"If (CFL types) had done their due diligence and given (the Barracudas) a year so they could get their marketing strategy in place and their season-ticket sales going, it would have been OK. The people in Birmingham loved it."
For a while, anyway. Once the NCAA season started and the Auburn Tigers and Alabama Crimson Tide got going, the 'Cudas were like fish out of water.
"Birmingham is a college town," Davis says. "Before the college season started, we'd get 50,000 fans out to games. As soon as the college season started, we'd be lucky to get 3,000 people out -- and 3,000 people in an 80,000-seat stadium is nobody.
"We'd be out there playing and you could whisper to a guy on the other side of the field and he'd hear what you were saying. It was crazy."
Some would argue the whole idea was nuts.
EXPANSION FEES BUOY LEAGUE
The CFL's first foray into the U.S. was in Sacramento, where the Gold Miners began play in 1993.
The following season, the Las Vegas Posse joined the Gold Miners in the West Division while Baltimore and Shreveport enlisted in the East.
The '95 season dawned without the Posse (it folded) and Gold Miners (they moved to San Antonio and became the Texans) and with new teams in Birmingham and Memphis. The CFL decided to go to North and South divisions, with the 49th parallel as the dividing line.

Ian Hamilton
Saskatchewan News Network