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Shaun O'Hara ducked behind the wall outside the Giants' locker room, trying to make his 303 pounds small enough to hide in a little cubby hole long enough to scare his fellow offensive linemen. "Rrrraaaaahhhh!" O'Hara growled when Rich Seubert, Chris Snee and Kareem McKenzie came around the corner on their way to practice. "Rrrraaaaahhhh!" Snee and Seubert yelled back, neither of them having flinched. McKenzie, a few days removed from suffering a concussion, never broke stride and kept looking straight ahead. David Diehl, who emerged from the locker room moments after O'Hara's failed scare tactic, let out a "Rrrraaaaahhhh!"...

ASHBURN, Va. - As the presidential race revs up, political conversations in NFL locker rooms echo those in workplaces nationwide. Taxes. Economy. McCain. Obama. War. Terrorism. White. Black. And a dilemma for these high-paid athletes: principles or pocketbook? "We're right in the middle," said Washington Redskins veteran Philip Daniels. "We've all got family members that are not doing so well. Democrats would help them out, but Republicans would help us out." Everything about his income screams Republican. He's made millions many times over in his 13 years as a professional athlete, and the thought of paying higher taxes under a...

ASHBURN, Va. -- As the presidential race revs up, political conversations in NFL locker rooms echo those in workplaces nationwide. Taxes. Economy. McCain. Obama. War. Terrorism. White. Black. And a dilemma for these high-paid athletes: principles or pocketbook?

A preview of the NFL's Week Six, with predictions.

McCain Endorsed by Two Cleveland Browns Wednesday, October 8, 2008 9:12 PM By: Newsmax staff While campaigning in Strongsville, Ohio, Sen. John McCain trotted out two of the most popular players for the Cleveland Browns to praise his candidacy, according to a report in the Washington Post. Brady Quinn, a quarterback for the team, and Joe Thomas, a left tackle, smiled and waved with the candidate as a wall of noise erupted from the assembled crowd. "Too often we label people heroes. Get caught up in the moment. But tonight, we have a real hero amongst us," Quinn said in...

Sun, Oct 05 Time (ET) TEN @ BAL 1:00 PM CBS KC @ CAR 1:00 PM CBS CHI @ DET 1:00 PM FOX ATL @ GB 1:00 PM FOX IND @ HOU 1:00 PM CBS SD @ MIA 1:00 PM CBS SEA @ NYG 1:00 PM FOX WAS @ PHI 1:00 PM FOX TB @ DEN 4:05 PM FOX BUF @ ARI 4:15 PM CBS CIN @ DAL 4:15 PM CBS NE @ SF 4:15 PM CBS PIT @ JAC 8:15 PM NBC Mon, Oct 06 Time (ET) MIN @ NO 8:30 PM ESPN Byes: Browns, Jets, Raiders, Rams

OJ Simpson jury to announce decision tonight in Las Vegas at 10pm Pacific.

A review of Week Four and a preview of Week Five

If ever there was a player meant to be an Oakland Raider, it was Tony Mandarich. He was 315 pounds of pectorals and trouble, a wild and crazy offensive tackle who lived life not just large but extra large, maybe even triple-X. Before he had pancaked his first NFL defensive end, Sports Illustrated anointed him "the best offensive line prospect ever." Scouts gushed that he was better than Anthony Munoz, the tackle against whom all were measured. You had Mandarich, the second player picked in the 1989 draft, reportedly admitting on Showtime's "Inside the NFL" that he was a steroid...

ALAMEDA, Calif. (AP)—The Oakland Raiders fired Lane Kiffin on Tuesday just four games into his second season, bringing finality to a situation that had been simmering for eight months. Kiffin had a 5-15 record since being hired last year, losing his final game 28-18 on Sunday to San Diego. The decision on Kiffin was as much about his frequent criticisms of owner Al Davis’ franchise as it was the team’s performance on the field. Those critiques reached a peak when Kiffin distanced himself from the defense after a blowout loss in the season opener, saying that was under coordinator Rob...

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) - Jacksonville Jaguars offensive tackle Richard Collier, shot earlier this month, is paralyzed below the waist and had his left leg amputated. Dr. Andy Kerwin, a surgeon for the University of Florida at Shands Jacksonville hospital, said Collier, who had 14 bullet wounds, is now in good condition after being previously listed in critical condition. Kerwin said Collier had bullet wounds to the back, left groin, left legs and right buttock. In addition, a bullet severed his spinal cord, paralyzing him from the waist down. The amputation was the result of damage to his left leg and...

Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band will perform at halftime during Super Bowl XLIII in Tampa. The NFL and NBC made the announcement Sunday night.

Sun, Sep 28 Time (ET) ATL @ CAR 1:00 PM FOX CLE @ CIN 1:00 PM CBS HOU @ JAC 1:00 PM CBS DEN @ KC 1:00 PM CBS SF @ NO 1:00 PM FOX ARI @ NYJ 1:00 PM FOX GB @ TB 1:00 PM FOX MIN @ TEN 1:00 PM FOX SD @ OAK 4:05 PM CBS BUF @ STL 4:05 PM CBS WAS @ DAL 4:15 PM FOX PHI @ CHI 8:15 PM NBC Mon, Sep 29 Time (ET) BAL @ PIT 8:30 PM ESPN

Denver Broncos Hall of Fame quarterback John Elway is reportedly engaged to a former Oakland Raiders cheerleader.

Washington 2-1 at Dallas 3-0 - 4:15 PM (Line: Dallas by 11) Last Week: Washington beat Arizona, 24-17. Jason Campbell was very efficient, completing 22 of 30 passes for 193 yards, two TDs, and no interceptions. Dallas defeated the Packers at Green Bay, 27-16. Marion Barber rushed for 142 yards and a touchdown on 28 carries. What To Expect: Redskins DE Jason Taylor is out for at least a week after having emergency surgery on his injured calf. The Cowboys lead the league in total yards per game. On paper, this looks like a relatively easy win for Dallas. But...

Matthew Tryson Bryant, the 3-month-old son of Tampa Bay Buccaneers kicker Matt Bryant, died Wednesday. “I don’t have a lot of details,” coach Jon Gruden said after practice. “It’s just a horrible tragedy, and I can’t explain it.” Bryant, a seventh-year pro in his fourth season with Tampa Bay, kicked a winning field goal in overtime against Chicago last Sunday. Two years ago, he made the third-longest field goal in NFL history, a 62-yarder to beat Philadelphia. “The entire Buccaneer family is deeply saddened by this tragedy,” general manager Bruce Allen said in a team statement. “The Bryants have been...

Allen Park, MI (Sports Network) - Matt Millen has been relieved of his duties as president and CEO of the Detroit Lions. Lions owner and chairman William Clay Ford made the announcement Wednesday. "I believe that this decision is in the best interest of this organization," said Ford. "I appreciate Matt's efforts. Matt worked tirelessly during his tenure to win, and he would be the first one to tell you that you have to win in this league. It just didn't work out." Millen had been in charge of the Lions since 2001. The team has produced an NFL-worst record...

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- Super Bowl star Plaxico Burress was suspended for one game by the New York Giants on Wednesday for an undisclosed violation of team rules. General manager Jerry Reese and coach Tom Coughlin informed Burress of the suspension Wednesday morning before the team held a bye-week practice. The suspension takes effect immediately, meaning Burress will miss the Giants' game against the Seattle Seahawks on Oct. 5. The Giants have a bye week, so Burress will lose two paychecks under the suspension. He will not be with the team during the bye week, and won't be allowed to...

Matt Millen is reportedly out as Lions president and general manager. WDFN-AM in Detroit is reporting that Millen was informed of the decision late Tuesday night. The move comes just days after Bill Ford Jr., the son of Lions owner William Clay Ford, stated publicly he would have fired Millen if the decision were his. Millen had been in charge of the Lions since 2001. The team has produced an NFL-worst record of just 31-84 in that time, including 0-3 this season. The Lions were in postseason contention last year after opening the campaign with a record of 6-2, but...

I doubt many in our military deserve leave more than Army First Sgt. Mike McGuire, who is deep into his second long tour in Iraq, overseeing a platoon of men hunting Improvised Explosive Devices on the most dangerous roads in the country. I am so pleased he'll be coming home to the States -- to Missouri, his home, and then to a ceremony in western Pennsylvania honoring the memory of fallen comrade Allan Bevington, and then to Walter Reed Army Medical Center to visit a wounded man in his platoon, Nick Koulchar. McGuire e-mailed the other day to say: "Getting...

Sun, Sep 21 Time (ET) KC @ ATL 1:00 PM CBS OAK @ BUF 1:00 PM CBS TB @ CHI 1:00 PM FOX CAR @ MIN 1:00 PM FOX MIA @ NE 1:00 PM CBS CIN @ NYG 1:00 PM CBS HOU @ TEN 1:00 PM CBS ARI @ WAS 1:00 PM FOX NO @ DEN 4:05 PM FOX DET @ SF 4:05 PM FOX STL @ SEA 4:05 PM FOX CLE @ BAL 4:15 PM CBS JAC @ IND 4:15 PM CBS PIT @ PHI 4:15 PM CBS DAL @ GB 8:15 PM NBC Mon, Sep 22 Time (ET)...

In this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death, taxes, and irate Chargers fans...

Home About Press Contact Tony Kornheiser's Awkward On-Air Apology Tuesday, September 16, 2008 Well after hearing Kornheiser's fourth quarter apology last night, I decided to run back through the game and find the original "laundry" quote. Here are both that one and the apology spliced together.... "I took high school Spanish, either he said he's not going to be caught, or please pick up my dry cleaning tomorrow." - Tony Kornheiser "I said something before which I shouldn't have said, I apologize for it. Not my first mistake, undoubtedly won't be my last, but a 100% apology."- Tony Kornheiser...

A couple of miles from the house, the Whites had their own mini-disaster. A tire blew on the Mercury. Bill, luckily, managed to nurse his wounded ride off the street and into the lighted parking lot of a strip mall. Bill became a bit woozy himself when he discovered his jack was malfunctioning. Never a good thing at midnight. Plan B kicked in, however. One of those cigarette-lighter-plug-in air compressors was available. Except it was leaking more air than it was pumping. "I don't know, a hundred cars, probably more, had to go by. Nobody was stopping," said Bill. "That's...

Tennessee vs Cincinatti Buffalo vs Jacksonville Oakland vs Kansas City Indianapolis vs Minnesota Chicago vs Carolina Green Bay vs Detroit NY Giants vs St Louis New Orleans vs Washington Late Games Atlanta vs Tampa Bay Seattle vs San Francisco New England vs NY Jets San Diego vs Denver Miami vs Aizona Sunday Night Game Pittsburgh vs Cleveland Monday Night Fotball Philadelphia vs Dallas

Hurricane Ike, which swept through Galveston and Houston overnight, caused substantial damage to Reliant Stadium, so the Texans game against the Baltimore Ravens will not be played Monday night. The home opener, originally scheduled for Sunday, had been pushed to Monday night because of the storm. "The facility will not be usable," Shey Guinn, president of SMG, the company that manages Reliant Park, told the Houston Chronicle. "There's some structural damage to the roof. Part of it is off," Guinn said, according to the paper. "There's also some other damage on the property caused by wind and water. We're in...

Thought you knew everything you ever wanted to know about Sarah Palin?Turns out the Alaska governor and Republic presidential nominee is also a Seattle Seahawks fan. Seth Kolloen over at Sports Northwest Magazine appears to have confirmed it today: Palin and her husband, Todd, are members of the Seahawkers -- the Seahawks fan club -- in Alaska. More at Kolloen's former stomping ground, Seattlest. Local Seahawks fans -- feel a kinship?

4:15 p.m. - New England Patriots (1-0) @ New York Jets (1-0) [Line: New York Jets by 2] New England beat the Chiefs last week, but lost QB Tom Brady for the season. Now all the hopes and dreams of Patriot Nation rest on the shoulders of his backup, Matt Cassel, who has never before started a single NFL game. (What could possibly go wrong?) The Jets beat the Dolphins last Sunday. RB Thomas Jones rushed for 101 yards and a TD on 22 carries. But the real story was QB Brett Favre's debut with his new team. Favre completed...

I told you before the 2006 draft that Vince Young was primed for NFL failure. He entered the league with an attitude, mindset and supporting cast totally unprepared to survive the pressure, challenge and responsibility that goes along with the most prestigious and difficult job in all of sports. When I explained all of this in 2006, my naive and misguided critics called me an Uncle Tom. Yeah, they ripped me for attempting to issue a young black kid a warning about what awaited him in The League and the attitude he would need to cope and excel. Some people...

San Diego Chargers linebacker Shawne Merriman's season is over after he tried to play the season opener Sunday with two torn knee ligaments. The Chargers announced Merriman is being placed on injured reserve to undergo total reconstructive knee surgery that will include the repair of his lateral collateral and posterior cruciate ligaments.

End of an era, a beginning of a new one. Brett goes NY NY. Aaron ?? Just tossing a thread up , open containers , bottles coolers and cans allowed. -- Go Vikes!

The New England Patriots have announced that they will place quarterback Tom Brady on the injured reserve list, ending his season.

According to Michael Silva of Yahoo sports, New England Patriots QB Tom Brady has suffered a torn ACL and is done for the season.

SEPTEMBER 5--In time for this week's start of the NFL season, All-Pro wide receiver Chad Johnson has legally changed his surname to OchoCinco, in recognition of his uniform number. A Florida judge last week approved the Cincinnati Bengals's name change application, a copy of which you'll find below. In Broward County Circuit Court documents, the limelight-loving Johnson, who has long referred to himself by the rough Spanish translation for 85, his uniform number, describes himself as a twice-arrested unmarried father of four (his kids include Chad II, Chade, and Cha'iel). Johnson's request was granted August 28, so he will be...

The starnge, sometimes brilliant career of quarterback Daunte Culpepper — who played Butch to Randy Moss' Sundance in six seasons with the Vikings — has announced his retirement. It wasn't at a press conference, but in an email to NFL.com reporter Adam Schefter. Replaced by Trent Green in Miami, a backup with the Raiders ... yeah, that would do it for me too. And so that one guy in your fantasy pool who always drafts a big name free agent in the hopes that he'll pull out a Comeback Player of the Year season is foiled again. I hated that...

This afternoon in Pittsburgh, Sen. Joe Biden, D-Del., greeted Steelers Coach Mike Tomlin. "Hey coach. I'm Joe Biden," said the vice presidential candidate. "I'm second string." Biden told Tomlin that after his wife and daughter were killed in 1972, the owner of the Steelers Art Rooney -- whom Biden called "Old Mister Rooney" -- had players from then-world champion Steelers bring an autographed football "to the hospital in Wilmington, Delaware with a signed football for my sons" as a Christmas present, "and I have been a Steelers fan since that day."

Welcome back, NFL football fans. This is now the fourth consecutive year in which I have committed myself to picking every single NFL regular season game.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - Jacksonville Jaguars offensive tackle Richard Collier was shot while waiting for some women outside an apartment early Tuesday and sustained life-threatening injuries, authorities said. Collier, 26, and former Jaguars defensive end Kenneth Pettway were waiting in a car when a gunman fired into the vehicle, said Jacksonville Sheriff's Office spokesman Ken Jefferson. Collier was shot several times, but it wasn't clear where he was hit. Collier was in critical condition at Shands Jacksonville Medical Center, a hospital official said. The motive behind the attack was unclear, and the sheriff's office was investigating. Pettway, who was released in...

Friday, August 29, 2008 Bengals wide receiver changes last name to Ocho Cinco Associated Press CINCINNATI -- Maybe receiver Chad Johnson can go by the name that his head coach hates. The Cincinnati Bengals receiver has legally changed his name to Chad Javon Ocho Cinco in Broward County, Fla., a switch that became official this week. Johnson, who lives in Miami, didn't return a message left on his cell phone Friday night.

NDUSTRY - Developer Ed Roski Jr.'s business partner says he has "no doubt" a National Football League team will play in Los Angeles in 2009, most likely at the Rose Bowl. Majestic Realty Vice President John Semcken also said he believes there is a possibility two NFL teams could wind up playing in the $800 million stadium Roski wants to build in Industry."We are going to have a team here next September," Semcken said Tuesday afternoon."I personally believe, yes," two teams will come to L.A., he said. "Because the economics are so (good). All I want is one. All our...

Surgery will have to wait for Chargers linebacker Shawne Merriman, who decided Wednesday he'll play this season despite two torn ligaments in his left knee.

Former NFL All-Pro defensive lineman Warren Sapp will join analysts Phil Simms and Cris Collinsworth and host James Brown to complete the talent line-up for Inside the NFL, when the weekly studio show relaunches on Showtime on Wednesday, Sept. 10, the pay cable channel announced today. The new version of the show, produced by CBS Sports and NFL Films, will air on Showtime every Wednesday during the NFL season through February 11, 2009. Inside the NFL aired on HBO for the 31 years before HBO dropped the show and Showtime picked it up earlier this year. The most recent talent...

Yahoo Pro Football Pick'em Returns to Free Republic. Information you need to know is as follers: located at Yahoo.com, find fantasy sports and click on Pro Football pick'em --- look for "join a group" and click on that Group ID# is 29924 password is reagan it'll aks you for a name ... PLEASE: no R or X rated names, youngsters are invited to play, too. You are allowed to write comments on the msg board , but the same rules apply: no R or X rated comments we are doing confidence point (you assign a # of points on a...

Yahoo Pro Football Pick'em Returns to Free Republic. Information you need to know is as follers: located at Yahoo.com, find fantasy sports and click on Pro Football pick'em --- look for "join a group" and click on that Group ID# is 29924 password is reagan it'll aks you for a name ... PLEASE: no R or X rated names, youngsters are invited to play, too. You are allowed to write comments on the msg board , but the same rules apply: no R or X rated comments we are doing confidence point (you assign a # of points on a...

NEW YORK (TICKER) —NFL.com is reporting that Gene Upshaw, a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame and executive director of the NFL’s Players Association, died early Thursday morning after a bout with pancreatic cancer. He was 63. Upshaw, a former left guard for the Oakland and Los Angeles Raiders, was named an All-Pro 11 times in his 16-year career. He also was selected to seven Pro Bowls between 1967 and 1981 and was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1987 - his first year of eligibility. Upshaw was a member of the Oakland team that won the...

Yahoo Pro Football Pick'em Returns to Free Republic. Information you need to know is as follers: located at Yahoo.com, find fantasy sports and click on Pro Football pick'em --- look for "join a group" and click on thatGroup ID# is 29924password is reagan it'll aks you for a name ... PLEASE: no R or X rated names, youngsters are invited to play, too. You are allowed to write comments on the msg board , but the same rules apply: no R or X rated commentswe are doing confidence point (you assign a # of points on a game based on...

The Browns will wear brown pants for the first time in team history during Monday night's nationally-televised preseason game against the New York Giants at Giants Stadium. The pants are the same color of "darker" brown that's on the plain socks the Browns have worn in recent seasons. They contain no stripes or markings. They will be wearing those socks again on Monday, with their traditional white jerseys and orange helmets, and also the black shoes they started wearing again in 2006. The team had the brown pants created as an option for their away uniform when they integrated the...

The NFL implemented a new code of fan conduct Tuesday, warning that spectators who misbehave will be ejected from stadiums and barred from coming back. The policy, first recommended by commissioner Roger Goodell at league meetings in April, is aimed at conduct that the league said "detracts from the gameday experience." It includes bans on: -- Behavior that is unruly, disruptive, or illegal. -- Drunkenness and signs of alcohol impairment that result in irresponsible behavior. -- Foul or abusive language or obscene gestures. -- Interference with the progress of the game, including throwing objects onto the field. -- Failing to...

Arriving in New York last Friday, Brett Favre sounded as if he had taken a page from Bull Durham's Nuke LaLoosh. "I'm here for one reason," he told reporters. "I'm here to help the Jets win." It would have been refreshing if at least one of the worshipful media folk at the press conference had replied, "Well, actually, Brett, you're here because after months of vacillating on your retirement and putting the Packers through hell -- and forcing them into using a valuable draft pick on an extra quarterback because they didn't know whether you'd be playing for them this...

TAMPA, Fla. - The Super Bowl might be six months away from coming to town, but the celebrity rumors already are running rampant. The New York Post's Page Six reported on Tuesday that Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band will perform live at the Super Bowl halftime show on Feb. 1 at Raymond James Stadium. Amanda Holt, the director of communications for the local Super Bowl Committee, said this is the first she has heard of it.