Want a Contract Extension? Move to Cleveland!

Though it had only been spoken in rumor form since the 2007 season came to an end, the Cleveland Plain Dealer has officially reported that the Cleveland Browns have awarded Romeo Crennel with a two-year contract extension, keeping him with the team through 2011. The deal is said to be in the range of $4 million.

This signing comes not even a month after the Browns offered a two-year extension to their offensive coordinator, Rob Chudzinski. And that signing came not too long after the Indians (Cleveland's baseball franchise) signed their Head Coach in Eric Wedge to three-year extension during the middle of this past season.

While rewarding Crennel for his solid efforts and turnaround of the Browns this season seems just due, I'm on the fence with this one. The Browns had a supposed successor in place with Todd Grantham, who is now the team's former defensive coordinator after he was given the curb following an abysmal defensive season for the team. So while no clear plan is presently in place to succeed the oldest coach in the NFL, giving him an extension after one year of success seems a bit much - especially given the way that other coaches (Nick Saban, Bobby Petrino) have honored their contracts in recent history.

I know that award voting is an awful benchmark to use, but is there a chance that the league was telling Cleveland something by not allocating a single Coach of the Year vote to Crennel despite being one of the biggest surprises in the NFL? The Browns will face an exponentially tougher schedule in the upcoming season, so do not count out good old hindsight come this time next year. General Manager Phil Savage may look like a genius now, but in a world of "what have you done for me lately," a regression will not be tolerated by too many fans in the Midwest.

Crennel Signs Extension [Cleveland Plain Dealer]

Welcome Back!

I hope everyone had a safe and enjoyable holiday.

A few things I learned this weekend:

1) American Gangster is a pretty sweet movie - even in bootlegged DVD form.
2) Your quarterback can be pretty good all year, but it is always the one game that matters most
3) My sister is pretty freaking creative. More on that later in the week.
4) My fiancee is very generous - even in tough times
5) White Christmas' are nice and all, but man is it great driving to and from holiday get-togethers on dry roads
6) LeBron's kids likely had a decent Christmas

With that said, here's a quick recap of what some others are saying around the net to catch you up to speed...

- CBS, NBC and the Fans: 1. NFL Network: 0 (Signal to Noise)

- A slew of bloggers more important than myself chipped in for a Year-in-Review of sorts. (Yahoo! Sports)

- Philip Rivers apparently forgot that he's not a good quarterback. (NFL FanHouse)

- Maybe the Mario Williams pick wasn't so bad after all. (Jim Rome)

- Another long year for Jerious Norwood on the docket? (Atlanta Journal-Constitution)

- Could Derek Anderson be heading to Miami? (PFT via FanIQ)

and finally...

- Thanks for all of those fantasy points down the stretch, Reggie. (The Big Lead)

More to come later.

June Parties in November

Only a few hours after turning out a team-high nine tackles on Sunday, Tampa Bay Buccaneers linebacker Cato June has reportedly been arrested for a DUI. The Tampa Tribune brings us the goods.

Tampa police arrested June, who turned 28 on Sunday, on North Dale Mabry Highway near Hillsborough Avenue at 2:52 a.m., according to a Tampa police report. In an arrest affidavit, Tampa police Officer Peter Bucher said his radar clocked June’s 2005 blue Cadillac sport utility vehicle at 66 mph on Dale Mabry Highway at Osborne Avenue. The Cadillac was in a 45 mph zone, the affidavit said.

66 in a 25 isn't all too bad, but refusing blood-alcohol tests is never a good sign. The report says that June's eyes were "bloodshot and glassy," and there was a scent of alcohol at the scene.

Of course his team is behind him. Derrick Brooks (who conveniently splits time with June at the weak-side) says,

"Obviously I don’t know when and what happened, but this have been a team that has always backed each other through trial and it’s not going to change now, believe me. We’re going to hug the man and obviously learn from his mistake. He’s going to learn from his mistake and we’re going to move on. It’s not anything we’re going to harp on."

It's great that he has the support of his team, because after Roger Goodell gets a hold of him, he may be receiving that support from the sidelines. Thankfully for June, he may not receive any suspension until about the year 2011 with the way this Travis Henry fiasco is going.

Cato June Speaks To Tribune [Tampa Tribune]

He's Baaaaack

I could've been a contender
Todd McClure, get ready for Joey Harrington's hands to be placed firmly against your taint for yet another tour of duty.

That's right, Falcons fans, after sitting out one game, Sir Harrington will start as your quarterback this week as you take on the 2-5 San Francisco 49ers.

The Falcons deployed newly signed Byron Leftwich against New Orleans during week seven. In typical Leftwich fashion, he underwent ankle surgery shortly following the game, and it is expected to keep him out for another month.

By default, and coming off of a bye week, Harrington will get another chance to show that he's a first-round bust regardless of what jersey he wears.

The USA Today reports that, despite the lack of production thus far, Harrington remains positive in that the Falcons can turn things around.

"Last year, I was on a team that started 1-5 and by Thanksgiving we were .500," Harrington said. "It is very possible. With the exception of the New York game, there has not been a game in which we have been out of. We have had a chance to win about every game so we are not trying to make huge strides in one week. We just need to regroup. The bye week has allowed us to get our feet underneath us."

For a guy with a 24-48 career record, it's great to know that it only takes a bye week to regroup and prepare to run the table on the rest of the NFL.

And for that "we've been in every game" talk? What about the 24-3 loss to Minnesota? I guess they were in that one - until Kevin Williams took that Joey Harrington interception to the house to make the game 7-0. Just slipped through the fingertips.

Harrington returns as Falcons' starting QB... [USA Today]

The 12th Man

Big thanks to Fan IQ for this video of Reggie Bush dealing against the Falcons this past Sunday.



Now, there's no doubting that Bush is an electric player that deserves all of the accolades he gets. Yes, there are doubters whether he can carry the "full load" or not, but after this past week, it's hard to argue against the guy.

My question is, what the hell was Keith Brooking doing on the touchdown play?

Go back and watch the video if you must, but you'll notice good old #56 come rumbling towards the side line, and then he just totally takes out Lewis Sanders, allowing Bush to fall into the end zone. The announcers give Bush the credit on the play, which was a solid pass-turned-touchdown, but it looks like Lewis would have won that battle had Brooking not ripped him off of the play.

I went ahead and pulled some not-so high quality stills...







I'll let you judge for yourself, but methinks that Brooking cost the Falcons a win on the road...

Reggie Bush Will Be Just Fine [Fan IQ]

Pay That Man His Money

Sal Paolantonio, the same guy who told me that Laurence Maroney would start this past Monday, is back today with some breaking news.

Not only will has Michael Vick lost his job, his sponsors and most of his fans, but a recent ESPN report writes that he's also likely to lose a good chunk of his cheddar.

Vick's (former?) team the Atlanta Falcons have asked the quarterback to give back a portion of his signing bonus that is said to be in violation of his contract - signed back in 2004.

Don't worry, the NFLPA will definitely have something to say about these matters.

The NFL Players Association will argue in the hearing before the NFL's special master, University of Pennsylvania Law School professor Stephen Burbank, that Vick has already earned the bonus money, which was in the form of roster bonuses, and that under the current collective bargaining agreement reached in March a team cannot retrieve money already earned.

Special master? Like He-Man?

Players have had a decent track record with Burbank at the helm. Ashley Lelie won his court case with the Denver Broncos last season and he didn't even earn that money.

The Falcons are seeking $22 million of the $29 million paid. Bring on the Special Master.

Sources: Falcons to ask return of bonus money at hearing [ESPN]

"A Little Bit Extra" ... Against The Giants

Two weeks after Eagles Quarterback Donovan McNabb told the ever-jolly Bryant Gumbel that African-American quarterbacks need to give "a little bit extra" to not get criticized, I’m beginning to think that he has a point. At least he has a point when it comes to beating the New York Giants.

Week one, the Giants were handed a 10-point loss by a pale Tony Romo and the Dallas Cowboys. Romo threw for 345 yards and four touchdowns. Solid Effort regardless of what Michael Irvin said about Romo's past...

Week two, Brett Favre and the Packers come to town. This time, more of the same with the grizzly, and very white, veteran throwing for 286 yards and three touchdowns. Again, a superb effort.

Last week, the Giants go on the road – this time facing a Redskins team led by Jason Campbell, an African-American quarterback. What does Campbell provide? A sub-par 190 yards and only one touchdown - resulting in a gut-wrenching loss for his team.

This past Sunday night, the Giants welcomed Donovan McNabb and his Philadelphia Eagles to town. How did the Giants greet him? By sacking him 12 times and allowing only 138 yards through the air. McNabb completed less than half of his pass attempts, averaging less than five yards per completion. Piss poor effort.

If you ask me, the answer is obvious: The New York Giants are easier on Caucasian quarterbacks than those of African-American descent.

The Giants defense has 16 sacks on the season; 14 of which are against the two black quarterbacks that they have opposed. Maybe if Campbell and McNabb gave it a little bit extra, they may have escaped some of the takedowns. Perhaps McNabb could have kept it to single digits, even.

Looking down the remainder of the Giants' schedule, the Blue and White should be able to at least win two more games – coincidently just happens to be the next two times they play Washington and Philadelphia. Fear not Giants fans, as there appears to be some upside!

The Atlanta Falcons (week six) have recently signed Byron Leftwich, who is definitely no Michael Vick Johnson when it comes to agility. He can easily be taken down 13 or 14 times.

Minnesota (week 12) is currently being manned by Kelly Holcomb, who may be as far from African-American as there is in the league. Actually, "manned" may even be a stretch, given that his name is Kelly. However, his performance over the last game allows me to think that the job will not be his when Tavaris Jackson returns. Another black quarterback for the Giants to feast on. Fans, I’d circle this day on my calendar if I were you.

If you think about it, a 6-10 record isn’t too bad, and may even get you into the playoffs in the NFC. So, strap in next week as it may be a rough ride against whichever white quarterback the Jets throw the Giants’ way. There’s a light at the end of the tunnel – it’s just not a very white light.

McNabb says black QBs under more pressure [ESPN]

Michael Vick Loves The Weed

A little afternoon delight for you folks.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution is reporting that All-Trouble quarterback Michael Vick has officially tested positive for marijuana through a urine sample. The sample was submitted on Septmber 13th.

In court documents Wednesday, Hudson ordered that Vick submit to any method of testing, "for determining whether the defendant is using a prohibited substance." Hudson also ordered Vick restricted to his Virginia residence everyday from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. This home confinement, said the judge in a court filing, "will include electronic monitoring."

Adding a little insult to injury, the judge has urged Vick to participate in not only substance abuse therapy, but mental health couseling. Mental health. What is he trying to say? That possibly Michael Vick isn't right in the head?

You don't say.

(Picture courtesy of KSK)

Vick Tests Positive For Marijuana [AJC]

Marshawn Lynch, Orator

Busy day here, with not a lot of news to discuss.

Lance Briggs is still stupid, Michael Vick is still in trouble, and Bernie Kosar is still a drunk.

For now, check out this video of Marshawn Lynch forming sentences that I never thought to be possible.



(h/t to E via Mr. I)

Maybe He Meant "88?"

When the Bengals play the Falcons, there's one certainty in the match-up: Chad Johnson and DeAngelo Hall exchanging blows.

ESPN reported several bouts that featured Johnson sending autographed books to the Falcons, with Hall sending Johnson an autographed jersey featuring "I Own You" written on the back.

Hall took the "owning" a bit further by shaving it in to the back of his dome for all to see. Fortunately, Brothers Mottram got a freeze frame of the artwork. Unfortunately, Johnson caught five passes for 85 yards and a touchdown - all in the first half. Couple this with the fact that the touchdown catch began with Hall covering Johnson, and ended with CJ shaking him right off of the screen before the reception and it wasn't one of Hall's best nights.

Had DeAngleo just left the shave-job as an "88," Tab Perry's one reception for five yards would've looked a lot better. Just sayin'.

Morning YouTubeness: Look At The Bird

Good morning, readers.

I'm not sure if I was alone in the fact that I wanted to nearly mute my television last night due to the non-stop Michael Vick discussions, but this may have made up for it. Now I'm not exactly sure how Chris Mortensen was confused for a guy named "Steve Berman," but watching this mascot wrecking some pee-wee football players was pretty good stuff. Enjoy.

In Case You Were Looking...

Michael Vick has found God.

Apparently, in the last few months of not playing football, Vick has had enough time to locate and become one with God. In what was one of the more predictable apologies in quite some time, ESPN breaks down the details - as if they sent about half of the ESPN News department to cover the four minute speech.

Vick said he now has rejected dogfighting and has found religion as a result of the federal charges. "Dogfighting is a terrible thing. I reject it," he said.

"I totally ask for forgiveness and understanding as I move forward to better Michael Vick the person, not the football player," Vick said.

I'd be remiss if I didn't mention that God is actually "Dog" spelled backwards, so he may have just been a bit confused at the podium.

In what will be a point of contention, Vick has plead guilty to funding the gambling that reportedly took place - and not gambling himself. Regardless, Vick will likely lose about $100 million due to this conviction, and this doesn't even include the money that both the Atlanta Falcons and Nike would like to recoup due to this case.

Morning YouTubeness: Fear Not, Hotlanta

Good morning to all, especially people of Atlanta. To cheer you up through the misery that you may be experiencing due to the PR implosion of your football team, this video may do the trick. With a 30-something running back in Warrick Dunn easily on the tail end of his career, you may actually have some more of this to look forward to this season. Enjoy.

It's Plea Bargain Time

It's official.

Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick will plead guilty to federal charges regarding dogfighting.

While the charges could land Vick five years and a $250,000 fine, Vick's plea bargain is said to "request" a jail sentence of 10-12 months.

"After consulting with his family over the weekend, Michael Vick has asked that I announce today that he has reached an agreement with federal prosecutors regarding charges pending against him," Vick attorney Billy Martin said in a statement.

"Mr. Vick has agreed to enter a plea of guilty to those charges and to accept full responsibility for his actions and the mistakes he has made. Michael wishes to apologize again to everyone who has been hurt by this matter."

While I'm pretty sure apologies aren't going to cut it this time around, it will be very interesting to see what the legal system has in store for Vick. Oh, and don't count out Roger Goodell, who hasn't had much to say...yet.

Life Comes At You Fast

While Matt Schaub has relocated to the QB punching bag that is Houston, he's probably the happiest guy in the world right now simply because he's not in Atlanta.

Not only has Michael Vick likely played his last down in the NFL let alone the Falcons, third-string quarterback D.J. Shockley is now out for the season with a brutal knee injury that he sustained this past weekend in a preseason game.

The homegrown Shockley was a fan favorite from day one, attending the University of Georgia and bringing a ton of athleticism. The Falcons will now go to battle this season with Joey Harrington and two guys that most fans have never heard of before: Chris Redman and Casey Bramlett.

Thinking here is that Jim Mora, Jr. wakes up in the morning and just starts laughing hysterically every time he reads the paper.

(AJC)

Kenny Rogers Has Nothing On This Guy

Instead of "holding and folding," The Smoking Gun shows us that not all gambling comes in the form of cards or casinos for that matter.

In my previous Vick post, I mentioned the other two individuals involved in the Vick case cutting plea deals in order to minimize the sentance. Well, TSG posted an updated their information to contain a court hearing that took place this morning.

During an appearance this morning in U.S. District Court in Richmond, Virginia, Quanis Phillips and Purnell Peace each copped to a felony conspiracy rap and signed plea agreements pledging to cooperate with federal investigators. In nearly identical fact summaries, both Phillips and Peace stated that the dogfighting ring's "operation and gambling monies were almost exclusively funded by Vick."

The two individuals proceed to kick Vick's name around a bit more when discussing the alleged executions that we've all heard about.

Through all of the ESPN and various reports around the internet, we know that the gambling issue is the big hang-up in the case, as this could provide the NFL with enough grounds to force a lifetime ban on the quarterback. It will be no surprise if this is one of the main discussion points in a possible plea bargain from Vick himself, but it would be very tough to drop these charges given the alleged issues to this point.

(h/t TSG via MDS)

Wave That White Flag

One of yesterday's posts discussed the pending Mike Vick situation and ESPN's take. Well, it appears that the WWL has expanded upon their bevy of field analysts and commentators by including a legal jargon from one Lester Munson.

Munson's latest report pretty much says that if Vick doesn't reach a plea bargain - similar to his three "friends" that have already turned on him - that the federal indictment that is waiting in the wings can actually grow in size, as it's something that is considered a "superceding indictment." Not a term I've been privy to in the past, but it sounds pretty sweet to me!

The new charges could come any day. The new charges might include a racketeering allegation under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (known as RICO). RICO originally was designed as a weapon against organized-crime hoodlums but has been used frequently in other prosecutions. A charge under RICO would make Vick's situation significantly worse. It would make the government's case against him easier to prove, and it would increase the prison sentence Vick would face if convicted.

So the fact that Vick either has to plead guilty and hope for the best or hold out and get hammered by even more charges sounds like one of the most asymmetrical, yet completely justifiable, situations going today. I'm about as far from a legal analyst as you'll find, but this one may make me search my cable guide for "Court TV."

Checkmate, Mike.

Get This Guy A Friendster Account

OK, I'll start this off by saying that I've never even been on Friendster. However, judging by the name alone, I'm going to assume that it is a site where one goes to find and/or meet friends both old and new. And if anyone needs new friends right about now, it's Mike Vick.

With co-defendant Tony Taylor agreeing to a plea bargain a couple of weeks ago, it's now being reported that the other two co-defendants not named "Vick" will also search for a plea deal, thus agreeing to testify against Mike Vick himself - now the last man standing. (Term "man" used loosely)

With these three men (with arguably a lot less to lose) turning against Vick, ESPN is reporting that the quarterback will now contemplate the same fate. Vick's defense team was obviously shocked by the plea deals. How do I know this? Well...

Collins R. Spencer III, a spokesman for Vick's defense team, said the lawyers were surprised by the plea deals.

"They didn't see it coming," Spencer said.

That's how.

Several legal analysts over at ESPN (via MDS) report that Vick's obviously in serious trouble at this point, despite the witnesses not being "upstanding citizens." This case is unfolding a lot faster than many had anticipated, but it is not surprising that it is Vick's back that is up against the wall.

Delaying the Inevitable

Good old Yahoo! Sports broke a report late this weekend that the NFL would be suspending Falcons quarterback Mike Vick for the entire 2007 season. Now, this makes sense to a lot of us given the recent news surrounding his "hobbies," along with Roger Goodell asking (read: telling) Vick to not show up at Falcons camp.

But hold the phone. Skip Wood (possibly a fake name...at least I hope that it is) of the USA Today says that the NFL is denying that this is taking place.

Yahoo! says that the suspension could be handed down this week, but the NFL says the following:

"No decision has been made," NFL spokesman Greg Aiello said, adding that the league is still awaiting the results of its independent review and is not likely to take action, if any, until its undetermined conclusion.

Now while it's great of the NFL to say that this hasn't been decided upon, they're not exaclty saying that it won't happen eventually. Vick's court date is scheduled for late November. The NFL obviously wants to focus on the NFL, and NOT further live in the PR nightmare that is the Vick situation. Given the suspensions of other players for lesser enfractions (granted multiple lesser enfractions) than those being pinned on Mr. Vick, here's thinking that it's only a matter of time before the suspension is handed down.

Joey Harrington, you're "now."

Weekend Wrap-Up

I haven't really decided what I'm going to do about the weekends. I, for one, would rather be outside with a beer - nowhere near a computer - but maybe that's just me. So for now, I think I'll just sprinkle a few links regarding what went on over the last 48 hours or so. Suggestions are definitely welcome.

In a love story for the ages, Chris Cooley will be marrying his longtime girlfriend. She just so happens to be an ex-Redskins cheerleader, who was booted from the squad for dating the tight end. I love that they call him Captain Chaos in D.C.

Romeo Crennel took a huge stance by electing to have his starting quarterback decided by a coin toss. No, really.

Despite all of the hype and youtubness about PacMan Jones' wrestling debut, it appears that the Titans want nothing of the sort. This comes as a big surprise considering he was a first round slection and all.

The Jaguars apparently had a rough night. Tim Couch is likely second-guessing that whole contract thing. (h/t to the Fanhouse)

A few suspensions were handed down.

No Michael Vick? No problem, as that Joey Harrington guy did alright. Yes, the Falcons lost to the Jets, but hey...think positive.

And finally, Steely McBeam. The Steelers new mascot with the questionable-at-best name. Yea, well it appears that Pittsbugh isn't a big fan. I'm sure pictures like this don't help much.

That's all she wrote folks. Until tomorrow...