May 2009 Archives

Obligatory headlines:
There will be no fourth consecutive Federer-Nadal final at Roland Garros. The 4-time reigning champ and my most favorite Spaniard was ousted by Swede Robin Soderling in 4 sets - the first time Rafa has lost at Roland Garros.

The two also played a 5-setter in the 3rd round of Wimbledon in 2007- a memorable match involving multiple rain delays, which ultimately took 5 days to finish. Soderling clearly
still gets under Rafa's skin - watch out during the broadcast today for some footage of the '07 match, dug up for your enjoyment.

Ana Ivanovic, defending champ on the women's side, is also out. Oh, and the Williams sisters
lost in doubles. So unless you're Roger Federer, it was a pretty upsetting day. Federer, I'd imagine, would be doing cartwheels in his hotel room right now if he weren't so darn classy. Plus it might un-tousel his perfect coiff. Which would be upsetting mostly for me.

With Djokovic already out and Roddick on a roll, this could set up some great semifinal matchups, which we'll have for you on NBC's Friday coverage next week.

Stay tuned...

-Lena M. Glaser

I was going to post something about how magnificent the tennis was today, and the perfect weather, and how great the matchups will be in Week 2.

But after watching the hot mess that went down in the first set of Serena Williams' match against Spain's Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez, I thought the drama deserved a little payoff.

In the first set, Martinez Sanchez broke Serena on a point in which the ball (clearly) ricocheted off her right arm. ITF rules dictacte that if the ball hits off a player's body, he or she does not win the point. Serena argued a bit and lost.  Her opponent made no attempt to admit to the fact that the ball went off her arm. The officials neglected to force the issue by doing so much as ask Martinez Sanchez whether the ball hit her or not.  I can't imagine that would have been so difficult or controversial. Go watch the highlights if you haven't seen it - but it's pretty ridiculous. The issue was dropped and both players moved on, but after the match in the interview room, we pick up where we left off...imagine the lights dimming and a hush falling over the crowded room...

The following are highlights from both players' post-game press conferences (some bits slightly edited).

Reporter: Can you talk about what happened with the ball?

Serena Williams: ...the ball hit her body and therefore, she should have lost the point instead of cheating.

R: Do you think that she knew she had hit it?

SW: I hit that ball rather hard. She knew it hit her.

Cut to

R: Did it hit you?

MJMS: No.

R: She says it did.

MJMS: Yeah, she said because she want to win her game, you know.

R: On TV it sort of looked like it hit your hand or your arm.

MJMS: ...This question is like, you know, it's like a stupid question, you know.

Cut to

R: Did you use the word "cheating?"

SW: Well what would you use?

R: You should have had the point?

SW: ...It was clearly my point.

Cut to

MJMS: I'm here to speak about the match, not about this ball, you know.

Cut to

SW: I looked at her dead in the eye...Just be honest if you hit the ball or not. I mean, hello.  It totally hit her.

R: Hence the comment, "she better not come to net again?"

SW: You guys heard that?...Well, I am from Compton, so, you know.

Cut to

R: She said that you cheated...would you like to comment on that please?

MJMS: No...it's a stupid comment. 

 

And...scene.

Enjoy your Saturday night.

 

-Lena M. Glaser

Observations and reflections from the French Open:

1. Watch Andy Murray, Juan Martin Del Potro, Fernando Verdasco, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, and Gael Monfils along with viable veterans Andy Roddick, Nikolay Davydenko, and Fernando Gonzalez and you realize the men's game is at an all-time peak in terms of quality of play. The physical demands of success are unprecedented, more reason to appreciate what we see from Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer.

2. Pink shirt aside, Rafael Nadal continues as the most stylish man to grace the red clay of Roland Garros. It was awe-inspiring as well as somewhat depressing to watch his thorough beating of Lleyton Hewitt on Friday. Hewitt was like many men over the last five years, coming to the court with the hope of employing tactics that might unveil some weakness in Nadal. But the great Nadal is a fabulous starter, and within a handful of games, he had communicated to all that Hewitt had no chance.

3. I talked to Roger Federer after his Thursday match, and he projects an air of relative unconcern over any dip in his play. Federer's grace, politeness, and decency should not obscure a robust self-confidence. The only damage to Federer is if he confuses self-confidence with denial. Federer devoted his time post-Miami (meltdown) to fitness and conditioning, and declares his efforts a rousing success. Winning Madrid was a slight confidence boost, only exceeded by his draw (quite unassuming).

4. The French Tennis Federation schedules matches with more home bias than the other home country federations do at the other majors. Some of the players afforded main show court playing time borders on the absurd. Meanwhile, former World No. 1 and French Open champion Juan Carlos Ferrero played Friday on an outer court than is nearly in Switzerland. The result: far too many empty seats on the show courts (the U.S. Open suffers the same problem in the daytime).

5. Justine Henin appeared at a sponsor event Thursday, and declared no interest in a comeback. The words only heightened the problems in the women's game as without a Williams sister in the mix, the results are not relevant.

On Day 6, the USA lost Venus Williams from the singles draw, leaving sister Serena and Andy Roddick as the only remaining Americans. As a distraction from our stateside struggles, I've spent the day trying to appreciate the bigger picture.

Before coming here for the first time in 2006, I was never particularly attached to the French Open as a viewer.  The reasons for this are most likely 1) I had never been to Paris and 2) I'm an American, and the only tennis I grew up watching was played at Wimbledon or the US Open.

Talking to Mary Carillo earlier, she mentioned that this is her favorite Slam - and wagered that if polled, most players would say the same.  There are the obvious reasons: It's easy to appreciate being in Paris this time of year, no matter where you're from.  And compared to the heat in Australia and the threat of rain at Wimbledon and the US Open, the weather is all but guaranteed to be superior.  But many players prefer this tournament because they grew up on clay.  For much of the rest of the world, this is the closest they come to a home court Slam.  Before many countries had grass courts, it wasn't uncommon for their players to skip Wimbledon entirely - it was considered more of an afterthought following the premier event of the season.  Imagine being a professional tennis player and choosing to forgo the opportunity to play Wimbledon.  For them, the French Open was the only place they had a realistic chance to make a statement. 

So the next time any of us (myself included) claim to be uninspired by the occasional 'dova-'pova face-off, or the Spaniard you've never heard of vs. the Frenchman you've never heard of, please show a little respect. You may be sitting on someone else's Henman Hill.

-Lena M. Glaser

Brandon Marshall is picking an odd time to ask for a pay raise.

Currently unable to practice as he recovers from hip surgery, Marshall is also awaiting word from the NFL on a likely suspension after another arrest this off-season.  Charges were quickly dropped in this case, but Commisioner Roger Goodell is still expected to view Marshall as a repeat offender.  (He was suspended to start last season.) 

Marshall should be happy the organization has shown so much patience with him throughout his ups and downs.  Instead, he has decided to move his rehabilitation away from the team after asking Broncos coach Josh McDaniels for a salary bump.  The Broncos predictably aren't willing to redo his deal at this time.  And why would they?

Is anyone surprised that in the men's draw, only one American, Andy Roddick, was left standing just four days into the French Open?

Intriguing is how differently the U.S. men approach this major. Roddick chose the early clay court season as a perfect time to get married. Mardy Fish spent five weeks in Europe, only to fall in the first round at Roland Garros. Bobby Reynolds, a scrapper who has cracked the top 100, played four challengers to prepare for Roland Garros -- all on hard courts. It's absurd, but Reynolds is practicing self-preservation, playing in the arenas that give him the best chance for success, and thus ranking points. The French Open is simply an obligation for Reynolds.

And so it goes for most of the U.S. men. I give credit to Wayne Odesnik, a finalist at the U.S. Clay Courts in Houston who played three clay challengers. His effort was displayed in a fierce, first-round, five-setter in Paris with Gilles Simon.

Most of the U.S. men are staying to play doubles. Fish is an exception. He was on the first flight out of Paris, a consequence of that five-week stay in Europe, and the desire to grab some time at home before the grass court season.

Point is simply that none of the current U.S. men appear willing to make the commitment demanded by clay. Perhaps they feel it is too late in their careers, an understandable stance for most. But we should not be surprised by the lack of results.

Two different French Opens have been played thus far. The first two days were insanely hot and dry. Proof of that were the eight 20-plus ace performances in the first round, including a record 55 aces by Ivo Karlovic. The next two days were damp, cool and windy. Fitness and cramping have been eliminated, but controlling the ball through gusting winds and tricky clay bounces has challenged the world's best. Each year in Paris reinforces this major as the most grueling to win. The difficult surface coupled with the wildly varying weather, and the physical demands of seven matches in two weeks is simply insane.

John McEnroe asked a great question: the 1996 singles-doubles French Open sweep by Yevgeny Kafelnikov was the first since when? Answer is 1968, the first year of Open tennis when Ken Rosewall accomplished the double. So just two men in 40 years have combined singles and doubles titles in the same French Open. Another confirmation of the demands on red clay.

Josselin Ouanna's classic five-set win over Marat Safin hammered home a point to remember at the U.S. Open. When the host country provides its young hopes wild cards, there is a dream that someone takes advantage. Ouanna is the perfect example, a pair of wins pushing him closer to the top 100. Wimbledon and the Lawn Tennis Association are fighting this concept in awarding wild cards to players like Alex Bogdanovic, who is 0-7 with his gifts. At the U.S. Open, watch to see if a young American man can pull an Ouanna, post some significant wins, and lift himself out of the Challengers.

- Ted Robinson

The subheading on ESPN.com said it all: "Brady in full view."  The Patriots quarterback was showcased for all to see Thursday, like a strange animal emerging from the wild. 

Brady practiced at New England's Organized Team Activities (OTAs) all week, but Thursday was the first time the media was allowed to watch. And we were ready for it: the official Patriots twitter page reported that 96 media members were on hand, likely an offseason record.  Here's a quick recap of what they saw.

• Alex Marvez says Brady, "Looked rusty in 2-minute drill but he moved around fine in a 3/4-speed session."
• Mike Reiss notes that Brady had on a big knee brace under his sweatpants, and appeared to be just getting comfortable with it.  He also watched one long pass completed to Randy Moss. 
  
• Tim Graham says Brady looked normal. 
  
• Brady says his arm won't be the problem.  (Although accuracy often is for post-surgery quarterbacks.)
  
• The last bit of vital news: Gisele is not pregnant.  That's a relief.

The real takeaway Thursday is that Brady is practicing at all.  It wasn't so long ago we were reading doomsday scenarios about Brady's surgical complications.  Now it would be very surprising if he wasn't ready to play before Week 1.

Although it's midweek, some of us have just arrived ... here are a few (jet-lagged) notes from Roland Garros Day 5:

1. Hot Dogs Aren't Just for the Ballpark: As disappointing as the food choices can be at Wimbledon (although I do look forward to what I've dubbed "the strawberry cleanse"), that's how good they are at Roland Garros.  The cornerstone of the American stadium diet, the hot dog is also the snack of choice at the French - and the fresh baguette bun and spicy French mustard taste like nothing you'll find at home.  The best part? Here, the foot-long isn't just for the extra-hungry: it's the only option.

2. Federer Babywatch: From the looks of it, Roger Federer is going to be a daddy in the next couple of months.  We saw wife Mirka on the grounds today, and although the couple didn't announce a due date, I'm hoping for a grass court baby.

Federer won his second round match today against Argentinean Jose Acasuso in 4 sets.

3. Day 5, Round 2: One American out of nine remains in the men's singles draw.  Sixth seed Andy Roddick is on court now, facing Ivo Minar of the Czech Republic in his second round match. Roddick should make it to next week, but is it too much to hope for an American in the quarterfinals? Possibly, if he has to face Frenchman Gael Monfils in the 4th round. Monfils is seeded 11th this year, and is always a high-energy force in Paris with the crowd on his side - last year he made it to the semis and lost to Roger Federer in 4 sets.  Potential DVR-alert there if the next two rounds play out accordingly.

- Lena Glaser

Throughout the offseason, Seahawks brass have gone out of their way to praise Matt Hasselbeck, saying he's "still in his prime" and remains "one of the best quarterbacks of the game."

I was skeptical of all the man love because Hasselbeck, 33, missed nine games with a bulging disc in his back last year.  It looked like a chronic problem that wasn't going anyway.  But the Seahawks proved their faith when they passed on Mark Sanchez in the draft, and now it's up to Hasselbeck to make them look good.  The early signs are encouraging.

The estimable Mike Sando reports that Hasselbeck has looked outstanding at recent Seahawks practices, with, "absolutely no indication he's had back problems."  (He also has a healthy twitter page.)  Taking a hit will be the real test, but it's still encouraging news for a player that has been hurt since last August.

If Hasselbeck is healthy and can transition well to a new offense, Seattle remains the biggest challenger to Arizona in the NFC West.  The Mike Singletary bandwagon doesn't need any more passengers.

It was only a month ago the Browns were reportedly trying to deal Brady Quinn.  Now the former Golden Domer is back atop Cleveland's quarterback heap, according to the Cleveland Plain Dealer. 

Quinn has taken first team snaps at Cleveland's Organized Team Activities all week, apparently because he's out-worked Derek Anderson.

"That's because he's done a really outstanding job in the offseason program.  Not that Derek [Anderson] hasn't done well, but [Quinn] had the edge so he took the first reps. There's no overwhelming significance to that," coach Eric Mangini said Thursday.

Quinn has a reputation as a hard worker in the weight room and the classroom, so this isn't a big surprise.  Now he just has to show he can be accurate on the field.

Few players have more to gain than Quinn during minicamp season.  The presumptive '09 starter if Romeo Crennel kept his job, Quinn now has to win over a coaching staff that doesn't appear sold on him as a franchise quarterback. 

The Cleveland fans may not like it, but Quinn may only have one season - or less - to prove he's the man to lead this franchise.  It's very early, but he's off to a good start.

The NFLPA just released a statement on disgraced Falcons quarterback Michael Vick who was released into home confinement today.

Said NFLPA Executive Director DeMaurice Smith, "We are glad that Michael Vick is committed to rejoining the community as a contributing member. The NFLPA supports him and his family as he works to rebuild his life off the field."

Short. Semi-sweet. To the point. And the right tone to sound publicly since Vick is still serving his sentence until July 20.

It's a certainty that Smith will take up for Vick's playing future at some point down the road but Smith sees - quite wisely - that this is not the time for saber-rattling on the subject.

I'm not sure if Michael Vick was even in prison before speculation began about where he'd play when he got out of prison. And while "Who's Getting Ookie?" sounds like a great parlor game for you and the kids, it's still way early for that. (Although the case that Buffalo may be a suitor is coherently made by Mike Florio at PFT). Why is it too early?

1. He's Still In "Custody"

Despite the fact he's leaving prison today, he's still under house arrest and will be for two months (or until he screws that up...just sayin'). During that period, he'll can only leave his house to go to his $10 an hour construction job.

2. Reinstatement and Remorse

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said Tuesday at the league's owner's meetings that he won't speak with Vick until he's discharged from the legal system. That means somewhere around July 20 at the absolute earliest. Goodell has also made clear that he wants to see genuine remorse from Vick. Does that mean opening a dog-walking service or carrying a Bichon Frise Paris Hilton-style ? No. Goodell said Vick has to show 1) What he learned, 2) That he can be a positive influence going forward and 3) That he regrets his actions. Since any moron can pass that quiz, expect Goodell to have a brief ruminating period after that meeting to make his final verdict appear to have been reached after much soul-searching.   

3. Destinations and Practicality

I explored what Vick will need to do to appease the public and his new team in early March (a good read, if I do say so). Whichever team signs him will be subject to indignation and protests. And then they will stop. It is the nature of things. Still, most teams won't be able to bear the initial onslaught of negative attention. And of the ones that can, few will have A) the need and B) the patience for the distraction he'll cause in their locker room. The few remaining teams that could feasiby use him will then have to weigh whether he can be a contributor in 2009 after having not trained adequately for two years. And what would his role be?

So even though Vick physically gets out of jail today, he's got a lot of hoops to still jump through.

 

Now that Jon Gruden's taken a job in the MNF booth for ESPN, the obvious question is when and if he'll be back in play for a head coaching gig.

 

Gruden's agent, Bob LaMonte, told me this morning, "He definitely has a feeling that he would like to try this for a couple of years. He's 45 and he's already won over 100 games, five division titles and a Super Bowl. He really is a young guy. Some guys don't even get started as head coaches until they're 42, 43. For him, he could easily take a (break)."

 

LaMonte said that, if a head coaching opportunity arises down the road, Gruden would be able to consider it, but added, "Doing Monday Night Football is a pretty monumental job, it's not the weekend news. (A sideline opportunity) would have to be an idyllic thing."

 

Gruden won't hurt for cash. After the 2007 season, he signed a contract extension with the Buccaneers that runs through 2011. He still has three years left on that deal which pays him well over $4 million annually.

 

(Note...Thanks to Mike Florio at Pro Football Talk for catching the bad math on my first post which had Gruden's deal getting extended after '08)

 

 

It's been an excellent couple of days for diehard football fans.  On Sunday came the news that Comcast and the NFL Network are close to a deal.  On Monday, ESPN massively upgraded their Monday Night Football lineup by replacing Tony Kornheiser with Jon Gruden.

Look, Tony Kornheiser the PTI host is the likable half of the best sports talk show on television.  Tony Kornheiser the writer and radio host was one of the very best.  But Tony Kornheiser the Monday Night Football analyst was uncomfortable and almost insulting in his role as the "average fan." 

I'd like to think the average fan doesn't want to discuss the same tired storyline for three straight hours.  Frankly, I'd like to listen to someone who knows more about football than the average fan.

Jon Gruden certainly can teach the viewer a few things.  Combined with Ron Jaworski and Mike Tirico, the new ESPN booth may include the most hard-core football analysis of any team in the country.  (Cris Collinsworth is close all by himself.)

Gruden was a natural on the NFL Network's coverage of the draft: funny, very knowledgeable, and not afraid to buck conventional wisdom.  He has made no secret about his desire to return to coaching, so this may just be a one-year experiment.  Then ESPN could possibly transition into a Tirico-Jaws booth, which would be just fine.

Since getting Monday Night Football three years ago, ESPN has slowly turned a terrible original team (Tirico-Theisman-Kornheiser) into a very promising one.  It's almost as if they've listened to the fans.  Imagine that. 

Well, it's certainly more than a "lemme sling it around with the kids at the high school and see how I feel" deal for Brett Favre.

ESPN's Chris Mortensen and Ed Werder report tonight that Favre consulted with famed orthopedic surgeon Dr. James Andrews about his right shoulder/biceps this week.

It shows that Favre, who has tested his arm publicly at least twice by throwing to local high school kids in Mississippi wants to find out for sure that - short of having surgery - his arm can't withstand the rigors of an NFL season.

Meanwhile, it's May. Whatever rehab work Favre could do to get himself ready to play for the Vikings would need to be started in earnest pretty soon so that he could be a training camp participant. And even then, how well would the 39-year-old's arm hold up?

At some point, the bus for the Vikings season has to pull out of the station, doesn't it?

Well, the biggest fish in the defensive end pool will be swimming at Landshark Stadium in 2009.

Jason Taylor will rejoin the Miami Dolphins.

But is Taylor interested in working to return to the level of play we're accustomed to seeing from him?

The reason he's "re-signing" with Miami is because he didn't want to commit to the Dolphins offseason training program in 2008, preferring instead to Dance With the Stars in L.A. So the Dolphins traded him to Washington for a second-rounder last July and he was only able to start eight games and contribute 3.5 sacks. A nasty calf injury ruined his season.

When Washington wanted to renegotiate Taylor's deal and include a requirement of attending 25 offseason workouts, Taylor said no thanks and was released on March 2.

Taylor, who turns 35 on September 1, has every right in the world to choose family over football, which is what he said he was doing with the Redskins. But even a player as well-conditioned and talented as Taylor has to work exceptionally hard at his advanced football age to ward off injury and to be relevant.

Signing a one-year deal for a relative pittance amounts to an announcement by Taylor that Miami best not expect his best effort imaginable. Don't expect him to roll back the clock and have 15 sacks. But one thing Taylor's signing does do for Miami that's very important is this. It keeps him out of New England. He had value there because, as an additional part on a team that is more talented than the Dolphins, Taylor could have been a part-time weapon of third-down destruction.

So the win for Miami is whatever Taylor brings them and whatever his loss means to the Patriots. New England could use a linebacker who can bring pressure off the edge in their 3-4, especially since Mike Vrabel was dealt to Kansas City. Perhaps they feel the player that can do that is already on their roster and now gets his chance. Perhaps they were banking on Taylor.  

With Mike Holmgren's itch to return to coaching already getting to him, the 2010 class of coaching candidates continues (check it out, a run on C's!) to intrigue.

Along with Holmgren - who just stepped aside in Seattle - Mike Shanahan, Bill Cowher, Jon Gruden, Brian Billick, Herman Edwards and, of course, Bobby Petrino.

It's tough to forecast where the openings will emerge before the 2009 season begins but there could be openings in Buffalo, Jacksonville, Houston, Carolina, Minnesota, Chicago, (editor's not...not) Baltimore, Dallas and Cincinnati depending on how things go in those cities.

And while all of the veteran coaches I mentioned will want a heavy say in personnel matters (probably with total control), it will be interesting to see if any teams are willing to cow to that demand.

If you look at the best teams in the league - for example, the Patriots, Giants, Eagles, Cardinals, Steelers and Chargers - and the teams on the rise (Atlanta and Miami) all have prospered under a separation of coaching/personnel department. Certainly, Bill Belichick has a major hand in all personnel decisions in New England but he trusts his lieutenants on that front. That's why, when Scott Pioli left for Kansas City, Belichick brought in Floyd Reese to help new VP of Player Personnel Nick Caserio. It's too much for a head coach to deal with running the team on the field and the pro and college scouting departments away from the field.

Holmgren was stripped of his personnel power in Seattle and never was entirely pleased being there after he lost it. That's part of the reason he left. But it will be hard for him - or any of these veteran coaches - to find a team willing to turn over the entire program to one guy no matter his previous track record.

Peter Giunta is keeping a stiff upper lip in New York after being snubbed by the G-Men for the team's defensive coordinator job then blocked from leaving the team for other opportunities.

Paul Schwartz in the NY Post has the story of Giunta, 52, who put in for the DC job vacated by Steve Spagnuolo. The position went instead to Giants linebackers coach Bill Sheridan.

But Spagnuolo, hired as the Rams new head coach, wanted Giunta to join him in St. Louis. The Giants wouldn't let Giunta go, keeping him there as secondary coach.

"You're hurt, you're upset by the situation but you deal with it," Giunta said on Tuesday.

In the past, assistant coaches in the past didn't have to ask permission to leave their teams if they were getting a promotion. So teams would raid staffs, give guys the same role with their new team but attach "assistant head coach" to their job title. Instant promotion. Now, assistants can only interview without permission if they are headed for a head coaching job.  

So even though Giunta was asked to interview for defensive coordinator jobs in Green Bay and St. Louis, the Giants blocked his posterior. Which would rankle me some because, at 52, opportunities that put you a heartbeat from a head coaching job aren't going to keep floating by.

To Giunta's credit, he's maintaining the party line, "It was a great compliment, because (Giants head coach Tom Coughlin) wanted me to stay here. He said we're so close to coming back and winning another championship here, he didn't want to break up the staff. He wanted to keep as much continuity as he could."

 

 

The Bills have smoothed things over with third-year running back Fred Jackson, announcing a contract extension this morning.

Jackson was an exclusive right free agent with Buffalo unable to negotiate with other teams if the Bills tendered him an offer (which they did in February). He was "conspicuously absent" from Bills offseason conditioning workouts, said to be unhappy with the team's offer and lack of an extension.

A capable backup to Marshawn Lynch, Jackson ran for 571 yards last season. His presence is pivotal for the Bills who will be without Lynch for the first three games of the 2009 season thanks to a league suspension.

Luke McCown attempted to stake his claim verbally to the starting quarterback job with the Bucs in 2009, saying, "This is my first real opportunity to be the starter, to be the guy. And I look at it as mine and you're going to have to shoot me."

That choice of words brings to mind the timeless quote from John McKay, the Bucs first coach, who, when asked what he thought of his team's offensive execution, said, "I'm all for it."

McCown's competition for the starting job in Tampa is not exactly stiff. He's competing with veteran castoff Byron Leftwich, rookie Josh Freeman and Josh Johnson. Brian Griese is expected to be released. Handicapping the field, you'd have to figure McCown's got the edge with Leftwich nipping at his heels pending training camp performance.

Meanwhile, McCown gave insight into the approach of head coach Raheem Morris, saying, "Raheem ...shoots you straight. He's going to tell you what's going on. When I re-signed ...he brought me up into his office, showed me the board and said, "this is what the depth chart looks like. Here's the competition you're going to be in. We've got the 19th pick. Who knows? All the experts say we're going to draft one (quarterback). Maybe we do. All you can do is go out, compete, and worst case scenario, you perform well and we have to make a decision whether to keep you or trade you."

Lions running back Kevin Smith makes some cogent points about veteran quarterback Daunte Culpepper's ability to deal with the challenge from No. 1 overall pick Matthew Stafford.

"This man's a professional," Smith told Carlos Monarrez of the Detroit Free Press. "He knows what he's doing. Every year there's going to be a guy that comes in. This is a competitive league. We signed (running back Maurice) Morris, we have Aveion Cason. There's no one guy at one position. You go out there, you battle all for one common goal: to win."

Then Smith, wanting to redirect the conversation to an overall outlook, tossed out "Forget Daunte versus Stafford. Let's get to the playoffs."

Ahem, 0-16 last season, Kevin. Baby steps first.

Speaking on the 2 Live Stews radio show, Vikings defensive end Jared Allen said, "I'm a fan of Brett. I've played against him a bunch of times and the dude's a hell of a player. Whether it's this year or three years earlier, I would love to have him as a teammate."

Meanwhile, the meeting that Vikings head coach Brad Childress was supposed to be having today with Favre in Hattiesburg, Mississippi hasn't taken place. Childress showed up for work this morning in Minnesota.

And this is what's going to go on for the next few weeks. With the Favre Camp having a fleet of loose-lipped hangers on and agenda-pushers, misinformation is going to trump information and we in the media will all be wondering how "multiple sources" could all be wrong.

Thanks to Jimmy Shapiro at Sportsradiointerviews.com for the link on Allen.

Last week, we spoke with Chargers GM A.J. Smith about his drafting of Demetrius Byrd, the LSU wideout who'd been in a serious car accident right before the draft.

Byrd, Smith hoped, would get a little bump during his recovery knowing that a team had taken a chance on him despite his injuries.

It appears Smith gauged that correctly. In a story by Casey Pearce of Chargers.com, Byrd said through agent David Dunn, "I have so much motivation to play with this team. I appreciate the Chargers for recognizing my hard work and helping me live out this dream. I promise you that I will work hard every day on and off the field."

There's no word on a timetable for when Byrd will be able to join the Chargers.

An AP wire story Saturday had quotes from Jets offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer saying Kellen Clemens is currently "clearly ahead" in knowing the Jets offense compared to Mark Sanchez.

Kind of stands to reason, doesn't it? Sanchez had been at the facility for about 96 hours at that point; Clemens had been there for a couple of seasons.

But in latching on to what was a no-brainer statement, the story missed the story of the weekend which Rich Cimini of the New York Daily News expounds on today.

Wrote Cimini: "I think Rex Ryan made it abundantly clear, without really saying so, that his plan is to make Sanchez the opening-day starter. That's hardly a revelation, considering his draft status, but it's noteworthy that Ryan admitted he has an idea of how he expects the QB competition to play out."

Cimini went on to say, "After being around minicamp, watching Sanchez and listening to Jets people ...Clemens has to be significantly better than Sanchez to win the job. If it's even, or if it's close, the only thing Clemens will get is a headset and a clipboard."

Knowshon Moreno, the running back taken 12th in the first round last week by Denver, will wear No. 27, the number worn by slain Broncos corner Darrent Williams.

Bill Williamson of ESPN.com reports that the Broncos called Williams' mother Rosalind for the OK to put the number back in circulation. Williams' family asked that Moreno donate a few hours of time each month to volunteering at the Darrent Williams Teen Center in Denver.

At the first rookie mini-camp practice at the Jets facility in Florham Park, New Jersey, a lot got accomplished.

The reason? According to new head coach Rex Ryan, rookie quarterback Mark Sanchez got the offense together Saturday night and helped install a chunk of plays.

"I found out later why the offense was able to put in 18 plays," Ryan said Friday. "(Offensive Coordinator Brian Schottenheimer) gave out the playbooks, the day the guys came in. There were no meetings yesterday but everybody got a playbook. There was some guy who we have on offense got the entire offense together and installed the base offense. I guess you can figure out who that was. That's impressive. That's the kind of young man we brought in here."

And he saved a little old lady who was stuck up a tree and helped a cat cross the street. What does Mark Sanchez not do??

Sanchez, said Ryan, is "A natural leader. Some guys can lead and some guys can't . Either you have it or you don't and clearly he's an individual who has leadership qualities. He's just flying around having fun. This is something he loves to do and it's good to see. Anytime a guy makes a play, he's quick to go over there (and congratulate him). I think he appreciates his teammates' efforts."

So how long can veteran Kellen Clemens hold off the fifth overall pick? Ryan, perhaps overcome a bit by first-day exuberance, said, "You just let them compete. I can sit up here and say we are just going to let them fight it out and that is true. The cream will rise to the top and I truly believe that. I have an opinion on how it is going to go, but I am not going to share it with you (laughter). Obviously I would be lying if I said I didn't. I have no idea how it is going to work, I assume it is going to work out a certain way. You have to earn the job. Whether it is Kellen (Clemens) being the quarterback or Mark (Sanchez) being the quarterback, you have to earn the job. It is too important of a position for us to say, Hey let's give it to this guy or give it to this other guy. It will come out in the end. It always does."

Given the tenor of his coach's early comments, Clemens might want to be prepared for a season of clipboard holding.  

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As expected, franchised Panthers defensive end Julius Peppers is boycotting Carolina's minicamp this weekend, according to Carolina Growl.com.

Still, head coach John Fox said this morning said he expects Peppers to join the team no later than the start of training camp.

Peppers has been quietly agitating for a trade out of Carolina. He's been franchised each of the past two seasons and this year will receive $16.6 million to play under the tag. Peppers cannot be dealt until he signs his franchise tender.

His agent, Carl Carey, has not responded to calls or text messages in recent weeks.