TAR HEELS TEAM DECIMATED BY SUSPENSIONS & SOME PRO NOTES
I've been telling you for a few weeks about the NCAA investigation into this lavish party that was throw in Miami by several sports agents & Forty-Niners running back Frank Gore. Because of Twitter, two players left a trail NCAA snoops couldn't miss & now those two, North Carolina defensive tackle Marvin Austin & South Carolina tight end, Weslye Saunders, have created a mess that has bled over into other programs. Alabama All-American DT Marcel Dareus was suspended for 2 games & orderd to repay almost $1,800 in hotel & travel expenses previously paid by agents. Tomorrow night the Tar Heels will kickoff their season with a game at LSU, historically a very tough place to play on a Saturday night. They will do so without 6 defensive starters that we know of, that number could grow to 9 by this evening. The Tar Heels also are holding another 6 players out of the game just in case the NCAA rules them ineligible too. North Carolina is trying to get clarification on LB Quan Sturdivant(All-American), LB Bruce Carter & safety Deunta Williams, all starters. Also in this suspended group is All-American defensive end Robert Quinn. Coach Butch Davis had assembled what appeared to be the best defense in the land & now those dreams are dashed. This game opened at LSU -1 & right now it's grown to -7 1/2. These two geniuses, Austin & Saunders, used their Twitter accounts to chat up the pending party in Miami & to invite teammates & players from other teams. These guys knew what they were doing was wrong & yet they did it, consequences be damned. "As long as I have a good time, the hell with the rest of my team, program, school & fans, it's all about me." When, if ever, will people learn when you put something on a social network, it's there forever. Whatever happened to texting or for that matter, an actual voice conversation? I don't get it, but then I'm a geezer.
After I finished the piece I wrote last night about the Chiefs & the USC game, I watched Sportscenter & listened to my favorite coach, USC's Lane Kiffin. He looked like he had seen a ghost or something, he was in shock his Trojans defense was shredded by a middle-of-the-pack Hawaii team playing 3 different quarterbacks. His facial expression was priceless as he was asked "what happened to your defense?" He didn't have an answer except to say he "was very disappointed." The final numbers for Hawaii: first downs-39, total offense-588 yards, 459 passing. The Trojans failed to force a turnover & their secondary was so disorganized it was comical to watch.
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell has reduced Ben Roethlisberger's suspension from 6-games to 4. This was expected, but the Steeler quarterback situation is anything but settled. Last night Byron Leftwich injured his MCL & there are conflicting reports about how long he will be sidelined. It appears 2nd year man Dennis Dixon will start in Roethlisberger's absence & he'll be backed up by 14-year veteran Charlie Batch.
Colt McCoy has had a very rocky preseason, throwing interceptions & being generally ineffective. Last night against Chicago, he lost a fumble on his first snap of the game but came back to post impressive numbers. McCoy completed all 13 pass attempts for 131 yards. He was on shaky ground with some people in the Browns organization, but he boosted his stock with his performance last evening.
Denver lost another running back, LenDale White, for the remainder of the year. He suffered a torn Achilles tendon & will undergo surgery. He was brought in three weeks ago after Knowshon Moreno & Correll Buckhalter were sidelined with injuries. Buckhalter has returned, Moreno has not, he still suffers from ankle & knee strains. The Bronco backfield is a mess. The Tim Tebow report goes like this: 12 of 16 for 167 yards, a touchdown & an interception. He looks awful on one play & much better the next, he has a long way to go & I don't know if he'll ever get there. It won't be for lack of effort tho, this guy is a tireless worker & his teammates love him.
It should be noted the Carolina Panthers failed to score an offensive touchdown in any of their four preseason games, zip, zero, none. The vaunted Dallas Cowboy starting offense managed just one touchdown in 5 games, uno.
Mike Shanahan continues to make his point to the $100 million man, defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth. That point is "My way or the highway." Haynesworth played 49 of the 55 defensive plays last night in the Redskins' loss to Arizona. He managed 3 solo tackles, zero sacks & zero pressures. This Pro Bowl performer played against 2nd & 3rd string players for the Cardinals, making zero impact. He looked fat & way out of playing shape. It appears Shanahan will continue to use humiliation as a motivational tool, nothing else has worked. The Redskins don't want to cut him, if he's released right now, he'll walk with nearly $40 million of owner Dan Snyder's money with him & that's not going to happen. That's $40 million for the 16-games Haynesworth played last season in a Redskin uniform.
Cleveland's Montario Hardesty is done this season after suffering a torn ACL last night. The Browns were very high on the rookie from Tennessee, but as in his time in Knoxville, he can't stay healthy for very long.
Ndamakong Suh was fined a paltry $7,500 for his facemask & head-twisting takedown of Cleveland quarterback Jake Delhomme. I really thought he was looking at something in the neighborhood of $50K minimum. I wasn't alone, Adam Schefter, Chris Mortensen, Len Pasquerelli & other NFL media-types were all surprised by the small fine. This is basically pocket change to Suh, his new contract called for over $40 million in guaranteed money.
I'm going to take a second to toot my own horn(get your mind out of the gutter) a little. last April I touted a wide receiver from Michigan State, Blair White, as a late-round draft pick possibility or as an undrafted free agent. You can check the archives from April or go to the Kansas City Star's website, Upon Further Review & you'll be able to read my thoughts on White. He's certainly not the only one I was right about, but one I sincerely wanted to see in a Chiefs' uniform. The former walk-on for the Spartans had turned himself into a superior possession receiver with dependable hands & a great special teams work ethic. White, signed as an undrafted free agent by the Colts, has 12 catches(more than any Chief receiver) for 181 yards in four preseason games. He did this without ever taking a snap with Peyton Manning in any of the Colts' four games.
After I finished the piece I wrote last night about the Chiefs & the USC game, I watched Sportscenter & listened to my favorite coach, USC's Lane Kiffin. He looked like he had seen a ghost or something, he was in shock his Trojans defense was shredded by a middle-of-the-pack Hawaii team playing 3 different quarterbacks. His facial expression was priceless as he was asked "what happened to your defense?" He didn't have an answer except to say he "was very disappointed." The final numbers for Hawaii: first downs-39, total offense-588 yards, 459 passing. The Trojans failed to force a turnover & their secondary was so disorganized it was comical to watch.
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell has reduced Ben Roethlisberger's suspension from 6-games to 4. This was expected, but the Steeler quarterback situation is anything but settled. Last night Byron Leftwich injured his MCL & there are conflicting reports about how long he will be sidelined. It appears 2nd year man Dennis Dixon will start in Roethlisberger's absence & he'll be backed up by 14-year veteran Charlie Batch.
Colt McCoy has had a very rocky preseason, throwing interceptions & being generally ineffective. Last night against Chicago, he lost a fumble on his first snap of the game but came back to post impressive numbers. McCoy completed all 13 pass attempts for 131 yards. He was on shaky ground with some people in the Browns organization, but he boosted his stock with his performance last evening.
Denver lost another running back, LenDale White, for the remainder of the year. He suffered a torn Achilles tendon & will undergo surgery. He was brought in three weeks ago after Knowshon Moreno & Correll Buckhalter were sidelined with injuries. Buckhalter has returned, Moreno has not, he still suffers from ankle & knee strains. The Bronco backfield is a mess. The Tim Tebow report goes like this: 12 of 16 for 167 yards, a touchdown & an interception. He looks awful on one play & much better the next, he has a long way to go & I don't know if he'll ever get there. It won't be for lack of effort tho, this guy is a tireless worker & his teammates love him.
It should be noted the Carolina Panthers failed to score an offensive touchdown in any of their four preseason games, zip, zero, none. The vaunted Dallas Cowboy starting offense managed just one touchdown in 5 games, uno.
Mike Shanahan continues to make his point to the $100 million man, defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth. That point is "My way or the highway." Haynesworth played 49 of the 55 defensive plays last night in the Redskins' loss to Arizona. He managed 3 solo tackles, zero sacks & zero pressures. This Pro Bowl performer played against 2nd & 3rd string players for the Cardinals, making zero impact. He looked fat & way out of playing shape. It appears Shanahan will continue to use humiliation as a motivational tool, nothing else has worked. The Redskins don't want to cut him, if he's released right now, he'll walk with nearly $40 million of owner Dan Snyder's money with him & that's not going to happen. That's $40 million for the 16-games Haynesworth played last season in a Redskin uniform.
Cleveland's Montario Hardesty is done this season after suffering a torn ACL last night. The Browns were very high on the rookie from Tennessee, but as in his time in Knoxville, he can't stay healthy for very long.
Ndamakong Suh was fined a paltry $7,500 for his facemask & head-twisting takedown of Cleveland quarterback Jake Delhomme. I really thought he was looking at something in the neighborhood of $50K minimum. I wasn't alone, Adam Schefter, Chris Mortensen, Len Pasquerelli & other NFL media-types were all surprised by the small fine. This is basically pocket change to Suh, his new contract called for over $40 million in guaranteed money.
I'm going to take a second to toot my own horn(get your mind out of the gutter) a little. last April I touted a wide receiver from Michigan State, Blair White, as a late-round draft pick possibility or as an undrafted free agent. You can check the archives from April or go to the Kansas City Star's website, Upon Further Review & you'll be able to read my thoughts on White. He's certainly not the only one I was right about, but one I sincerely wanted to see in a Chiefs' uniform. The former walk-on for the Spartans had turned himself into a superior possession receiver with dependable hands & a great special teams work ethic. White, signed as an undrafted free agent by the Colts, has 12 catches(more than any Chief receiver) for 181 yards in four preseason games. He did this without ever taking a snap with Peyton Manning in any of the Colts' four games.
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