K.C.HIRES ZORN, MAYOR WANTS A PROMISE, MONTANA TO MONTANA & BOWL OFFICIALS BEGIN TO SWEAT
The Chiefs hired Jim Zorn to be their new quarterbacks coach. A good move IMO. Zorn, a former NFL QB & head coach, was released from the Baltimore Ravens about 3 weeks ago when his contract was not renewed. Ravens QB Joe Flacco called out the organization publicly after having his best season under Zorn's coaching. "I'm not going to be happy about this for a very long time" Flacco bemoaned after Zorn was cut loose last month. Matt Cassel needs a buffer between himself & Todd Haley, I guess you could say that about everybody Haley comes in contact with, he's not the warmest guy. Zorn was not wanted anymore in Baltimore after friction developed with offensive coordinator Cam Cameron. Raven fans aren't happy to see Zorn stay in the AFC, I looked at a number of negative posts on the internet wanting Cameron gone, not Zorn.
Also in Baltimore, Ravens' head coach John Harbaugh received a contract extension that goes thru the 2014 season.
Kansas City Mayor Mark Funkhouser sent a letter to Clark Hunt a couple of weeks ago & after it received no press, he called The Kansas City Star to inform them of the letter. He asked Chiefs' owner Clark Hunt to promise the city there would be no NFL lockout by the ownership, something Hunt simply can't promise. He detailed the harm such a work stoppage would cause Kansas City & asked Hunt to be mindful of that economic harm when it came time to vote on a lockout. Clark Hunt, much like his father, is a reasonable man, not one prone to fly off the handle or crave attention. Lamar Hunt was always concerned about the integrity of the game, the fans & the city. Too many of today's owners think of themselves as rock stars or worse yet, royalty. If the Clark Hunts, Robert Krafts, Dan Rooneys & John Mara's of the NFL prevail, we'll have a reasonable contract both sides can live with & little or no work stoppage. Mayor Funkhouser should get his own house in order before he starts telling others how to organize theirs'.
The Chiefs are hosting defensive lineman Shaun Rogers today, who was released last week by the Cleveland Browns. Rogers came to the Browns from Detroit in a trade orchestrated by then Browns' coach Romeo Crennel. Rogers' career since being a 2nd round draft pick out of Texas in 2001 has been a roller coaster to be sure. He has been selected to the Pro Bowl 3 different times. He's also been benched a couple of times for lackluster play. Rogers has played defensive tackle in Detroit's 4-3 scheme & both nose tackle & defensive end in the Browns' 3-4. The 6' 4" 350+ pound defender is nicknamed "Big Baby." Rogers was suspended by the league 4 games in 2006 for violating the NFL's policy on steroids. He was arrested last spring at Cleveland's airport for having a loaded handgun in his carry-on baggage. Three months later after leaving the airport he noticed a driver weaving all over the interstate & he alerted the police on his cell phone. Rogers continued following the drunk driver & after he swerved across three lanes of traffic & came to rest against a guard rail, Rogers used his SUV to block the driver from returning to the highway. He turned on his emergency flashers to alert oncoming traffic & waited till the cavalry arrived to arrest the driver. After he was released last week by Cleveland, Browns' GM Tom Heckert said "Shaun isn't the same cat he used to be, I think losing all these years has taken a toll on him, he's just not the same player, it's beaten him down." If Kansas City is interested in signing him, they have until midnight on March 3rd, when the current CBA expires & no player movement will be allowed. I would have been much more excited about Phillip Hunt.
Nate Montana, son of Hall of Fame quarterback Joe Montana, has transferred from Notre Dame to, drum roll please, Montana. Montana to Montana is the headline. The former backup QB knew both guys listed ahead of him on the Irish depth chart were coming back next season so he opted to move onto the Division 1AA Grizzlies. Because he stepped down to a Division 1AA school, Montana won't be required to sit out a season, he can participate as soon as spring football begins & be eligible to play in the fall. For those who don't recall, when father Joe came to the Chiefs, a small town in Montana officially changed it name to Joe, Montana for one calender year. It got a lot of press & the Chiefs brought every citizen of Joe, Montana to Arrowhead for a game.
The nation's #1 high school recruit, Jadeveon Clowney, signed a national letter of intent to play for Steve Spurrier at in-state South Carolina. Clowney played his high school football at South Pointe & after I watched an 11-minute highlight video of his senior year, I had no argument about his ranking. Playing in a tough league, Clowney looked like a high school player competing against Pop Warner teams, he was that much better than everyone he played. He'll be starting in September IMO at defensive end.
The Oakland Raiders hired Hall of Fame defensive back Rod Woodson as their DB's coach. Woodson played for the Raiders at the end of his stellar 17-year career in which he was selected to the Pro Bowl 11 times. Woodson holds NFL records for the most interceptions run back for touchdowns(12) & the most return yardage on career interceptions. He will have to give up his analyst's gig for The NFL Network & he said yesterday he hopes he can get all-pro CB Nnamdi Asomguha to return & play for Oakland.
One of the the four men who appeared in Visa's "Never Missed a Super Bowl Club" TV ads has passed away. I told you before the Super Bowl Robert Cook of Wisconsin took ill the day he & his wife were to depart for Dallas. He was hospitalized but watched he beloved Packers win on TV. His two daughters took his tickets & went to the game. Cook was 79.
I told you last week about Art Schlichter, former Ohio State & NFL quarterback, compulsive, degenerate gambler, who had once again run afoul of the law. Schlichter stands accused of bilking a 68-year old woman out of more than $1 million in addition to some $200,000 from several other individuals. Schlichter had known the Columbus Ohio woman since he was a Buckeye & had promised her better seats for Ohio State games, Super Bowl tickets & NFL tickets for a fee. He began helping himself to her bank accounts & credit cards as soon as he got his hands on passwords & pin numbers. He remains in jail without bond because he's violated his parole from an arrest in Indiana on gambling charges. Schlichter has already spent 10 years behind bars for his gambling transgressions. I dealt with this guy nearly everyday for about a year in the mid-90's when he was on the radio out in Las Vegas. He had the fever worse than anyone I ever witnessed.
Speaking of Las Vegas, one of the phrases people in the service industry hate to hear more than any other is "Do you know who I am?" When famous or semi-famous people shot that remark in your face, my reaction was almost always moving this person to the back of the line, figuratively. It became over a decade-long challenge to ignore "do you know who I am?" I would normally say "yes I know" & then go about my business like they were never there. I'm not big on having one's fame flaunted in my face as an order for me to snap to, drop everything & wait on them hand & foot. Sunday night Chargers' wide receiver Legedu Naanee was asked to leave an Indianapolis nightspot & when he wouldn't comply, police were called. When approached by officers, Naanee shouted those immortal words "Do you know who I am?" The police were about as impressed as I used to be & they began moving Mr. Naanee toward the door. His response to their action was also familiar, "I'm an NFL player & I'm going to sue your ass." Tell me how that works out for ya.
The NFL has sweetened the pot in Seat-gate. They've given the people who were screwed out of their seats another option. Now ticket holders can be reimbursed up to $5,000 for any Super Bowl related expense they can prove. That is added to options 1 & 2, $2,400 refund & a ticket to next year's game(which is transferable) or a ticket to any upcoming Super Bowl, airfare & a 2-night hotel stay, which isn't transferable. I doubt this is going to stop the lawsuits, people are really mad about this slight & IMO, they have a helluva case.
I've railed on the bowl committees for years now & some folks with money behind them are starting to make bowl people sweat. The people at PlayoffPac, a political activist group who want a college playoff system, have been snooping around the Fiesta Bowl for about 2 months. They have uncovered what could be a real mess for the Fiesta Bowl committee. So much so, the Chief of Staff, John Junker, has been placed on indefinite administrative leave. The committee has hired a prominent defense attorney from SoCal to deflect all questions regarding PlayoffPac's findings. What the Pac claims is that Junker encouraged committee employees to contribute to various political campaigns & then the committee reimbursed them. This not only smacks of political corruption but it violates federal election laws regarding campaign contributions. The IRS has also entered the fray, sending auditors to Phoenix to look into not only the individual contributions, but the reimbursements as well. The Pac says they have been investigating the Orange Bowl committee for about a month now & they hope to have a report showing their findings within 90-days. Yeah, they're all going to be sweating soon.
Also in Baltimore, Ravens' head coach John Harbaugh received a contract extension that goes thru the 2014 season.
Kansas City Mayor Mark Funkhouser sent a letter to Clark Hunt a couple of weeks ago & after it received no press, he called The Kansas City Star to inform them of the letter. He asked Chiefs' owner Clark Hunt to promise the city there would be no NFL lockout by the ownership, something Hunt simply can't promise. He detailed the harm such a work stoppage would cause Kansas City & asked Hunt to be mindful of that economic harm when it came time to vote on a lockout. Clark Hunt, much like his father, is a reasonable man, not one prone to fly off the handle or crave attention. Lamar Hunt was always concerned about the integrity of the game, the fans & the city. Too many of today's owners think of themselves as rock stars or worse yet, royalty. If the Clark Hunts, Robert Krafts, Dan Rooneys & John Mara's of the NFL prevail, we'll have a reasonable contract both sides can live with & little or no work stoppage. Mayor Funkhouser should get his own house in order before he starts telling others how to organize theirs'.
The Chiefs are hosting defensive lineman Shaun Rogers today, who was released last week by the Cleveland Browns. Rogers came to the Browns from Detroit in a trade orchestrated by then Browns' coach Romeo Crennel. Rogers' career since being a 2nd round draft pick out of Texas in 2001 has been a roller coaster to be sure. He has been selected to the Pro Bowl 3 different times. He's also been benched a couple of times for lackluster play. Rogers has played defensive tackle in Detroit's 4-3 scheme & both nose tackle & defensive end in the Browns' 3-4. The 6' 4" 350+ pound defender is nicknamed "Big Baby." Rogers was suspended by the league 4 games in 2006 for violating the NFL's policy on steroids. He was arrested last spring at Cleveland's airport for having a loaded handgun in his carry-on baggage. Three months later after leaving the airport he noticed a driver weaving all over the interstate & he alerted the police on his cell phone. Rogers continued following the drunk driver & after he swerved across three lanes of traffic & came to rest against a guard rail, Rogers used his SUV to block the driver from returning to the highway. He turned on his emergency flashers to alert oncoming traffic & waited till the cavalry arrived to arrest the driver. After he was released last week by Cleveland, Browns' GM Tom Heckert said "Shaun isn't the same cat he used to be, I think losing all these years has taken a toll on him, he's just not the same player, it's beaten him down." If Kansas City is interested in signing him, they have until midnight on March 3rd, when the current CBA expires & no player movement will be allowed. I would have been much more excited about Phillip Hunt.
Nate Montana, son of Hall of Fame quarterback Joe Montana, has transferred from Notre Dame to, drum roll please, Montana. Montana to Montana is the headline. The former backup QB knew both guys listed ahead of him on the Irish depth chart were coming back next season so he opted to move onto the Division 1AA Grizzlies. Because he stepped down to a Division 1AA school, Montana won't be required to sit out a season, he can participate as soon as spring football begins & be eligible to play in the fall. For those who don't recall, when father Joe came to the Chiefs, a small town in Montana officially changed it name to Joe, Montana for one calender year. It got a lot of press & the Chiefs brought every citizen of Joe, Montana to Arrowhead for a game.
The nation's #1 high school recruit, Jadeveon Clowney, signed a national letter of intent to play for Steve Spurrier at in-state South Carolina. Clowney played his high school football at South Pointe & after I watched an 11-minute highlight video of his senior year, I had no argument about his ranking. Playing in a tough league, Clowney looked like a high school player competing against Pop Warner teams, he was that much better than everyone he played. He'll be starting in September IMO at defensive end.
The Oakland Raiders hired Hall of Fame defensive back Rod Woodson as their DB's coach. Woodson played for the Raiders at the end of his stellar 17-year career in which he was selected to the Pro Bowl 11 times. Woodson holds NFL records for the most interceptions run back for touchdowns(12) & the most return yardage on career interceptions. He will have to give up his analyst's gig for The NFL Network & he said yesterday he hopes he can get all-pro CB Nnamdi Asomguha to return & play for Oakland.
One of the the four men who appeared in Visa's "Never Missed a Super Bowl Club" TV ads has passed away. I told you before the Super Bowl Robert Cook of Wisconsin took ill the day he & his wife were to depart for Dallas. He was hospitalized but watched he beloved Packers win on TV. His two daughters took his tickets & went to the game. Cook was 79.
I told you last week about Art Schlichter, former Ohio State & NFL quarterback, compulsive, degenerate gambler, who had once again run afoul of the law. Schlichter stands accused of bilking a 68-year old woman out of more than $1 million in addition to some $200,000 from several other individuals. Schlichter had known the Columbus Ohio woman since he was a Buckeye & had promised her better seats for Ohio State games, Super Bowl tickets & NFL tickets for a fee. He began helping himself to her bank accounts & credit cards as soon as he got his hands on passwords & pin numbers. He remains in jail without bond because he's violated his parole from an arrest in Indiana on gambling charges. Schlichter has already spent 10 years behind bars for his gambling transgressions. I dealt with this guy nearly everyday for about a year in the mid-90's when he was on the radio out in Las Vegas. He had the fever worse than anyone I ever witnessed.
Speaking of Las Vegas, one of the phrases people in the service industry hate to hear more than any other is "Do you know who I am?" When famous or semi-famous people shot that remark in your face, my reaction was almost always moving this person to the back of the line, figuratively. It became over a decade-long challenge to ignore "do you know who I am?" I would normally say "yes I know" & then go about my business like they were never there. I'm not big on having one's fame flaunted in my face as an order for me to snap to, drop everything & wait on them hand & foot. Sunday night Chargers' wide receiver Legedu Naanee was asked to leave an Indianapolis nightspot & when he wouldn't comply, police were called. When approached by officers, Naanee shouted those immortal words "Do you know who I am?" The police were about as impressed as I used to be & they began moving Mr. Naanee toward the door. His response to their action was also familiar, "I'm an NFL player & I'm going to sue your ass." Tell me how that works out for ya.
The NFL has sweetened the pot in Seat-gate. They've given the people who were screwed out of their seats another option. Now ticket holders can be reimbursed up to $5,000 for any Super Bowl related expense they can prove. That is added to options 1 & 2, $2,400 refund & a ticket to next year's game(which is transferable) or a ticket to any upcoming Super Bowl, airfare & a 2-night hotel stay, which isn't transferable. I doubt this is going to stop the lawsuits, people are really mad about this slight & IMO, they have a helluva case.
I've railed on the bowl committees for years now & some folks with money behind them are starting to make bowl people sweat. The people at PlayoffPac, a political activist group who want a college playoff system, have been snooping around the Fiesta Bowl for about 2 months. They have uncovered what could be a real mess for the Fiesta Bowl committee. So much so, the Chief of Staff, John Junker, has been placed on indefinite administrative leave. The committee has hired a prominent defense attorney from SoCal to deflect all questions regarding PlayoffPac's findings. What the Pac claims is that Junker encouraged committee employees to contribute to various political campaigns & then the committee reimbursed them. This not only smacks of political corruption but it violates federal election laws regarding campaign contributions. The IRS has also entered the fray, sending auditors to Phoenix to look into not only the individual contributions, but the reimbursements as well. The Pac says they have been investigating the Orange Bowl committee for about a month now & they hope to have a report showing their findings within 90-days. Yeah, they're all going to be sweating soon.
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