Roger Clemens reportedly arrived early for his arraignment in Washington, DC on Monday. Perhaps he was hoping to push up the time of his court appearance scheduled for 2 pm EDT. He’s got places to go and people to see, don’t you know? After his arraignment he is reportedly taking a private jet with wife Debbie in tow and traveling to Myrtle Beach, SC.

There, he and Debbie are expected to participate in a Golf.com amateur tournament.

Arrangements are already in place for him to arrive late and play his round with an event official to make sure he scores his round in an ethical manner. The tournament is accommodating him because they understand his previous engagement today is difficult, sometimes impossible to reschedule.

Clemens will stand up in U.S. Federal District in front of Judge Reggie Walton and take a plea. He can waive the reading of the charges against him to make it a more speedy process. They consist of six felony counts of perjury, making false statements and obstruction of Congress, all arising out of his 2008 testimony in front of a Congressional committee.

To help Roger fight the charges as he has sworn to do, The Rocket added a major player to his legal team. Michael Attanasio, a former federal prosecutor turned private trial lawyer will stand by his side. Rusty Hardin, the good old boy lawyer who managed the process that landed Clemens where he is today has not been dismissed. If he had a shred of feeling left for his client he would bow out and let the big dog maneuver the rest of the way.

Attanasio, whose time as a federal prosecutor was served in DC, knows his way around the place. He may still have friends in that local office but at the very least, he understands the process. Attanasio is not there to engage in a plea bargain negotiation because there is not one available any longer. That ship sailed after the indictment was made public. It will be Attanasio’s job to assure his client that he can produce either a not guilty verdict or a hung jury.

He is expected to issue multiple subpoenas for an obscene amount of relevant documents and to make life miserable for those that will testify against Clemens. That’s his job now and for his work he will be paid a pretty penny. But money is not the issue here; it’s all about keeping Roger Clemens out of prison. For that, Roger Clemens will spend his last dime, not that he will have to.

If he’s still being chauffeured to high profile golf tournaments, he’s still got some folks who think he’s a sympathetic figure and will pay him appearance fees.

Hit ‘em straight Roger.

Used with permission of the author.

Paula Duffy is a national sports columnist for Examiner.com and the Huffington Post and regularly comments on sports/legal matters for radio affiliates of ESPN and Fox Sports. She founded the sports information site, Incidental Contact, is the author of a line of audio books designed for sports novices and in her spare time practices law in Los Angeles. 

Copyright ©2010 Sports Climax, LLC

The Dodgers are officially ‘waiving’ goodbye to Manny Ramirez. ESPN reported today that the Chicago White Sox were “awarded a waiver claim that gives them exclusive rights to make a deal to acquire Ramirez over the next four days.”

So now that the ‘Manny’ experiment is over, was the acquisition of the prolific hitter with personality issues a good thing or bad thing?

When you look at all the factors in play, it may depend on whether you get past the 50-game suspension for failing a drug test and the nagging injuries that have kept Manny out of the lineup for more than 100 games over two seasons.

If you’re weighing in on those issues, then the answer to the question would include the words, “bust” and “failure”

The Dodgers were revived after the 2008 arrival of Ramirez in Los Angeles. The excitement surrounding Dodger blue exhibited by the players and fans carried the team all the way to the NLCS, for the first time in 20 years. It also helped that he hit the ball from every angle, to every field, with power and consistency.

The club installed “Mannywood” and sold Manny wigs while ticket sales shot through the roof.

The best thing about this rebirth was they got him for free after the Red Sox agreed to trade him and pay the rest of his season’s salary. That meant that the moment he stepped on the field for his introductory press conference, the Dodgers were in the black.

The Dodgers started off the 2009 season believing they could take the next step to the World Series. Manny, Andre Ethier and Matt Kemp led the way, until that dreadful day in early May when the 50-game suspension was announced. Manny, an instant hero was sent packing for those 50 games after his routine drug test revealed the presence of a female hormone, known to be used after a cycle of steroids.

The news sent shock waves through the clubhouse and the fan base but was ultimately overcome. The Dodgers shook off the news, won 95 games and landed in the NLCS for the second season in a row. When Manny did return he was never the same as a player and teammate. Fan support waned as his performance disappointed.

Manny avoided addressing the situation and became withdrawn. Joe Torre explained it as a colossal embarrassment to the proud hitter that took his swagger and seemingly his power as well. The young players who Manny had nurtured in 2008 took over and they led the way from that point on and Ramirez could not be counted on in crucial situations any longer.

When 2010 arrived, Ramirez declared that it was his last year with the club – his two year deal would expire at season’s end – and that he wouldn’t speak to the media at all. He kept to the promise but he also stopped engaging with most of his teammates as well.

Manny was a different player. While he hit for his typical average, his line drives were more long singles or doubles and couldn’t find the seats. He was rested frequently after a hamstring tweak early in the season and then went on two long stretches on the DL.

Then there was trouble brewing between Matt Kemp and the team, Ethier who started out hot, broke a bone, sat for a couple of weeks and didn’t get back to form until after the All-Star game. The team suffered through long losing streaks and this late in the season are still a long shot to take a wild card spot.

So with Manny waived and claimed by the Chicago White Sox it looks like another Manny experiment is coming to an unhappy end.

Used with permission of the author.

Paula Duffy is a national sports columnist for Examiner.com and the Huffington Post and regularly comments on sports/legal matters for radio affiliates of ESPN and Fox Sports. She founded the sports information site, Incidental Contact, is the author of a line of audio books designed for sports novices and in her spare time practices law in Los Angeles. 

Copyright ©2010 Sports Climax, LLC

When Elin Nordegren made the decision to break her silence about the end of her marriage to Tiger Woods, she didn’t call Oprah, but she did contact a familiar name for celebrity tell-alls. Nordegren, who successfully petitioned the judge in her divorce case to resume using her maiden name, initiated contact with People magazine and appears on the cover of the latest issue to tell her story of what happened to her after the infamous car accident in November, 2009.

Sandra Sobieraj Westfall  of People  met with Nordegren for about 19 hours to record her thoughts and feelings about her husband’s randy behavior and its effects on her both physical and emotional well being.

Westfall appeared on NBC’s Today show Wednesday, to explain how it came about and what the cover story was meant to accomplish.

Nordegren intended to clear the air after months of rumors and public discussion about what should have been the most private of affairs.

The People writer told Today’s Ann Curry:

“She really wanted people to know three things right off the bat: She’s not violent; she’s never hit him; she had no idea any of this was going on — as embarrassing as it is for her to admit that, she never suspected.”

Elin’s other main point was that her marriage to the world’s number one golfer was real. She knew she was in love with Woods and believed he felt the same.  They always discussed having a family and she made that her main focus during the term of her marriage.

She rejected any public life that included anything other than appearances with her husband at golf tournaments and social functions associated with them. Occasionally the couple appeared at sporting events such as Orlando Magic NBA games and the U.S. Open tennis championship to support Woods’ friend Roger Federer.

In accordance with the terms of the final divorce decree, formalized only two days prior to the magazine story, Nordegren refused to discuss the terms, except for the most general of information about child custody. She told Westfall that she and Tiger agreed to share custody of their daughter Sam, 3, and son Charlie, 18 months.  Estimates of the financial settlement have ranged from $100 million to upwards of three-quarters of a billion. The lower figure is more likely to be true, according to Darren Rovell, of CNBC.

No matter what the sum, Nordegren told People, “Money can’t buy happiness or put my family back together.” Nordegren is attending college and working toward a bachelor’s degree in psychology.  She entered counseling after the Thanksgiving weekend that changed her life and those sessions enabled her to give her children what would have to pass for some normalcy after they moved out of the house they all shared. While the couple made attempts to reconcile the efforts were futile because their union was “without trust and love.”

Despite rumors that she intended to take the children to her native Sweden, Nordegren will reside close to her ex-husband to facilitate the child custody arrangement. Nordegren told the magazine that this may be the only time she speaks about her failed marriage to Woods; she fully intends to retreat back into private life now. 

As for Woods, he is competing in this weekend’s Barclays tournament in northern New Jersey. The Barclays is the first of four playoff events to determine the winner of a $10 million prize as well as crown the world’s best golfer for 2010.

For the complete interview, pick up a copy of People Magazine at your local stands on Friday, August 27th.

Used with permission of the author.

Paula Duffy is a national sports columnist for Examiner.com and the Huffington Post and regularly comments on sports/legal matters for radio affiliates of ESPN and Fox Sports. She founded the sports information site, Incidental Contact, is the author of a line of audio books designed for sports novices and in her spare time practices law in Los Angeles. 

Copyright ©2010 Sports Climax, LLC

Boxer Antonio Margarito received bad news from the California State Athletic Commission when he petitioned to reinstate his license to box in the state. It wasn’t just the 5-1 no vote against him but the language used by the CSAC was a smack-down of righteousness and anger.

That suspension is the result of trainer Javier Capetillo placing plaster-like substances within the boxer’s hand wraps prior to a bout in Los Angeles against Shane Mosley. Margarito still lost in a ninth round TKO.

The boxer might have tripped the wire on the ultimate sin in the sport of boxing. Many fans and media members believe he should never be licensed again. Yet, there are those who think his suspension of more than a year is sufficient. They wonder how long is enough and what else Margarito has to do to get back in the Commission’s good graces.

Flashing back to 1983, there was a similar incident when trainer Panama Lewis removed padding from a boxer’s gloves, causing excessive cuts to the opponent’s face. Lewis and his fighter were actually convicted of criminal assault with a weapon (the hands) and conspiracy in that incident.

Back to this case, Capetillo was cut loose, no matter how hard it was for Margarito. They had been together for years and from what the boxer said in front of the Commission, he believes that in conjunction with an apology that it ever happened should demonstrate how sorry he is. An admission of knowledge about Capetillo’s actions has not been forthcoming and doesn’t appear to be on the horizon.

Therein seems to lie the largest problem for the CSAC and critics of Margarito. Credibility is strained by that statement and even if it’s true, and there is a possibility it is, he is being asked to “man up” and take the bullet on behalf of his camp.

Is that fair, ask his supporters? Why isn’t doing the time along with a purging of his close adviser and a promise to be a good boy sufficient to get this train rolling down the tracks once again?

Compare this lifetime ban with other major American sports.

The only modern era player in Major League Baseball who was banned for life is Pete Rose. The ultimate sin in baseball is said to be gambling on games. If illegal hand wraps are the equivalent of gambling on baseball games then the CSAC should just say it and get on with life.

Even drug use, whether recreational or performance enhancing, normally carries a finite term of months or years then a player gets back on the field.

The same is true in football with one proviso. Commissioner Roger Goodell reserves the right to set his own time frame for off the field problems with the law. Like a criminal probation, if an infraction occurs during probation, further time is added to the punishment.

That is what could help in the Margarito situation. The CSAC mentioned that the boxer sparred in Oxnard, California during his time away. That is a rules violation about which Margarito claimed ignorance. Nonetheless, if the Commission wants to extract another pound of flesh for that, then say it and set out the time to be served.

In the meantime, Margarito and his promoter Bob Arum are searching for a place to stage the bout with Pacquiao scheduled for November 13th.

BOXING RELATED STORIES: One-on-One interview with Juan Diaz

Mayweather publicist denies she banned Philippine media from interview

Used with permission of the author.

Paula Duffy is a national sports columnist for Examiner.com and the Huffington Post and regularly comments on sports/legal matters for radio affiliates of ESPN and Fox Sports. She founded the sports information site, Incidental Contact, is the author of a line of audio books designed for sports novices and in her spare time practices law in Los Angeles. 

Copyright ©2010 Sports Climax, LLC

Bark in the Park will make its debut at Dodger Stadium and for those of you who have not heard of it, it has nothing to do with the performance of the players on the field.

In conjunction with their sponsor Natural Balance Pet Foods, Inc. the Los Angeles Dodgers are selling seats for pet owners and their dogs. Canines will gallop through the turnstiles after their owners have plunked down an additional $25.00 for a pet ticket with a portion of the proceeds going to the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, Los Angeles branch.

The Dodgers’ Bark in the Park Day on August 21, 2010 is one of three for the month of August in the MLB. The Dodgers are joined by the Atlanta Braves and San Francisco Giants who have theirs scheduled for August 29, 2010. The Cincinnati Reds are closing out the event with the final one of the season scheduled for September 14.

In L.A. there will be a rally where ticket holders will be invited to join in the Pup Parade. All pets and owners will be given the opportunity to stroll along the warning track inside the stadium prior to game time.

Some rules for attendees: All dog owners must bring a copy of a current vaccination documents from a licensed veterinarian. Pet must wear an identification tag to gain entrance to Dodger Stadium. Each dog must be accompanied by an adult 18 years of age or older. Attendees must bring a signed copy of the Bark in the Park release waiver to gain admittance to the ballpark.

If any of the fans situated in the designated Right Field Pavilion where the animals will sit aren’t happy about sharing the space with dogs and their owners, they will be moved to another section.

Concerned about stepping in a doggie accident?

These stadiums have made plans for that as well. Natural Balance has experience in staging these events and will provide clean-up service.

For more information on the Dodgers’ event, to view a copy of the release waiver and check out details on “Bark in the Park,” check out the Dodgers website, here.

Fans of the Chicago White Sox, Florida Marlins, Houston Astros, NY Mets and Oakland A’s will have to wait for next season since those event dates have passed but details for the other remaining dates throughout the league can be found below.

Atlanta Braves – Bark in the Park: August 29 vs. Florida

San Francisco Giants – Dog Days of Summer: August 29 vs. Arizona Diamondbacks

Cincinnati Reds – Bark in the Park: September 14 vs. the Diamondbacks

Used with permission of the author.

Paula Duffy is a national sports columnist for Examiner.com and the Huffington Post and regularly comments on sports/legal matters for radio affiliates of ESPN and Fox Sports. She founded the sports information site, Incidental Contact, is the author of a line of audio books designed for sports novices and in her spare time practices law in Los Angeles. 

Copyright ©2010 Sports Climax, LLC

Roger Clemens, former MLB pitcher, is back in the news and the news isn’t good.

According to a report in the New York Times, Clemens will be indicted by a grand jury in Washington, D.C. for lying under oath in front of Congress during steroid investigations in 2008.

He strutted into Washington, DC, arm and arm with the architect of his strategy, his attorney, Rusty Hardin. With cameras trailing him through the halls of Congress he met individually with some members of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. Then he testified under oath that he never used performance enhancing drugs, including being injected with Human Growth Hormone.

That performance followed one on CBS’ 60 Minutes during which Clemens did what we have seen from others in his position. He told a network news person that he was clean as a whistle and was shocked that his friend and former trainer Brian McNamee would tell such lies. It’s one thing to lie to the 60 Minutes’ host but it’s another to think you can get away with it under oath.

Many believe that the road show was a way to counter the media storm produced by the publication of MLB’s “Mitchell Report” about the use of steroids and other performance enhancers by baseball players. Clemens was one of those named in the report, based on the tales of his former trainer, Brian McNamee.

During his testimony in 2008, McNamee said that he injected Clemens with HGH and even kept medical waste, including a used syringe to prove that it had come into contact with the pitcher’s DNA. He stood in and took every shot by some Congress members who clearly thought he was trying to defame Clemens who, in their eyes was a national treasure.

Others, however, gave Clemens a good old fashioned grilling and it was then he uttered the words that will be the center piece of an indictment. He came off as so unbelievable that the committee chair suggested that a federal probe be commenced to look into whether he had perjured himself.

McNamee was under investigation by federal prosecutors for procuring and distributing substances that were either illegal or illegal to have without a medical prescription. In exchange for leniency in what they promised would be a tidy sum of years in prison, he went on the record about Clemens.

Rusty Hardin didn’t stop there however. Athletes who refute claims against them are judged by whether they are willing to sue the snitch. Thus, a defamation suit was filed against McNamee, which has twice been gutted by the presiding judge. Hardin used to strut around like a peacock, telling the world that his client would never be indicted. I’d say Clemens got some bad advice, just my opinion of course.

Used with permission of the author.

Paula Duffy is a national sports columnist for Examiner.com and the Huffington Post and regularly comments on sports/legal matters for radio affiliates of ESPN and Fox Sports. She founded the sports information site, Incidental Contact, is the author of a line of audio books designed for sports novices and in her spare time practices law in Los Angeles. 

Copyright ©2010 Sports Climax, LLC

Brett Favre, just hours after being retrieved from his farm in Mississippi by three Minnesota Vikings teammates, practiced with the team today then met with the media. This will be my final season he said. . . . again.

What’s funny about that comment, aside from his repetition concerning retirement, is that he thought the most common reaction would be, “thank goodness”. He mentioned that his wife and family will be happy that he’ll be out of pads and a helmet after his 20^th season and assumes the rest of America will share that same sentiment.

Much has been written about why the 40-year-old slinger finally caved in to veterans Steve Hutchinson, Ryan Longwell and Jared Allen after they appeared on his doorstep this week. Now the question is; is Favre healthy and prepared enough to make a Super Bowl run.

Veterans of twelve-step programs say they are taught that addicts and alcoholics are egomaniacs with inferiority complexes. Both parts of that dichotomy were on display during our third annual “Is He or Isn’t He” summer ritual.

The quarterback is always concerned he’ll disappoint his team of the moment who happens to be the Vikings this season. It’s hard for us to understand that an athlete with Favre’s ability could ever doubt himself. 

He admitted he had to grow to believe his teammates when they said he didn’t need to have the same kind of record-setting year he had in 2009 when he threw for a career-best 33 touchdowns and only 7 interceptions.

According to Favre what got the deal done was when one of the three teammates put their pitch in question form asking for a favor. He realized his fear of failure was only dominating his own mind and not theirs and that one little “yes” from him would make them very happy.

While he’s agonizing he puts his own needs above the rituals of a team, the practices, training, bonding and letting teammates and coaches know who to pencil in for first-team play calling. He’s special enough to ignore the fact that any rehab and workouts he was doing in Mississippi would be just as easy to do at training camp. All under the guise of him being afraid he can’t live up to expectations.

Other than the Packers and their GM Ted Thompson, no other team has told him to stick his ridiculous indecisiveness and put it where the sun doesn’t shine. So it’s back to work for Brett Favre and supposedly only one final try and football glory  Here’s a video clip from the press conference.

Used with permission of the author.

Paula Duffy is a national sports columnist for Examiner.com and the Huffington Post and regularly comments on sports/legal matters for radio affiliates of ESPN and Fox Sports. She founded the sports information site, Incidental Contact, is the author of a line of audio books designed for sports novices and in her spare time practices law in Los Angeles. 

Copyright ©2010 Sports Climax, LLC

Heidi Montag, reality star, let the world know how she felt about the shocking death of celebrity and sport’s plastic surgeon Dr. Frank Ryan when she created this message on her Twitter account:

 ”I am devastated to hear the news of Dr. Frank Ryan’s death. He was the most amazing person I have ever known. He was an angel and changed my life and the lives of everyone he met. He was the most brilliant talented surgeon who will ever exist. Dr. Frank Ryan changed the world.”

Dr. Ryan, who died this week from traumatic head injuries he suffered in an automobile accident, was driving along the Pacific Coast Highway in Ventura County when his car went off the side of the road at around 4:30 pm.  Police at the scene told media that Ryan’s Jeep landed on rocks and pinned him in the vehicle where he was unable to be reached.

The Ventura County Fire Department responded to the call and tried to hoist him by helicopter but those rescue attempts failed. Ryan was pronounced dead at the scene.

The famous Los Angeles surgeon’s celebrity clients included Montag and Oscar De La Hoya’s boxing empire Golden Boy Promotions.

Ryan attended every fight of De Lay Hoya’s between 2002 until his retirement. After forming Golden Boy Productions, De Lay Hoya invited the doctor to join them ringside for all the fights they promoted in the L.A. area. Golden Boy said Ryan volunteered his time at those events.

De Lay Hoya released a statement concerning the death:

“After any fight in which I was cut or suffered an injury, Dr. Ryan was always there for me, from the time I left the ring until I was fully healed. He was an outstanding physician, a wonderful and charitable person as well as a good friend.”

Richard Schaefer, President and CEO of Golden Boy Promotions said, “It was a comforting feeling to know that Dr. Ryan would be at our events, in case a fighter suffered a facial injury. From the biggest name pay-per-view boxers to four-round fighters, most fans have never heard of, he provided the same level of great care.”

MORE BOXING : Golden Boy screams slander after NY license reinstated

Used with permission of the author.

Paula Duffy is a national sports columnist for Examiner.com and the Huffington Post and regularly comments on sports/legal matters for radio affiliates of ESPN and Fox Sports. She founded the sports information site, Incidental Contact, is the author of a line of audio books designed for sports novices and in her spare time practices law in Los Angeles. 

Copyright ©2010 Sports Climax, LLC

Frank McCourt and Jamie McCourt continue to see their divorce details make it onto the front page and while the news has revealed loads of gossip, how they live and how they financed their lifestyle. The latest discovery trumps them all.

It’s been discovered that the Dodgers pay rent to…the Dodgers for use of Dodger Stadium, to the tune of $14 million for 2010.

Unusual?

Remember, the McCourts own the Dodgers, the stadium and the land it sits on. For those not familiar with a typical lease arrangement for a baseball team, the Dodgers’ rental payments are 7 to 10 times more than the next most expensive rent in the rest of MLB baseball.

The Chicago White Sox, Seattle Mariners and Milwaukee Brewers were listed in a Los Angeles Times article on the subject and according to the newspaper, not one of those teams pays more than $1.2 million to their municipal landlords.

The Dodgers’ neighbors to the south, the Anaheim Angels don’t pay rent for their field but kick in a percentage of revenue from parking and ticket sales to the city. That is estimated to amount to $2 million in the previous two seasons.

That said, here’s the kicker and juicier piece to this story. There is no other team expense listed in the financial documents submitted to the court that surpasses the stated rent. There are figures being thrown around about $24 million having been taken off the top of team revenues for the rental costs.

According to the court filings, the pool of rental money hasn’t been tapped by the team to better itself. As we know, the McCourts have reduced their total payroll by almost as much as the rental fund. On Opening Day 2008, the costs for the Dodgers roster was $23 million more than in 2010.

David Boies who represents Jamie McCourt wants you to know he’s on the side of the fans who are demanding for the team to open its wallet and get some pitching. “It’s a way of taking money out of the Dodgers and putting it into a place they can access it,” Boies said.

Boies has been in the news a lot lately. He was on the legal team that argued the winning side in the California Proposition 8 court challenge.

Whether anything more is learned about the $24,000,000 sitting out there on a financial ledger remains to be seen. Many analysts question whether the trial will happen at all in light of embarrassing and nasty details that may come to light.

In the meantime, the Dodgers’ hitting has taken a break since All-Star weekend and on the nights they get some timely knocks, the pitching goes south.

Who’s got the popcorn concession if this trial does make it to court? Anyone?

Used with permission of the author.

Paula Duffy is a national sports columnist for Examiner.com and the Huffington Post and regularly comments on sports/legal matters for radio affiliates of ESPN and Fox Sports. She founded the sports information site, Incidental Contact, is the author of a line of audio books designed for sports novices and in her spare time practices law in Los Angeles. 

Copyright ©2010 Sports Climax, LLC

Brady Quinn may soon find himself in a battle against Tim Tebow for the second-string quarterback position on the Denver Broncos.

Denver ESPN affiliate radio host, Brandon Krisztal, said that choosing Tebow would be related to the multiple things he can do on offense, more so than his pure skill at completing passes and avoiding mistakes when taking snaps on the field.

Krisztal was told that there were no plans to dress three quarterbacks for regular season games. He specifically mentioned the packages being created for wildcat-like offensive plays and said this came in a statement he’d heard from a member of the Broncos coaching staff.

After the pre-season 33-24 loss the Broncos suffered at the hands of the Bengals, Quinn’s performance might just make it all a moot point.

Quinn and Tebow were given their crack at putting on the helmet with the green dot on the back and leading the offense down the field Sunday night and although neither looked great against the Bengals’ reserves, Tebow’s number were better.

The ex-Florida Gator threw for 105 yards on an 8-of-13 performance; that nets out to a passer rating of 61.5. Quinn threw for only 68 yards on 6-of-16 passing and a 37.5 QB rating.

Both men took one sack for a short loss and Quinn was intercepted once, but by watching them operate, they didn’t look all that different. That of course isn’t something Brady Quinn wants to hear. This is his fourth season in the NFL after a successful career at Notre Dame.

Granted, both men are learning a new system. Quinn spent his first three years in the league with the Cleveland Browns, where last season he was given a chance to win the starting role on a permanent basis.

For Tebow it’s not just a new system, it’s an entirely different world. Having operated in a spread offense in college with the green light to scramble or take the ball as the primary running back, he had to start from scratch if he wanted to become an NFL signal-caller.

Add that to a major reconstruction of his throwing motion and what you have is a guy that looked better than Quinn when all things were considered. Tebow is a lightning rod for criticism and effusive praise, Nothing that happened during his first appearance in a pre-season game will do anything to change that.

Meanwhile watching him run seven yards into the end zone while taking out the Bengals’ safety Kyries Hebert reminded us of his power and strength. How it is harnessed is the challenge for the Broncos.

Used with permission of the author.

Paula Duffy is a national sports columnist for Examiner.com and the Huffington Post and regularly comments on sports/legal matters for radio affiliates of ESPN and Fox Sports. She founded the sports information site, Incidental Contact, is the author of a line of audio books designed for sports novices and in her spare time practices law in Los Angeles. 

Copyright ©2010 Sports Climax, LLC