The first 2010 NFL pre-season game is in books. The Dallas Cowboys defeated the Cincinnati Bengals 16-7. Is it still not kosher to call it an exhibition game? The NFL doesn’t cotton to that designation.

The victories or defeats don’t count a lick in any standings and the first string players are protected from injury by limiting their participation.

If that doesn’t define an exhibition I don’t know what would do it for the NFL. They charge full boat for the tickets and expect fans to swallow it by trying to sell them on the novelty of watching their own version of HBO’s “Hard Knocks.”

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell told Mike Florio of profootballtalk.com last week that “The fans have made it incredibly clear that they don’t like preseason games.”

So Commish, does that mean you are encouraging the teams to adjust prices accordingly? Ah…no, not exactly. Goodell thinks they should just flip two of the four exhibitions into regular season games.

“So the idea of staying within the 20-game format and taking two preseason games and converting them to regular season games has a lot of appeal,” Goodell told Florio.

Apparently the players don’t think it has much appeal. At least that is the talk coming out of the NFL Players Association as they bulk up for the coning fight to the death over a new Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA).

Goodell as you would expect from such a smooth operator, thinks he has that covered too. “But you have to do it in a comprehensive fashion that is going to ensure that the game stays safe for our players,” The game’s the game Mr. Goodell. Players go down without hits to the head or illegal chop blocks.

Sunday night’s Hall of Fame game was interesting in short bursts for those that wanted to see the new Bengals’ receiving corps and if the Cowboy’s Roy Williams would actually catch a pass.

Hard core fans of each team and fantasy football stat heads might have stayed engaged longer if they knew the draft picks and were curious to see if they could predict who might make the 53-man game roster.

Aside from those potential benefits of staying engaged in the action, you got plenty of chances to relive some of the moments from the Pro Football Hall of Fame Induction ceremony the previous evening.

As a football crazy country, it was heartening to realize the real thing kicks off in a bit more than four weeks. But the real thing isn’t what we are fed in August.

If the NFL owners get what they want in the new CBA and earn more of the gross revenue than their current percentage, perhaps they’ll do the right thing. On this point, MLB’s got it right.

Call them exhibitions, play them at the site of the training camps if you can and get us ready for football when the W’s and L’s really count.

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 has allegedly informed teammates that he intends on retiring.  This not so surprising development has fans of the purple and gold facing the reality of a season led by ….gulp, Tavaris Jackson.

If true, even a storybook season last year that ended one win shy of a trip to the Super Bowl, isn’t enough to convince the future first ballot Hall of Famer that he’s up for one more shot at the Lombardi Trophy.  But, it is Favre we are talking about, and it is a big “if”.

The same story has played itself out over and over again during the better part of the last decade.  First with the Packers; then with the Jets and now the Vikings. There have been tearful press conferences, secretive jet rides to Mississippi, and even confirmed reports from Chris Mortensen, only to have football’s version of the ironman lace them up again in September.

It’s become almost comical.  Favre again has sports fans everywhere wondering if it is April Fool’s Day or Groundhog Day.  One thing is for sure, Favre’s uncertainty has joined the Fourth of July as a rite of summer.

Personally, I refuse to drink the Kool-Aid. 

Brett may just be crying “Wilf”, Zygi Wilf, trying to get the owner to dig a little deeper into his deep pockets. Until I see Brett sporting a mustard yellow blazer in Canton, I fully expect him to show up throwing passes to local Hattiesburg high-schoolers and fueling talk of his impending return. 

Apparently, Brad Childress is not convinced either.  When asked about the possibility of having to find a replacement for Favre, Childress stated “I’ve got to hear it from the horse’s mouth”.  My question to Childress is what does John Elway know that even Mort doesn’t? 

Used with permission of the author.

 Pat Schueppert is a contributor to Sports Climax who grew up on the frozen tundra and bleeds Packer green and gold. The Wisconsin native, while staying loyal to his teams in his home state declares he has never worn a ‘cheesehead’ and “The Bears still suck!”

Copyright ©2010 Sports Climax, LLC

What’s missing from the daily news cycle as the NFL training camps open? The yearly angst about whether Brett Favre will retire or return for another season.

Instead we have been treated to our daily dose of LeBron James ever since he played his final game in the 2010 NBA playoffs.

The King has been the featured daily news hog as a result of his “Decision”, the fallout from it and the ESPN.com article that chronicled his night out in Vegas.

LeBron’s Vegas chronicle pulled by top brass

Brett Favre has been reduced to the size he should have been for the last three years. It’s a story that titillates only once and maybe twice.

For some, the third time is the charm but for news of Brett Favre’s Decision, it is strike three, you’re out. Thank you to all that is holy.

Two years ago we suffered through his retirement, his ugly divorce from Green Bay, a flirtation with their rivals the Minnesota Vikings and his ultimate arrival on the door step of the New York Jets.

Packers finally tell Favre to stay home

Last summer it was the will-he-or-won’t-he sign with the Vikings after a less than triumphant end of season in New York. The daily reports of flights to and from Hattiesburg were spellbinding for some, while others tried to suppress their gag reflexes.

Vikings fans sick of the Favre indecision

The current news on Favre is none. Just the same old photos of him throwing a football to high school students near his home in Mississippi, without it pointing one way or another to his return to the NFL.

He had the necessary surgery he said he wouldn’t undergo if he didn’t intend to return. We’ve been treated to the obligatory orations about him trying to recover enough to help a team again.

Kurt Warner shows Brett Favre how to retire with dignity

What’s new this time, other than the absence of interest in the story, is that his head coach has been honest about it all.

Brad Childress, Vikings head coach said that once Brett leaves home, he’d only need two to three weeks to ready himself to start a new NFL season.

That arrival would have him missing all of training camp and after the pre-season games were already in full swing. Hey, let poor Tavaris Jackson play the meaningless contests, right.

There you have it. Someone who finally gets the drama out of the way and speaks the obvious. The guy doesn’t want to attend training camp. Period.

No one thinks he won’t play again. That is why the silence about his third annual summer drama has been deafening. Been there, done that, more than we ever wanted.

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

Pittsburgh Steelers added five-time Pro Bowl offensive tackle Flozell Adams to their team when they signed him to a two-year deal yesterday. Adams who stands 6’ 7” and weighs in at 340 pounds was added due to the loss of Willie Colon who injured his Achilles tendon and is done for the year.

Adams who is affectionately known as The Hotel due to his massive size is 35 years old and was released by The Dallas Cowboys on April 2^nd of this year.

The Hotel is the cousin of former NBA player Hershey Hawkins and played college ball at Michigan State University before being drafted by the Cowboys in the second round with the 38^th pick of the 1998 NFL Draft.

Adams spent his entire career with the Cowboys and started 173 games before he was released this past spring due to financial reasons. Adams will bring a wealth of experience and veteran leadership to a team that is dealing with the suspension of its star quarterback, Ben Roethlisberger, for at least the first four games.

The Steelers offense is also dealing with injuries to key players on the O line and the departure of one of the top wideouts in the league who was signed by the New York Jets during the offseason.

Head coach Mike Tomlin and the Steelers are hoping that Adams who made it to the Pro Bowl in 2003, 2004 and again in the years 2006-08 and was named a second team All Pro in 2007 still has a lot of gas left in the tank.

Tomlin hopes the veteran will help guide first round pick Maurkice Pouncey to a starting position while Steeler fans are hoping the team can return to a team that can pound the ball on the ground with their newest additions opening up holes for Rashard Mendenhall.

Used with permission of the author.

Drew Bastian is a Florida-based contributor to Sports Climax.

Copyright ©2010 Sports Climax, LLC

Appears Terrell Owens won’t make that great of a first impression after all in Cincinnati after the flamboyant wide receiver missed his flight, causing a rescheduling of his welcome news conference.

T.O. will address the media tonight instead and was on Twitter communicating with his followers and fans after the gaffe.

T.O. on Twitter: “Cincinatti Bound!!!”

Trey Wingo on Twitter:  “So…T.O misses flight to camp..and misspells Cincinnati en route. Remember..you only get one chance to make a 1st impression.”

T.O. back to Wingo: “Okayyyyyy I got it now, 2 n’s & 1 t! CINCINNATI!! LOL!”

It’s all in fun but many people were hitting the social sites proclaiming “Here we go!” or “Let the circus begin.”

For starters, T.O. has brought the spotlight with him everywhere he has gone; that’s expected. And it’s not a big deal that a player would miss a flight, unless of course it’s T.O. then it’s going to get the media in a frenzy.

Regardless of how or why he missed the flight, expect T.O. to bring his act to the news conference and if you think that may be a colorful display of character, wait until teammate Ochocinco and T.O.’s first TD celebration in the endzone.

What are the Vegas odds on fines coming from that inaugural celebration?

Used with permission of the author.

Jay Donetelli is a Tampa-based freelance sportswriter and contributor to Sports Climax. With an opinion sharper than an Ovechkin skate blade with the sting of an Ali jab, Donetelli has a loyal cult of readers who have found a way to love him.

Copyright ©2010 Sports Climax, LLC

Once considered a villain in the National Football League, Jack Tatum passed away yesterday at the age of 61.  Tatum spent his college career at Ohio State University and played ten seasons in the NFL under both the Oakland Raiders and Houston Oilers. 

Initially recruited to Ohio State as a running back, it was under the advice of assistant coach Lou Holtz that Tatum became a defensive back.  Tatum switched positions and became part of the National Championship team that went 13-0 in 1968.

In 2005, Tatum was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame – 24 years after his induction into the Ohio State Varsity Hall of Fame in 1981.  Tatum is still fondly remembered at Ohio State today as Coach Jim Tressel introduced the “Jack Tatum Hit of the Week Award” in 2001. 

Tatum had a somewhat controversial career in the NFL where he was nicknamed “The Assassin”.  Among his most infamous moments was the hit on Darryl Stingley in a 1978 preseason game that paralyzed the wide receiver from the chest down.  Although the hit was considered to be clean, it did result in the NFL tightening rules regarding the intensity of hits.

Tatum was also involved in what many consider the most remarkable NFL play of all time – The Immaculate Reception.  Tatum collided with Terry Bradshaw’s intended target John Fuqua knocking the ball spiraling into the air and landing into the waiting hands of Franco Harris who scored with the game winning touchdown.

As an NFL player, Tatum was selected to the Pro Bowl three separate times and consecutively in 1973, 1974 and 1975.  During his time in the NFL, Tatum became famous for the remark:

“I like to believe that my best hits border on felonious assault.” 

It was later disclosed that the Oakland Raiders defensive backfield had made side bets before games that paid out according to the severity of an incident.  If a player was knocked out cold or carted off the field, the amount of the payoff would vary accordingly. 

After his career in football ended following the 1980 season, Tatum went on to write three books, including ‘Final Confessions of NFL Assassin” pictured here. All three of which became best sellers.  Tatum also spent many hours volunteering for numerous diabetes associations in the central Ohio area.

The untimely death of Jack Tatum puts to an end his battles with diabetes and controversy.  The unfortunate incident with Stingley often leads many to believe Tatum was vicious and violent.  The Raiders organization and Buckeye family prefer to remember him as an extremely talented and competitive player.  Despite how Tatum may be viewed, his love of the game and fierceness on the field will never be forgotten.

Used with permission of the author.

Cade Caldwell is an Atlanta-based sportswriter and contributor to Sports Climax.

Copyright ©2010 Sports Climax, LLC

Jockey brand has announced Denver Broncos QB Tim Tebow as its national spokesman. He looks good in an undershirt as you can plainly see. The real question is whether we’ll see him in Jockey boxers or briefs.

Michael Jordan has had a twenty-year sponsorship deal with Hanes and appears in their humorous television ads for the company’s undershirts, you know, the ones with the “lay flat collar”?

Perhaps in anticipation of the Jockey brand announcement of Tebow’s endorsement deal, Hanes put out a statement on Tuesday about a new TV ad featuring MJ and the company’s new-look underwear.

“The light-hearted spots highlight new Hanes Men’s Underwear with Comfort Flex Waistbands which feature a softer, more-stretchable waistband that comfortably shifts without pinching or binding,” says the company’s press release.

Is there one person alive and sane who believes Jordan will pose in underwear. Come on now, the guy has an image, right?

Perhaps if they let him light up a stogie and hold a golf club in his hand, otherwise he’s not going near that anytime soon

But, back to Tim Tebow. Underwear is the last product you’d ever think he’d endorse. Although the Jockey press release makes reference to certain qualities of their brand that seems to fit Tebow perfectly. Listen to this:

“Tim is genuine, smart and driven and those qualities align well with Jockey. We look forward to building a long and collaborative relationship with him in the coming years.”

I don’t know about smart and driven but Jockey sure is genuine…at least I think. Here is what Tebow had to say: “I’ve long been a fan and consumer of Jockey, and think they make a quality product with a great fit”

Great fit, huh? Ok, get thee to the polls at my other column “Want to see Tebow in boxers or briefs?”

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 Tennessee Titans filed a civil lawsuit against USC and its football coach Lane Kiffin arising out of the school’s hiring of Kennedy Pola, the Titans’ running back coach.

They did not include coach Pola in the suit. The question is why.

This is a breach of contract case if pursued against Pola since the filed documents make clear that the assistant coach’s obligations were to notify his employer and obtain written permission to merely enter into discussions with a third party looking to employ him.

The case against the Titans alleges that they maliciously interfered with a contract they knew about including knowledge of the terms. There is case law in the state of Tennessee that allows for such a claim in addition to a state statute.

Money damages are sought including punitive amounts for the malicious nature of what the Titans believe occurred. And therein lies the only reasonable explanation of why Pola has been spared, at least for now.

Deep pockets are needed for cases like this, first for legal fees and then a potential settlement or a jury verdict if it even gets that far. Pola reportedly was paid $400,000 under the terms of his Titans deal, coming in pay checks just like all of us get from time to time.

USC, on the other hand is worth a whole heck of a lot more, as is Kiffin.

Kiffin will surely have to face the wrath of incoming Athletic Director, Pat Haden, who takes office on August 3. He can’t be happy to start his term by having to untangle another mess brought on by remnants of the bad old days at USC.

Lawsuits such as these can be dismissed prior to getting into the nitty-gritty of depositions and exchange of internal documents and communications. It isn’t likely this will be the case in this instance.

The case states the minimum it has to for a smell test and key facts are what is at issue. Did USC really know that Pola had to ask permission to leave? Were they informed that verbal approval was insufficient to proceed?

Those kinds of things require fact finding that will open USC and Kiffin to producing texts, phone records, emails and testimony about how in less than 48 hours, a man with a contract left his employer and joined another, without proper notice and approval.

Stay tuned..

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

Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Dez Bryant has decided that rookies don’t carry pads at NFL training camp and has refused to participate in a time honored tradition. Perhaps it’s not about all rookies, rather it’s only about him.

We aren’t surprised are we? His quote on the subject was, “I’m not doing it,” Bryant said. “I feel like I was drafted to play football, not carry another player’s pads.”

Didn’t he drop to his NFL draft position solely on the reports of his personal behavior? He was subject to discipline by the NCAA, which if you believe everything Bryant and his mentor Deion Sanders had to say, was much ado about nothing.

Yet, he has put his stake in the ground about a tried and true ritual that has been performed by every big name in the league at one time or another.

Perhaps it was the fact that the person who pointed to the pads and told him to go get them was the guy whose job may just be at risk now that Bryant has landed in Dallas.

Roy Williams, Cowboys starter and a guy who hasn’t lived up to the price paid for him by the team, is now in a tough position.

Williams whined that he had to go through the rookie ritual as did every other player he ever teamed up with. There’s been no specificity on where this should go next but if Williams’ teammates don’t step up and help him out, he’ll be placed in the role of toothless tiger.

Profootballtalk.com’s Mike Florio found Shawne Merriman’s suggestion on his Twitter account:” Dump his ass in the COLD TUB,” were Merriman’s words of advice to the Cowboys.

Will Bryant break the culture of rookie hazing as practiced by hulking football players? Not likely and for good reason according to an anonymous player who wrote a piece in last September’s ESPN The Magazine.

“Believe it or not, though, there’s a purpose to this idiotic stuff: It’s an initiation into a culture of respect for the men who played before you,” wrote Player X, offered a chance to weigh-in on the topic.

“The only reason we have million-dollar contracts nowadays is that players before us fought for our rights. So you have to pay your dues, show respect to the veterans.”

I think that pretty much sums up why this won’t go away for Bryant and why he won’t be getting much support from anyone else on the subject.

What a year for HBO’s “Hard Knocks” to be focusing on the New York Jets. Bryant’s comeuppance would be must see TV.

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

Cedric Benson will meet with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell on Thursday as the latest NFL player to be accused of disciplinary troubles off the gridiron.  The most recent trouble for Benson came on June 29 at an Austin, Texas bar where he was arrested on an assault charge.  Benson has previously faced criminal charges on three separate occasions. 

Bengals coach Marvin Lewis says that he “doesn’t believe Benson will be suspended” under the personal conduct policy of the NFL.  As the fourth overall pick by the Chicago Bears in the 2005 NFL Draft, Benson failed to find his stride and had personal issues with teammates that were well documented following a lengthy holdout.  After an alcohol related arrest, Benson was released in June 2008.

After serving a year as a backup in Cincinnati, Benson decided to remain with the Bengals in 2009 and rushed for 1,251 yards.  This made him the 8th leading rusher in the NFL on the season even though he missed 3 games due to injury.  In a tough postseason loss to the New York Jets, Benson set the team rushing record for a postseason game with a total of 169 rushing yards.  Under the guidance of Coach Marvin Lewis, Benson has become an integral part of the Bengals offense. 

While the tenure of Lewis has had its up and down moments; he has led the team to the NFL playoffs twice.  In 2005, the postseason ended after an early Carson Palmer injury in the opening playoff game after the team had posted a record strong enough to earn the first-round bye.  Last season, Lewis was awarded 2009 Coach of the Year by the Associated Press for turning the team around after a disappointing 2008 campaign. 

Despite the flashes of success on the field, Lewis has endured years of off the field issues by members of the team.  The most tragic of these was the death of wide-receiver Chris Henry in Charlotte, North Carolina last December after a domestic dispute with his fiancée.  However, Lewis is making the argument that the past issues of team members along with Benson’s previous history are the primary reasons why this case has received so much attention.

Benson isn’t the only NFL player currently facing possible disciplinary action. 

Earlier this week, recently released Oakland Raiders quarterback JaMarcus Russell plead not guilty to charges of illegal drug possession.  Russell was arrested July 5 after an undercover investigation led authorities to discover codeine syrup without a prescription. 

The image of Russell was already badly tarnished after several horrendous seasons that eventually led to the quarterback being benched.  Russell was then released on May 6 and his troubles grew further when the Raiders filed a grievance with the league in an attempt to recover $9.5 million of the $36.4 million that was paid to the former LSU star while in the silver and black. 

Although no arrests are planned from the incident in which Tennessee Titans quarterback Vince Young was cited for assault that resulted in bodily injury at a Dallas strip club. Young is expected to receive some sort of disciplinary action from the league. How severe or if a suspension would be included is left to be seen.

Successful Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger has been no stranger to success on the NFL field twice leading his team to become Super Bowl champions.  However, off the field, Roethlisberger has been involved in several high-profile incidents including a nearly fatal motorcycle accident in 2006 and, most recently, accusations of sexual assault.   

While neither allegation led to the arrest of Roethlisberger, the most recent sexual assault allegation resulted in a six-game suspension without pay.  The league has since mandated a “professional behavior evaluation” and he must further adhere to counseling or treatment that may be recommended by the evaluators.  During the 2010 NFL Draft, Big Ben was often referred to as possible “trade-bait” that the Steelers might use to move up to a higher pick in the draft. 

The rumors turned out to be inaccurate and Roethlisberger remains a Steeler at the moment.  The six-game suspension has led to much debate in the media about what might happen if another quarterback gets on a roll during the mandatory time off.  Earlier in the season, Dennis Dixon started a game for an injured Roethlisberger and nearly defeated a defense-powerful Baltimore Ravens squad.  This led many that were already upset with Roethlisberger to insist upon his replacement.

While on this disciplinary topic, you need to include New York Jets wide receiver Santonio Holmes who will miss the first four games of this season from a suspension for violating the league’s substance abuse policy.

Holmes, no stranger to legal troubles, once acknowledged that he sold drugs on the street as a teenager. The star receiver has been faced with off the field issues twice in 2010.  The first came at a nightclub where a woman accused Holmes of throwing a glass at her and cutting her above the eye.  Shortly thereafter, a Twitter user spoke negatively of the incident to which Holmes responded with several disparaging remarks.

Holmes would later allege that his Twitter account had been hacked at the time of the responses and that it wasn’t actually him addressing the fans.  One month later, Holmes refused to turn an iPod off at the request of a flight attendant citing airline regulations.  Although no arrest resulted from the incident, Holmes was removed from the flight by police officers and reminded to comply with regulations. 

The ever popular Madden video game series will release its latest episode entitled “Madden 11″ on August 10.  Although the game series doesn’t offer players the ability to live the life of their favorite players off the field the conduct of many stars as of late would have many wondering if it should be an option. 

Used with permission of the author.

Cade Caldwell is an Atlanta-based sportswriter and contributor to Sports Climax.

Copyright ©2010 Sports Climax, LLC