Check out our new NFL U Wallpaper featuring Clinton Portis. Click here to download it or click above on proCanes Wallpapers. Enjoy and stay tuned to more wallpapers in the near future.

Cornerback Von Hutchins will miss the season with a foot injury. After signing on the second day of free agency in March, Hutchins was projected as the No. 1 nickel. The Falcons re-signed Glenn Sharpe, whom they released as an unrestricted rookie free agent four days ago, to take Hutchins' place on the roster.

(onlineathens.com)

Jerome McDougle blocked a Kellen Clemens pass on the Jets' second play of the evening. McDougle played another strong, active game, making the decision on the final cuts today and tomorrow even tougher. McDougle has played more preseason snaps and gotten better pass-rush pressure than any other Birds d-lineman.

"McDougle has done a heck of a job, he's played good football," Reid said, noting that McDougle was one of the few Eagles to play the entire game.

McDougle said he feels he has done all he could this preseason and that he would put his faith in the coaches and God.

McDougle, who has been impressive and seems to have made this squad, picked up a half-sack in the first half with Bryan Smith. Earlier in the week, defensive coordinator Jim Johnson said he was pleasantly surprised at the progress McDougle has made, given his injury-riddled career here.

McDougle finished the preseason with 2?sacks.

(philly.com)

Brock Berlin did not look too sharp early in the first half, but came back well to lead the Rams on a 66 yard, 11 play two minute drive to cut the lead to 21-10, capped by a 16 yard touchdown pass from Berlin to Looker.  Berlin was 13 of 21 for 107 yards.  Brad Gradkowski who was brought in the second half as he is battling Berlin for the third QB spot.  He had to fight through a rain shower on the Rams opening drive of the second half and led the team into a 40 yard field goal attempt that was missed by Josh Brown.  Gradkowski led the Rams into the endzone in the 3rd quarter.  Gradkowski finished 11 of 18 for 105 yards and an interception.

(stlouisdispatch.com)

The New York Daily News reports Jets TE Bubba Franks is not in danger of getting cut despite an uneven preseason. The Jets are deep at tight end, with Franks, incumbent TE Chris Baker, rookie TE Dustin Keller and TE Jason Pociask. "There's definitely a very good chance that all of them could stay," HC Eric Mangini said. Aside from Keller, who has a bright future, the only tight end with trade value is Baker, who complained about his contract before camp. Baker dropped his demand when the Jets refused to re-work his contract, and he claims to be happy even though his playing time probably will decrease.

(ffmastermind.com)

The Baltimore Sun concedes that Willis McGahee (knee surgery) is a lock to be on the Ravens' Week 1 roster.
The Sun has been leading the McGahee-could-be-cut bandwagon, but it's hard to imagine the club keeping him for the opener, then releasing McGahee in-season. Even if he starts all season, which we expect, there's a decent chance he'll be cut by next spring.

(rotoworld.com)

The Canton Repository reports Chicago Bears WR/KR/PR Devin Hester has been invisible this preseason: a 15.0 average on three kick returns, one punt return for one yard, four receptions for 36 yards.



(ffmastermind.com)

It would reportedly take a "miraculous recovery" for FS Ed Reed (shoulder) to be ready for Baltimore's season opener.
Reed is a bit overrated, but the voice of Baltimore's secondary and a three time All Pro, so this helps Carson Palmer's matchup. Special teamer Jim Leonhard will start. Cincy's passing game should kick off with a bang.

(rotoworld.com)

Brooks Auction Transfer LLC will be auctioning the Estate of the late Sean Taylor’s (Redskin) Ashburn home on Friday September 5, 2008 at 5:00p.m.
 
Contents of the house to include Sigsauer 9mm P228 pistol, 7 pc bedroom suite-king size bed with very large ornate columns-wardrobe cabinet-2 low chest w/ one drawer over 2 cabinet doors-five drawer tall chest-12 drawer long dresser-bench with upcurled ends/upholstered seat, brown leather recliner, king size brown leather sleigh bed, full size iron bed, wicker and rattan glass top table & 4 chairs, 4 leather and chrome barstools, burgundy sofa, gold sofa, black panther glass top table, GE refrigerator freezer, (2) 3shelf glass TV stands, oak lift up coffee table, set of Redskin/Dallas pool balls, Dell computer,  Nordstrom teapot, Tommy Hilfiger cufflinks, Toro lawnmower, 8 saltwater fishing poles and reels, spear gun, cue stick, and more.

We will also be auctioning other high quality mdse from local consigners.

We are still uncovering items as we unpack.

Keep checking back for pictures

Any questions or for directions call Tom or Squire at 540-439-7273. 
 
Terms of sale: Cash, check, Visa, MC, Discover, & debit. 10% Buyer Premium. No extra charge if you use credit card.
 
Proceeds of sale minus commission will go to Sean’s daughter’s Trust Fund.
 
Directions: From Fredericksburg take 17N approx. 19 miles on right. From Manassas take Rte 28S to Route 17S  approx 4 miles on left.
From Fairfax take 66W to exit 43 towards Warrenton Rte 29S to Rte 17S Opal approx 7 miles on left.
 
 
Brooks Auction Transfer LLC, 12099 Marsh Rd, Bealeton, Va. 22712
 
 
Auction conducted by Brooks Auction Transfer LLC   VAF #2908 000683.

PHILADELPHIA -- Tonight could be the last time Jerome McDougle and Tony Hunt don the Midnight Green and winged helmet.

Each figured prominently into the Eagles' plans at one point. But in the NFL, plans change.

McDougle is having his best training camp in the six years since the Eagles drafted him 15th overall in the first round.

Both should see ample playing time tonight against the Jets in the preseason finale at Lincoln Financial Field, hoping to turn this final audition into a role for the 2008 season.

"Obviously, the coaches have to make some big decisions," McDougle said.

With the season opener around the corner, head coach Andy Reid already has an idea of how his 53-man roster will shape out.

If he already knows his starting fullback, he hasn't let on. If he already knows exactly how many defensive ends he'll keep, that's also been kept under wraps.

In his final preseason press conference Tuesday, Reid suggested that jobs have been won -- and lost -- in the final preseason game.

"I'm sure there have been some who were just sitting right there on the bubble, and this last game put them over the edge," Reid said.
"There is so much time that goes into evaluating guys every day. Every day, every play, they are graded. You sit down every day and go through it and talk about each guy. So, what seems like a one-day decision is a decision that is being made constantly with their reps."

McDougle is finally excelling after five injury-plagued seasons. Entering camp, he barely registered a blip on the radar.
Injuries to other ends helped McDougle creep up the depth chart, and he's turned the extra practice time into a showcase.

He's been the dominant pass-rusher among all the ends in camp and leads the defense with two preseason sacks.

"It feels good to go through a whole training camp and whole preseason without getting banged up," he said. "[I] Finally put one together."

But his odds aren't favorable.

With Victor Abiamiri not scheduled to go on injured reserve, the Eagles have an overload at the position. Trent Cole, Juqua Parker, Abiamiri and Darren Howard have seemingly locked up four jobs.

That leaves rookie Bryan Smith, free-agent signing Chris Clemons and McDougle to duke it out for two.

It might be too risky to release Smith, a third-round pick, and hope he clears waivers before signing him to the practice squad.

They shelled out $4 million to sign Clemons and seem determined to use him, even though he's missed all three preseason games from injury and isn't expected to play tonight.

That leaves some to wonder if the decision on McDougle's future has already been made, regardless of tonight's game.

"I gave it my all," McDougle said. "I left it all out there. Whatever happens after that happens."

(delawareonline.com)

Aubrey Huff has always said he is a notoriously slow starter, which has hindered his production the last three seasons. But this year, the Orioles' designated hitter is well on his way to matching or surpassing the best two seasons of his career.

Through Monday, Huff was hitting .305 with 28 home runs and 91 RBIs. He also has 69 extra-base hits. Not since 2003, when he hit .311 with 34 homers and 107 RBIs, and 2004, when the numbers were similar, 29 and 104, has Huff put together such a season.

Huff usually doesn’t like to talk about his success at the plate. In fact, when searching for answers earlier this season as to why he has been one of the Orioles' clutch performers in the middle of the lineup, he said, “I don’t know. See ball, hit ball.” 

That wasn't exactly the explanation many were looking for, but it was consistent with what he said last weekend.

“It just seemed like this is a ‘do’ year,” he said. “I have had three off-years in a row.”

Whatever it is, there is no question what Huff has meant to this offense. He is hitting .329 with 11 homers and 74 RBIs with men on base. With runners in scoring position, he has batted .328 with five homers and 60 RBIs. With runners in scoring position and two outs, he is at .315 with two homers and 24 RBIs. His on-base percentag5 is .361, and he is slugging .560.

“I feel pretty confident in the year I’ve had,” Huff said. “The big thing was slow starts, and even though this wasn’t a fantastic start, it was a lot better than what I have had in the past. You know, I was around .240 the first two months, and that’s not great, but I managed to drive in some runs, so that was nice, but for some reason, the second half has always been a little more friendly to me.”

It is always important when a player is struggling at the plate to still be able to contribute to the team, and Huff took a tremendous amount of pride in doing that early in the year. “I wasn’t hitting for average, but I was getting a lot of big hits and driving in some big runs, and that means a lot,” he said. “You look at Carlos Pena in Tampa. He’s not having the year he had last year, but every time he’s up in the late innings, he’s getting the big hit, and you got to do that when you are not hitting for average."

Orioles manager Dave Trembley said he has watched Huff closely this year and thinks there are reasons Huff has been able to put together the impressive offensive numbers.

“I think he’s a lot more relaxed, and I think he is standing up straighter at the plate,” Trembley said. “He uses the other side of the field. He’s a very good cripples hitter, and for me, a cripples hitter is when [opposing pitchers] get ahead in the count, and they throw him the fastball, he usually doesn’t miss it. His swing doesn’t seem to be as long or as big as it was.”

Trembley thinks something else may have turned Huff around.

“It’s the second year with the organization, and he seems to be a lot more comfortable,” he said. “I think some personal things in the offseason with him as far as losing his best friend woke him up and put some other things in perspective for him.”

Huff came into spring training coming off a very emotional winter. He lost friend and former Tampa Bay teammate, pitcher Joe Kennedy, who died unexpectedly from heart disease on Nov. 23, 2007. As a tribute, Huff asked Kennedy’s wife if it would be all right to honor him by wearing Kennedy’s No. 17, which he wore in Tampa. She agreed it would be a great gesture by Huff. So Huff switched from No. 19 to No. 17 to start the year. 

Kennedy’s death is something Huff still thinks about every day.

“He was one of my best friends, growing up in the Tampa organization,” Huff said. “In baseball, you probably have five or six real close friends you keep up with your whole career and throughout your whole life, and he was one of them. … He lives on in my memory by wearing the jersey."

After being swept by the Yankees over the weekend, and splitting an unconventional doubleheader with the White Sox, the Orioles find themselves a season-high seven games under .500. Huff would rather look at the overall big picture to this season than just the recent struggles.

“We’ve played well all year,” he said. “You can look at the pitching being bad the last couple months, but we were terrible hitting-wise the first couple of months, and they were brilliant. If we could have put it all together at once and played consistent baseball, we would probably be about 10 games over .500, but that just hasn’t been the case."

Huff also attributes the competitive nature of the Orioles to Trembley. “Dave has been great,” Huff said. “He lets you play. He is a young manager in terms of major league experience. He is a guy that’s going to let you play and be positive. He’s not a yeller or a guy who is a screamer who is going to get a lot of the young guys nervous or anything like that, so I think in that aspect he’s great.”

Trembley appreciates that sentiment and what his cleanup hitter has done the whole year. “He’s been a dangerous hitter in the middle of the lineup and a very reliable, two-out RBI guy,” Trembley said. “He’s gotten a lot of big two-out RBI hits for us.”

(pressboxonline.com)

Aubrey Huff went 3-for-4 with a two-run homer as the Orioles defeated the White Sox on Wednesday night.
He also hit a sacrifice fly, giving him three ribbies on the night. Melvin Mora and Kevin Millar both hit solo shots for Baltimore, and Brian Roberts also drove in three. The Orioles have had no trouble scoring runs this season: they have the fifth-ranked offense in baseball.

(rotoworld.com)

Check out Version 1.0 of the 2008 proCanes NFL Roster. This Roster will be updated whenever neccessary so you can keep up with your favorite 'Canes and which teams they are playing on. Click here to check out the roster or above on proCanes Stats/Rosters.

For Frank Gore, the hardest part of a hard season was checking his cell phone on game days. That's when Mom used to call.

Liz Gore had always checked in with some last-minute coachin g. Remember to do this. You'd better not do that.

"You know, just little things,'' Gore said Monday.

Liz Gore died of kidney failure Sept. 12, 2007. She was 46.

Her son kept checking messages anyway. He couldn't stop. "Even after practice, I look at my phone,'' Gore said.

That was his heartbreak of 2007. There was also frustration: An injured ankle. A lousy offense. A losing season.

Gore made the Pro Bowl as an alternate, but it felt like a letdown.

And now?

Gore is smiling again. He's laughing easily and roaring around the practice field — a happy new year. Gore still misses his mom. "I'm dealing with it. I will never get over it,'' he said. But everything else has him revved up for '08.

Atop his list is new coordinator Mike Martz, who has the offense sing ing in 11-part harmony. The 49ers' 425 yards of total offense against the Chicago Bears last week marked their highest total in an exhibition game since 1996.

"We have a new leader, man, a new leader on the ship,'' Gore said of Martz. "When he stands up in the room, and you hear him talk, you know that he knows what he's talking about. Everything is going to change this year."

Gore said he likes this offense even better than the one Norv Turner ran— the one in which Gore set the 49ers' single-season record with 1,695 yards rushing.

If he prefers Martz's system to Turner's, you can imagine how much better he likes it than Jim Hostler's. Last season, the 49ers looked like they were trying to move a boulder uphill.

"It had to take the whole half to get across the 50-yard line,'' Gore recalled.

Hostler's schemes lacked imagination — but not common sense. At least Hostler was smart enough to get the ball to Gore as often as possible. Gore had 40.5 percent of the 49ers' net offensive yards, the highest percentage in the NFL, according to Stats LLC.

San Diego's LaDainian Tomlinson was second at 38.6, and Philadelphia's Brian Westbrook was third at 36.7.

The problem for Gore was that his carries became too predictable. Defensive coordinators, as well as fans, reporters and beer vendors, knew when Gore was going to get the ball. Opponents lined up eight-man fronts and dared the 49ers to pass.

"They can't do that anymore,'' Gore said. "Even when we played Chicago, you saw other guys — guys you never heard of — getting open and making good plays. That's a big thing."

Gore noted that the 49ers racked up 37 points that night even without receivers Arnaz Battle and Bryant Johnson. Plus, he added, Josh Morgan is a rookie still learning how to play in the NFL.

"When everybody is on the same page,'' Gore said, "it's going to be crazy."

With the arrival of Martz, there are frequent comparisons of Gore to Marshall Faulk, the do-everything back who thrived with Martz and the rollicking St. Louis Rams.

Gore is honored by the talk, but said he and Faulk are "two different players, two different guys."

Martz, though, will probably use Gore the same way he used the 2000 MVP.

"Any time you can take somebody like Frank and put him out on the perimeter, or get him one-on-one with someone, that is what you want,'' Martz said. "You want to put Frank in an environment where he can get the ball away from the pack because his open-field running is pretty special."

Even after a so-called down year, Gore trails only Tomlinson and Westbrook in yards from scrimmage since 2006. Gore's 921 receiving yards during that span rank fifth among running backs and his 5.4 yards per touch rank sixth overall, according to Stats LLC.

Gore did all that as a marked man.

So imagine what he can do as a Martz man.

"No matter what you did in this league, Coach Martz can still make you feel like you have to prove yourself,'' Gore said. "That makes you want to play hard. I have a couple of great years in this league, but if I'm messing up, he's going to get on me. That's what I like about him.

"I'm going to be all over the place. I'm going to have fun."

(mercurynews.com)

Had Phillip Buchanon sprung from his sofa or strung together a row of expletives, no one could have blamed him.

The cornerback's first full season with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers was a fruitful one, the sort of campaign that establishes equity between player and team.

But a few months after it ended, the Buccaneers added another face to their defensive backfield - and a talented one in Aqib Talib, who Tampa Bay took with the first pick of the 2008 NFL Draft in April.

Hurt? Angry? Vexed? Pick an emotion, any emotion, Phillip.

His choice? None of the above.
The Fort Myers native is too happy in Tampa Bay to complain. He looks at Talib and doesn't see a kid waiting to take his spot - he sees a player stuffed with potential who can only make the Buccaneers better. He sees a respectful rookie that Buchanon, a first-round pick himself in 2002, will make himself available to whenever Talib has any questions.

And he sees this offseason just as every other - a chance to prepare and make Phillip Buchanon a better football player.

"I always took pride in pushing myself, and I'll continue to push myself to be the best," Buchanon said Monday afternoon at One Buc Place. "My goal, ever since I came into the league, was to be one of the best players at my position. I still have that same drive, so nothing has really changed."

Why change? An injury to Brian Kelly opened the door for Buchanon in 2007, and he finished with 63 tackles and three interceptions in helping Tampa Bay win the NFC South.

"I can't say enough positive things about him, to be honest with you," said defensive backs coach Raheem Morris. "I always kind of expect the guys I put out there to play well, so it would be hard for me to tell you I was surprised. Did he make plays that I've seen that have surprised me? Yes.

"He's got enormous ability, unbelievable movement and some of the stuff he does on tape you just look at it and go, 'Wow.' "

Apparently, Buchanon hasn't missed a step since last year.

"No one's talking about him," said head coach Jon Gruden, "but Philip Buchanon is having a great camp."

Buchanon credits his coaches. Morris and defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin know when it's time to work - but they also know how to keep things fun, too.

And there's a degree of freedom and openness in Tampa that Buchanon said he didn't taste while playing with the Oakland Raiders and Houston Texans.

"They tell you the truth. In certain situations I've been in, in Houston and Oakland, they don't really tell you the whole story," he said. "(The Bucs') teaching tools make sense. . . . Since I was young, I was always the guy that asked questions. And the one thing I like about playing here is they always give you the freedom to say how you feel."

Back in his native state and comfortable on the field, Buchanon is happy to be wearing pewter - regardless of what happened last April.

"Ever since I got here, they said, 'Go out here, do your stuff and we'll tweak you a little,' " he said. "They don't hassle me as much, they don't deal with me like a high school kid.

"I think they over analyzed when I was in certain places. Whenever you overanalyze, you think too much. . . . And you don't feel comfortable."

(bradenton.com)

CHARLOTTE -- The Carolina Panthers trimmed their roster by five players Monday, one day ahead of the NFL's mandatory cut down day, where all rosters must stand at 75.

The Panthers said goodbye to cornerback Curtis Deloatch, defensive end Casper Brinkley, tight end Chris Conklin and quarterback Lester Ricard. The fifth cut was receiver Jason Carter, who had been having a huge camp for the team but suffered a torn ACL during the fourth quarter of Saturday night's 47-3 win against Washington.

The Panthers placed him on injured reserve, effectively ending his season. Carter was trying to lock up a receiver spot or perhaps a kick returning job.

Defensively, the Panthers were quite good as well Saturday, recording five sacks. The unit had 23 all of last season, worst in the NFL.

Julius Peppers has looked more and more like his old self, the linebackers have been better than average, and the secondary was hardly noticed against the Redskins, thanks to the front 7.

Jon Beason says he was pleased with the play of the entire unit.

“I’m just happy it was a group effort, you know, offense, defense, special teams, everybody just went out and played hard and did their jobs, executed, and just had fun,” the second-year linebacker said.

The Panthers close out the preseason Thursday against Pittsburgh and begin the regular season on Sept. 7 in San Diego.

(news14.com)

Washington Redskins running back Clinton Portis confirmed he will play Thursday in the preseason finale against the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Portis this preseason has 50 yards on 15 carries. He played against Buffalo and Carolina and sat out the other two contests.

"Coach [Jim] Zorn said the starters are playing," he said, referring to Zorn's statement Monday that the starters would be in for at least one series. "Not the starters except for Clinton Portis, not the starters except for two-six. Unless I've been demoted in the past couple days, the starters include me."

(washingtontimes.com)

Ryan Braun went 3-for-5 with a home run and two RBI in a lopsided victory over the Cardinals on Tuesday night.
Braun now has 33 homers on the season, one short of his 2007 total. He hasn't gone more than six games without a homer since the beginning of July, and his slugging percentage is now up to .596.

(rotoworld.com)

ST. LOUIS - The St. Louis Cardinals have place outfielder Brian Barton on the 15-day disabled list with a strained right side muscle.

Barton is hitting .269 with two homers and 13 RBIs in 130 at-bats.

He was injured beating out a bunt for a single during a career-best three-hit game on Sunday.

Outfielder Nick Stavinoha, batting .337 with 16 home runs and 74 RBIs at Triple-A Memphis, was recalled for his third stint with the team.

He was batting .200 (5-for-25) with four RBIs with St. Louis.

(chicagoribune.com)

With nine receivers on the roster, and the top 5 pretty much now set in stone with the loss of Harry Williams - Jenkins might be a guy that doesn’t last past Tuesday. All I’ve ever heard Gary Kubiak say about him is that he has great speed, and he made some plays in OTAs. He might get cut, but he could also be a very strong practice squad candidate.

(houstondiehards.com)

After seeing him in camp and in very limited game action, Lance Leggett is a player that might be worth a longer look, at the very least on the practice squad.




(cle.scout.com)

Safety Antrel Rolle, who is just getting back to action after missing two weeks with a sore ankle, probably will play more than most starters Friday against Denver, Whisenhunt indicated.

Rolle is making the transition from cornerback.

From watching him in practice, “I think we’ve seen enough to believe he’s going to be a pretty good player at that position,” Whisenhunt said. But, “He needs to get a feel for the game and the speed of the game at that position.”

(eastvalleytribune.com)

It's Nate.

The Broncos' top position competition of the preseason has been settled.

Mike Shanahan, the Broncos' coach, announced Nate Webster has beaten out Niko Koutouvides for starting middle linebacker.

The decision was an upset of sorts as Webster is a nine-year veteran who was primarily a back up in Tampa Bay and Cincinnati before starting at strongside linebacker for the Broncos' last year. Koutouvides was one of the Broncos' top free-agent pick ups this offseason as he received a three-year, $7.5 million contract that included a $2 million signing bonus.

"It was a very close competition," Shanahan said. "Both guys I look at as starters. Both guys will help as special teams but it was nip and tuck."

Shanahan said Koutouvides, a standout special teams player for four years in Seattle, would play extensively in the fourth and final preseason game at Arizona to get him more familiar with Denver's defense.

"Nate's a little more comfortable in it, right now." Shanahan said.

(denverpost.com)

FORMER PLAYERS, HISTORIC RIVALS ANNOUNCE NEW CHARITABLE FOUNDATION
Letterwinners from 3 of college football’s legendary rivals form a unique partnership through the Make a Play Foundation, a new charitable organization that will impact children across Florida

MIAMI, Fla – August 21, 2008  – Legendary former football players of Florida, Florida State and Miami have developed programs and initiatives designed to create opportunities for children in their hometowns by providing academic and recreational grants through a new charitable organization, the Make a Play Foundation. The 501(c)(3) organization is a unique partnership between former players of three of college football’s most storied rivals and will partner with established community organizations and individual player foundations to provide grants promoting leadership, accountability and confidence in children around the state of Florida.

“There are so many kids out there that don’t have goals or expectations of themselves because they don’t have access or the opportunity for bigger things,” co-founder Terry Jackson said. “Anything we can do to help get them involved in something that interests them, whether it’s sports, music, art or education, it’s worth it.”

The organization’s goal is to use a collective voice to help promote growth and change for children in their hometowns, building on what several individual players have already done by devoting their time, leadership and financial support to a range of causes. The Make a Play Foundation’s vision is to provide academic or recreational grants designed to fund educational field trips, improve or build community playgrounds and athletic fields, provide college scholarships, develop leadership programs, reward academic improvements or success, purchase athletic equipment and uniforms, support musical programs, provide computers and technology to local community centers and fund additional family-based programs.

Founding members of the Player Panel include Neal Anderson (UF), James Bates (UF), Lomas Brown (UF), Warrick Dunn (FSU), Earnest Graham (UF), Jacquez Green (UF), Terry Jackson (UF), Willie Jackson, Jr. (UF), Marvin Jones (FSU), Nick Maddox (FSU), Shane Matthews (UF), Santana Moss (Miami), Sinorice Moss (Miami), Burgess Owens (Miami), Errict Rhett (UF), Leon Searcy (Miami), Max Starks (UF), Fred Weary (UF) and Lawrence Wright (UF).

“So many players are out there doing things on the local level, this just provides a network between us to do bigger things, help us expand and build,” Jackson said. “We’ve always supported each other’s community projects, this just gives us the opportunity to pull together and bring fans into the competition and have a little fun with it.”

One hundred percent of individual fan donations will go towards youth and family grants thanks to the generosity of corporate partners and members of the Player Panel who will underwrite the foundation’s operating expenses.

Programs will focus on having a local presence as resources raised in each specific area will be invested back into those communities through hometown grants. Players and fans will also have the opportunity to directly support children and families in their communities through an option to specify that financial donations are designated for children in one of seven areas: the Panhandle; North Central Florida; Jacksonville; Tampa-St.Pete; Orlando and the East Coast; Southwest Florida and Miami-Dade and Broward counties.

Along with providing opportunities and access to at-risk youth, the Make a Play Foundation will also focus the energy and spirit of the three rivalry weeks by launching state-wide fan competitions. The week leading up to each rivalry game promises to bring fans into the battle, making them an active player in some of the most intense rivalries in all of sports. The foundation will partner with a different national or regional charity and dedicate service hours and donations to the adopted organization during the head-to-head competition weeks. The 2008 college football schedule includes games at all three universities: Florida hosts Miami in Gainesville on September 6th, Miami will host Florida State at Dolphin Stadium on October 4th and Florida will travel to Tallahassee to face Florida State on November 29th.

The Make a Play Foundation was established and provided Publix and Wal-Mart gift cards to 250 families in Miami, Tallahassee and Gainesville to purchase holiday meals last December. The cards were distributed through three organizations: the Refuge House of North Florida, Peaceful Paths Domestic Abuse Network of North Central Florida and the CBS4 Neighbors4Neighbors Holiday Adopt-a-Family program in South Florida. The Refuge House of North Florida and the Peaceful Paths Domestic Abuse Network are two organizations that focus on assisting families and victims of domestic violence while the CBS4 Neighbors4Neighbors organization assists South Florida families in crisis for a variety of different issues.

The foundation will expand to include alumni of all Florida colleges and universities to develop the power to promote change for children and families around the state.  For more information on the Make a Play Foundation and partnering player foundations, please visit the official Web site at www.makeaplayfoundation.org.

ABOUT THE FOUNDATION:
The Make a Play Foundation is a 501(c)(3) organization that represents a unique partnership of former players of three of college football’s legendary rivals – Florida, Florida State and Miami- and will partner with established community organizations and individual player foundations to create opportunities for underprivileged children through academic and recreational grants, designed to promote confidence and leadership. The organization’s goal is to use a collective voice to help promote growth and change for children in former players’ hometowns.

When the Chicago Bears reported to training camp in mid-July, they were missing a huge piece. Devin Hester, the most electrifying player in the National Football League and lone reason why I kept watching the Bears last year, was holding out for more money.

Ninety-nine percent of Chicago freaked out and thought the Bears should just give him what he wants. Understandable. Right?

The Bears haven't seen a football player as exciting to watch as Hester since Walter Payton. "The Windy City Flyer" runs as fast as Hollywood producers do from a movie starring Norm MacDonald. Hester had six return touchdowns in each of his first two seasons in the league.

He even returned the opening kickoff of Super Bowl XLI for a touchdown, sending Chicago into a frenzied state before it realized that Rex Grossman was quarterbacking the team.

So if Hester is so good that he might be able to challenge the almighty Mike Ditka in a footrace, why should the Bears have traded him? After all, he's been a consistent source of touchdowns for the team - something Grossman, Cedric "Boats n' Hoes" Benson and Bernard Berrian couldn't provide.

The shelf life of a return man is not very long, however, especially for those who have prominent roles on offense. Remember Dante Hall? Chiefs fans don't need a refresher - he was the most feared return man in the NFL about five years ago. And where is he now? Struggling to find playing time in St. Louis. Hall was never a great wide receiver, but Kansas City tried to force him into the position after teams started kicking away from him.

You can bet that opposing kickers will start shying away from Hester, forcing the Bears' offense to beat them. When that happens, Hester will have a bigger role in the offense. And after that takes place, Hester will struggle. His value will go from its state before 2008 - which was through the roof - to almost nothing in just a few years.

Hester is listed at 5 feet 11 inches. He weighs 189 pounds. His only value as a wide receiver is as a burner, somebody who can catch a deep ball. With Kyle Orton at quarterback, however, the offense likely won't be throwing downfield as much as it did with ole Sexy Rexy. Expect a lot of quick slants and stop routes. And that Hester will get knocked around like a rag doll on those routes.

Although the NFC North is looking weak this year, the Bears need to rebuild. Orton isn't a bad quarterback. But is he really the quarterback for the Bears' future?

The team needs wide receivers like gold-medal Chinese gymnasts need fake documentation. The defensive and offensive lines aren't getting any younger. If the Bears could have secured a first-round pick for Hester, they should have gone ahead and made the move. It's not like they didn't have an excuse, because Hester sat out the initial days of camp.

The Bears without Hester would be about as pathetic as the St. Louis Cardinals' bullpen. But, then again, will they be less pathetic with him for this year, the next year and through 2013?

I don't think so.

(themaneater.com)

METAIRIE, La. -- Tight end Jeremy Shockey left the turf at Paul Brown Stadium in Cincinnati following warm-ups in uniform Saturday night assuming he'd make his first start with the New Orleans Saints.

Before returning with his teammates a few minutes later, Saints coach Sean Payton told Shockey to ditch the helmet and pads and spend the Saints' third preseason game again on the sidelines.

"I don't know if he had a plan for that," Shockey said. "He's the head coach and that was probably the smart thing to do. I prepared all week as I was going to play the game. If I wouldn't have played, maybe I wouldn't have prepared as hard."

Now with the starters likely to see barely one quarter Thursday night when the Saints play the Miami Dolphins in the Louisiana Superdome for the preseason finale, it's possible Shockey may not take a single snap during the preseason as the team could elect to sit him once more.
Shockey practiced every day last week and was full speed again on Monday. He wouldn't go into details on whether he's nursing a separate injury besides the broken leg he sustained late last season while still with the New York Giants.

Payton said he'd like Shockey, along with cornerback Mike McKenzie, running back Deuce McAllister and safety Josh Bullocks to see some playing time since much of their snaps were taken away because of their injuries.

The 6-foot-5, 251-pound tight end also downplayed the significance of actual game time reps with quarterback Drew Brees at this point. Payton said Brees probably won't play Thursday anyway against Miami. The part where tacklers are flying at him is what he said his regular season preparation is missing.

"It's not really that important because I get reps with Drew everyday in practice," Shockey said. "It's just more of the game speed thing. That's just the really most important thing. You see how the game goes and the contact. You don't play any preseason games, you'll probably get all sore the regular season games and you body doesn't bounce back everyday for practice."

Brees said he figures every little detail between the two players won't be perfect come Week 1 against Tampa Bay. The Saints quarterback isn't too worried about his lack of playing time with Shockey.

"I know he wants to get out there and I certainly want to get out there with him," Brees said. "Even if we don't get any time in a game, a preseason game prior to the first game of the season, I'm not worried about our chemistry. We're building that right now and I like where we're at... the more we play together, the more it will prove to be that way."

(sunherald.com)

Every now and then Frank Gore likes to switch roles with the media. If reporters are standing around the locker room, he'll come up and canvass us about what we think of how he played or how the offense is looking. He's interested in outside opinions. Sometimes, he'll stop me in the locker room and ask how he looks. By that, he wants me to say whether I think he looks lighter or heavier than last season. (Answer: lighter). This happened today when Gore walked up to me and Maiocco.

"What do you think?" he said. "About Frank Gore?" I said. "No, about the offense."

I told him that the first half against the Bears is just about as well as I've seen the offense play since I've been covering the team.
Gore asked me how long I've been covering the team and I said since 2003. In hindsight, there was a game in 2003 in which Jeff Garcia and the 49ers beat Arizona 50-14. And last year's game in Arizona was a pretty decent offensive showing, too. But I could tell that Gore agreed with my assessment. He's said in the past that he felt as if a "black cloud" was hanging over him and the 49ers last season. This summer - and today in particularly - he seemed carefree and bouyant, chatting with everyone he passed in the locker room. It sort of symbolized how the team as a whole is feeling right now -- relieved that the offense finally has come together and eager to show it off in the regular season.

I asked Gore whether he was excited about playing the Dolphins this year in his home town. He said he wasn't even thinking about that. I pressed him a little - "Come on, you have to have at least thought about it..." - but he insisted he's not looking ahead this season, a mistake he may have made before the 2007 campaign. Gore said he thought he might play a little Friday against San Diego. Mike Nolan might have another idea. Nolan speaks at 3:45 p.m. today ...

(sacbee.com)

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. - Four weeks ago, what kind of odds would you have given on Jerome McDougle making the Eagles' season-opening roster? A hundred-to-one? Two hundred-to one? Five hundred-to-one?

Four weeks ago, what kind of odds would you have given on Chris Clemons not making the season-opening roster? A thousand-to-one? Two thousand-to-one?

Four weeks ago, McDougle appeared to be a dead man walking. Out of chances. Out of time. Out of luck.

Clemons? Well, Clemons was a rich man walking after signing a 5-year free-agent deal with the Eagles in March that included a $4 million signing bonus.

But with a little more than a week-and-a-half left before the Eagles have to reduce their roster to 53 players, McDougle just might be the one who stays, and Clemons, despite that hefty signing bonus, might be the one who goes.

McDougle, who has missed two of the last three seasons with injuries and has played in just 33 games since the team selected him with the 15th overall selection in the 2003 draft, continued his impressive summer last night with a sack, three hurries and a tackle for a loss in the Eagles' 27-17 win over New England.

Clemons, meanwhile, spent the game the same way he has spent much of the preseason and training camp. As an injured spectator.

"I'm just continuing to work hard," McDougle said after the game. "When the opportunity presents itself, I'm just trying to take the bull by the horns.''

The Eagles signed Clemons, who had eight sacks last season in a part-time role with Oakland, to beef up an anemic pass rush that had just 37 sacks last season and has registered more than 40 once in the last 5 years.

But as the saying goes, you can't make the club in the tub. Clemons was sidelined early in training camp when he was hospitalized for dehydration. Then he suffered a calf injury during the Eagles' last week at Lehigh and has missed the last two preseason games.

"He's been injured," defensive coordinator Jim Johnson said this week. "He's not on the field. It's hard. I mean, it's tough for him right now. He's not on the field. Until we get him back on the field, we're not going to know."

Johnson also indicated that Clemons has been slow to learn his defense.

"He was still in a learning process," he said. "He wasn't quite there yet. That's just being honest. He's working at it, but he's not quite there yet."

Injuries have been the story of McDougle's NFL career. He missed all of last season after tearing a triceps tendon. Sat out the 2005 season after getting shot in the abdomen. Has also missed time with knee, ankle and hip injuries.

But finally, finally, he has managed to make it through a summer in one piece and is starting to resemble the player the Eagles hoped he would be when they drafted him 5 years ago.

"Just with the naked eye, it looked like he played well," coach Andy Reid said. "He rushed the passer well."

The Eagles notched four sacks of Patriots quarterbacks - not including Tom Brady, who sat out his third straight preseason game.

Juqua Parker started at left end and took most of the first-half reps there, with Darren Howard giving him an occasional breather. McDougle opened the second half at left end. On the Patriots' first possession, he beat right tackle Nick Kaczur with an outside rush and sacked Matt Cassel for a 7-yard loss.

"The other guys had been doing some stuff against [Kaczur], and I just fed off what they had been doing," McDougle said.

It's uncertain how many defensive ends the Eagles will keep on their roster. It remains to be seen what they will do with injured Victor Abiamiri and third-round rookie Bryan Smith.

Asked whether he thinks he survive the cutdowns, McDougle said, "The only thing I can control is what I can control and go out and play my butt off."

(philly.com)

With Pat Burrell's recent slump, can we assume he won't be back next year? I'm not a fair-weather fan, my patience ran out with him two years ago. I was never sold on his first half not being a contract year resurgence.
-- Peter B., Philadelphia
It's ironic that this question arrives two days after Burrell's career high tying five-RBI game that included a first-inning three-run homer, though I imagine it's also tied to him batting .211 in August.

Burrell remains streaky, extremely hot at times -- batting .326 with eight homers in April and .304 with seven homers in July -- and cold at other times -- in August, plus hitting .227 with five homers in May. Regardless, he always seems to belt 30 homers and drive in 90-110 runs. His .391 on-base percentage leads the Phillies and is seventh in the National League.

Will he be back? I'm not sure. I would have said, "No," at the beginning of the season, but the Phillies would have to find a power-hitting, right-handed-hitting replacement. I'm not saying this means he'll be back, but the Phillies will entertain the discussion.

Burrell will have suitors if he hits an open market that will also include Manny Ramirez, Milton Bradley, Adam Dunn and Bobby Abreu (would you like to see him back?). Vladimir Guerrero is another outfield possibility, if the Angels don't exercise a $15 million option. Burrell turns 32 in October, and teams may covet a seven-year average of 29 homers and 93 RBIs, especially an American League club that can play him at designated hitter.

If Burrell hits the open market what type of free agent will he be? -- Rob C., Phoenixville, Pa.
Burrell will be a Type A free agent, meaning the Phillies will receive two compensatory Draft picks from the team that signs him, assuming he's offered arbitration. Philadelphia would get a "sandwich" pick between the first two rounds, and a first- or second-round pick of the team signing Burrell, depending on whether that team had one of the 15 worst records in baseball.

(phillies.com)

Kareem Brown played well again and I have to think he’s secured himself a roster spot. Not to speak for Mangini, of course.




(weblogs.amny.com)

S Kenny Phillips didn't quite get a gasser for two bad plays, but they need to be mentioned. One of them was his "Welcome to the NFL" moment when he saw Favre looking to the left and started drifting that way. Favre snapped his head back and fired a TD to WR Jerricho Cotchery that was negated by an illegal shift penalty. Cotchery had gotten behind CB Kevin Dockery, who needed safety help on that one. Phillips had already taken steps in the other direction when he got his first taste of how good Favre is. Later, Phillips laid a big hit on WR Marcus Henry after Dockery had deflected the ball away. If Phillips was looking for the ball instead of contact, he might have had an INT. You don't want to rip a player for being aggressive, but Phillips needs to look for the ball next time.

(nj.com)

Each week in the Times-Picayune this summer, new Saints linebacker Jonathan Vilma will let fans get behind the scenes with a first-person journal about his experiences.

The fifth-year veteran, who arrived in a late-February trade from the New York Jets, is expected to give the Saints a dynamic athletic presence in the middle of their defense. He had four tackles during the Saints' impressive 13-0 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals on Saturday night, which was his second game of the preseason.

"We did a lot better as a defense in this last game, obviously, which was great for us. I think it was important to get the bad taste out of our mouths (after a poor showing the week before), and it was important for us to know that we can do it. We know that's what we're capable of, and now that's what we can strive for in the regular season. Shutouts are always great, no matter how you get them. You can look at all the numbers and statistics, but if you don't let them score, you're doing all right.

"For me personally, I think my reads were a little better, a little quicker than last week. I think that just comes with playing more, being in the game and getting used to it again. One tackle that I made on third down stood out because we talked about getting off the field on third downs, third and long. The secondary had been doing such a good job of that prior to that play, so it felt good just to get in the mix.

"You can feel that the regular season is getting close. I think we're really going to start to feel it in practice (Monday), when we really start focusing on Tampa Bay instead of just ourselves and our preseason opponents. Right now, I'm very excited, especially because I haven't played in so long in a real game that counts on the record books. I'm going to control my emotions though. I don't want to go out there and burn myself out in the first series of the first game. But I'll definitely be excited and ready to play.

"We're already into the regular-season routine in some ways. Even though they call it the preseason, and it's a warm-up for the regular season, the only thing that's really a warm-up is mentally, breaking down your opponent and understanding his tendencies. But physically it's all the same. The tackles are all the same, the hits are all the same. I've never heard of anybody who tackles harder in the regular season than they do in the preseason. And you can still feel all those little bumps and bruises.

"The aches and pains always show up the day after, a couple days after. The morning after, it's really all about just relaxing your body. You're gonna be sore, so there's really not much you can do. It's not like you can massage the soreness away. You're just tired. So the first day, I really just try to relax as much as possible. Then two days after, you start with the stretching, the massaging, getting loose and getting back into it. I don't like to do anything in particular on those off days. I just try to enjoy it. I'll definitely watch some TV. I'm a big fan of 'Family Guy.' That's always one of my favorites."

(blog.nola.com)

FOXBORO - Last season, a string of questionable hits by Vince Wilfork [stats] and accompanying fines by the league led to a reputation the Patriots [team stats] defensive lineman wanted no part of and staunchly defended himself against.

Dirty player?

First, there was the low tackle on Bills quarterback J.P. Losman. Then the late hit on Cowboys tight end Jason Witten. That was followed by the finger-poke inside the facemask of Giants running back Brandon Jacobs during the regular-season finale. And, finally, a grab to Michael Turner’s facemask in the AFC Championship Game also cost him.

In all, Wilfork was rung up for nearly $40,000, before the $12,500 fine for the Losman hit was reduced to $2,500.

Moving forward, it will be interesting to see if there is any kind of carryover this season with the Patriots Pro Bowl nose tackle.

Will officials watch him more closely based on reputation? Do players consider him “dirty” based on the one-season pile-up of events, and will any of what happened last year alter Wilfork’s game in 2008?

With regard to the latter, let’s just say the 6-foot-2, 325-pound Wilfork, who led the defense with seven tackles in Friday night’s 27-17 preseason loss to the Philadelphia Eagles, isn’t about to budge.

If he’s a marked man, so be it.

“That was last year. If (the refs are looking out for me) that’s what they’re going to do. It’s not going to stop the way I play and prepare,” Wilfork said last week. “I’d never alter my game just because of something like that. That was in the past. I really don’t care about it. I’m going to do what I got to do to get myself ready for the season.”

Of the four infractions, Wilfork did admit to being “stupid” on the Jacobs incident. He won’t, however, apologize for playing with emotion, intensity and aggression. Still, he has tried to work out differences with the players he may have wronged.

“I think everything played itself out last year. People I’ve met, people I’ve talked with, they know me as a person. The thing I did worry about last year was my reputation,” Wilfork said. “But I think, at the end of the day, I was fine with it. I was fine with everything from a player’s standpoint. The guys I play against understand the level of play that I play at. It’s in the past.”

Former Patriots linebacker Steve Nelson did not believe there would be any repercussions for Wilfork this season based on what happened last season. For starters, it’s really hard for officials to go out of their way to keep an eye on what’s happening with a player in the trenches.

“Nose guards work in such close space,” Nelson said. “By the nature of his position, being in the trenches, I think you can get away with a lot of stuff down there because you’re in close combat with the opposition. So I don’t think there’s going to be any aftereffects from last year.

“Officials are pretty good. They don’t let reputations get involved in the process, or their decision-making. And I don’t think it’s going to affect the way he plays. He’s lined up a few inches from the ball. He’s got combination blocks on him. So he doesn’t have time to think about it.”

Besides, Wilfork’s reputation isn’t exactly one that’s been built up over time. Teammate Rodney Harrison [stats] has had the so-called “dirty” player label for quite a while and can’t shake it, even if more players have been fined for questionable hits of late.cw0

“You have the Conrad Doblers, the Jack Tatums . . . those reputations take years and years to build up,” Nelson said. “It’s not a one-game thing or one season. It’s years of questionable hits. So I think Vince is a totally different ballgame.”

(bostonherald.com)

INDIANAPOLIS — Poor, poor Blue.

He's the Indianapolis Colts' team mascot, and by necessity has something of a horse face, because, well, he represents a horse.

But that's not the reason why Blue's feelings possibly have been hurt by none other than Pro Bowl wide receiver Reggie Wayne, who proudly has four little stuffed animals on the top shelf of his locker stall for all to see.

They're not cute little colts. They're cute little kittens, and they go by the name of Sir Purr, who happens to be the mascot of the … Carolina Panthers.

"I have some friends from my hometown (of New Orleans) who gave them to me as a joke," Wayne says with a chuckle. "They live (in the Charlotte area) now and were telling me it was Carolina's year this year, and they sent them to me after the Carolina preseason game this year."

The Panthers prevailed 23-20. So why not just chuckle and then throw away the Sir Purrs?

"Because I use them as a reminder to myself that it's NOT their year, it's going to be OUR year," Wayne says. "Really, though, they give me a reminder that everybody in this league is working toward the same goal, and you can never, ever lose sight of that."

Wayne has quite been adept at not losing sight of goals since joining the Colts as a rookie out of Miami in 2001. His goal simply was to get better every season. And for the most part, he has done just that.

Consider the progression of his season-long receiving yardage through the years. Only once has he not improved.

There were the 345 yards as a rookie. Then 716 in '02, then 838 in '03, then 1,210 in '04, then 1,055 in '05, then 1,310 in '06 and finally an NFL-best 1,510 last season to go with a career-high 104 catches.

Not only that, but he's just the third player in league history to have increased his number of receptions in each of the first seven seasons of his career.

Says Colts coach Tony Dungy: "You see what happens with guys like Reggie Wayne that get better and better and better as they learn the system."

To a wide receiver counterpart for the Detroit Lions, Wayne's work is pretty darned impressive.

"Reggie Wayne, man, he's really come into his own," the Lions' Roy Williams says. "You've got to admire the way he got it done after Marvin (Harrison) went out last season."

Injuries forced Harrison, an eight-time Pro Bowler, to miss 11 games in '07. Wayne says he knew many observers had long tabbed his improvement simply a by-product of getting mostly single coverage as opposed to Harrison's double dose, and was pleased he was able to show otherwise last season.

Now that Harrison has returned, Wayne has a goal. He wants to do for Harrison what Harrison has done for him.

"I feel like my duty is to get that double coverage off of him, and whenever he gets doubled, I feel a responsibility to make the most of it," Wayne says. "If I do that, maybe he'll get the kind of chances that I've had for so long."

(usatoday.com)

It was a great trip to Chicago, especially going up there and getting a W. The offense moved the ball very well against what is supposed to be a very good defense, and I felt good about that.

My legs felt a bit tired in the game, a little heavy. I don’t know if it was the quick trip and all of the flying but I was a bit tired. I felt that my eyes were good. I was seeing things well and my linemen were blocking very well and I was getting the rock and getting some runs. I just want to get my legs fresh this week. I might have to get in the cold tub some this week.

We got to our hotel about 10 on Wednesday night. Vernon, Delanie, Moran, Thomas and I went a few blocks over to get something quick to eat at the Cheesecake Factory. On Thursday I slept in and then hit the Louis Vuitton store and picked out some shoes, got me a little nap, ate the pregame meal and got ready for the game. It was a quick trip.

I went straight to the hotel when we landed from Chicago. Coach cancelled the meetings we were going to have on Friday and since it was the day we got to break camp, some guys just went on home. Since we didn’t get there until after 4am, I figured I’d just go ahead and sleep there for a few hours because I was so tired. So, I got up around 11 and then went ahead and moved my stuff home at that point.

I am very happy to break camp. Camp is the same all the time, you go to work, come back to the hotel for lunch and a short break, go back to work, eat dinner, go to meetings and then maybe have an hour left before curfew. You get very small windows to be out in the real world, and other than that, it’s all football and all of your time is planned out for you. 

This training camp was a whole lot better for me, on the field and off the field. Last year I didn’t get to do anything because I broke my hand. That was frustrating, plus everything with my mom was so tough. So, this year was much better. I came in at a great weight, had a good camp, and am excited about the offense.

The highlight of camp for me was messing with Vernon. From his hair falling out to just messing with him if he got frustrated over making a mistake on the field, it was funny. You can get him mad to where he wants to fight you, but then you start laughing and he knows you are just giving him a hard time. That’s my boy right there. That dude is funny.

So it’s good to be out of camp, and to be back home. Plus, it means the season is almost here, which is the best part for me. I’m excited about the season, especially after the way we played the last two weeks. The offense has put up a lot of points and I’m excited about the way we have moved the ball up and down the field.

Friday afternoon I watched one of the football games – Dallas and Houston – and I saw it come across the ticker that J.T. O’Sullivan was our starter. I kind of figured that just because he had started all three preseason games, and the third game is always a key one. So, that’s when you pretty much knew who it was going to be. I felt like all three quarterbacks competed very hard, but I think J.T. had a little jump on them because he had been with Coach Martz the year before. So, whoever Martz and the coaches feel is the best guy, I’m with it. But I definitely think that with any of them, we’ve got a great chance to win because I think they can all do the job.

We came back in on Saturday for a walk-thru, meetings and then an afternoon practice. It was a good day and nice to have the quarterback situation settled. I decided to go out on Santana Row last night and cheat on my diet and eat whatever I wanted to eat, but it’s right back on today. I’ve got a chef who drops off healthy food for me, so that’s what I’ll eat on this day off.

I was hoping to get to watch the Raiders/Cardinals game but I guess it was blacked out. Hopefully they’ll have it on sometime today. Otherwise, I’m sure we’ll get the film soon so we can start checking out Arizona since that’s our first game.

We have today off, so I’m just going to relax most of the day and get ready for Monday and another week of preseason play. I don’t know how much they’ll let me play this last game against San Diego. I’ll work hard during the week and be ready and if they don’t let me go, I’ll run a bunch of sprints before the game and get some good work in. It’s always good to talk to LaDainian Tomlinson. I’m always competing against other guys in the league so I’m sure we’ll challenge each other this year to see who does the best. I think if you are a true competitor you should always do that. And, I believe I’m a true competitor.

Thanks for reading my camp diaries. I’ll have one more next week to wrap up the preseason, so check it out.

(49ers.com)

Injuries to Saints DTs Brian Young (knee) and Hollis Thomas (shoulder) have opened the door for Orien Harris, and he’s taken full advantage of the opportunity, the way we hear it. New Orleans considered its DT corps deep when camp began, and Harris appeared to be on the outside looking in. That has changed, and his strong showing in the preseason games will make it hard for the Saints to move on without him when it’s time to trim the roster.

(pfw.com)

Rams center Nick Leckey could be on the field with the starting unit in Week 1, usurping the position from Brett Romberg, according to Pro Football Weekly.

Our View:Leckey is small for an offensive lineman, but he has been one of the surprises of training camp. Romberg is out with a broken hand, and the injury may cost him his starting gig.

(rototimes.com)

Beat writer Kent Somers said on ESPNews Friday that he'd guess Edgerrin James will get two-thirds of the Cardinals' carries this season.

We project Arizona to run 383 times in 2008. 2/3 of that would give Edge 257 carries, way down from the 325 he saw last year. If he maintains his YPC average (3.8), it leaves James at 977 yards. He could lose short-yardage carries to Tim Hightower and third-down work to J.J. Arrington.

(rotoworld.com)

Derrick Morse – Note to Mr. Morse: When asked to make a block in space and as such choose to use a cut block, it is much more effective if the defender is actually knocked off his feet and not able to make the tackle. The guard failed to employ this technique twice in the limited time during his play.

(cle.scout.com)

Nate Webster played well in his starting role at middle linebacker. It appears he may hold off Niko Koutouvides for the starting job.




(espn.com)

The Houston Chronicle reports Texans WR Andre Johnson made his preseason debut and played until midway through the second quarter without recording a catch. Johnson and QB Matt Schaub have rarely practiced together over the past few weeks. Johnson admitted the timing was a little off, but on a positive note, he said he had no setbacks with the groin injury that had slowed him the previous three weeks. “I'm glad to be back out, I was excited,” Johnson said. “I wish I could have gotten a catch, but other than that I felt fine and was happy to be back with my teammates.”

(ffmatsermind.com)

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Rocky McIntosh’s confidence level isn’t quite peaking yet. But it’s improving ever steadily.

McIntosh, a Gaffney native and Washington Redskins linebacker, played his second consecutive preseason game on Saturday at Bank of America Stadium — about an hour up Interstate 85 from his hometown.

And though his team lost 47-3 to the Carolina Panthers, McIntosh had reason to feel good about the evening.

McIntosh, in the midst of a return from knee surgery, played the entire first half and recorded a pair of tackles.

“It was cool just being out there and enjoying it,” McIntosh said. “Of course the outcome was bad, but it was fun just flying around out there.”
Naturally, he had some friends and family watching in the stands.

“I brought a small group here … nothing too big,” McIntosh said. “I’ve got a lot of people from South Carolina around here that still know me. So that’s cool.”

The Redskins have been cautious in their use of McIntosh so far this preseason. Saturday’s game was meant to be a big test for his surgically-repaired left knee, which McIntosh said went well.

“(The knee) better be feeling good. I got to go out there and play,” he said smiling. “It’s good. I’m just continuing to hope it stays that way.”
“(McIntosh) is coming along,” Washington coach Jim Zorn said.

There’s no holding back physically once the whistle blows for McIntosh — even after eight months away from competition.

“Whenever I go out there, I let loose,” he said. “There’s no holding back for me. Whenever you see me out there, that’s 100 percent Rocky.”

McIntosh made his initial return to action last week against the New York Jets. It was a bit of an eerie debut, as the game was played at Giants Stadium — the same venue that McIntosh sustained his season-ending knee injury in December.

“I’m just moving along as quickly as possible and trying to get into the fit of things … so I can help my teammates,” he said.

McIntosh tore the anterior cruciate and medial collateral ligaments in his left knee in Washington’s 22-10 win against the New York Giants on Dec. 16. The injury necessitated reconstructive surgery and ended what had been a solid second professional season for McIntosh.

He had established himself as the Redskins’ starting outside linebacker, recording 105 tackles, three sacks, three forced fumbles, and a fumble recovery in 14 games played.

It’s been a long and arduous road back to action for the former Miami Hurricanes’ standout.

“Definitely, it’s been about 8?months. I had to work very hard just to be out here on the field,” said McIntosh, who was drafted by Washington with the 35th pick in the 2006 NFL draft. “I sacrificed a lot of time just to make it to this point. I’ve got to keep building on that.”

McIntosh opened last season with a pair of outstanding performances against Miami and Philadelphia, respectively.

He recorded 14 tackles, a sack and forced fumble in Week 1 against the Dolphins. In Week 2, he tied for the team high with 12 tackles, including a sack of quarterback Donovan McNabb.

“I was competing hard,” said McIntosh, who finished second on the team in tackles despite missing the final three games. “I’m definitely more mature. I want to get out there and show everybody who I am. It’s time to get to that Pro Bowl-type level. That’s what I want to do.”

(goupstate.com)

The Associated Press reports Washington Redskins RB Clinton Portis returned to action Saturday, Aug. 23, in preseason play versus the Carolina Panthers. He took the previous game off. Portis rushed eight times for 32 yards.



(kffl.com)

The San Francisco 49ers waived Kyle Wright. Wright had been injured with knee problems the past week and did not participate in the final preseason game. He had his knee drained and was held out of practice, which is most probably what sealed his fate.

The Associated Press reports the New Orleans Saints decided to keep TE Jeremy Shockey (leg) out of their preseason game Saturday, Aug. 23. They sat him out after pregame warm-ups. Head coach Sean Payton said Shockey had a good pregame, but the team wanted to be cautious with him. "I'm excited about where he's at right now, but I held him back. We didn't want to go through the scenario of having him setback."

(kffl.com)

Rookie Chris Perez gained his fifth save — and third of more than three outs — when he set down the final four hitters he faced Sunday. "I've thrown twice in the last nine days, so I'm definitely fresh," he said.

"It went through my mind that if a guy got on base in the eighth (Atlanta had one hit in the inning), I could be in there. And then they called down and told me to get ready."

Just before he spoke to a reporter, Perez was getting some inside baseball counseling from veteran Russ Springer, who was more than happy to give it.

"He and (Kyle) McClellan both want to talk pitching, and they want to learn," said the 39-year-old Springer. "If they didn't come to me and want to learn, I'm not going to go push it on them.

"They know there's a difference between pitching here and in the minor leagues, and they want to learn. I've been on teams where young guys come up and think they're going to come in and dominate and not have to do anything different. It usually takes them a couple of trips to the minor leagues before they figure out they need to come up and learn something."

(stltoday.com)

St. Louis, MO (Sports Network) - St. Louis outfielder Brian Barton left in the sixth inning of the Cardinals' 6-3 win over Atlanta on Sunday with a right oblique strain.

Barton had a career-high three hits in the game, but exited after suffering the injury while beating out a bunt in the sixth.

In 69 games this season, the rookie Barton is hitting .269 with two home runs and 13 RBI.

(sportsnetwork.com)

Aubrey Huff went 3-for-5 with a homer and two RBI Sunday but the Orioles dropped one to the Yankees.
The O's put together a four-run second inning and a three-run fourth, but the Yankees hung with them and delivered a tie-breaking home run in the seventh inning to secure the win. Huff doubled twice and hit his 28th dinger of the season. He's batting .304 with 91 RBI.

(rotoworld.com)

PHILADELPHIA -- Pounding opposing pitchers, even good ones like the Dodgers have thrown the past two games, has been a Phillies' offensive staple, just not for the past two months.

But as manager Charlie Manuel has maintained, for as good as the pitching has been, especially ace Cole Hamels and 45-year-old Jamie Moyer, the Phillies must hit or they won't be in the playoffs.

"As long as we come out of it at the right time, I won't worry about it," Ryan Howard said. "As long as we're all hot at the right time, I'll gladly take it."
Howard, who hit a two-run double, was able to smile after a second straight offensive outburst, this time a 9-2 win over Los Angeles on Saturday in front of a sellout Citizens Bank Park crowd. With their victory and the Mets' loss to the Astros, the Phils are 1 1/2 games back in the National League East.

As has been a part of the Mount Rushmore of a cold offense, Ryan Howard brought a .164 August average into the series. He, Pat Burrell (.167), Jimmy Rollins (.211) and Chase Utley (.243) hit a combined .198 in the month.

The Phillies hitters know they're better.

So there they were, peppering Greg Maddux on Friday and phenom rookie Clayton Kershaw on Saturday, starters who entered their outings with ERAs below 4.00. The Phillies combined for 17 runs in the two games, their highest total since they blasted Atlanta for 22 runs on July 26-27.

There was Burrell rounding the bases after a three-run, first-inning homer. His 30th of the season gave the Phillies a trio of players with 30 or more homers (with Howard and Utley) for the third time in franchise history. Burrell, Howard and Rollins turned the trick last season and Chuck Klein, Lefty O'Doul and Don Hurst did it in 1929.

Burrell plated another run on a double in the fifth, thanks to Matt Kemp losing Burrell's fly ball in the sun. Kemp raced in on it, then held up his hands and watched as the ball dropped 15 feet behind him.

"I knew he was in trouble as soon as he put his hands up," said center fielder Shane Victorino. "I was trying to jump and tell the guys to go, because I could see he was in trouble. He was still coming in. That's got to be one of the worst feelings. You feel like you're helpless."
Philadelphia capitalized when Howard laced a two-run double to knock Kershaw out of the game, giving Mount Rushmore a combined .323 (10-for-31) average in two games.

"For the four of us to go into a lull?" Howard said. "That's just the game. As far as coming out of it, the last two games, we'll just see if we can try and build on the momentum. I've seen a lot of weird things that take place in this game."

(phillies.com)

MILWAUKEE -- If a Major League Baseball season really is akin to a marathon, then the Brewers are doing a nice job of keeping pace.

Hours after the National League Central-leading Cubs won at Wrigley Field, the second-place Brewers took care of their own business 90 miles north, beating the Pirates, 6-3, in front of the 20th consecutive sellout crowd at Miller Park to remain 4 1/2 games out in the division and alone atop the Wild Card standings.

The Brewers did it on Saturday in businesslike fashion, getting a home run and three RBIs from Ryan Braun on the way to a 6-0 lead on Pirates starter Tom Gorzelanny (6-8). They held on behind starter Jeff Suppan (9-7) and relievers Brian Shouse and Salomon Torres (25th save) to climb 20 games over .500 for the first time since the end of a 92-win 1992 season.

"It's never routine," said Torres, who has already bested his 24 total saves for the Pirates from 2006-2007. "You don't want to get into [that] mode, because a true professional treats every game the same.

"To the fans, it may look like something easy because we've been doing it day in and day out. But nothing is easy; it requires a lot of work. What we're doing right now is not a product of fortune or a product of luck. We are talented enough to do this and more."

Braun, for one, does not mind that the Brewers have not given their fans much late-inning drama on the homestand. The team is 4-1 since returning from the West Coast while outscoring the Astros and Pirates, 32-17.

"That's a good thing, when there's not a lot of excitement and [the score] is in our favor," Braun said. "It's nice that everybody is contributing. It makes it a lot easier for us, individually."

Prince Fielder finished with two hits and two RBIs, including a run-scoring single in Milwaukee's two-run first inning against Gorzelanny, who was pitching in the Majors for the first time since he allowed seven earned runs in 4 2/3 innings at Miller Park on July 4. This time, Gorzelanny was charged with six runs on seven hits over 4 2/3 innings.

Braun helped the Brewers start to pull away in the fourth, when Gorzelanny threw a high, inside fastball to Braun on a 1-and-1 pitch that registered 90 mph on the stadium radar gun. Two pitches later, Braun deposited his team-best 32nd home run into the left-field seats.

"I know that he didn't do that intentionally, but it certainly wakes me up," Braun said. "It intensifies my focus a little bit. Obviously, whenever you get a pitch up and in or near the face at 93-94 mph, it probably makes you focus a little bit more."

Braun hit a two-run double off Gorzelanny in the fifth inning and then scored on Fielder's second RBI single of the night to extend the lead to 6-0. The Brewers improved to 28-13 against southpaw starters, a .683 winning percentage that ranks best in Major League Baseball.

The Pirates finally scored in the sixth, when Morgan hit a ground-rule double down the left-field line, where a fan tumbled over the wall to retrieve the baseball. Before that happened, Morgan had paused after rounding first base, apparently content with a single.

"I was trying to take the ball from him because I think we still had a play at second base," Braun said. "I don't think [the fan] should have been kicked out. He didn't realize it was a fair ball."

Braun briefly considered how those keeping score would have noted the play, had it been possible to make.

"I was hoping we were going to have the 'relay from fan to seven to four' for the first putout ever like that," Braun joked.

Morgan was granted second base because of the interference, and he scored after a pair of groundouts. Adam LaRoche made it 6-2 with a solo home run to center field. The Brewers will play for a three-game sweep on Sunday, when Miller Park will be packed for CC Sabathia's 10th Brewers start and J.J. Hardy Bobblehead Day. The team will try to continue rolling.

"It's easy because everybody is contributing," Braun said. "It all starts with starting pitching, and our starting pitching has been unbelievably consistent. Our guys are going deep into games and keeping us in games. It doesn't put too much pressure on one or two guys."

(mlb.com)