Brett Favre

Brett Favre
Originally uploaded by brucesingman.

BRETT FAVRE OF THE ALL PRO SPORTS FOOTBALL SERIES

PACKERS.COM eNews -- August 30, 2006

Packers.com To Re-Launch Thursday

PACKERS.COM TO RE-LAUNCH THURSDAY
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
NEW LAMBEAUFIELD.COM TO HIT CYBERSPACE AS WELL

POPULAR WEB SITE TO FEATURE FRESH LOOK AND NEW FEATURES

Packers fans on the Internet Thursday, Aug. 31, will be introduced to two
developments that will enhance the way they follow their favorite team as
Packers.com will re-launch and feature a fresh look and new features, and
LambeauField.com will make its debut.

Routinely among the NFL's top five most-visited team sites since its inception
in 1997, Packers.com will take advantage of the latest technology and offer
Packers fans easy-to-be accessed features that allow them enhanced methods to
follow the team.

"We're pleased to launch an updated Packers.com for our fans," said Packers
President/COO John Jones. "Packers fans always have been strong followers of
the team and their use of Packers.com has proven that. The updated site takes
advantage of latest in cutting-edge Web design and gives fans many more
features to best keep tabs on the team."

The features of the updated site fans will first notice are the new look,
headed by a banner that includes images from the team's rich history, a
football grain feel and a new horizontal navigation bar.

The site also uses a larger screen setup, 1024 x 768 pixels, which most
computer users employ today. The new screen setup allows for more information
to be visible on one page, such as news of the day, audio and video links,
photos and podcasts, allowing for a more user-friendly experience and enabling
fans to get more information with fewer mouse clicks.

In addition to the podcasts, the other, newer online technology offered on
Packers.com is RSS (Really Simple Syndication) feeds. These feeds contain the
most recent news, audio, video, etc., and will help keep fans up to date on all
of the new content available daily on Packers.com.

While the re-launched site offers the some of the newest technology on the Web,
Packers fans still can access all the content they've come to expect in a more
efficient manner, such as official team news (stories, press releases,
community news) multimedia (live audio and video of press conferences,
podcasts, photo galleries, live cams, screensavers), Packers history and
information on Packers events.

LambeauField.com is a new site, also to launch Thursday, designed for fans and
visitors as a complete information guide to Lambeau Field and the Lambeau Field
Atrium. Included on the site is a calendar of events, as well as information
about booking events, dining options and hours for the Packers Pro Shop,
Packers Hall of Fame and other Atrium attractions.

The re-launched Packers.com and the new LambeauField.com are among the team's
four official Web sites which also include PackersProShop.com and
PackersTrainingCamp.com.

Packers.com has been produced by Green Bay's DMiNTERACTIVE, in conjunction with
the team, for 10 years.

Visit www.Packers.com - http://www.packers.com/


For the latest in Packers' news be sure to check out http://www.packers.com/,
the official web site of the Green Bay Packers.

1265 Lombardi Ave. - P.O. Box 10628 - Green Bay, WI 54307-0628

=========================== Green Bay Packers list ===========================
Email "unsubscribe" to packers-request@list.packers.com or visit
http://www.packers.com/fans/email_newsletter/ to be removed.

the most innovative football ... see http://www.allprosportsfootball.com ... , basketball and automobile racing series ever produced for home entertainment featuring: eleven of the greatest NFL football players and the most successful coach in NFL history; five of the greatest NBA basketball players and one of the most successful coaches in NBA history; and six internationally recognized automobile racing champions ... . sharing their life stories and demonstrating their skills in a very entertaining setting of upbeat music, three dimensional digital graphics and action footage

All Pro Sports Football Series

DigiPakImage_Low-Res
Originally uploaded by brucesingman.

"ALL PRO SPORTS FOOTBALL SERIES"

MORNING BRIEFING

Fans Along for the Ride in NFL's Fantasyland
By Jerry Crowe
Times Staff Writer

August 26, 2006

Fantasies he understands.
But fantasy football?
David Whitley of the Orlando Sentinel just doesn't get it.
"More than 15 million supposedly own teams…. ," Whitley wrote. "One study says companies could lose about $20 billion in productivity this year as employees negotiate trades, scan the Internet and ponder whether to start Laveranues Coles or Arnaz Battle at wide receiver.
"And to think I've been wasting all that work time on the Jessica Alba website."

Trivia time: What was the name of the now-defunct New York restaurant where publishing executive and fantasy-league inventor Daniel Okrent gathered with other baseball fans to perfect the rules of so-called Rotisserie leagues?
Texas tops Trojans again: As if it weren't bad enough for USC fans that Texas defeated the Trojans in the Rose Bowl, now the Longhorns are piling on.
According to the Princeton Review, Texas is the nation's No. 1 party school and ranks among the top 10 in "Lots of Hard Liquor," "Lots of Beer" and "Major Frat and Sorority Scene," and is ranked No. 13 on the "Reefer Madness" list.
USC couldn't crack the top 20 on any of those lists.
Not surprisingly, Texas also ranked among the top 10 on another list: "Their Students (Almost) Never Study."
Who has the time?
Raise your glasses, please: In ranking Milwaukee at the top of its list of "America's Drunkest Cities," forbes.com noted, "Even the name of the town's baseball team - the Brewers - alludes to its boozy past." Austin, Texas, home to the nation's No. 1 party school, came in at No. 5.
Unmasked: Cam Ward, who was the playoff most valuable player last spring in leading the Carolina Hurricanes to the Stanley Cup championship, told Canadian Press that he thoroughly enjoyed himself last month while meeting all those recognizable people at the ESPY Awards show in Los Angeles - even though he went virtually unrecognized before introducing himself as the Cup-winning goaltender.
"When you do say that, they know what you're talking about," he said. "But until you say that, they just think you're another fan."
Hollywood story: Writes Nick Canepa of the San Diego Union-Tribune, sympathetic to UCLA's wallowing in USC's long shadow last season: "Only in L.A.: Your college football team goes 10-2, matching the most wins in school history, and it's a silent movie. You're starving, busing tables, or sitting on a stool at Schwab's waiting to be discovered."
And perhaps still smarting from a 66-19 loss to USC.
Low blow: Dwight Perry of the Seattle Times, noting that nflshop.com is offering sofas in the colors of NFL teams, complete with logo: "The Houston Texans model, no doubt, goes well in any basement."
Trivia answer: La Rotisserie Francaise.
And finally: From Jeff Gordon of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch: "Now that Pluto has lost its designation as a planet, will scientists declare that Barry Bonds' head is now part of the solar system?"


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the most innovative football ... see http://www.allprosportsfootball.com ... , basketball and automobile racing series ever produced for home entertainment featuring: eleven of the greatest NFL football players and the most successful coach in NFL history; five of the greatest NBA basketball players and one of the most successful coaches in NBA history; and six internationally recognized automobile racing champions ... . sharing their life stories and demonstrating their skills in a very entertaining setting of upbeat music, three dimensional digital graphics and action footage

Brett Favre

Brett Favre
Originally uploaded by brucesingman.

USA FOOTBALL NAMES MISSISSIPPI BEST FOOTBALL STATE
August 25, 2006 - 10:59 AM EDT
Governor Haley Barbour Joins Mississippi Football Legends Archie Manning,
Deuce McAllister, Hugh Green and LC Greenwood in Accepting Prestigious Award

JACKSON, MS (August 25, 2006) – Football may still be king in California, Florida and Texas but a new powerhouse was introduced today – the State of Mississippi – as Governor Haley Barbour accepted the 2006 Governor’s Cup from USA Football, the national youth football advocacy organization founded by the NFL and the NFL Players Association.

The award salutes Mississippi as the nation’s top football state following a study conducted by The Wharton Spots Business Initiative at the University of Pennsylvania. The project encapsulated a variety of per capita criteria including, the percentages of collegiate and professional football fans, number of NFL players who hail from the state, percentage of high school football players in the state and percentage of high school players who have letters-of-intent to play for NCAA Division I-A colleges and universities.

“Receiving this honor is about celebrating a long history of Mississippi football legends –a tradition that continues today with many NFL stars who are Mississippi natives,” said Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour. “We're proud of them all. The 2006 Governor’s Cup will serve as a symbol of the strength shown by Mississippians as they remain committed to rebuilding our communities following the tragedy that struck the Gulf Coast one year ago.”

USA Football Chairman and former U.S. Congressman Jack Kemp will present Governor Barbour with the inaugural award at a press conference at the state capitol. The presentation will also offer an opportunity to celebrate with Mississippi football legends Archie Manning, Deuce McAllister, L.C. Greenwood, Hugh Green, and the family of Mississippi great Walter Payton. They will be joined by officials from the NFL, New Orleans Saints and members of Mississippi college, high school and youth football leagues.

The presentation of the 2006 Governor’s Cup will also kickoff USA Football’s “Play Football Month” celebration in conjunction with the NFL and NFL Players Association. Billed as the “World’s Largest Youth Football Celebration,” it is designed to promote the sport of football at all levels. From mid-August through mid-September, NFL teams will host special events in their communities, including clinics, skills competitions, scrimmages, picnics and parades. Additionally, USA Football will award $500,000 in equipment grants to youth football leagues throughout the country. Applications are available at www.usafootball.com.

“We present the Governor’s Cup to recognize everything that’s great about the sport of football – the passion of the fans, the focus of the players and the commitment of the coaches and administrators who help young men harness the skills necessary to ultimately play on Sundays,” said Jack Kemp, Chairman of USA Football. “The lessons learned playing football extend beyond the fundamentals of the game. Football teaches important life lessons from dealing with adversity and developing a strong work ethic, to learning the value of teamwork and building character.”

Research for the Governor’s Cup was performed by Dr. Jason Wingard of The Wharton Sports Business Initiative at the University of Pennsylvania and included data from the ESPN Sports Poll, the National Federation of State High Schools Association participation survey, College Sports Television’s 2006 NCAA Division-I recruiting base, the National Football League and the 2000 U.S. Population Census.

The study ranked all 50 states and the District of Columbia based on five different criteria: percentage of professional football fans (Mississippi ranked 21st), percentage of college football fans (15th), percentage of varsity high school football players divided by the state’s male population 15-17 (3rd), percentage of signed NCAA Division-I recruits for 2006 divided by the number of 11-man varsity high school football players in that state (7th) and the percentage of NFL players in 2005 divided by the number of 11-man varsity high school players in the state (8th). The states ranking in the top 10 included (in order of finish) Mississippi, Georgia, Louisiana, Ohio, Alabama, Texas, Virginia, South Carolina, Kansas and Florida.

Founded in 2002 by the National Football League and NFL Player’s Association, USA Football is an independent non-profit organization whose purpose is to support and expand football at all amateur levels. The first national advocacy group created for this purpose, USA Football enhances the development and operation of leagues, teams, coaches, parents and players across the country with resources and best practices such as coaching and health & safety information. The organization also serves as the designated United States representative to the International Federation of American Football.

-
Newsletter | Youth Football Directory | Press Box | Partners | Contact Us | Credits
© 2006 USA Football, Inc. All rights reserved. Terms of Use | Site Map
Powered by Orases Technology


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Reggie White

Reggie White
Originally uploaded by brucesingman.

USA FOOTBALL NAMES MISSISSIPPI BEST FOOTBALL STATE
August 25, 2006 - 10:59 AM EDT
Governor Haley Barbour Joins Mississippi Football Legends Archie Manning,
Deuce McAllister, Hugh Green and LC Greenwood in Accepting Prestigious Award

JACKSON, MS (August 25, 2006) – Football may still be king in California, Florida and Texas but a new powerhouse was introduced today – the State of Mississippi – as Governor Haley Barbour accepted the 2006 Governor’s Cup from USA Football, the national youth football advocacy organization founded by the NFL and the NFL Players Association.

The award salutes Mississippi as the nation’s top football state following a study conducted by The Wharton Spots Business Initiative at the University of Pennsylvania. The project encapsulated a variety of per capita criteria including, the percentages of collegiate and professional football fans, number of NFL players who hail from the state, percentage of high school football players in the state and percentage of high school players who have letters-of-intent to play for NCAA Division I-A colleges and universities.

“Receiving this honor is about celebrating a long history of Mississippi football legends –a tradition that continues today with many NFL stars who are Mississippi natives,” said Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour. “We're proud of them all. The 2006 Governor’s Cup will serve as a symbol of the strength shown by Mississippians as they remain committed to rebuilding our communities following the tragedy that struck the Gulf Coast one year ago.”

USA Football Chairman and former U.S. Congressman Jack Kemp will present Governor Barbour with the inaugural award at a press conference at the state capitol. The presentation will also offer an opportunity to celebrate with Mississippi football legends Archie Manning, Deuce McAllister, L.C. Greenwood, Hugh Green, and the family of Mississippi great Walter Payton. They will be joined by officials from the NFL, New Orleans Saints and members of Mississippi college, high school and youth football leagues.

The presentation of the 2006 Governor’s Cup will also kickoff USA Football’s “Play Football Month” celebration in conjunction with the NFL and NFL Players Association. Billed as the “World’s Largest Youth Football Celebration,” it is designed to promote the sport of football at all levels. From mid-August through mid-September, NFL teams will host special events in their communities, including clinics, skills competitions, scrimmages, picnics and parades. Additionally, USA Football will award $500,000 in equipment grants to youth football leagues throughout the country. Applications are available at www.usafootball.com.

“We present the Governor’s Cup to recognize everything that’s great about the sport of football – the passion of the fans, the focus of the players and the commitment of the coaches and administrators who help young men harness the skills necessary to ultimately play on Sundays,” said Jack Kemp, Chairman of USA Football. “The lessons learned playing football extend beyond the fundamentals of the game. Football teaches important life lessons from dealing with adversity and developing a strong work ethic, to learning the value of teamwork and building character.”

Research for the Governor’s Cup was performed by Dr. Jason Wingard of The Wharton Sports Business Initiative at the University of Pennsylvania and included data from the ESPN Sports Poll, the National Federation of State High Schools Association participation survey, College Sports Television’s 2006 NCAA Division-I recruiting base, the National Football League and the 2000 U.S. Population Census.

The study ranked all 50 states and the District of Columbia based on five different criteria: percentage of professional football fans (Mississippi ranked 21st), percentage of college football fans (15th), percentage of varsity high school football players divided by the state’s male population 15-17 (3rd), percentage of signed NCAA Division-I recruits for 2006 divided by the number of 11-man varsity high school football players in that state (7th) and the percentage of NFL players in 2005 divided by the number of 11-man varsity high school players in the state (8th). The states ranking in the top 10 included (in order of finish) Mississippi, Georgia, Louisiana, Ohio, Alabama, Texas, Virginia, South Carolina, Kansas and Florida.

Founded in 2002 by the National Football League and NFL Player’s Association, USA Football is an independent non-profit organization whose purpose is to support and expand football at all amateur levels. The first national advocacy group created for this purpose, USA Football enhances the development and operation of leagues, teams, coaches, parents and players across the country with resources and best practices such as coaching and health & safety information. The organization also serves as the designated United States representative to the International Federation of American Football.

-
Newsletter | Youth Football Directory | Press Box | Partners | Contact Us | Credits
© 2006 USA Football, Inc. All rights reserved. Terms of Use | Site Map
Powered by Orases Technology


the most innovative football ... see http://www.allprosportsfootball.com ... , basketball and automobile racing series ever produced for home entertainment featuring: eleven of the greatest NFL football players and the most successful coach in NFL history; five of the greatest NBA basketball players and one of the most successful coaches in NBA history; and six internationally recognized automobile racing champions ... . sharing their life stories and demonstrating their skills in a very entertaining setting of upbeat music, three dimensional digital graphics and action footage

Don Shula

Don Shula
Originally uploaded by brucesingman.

"ALL PRO SPORTS FOOTBALL SERIES"

MORNING BRIEFING

Fans Along for the Ride in NFL's Fantasyland
By Jerry Crowe
Times Staff Writer

August 26, 2006

Fantasies he understands.
But fantasy football?
David Whitley of the Orlando Sentinel just doesn't get it.
"More than 15 million supposedly own teams…. ," Whitley wrote. "One study says companies could lose about $20 billion in productivity this year as employees negotiate trades, scan the Internet and ponder whether to start Laveranues Coles or Arnaz Battle at wide receiver.
"And to think I've been wasting all that work time on the Jessica Alba website."

Trivia time: What was the name of the now-defunct New York restaurant where publishing executive and fantasy-league inventor Daniel Okrent gathered with other baseball fans to perfect the rules of so-called Rotisserie leagues?
Texas tops Trojans again: As if it weren't bad enough for USC fans that Texas defeated the Trojans in the Rose Bowl, now the Longhorns are piling on.
According to the Princeton Review, Texas is the nation's No. 1 party school and ranks among the top 10 in "Lots of Hard Liquor," "Lots of Beer" and "Major Frat and Sorority Scene," and is ranked No. 13 on the "Reefer Madness" list.
USC couldn't crack the top 20 on any of those lists.
Not surprisingly, Texas also ranked among the top 10 on another list: "Their Students (Almost) Never Study."
Who has the time?
Raise your glasses, please: In ranking Milwaukee at the top of its list of "America's Drunkest Cities," forbes.com noted, "Even the name of the town's baseball team — the Brewers — alludes to its boozy past." Austin, Texas, home to the nation's No. 1 party school, came in at No. 5.
Unmasked: Cam Ward, who was the playoff most valuable player last spring in leading the Carolina Hurricanes to the Stanley Cup championship, told Canadian Press that he thoroughly enjoyed himself last month while meeting all those recognizable people at the ESPY Awards show in Los Angeles — even though he went virtually unrecognized before introducing himself as the Cup-winning goaltender.
"When you do say that, they know what you're talking about," he said. "But until you say that, they just think you're another fan."
Hollywood story: Writes Nick Canepa of the San Diego Union-Tribune, sympathetic to UCLA's wallowing in USC's long shadow last season: "Only in L.A.: Your college football team goes 10-2, matching the most wins in school history, and it's a silent movie. You're starving, busing tables, or sitting on a stool at Schwab's waiting to be discovered."
And perhaps still smarting from a 66-19 loss to USC.
Low blow: Dwight Perry of the Seattle Times, noting that nflshop.com is offering sofas in the colors of NFL teams, complete with logo: "The Houston Texans model, no doubt, goes well in any basement."
Trivia answer: La Rotisserie Francaise.
And finally: From Jeff Gordon of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch: "Now that Pluto has lost its designation as a planet, will scientists declare that Barry Bonds' head is now part of the solar system?"


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All Pro Sports Football Series

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FOOTBALL VIDEO GAME REVIEW
Madden NFL has field to itself

The hot item's latest version takes its football seriously for '07.
By Pete Metzger
Special to The Times

August 24, 2006
TUESDAY was a national holiday. Didn't you hear? Folks lined up at stores the night before, hearts aflutter. Then on the big day, these same people took off from work to celebrate an occurrence that happens only once a year.
The reason? A new version of the über-popular pro football video game series was released, this year dubbed Madden NFL 07. To those in the know, we wish you a belated Merry Maddenoliday.
So exactly how does a game earn its own holiday?
For starters, Madden NFL is the only fully licensed NFL game on the market, with Electronic Arts having bought the exclusive rights to the league in 2005, squashing any competitors. It's also celebrating its 17th anniversary; the first John Madden Football came out for the Apple II computer in 1989. And it has spawned a cottage industry of its own, such as the recent $19.95 pay-per-view TV show hyping the game's new features. Add that to the anticipation of a new season of the most popular spectator sport in this country and you've got reason to celebrate.
But it's still just a video game, right?
Well, yes and no. Even before EA effectively bought out the competition, it was the best pure pro football simulator out there. Real NFL players became huge fans, and some even took exception to the way their cyber versions were portrayed ("I'm not as slow as that guy!" they'd complain).
And the supposed Madden cover jinx meant that if your likeness landed on the cover, you had all the pleasures of a real-life injury-marred season ahead (for examples, see Michael Vick in 2003 and Donovan McNabb last year). It's more than just a game; it's an institution.

SO what sets this year's installment apart from last year's, besides the updated rosters? After all, the franchise is the best around. How much can they truly improve without rival football games spurring competition and revolutionary ideas?
Not a whole lot.
Gone from this year's game is the much-derided quarterback vision feature from last year, in which the QB had to have the receiver in his sight before he could attempt a pass. It's been replaced with the ability to control your running back's lead blocker. (Hey, what's next? The ability to control the guy who fetches the kicking tee?)
The quirky and amusing "create a superstar" mode has been added to the visually superior next-gen Xbox 360 version (it was only on the PlayStation 2 and Xbox versions last year), and the visuals and gameplay are still top-shelf.
The only other major addition is the Hall of Fame feature, in which players can unlock videos, bios and stats of players who have been enshrined at Canton, Ohio.
And because of John Madden's induction this year, a special Hall of Fame edition is available for those willing to tack on $10 to see more highlights and biographical info about the game's namesake.
Yet even with the new features, the game still feels very serious, and at times intimidating. (All those formations and plays to choose from! Help!) It successfully strives to be the ultimate NFL simulator, albeit one that's not for laughs. Even the mini-games, whose sole purpose is a change of pace, are all business, such as running the 40-yard dash and doing bench presses for scouts.
Still, none of this will matter to Madden-aholics. They're too busy enjoying the most wonderful time of the year.

Details: All platforms. $69.99 to $49.99. Rated: Everyone.

If you want other stories on this topic, search the Archives at latimes.com/archives.

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AROUND THE NFL AUGUST 24, 2006

Owens Is Taking a Cautious Stance
From the Associated Press

August 24, 2006
Terrell Owens won't be in any hurry to get off the bicycle this time.
Like he did for most practices during training camp in Oxnard, Owens rode a stationary bicycle Wednesday when the Dallas Cowboys held their first workout at Irving, Texas. The receiver said he aggravated his left hamstring injury by returning to practice too soon last week.
"At this point, yeah, I will be close to 100% before I get back on the field," Owens said. "I'm not going to jeopardize my health just because of speculation or anything like that."
Owens characterized his injury as a "severe pull" and said he almost certainly would sit out his third consecutive exhibition. The Cowboys play host to the San Francisco 49ers, Owens' original team, Saturday night.
Owens had returned to practice after Cowboys owner Jerry Jones suggested that the receiver needed to learn how to practice at less than 100%. His first practice back came only hours after Coach Bill Parcells reiterated that Owens needed to be on the field.
Owens first felt a twinge in his hamstring Aug. 2, but an MRI exam three days later was clear. Owens said an MRI exam this week was negative, with only a little fluid in the hamstring.
It's possible that Owens might not play in a game for Dallas until the Sept. 10 opener at Jacksonville. He hasn't played in a game with quarterback Drew Bledsoe, and the Dallas offense is different from the West Coast scheme Owens played in with the 49ers and Philadelphia Eagles.
"He is pretty much up on what to do," Parcells said. "He has been very attentive in meetings and trying to learn."

------------------------------------------------------------------------
Drew Henson won't be on the Cowboys' roster this season, and the former third baseman once considered the team's quarterback of the future might be on the trading block.
Henson's locker had already been cleaned out when reporters were allowed into the locker room before practice. For now, rookie free agent Matt Baker is the No. 3 quarterback behind Bledsoe and Tony Romo.
"I'm really not at liberty to discuss the situation because I'm not privy to that information," Parcells said.
Henson had played three seasons in the New York Yankees' organization when the Cowboys acquired him from the Houston Texans in March 2003. The Texans had the rights to Henson after drafting him in 2002.
Three years ago the Cowboys gave Henson an eight-year deal with a guaranteed $3.5 million — the most for a sixth-round pick — and sent a third-round draft pick to the Texans. The last four years of Henson's contract were voidable.

------------------------------------------------------------------------
Indianapolis Colts running back James Mungro will miss the season after tearing a right knee ligament during Sunday's exhibition against Seattle.
Mungro, a short-yardage specialist, has scored 13 touchdowns in four seasons with the Colts.

------------------------------------------------------------------------
New York Jets running back Kevan Barlow apologized to 49ers Coach Mike Nolan for comparing him to Adolf Hitler in a newspaper interview.
Barlow, traded from San Francisco to New York on Sunday for a fourth-round pick, made his comments to the Contra Costa Times. The outspoken Barlow said he left a detailed message for Nolan.
"If I could take it back, I would," Barlow said. "I was very emotional. All I knew at the time was San Francisco, that was where I started my career, that's where my house was. It was a shock to me.
"I'm a passionate player, I'm an emotional guy when it comes to on the field and off the field. Sometimes it gets the best of us. I put it behind me, and I'm glad to be a Jet."
Barlow was upset with the trade because Nolan assured him earlier in the week he wouldn't be dealt. He told the newspaper Nolan was a "first-time head coach with too much power."


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the most innovative football ... see http://www.allprosportsfootball.com ... , basketball and automobile racing series ever produced for home entertainment featuring: eleven of the greatest NFL football players and the most successful coach in NFL history; five of the greatest NBA basketball players and one of the most successful coaches in NBA history; and six internationally recognized automobile racing champions ... . sharing their life stories and demonstrating their skills in a very entertaining setting of upbeat music, three dimensional digital graphics and action footage

Brett Favre

Brett Favre
Originally uploaded by brucesingman.

Brett Favre of the "All Pro Sports Football Series"

MORNING BRIEFING

Wilt Got Back at the New Kid on the Block
By Mike Penner
Times Staff Writer

August 24, 2006
Besides his long reach and the long shadow he cast over the rest of the NBA, Wilt Chamberlain also had a long memory, according to onetime playing rival Phil Jackson.

"I broke into the league the year Wilt decided that he was going to lead the NBA in assists, and did so averaging a career low in points scored," Jackson wrote in an e-mail to The Times' Bill Dwyre. "The 76ers were a powerhouse and Wilt did not need to do the scoring….

"One time when guarding their power forward, Luke Jackson, on a baseline cut, I timed one of Wilt's favorite offensive moves, the finger roll, and blocked his shot. He never forgot that and made it a point to block my shots for the next umpteen games."

Jackson described Chamberlain as "a gentle man for all the size and power that he possessed, but had a great deal of pride in his accomplishments. I think Alex Hannum and Bill Sharman reached him as no other coaches had ever done in the NBA — interestingly they were also teammates at USC and ran the [triangle] offense that gave him a lot of options."

Trivia time: How many times did Chamberlain lead the NBA in assists?

A funny game: Comedian George Lopez was introduced Tuesday as the host for the 2007 Bob Hope Chrysler Classic. Lopez described himself as an avid golfer, calling the game "the father I never had. It's been a friend I can always count on. When I couldn't afford to play golf, I would hit lemons in my backyard."

Lopez said the funniest thing about golf is "seeing someone who is at the height of their professional career — it may even be an actor, a singer or a performer — and have them look like they just found that club and have never held it before. So the vulnerability that it gives you when you try to be cool — but you've put three in the water on 10 at PGA West — is really what's funny."

And England's dreaming: This year's U.S. Open draw pairs Tim Henman and Greg Rusedski in the first round. Meaning: England is guaranteed a player in the second round.

There, Henman or Rusedski will probably face Roger Federer. Meaning: England is guaranteed of being out of the tournament before the third round.

Rechargeable: Brett Favre has signed a two-year endorsement deal with Rayovac batteries, with the Green Bay Packers quarterback to be featured in a series of television and print ads starting in October.

Rayovac batteries: They just keep going … and going … and then they take time out to think about quitting … and then they announce they need more time … and then they keep going … and going …



Trivia answer: Once, when he averaged 8.6 assists a game for Philadelphia during the 1967-68 season. He placed third in 1966-67 with a 7.8 average.



And finally: From reader Jack Grimshaw of Orange: "Here's the scenario: The Houston Texans transfer cornerback Earthwind Moreland to the Rhein Fire of NFL Europe. End of the season, there's a video of the team's most crunching tackles, starring you know who. The title: 'Earthwind and Fire: Greatest Hits!' "


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Jerry Rice

Jerry Rice
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Jerry Rice of the "All Pro Sports Football Series"

Friday, August 25, 2006 - 12:00 AM

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Jerry Rice officially calls it a career

By GREG BEACHAM
The Associated Press

SANTA CLARA, Calif. — Jerry Rice spent some of his favorite days on the green practice fields next to the railroad tracks that run behind the San Francisco 49ers' training complex.

That's where Rice honed his game over countless hours as he became the NFL's most prolific receiver — and that's why he felt those fields were an appropriate place to say his latest goodbye to the sport he revolutionized.

Rice signed a one-day contract to retire with the San Francisco 49ers on Thursday, officially ending the receiver's matchless career back where it began.

Rice, who scored more touchdowns than anyone in league history, shed no tears during a short signing ceremony on the fields at the training complex opened in 1988 by the 49ers, his team for the first 16 of his 20 seasons.

The receiver wore his ring from the 49ers' 1989 Super Bowl championship team on a chain around his neck as he hugged his wife, Jackie, and shook hands with San Francisco owner John York.

"I would like to put the uniform on and run on that football field, but I think it's time to move on," Rice said, gesturing toward the fields where the current 49ers were practicing. "I feel welcome here. I feel like this is my home, and this is something I'll never forget."

Rice, who will turn 44 in October, hasn't played since parting ways with the Broncos before last season, holding his first retirement news conference last September in Denver. He spent three seasons in Oakland after leaving the 49ers, then played a final year with the Seahawks.

"This is where I got my start," Rice said of San Francisco. "This is where my legacy is at. This is where my heart got started, and this is where I'm going to end it."

Rice's 208 total touchdowns are 33 more than second-place Emmitt Smith. Rice holds NFL records with 1,549 receptions for 22,895 yards, and also holds the top single-season marks of 1,848 yards and 22 touchdowns.

Rice's final NFL contract was for $1,985,806.49 — a sum suggested by his agent, Jim Steiner, to reflect Rice's first year in the league (1985), uniform number (80), the current year ('06) and a 49 for obvious reasons. The contract was strictly ceremonial, and Rice won't actually be paid.

The 49ers will honor Rice again during a game against the Seahawks on Nov. 19 at Candlestick Park, and his No. 80 is expected to be retired in the future.

Copyright © 2006 The Seattle Times Company

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Brett Favre

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Brett Favre of the "All Pro Sports Football Series"

MORNING BRIEFING

Wilt Got Back at the New Kid on the Block
By Mike Penner
Times Staff Writer

August 24, 2006
Besides his long reach and the long shadow he cast over the rest of the NBA, Wilt Chamberlain also had a long memory, according to onetime playing rival Phil Jackson.

"I broke into the league the year Wilt decided that he was going to lead the NBA in assists, and did so averaging a career low in points scored," Jackson wrote in an e-mail to The Times' Bill Dwyre. "The 76ers were a powerhouse and Wilt did not need to do the scoring….

"One time when guarding their power forward, Luke Jackson, on a baseline cut, I timed one of Wilt's favorite offensive moves, the finger roll, and blocked his shot. He never forgot that and made it a point to block my shots for the next umpteen games."

Jackson described Chamberlain as "a gentle man for all the size and power that he possessed, but had a great deal of pride in his accomplishments. I think Alex Hannum and Bill Sharman reached him as no other coaches had ever done in the NBA — interestingly they were also teammates at USC and ran the [triangle] offense that gave him a lot of options."

Trivia time: How many times did Chamberlain lead the NBA in assists?

A funny game: Comedian George Lopez was introduced Tuesday as the host for the 2007 Bob Hope Chrysler Classic. Lopez described himself as an avid golfer, calling the game "the father I never had. It's been a friend I can always count on. When I couldn't afford to play golf, I would hit lemons in my backyard."

Lopez said the funniest thing about golf is "seeing someone who is at the height of their professional career — it may even be an actor, a singer or a performer — and have them look like they just found that club and have never held it before. So the vulnerability that it gives you when you try to be cool — but you've put three in the water on 10 at PGA West — is really what's funny."

And England's dreaming: This year's U.S. Open draw pairs Tim Henman and Greg Rusedski in the first round. Meaning: England is guaranteed a player in the second round.

There, Henman or Rusedski will probably face Roger Federer. Meaning: England is guaranteed of being out of the tournament before the third round.

Rechargeable: Brett Favre has signed a two-year endorsement deal with Rayovac batteries, with the Green Bay Packers quarterback to be featured in a series of television and print ads starting in October.

Rayovac batteries: They just keep going … and going … and then they take time out to think about quitting … and then they announce they need more time … and then they keep going … and going …



Trivia answer: Once, when he averaged 8.6 assists a game for Philadelphia during the 1967-68 season. He placed third in 1966-67 with a 7.8 average.



And finally: From reader Jack Grimshaw of Orange: "Here's the scenario: The Houston Texans transfer cornerback Earthwind Moreland to the Rhein Fire of NFL Europe. End of the season, there's a video of the team's most crunching tackles, starring you know who. The title: 'Earthwind and Fire: Greatest Hits!' "


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AROUND THE NFL August 24, 2006

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AROUND THE NFL

Owens Is Taking a Cautious Stance
From the Associated Press

August 24, 2006
Terrell Owens won't be in any hurry to get off the bicycle this time.
Like he did for most practices during training camp in Oxnard, Owens rode a stationary bicycle Wednesday when the Dallas Cowboys held their first workout at Irving, Texas. The receiver said he aggravated his left hamstring injury by returning to practice too soon last week.
"At this point, yeah, I will be close to 100% before I get back on the field," Owens said. "I'm not going to jeopardize my health just because of speculation or anything like that."
Owens characterized his injury as a "severe pull" and said he almost certainly would sit out his third consecutive exhibition. The Cowboys play host to the San Francisco 49ers, Owens' original team, Saturday night.
Owens had returned to practice after Cowboys owner Jerry Jones suggested that the receiver needed to learn how to practice at less than 100%. His first practice back came only hours after Coach Bill Parcells reiterated that Owens needed to be on the field.
Owens first felt a twinge in his hamstring Aug. 2, but an MRI exam three days later was clear. Owens said an MRI exam this week was negative, with only a little fluid in the hamstring.
It's possible that Owens might not play in a game for Dallas until the Sept. 10 opener at Jacksonville. He hasn't played in a game with quarterback Drew Bledsoe, and the Dallas offense is different from the West Coast scheme Owens played in with the 49ers and Philadelphia Eagles.
"He is pretty much up on what to do," Parcells said. "He has been very attentive in meetings and trying to learn."

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Drew Henson won't be on the Cowboys' roster this season, and the former third baseman once considered the team's quarterback of the future might be on the trading block.
Henson's locker had already been cleaned out when reporters were allowed into the locker room before practice. For now, rookie free agent Matt Baker is the No. 3 quarterback behind Bledsoe and Tony Romo.
"I'm really not at liberty to discuss the situation because I'm not privy to that information," Parcells said.
Henson had played three seasons in the New York Yankees' organization when the Cowboys acquired him from the Houston Texans in March 2003. The Texans had the rights to Henson after drafting him in 2002.
Three years ago the Cowboys gave Henson an eight-year deal with a guaranteed $3.5 million — the most for a sixth-round pick — and sent a third-round draft pick to the Texans. The last four years of Henson's contract were voidable.

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Indianapolis Colts running back James Mungro will miss the season after tearing a right knee ligament during Sunday's exhibition against Seattle.
Mungro, a short-yardage specialist, has scored 13 touchdowns in four seasons with the Colts.

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New York Jets running back Kevan Barlow apologized to 49ers Coach Mike Nolan for comparing him to Adolf Hitler in a newspaper interview.
Barlow, traded from San Francisco to New York on Sunday for a fourth-round pick, made his comments to the Contra Costa Times. The outspoken Barlow said he left a detailed message for Nolan.
"If I could take it back, I would," Barlow said. "I was very emotional. All I knew at the time was San Francisco, that was where I started my career, that's where my house was. It was a shock to me.
"I'm a passionate player, I'm an emotional guy when it comes to on the field and off the field. Sometimes it gets the best of us. I put it behind me, and I'm glad to be a Jet."
Barlow was upset with the trade because Nolan assured him earlier in the week he wouldn't be dealt. He told the newspaper Nolan was a "first-time head coach with too much power."


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Madden NFL 2007

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VIDEO GAME REVIEW
Madden NFL has field to itself

The hot item's latest version takes its football seriously for '07.
By Pete Metzger
Special to The Times

August 24, 2006
TUESDAY was a national holiday. Didn't you hear? Folks lined up at stores the night before, hearts aflutter. Then on the big day, these same people took off from work to celebrate an occurrence that happens only once a year.
The reason? A new version of the über-popular pro football video game series was released, this year dubbed Madden NFL 07. To those in the know, we wish you a belated Merry Maddenoliday.
So exactly how does a game earn its own holiday?
For starters, Madden NFL is the only fully licensed NFL game on the market, with Electronic Arts having bought the exclusive rights to the league in 2005, squashing any competitors. It's also celebrating its 17th anniversary; the first John Madden Football came out for the Apple II computer in 1989. And it has spawned a cottage industry of its own, such as the recent $19.95 pay-per-view TV show hyping the game's new features. Add that to the anticipation of a new season of the most popular spectator sport in this country and you've got reason to celebrate.
But it's still just a video game, right?
Well, yes and no. Even before EA effectively bought out the competition, it was the best pure pro football simulator out there. Real NFL players became huge fans, and some even took exception to the way their cyber versions were portrayed ("I'm not as slow as that guy!" they'd complain).
And the supposed Madden cover jinx meant that if your likeness landed on the cover, you had all the pleasures of a real-life injury-marred season ahead (for examples, see Michael Vick in 2003 and Donovan McNabb last year). It's more than just a game; it's an institution.

SO what sets this year's installment apart from last year's, besides the updated rosters? After all, the franchise is the best around. How much can they truly improve without rival football games spurring competition and revolutionary ideas?
Not a whole lot.
Gone from this year's game is the much-derided quarterback vision feature from last year, in which the QB had to have the receiver in his sight before he could attempt a pass. It's been replaced with the ability to control your running back's lead blocker. (Hey, what's next? The ability to control the guy who fetches the kicking tee?)
The quirky and amusing "create a superstar" mode has been added to the visually superior next-gen Xbox 360 version (it was only on the PlayStation 2 and Xbox versions last year), and the visuals and gameplay are still top-shelf.
The only other major addition is the Hall of Fame feature, in which players can unlock videos, bios and stats of players who have been enshrined at Canton, Ohio.
And because of John Madden's induction this year, a special Hall of Fame edition is available for those willing to tack on $10 to see more highlights and biographical info about the game's namesake.
Yet even with the new features, the game still feels very serious, and at times intimidating. (All those formations and plays to choose from! Help!) It successfully strives to be the ultimate NFL simulator, albeit one that's not for laughs. Even the mini-games, whose sole purpose is a change of pace, are all business, such as running the 40-yard dash and doing bench presses for scouts.
Still, none of this will matter to Madden-aholics. They're too busy enjoying the most wonderful time of the year.

Details: All platforms. $69.99 to $49.99. Rated: Everyone.

If you want other stories on this topic, search the Archives at latimes.com/archives.

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Copyright 2006 Los Angeles Times


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Pro Football Hall of Fame Senior Nominees

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2007 Pro Football Hall of Fame senior nominees announced

Canton, OH (Sports Network) - Detroit Lions tight end Charlie Sanders and Cleveland Browns guard Gene Hickerson have been selected by the Pro Football Hall of Fame's Seniors Committee as finalists for election with the Class of 2007.

Sanders and Hickerson will join 15 modern-era candidates as finalists for induction. The Class of 2007 will be announced on February 3, 2007 -- the day before Super Bowl XLI in Miami.

A seven-time Pro Bowl pick in 10 NFL seasons from 1968-77, Sanders finished his career with 336 catches for 4,817 yards with 31 touchdowns. He retired as Detroit's all-time leader in receptions and was voted to the NFL's All-Decade Team of the 1970s.

Hickerson was a standout on the offensive line for the Browns from 1958-60 and 1962-73. The six-time Pro Bowl choice was selected to the NFL's All-Decade Team of the 1960s and helped pave the way for Hall of Fame running backs Jim Brown, Bobby Mitchell and Leroy Kelly.

The last two years both Seniors Committee nominees were elected. Benny Friedman and Fritz Pollard were enshrined in 2005 and John Madden and Rayfield Wright were honored this year.

08/23 15:04:43 ET
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"Friday Night Lights" (High School Football) in Alaska

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First and Tundra
Little is ordinary on Alaska football fields. Day is night. Cold is colder. And polar bears?
By Sam Howe Verhovek
Times Staff Writer

August 21, 2006
ANCHORAGE — A light drizzle coated the synthetic turf and a chill wind blew up against the nearby Chugach Mountains, but there was no need for the Friday night lights when the Chugiak High Mustangs took the field against the Wolverines of South Anchorage High.

There was daylight until nearly 10 p.m. on opening day of the high school football season in Alaska this month. But that certainly won't be the case when the state title game is played — in late October.

Here in the Last Frontier, football marches to decidedly different rhythms from those in the lower 48, or 49, for that matter. Two-a-day practices start in July, regular competition kicks off in early August, and Alaska almost always crowns a state champion before major league baseball has a World Series winner.

For as the sun drops earlier and earlier and fall arrives, often with a vengeance, a near-universal truth dawns on players here.

"You really don't want to be playing football in Alaska in November," explaned Mike Melendez, 17, a star-of-the-week receiver for the Dimond High Lynx.

Or, as Gil Lulay put it: "It can be absolutely brutal out here." And he's only the bus driver, watching from the sidelines.

"Frozen tundra," a term perhaps too loosely thrown around NFL broadcasts, is no hyperbole here. Lulay, 70, let out a shudder when asked about the toughest conditions he'd seen.

That would probably be the third week of October nine years ago, when Anchorage city workers, led by the mayor, chopped, shoveled, chipped, picked and spread airport-quality de-icer on the field to get it ready for the state championship.

"It was really more suitable for ice hockey than football," Lulay recalled.

Still, bothersome as single-digit temperatures, snow or rock-hard fields can be, many players echo a much deeper lament about football in Alaska.

"It's really tough to get noticed up here," said Austin Mallory, 17, a defensive end for the Lynx. "You play your butt off, but most colleges don't have us on the recruiting circuit."

The four-conference Alaska high school football program has at least three alumni active in the NFL and at least five others who formerly played in the league, according to Elmore Laws III, publisher of alaskapreps.com, a website that covers high school sports.

But, said Laws, who played high school football in Las Vegas, "when it comes right down to it, unless you are an exceptional stand-out athlete, it can be hard to generate a lot of national attention." A lot of the players receive traditional recruiting letters, but few end up with scholarships.

"We do have a lot of kids who wind up as walk-ons at D-2 schools," Laws said, referring to Division II colleges, which rank below the powerhouses in the National Collegiate Athletic Assn.

This year, the Barrow High Whalers are fielding a team believed to be the first U.S. high school football team north of the Arctic Circle.

Barrow, Alaska's northernmost village, is more than 500 miles away from its nearest gridiron foe.

On Saturday, the visiting Delta Junction High Huskies, from the Fairbanks area, played the Whalers just yards from the Arctic Ocean, amid snow flurries and temperatures in the 30s.

Barrow school officials had told the visitors the district would place a sentry in a wooden lookout tower to keep an eye out for wandering polar bears.

Pressed for details, Barrow High's assistant principal, Mike Wetherbee, let out a laugh over the phone, and conceded there may have been an intimidation factor behind that announcement.

"The truth is, polar bears at this point in the year really aren't all that much of a problem," Wetherbee said. Alas, Barrow lost, 34-0.

For the 40-player squad in Barrow, and indeed for the whole 4,500-person village, the game was a "huge deal," Wetherbee said, regardless of the outcome.

However, while Barrow High's basketball team shocked the world — or Alaska, anyway — by getting to the finals of the state championship two years ago (it lost an overtime heartbreaker to perennial powerhouse Valdez, 70-65), there will be no such "Hoosiers"-style miracle this year in football.

As an independent team unaligned with any official conference, and with only four games on its varsity schedule, the Whalers won't be eligible for the playoffs this year.

The "long-term goal" is to get there, Wetherbee said, but travel funds are a problem: There is no road to Barrow from the rest of the state, so any "road games" will, in fact, require an airline flight. The team will travel 1,150 miles Sept. 16 to play a game at Sitka, in the Alaska Panhandle.

The state's other unaligned team, in Ketchikan, at the southern tip of Alaska, also has to fly to its road games.

There are just four conferences in the state — the Northern Lights, the Greatland, the Cook Inlet and the Railbelt — most of them concentrated in the Anchorage or Fairbanks areas.

Several of the Lynx from Anchorage's Dimond High gathered, dressed in their jerseys, to watch the Wolverines of South Anchorage and the Mustangs of Chugiak play at the Anchorage Football Stadium, a municipal facility here.

"We are pumped," explained the 6-foot-3 Melendez, the star receiver. "We are definitely out for revenge this year. We want a shot at these guys."

The object of his wrath was the South Anchorage squad, out on the field. Last year, the Lynx won the Cook Inlet conference crown and were a favorite for the state title — but then lost to the Wolverines in the first round of the playoffs.

Despite the brave talk, Dimond may face an uphill battle getting to the playoffs this year. The day after the recent Friday night game here, the Bartlett High Golden Bears dismantled the Lynx, 47-17, even though Melendez scored two touchdowns.

While only 29 high schools in the state field football squads, nearly 200 have basketball teams, said Laws, whose website covers both sports.

For football, Laws' list of "BOPs"(or "Bust-Out Players") for Week 1 as well as the "Players to Watch" for upcoming games, offer an interesting reflection of the polyglot nature of Alaska's population, which includes Aleuts and Eskimos; descendants of gold-rush pioneers and of fishermen who migrated from Russia and elsewhere in Europe, as well as the Philippines; and a sizable number of military personnel drawn from all over.

Among the stars are Melendez, Chebon Jimenez, Haakan Bohman, Vladimir Gamossov, Sven Solberg, Keith Nederhoed, Clayton LaCroix and Vernon Pennywell III, known as "V."

For now, there are no plans to push the season into November, though some fans thought it a possibility — a potential upside to global warming, which many Alaskans describe as an unfortunate fact of life here that they say has brought muggier and buggier summers to the tundra.

Another idea that has been kicked around — with no action taken — is to take the weather elements out of football here, at least for the playoffs, by building an indoor stadium. If it did so, Alaska would not be alone: In Washington state, for instance, the football championships are played in the Tacoma Dome.

"A lot of the coaches are in favor of it, actually," Laws said. "Because the general feeling is, the football season is way too short in Alaska. It ends too soon."


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... see http://www.allprosportsfootball.com ... for the most innovative football series ever produced for home entertainment: the HBO Sports Video Spirit Award and Telly Award winning "All Pro Sports Football Series" featuring: outstanding NFL players Brett Favre; Ronnie Lott; Jerry Rice: Reggie White; Jack Del Rio; Jim Lachey; Brent Jones; Eric Allen; Rodney Hampton; Jeff Gossett; and Jeff Jaeger ...; and Don Shula ... the most successful coach in NFL history ... sharing their life stories through exclusive one-on-one in-depth interviews and never before seen home movies and demonstrating their skills ... in a very entertaining setting of upbeat music, three dimensional digital graphics and NFL Films action footage

Jerry Rice

Jerry Rice
Originally uploaded by brucesingman.

Jerry Rice of the "All Pro Sports Football Series"

Sunday, August 20, 2006 - 12:00 AM

Permission to reprint or copy this article or photo, other than personal use, must be obtained from The Seattle Times. Call 206-464-3113 or e-mail resale@seattletimes.com with your request.
DOUG BENC / GETTY IMAGES
Miami Dolphins quarterback Daunte Culpepper looks for an open receiver during Saturday's exhibition game against the Buccaneers in Tampa, Fla. He was 7 of 9 for 86 yards.

NFL Wire Roundup: Culpepper passes important test

By Gannett News Service and The Associated Press

TAMPA, Fla. — Miami Dolphins quarterback Daunte Culpepper received his first regular-season-like contact since he suffered a right-knee injury in late October.

And Tampa Bay quarterback Chris Simms faced equal defensive intensity Saturday during the second exhibition game for both teams.

The Dolphins defeated the Buccaneers 13-10 in front of an announced crowd of 65,140. Both teams are 1-1.

Culpepper and Simms each were fine after taking their first in-game hits of 2006.

Culpepper completed 7 of 9 passes for 86 yards. Simms completed 2 of 7 for 27 yards.

Ex-Minnesota Viking Culpepper, making a comeback from reconstructive knee surgery, went virtually untouched during last week's exhibition. Tampa Bay's defense made sure that didn't happen again, combining for sacks on consecutive first-quarter plays against Culpepper.

"It was beautiful to finally get a hit because everybody was kind of waiting to see what would happen, what would be my reaction," Culpepper said. "I think I handled it pretty well."

Miami's Dan "Big Daddy" Wilkinson, all 6 feet 4, 349 pounds of him, sacked Simms on consecutive plays in the first quarter.

Other games

Panthers 17, at Jaguars 10

David Garrard, usually Jacksonville's reserve quarterback, got a chance to show what he could do with the first-team offense. But he fumbled three times and had a pass picked off as the Jaguars (1-1) lost to Carolina (2-0).

Vikings 17, at Steelers 10

Brad Johnson and rookie Tarvaris Jackson each threw for a touchdown and Minnesota (1-1) got production from starters and backups alike in beating Pittsburgh (0-2) in the Steelers' first home game since they beat the Seahawks in the Super Bowl in Detroit in February.

Ben Roethlisberger, a surprise starter because of his right-thumb injury, threw for a touchdown on Pittsburgh's opening drive before the offense virtually shut down for the rest of the game.

At Packers 38, Falcons 10

Brett Favre led Green Bay (1-1) on its first two touchdown drives of the exhibition season as the Packers routed Atlanta (1-1).

Favre was 16 of 22 for 134 yards, throwing two touchdown passes to cap long drives and leading the Packers toward a field goal after a pass by Falcons quarterback Michael Vick was intercepted.

Vick was 5 of 7 for 59 yards.

Jets 27, at Washington 14

Derrick Blaylock made a promising bid to win the starting running-back job, gaining 46 yards on 10 carries as New York (1-1) beat Washington (0-2).

Texans 27, at Rams 20

Vernand Morency, who did not play in the exhibition opener (partly because of a hip injury), scored on touchdown runs of 4 and 43 yards to help Houston (2-0) beat St. Louis (1-1).

At Patriots 30, Cardinals 3

Rookie quarterback Matt Leinart from USC was 4 of 11 for 45 yards for Arizona (1-1), which struggled at New England (1-1). Tom Brady of the Patriots was 15 of 20 for 149 yards.

At Broncos 35, Titans 10

Mike Bell scored ran 10 times for 73 yards and scored on two 1-yard runs to help Denver (1-1) beat Tennessee (0-2).

Broncos quarterback Jake Plummer was 6 of 8 for 97 yards before giving way to backup Jay Cutler, a rookie who led Denver on touchdown drives on his first two series.

Notes

• Dallas Cowboys receiver Terrell Owens is going to have to practice more before he plays for coach Bill Parcells. Parcells said Owens won't play Monday night against New Orleans. Owens went through his fifth straight practice since missing 14 in a row because of a hamstring problem.

• Jerry Rice, who holds most of the league's significant receiving records, will retire as a member of the San Francisco 49ers this week.

Ex-Seahawk Rice, 43, won three Super Bowls during 16 seasons with the 49ers. He will sign a contract Thursday before making his retirement official. Rice will be honored again at half-time of the 49ers' game against the Seahawks on Nov. 19.

Copyright © 2006 The Seattle Times Company

... see http://www.allprosportsfootball.com ... for the most innovative football series ever produced for home entertainment: the HBO Sports Video Spirit Award and Telly Award winning "All Pro Sports Football Series" featuring: outstanding NFL players Brett Favre; Ronnie Lott; Jerry Rice: Reggie White; Jack Del Rio; Jim Lachey; Brent Jones; Eric Allen; Rodney Hampton; Jeff Gossett; and Jeff Jaeger ...; and Don Shula ... the most successful coach in NFL history ... sharing their life stories through exclusive one-on-one in-depth interviews and never before seen home movies and demonstrating their skills ... in a very entertaining setting of upbeat music, three dimensional digital graphics and NFL Films action footage ... narrated by Emmy Award winning sports journalist and television personality Roy Firestone ...

Brett Favre

Brett Favre
Originally uploaded by brucesingman.

Brett Favre: Quarterback

Brett Favre has become one of the best quarterbacks in the National Football League and is paving his way to future consideration for the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Brett played in the Pro Bowl following the 1992, 1993,1995-97 and 2001 seasons and was selected to play in the Pro Bowl following the 2002 season. Brett has passed for 396 touchdowns in his 225 game career and only Dan Marino (44) and Johnny Unitas (53) reached 100 touchdown passes in fewer games. Brett passed for a League-leading 38 touchdowns in 1995 to compile the third highest total in the National Football League history and was selected both as the National Football League's Offensive Player of the Year and Most Valuable Player. Brett was selected the League's Most Valuable Player again in 1996 and 1997.

As one of the most elusive quarterbacks in the League, Brett has taken command as the "Field General" of the Green Bay Packers and strikes fear into the hearts of defensive players all over the league.

Brett has steadily improved his game through dedication and hard work and is currently playing like one of the greatest quarterbacks ever to play the game.

Brett has achieved his remarkable success through tremendous concentration and desire, an intense conditioning program and a commitment to succeed. Brett is as competitive as any player in the game and will accept nothing less than a maximum effort from himself and his teammates.

In his "All Pro Sports Football Series" DVD, Brett shares his life story and demonstrates footwork, ball-handling and passing techniques and shares with us his ideas about what it takes to achieve success.

... see http://www.allprosportsfootball.com ... for the most innovative football series ever produced for home entertainment: the HBO Sports Video Spirit Award and Telly Award winning "All Pro Sports Football Series" featuring: outstanding NFL players Brett Favre; Ronnie Lott; Jerry Rice: Reggie White; Jack Del Rio; Jim Lachey; Brent Jones; Eric Allen; Rodney Hampton; Jeff Gossett; and Jeff Jaeger ...; and Don Shula ... the most successful coach in NFL history ... sharing their life stories through exclusive one-on-one in-depth interviews and never before seen home movies and demonstrating their skills ... in a very entertaining setting of upbeat music, three dimensional digital graphics and NFL Films action footage ... narrated by Emmy Award winning sports journalist and television personality Roy Firestone ...

Jim Lachey

Jim Lachey
Originally uploaded by brucesingman.

Jim Lachey: Offensive Tackle

Jim Lachey demonstrated why he was a National Football League first round draft choice upon graduation from Ohio State University in 1985 as he was a mainstay in the Washington Redskins offensive line from the time he joined the team in 1988. Jim was selected at the offensive guard position for The Sporting News College All-America team in 1984, played in the National Football League Pro Bowl for the 1987, 1990 and 1991 seasons and was selected as an offensive tackle on The Sporting News National Football League All-Pro team from 1989 through 1991.

Through dedication and hard work, Jim mastered the skills required to be a dominating force on the Washington Redskins offensive line and to provide the Redskins with the kind of consistent play necessary to launch a successful offensive attack.

Jim was a devoted student of the game and proved that hard work and dedication to the concept of team play paid off both on and off the football field.

In his "All Pro Sports Football Series" DVD, Jim shares his life story and discusses conditioning and teaches the basic fundamental techniques of drive-blocking and pass protection. He also shares his secrets for maintaining the self-confidence necessary to attain success.

... see http://www.allprosportsfootball.com ... for the most innovative football series ever produced for home entertainment: the HBO Sports Video Spirit Award and Telly Award winning "All Pro Sports Football Series" featuring: outstanding NFL players Brett Favre; Ronnie Lott; Jerry Rice: Reggie White; Jack Del Rio; Jim Lachey; Brent Jones; Eric Allen; Rodney Hampton; Jeff Gossett; and Jeff Jaeger ...; and Don Shula ... the most successful coach in NFL history ... sharing their life stories through exclusive one-on-one in-depth interviews and never before seen home movies and demonstrating their skills ... in a very entertaining setting of upbeat music, three dimensional digital graphics and NFL Films action footage ... narrated by Emmy Award winning sports journalist and television personality Roy Firestone ...

Ronnie Lott

Ronnie Lott
Originally uploaded by brucesingman.

Ronnie Lott: Safety

Ronnie Lott was one of the best defensive backs in the National Football League and is surely headed for the Pro Football Hall of Fame. A veteran of four Super Bowl championship teams, Ronnie shares the rookie season record for most touchdowns by interception and was selected as an All-Pro at free safety, strong safety and cornerback. He played in the Pro Bowls following the 1981 through 1984 seasons as well as the 1986 through 1991 seasons. In addition, Ronnie shares the NFL post-season record for most interceptions with nine.

As one of the hardest-hitting players in the game over 14 extraordinary seasons, Ronnie commanded respect from teammates and opponents alike. He lifted the level of any defensive secondary and struck fear into the hearts of even the most experienced offensive players. He moved quickly and hit with the power of a runaway locomotive.

Ronnie's career is a testament to dedication and focus. He achieved his remarkable success through an intense training regimen and a single-minded commitment which was evident in his performance on the field, his workouts off the field and his trademark game-day stare … the most feared glare in all of professional football.

In his "All Pro Sports Football Series" DVD, Ronnie shares his life story and shows how to analyze the offense, cover wide receivers, knock down passes and make interceptions. He also discusses what it takes to achieve his level of discipline.

... see http://www.allprosportsfootball.com ... for the most innovative football series ever produced for home entertainment: the HBO Sports Video Spirit Award and Telly Award winning "All Pro Sports Football Series" featuring: outstanding NFL players Brett Favre; Ronnie Lott; Jerry Rice: Reggie White; Jack Del Rio; Jim Lachey; Brent Jones; Eric Allen; Rodney Hampton; Jeff Gossett; and Jeff Jaeger ...; and Don Shula ... the most successful coach in NFL history ... sharing their life stories through exclusive one-on-one in-depth interviews and never before seen home movies and demonstrating their skills ... in a very entertaining setting of upbeat music, three dimensional digital graphics and NFL Films action footage ... narrated by Emmy Award winning sports journalist and television personality Roy Firestone ...