Former NFL receiver Reche Caldwell arrested in illegal gambling ring

The lasting image of former NFL receiver Reche Caldwell was one of amusement after his reaction after dropping a pass against the Indianapolis Colts in an AFC Championship game while he was a member of the New England Patriots.

Caldwell is now in the news for the wrong reasons. Caldwell was arrested for his involvement in what Tampa police said was an illegal gambling operation.  Police say Caldwell was one of three leaders of the operation. Five other men are facing a variety of charges including probation violations, possession of a control substance and illegal gambling.

The 34-year-old Caldwell was a standout wide receiver at Florida and was chosen in the second round of the 2002 NFL draft by the San Diego Chargers. He also played for the New England Patriots and Washington Redskins. His younger brother Andre Caldwell is a receiver for the Denver Broncos.

Caldwell was held in the Orient Road Jail and released early Monday on $4,000 bail.

Former NFL star Irving Fryar convicted on conspiracy charges

Former NFL Pro Bowl wide receiver and Philadelphia Eagle Irving Fryar was indicted today on charges that he, along with his mother, conspired to steal more than $690,000.

Acting New Jersey Attorney General John J. Hoffman announced that Fryar, 51, and his mother Allene McGhee, 72, were indicted by a state grand jury on second-degree charges of conspiracy and theft by deception.

Fryar -- who played for the Patriots, Dolphins, Eagles and Redskins from 1984-2000 -- was more than solid with New England, making between 54 and 88 catches every season from 1990-97. His 851 career receptions ranks 18th on the all-time list, and his 12,785 career receiving yards ranks 15th.

Fryar also was the coach of the Robbinsville High (New Jersey) football team

According to the Attorney General’s office, Fryar and McGhee conspired to steal more than $690,000 by having McGhee fraudulently obtain five home equity loans on her home within a six-day period.

“This is not a case in which Mr. Fryar and his mother simply omitted or misstated information on loan applications,” acting attorney general John Hoffman said in a statement. “This indictment alleges that they engaged in an elaborate criminal scheme that was designed to defraud these banks of hundreds of thousands of dollars. It is disappointing that someone with an illustrious career in professional sports who now is a minister and coach in the community is charged with this crime, but he must face justice like anyone else.”

This is a hard fall for someone who seemingly put his past behind him and gave his life to the lord.

Patriots bringing in Felix Jones for a visit

Free agent running back Felix Jones doesn't have too many miles on him but he's always getting bit by the injury bug. Maybe that's why he's still looking for a team.

Jones has spent his five years in the league with the Dallas Cowboys and the former first round pick is an unrestricted free agent. Among his potential suitors are the Cincinnati Bengals, Philadelphia Eagles, and New England Patriots.

Even after acquiring LaGarrette Blount last week, the Patriots are bringing in Jones for a visit. Jones has already visited with the Eagles and worked out for the Bengals. With the stable of running backs New England has I don't know if they would have room for Jones. Somehow they always seem to find a role for someone.

Jones has pass catching ability and good speed so that shoud allow him to find his way onto a NFL roster.      

Mike Ditka would take a chance on Tebow

Mike Ditka once traded an entire draft for Ricky Williams when he was coaching the New Orleans Saints. So it doesn't seem far fetched that Ditka would have Tim Tebow on his roster if he was still coaching today.

Ditka thinks there is a place for Tebow at quarterback or another position. Tebow has scoffed at switching to tight end or H-back, preferring to try to make it as a quarterback.


From the Sun-Times' "4 Downs with Ditka" column on Sundays: 

“I think [Tebow] can play quarterback in the NFL, but whatever offense you run might have to be tweaked a bit. This kid is a talent and he proved it in college. He is an outstanding leader. Now, does he have an unusual throwing motion? Yes. But there a lot of quarterbacks that didn’t have a perfect throwing motion. Some of them turned out to be great quarterbacks because they were great leaders. I really do think there’s a place for him. If not at quarterback, I think he could play tight end. If I was in the league and coaching today, I would take a chance on him at quarterback.”

That's why Ditka is a studio analyst today. If you recall, when he coached the Bears he had a hard time settling on a quarterback. That's part of the reason the Bears only have one Super Bowl to their credit despite being one of the dominant teams of the 80's.

Ditka comes from the old school where wins, leadership and heart were valued more than yardage, 40 times, and arm strength.  A lot of those old school guys didn't pan out either but you wouldn't mind going to battle with them. That's why he said he'd give Tebow a shot.

But before all the Tebow fans paint him as a winner, a Mark Sanchez led New York Jets team beat the  New England Patriots in a road playoff game and nobody calls him a winner.

Patriots' Alfonzo Dennard sentenced to 30 days in jail

Remember the night when New England Patriots cornerback Alfonzo Dennard thought it was a good idea to hit a police officer? Today was the day when it was time for Dennard to pay the piper.

Dennard was sentenced to 30 days in jail that will begin on March 1, 2014. Dennard will also be serving two years probation and will have to complete 100 hours of community service. A far cry from the six year sentence he was facing. Also the judge will accommodate his football schedule so he won't have to serve time until after the season.


In court, Dennard apologized to his coaches, supporters, police and his family and promised to abide by the terms of the probation. He declined comment after leaving court.

Dennard's attorney, Terry Dougherty, said he would ask Lancaster County District Judge Stephanie Stacy to suspend the jail sentence if Dennard complies with the terms of his probation over the next 11 months. Stacy said she would consider such a motion at that time.


Dougherty had also said that Dennard had already paid a fine of $500,000 since his draft stock plummeted after his arrest and he was eventually drafted in the seventh round. Dennard agreed with the punishment. Of course he did since the punishment didn't fit the crime.

Dennard got off relatively easy in this case. I know, athletes and entertainers live in a different world than the average American citizen. That doesn't mean you should be able to run around punching police officers because you had a lapse in judgement. If it's not alright for Joe Average to do it then you shouldn't either. I'm not saying Dennard is a bad guy, but he should've made a better choice.

Someone please enlighten me about this situation and give me a point as to why Dennard received a pretty light sentence.

Asante Samuel tells Wes Welker to chase the money

Asante Samuel left the New England Patriots because he knew he wasn't going to make top dollar there based on the Patriots' track record of resigning/signing free agents. So he went to the Philadelphia Eagles and got paid.

Former teammate Wes Welker was critical of Samuel's decision to chase money over championships. Now Welker is a free agent and Samuel has some advice for Welker. Take the money and run.

In an interview on Fox Sports Radio, Samuel said that Welker would be wise to take the best offer he can get if the Patriots don't give him the money.

“He made the comment when I left, I chased the money and not the championship. So here’s my advice to you, Welker: You better chase the money, brother,” Samuel said.

As an NFL player Welker should explore his options to see how much he's worth on the open market. Someone will be willing to overpay for him based on his production. As good as Welker has performed, I do believe he's a product of the Patriots system. Don't believe me, ask Deion Branch how well he did after leaving New England.

NFL players have short careers so Welker might want to get paid while he can. But he might be the best fit in New England's offense than going elsewhere.

Matt Damon: Ravens only won because of injuries

Every team in sports has injuries. You'll never hear a coach say injuries was a reason for a loss no matter how true the statement might be. Think about it, you never heard former Cincinnati Bearcats coach, Bob Huggins, say that Kenyon Martin's blown knee cost him a national championship. The excuse is made for fans of a certain team and actor Matt Damon proves it.

Damon is a New England Patriots fan, who happened to blow the AFC championship game to the Baltimore  Ravens. To me the Ravens picked them off a year late, but no one on the Ravens blamed Lee Evans for dropping a surefire touchdown pass. But Damon has a reason why the Ravens went to the Super Bowl and not the Patriots. Injuries.

Damon says that if the Patriots were completely healthy, the Patriots and not the Ravens would be going to the Super Bowl.


"Lotta injuries," Damon said ... "They couldn't beat us full strength."

Sounds like he's using the Dan Gronkowski injury as a crutch for the loss. While it's true that cornerback Aqib Talib and Stevan Ridley were hurt, their injuries happened during game action. So that won't fly with Ravens fans.

When asked for his rooting interest in the Super Bowl, Damon replied, “I’m going for a healthy New England team, that’s the best team in the country, [Baltimore and San Francisco] are both pretty good. They’re like the same team, real similar.”

Spoken like a true fan.

Rapper Birdman bets $5 million on the Patriots

The Super Bowl is a gamblers paradise. Bets on the game, prop bets, and just about anything you can put a wager on that pertains to the Super Bowl.

New Orleans rapper, Bryan "Birdman" Williams is looking to capitalize on the gambling craze of the Super Bowl. A man who clearly has too much money on his hands, Williams is putting $5 million dollars on the New England Patriots to win Super Bowl XLVI.

All I can say is that he's putting his money where his mouth is.
    

Jason Pierre-Paul Starts The Smack Talk

There hasn't been too much smack talk going on this week between the two Super Bowl combatants, the New York Giants and New England Patriots. Unless you count Antrel Rolle's retracted guarantee or Mario Manningham hoping he gets lined up against Julian Edelman, there's not much to go on.

Maybe Giants defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul has broken the ice. The Giants and Patriots faced off earlier this season in week 9. A game which resulted in a Giants win. The Giants defense sacked Patriots quarterback tom Brady twice that game, but to hear Pierre-Paul tell it, Brady heard footsteps all game.

“I think it will have much impact on his performance because if you look at Week 9, when we played them, it’s like he felt us," Pierre-Paul said during Thursday's media availability. "When we looked back on the film, we watched the film, and we didn’t really rush like we can rush as a defense. He was throwing balls on the ground and stuff, but like I said, it’s going to be a battle. We have to get there. We have to. …     

"(Brady) did react to pressure that didn’t exist, and he was just throwing the ball places where there wasn’t even a receiver there. Imagine us getting there even faster and actually doing our jobs and getting hits on him.” 


It's true that if you pressure Brady, he tends to play bad. But this is the Super Bowl and he is a two time Super Bowl MVP. He hasn't played his best against the Giants recently, but those comments might fire him up a little.

Welker Says A "Lady" Is Key To Belichick's Kindness

Today was media day for Super Bowl XLVI. Which means there will be guarantees, predictions, and some zany comments.

New England Patriots receiver Wes Welker has started with the funny stuff. When he was asked about coach Bill Belichick's kinder, gentler mood of late, Welker attributed it to a "lady in his life".

"I don’t know, I think he’s enjoying himself," Welker said when asked about Belichick's demeanor.  "I think he’s got a lady in his life, so that could definitely be the case; I don’t know.  We’re just coming here to try and win a ballgame.  However we do that or whatever demeanor we have to take, that’s what it’s going to be."

I know Welker wasn't serious about that. but it is kind of funny. It's something you normally hear around the workplace or amongst friends.

Welker Fined $10,000 For Wearing An Unautorized Hat

On the heels of Marshawn Lynch being fined $10,000 over his Skittles inspired cleats he wore last week, New England Patriots receiver Wes Welker is being fined $10,000 for wearing an unauthorized hat. A hat he's been wearing after games and during interviews all season.

Wes Welker was fined $10,000 by the league for wearing an "unauthorized hat during his postgame interview," according to a league spokesman.

The hat in question is a Bonk Breaker hat. Bonk Breaker is a gluten free, dairy free energy bar and Welker is an investor in the company. 

Welker isn't too happy about having to fork over $10,000 for some nonsense.

“Got fined by the NFL for wearing a @Bonk_Breaker hat in an interview after the game,” Welker wrote. “Thanks for warning me the other 16 weeks I wore the hat.”

At least give the man a warning if you have a problem with it. It's like getting wrote up at work for something you did 9 months ago. It's good that the NFL has their priorities together reagrding whta you can get fined for. 

     

Rex Ryan Has No Well Wishes For Shaun Ellis

If you ask New York Jets head coach Rex Ryan,  former Jet Shaun Ellis is the equal to Benedict Arnold. Ellis signed with division rival, New Engalnd, whom Ryan doesn't like. Both players and coaches know that it's a business and when Ellis couldn't get an extension he signed with the Patriots. 

Ryan had this to say about Ellis, according to the New York Daily News' Manish Mehta.

“The fact that he chose them . . . there’s no way I’m going to wish him well. There’s no chance of that.”

Knowing Ryan he probably had a lot more to say than that. I'm not buying that Rex will let this go quietly. This could be another Bounty Bowl in the making. Knowing that Bill Belichick stuck it to him will only intensify this rivalry. This isn't over by a longshot.

Brady Plans On Playing Another 10 Years

According to the NFL Network's Kurt Warner, New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady plans on playing in the league for another 10 years.

“I did text Tom Brady after this pick and he wanted me to know for sure that he was planning on playing 10 more years,” Warner said during the Total Access Pre-Draft show.


Keep in mind the Patriots just drafted Ryan Mallett in the third round of the draft. That move wasn't meant to challenge Brady, just to groom a successor.

I don't see Brady making it another 10 years, but just say he does and they're all with the patriots, do you think Mallett is going to want to stick around for five of those, let alone ten.  

Bart Scott Let's Loose On Patriots And Ravens

It's the NFL offseason, there's a lockout and league news never stops. Whether it's criminal activity, players being involved in different activities, or just interviewing with the media, it's all NFL all the time and I like it. Except for the labor strife.

New York Jets linebacker Bart Scott had a few things to to say in an interview with Metro New York.  He complimented his coach Rex Ryan and backed up what Ryan said about guaranteeing a Super Bowl win. He also had some not so kind things to say about the New England Patriots and Baltimore Ravens.

“The Ravens don’t operate like the Ravens anymore. [Head coach John] Harbaugh changed everything. The Ravens aren’t that loose anymore,” Scott said. “We laugh, we joke, but then we go out there and put in a defensive system. We have our fun, and then on the field, we know what to do. If you study for the test, there’s nothing to be nervous about, right? If you don’t know what you’re doing, that’s when you can’t have fun. We know what we’re doing, but on the field, we back it up, too.”


Then he started in on Wes Welker and the Patriots. Remember when Welker mocked Ryan about the foot fetish ordeal? Scott hasn't forgotten it. He's keeping the rivalry stoked by adding more fuel to the fire.


“That’s doesn’t sound right, that kind of talk. That’s when you know they’re buying into us, when they start sounding like we talk,” Scott said. “Wes Welker start trying to be us, sounding like we do. That’s how you know they want to be us.”

I tell you the Jets are good for football. Not everyone likes their brash, cocky attitude, but they've backed it up. Mostly in the playoffs, where they've won every game on the road. Call me out if that's not true. If they can catch a little bit of luck the Lombardi Trophy will end up in New York. Besides, someone has to be the bad guy, right? 









 

Revis Tells Branch To "Take It Like A Man"

The talk between the New England Patriots and New York Jets just won't die. After Patriots receiver Deion Branch called the Jets "classless", Jets corner Darelle Revis along with a few others took exception to what Branch said.

 "Just take the loss like a man and move on," Darrelle Revis said. "[The Patriots] do stuff as well. I don't know who was doing it or whatever, but if so, whatever. If they would've won, I'm sure they probably would've done the taunting like they did that last game we played them. Their secondary was doing the airplane and just teasing us. So you've got to take it both ways, when you win or lose."That (the mocking of the Jets by Patriots players) was done after the Patriots whipped the Jets 45-3 on December 6.




"That's the same Jet thing they were doing last game and they call us classless?" defensive lineman Trevor Pryce said. We have film of it. We watched them do it, watched the film the night before [Sunday's] game. I don't see why it's such a big deal now when they were doing it. If they had won the game, they'd have called us classless."


That's why I call the Patriots smug and cocky. They always try to act like they're above it all when they're not.

"All the guys on the sideline were like, 'Remember this, remember everything they're doing right now,' " Jerricho Cotchery said. "A lot of people didn't see it, but we took mental notes of it. A lot of those emotions spilled over throughout the week last week. We could've kept a lot of those things in, but we were very fired up about that game."We were just enjoying the win, enjoying the moment. For someone to try to create that perception that we're classless, that's heart-breaking."


When someone teases and taunts them they have no class, when they do it, it's ok. Like when they mocked the Chargers after a playoff win in San Diego. Or when former Patriot Rodney harrison flapped his arms like wings after nailing down a Super Bowl win over the Philadelphia Eagles. What comes around goes around.







  

Botched Fake Punt Was Chung's Brainstorm

Everyone can let New England Patriots coach Bill Beichick off the hook for the fake punt gone wrong late in the second quarter. Safety Patrick Chung figured it was a bright idea to call for the failed play, not Belichick. Patriots fans can save their vitriol for Chung. He might get the Bill Buckner treatment since it came out  tha he was solely responsible for the mishap. Chung fumbled the snap and lost a yard on the play which led to a Mark Sanchez to Braylon Edwards touchdown.

"We trust the decision Patrick makes," punter Zoltan Mesko said. "It just didn’t work out in that particular occasion. That’s why the coaches trust him to run it, and that's why they give him the green light, if he has it."


The only play call call Chung should be making is on the defensive side of the ball or on a special teams blocking assignment. Not on whether to call a fake punt or not. Just because the Patriots had numbers on the line in their favor doesn't mean you make that call. What kind of daredevil crap is that?

"Of course there are regrets. It's not [head coach] Bill [Belichick] or [special teams coach] Scott O'Brien," Chung said. "None of them. I take full responsibility. I saw the look we had. I made the call. It didn't work out for us."


Chung admitted that it was his call and not (special teams coach) Scott O'Brien or Belichick's and has taken full responsibilty. I applaud him for manning up in this situation. It could've been very easy to leave Scott and Bill holding the bag. Considering the non descript career Chung has had so far, I might've done that. if he's lucky enough to be around next season, maybe he ought to burn a timeout before making a ridiculous call such as this one.  

Quick Playoff Predictions

The Divisional round of the playoffs has some good matchups this weekend. Here's my personal predictions on this weekend's action.

Baltimore vs. Pittsburgh- I have to take the Steelers in this one solely because of home field. Pittsburgh always seems to pull one big play out of their backside than the Ravens can. Steelers 17-13.

Green Bay vs. Atlanta- I'm having flashbacks to a playoff game from 1980 that also involved the Falcons. When they played Dallas at home and lost a 30-27 thriller in which they led most of the game. I see the same thing happening today with the Falcons losing a heartbreaker to the Packers. Packers 31-27.

New York vs. New England- The Jets need to ramp up their offensive game if their going to beat New England. The Jets do a lot of tough talking but right now their hurting and the Patriots seem primed to take advantage. For some odd reason I feel a blowout coming on. The Jets defense can only take them so far.
Patriots 30-13.

Seattle vs. Chicago- The Seahawks have somewhat become America's darling in the past few weeks. This could be a blowout or a tough defensive battle. However I do see the Bears coming out on top since they are at home and there is sure to be bad weather. Bears 20-10.

You Can Go Home Again

My thoughts on the Randy Moss trade may not be in lockstep with others. Oh well, so be it. I think it could be a good trade for Minnesota. True, they did give up a third rounder, which to me is almost like the player to be named later. It could burn them or the player could be a bum. Before I go any further, remember the great Brett Favre lobbied for him when he was still in Green Bay.

Moss will give someone that Favre can trust going deep to. And you know Brett will force it to him, even if he's triple covered. Even though Moss is older, he's still an athletic freak. He's still one of the top five receivers in the league. This could make Favre's last hurrah (allegedly) one to remember.

On the flip side, the Patriots offense might actually suffer without Moss. Let's see what Wes Welker can do underneath, now that all the coverages will be focused on him. Who's going to fill in for him? I think they hope Brandon Tate and Julian Edelman can help fill that role. I just don't really see a go to guy. But then again, Tom Brady has made it work before with less than receivers. Hey, they also can bring Troy brown out of retirement. The running game isn't solid, so i can see some of the top defenses teeing off on Brady.

I guess we'll just have to wait and see how everything turns out. The Patriot way actually might work out and Favre to Moss might be explosive enough to get Minnesota to the Super Bowl. This could be the best and last chance for both.