Tulloch says Jennings should worry his own team

The Detroit Lions have had some well documented problems regarding their on and off field discipline. Green Bay Packers wide receiver Greg Jennings touched upon it during a segment on NFL Total Access last Thursday.

Knowing the Lions pose a threat to their NFC North supremacy, Jennings wondered if the Lions could keep their composure when the heat is on.

"Can they maintain their composure, both on the field and off the field?" Jennings asked. "They're a very talented team, but they have struggles on the field containing their composure, and definitely, the things we've heard of, them being in the media with off-the-field problems and off-the-field issues. Can they maintain their composure? Can they be a professional ball club for 16, 17, 18 solid weeks throughout the regular season?"


Certainly a legitimate assessment if you ask me. I've seen the Lions too much to know they commit too many dumb penalties at the most inopportune time. So Jennings isn't making up a tall tale when he said that.

The Lions' Stephen Tulloch took offense to Jennings comments. Tulloch took to Twitter to voice his displeasure with Jennings.


"Who is Greg Jennings to talk about the Lions? The guy should worry about his own team...."


True, maybe Jennings should worry about his own team, but after being pasted the last two games to close out their season, they should take it to heart and rectify the problem.

 

Toomer says Romo is better than Eli

Despite winning his second Super Bowl, New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning still has his detractors. If you ask some fans, they would call Manning the equivalent of a hot goalie.

Former Giants receiver, Amani Toomer, might have said a few things that might serve as motivation for Manning this upcoming season. On the Sirius XM NFL show, Movin' the Chains, which Toomer co-hosts, he said that he prefers Dallas Cowboys quarterback, Tony Romo, over Manning.        

“Tony Romo is probably, if you look at it statistically, he’s probably the best quarterback in the NFC East,” Toomer said.  “You look at Eli Manning and what he does in the fourth quarter, but you talk about consistency, talking about 31 touchdowns and only 10 interceptions, that guy can play.”


“For me, if I wanted a guy that is going to throw less interceptions, (be) more productive, higher completion percentage, I'm going to go with Tony Romo. At crunch time, he's not as good as Eli, but every other time, he's pretty darn good.”


You can have this debate with quartebacks of years past. Stabler/Fouts, Marino/Montana, Bradshaw/Staubach. I think Manning can put up the same kind of numbers if called upon, but the Giants have always relied on a solid ground game to balance their offense. The Cowboys put more on Romo's shoulders than the Giants do Manning.

Manning is also a better crunch time performer, and that's why he has two Super Bowl rings in four years and Romo is still looking to get a playoff win under his belt. Romo may have the glitzier stats, but Manning has what really matters. The bling.

DeMarcus Ware agrees with Jerry Jones about the Cowboys' window of opportunity

With every passing year a team that doesn't win a championship sees their window of opportunity start to slam shut. Back in May, Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said that the Dallas Cowboys' window is starting to close and said that the team needed to win now.

Count defensive end DeMarcus Ware as one who is on board with Jones' assessment.


“I feel like from my standpoint, we’re a better team than we were last year, and it’s going to show on the field,” Ware said. “Jerry saying that the window’s closing, I’m with Jerry. The window can be closing. It closes every year. It just depends on if you’re going to walk through that door or not. I’m with Jerry on that.”

With the players the Cowboys have on the roster they should have the urgency to win it all now. The problem is that the stars never align right for them and they fall short of the Super Bowl aspirations.

NFL easing up on blackouts

Good news for Jacksonville Jaguars fans that can't watch the games on television since they had a hard time selling out.

According to a report at USAToday.com, the NFL will be relaxing the blackout rules. The league will no longer require that home games are sold out to be televised on local television. I don't care what the suits say, this idea makes perfect sense.

This season, games can be televised locally even when just 85% of tickets are sold. The Wall Street Journal reports that teams will be able to set their own "seat-sales benchmark" -- as long as its at least 85% of total capacity -- and when that benchmark is met games can be televised. "To discourage teams from setting easy benchmarks," says WSJ, "teams will be forced to share more of the (ticket) revenue when they exceed it."   

The relaxed blackout rules also make it easier for fans to view the games at home since a majority of hardcore NFL fans can't afford the tickets to go to a game in today's economy.

Daunte Culpepper knows it's the end for him

There was a point when it looked like Daunte Culpepper would be one of the best NFL quarterbacks that would ever play. Once a debilitating knee injury hit him he wasn't the same player. He lost it just as fast as Jake Delhomme and Steve Blass.

But I'll give Culpepper credit. He's not trying to hang on. His last game action came with the Sacramento Mountain Lions of the UFL in 2010. His last NFL action was with the Detroit Lions in 2009. At a camp at his alma mater, Central Florida, Culpepper resigned himself to the fact that his career is over.

"As far as me playing, I think I am done,'' said Culpepper, 35. "That part of my book is closed. The next chapter is, I have kids and I will be coaching them.


"I will be part of athletics and a part of sports, hopefully my whole life. It makes me feel good. I love to compete. Now I'll be competing in men's leagues, in basketball and softball and stuff.''


"I am retired, obviously, and I am raising my kids and living in South Florida,'' said Culpepper, a three-time Pro Bowl selection. "That's a full-time job.''    

Culpepper's only hope of landing an NFL contract would have been as a reserve role, but at age 35 with no game experience the past two seasons, there was nearly no chance of that happening. Culpepper was a three-time Pro Bowler in the NFL. He passed for 4,717 yards, rushed for 406 yards and totaled 41 touchdowns and 11 interceptions during the 2004 campaign, but a serious knee injury the next season all but ended his career as an NFL starter.

Raider rookie gets out of traffic ticket

Everyone raise your hands if you've ever heard of Christo Bilukidi. Ok, me neither. But he apparently has some pull on the streets of Oakland.

The sixth round pick from Georgia State got out of a traffic ticket because he mentioned that he was an Oakland Raider. Didn't the cop know that he was Christo Bilukidi and not Darren McFadden? I guess not. Bilukidi released his bit of good fortune on Twitter to let the world know.


“Ran a red light n got pulled over, cop ask me what I do n I said I’m a Raider, I dodged a 428$ ticket. #BigLeague,” Bilukidi wrote.  


If the cop figured out who he was he would've got the ticket. He should've got the ticket for the fact that he played for the Raiders.

Young and Delmas are "best friends" now

The Detroit Lions probably can't wait to get the season started. In an offseason marred by off field arrests and fights, there is some light at the end of the tunnel.

First, defensive tackle Nick Fairley apologized for his recent arrests. Now Louis Delmas and Titus Young have mended their fractured relationship.

Young said last week that everything was ok after he sucker punched Delmas during an offseason training activity. Delmas finally put this story to bed by telling reporters that he and Young are best friends.


“I guess I’ll say right now this is like the honeymoon, getting back on the right track,” Young said last week. “I am very excited about being on the football field, but I hope this excitement leads my whole team to be excited. I don’t want to be the only one excited, I want everybody else in this locker room to be excited, not just about me being back but about this opportunity we have going forth in this season.”    


If anyone found Young's statement to be shady here is Delmas' end of it.

“That’s my boy,” Delmas said before the start of the Nate Burleson-Stephen Tulloch Celebrity Softball Game. “Me and him are like best friends now at the end of the day.”


That should put an end to that story. For Lions fans they should hope that they don't hear about anymore illicit offseason activities.

Ben Roethlisberger and wife expecting a baby

Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger and his wife Ashley are expecting their first child later this year. According the Associated Press it will be a boy. Yes Big Ben will be big daddy.

Roethlisberger released a statement on his official website.


Ashley and I are proud to let you all know that we are expecting a baby boy later this year! It is truly a blessing and we are so excited! – Ben   

The two were married just over a year ago.

Congratulations and hopefully it will be healthy.

Chris Johnson says he's the best back in the NFL

Chris Johnson had an off year last year and he's aiming to let people know that it was a fluke. After dealing with a holdout and nagging injuries Johnson averaged a meager 4.0 yards per carry. He now feels as if he's being dismissed by media and fans. But Johnson isn't lacking for confidence. He still feels he's the best back in the league.


"I feel I am still the best back in the league, and I have no problem saying that. None of the active backs have done anything that I have done in the first four years, even though I had a bad year last year. So I still feel like I am the best back in the league."


The NFL Network's top 100 list had a lot to do with what Johnson is saying after being ranked behind players like Darren Sproles, Marshawn Lynch, Willis McGahee, and Vonta Leach.


"I know it is one of those 'What have you done for me lately?' situations," Johnson said. "People are not going to look at me as the No. 1 running back in the league. There are people out there who aren't going to give me the respect I deserve. But at the end of the day it doesn't matter what anybody else thinks.


 "There's a lot of backs now who probably didn't do anything the year before and then they rush for 1,500 yards and they are the top back," Johnson said. "It's crazy, really."


There are players like Ray Rice and Arian Foster that might have something to say about Johnson laying claim to the top spot.

Johnson does have the stats to back up his claim including a 2,000 yard season. I feel he's still top five but is in a dogfight for top back status. Johnson says he wants to put together another 2,000 yard season to separate himself from the pack.    

"I want to go for another 2,000 yards," Johnson said. "I want to be the first back to go for 2,000 yards twice, and I think it can be done. It doesn't matter what anybody else thinks. I think it can be done."

Mike Tyson says T.O. deserves no sympathy

Terrell Owens has had a rough few weeks capped off by being released from the Indoor Football League's Allen Wranglers with a mere $50 severance pay. And he's not getting any sympathy from Mike Tyson.

Tyson touched on Owens' situation during an interview with Mike Missanelli on 97.5 The Fanatic in Philadelphia.

When asked about Owens' financial woes and his appearance on Dr. Phil, Tyson pulled no punches, no pun intended.

On T.O.'s recent appearance on Dr. Phil and T.O.'s financial woes:

"Well, listen, I can only say about myself. It took a good 18, 20 years for me to go broke, but he got broke pretty quick. It happened quick! We saw him, heard about him signing this contract, but from what you told me, he busted his whole bill. That can happen man when you take liberties for granted."   


If he thinks the upbringing he and T.O. experienced played a role in the kind of quick rise and fall:

 "Oh, man, he's not even in my same league as far as getting blood sucked. He's not even in my league. But we're talking about this issue, so, yeah, they're out there. But in order to get your blood sucked, you have to be in position to want to suck some blood too. Even the con cons the con because he wants to con somebody."


If he thinks people should feel sorry for T.O. for his fall from grace:


"No, we should have no sympathy for him, he's a grown man. We should be jealous and pissed off he has so much goddamned fun. Shoot! That's what we should be jealous about. Listen, this is one thing. When you're living that life you think you're a big boy -- and this is one thing I learned when I was rolling like a big boy -- I said 'don't worry about it, I can handle it, I'm a big boy.' Big boys have big responsibilities and big circumstances."


If he thinks T.O. made a mistake by making an appearance like that where he had to have known he'd face criticism:


"I don't know, I don't know why he would want to do that because that's just a bomb waiting to explode right there. But I don't know. He did the right thing he believed for the circumstances. All I know is he did what he thought was best for him, and I know he's not feeling good about himself right now, but you get over it and life goes on."


Does he know Owens?


"I don't know him. I know he can't be broke because he's a bad guy. He's broke because he didn't know what was going on."


Owens won't get any from me because he was a bad teammate, had scores of money and didn't pay attention to who was ripping him off until it was too late. That's on him and the sooner he looks in the mirror the better off he will be.

DeMarco Murray thinks the Cowboys should be in the Super Bowl

Cowboys running back DeMarco Murray is not making a Super Bowl prediction but during a recent local radio interview, the Cowboys running back did say that the he doesn’t see why the Cowboys shouldn’t be playing on the game’s biggest stage next February in New Orleans according to Jon Machota of the Dallas Morning News.

“We have a great group of young guys and we also have a great group of vets who I think they’re still playing like they’re 25, 26, 27 years old,” Murray told Galloway & Company on 103.3 [KESN-FM]. “Look at [Jason] Witten, I’m around that guy everyday and he’s one of the hardest working guys. He’s out there beating me in agility drills. I’m trying my hardest over and over and over to beat him and I can’t beat [him].

“I think we have a great group of guys but at the same time we definitely feel that this year is going to be a great year for us and we don’t see why we shouldn’t be in the Super Bowl this year.”

“I think we have the pieces,” Murray said. “We have a great coaching staff and that’s what we are aiming for. We’re aiming to not only make the playoffs and make a splash, but I think every NFL team is looking to win the Super Bowl.”

Justin Blackmon arrested on aggravated DUI charge

Jacksonville Jaguars rookie and former Oklahoma State standout, Justin Blackmon, was arrested on a complaint of aggravated DUI early Sunday in Stillwater, according to the Payne County Jail.

Blackmon was booked into jail about 10 a.m. The details are scarce right now.

According to Oklahoma law, an aggravated DUI is when one's blood alcohol content is .15 or greater. This is Blackmon's second alcohol related arrest in three years. He was nailed in Carrollton,Texas after attending a Monday night game in Dallas in October 2010.

Blackmon has yet to sign a contract with the Jaguars as negotiations have started two weeks ago.

That explains why he was hanging out in Stillwater.  

Eddie George trying to save his house from foreclosure

Former Tennessee Titans star Eddie George received a surprise at his home this week in the form of a foreclosure notice. According to George's accountant, Larry Goodman, the home is scheduled to be auctioned on June 7.

Goodman had been negotiating a loan modification with IndyMac Mortgage Services over the past seven months.

The Georges bought the 8,550-square-foot home in the gated Brentwood, Tenn., community of Hampton Reserve at the height of the market. They currently owe more than what the house is worth. They bought it for $1.675 million in September 2007 and recently listed the home for sale for $1.1 million.

"Because the loan and equity is not in balance where it should be, we want to go through a loan modification process," Goodman said.


IndyMac hasn't discussed modifying the terms when the payments were current so George has intentionally missed four or five payments to get the ball rolling on negotiations. The Georges love living in the home and are surprised by the foreclosure.

"We're not trying to walk away from anything," Goodman said. "They love living there. It's a great house. Like anybody else who buys an expensive house, it flipped on him."


Don't confuse the foreclosure with George being broke. Goodman says George and his family are financially stable and are in no danger of going broke. They're just like any other American homeowner who is trying to get out from under some bad terms regarding their house.

George has a landscaping business with offices in Ohio and Nashville. He also appeared on sports related television shows.

Tamara George was part of the singing group Sisters With Voices, or SWV, during the 1990s and recently released a new cd. She later appeared on a season of the television reality series Survivor.

Bill Ford Jr. puts Lions players on notice

After Jim Schwartz had a mouthful to say about the off field troubles of a few Detroit Lions players, Bill Ford Jr. got in on the act. For those who aren't familiar with Ford Jr. he was the one who basically greased the skids for Matt Millen to be fired since his father (William Clay Ford) was hesitant to do so.

Ford Jr. went on WJR in Detroit to express his disappointment with the players involved in legal troubles this offseason. He didn't call out any names but everyone knew who the message went out to. Nick Fairley, Titus Young, and Mikel Leshoure, consider yourselves to be put on notice. Never a good thing when the top brass calls you out.

“Unfortunately it’s just a couple guys who are just tainting our whole image,” Ford said. “There’s no question, some of our young guys better get their act together because that’s not the way you become a professional. The good news is we’ve got some great veteran leadership on our team that are great guys and can set the tone and I suspect it’s going to be those veterans who are really going to get these guys back in line.”


Either the players need to fall in line under Schwartz or the Lions need some swift locker room justice. Remember that commissioner Roger Goodell hasn't wielded his mighty hammer regarding the off field issues. The Lions need the youngsters to march in step with the others before a promising season can possibly be derailed before it begins.

Warren Sapp staying with the NFL Network

After months of rumors swirling about being unemployed, Warren Sapp will be staying with the NFL Network for at least another year.


In revealing the move publicly for the first time, NFLN executive producer Eric Weinberger tells USA Today Sports that "this is probably going to be news to some blogs and articles out there who've said his time is up here, but we picked up an option year on his contract." Sapp's on-air duties, including working NFLN's Sunday pregame show, will remain essentially the same.  


Sapp was dumped by Showtime's Inside the NFL and filed for bankruptcy. He also has his book coming out so things might be looking up for Sapp.

Hopefully that TV judge show doesn't ever get off the ground and he doesn't give us any reports from anonymous sources.

Jim Schwartz scolds young Lions

After the latest off field fiasco involving Nick Fairley trying to play the role of the bandit, Detroit Lions head coach Jim Schwartz couldn't take it anymore. Schwartz had a lot to say regarding the incidents involving Mikel Leshoure, Titus Young, and Nick Fairley, mentioning that their actions are tainting the reputations of their teammates.

"What we have here is a case of a few guys tainting the reputations of a lot of others," he said. "The actions of a few have affected the reputations of not just the other guys on the team but the organization as a whole and obviously, that's not a good situation."


"The issues we have here have involved young guys, guys coming off their rookie year," he said. "It's obviously a big concern that the problems have come up more than once with a couple of guys. You always approach this with the idea that guys will make mistakes and learn from them. It appears that a couple of guys haven't.


"It is a concern but they are still young and there is still a lot in front of them. We are hopeful that with the means at their disposal and the means at our disposal, they will eventually be able to put this behind them."


Combine that with Ndamukong Suh's on and off field behavior, Schwartz has every right to be concerned and angry.

Schwartz can "scold" players all he wants, but until they mature and learn how to police themselves it's gonna keep happening. Players don't call out each other for their bad decisions anymore and the vets in the locker room aren't respected if they haven't won anything. Maybe general manager Martin Mayhew needs to come in and threaten a few jobs to get some of them in line.

Patrick Willis comes to Alex Smith's defense

When San Francisco 49ers quarterback Alex Smith said that winning trumps stats in the grand scheme of things in the NFL, he cited Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton as an example of a player who puts up monster stats but the team had a losing season.

Upon hearing about what Smith said, Carolina linebacker Jon Beason stepped in Newton's defense. Now 49ers linebacker Patrick Willis is standing up for his man. Willis took to Twitter to defend Smith in this he said/he said debate about stats and winning.


“Wins are Wins I stand with My Qb Alex Smith and all my teammates. I can’t wait for the season,” Willis wrote.

All in all both have valid points. The 49ers win in spite of Smith, how do you describe their flirtation with Peyton Manning. And once the Panthers get a few more pieces around Newton (a defense) they will be a force in the NFC.

Report: Jamal Lewis files for bankruptcy

Former NFL running back and member of the 2,000 yard club, Jamal Lewis, has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy according to a report on TMZ.com.

Lewis who last played for the Cleveland Browns in 2009, is trying to reorganize his debt, saying he's having trouble paying them. Lewis has $14,455,854 in assets but he also has $10,566,764.18 in debts. Lewis is currently self employed and makes about $35,000 a month. And he having trouble paying his bills?


Among his creditors -- Bank Of America has a lien for $947,876, Benz has one for 113k, Chrysler for 15k ... and the list goes on.


As for his assets -- Jamal's got five homes, a bunch of expensive cars, a $500,000 401(k), and 50% ownership in Fort Rapids Indoor Waterpark in Columbus, OH (worth about $6 mil).


Sounds like someone needs to hold a garage sale or quit spending so much money. Considering what he's made in his career and still banking around $420,000 a year, I don't think the bankruptcy judge or creditors will take it easy on him.

Pete Carroll and the Seahawks pass on Hard Knocks

Add the Seattle Seahawks to the list of teams that have turned down HBO's "Hard Knocks" series. The  Houston Texans,Washington Redskins,San Francisco 49ers and Atlanta Falcons have all reportedly turned down Hard Knocks.

The Seahawks weren't officially offered to do the show, but they were approached and turned down HBO.

Head coach Pete Carroll doesn't dislike the show, he just doesn't want his team on it and says it's "not their style".

“That’s just not going to suit what we’re trying to get done here,” Carroll said. “I think it’s a great show. I love watching it. I loved Rex [Ryan], and when the Bengals — I love those kinds of shows. I look forward to seeing it. But I just don’t want to put that in the middle of our process. We’re trying to win football games and hopefully we can entertain that way, not on the show. That’s not our style.”


Translation: We're in the business of getting the team ready to win football games not put on a show for the cameras.

The NFL show comes on every Sunday complete with mics and cameras. The only edits are when some one drops an F-bomb or any of those words. I agree with the Seahawks' decision to not do the show. Who needs the distraction or the media attention.

Jeff Garcia still wants to play

Jeff Garcia hasn't played in an NFL game since 2008, but that doesn't mean he's about to give up playing.

In an interview on 94 WIP in Philadelphia that if Andy Reid came calling to offer him a job he'd jump at the chance in a heartbeat.

“I’m picking up the phone and saying ‘Andy, how much do you want me to pay you so I can come in and get things fired up around there?’” Garcia said. “I’d pay to play, that’s just me. I can be that person who can continue to motivate and inspire and help teach and educate. And if given the opportunity to step on the field, I’m going to give everything I have to find success, no matter how it happens.”

At this point I'm not sure how much Garcia has left to give besides leadership. But the Houston Texans did sign him last season to back up T.J. Yates so he might just have something left in the tank. He could go elsewhere and get a shot but he and his wife prefer the Eagles.

“Philly is the team my wife will let me go back and play for,” Garcia told Glen Macnow and Anthony Gargano. "She’s the only one who can approve the move.


At 42 he Garcia would be the new age George Blanda, but with the Eagles currently four deep at the quarterback position I don't know if he'll get a shot in Philadelphia.