E. OVERSTREET SPORTS MANAGEMENT

Attorney: No charges against Marshall (The Associated Press)

admin — Sat, 19 May 2012 23:03:44 +0000

NEW YORK (AP) The lawyer for Brandon Marshall says no charges will be brought against the Chicago Bears wide receiver for an altercation outside a nightclub in March.

Harvey Steinberg says Marshall won’t be charged after a woman filed a complaint that he punched her in the face outside Manhattan’s Marquee club. Steinberg says: ”We maintained all along he is a victim and there is no basis to believe these charges.”

A spokesman for the New York City Police Department says they are still investigating the complaint. Detective Brian Sessa of the NYPD said Thursday the case is still open.

Marshall was traded by Miami to Chicago in March.

Article source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/sports/rss/nfl/SIG=12p7lepdh/*http%3A//sports.yahoo.com/news/attorney-no-charges-against-marshall-015125664--nfl.html

Umenyiora will buy LT’s ring if he gets 1 million Twitter followers (National Football Post)

admin — Sat, 19 May 2012 23:03:42 +0000

Osi Umenyiora doesn’t want to see Lawrence Taylor’s Super Bowl XXV ring be sold at auction.

So, the New York Giants defensive end is willing to step up and be the top bidder in the auction that ends tonight. But it comes with a catch. Umenyiora says he will buy the ring and return it to Taylor if he gets one million followers on Twitter.

The problem? The auction ends tonight. Umenyiora had 27,133 followers on Twitter when this story was written. That leaves him nearly 975,000 Twitter followers short.

“L.T is a football LEGEND! If 1,000,000 people support him getting his ring back, then its worth it to me to buy it and give it back to him,” Umenyiora wrote.

If, by chance, folks start following Umenyiora on Twitter in droves, he will let a random fan personally return the ring to Taylor.

Sounds to us like Taylor won’t be seeing the ring again that he says he gave to his son and his son is auctioning.

Follow me on Twitter: @BradBiggs

Brad Biggs covers the Bears for the Chicago Tribune

Follow @footballpost on Twitter for the latest news

Article source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/sports/rss/nfl/SIG=12gce0drm/*http%3A//sports.yahoo.com/news/umenyiora-buy-lts-ring-gets-142013217--nfl.html

Calvin Johnson goes deep before Tigers game (National Football Post)

admin — Sat, 19 May 2012 23:03:39 +0000

Calvin Johnson goes deep for Matthew Stafford and the Detroit Lions and he went downtown for the team’s next-door neighbor at Ford Field on Friday night.

Johnson, the All-Pro wide receiver, homered in batting practice before the Tigers game on Friday at Comerica Park.

“I told Delmon Young I would keep coming back until I hit one out, and I happened to hit one out today,” Johnson said, according to John Niyo of the Detroit News. “I’m still coming back, though.”

Johnson connected off coach Gene Lamont, who was throwing batting practice, putting the ball over the left-field fence.

Now, if the Tigers just had some players that could help the Lions out in their secondary, we’d really have something going on here.

Follow me on Twitter: @BradBiggs

Brad Biggs covers the Bears for the Chicago Tribune

Follow @footballpost on Twitter for the latest news

Article source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/sports/rss/nfl/SIG=12kqhoht5/*http%3A//sports.yahoo.com/news/calvin-johnson-goes-deep-tigers-145008393--nfl.html

Cardinals running backs still working to get back on field (National Football Post)

admin — Sat, 19 May 2012 23:03:37 +0000

Beanie Wells has yet to be cleared for a return to the field following offseason knee surgery but he’s says it’s coming along.

Wells told the team’s Web site he doesn’t have a timetable for a return but plans to be in action by the time training camp rolls around, if not sooner.

“I am hopeful, but it’s offseason stuff,” Wells said, according to Darren Urban. “Being ready for training camp is the most important thing.”

Wells was hampered by knee issues most of last season and still managed to rush for 1,047 yards and 10 touchdowns. The Cardinals’ other top back, Ryan Williams, is rehabilitating his way back from patella tendon surgery.

With any luck, the Cardinals will have a pair of backs at full strength this season.

Follow me on Twitter: @BradBiggs

Brad Biggs covers the Bears for the Chicago Tribune

Follow @footballpost on Twitter for the latest news

Article source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/sports/rss/nfl/SIG=12q0sk6t2/*http%3A//sports.yahoo.com/news/cardinals-running-backs-still-working-153014754--nfl.html

Michael Vick running hitch pattern (National Football Post)

admin — Sat, 19 May 2012 23:03:35 +0000

Michael Vick is ready for a hitch route.

Not the pass pattern. The marriage pattern.

The Philadelphia Eagles quarterback will marry longtime fiancée Kijafa Frank on June 30 at the Fontainblieau in Miami Beach, according to the New York Post.

Per the report, the party will include 300 guests. So, Vick has got some important stuff to tend to before training camp kicks off.

Follow me on Twitter: @BradBiggs

Brad Biggs covers the Bears for the Chicago Tribune

Follow @footballpost on Twitter for the latest news

Article source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/sports/rss/nfl/SIG=12n1ng925/*http%3A//sports.yahoo.com/news/michael-vick-running-hitch-pattern-163603221--nfl.html

Jim Harbaugh says Michael Crabtree has best hands he’s ever seen (National Football Post)

admin — Sat, 19 May 2012 23:03:32 +0000

Jim Harbaugh typically avoids making grandiose remarks.

But he’s done just that when it comes to Michael Crabtree, the third-year wide receiver who has yet to live up to his draft billing in 2010. That’s because Harbaugh, appearing on KNBR, said that Crabtree possesses the best hands of any wide receiver he’s ever seen.

Say what?

“Crab’s got the best hands I’ve ever seen on a wide receiver,” Harbaugh said, according to CSN Bay Area.

That’s a very subjective thing and Harbaugh has been around Crabtree for just one season, when he led the 49ers with 72 receptions in 2011. Thing is, Harbaugh has been around a host of talented Hall of Fame-type wide receivers throughout his time in the NFL.

It would create a wonderful debate involving players like Marvin Harrison, Jerry Rice and Tim Brown. The bottom line is the 49ers need Crabtree to develop into more of a big-time threat. That involves good hands and a lot of other areas of his game. San Francisco used a first-round draft pick on A.J. Jenkins, signed Mario Manningham in free agency and also brought Randy Moss out of retirement. So, it’s pretty clear the club believes it needs more from its receivers.

Follow me on Twitter: @BradBiggs

Brad Biggs covers the Bears for the Chicago Tribune

Follow @footballpost on Twitter for the latest news

Article source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/sports/rss/nfl/SIG=12n57fge2/*http%3A//sports.yahoo.com/news/jim-harbaugh-says-michael-crabtree-170011964--nfl.html

Wes Welker backtracks on claims about Patriots’ contract offer

admin — Sat, 19 May 2012 17:01:34 +0000

Getty Images

Patriots wide receiver Wes Welker signed his franchise tender this week and then complained that the Patriots reduced the amount of money they’re offering him on a long-term contract. Now he says he shouldn’t have said that.

Speaking to reporters at his football camp, Welker backtracked on his comment that contract negotiations have “actually gotten worse.”

“That was probably a bad choice of words saying they’ve gotten worse. They’ve stayed the same,” Welker said, via Greg Bedard of the Boston Globe. “I’m franchised for the year and I’m completely happy with that and completely OK with it.”

Although his decision to sign the franchise tender shows Welker wants to stay in New England, he’s in an awkward position in contract negotiations: He wants more money, but he knows that the Patriots aren’t the type of team to reward a player who complains about his contract publicly. And he wants to remain in New England, but signing the tender removes the leverage he had from the threat that he might hold out into the regular season.

So Welker will probably refrain from saying much of anything about his contract going forward. His best chance of getting a deal done is to do it quietly.

Article source: http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/05/19/wes-welker-backtracks-on-claims-about-patriots-contract-offer/

Weatherford says his Sanchez comments were taken out of context

admin — Sat, 19 May 2012 17:01:33 +0000

Getty Images

The talk-up-Tebow-talk-down-Sanchez tour expanded recently to include former Jets punter and current Giants punter Steve Weatherford.

Weatherford, appearing on the Cover Two podcast, questioned the maturity of Sanchez.

Since then, Weatherford has questioned the maturity of those who believe he was questioning the maturity of Sanchez.

In a stream of tweets posted after the podcast hit the fan, Weatherford insists his words were taken out of context, and that he didn’t “rip” Sanchez. At one point, Weatherford “retweeted” (I really do despise that word) an observation from Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News that what Weatherford said isn’t all that different from what people like G.M. Mike Tannenbaum have said.

So I listened to the Weatherford interview, and while Weatherford indeed praises Sanchez, calling him at one point “obviously the future of the franchise,” Weatherford said what he said about Sanchez and maturation. Thus, while the ESPNNewYork.com headline that “Weatherford rips Sanchez” may have been a bit too strong, Weatherford definitely expressed criticism of the Jets starting quarterback.

Regardless of whether Weatherford didn’t think anyone would be paying attention to anything a punter had to say or that it really wasn’t anything all that controversial, he said what he said. And what he said likely has something to do with the team’s decision to bring Tim Tebow to town, in the hopes that having a true threat to Sanchez’s job status will expedite the maturation process.

Article source: http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/05/19/weatherford-says-his-sanchez-comments-were-taken-out-of-context/

Minnesota Governor explains decision to pay for part of Vikings stadium

admin — Sat, 19 May 2012 17:01:26 +0000

With the Minnesota Legislature officially signing off over a week ago on a new stadium for the Vikings and the Minneapolis City Council less than a week from applying (or not) its official approval to the project, Governor Mark Dayton recently explained his support for the effort in an interview with Minnesota Public Radio.

Asked whether the citizens of Minnesota got the best deal possible, Dayton offered up a lengthy, but informative, reply.

“I believe it’s the best deal available under the circumstances,” Dayton said. “I’m not one to defend the economics of professional sports. It’s a world unto itself. Any deal you make in that world doesn’t make sense from the way the rest of us look at it. That’s just a given.

“The bottom line was: do we want to create several thousand jobs by building this new facility? Do we want to keep the Minnesota Vikings in Minnesota? Do we want an NFL franchise here in our state? We accomplished all that. We’re going to have a chance to build something that I think Minnesotans can be very proud of. It’s going to distinguish the city of Minneapolis and the state of Minnesota for decades to come.

“It can be used 355 days a year when the Vikings aren’t playing in it as the people’s stadium, for all sorts of other uses that will enhance the quality of life in our state. Time will tell whether we get a deal or not, I think it’s going to be a good deal when we look back with the perspective of time.”

Dayton’s point is a valid one. Regardless of whether it’s “right” or “wrong” or “competition” or “extortion,” the presence of 32 NFL teams in a country with more than 30 metropolitan areas that want to host one means that the metropolitan areas that currently host an NFL team may, from time to time, have to take steps to keep the NFL team from moving to one of the metropolitan areas that don’t.

Especially when there are now a couple of metropolitan areas outside of the country that may be interested in hosting an NFL team, too.

And to the extent there’s any confusion as to whether the Vikings and the NFL would have gone to one of the other metropolitan areas, Dayton was unequivocal as to the choice the Vikings faced.

“[W]hat the Vikings and the NFL impressed upon us, is that we can’t do it both ways,” Dayton said. “We can’t not do a new stadium. We can’t just keep the team here on that basis. It’s either do we want a new stadium? Do we want the thousands of jobs it will create? Do we want to keep the Vikings here and move forward? Or do we want to just say goodbye? The majority of the Legislature, and I think the majority of the people of Minnesota, were in favor of continuing.”

So while some may have real — and legitimate — problems with taxpayer money being used to make a rich man even richer, sometimes those concerns need to be set aside, or else the NFL franchise may step aside.

Article source: http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/05/19/minnesota-governor-explains-decision-to-pay-for-part-of-vikings-stadium/

2012 Pittsburgh Steelers Build Offseason Excitement: A Fan’s Giddy Take (Yahoo! Contributor Network)

admin — Sat, 19 May 2012 11:01:38 +0000

It is mid-May and the sports world is not focused on the NFL. But hardcore fans of the Pittsburgh Steelers are already getting excited for the 2012-13 season. While I previously lamented how hard this offseason of goodbyes was going to be, I think the Steelers organization is making all the right moves to make the 2012-13 season a great one.

Excited About Signed, New Talent

After selecting a draft class that fills several needs, the Steelers have backed it up by signing almost all of their picks. Only first round pick, G David DeCastro and third round linebacker Sean Spence have yet to make their employment official. There should be no lengthy holdouts to impede the team’s progress. In particular, it is helpful that fourth round NT, Alameda Ta’amu, is signed and ready to learn. Casey Hampton may miss the first quarter of the season. Ta’amu may not start, but he would at least provide a large body for depth.

The Steelers have at least two feel good stories among their undrafted free agent signings. Before the draft, the Steelers went to West Virginia University’s pro day and walked away with Will Johnson. He was undrafted in last year’s shortened off-season, but continued to work out. He performed the most bench presses at the pro day and ran a 4.49 40 yard dash. The Steelers quickly signed him. He is projected as an H-back or fullback. With the glut of TEs on the roster, he is probably practice squad material, but I am rooting for him to show something at camp and make the 53 man roster.

The Steelers also signed Georgia punter Drew Butler, a Ray Guy award winner in his sophomore season and a high character guy. At Georgia, Butler made his best kicks when the team really needed the change of field position. With the departure of former 4th round pick, Daniel Sepulveda and the average results from Jeremy Kapinos, I think Butler may stick as a low price, high-upside option.

Excited About a Stronger Offense

The Steelers have a new offensive coordinator, Pittsburgh-born Todd Haley. His 2008 Arizona Cardinals offense (number two in passing yards) played well against the Steelers in the Super Bowl. In 2010, his Kansas City Chiefs led the league in rushing. Now, he and offensive line coach Sean Kugler are rebuilding the Steelers’ most notable weakness from recent seasons – the offensive line. With a healthy Willie Colon moving to guard, it seems that the two young tackles (rookie Mike Adams and second year man Marcus Gilbert) will join DeCastro and Pro Bowl center Maurkice Pouncey on the line. With all that young, early round talent, I expect the line to be a new strength for the team. That will help Ben Roethlisberger to stay healthy and also improve the running game toward the dominance Steelers fans expect.

The Steelers also have some new specialized weapons for the offense. Chris Rainey is a dangerous, Darren Sproles type player who adds a score-from-anywhere threat to the backfield and special teams. They also chose a big, red zone target in WR Toney Clemons. Will he be the next late round diamond to emerge in the Steelers passing game?

Excited About the Unanswered Questions

There are questions to be answered, though. Can Isaac Redman be the work horse running back while Rashard Mendenhall heals? Can one of the young corners step up to replace William Gay? Can the Steelers and elite speedster Mike Wallace come to amicable terms on a long term deal? There is work to be done in camp and in preseason. The good news, though, is that these questions can be realistically resolved. They are relatively minor compared to what the competition is facing.

Excited About the Baltimore Ravens‘ Turmoil

Last season the hated Baltimore Ravens won the AFC North and swept the Steelers. However, their offseason has been more dramatic than they want. Ferocious linebacker Terrell Suggs is likely out for the season with an injury. Mauling guard Ben Grubbs is gone. Banged up superstar safety Ed Reed is questioning whether he will play this season. Ray Lewis has to be slowing down with age (except for his mouth). Starting QB Joe Flacco and RB Ray Rice are in contract disuptes with the team. Even coach John Harbaugh has been in trouble for bashing the “stained” New England Patriots (though I agreed with him). All this distraction and difficulty couldn’t happen to a more deserving team.

There are so many reason to look forward to this season that I want to fast-forward DVR-style to week one, but I can’t. So, I will just have to sit back and let the excitement build. June mini-camps are coming soon. Preseason games will be in August. I can’t remember a more exciting offseason. Let’s hope the payoff is another Lombardi trophy!

Sean Durity is a Terrible Towel twirling Steelers fan living in Atlanta. He grew up cheering the 1970s dynasty and appreciates the organization’s excellence even more as an adult. Follow him on Twitter @SeanDurity