4
Sep
2010
It’s final cutdown day in the NFL! Leinart, Houshmandzadeh among the casualties
"The Turk" is going to have a busy day
Yep, it’s cutdown day. For the uninitiated, today is the day that each NFL squad must trim their roster down to 53 players for the start of the season. Coaches and GMs around the league are faced with the difficult decision of which players to hang on to, and which to release. And those in the latter category will be getting a visit from the director of player personnel (aka “The Turk”), asking for their playbook and telling them they need to visit with the coach.
The deadline for roster cuts it 6pm ET today, so we’ll try to keep track of the most notable moves from across the league. And since a bunch of cuts were made yesterday, there are already some recognizable names on the casualty list. Undoubtedly some of these players will be targeted as free agent pick-ups before the season starts, so keep an eye out for guys who still may have some tread on their tires, or could potentially do better in a different situation.
UPDATE: So far the list of players now without a home includes Cardinals QB Matt Leinart, Seahawks WR TJ Houshmandzadeh, Redskins RB Willie Parker, Seahawks QB JP Losman, Bengals WR Matt Jones, Bucs WR Mark Clayton, Ravens QB Troy Smith, Titans QB Chris Simms and a former Rhodes Scholar, Titans S Myron Rolle.
The Matt Leinart era is over in the desert (Image: Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
END OF DAY UPDATE: NFL.com has the complete list of cuts, ESPN.com has team-by-team analysis, and CBS Sportsline’s Clark Judge has a good wrap-up of today’s winners & losers.
CONTINUE AFTER THE JUMP FOR THE FULL LIST OF NOTABLE CUTS
19
Aug
2010
VIDEO: LeGarrette Blount still punchy in the NFL
Falcon Punch!!! (Image: ESPN.com)
You probably remember Titants rookie RB LeGarrette Blount from the above image, when Blount punched a helmet-less Idaho State player after a game last season, resulting in his suspension from the team. Most NFL teams remembered it too, as Blount went undrafted out of Oregon due to attitude concerns. But Blount was signed as a FA by Tennessee, hoping that he would be able to put his troubled past behind him.
Well, it looks like you can take the kid out of Oregon, but you can’t take the fight out of the kid. At least, when the kid in question is LeGarrette Blount. On Wendesday, Blount took a swing at Titans defensive end Eric Bakhtiari at the end of practice, after having his own helmet ripped off by the defense and both units getting chippy with each other throughout the session.
Watch as Blount – who is ironically not wearing his own helmet this time around – unleashes his now patented Falcon Punch on Bahktiari, who was wearing a helmet (around the :20 mark):
Blount immediately apologized to head coach Jeff Fisher after the incident, saying he promised to “put it behind him”. He also claimed that the defense had been consistently egging him during practice on by pulling off his helmet before he snapped. Fisher not only accepted Blount’s apology, but went further in defending his rookie RB:
“I am not disappointed whatsoever,’’ Fisher said of Blount, who’d miss practices on Monday and Tuesday following the death of his grandmother. “His past is his past. Is that the first punch you’ve seen at camp this year? No. OK. I am not disappointed whatsoever. I have great confidence in the young man that he has learned from his mistake and is very competitive.’’
All I know is if Blount ever squares off against me, I’m covering up. This guy has a vicious right hand, and if Blount doesn’t make it in the NFL, I’m sure the MMA will have a home for him.
13
Jun
2010
VIDEO: Vince Young gets into a strip club brawl
Ah, good ol’ Vince Young. Just when the NFL hadn’t seen any notable off-field incidents for a few weeks, Vince comes along and reminds us what the off-season is really about: strip club altercations. And this time, there’s video!
The Titans quarterback was issued a Class-C assault citation following a fight inside a Dallas-area strip club early Sunday morning. Video of the incident (above) shows Young in a back office talking to a manager. At about the :45 mark, another man (seated) who was identified at Creiton Kinchen, 45, makes a derogatory “Horns down” hand sign in reference to Young’s alma mater Texas Longhorns. Jawing ensues and about a minute later, Young bursts back into the room, and the fists start-a-flyin’!
The league has said that they “will look into” the situation, but Kinchen suffered only a bloody lip and didn’t require medical attention, so ultimately this shouldn’t be a huge issue with the law. But for Young, who has had his problems in the past and needs to show growth as both a person and leader, it definitely doesn’t look good.
4
Jan
2010
VIDEO: Chris Johnson 2009 Season Highlights (aka the best season by any NFL RB ever)
Even though he fell short of Eric Dickerson’s NFL single-season rushing record, Tennessee Titans RB Chris Johnson broke the Marshall Faulk’s record for total yards from scrimmage in a season on Sunday. As the video above demonstrates, in 2009 Johnson put together one of the greatest seasons by a running back in NFL history, finishing with 2,006 yards rushing and 503 yards receiving.
In doing so, he became just the sixth player to rush for over 2,000 yards in a season, joining Eric Dickerson, Jamal Lewis, Barry Sanders, Terrell Davis, and O.J. Simpson in the elite club. But none of those other backs were nearly as prolific as receivers out of the backfield, so one could easily make a case for Johnson as the most complete back of all time.
Congratulations to Johnson and the Titans O-line, and to any fantasy football owners who had CJ on their roster. You had one hell of a year!
29
Nov
2009
VIDEO: Vince Young defeats Matt Leinart once again
In the most exciting ball game of the afternoon, Vince Young delivered the Tennessee Titans a victory over Matt Leinart (starting in place of an injured Kurt Warner) and the Arizona Cardinals. Young led the Titans on an impressive 18-play, 99-yd drive to score the go-ahead TD. The drive ended with this last-second 10-yd strike to rookie Kenny Britt:
You may recall Young’s last-minute Rose Bowl-winning drive against Leinart when the two were in college at Texas and USC, respectively. That ending looked a little something like this:
So, I guess you could say that Jeff Fisher’s decision to bench Kerry Collins in favor of Vince Young was a good one, huh?
CONTINUE AFTER THE JUMP FOR COMPLETE HIGHLIGHTS OF THE GAME-WINNING DRIVE
16
Nov
2009
VIDEO: Titans’ owner Bud Adams flips the Bills the bird
Here’s 86-year-old Titans’ owner Bud Adams expressing his feelings toward the visiting sidelines at the end of his team’s 41-17 home win over the Buffalo Bills. Note the stylish triple-pump single birds followed by an emphatic double bird to finish it off.
Bud, you sassy ole’ bastard, you.
Word is Roger Goodell was actually in the owner’s box with Bud during the game … we’ll surely see what Roger has to say about this one.
29
Sep
2009
Week 3 NFL Highlights: Ric Flair edition
Julius Jones does the Ric Flair Strut
This week’s installment of your NFL highlights combines 2 things we hold dear to our hearts here at ReadAndReact: football and old-school professional wrestling. Recently, Seahawks RB Julius Jones has been displaying his appreciation for 16x world champion Ric Flair by performing the famed “Flair Strut” in the endzone after scoring a touchdown.
He did it against the Rams in week 1, and yesterday against the Bears, Jones once again did his best Nature Boy impression after ripping off a 39-yd TD on a screen pass (play starts at the :15 mark):
The NY love-fest with Mark Sanchez is fully underway, thanks in large part from this TD run on Sunday. Also, Ric Flair will wrestle Hulk Hogan in Australia later this year. WOO!:
Donald Driver makes an amazing one-handed catch against the Rams. In other news, Ric Flair scratch-off lottery cards are now available in North Carolina. WoooOOOooo!:
11
Sep
2009
Polamalu makes pro bowl in 1st quarter, out 3-6 weeks with Madden Curse
In case you missed it, Troy Polamalu was a one-man highlight reel in the first half of last night’s Steelers/Titans game. The Pro Bowl S was everywhere, firing into the backfield with speed and power that you just don’t see, even at the NFL level. He led both teams with 6 tackles in the first half, all the while his thick black hair floating majestically in the Pittsburgh night air.
And then there was this, ridiculous one-handed interception at the end of the 1st quarter:
With their defense picking up right where they left off, everything was looking good for the Steelers and their faithful.
But then, it happened. With about three minutes left in the half, Polamalu injured his left knee when a Titans player fell on him after the Steelers blocked a 31-yd FG attempt. Head Coach Mike Tomlin stated in his post-game press conference that Polamalu will miss 3-6 with an MCL sprain.
If I had Larry Fitzgerald on my fantasy football team, I'd be worried
In addition to being a major blow to the SB champs, Polamalu also becomes the latest victim of the Madden Curse, after gracing the cover of Madden NFL 10 with Larry Fitzgerald. I’m not normally a big believer in this sort of thing, and I thought the SportsIllustrated curse got overblown. But as Shutdown Corner points out, this is becoming a real trend. Other recent victims of the Madden curse include Michael Vick (broken leg/prison), Donavan McNabb (hernia, missed 7 games), Shaun Alexander (broken foot, 6 games), Vince Young (moron/back-up) and Brett Favre (douche bag).
The injury happened when Polamalu was attempting to pick up the ball and make yet another play for his team. He was taken to the locker room before the half, and did not return, with back-up Tyrone Carter taking his place. Tomlin said that Polamalu will undergo further tests to determine the exact extent of the injury, and couldn’t rule out the possibility that it could be worse than initially thought.
22
Aug
2009
COWBOYS STADIUM (((FAIL)))
In the much-awaited opener at super-luxurious Cowboys Stadium, a reassuring performance by (post-Jessica) Tony Romo (18-24, 192 yards) was drowned out by the biggest player on–or above–the field.
In the middle of the third quarter, Titans backup punter A.J. Trapasso’s high-arching kick nailed the stadium’s massive 160′ x 90′ HD jumbotron, resulting in a do-over.
Earlier in the game, the FOX broadcast replayed feed of Titans starting punter Craig Hentrich repeatedly dinging the scoreboard during warmups–beguiling Cowboys owner Jerry Jones. Hentrich told ESPN: “I hit it probably a dozen times in pregame… some of the guys in the league wouldn’t be able to punt here if it’s not raised, they’d just be non-stop hitting it. I don’t know what the people were thinking. I guess they should have tested things out before they put that thing in place. It’ll have to be raised.”
Jerry Jones, however, isn’t planning to change a thing. According to ESPN, “Jones implied that having the video board in play provided an ‘entertainment value’ and that both teams would have to deal with it.”
Really? Are we at the stage where money-hungry owners have the right to build playing-field obstacles for entertainment dollars, interrupt the game, and tell everyone to “deal with it”?
Yet another reason to love the Dallas Cowboys.
5
Jul
2009
Steve McNair, 36, and Sahel Kazemi, 20, found shot to death in Nashville
Developing…
According to the story from the Tennessean.com, “Former Tennessee Titans quarterback Steve McNair was killed in an apparent murder-suicide with a young woman who worked at an Opry Mills restaurant and had been dating him for months.”
The Tennessean’s report continues: “McNair] was found on the sofa of a Second Avenue condominium that he rented, police said. Sahel Kazemi, 20, was found on the floor near him with a single gunshot wound to her head. A pistol was found near her body.
Steve McNair and Sahel Kazemi
Metro police spokesman Don Aaron said investigators were not actively looking for suspects Saturday night but had not ruled out any scenarios. He stopped short of calling the deaths a murder-suicide, but said the police should be able to classify the deaths today after autopsies and forensic work… Though much of the attention was on the Second Avenue crime scene, police also swarmed Kazemi’s apartment at the Cherry Creek complex in Hermitage on Saturday. They questioned neighbors who said they often saw McNair visiting Kazemi. Sometimes, neighbors said, she would arrive home in a limousine in the early morning. They also heard arguments between her and her boyfriend.
Most recently, she had a new black car she said was a gift from her boyfriend.
She was arrested in that car, a black 2007 Cadillac Escalade registered to her and McNair, early Thursday at Broadway and Ninth Avenue, just two days before the deaths. She was charged with driving under the influence and refusing to take a breath test. She told police she was not drunk, but high.
McNair was in the car, a fact that was not in the police affidavit but was confirmed by police Saturday night. Police allowed McNair to take a cab home. He later bailed Kazemi out of jail, according to bail bondsmen.
Keith Norfleet, who said he dated Kazemi for four years before they broke up five months ago, was worried about her dating McNair, a married man. She met McNair while she was a waitress at Dave & Buster’s Grand Sports Cafe, he said.
Norfleet said he moved here with Kazemi from Jacksonville, Fla., where her family lives. She was raised by a sister. Her mother, a native of Iran, was murdered when Kazemi was 9, Norfleet said.
“She is the sweetest girl, and she did not deserve this,” Norfleet said upon learning of her death. “He was making her believe they were going to be together and everything would be perfect.”
Norfleet said they’d been speaking a lot recently and she planned to break it off with McNair. He said she banged on his apartment door early Saturday morning, but she left before he could get to the door. He spent much of Saturday afternoon looking for her and trying to find out if she was the woman who died with McNair.
The rest of The Tennessean’s story, written by Kate Howard, Jaime Sarrio and Chris Echegaray, can be read here.
UPDATE: (4:44 a.m. EST)
This may turn out to be nonsensical, but readers of the above article tracked down a MySpace page that was, apparently, most recently updated two days before the shooting (7/2/09) by its owner “The Caucasian Persuasian.” It states: “The Caucasian Persuasion riden with keith. f*ck a quarterback. who is Mcnair in 09? rip sahel kazemi.”
Clearly, we make no claim of knowing what this means. One reader claimed that he “called the Nashville police to report the myspace page and they are already looking into it. “
These are rumored to be photos of the deceased Sahel Kazemi from her Facebook and MySpace accounts:
According to this report: “McNair’s wife Mechelle said she had not heard from her husband in a couple of days. She was at the couple’s home Saturday on Bear Road in Green Hills.”
Definitely one of the most tragic stories to come out of the National Football League in a long time.
McNair leaves behind his wife and four children.
* * *
UPDATE (5:11 a.m. EST):
The following story from Ken Whitehouse at the Nashville Post suggests that there may be another strange angle to this story: “While Metro Police has reported that details are sketchy, NashvillePost.com sources say that at approximately 2 a.m. Saturday morning, McNair was celebrating the holidays at the Blue Moon Restaurant near the John C. Tune Airport… According to the same NashvillePost.com sources, a white woman in her early 20s, around 5-foot-4, approached McNair at the restaurant and accused him of slipping her a “roofie” a year ago…
The woman then told McNair, according to sources, that her boyfriend was going to kill him… Multiple sources have confirmed that this information has been shared with the Metro Police Department. Metro Police has yet to identify the dead woman, but is it unknown if the woman at the restaurant is the same woman found in the condo.”
