The Shield Takes Some Hits, Jolly Roger Lighter In The Wallet

You think the National Football League is immune to the nations economic downturn you are very wrong. The NFL has trimmed it's staff by 15% through buyouts, layoffs and other staff reductions (pink slips, firing squad, etc.) Seventy-six people took buyouts while 45 jobs were eliminated and 48 openings went unfilled.

The financial pain extends to the NFL commish. Roger Goodell has voluntarily taken a 20% pay cut from his $11 million dollar salary and bonuses the jolly Roger was suppose to receive this past year. Other league executives will see a salary freeze for 2009. No raises for you.

The move affects NFL headquarters in New York, NFL Films in Mount Laurel, N.J., and the NFL Network in Los Angeles and somewhere down the line you, the NFL fan.

Pac Man Not Making It Rain Enough

I guess it's all about when the paycheck clears...

Adam Jones ((pictured, thanks newsday.com)), apparently, is being chased after by one of his cadre of attorneys for moneys not sent for services rendered- or something official sounding like that...

From DL Bennett's piece in the AJC...

"Manny Arora claims Jones stiffed him for fees “in excess of $10,000” on 18 different cases in which Arora represented either Jones’ family members or friends.

None of the cases mentioned in the lawsuit filed in Fulton State Court involve Jones directly.

The suit lists Deborah Jones, James Jones, Lewis Kueffor and Fleming Daniels as the defendants Arora assisted. The charges against them vary from speeding to kidnapping, simple battery and, in the case of Daniels, murder."

Neither side has come public on this case, yet. But a word to Adam- Manny is not a guy to be screwed with. He holds a nuclear engineering degree from Georgia Tech. He's a Major in the Air Force reserves. And he can, probably, kick your ass in an alley if provoked. He added the "sports agent" title to his dossier recently for Jones.

Here's what he told "Business to Business" Magazine at the time:
"He's an athlete who has a good side that nobody sees," Arora says. "When you spend enough time with these athletes, you see their human side. Pacman doesn't have all those [bad influences] around him anymore. He just has me – one voice. And that will make all the difference."

Those of us here at OSG HQ think that the "Arora" in Arora and LaScala has seen enough of Adam Jones to last him a lifetime. Jones, obviously, didn't listen to Arora's 5-Minute Rule.

Remembering The 1947 NFL Champion Cardinals

When Arizona Cardinals owner Bill Bidwill held up the George Halas trophy after his team won the NFC Championship, it was the first time in 61 years that the Cardinal franchise (Chicago, St. Louis, Arizona) had hauled home some hardware.

For years this dysfunctional franchise had been an embarrassment what little fan base they had. Now the Arizona Cardinals have become, dare I say, lovable. Almost in a Chicago Cub sort of way. (Cub fans, your franchise has cornered the market on heartbreak and championship droughts. Don't worry, the Cardinals haven't overtaken you in that regard.)

With that said, the Cardinals have the longest dry spell without an NFL Championship. It's been 61 years when the then Chicago Cardinals defeated the Philadelphia Eagles 28-21 for the NFL title.

The 1947 NFL Championship Game was played December 28 on a bitter cold day at Comiskey Park in Chicago. Over 30,000 fans attended

That Cardinal team featured the "Million Dollar Backfield" of Paul Christman at quarterback, Charlie Trippi and Elmer Angsman at tailback and Pat Harder at fullback. That foursome racked up 282 yards with Angsman scoring twice on a pair of 70 yard touchdown runs and Trippi scoring on a 44 yard touchdown and taking a 75 yard punt the distance for a touchdown.

Violet Bidwill accepted the championship trophy. Her husband Charles had passed away before the season began. It was a team he put together but didn't live to see prevail.

After winning the NFL Championship there was no parade down Michigan Avenue and no rings for the players. Times were simpler then. There was a celebration at a South Side Chicago bar and then a formal dinner and dance thrown by the team. As for the rings, 50 years later the surviving members received a championship ring from the team.

Now 61 years and 3 cities later, the Cardinals are playing for an NFL championship, this time it's called the Super Bowl and it's number 43. A lucky number should the Cards prevail in Tampa and Bill Bidwill does what his mother did 61 years ago, accept an NFL championship trophy for the Cardinal franchise.