Sportswriter Accused Of Prostitution Ring

((HT: Arizona Republic))

A veteran newspaper sports reporter was charged Wednesday with running a prostitution ring in New Hampshire and Massachusetts and possibly into Canada.

Kevin Provencher ((pictured, thanks MyFoxBoston)) advertised his prostitution ring's services on Craigslist and other Web sites and rented hotel rooms in Andover, Mass., and in New Hampshire where the women would have sex for money, prosecutors said. The ring may have operated in Canada, they said.

Provencher, a sports writer at the New Hampshire Union Leader for more than two decades, was arrested at his Manchester home early Wednesday and was taken to Massachusetts, where he was ordered held on $10,000 cash bail during his arraignment in Lawrence District Court. He pleaded not guilty to two counts of deriving support from prostitution.

Provencher, 50, has been suspended from the Union Leader, where he has been its primary motor sports reporter since 1990. He also has been the newspaper's beat reporter covering the Manchester Monarchs since the American Hockey League franchise's 2001 inception.

The newspaper's management issued a statement calling Provencher "a valued employee for many years."

"He is innocent until proven guilty," it said. "However, given the nature and seriousness of the charges, he is suspended until further notice."

Provencher's lawyer, Jessica Thrall, did not immediately return a telephone call seeking comment Wednesday.

Sara Underwood, from our friends at MyFox Boston/Fox 25, was in the courtroom...

Stepmom Sues Jeremy Mayfield For Slander

((HT: CBSSports))

Jeremy Mayfield's stepmother sued the suspended NASCAR driver Wednesday, claiming he made slanderous, false and defamatory statements.

In civil court papers filed in Iredell County civil court, Lisa Mayfield argues her stepson falsely accused her of killing his father and taking money from NASCAR. She's seeking compensatory and punitive damages of more than $10,000 each and "further relief as the Court may deem just and proper."

Jeremy Mayfield's comments in several interviews came after his stepmother signed an affidavit claiming she witnessed him taking methamphetamine at least 30 times over seven years. Her affidavit was part of a NASCAR filing asking the federal judge who lifted the driver's drug suspension to reinstate the ban.

The 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has since ruled in NASCAR's favor to keep Mayfield off the track.

The driver has denied ever using the illegal drug.

Lisa Mayfield attorney Edmund Gaines wrote in the three-page filing that Jeremy Mayfield made the comments with "intent to injure and damage the Plaintiff" and "with reckless disregard for the truth."

In interviews, Jeremy Mayfield suggested NASCAR paid his stepmother to lie about his alleged past drug use and accused her of killing his father.

"NASCAR did a great job, that is pretty much a low blow, especially with a lady who is involved with killing my dad," according to the court filing, quoting an interview with Charlotte, N.C., TV station WSOC.

Police ruled Terry Mayfield's death in 2007 a suicide.

John Buric, an attorney for Jeremy Mayfield, did not immediately return a message seeking comment.

Mayfield was suspended May 9 for failing a random drug test eight days earlier for what NASCAR has said was a positive test for methamphetamine. The driver sued, and the lawsuit has been set for a jury trial on Sept. 13, 2010, according to court documents filed Tuesday.

So, hey, let's show the exclusive interview with Jeremy and FoxCharlotte's Dao Vu
((HT: WCCB-TV/Fox Charlotte))

Arland Bruce Heads Down The QEW

((HT: GlobeSports/Naylor))

Arland Bruce ((pictured, thanks GlobeSports file)) is a Hamilton Tiger-Cat after the Toronto Argonauts completed a deal to move the disgruntled receiver on Wednesday morning, ending a week of drama that began when Argos head coach Bart Andrus decided to leave the veteran receiver home from last week’s road trip to Winnipeg.

Bruce’s critical comments about that decision provoked the Argonauts to begin exploring trade options which have resulted in them acquiring the rights to Canadian defensive end Cory Mace, who has spent the past two seasons with the Buffalo Bills, and a conditional third-round draft pick in 2011 if Bruce is on the Hamilton roster in 2011.

“We believe we received the best value we could get for Arland given the circumstances,'' said Argos general manager Adam Rita in a statement. "We believe strongly in the direction in which our organization is headed.”

While Andrus dismissed Tuesday the notion that Bruce is a vital cog in the Argos offence, he certainly should make the Tiger-Cats better. Hamilton has a young group of receivers who struggle with consistency, meaning Bruce’s veteran presence should instantly give them a new dynamic.

The departing six-year Argo insisted his comments were never meant to provoke a trade and as of Tuesday he was disappointed when learning that he was likely to be traded.

Bruce, 31, was expected on the field at Tiger-Cat practice Wednesday in Hamilton and will be in uniform when Hamilton hosts the B.C. Lions on Friday night.

It is believed there was some debate with the Argonauts owners, management and coaching staff over whether Bruce should have been allowed to return to the team. Sources say Andrus insisted Bruce’s days as an Argonaut be over, and the first-year Toronto coach got his way.

"We we were trying to have things fall in line and his response was very negative and it was time for him to go,'' Andrus said Wednesday at the team's practice facility in Mississauga, Ont., "I wish him well and better luck with his new team.''

The Argos had no other trade partners besides Hamilton, largely because of the difficulty moving Bruce’s $190,000 contract. Had they released him, however, both the Calgary Stampeders and Winnipeg Blue Bombers may have had an interest in him.

Though the deal was agreed to between the parties late Tuesday, it wasn't completed until Hamilton head coach Marcel Bellefeuille and general manager Bob O'Billovich had a chance to meet with Bruce on Tuesday night.

"We are certain that in the environment Marcel Bellefeuille has created around our team this season, Arland will be a respected teammate in our locker room and a valuable member of our community," O"Billovich said in a statement released by the Tiger-Cats announcing the deal.

Mace is a native of Port Moody, B.C., who has spent most of the past two seasons on the Bills practice roster and been unable to come to terms on a contract with Hamilton so far this season.

As a Canadian defensive lineman with NFL experience, the 23-year-old University of Wyoming product would give the Argos some depth behind Adriano Belli, another player Andrus has criticized for performing in ways detrimental to the team this season.

"I don't know if you want to say I'm putting my own stamp on something,'' Andrus said, concerning his decision to suspend Bruce last week. "I'm trying to do what I'm used to doing at this level, doing the things I've seen work in the past. There needs to be a certain degree of responsibility on the part of the players.''

SunTV in Ontario interviewed Argos wideout Andre Talbot about everything double-blue including the whole Bruce distraction...
((HT: GrillRoomTV/SunTV Ontario))

Balsillie Rejected By NHL

((HT: GlobeSports/Waldie))

The NHL executive committee has rejected Jim Balsillie's application to become owner of the Phoenix Coyotes.

Balsillie can still bid for the club, which he plans to move to Hamilton, and he is expected to forge ahead with his offer.

The committee met with Balsillie today in Chicago to go over his application to buy the club. Balsillie had submitted an application as part of his bid to buy the Coyotes out of Chapter 11 protection.

The committee gave a welcome reception to a proposal by Ice Edge Holdings, which wants to buy the Coyotes, keep the club in Phoenix but play five regular-season games in Saskatoon. However, the committee did not formally approve the idea. Ice Edge is made up of about six investors, mainly from Canada. The group said it plans to press ahead with its offer.

A $148-million (U.S.) bid by Chicago businessman Jerry Reinsdorf, who also wants to buy the club and keep it in Phoenix, was given the thumbs up by the committee.

"Mr. Reinsdorf's application was unanimously approved by all those Board members present and voting, subject to the League's completion of its due diligence and review of the final transaction," the league said in a statement.

"In Mr. Balsillie's case, it was the unanimous vote of all members present and voting that his application not be approved. With respect to [Ice Edge], it was determined that, at this stage, since they've only recently begun the process, the application was incomplete and could not yet be acted on by the Board. However, the Executive Committee reported favorably on the [Ice Edge] group's interview and endorsed the group's continued efforts to complete a bid to purchase the franchise."

Full NHL statement below:

National Hockey League Commissioner Gary Bettman issued the following statement following today's Board of Governors meeting:

"The National Hockey League's Board of Governors met this afternoon to review the ownership applications of three prospective ownership groups for the Phoenix Coyotes. The Board's process today represents the League's best efforts to comply with the League's review procedures pursuant to NHL Constitution Article 3.5 and NHL By-Law 35 within the timetable imposed by the ongoing court process.

"There were three applicant groups that were interviewed by the Executive Committee and considered by the Board. One was Jim Balsillie's. The second was a group headed by Anthony LeBlanc, involving Mr. LeBlanc, Keith McCullough, Todd Jordan and Daryl Jones. And the third group, headed by Jerry Reinsdorf, included as well Tony Tavares and John Kaites.

"After interviewing all of the applications, the Executive Committee brought forward recommendations to the full Board of Governors.

"Mr. Reinsdorf's application was unanimously approved by all those Board members present and voting, subject to the League's completion of its due diligence and review of the final transaction. In Mr. Balsillie's case, it was the unanimous vote of all members present and voting that his application not be approved. With respect to the LeBlanc group, it was determined that, at this stage, since they've only recently begun the process, the application was incomplete and could not yet be acted on by the Board. However, the Executive Committee reported favorably on the LeBlanc group's interview and endorsed the group's continued efforts to complete a bid to purchase the franchise.

"We will so advise the Bankruptcy Court and we will move this process forward."


The Balsillie camp statement below:

PSE Sports and Entertainment, the company which represents Jim Balsillie’s $212.5-million bid to purchase the Phoenix Coyotes and relocate the team to Hamilton, Ontario, issued a statement today regarding the NHL’s position on Mr. Balsillie’s ownership application.

“We do not think that Jim Balsillie’s qualification to be an NHL owner is an issue in this case given his 2006 approval as an NHL owner,” said PSE spokesman Bill Walker.

“We note that the bankruptcy court Judge Hon. Redfield T. Baum ruled in his June 15 decision that:

‘Absent some showing by the NHL that there have been material changes in PSE’s circumstances since 2006, it appears to the court that the NHL can not object or withhold its consent to PSE becoming the controlling owner of the Phoenix Coyotes.’

Walker noted that Judge Baum cited the legal precedent of Memorial Coliseum v. National Football League (known as the “Raiders” case) as showing that ‘a right of approval or disapproval or a discretionary power… must be exercised within the parameters of the duty of good faith.’

“Presumably the onus will be on the NHL to demonstrate a material change in PSE’s circumstances, although no such change was raised with us today,” Walker said. “Beyond that we have confidence in, and respect for, Judge Baum and the legal process as this case unfolds.”

Burress Testifies In Front Of Grand Jury

((HT: ESPN))

Plaxico Burress testified for nearly three hours Wednesday in front of a grand jury that is investigating weapons charges against him and told reporters outside that he was sorry for his actions.

The former Giants wide receiver, who shot himself in the thigh at a Manhattan nightclub in November now will wait for the grand jury's vote on whether he will be indicted.

"I was truthful, I was honest, and I'm truly remorseful for what I've done and for what happened," the 31-year-old Burress said outside of a Manhattan courthouse.

Burress is charged with criminal possession of a weapon and faces up to 3½ years in prison. He has pleaded not guilty and is free on $100,000 bail. The Giants released the receiver in April.

His attorney, Benjamin Brafman, said the one-time Super Bowl star wanted to address the grand jury, adding his client stressed in his testimony that the gun was not used in the commission of a crime and that he was the lone victim.

"I agreed that in order to humanize him they needed to see who he was and what this man was about," Brafman said, adding, "He asked the grand jury for compassion and understanding. I think it took a big man, not just physically, but a big man to come here today and acknowledge his responsibility and ask for the compassion of the people who he testified before."

Brafman contends that Burress' gun was registered in the state of Florida and that "my client was under the impression that the same was the case in the city of New York."

Brafman said he hopes that Burress' testimony will serve to balance out some of the comments made Monday by Manhattan District Attorney Robert Morgenthau, whom Brafman characterized as having "a lapse in judgment" by speaking publicly about the Burress case while the case is in front of the grand jury.

Morgenthau told the New York Post that Burress was willing to agree to spend a year in jail, but prosecutors insisted on two, the newspaper reported.

"We've always taken the position that he's going to have to go to jail, whether by trial or by plea," Morgenthau said, according to the Post.

Burress, who caught the winning touchdown in the final minute of the 2008 Super Bowl, also could face disciplinary action by NFL commissioner Roger Goodell under the league's personal conduct policy. Burress has yet to sign with another team and Goodell's office announced in June that the league already had started its examination of the shooting.

Here's Chris McKendry tossing to Sal Paolantonio in front of the courthouse...

Indictment Likely For Jamar Hornsby

((HT: Jackson Clarion-Ledger/Brandt))

Ole Miss football signee Jamar Hornsby is expected to be indicted on felony aggravated assault and petit larceny charges on Friday in Oktibbeha County Circuit Court, stemming from an alleged incident in early March, according to his attorney Steve Farese.

“We’re never certain, but we are anticipating an indictment,” Farese said. “All we know for sure is that we’ll be in court Friday morning.”

Hornsby, a 22-year-old rising junior, will plead not guilty, according to the attorney. But if an indictment comes, it likely signifies that Hornsby’s future with the Ole Miss football team is on very shaky ground.

UM coach Houston Nutt said he would wait until Friday before making any decisions about Hornsby’s future with the program.

Nutt has already said that Hornsby will not be allowed to practice until his legal issues are resolved. The team’s first day of practice is Aug. 10. If there is an indictment, Farese said a resolution to the trial would probably not come until at least the end of the year.

“We would certainly file a motion to speed up the trial,” Farese said. “But it’s up to the judge.”

Hornsby played at East Mississippi Community College last fall and signed with Ole Miss in February. The 6-foot-3, 200-pound defensive back is listed as a four-star recruit (on a five-star scale) by Rivals.com and a three-star recruit by Scout.com. He is expected to help the Rebels’ secondary immediately if allowed to play.

The charges stem from an incident on March 2. Benjamin Jenkins alleges that Hornsby repeatedly hit him with brass knuckles, causing a fractured nose, busted lips, swollen jaw and scrapes and cuts at a McDonald’s in Starkville. In a separate complaint, Jenkins also alleges that Hornsby stole $6 from him during the altercation.

Hornsby has been in trouble before.

He was arrested in May 2008 while a member of the Florida football team and was convicted of four misdemeanor counts of credit card fraud in Alachua County, Fla. He used a friend’s credit card following her death in October 2007, buying almost $3,000 worth of gas.

After his arrest, Hornsby was kicked off the Florida team. As part of his punishment, he was sentenced to a year of probation in December.

When Ole Miss signed Hornsby in February, Nutt said he knew about Hornsby’s past issues, but was confident he deserved a second chance.

“We talked to everybody involved,” Nutt said. “We talked to (Florida coach) Urban Meyer. We talked to the judge. We talked to his family. We wouldn’t have signed him if we weren’t confident he would represent our program in the right way.”

They Call Her The Brees...

((HT: Houston Chronicle/Tolson))

Scores of Houston restaurant owners received a letter from an Austin attorney last week offering them the “opportunity” to purchase one thing that all believed was already and irrefutably theirs — their name.

The letter, addressed “to whom it may concern,” informed the restaurateurs that their assumed names on file with the Harris County Clerk had expired. The new owner of all these names, a company called Chicksports Inc., was willing to sell each one back. The price? Some owners were told $25,000, others $20,000. The letter ended with what some considered a threat.

“If you have not contacted me by email or phone by August 14, 2009, Chicksports will explore its legal options for your use of the assumed name it now owns or contact other parties interested in owning the reservation of the right to this assumed name,” attorney Mina Brees ((pictured, thanks aamctx.org)) wrote.

Brees, the mother of NFL quarterback Drew Brees, also happens to be the president and registered agent for Chicksports. She did not return phone calls from the Chronicle, but in a brief e-mail Brees said that her client does not plan to maintain control over most of the names. Assumed names expire after 10 years.

“My client intends to release any assumed names it reserved in the next week or so, because it has selected the assumed name it wishes to use for its business,” Brees said in her e-mail. “However, it is important to know that once an assumed name is released, other individuals or entities will have the opportunity to reserve that name.”

Brees did not explain why she applied for the expired names or describe the nature of the business Chicksports was pursuing.

Local restaurateurs did not know what to make of the letter.

Many were alarmed at first, fearing they could lose control of their public identity.

“The first thing I thought was, ‘Oh my God, what is this?' I have heard such horror stories over the years,” said Elouise Adams Jones, owner of Ouisie's Table near River Oaks. “I was panicked at first. I thought I had missed something terrible. My assumed name had expired, so that made me concerned that I had a problem.”
Word spread quickly

Carmelo Mauro, owner of Carmelo's Italian Restaurant in west Houston, said he was “shocked” by the letter — and by the notion of paying someone to keep using a name that has been on his sign since 1981.

“The first reaction is, ‘No way I will pay $25,000,' ” Mauro said. “I will change the name to Carmelo's Cucina Italiano or something else. You start thinking so many things.”

Mauro did not know whether the letter was serious, but he was worried enough to call the Texas Restaurant Association. Over the next few days he found out that other local restaurateurs had received similar letters. Some of them had been offered their names back for “only” $20,000.

Calls and e-mails quickly went out from one owner to another and then to the restaurant group. Its general counsel, Glen Garey, was stunned when he finally read a copy of Brees' letter. It contained an ominous message, underlined and in all capital letters, at the top: “This letter contains information which is important to your business entity.”

“I was almost shaking I was so mad when I saw that letter,” Garey said. “I'm a member of the bar, and it's embarrassing for someone in our profession to do something like that.”

He reassured members that the letters carried no weight and posted an alert advising as much on the association's Web site.

“DO NOT PAY …” Garey wrote in capital letters. “The assumed name statute says clearly that there is no need to file an assumed name if your corporate name is your business name … .”

The owners' own lawyers reassured them with similar advice. Jeffrey Horowitz, who represents the owners of Shade, a restaurant in Houston Heights, said the letter made little sense from a legal standpoint.

“It looks like a weak attempt to do something like cyber squatting, but the law in Texas is such that — with trade names and trademarks — first use usually prevails,” Horowitz said. “Why they would send a letter like that … doesn't make any sense unless they were trying to take advantage of a restaurateur who does not know the law.”

Geary said he made no attempt to contact Brees. So far, he said, the restaurant association has not taken any action against her.

“I figured any attorney who would do something like that would not be disabused of their plans by a simple phone call,” he said.

Brees was an unsuccessful Democratic candidate for the Texas Court of Appeals in 2006. She gained a dollop of national publicity when her son, who plays for the New Orleans Saints, demanded that she stop using him in her television campaign commercials.

Drew Brees characterized their relationship as “nonexistent,” and told the Austin American-Statesman at the time that as he had gotten older he had become more aware of his mother's “lies and manipulation.”

What If There was A Hoops Tourney And No One Showed But You...???

((HT: Birmingham News/Stock, Crenshaw))

The Venezuelan national men's basketball team ((pictured, thanks Pastora Castrillo/al.com special)) came to Birmingham last week expecting to play in an international tournament but left early because a promoter failed to provide meals, transportation and flight reimbursements, an official with the team claimed Tuesday.

"This was a real disaster," said Venezuelan team technical director Francisco Diez in a phone interview Tuesday. "There's no money. There's no games. I feel ridiculous and frustrated."

The promoter, Anthony Toney of Birmingham, had told team officials they would compete against a mix of local and international teams, but the Birmingham Gladiators were the only other team in the Freewill Games tournament in Birmingham last week, said Diez, who handles scheduling for the Venezuelan team.

The group ended up leaving Birmingham on Friday -- 10 days ahead of schedule.

Tuesday night Toney disputed the reason for the team's early departure but declined to elaborate. Last Friday, he told The Birmingham News that the team left early because it did not want to experience the embarrassment of losing again to the Gladiators, who had an 86-84 victory Thursday night at Bill Harris Arena at Fair Park in the one tournament game that was played.

Diez denied that.

Toney, commissioner of Americas Basketball International, told Diez that his team would play a team from Nigeria and also named teams from Uruguay and Liberia as participants, in a July 19 e-mail. Last week he told The Birmingham News that other teams did not come because player visas did not clear.

Diez said Toney agreed to cover hotel costs for 15 people, which he did. But Diez said Toney failed to reimburse the team for 15 plane tickets and didn't cover most meals. Nor did anyone pick the team up at the airport last Monday, Diez said.

Toney said he provided transportation and two meals a day for the team.

"They got all of that. I've got receipts and all," he said. "They got all of that. I provided for 15 people (and) I paid for 20. So tell me I didn't take care of them."

Toney said he had vans from Budget the first day the team was in town. "I've got receipts for them eating, I've got receipts for their transportation, and I've got receipts from the hotel."

Diez said he has been asked to personally reimburse $18,000 that the team lost.

Word began to spread in the Birmingham Hispanic community about the Venezuelan team's complaints, and several people mobilized on Friday to help feed the team and take them to the airport.

"Out of respect and embarrassment, I had to comb my resources," said Theresa De Leon, who found volunteers to help the team. "... All they knew was how to walk to the (downtown) Y and to the Magic City Grill."

Jefferson County Judge Scott Vowell ended up personally paying for the team to eat lunch at John's City Diner, after he got a call from Mavi Figueres, a court interpreter who was trying to help the team. Vowell also invited the team to his courtroom and apologized.

"It's a black eye for our city," said Vowell, the presiding judge in Jefferson County.

The Venezuelan team decided to play in Birmingham as preparation for an international tournament in Puerto Rico next month, Diez said.

The treatment the Venezuelans received from the promoter on U.S. soil could be seen as an insult not only to the team but to its country, said Figueres, who worked as a political adviser on Latin America for Gov. Don Siegelman and as an international business consultant.

At least one Venezuelan media outlet reported that the tournament was "a fraud." Others reported that it had been canceled because teams did not show up.

"Venezuela and the United States already have really bad relations," Figueres said.

Schumi Returns For Massa's Seat

((HT: CP))

Seven-time Formula One champion Michael Schumacher ((pictured, thanks Clive Rose/Getty Images)) is making a comeback for Ferrari to replace injured driver Felipe Massa.

Ferrari said Wednesday in a statement that the German had agreed to get back in the cockpit until Massa is fit to return. The next race is the European Grand Prix on Aug. 21-23 in Valencia, Spain.

"Though it is true that the Formula One chapter has long been closed for me, it is also true that for team loyalty reasons I cannot ignore that unfortunate situation," the 40-year-old Schumacher said. "But as the competitor I am, I also very much look forward to facing this challenge."

The 28-year-old Massa was hit in the helmet by a loose part from another car and crashed into a protective tire barrier at 190 kilometres per hour during qualifying Saturday at the Hungarian Grand Prix.

The Brazilian receieved multiple skull fractures in the accident and doctors say he will not race again this season.

Massa took his first steps since the crash on Wednesday and was later scheduled to leave the intensive care unit of the AEK hospital in Budapest. He also received a visit from Ferrari chairman Luca di Montezemolo.

Ferrari said Schumacher will undergo a special training program in the coming days to determine whether he will be able to drive in Valencia. There are six races left in the season after the European GP.

"Thanks God, all news concerning Felipe is positive. I wish him all the best again," Schumacher wrote on his Web site.

Schumacher, who had 91 wins in 250 F1 races starts, still acts as a consultant for Ferrari. Since retiring in October 2006, Schumacher has raced occasionally in a motorcycling series but was injured in a crash in February.

Schumacher won his first two F1 titles with the Benetton team. He joined Ferrari in 1996 and won five straight from 2000-04.

Here's Schumi's last laps at the Brazil GP in 2006...
((HT: Speed/F1))

Eagles DC Johnson Dies At 68

((HT: Philly.com))

Former Eagles defensive coordinator Jim Johnson ((pictured, thanks Yong Kim/Philly.com)) has died from cancer. He was 68.
A news conference is scheduled for 7 p.m. with Andy Reid and Joe Banner.

Here is a statement from the Eagles:

The Philadelphia Eagles are saddened to announce Jim Johnson has passed away this afternoon at the age of 68 after a courageous battle with cancer.

A veteran of 22 years as an NFL assistant, Johnson is regarded as one of the top defensive masterminds in National Football League history. Over the last decade, he gained a great deal of notoriety as the orchestrator of the renowned Eagles defense. His aggressive style kept Philadelphia at or near the top of the NFL in nearly every major defensive category since joining Andy Reid’s staff on January 22, 1999.

From 2000-08, Johnson's units ranked 2nd in the NFL in sacks (390), 3rd down efficiency (34.0%) and red zone touchdown percentage (43.9%), and fourth in fewest points allowed (17.7 per game). During his 10-year tenure in Philadelphia, the Eagles earned seven playoff berths, five trips to the NFC Championship game and one Super Bowl appearance (following the 2004 season).

As the Eagles defensive chief, Johnson's defense has produced 26 Pro Bowl selections: Brian Dawkins (7), Troy Vincent (5), Jeremiah Trotter (4), Hugh Douglas (3), Lito Sheppard (2), Asante Samuel (1), Trent Cole (1), Michael Lewis (1), Corey Simon (1), and Bobby Taylor (1).

Four of his defensive assistants have gone on to successful careers with other NFL franchises: Steve Spagnuolo (head coach of the St. Louis Rams), John Harbaugh (head coach of the Baltimore Ravens), Ron Rivera (defensive coordinator of the San Diego Chargers) and Leslie Frazier (defensive coordinator of the Minnesota Vikings).

Prior to his tenure in Philadelphia, Johnson served as the linebackers coach with Seattle in 1998. That year, Johnson helped the Seahawks register 10 touchdowns on defense, including eight interceptions returned for scores, 2nd most in NFL history. He arrived in Seattle after a four-year stint in Indianapolis, the last two as defensive coordinator. While with the Colts, Johnson helped them secure a berth in the AFC Championship game at Pittsburgh in 1995.

Johnson spent eight seasons with the Arizona Cardinals (1986-93). After overseeing the Cards defensive line for four seasons, Johnson excelled as their secondary coach, helping Aeneas Williams become the first rookie cornerback to lead the league in interceptions (6) since 1981.

Johnson began his coaching career as head coach at Missouri Southern (1967-68), before serving four-year tenures at Drake and Indiana. From 1977-83, Johnson served as defensive coordinator and assistant head coach at Notre Dame, a stint that included a national championship in 1977.

An all-conference quarterback himself at Missouri (where he played in the same backfield with long-time NFL executive Bill Tobin), Johnson went on to spend two seasons with Buffalo as a tight end (1963-64).

A native of Maywood, IL, Johnson (born 5/26/41) earned a bachelor's degree in education and a master's degree in physical education from Missouri.

Johnson is survived by his wife, Vicky, two children, Scott and Michelle, and four grandchildren, Katie, Justin, Brandon, and Jax.

Here's coverage from our friends at WTXF-TV/Fox 29/MyFoxPhilly

4 Stays 10-7: Favre To Stay Retired

((HT: Minneapolis Star-Tribune/Zulgad))

Brett Favre won't be joining the Vikings.

Vikings coach Brad Childress told the Star Tribune late this afternoon that the quarterback informed the team he has decided to remain retired. Childress cited the daily grind both mentally and physically as part of the reason why Favre remained retired.

"I just think it was a rare opportunity to explore a Hall of Fame quarterback who had background in the NFC and in this division," Childress said. "He knows our system inside out ... This doesn't change anything about how I feel about our football team."

Favre's decision comes one day before players begin reporting to training in Mankato. Favre had told the team he would have a decision by Thursday, when players must officially report to camp. The Vikings begin practicing on Friday.

Favre's decision means that Tarvaris Jackson and Sage Rosenfels will compete for the starting job. That was the plan when the Vikings acquired Rosenfels from Houston last February for a fourth-round draft pick.

Favre entered the picture when the New York Jets released him from their reserve/retired list on April 28 after the team drafted Mark Sanchez in the first round. Favre had retired from the Jets in February in part because he was bothered by a partially torn biceps in his throwing arm.

Favre, who will turn 40 on Oct. 10, had surgery in late May to repair the arm and began working out with receivers at a high school in Hattiesburg, Miss. Ultimately his concern became whether he could make it through the rigors of a 16-game season.

Earlier Tuesday, kicker Ryan Longwell, a former teammate of Favre's with Green Bay, had put the chances of Favre returning at only 50-50. This was after many thought Favre was a lock to return.

Zulgad and fellow Star-Trib Vikings beat writer Chip Scoggins discuss...
((HT: The Minneapolis Star-Tribune))

Gretzky Shut Out If Reinsdorf Wins Coyotes

((HT: The Star/Hunter))

If Jerry Reinsdorf is successful in his bid for the Phoenix Coyotes, he'll do something most NHL goalies never could pull off: shut out Wayne Gretzky.

Reinsdorf's offer to purchase the Coyotes, filed in bankruptcy court on Friday, excludes the acquisition of several employee contracts, including that of hockey's greatest all-time scorer.

The Great One has coached the team for the last four seasons.

Gretzky, who owns a small piece of the team with majority owner Jerry Moyes, signed an employment agreement in March 2008. It reportedly pays him $8 million (U.S.) a season.

So Gretzky faces two dramatically different fates if one of the suitors that wishes to keep the team in Phoenix is successful at a bankruptcy auction Aug. 5.

He'll either be on the unemployment line or heralded as a Coyote for life.

Another group of Canadian and American businessmen, known as Ice Edge Holdings, wants Gretzky to become a "major shareholder of the newly constituted Coyotes franchise."

In the group's "letter of intent" to purchase the team, which was also filed in bankruptcy court, the group states it intends to offer Gretzky a long-term coaching contract and use him more aggressively to court major corporate sponsorships.

Coyotes Saskatoon Games: A "Cash Cow"

((HT: GlobeSports/Shoalts, Waldie))

While even the leaders of a group of Canadian and American businessmen admit their 11th-hour attempt to buy the Phoenix Coyotes is a long shot, they will find an attentive audience when they face the NHL’s board of governors tomorrow in Chicago.

Brian Burke, the president and general manager of the Toronto Maple Leafs, said yesterday the board will listen carefully to Daryl Jones and his partners in Ice Edge Holdings, even though they have not formally submitted a bid to the U.S. Bankruptcy Court, and are still trying to raise money, and want to play five regular-season and some potential playoff games in Saskatoon.

The reason, Burke said, is the group is interested in keeping the Coyotes in the Phoenix suburb of Glendale.

“I believe the primary goal of [the governors] is to find a way to keep the team in Phoenix,” Burke said. “The idea of playing games in another city is unusual but it’s been done before. But I think they will find people listening attentively because they want to keep the team in Phoenix.”

The governors’ executive committee will have a busy day tomorrow.

In addition to taking part in the examination of the Ice Edge group, they will also question Jim Balsillie about his bid for the team and his relocation plans. Balsillie, the co-chief executive officer of Research In Motion Ltd., has offered $212.5-million (U.S.) for the Coyotes on the condition he can move the team to Hamilton.

Burke, who will not be able to attend the governors meeting, said he wants to know more about the plans of Jones and his group before he offers an opinion.

So do other governors, who did not want to be identified but wondered about the wisdom not only of playing in a remote Canadian city but removing five home games from the Coyotes’ schedule and adding the expense of five road games, not to mention the competitive effect that will have on the players. One governor also wonders about the economic effect NHL games will have on the Saskatoon Blades, the city’s junior team in the Western Hockey League.

What is clear is, in the unlikely event the NHL governors agree to let games be played in Saskatoon, they will be expensive for Saskatchewan hockey fans.

Jones said Ice Edge has run the numbers and is convinced the games in Saskatoon can generate millions of dollars in extra revenue for the Coyotes. He said ticket prices for the proposed Saskatoon games would reflect the average price for other Canadian NHL teams, although given the limited number of games the group may have some “incremental pricing power.”

He noted that the Credit Union Centre in Saskatoon is also slated to be expanded this fall to accommodate 15,000 for hockey. Ice Edge has already discussed various scheduling options with arena officials and they are “pretty excited about it,” Jones said.

Jones declined to discuss the Saskatoon revenue projections in detail. But sources said the group hopes to average about $1.2-million (Canadian) in ticket sales for the five games thanks to the arena expansion.

That still works out to an average ticket price of $80, which is within shouting distance of the average ticket price of the Maple Leafs, which is more than $100.

The average ticket price in Phoenix is $37.45 (U.S.), more than $12 below the NHL average, according to court filings. Ice Edge also expects to earn some extra cash from added sponsorships and merchandise sales in Saskatoon.

“We’ve accounted for additional travel costs and we think the way it fits into the schedule would still make this very economical,” Jones added. “We think the reality is you do generate incremental cash flow in Saskatoon.”

The plans are to incorporate the Saskatoon games into road trips to Western Canadian cities to minimize expenses.

Toronto promoter John Graham owns the rights to NHL games in Saskatoon. He put together a visit in September by the New York Islanders, who will hold part of their training camp in Saskatoon, but it has nothing to do with the Coyotes.

Graham declined to comment yesterday other than to say he was advised by city officials about the plans a few days ago. “I’m just waiting to see what happens,” he said.

Jones admitted Ice Edge still has a long way to go before finalizing its bid. It needs NHL approval for the Saskatoon games and the City of Glendale to approve a new lease for the Jobing.com Arena where the Coyotes play. Ice Edge is also still working on arranging financing.

“If we don’t have the capital that makes us feel comfortable we’re not putting in a bid on this,” he said. “We’re not going to do it if it doesn’t make sense.”

The group is also well aware of the financial challenges facing the Coyotes, which have never made money according to court filings. Ice Edge is basing its plans on a presumption the club loses $32-million (U.S.) on operations. That is slightly higher than the club lost on operations last season. He said the Saskatoon games, while a key part of the overall plan, are just one of several sources of extra revenue.

One NHL governor, who did not want to be identified, wondered if the group hopes to sell any of the Saskatoon games to a Canadian television network.

Jones said that has not been discussed yet.

Here's coverage of the Phoenix-Saskatoon Coyotes from the Saskatoon Star-Phoenix with David Hutton and Cory Wolfe leading the way...

And the coverage of the Halifax side of the ledger- with an interesting connection to the Coyotes in Bobby Smith- in the National version of the Globe and Mail. Oliver Moore gets to write that one for you...

APD: Forrest Case Is "Coming Together"

((HT: WAGA-TV/MyFoxAtlanta))

Atlanta police said former boxing champion Vernon Forrest exchanged gunfire with robbery suspects before being shot to death.

The death of the boxer is one of several high-profile weekend crimes expected to draw a big crowd to City Hall Tuesday.

Lt. Keith Meadows said Monday that investigators believe between 20 and 24 shots were fired from two guns. Meadows says police recovered Forrest's gun and that one shell casing belonging to that gun was recovered.

Police say Forrest had stopped at a gas station Saturday night and was putting air in his tire at the time of the robbery. He was shot multiple times in the back.

Investigators returned to the crime scene Monday to search for more shell casings but didn't find any.

Forrest lived in Atlanta and was a former IBF welterweight and two-time WBC junior middleweight champion with a 41-3 career record with 29 knockouts. He also was on the 1992 Olympic team.

MyFoxAtlanta's Chris Shaw has the update on the investigation and ideas on how to stop the recent rash of crime overall in the city...

NASCAR: Witnesses Will Testify Against Mayfield

((HT: That's Racin'/St. Onge))

NASCAR has a “significant number” of witnesses who will testify that suspended driver Jeremy Mayfield ((PIctured, thanks NASCAR Images)) used methamphetamines, a NASCAR official said Monday.

The official said those witnesses would testify to recent and long-term use.

The official's remarks followed a court filing Monday by NASCAR attorneys in U.S. District Court. The filing asked U.S. District Court Judge Graham Mullen to lift an injunction he granted this month so Mayfield could return to racing.

Mayfield was suspended May 9 after a positive test for what NASCAR later identified as meth.

An appeals court last week put on hold Mullen's injunction, but Monday's filing is part of a larger lawsuit between NASCAR and Mayfield.

The NASCAR official declined to further characterize the witnesses to Mayfield's meth use, but in Monday's court filing, NASCAR attorneys said they were reluctant to testify after Mayfield angrily responded to similar testimony from his stepmother, Lisa Mayfield.

Jeremy Mayfield said Lisa Mayfield is “basically a whore” and accused her of killing his father, who died in 2007.

Attorneys say Mayfield apparently contacted one of the unnamed witnesses to convince her that despite her recollection, he never used drugs.

Mayfield continues to deny any methamphetamine use, his attorney John Buric said.

In the filing, NASCAR also asked Mullen to select an independent, third-party laboratory that could test a sample of Mayfield's urine.

Mayfield's attorneys have argued that he has tested negative for meth using the same sample that produced a positive NASCAR test, and that the positive NASCAR test might have come from a combination of allergy and other medication Mayfield was taking.

NASCAR attorneys have argued that Mayfield's lab did not use a test sophisticated enough to distinguish meth from those other medications.

Buric called NASCAR's request for a third-party lab “ridiculous.”

“There's clearly a process in place for this,” he said. “We think the rules require that we have the say in where our sample gets sent.”

Firebirds In, Firecats Out Of af2 Playoffs

((HT: Albany Times-Union/Singelais))

The Albany Firebirds are in the playoffs because the Florida Firecats didn't make the payoffs.

Albany earned an arenafootball2 postseason bid on Monday when the league booted the Firecats "due to their failure to honor league commitments," according to a Firebirds news release.

Citing a league source, the News-Press of Fort Myers, Fla., reported Florida wasn't allowed to participate because the franchise owed af2 more than $200,000.

As a result, the Firebirds (7-9) replace the Firecats as the eighth and final seed in the American Conference.

Albany will face the No. 1 seed Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Pioneers (13-3) on Saturday night in Wilkes-Barre, Pa.

"Hey, we'll go in because of (Florida's) mistake, so we'll take it anyway it goes," Firebirds wide receiver/linebacker Alvin Ray Jackson said.

The Firebirds are in the playoffs for the first time since 2003.

Af2 spokesman Marc Lestinsky didn't return calls to his office and cell phone. A phone message to Florida's office wasn't returned.

It appeared Albany was eliminated from playoff contention Saturday when Florida (7-9) beat Kentucky in the regular-season finale.

Florida had the head-to-head tiebreaker due to its 32-27 win in Albany on April 10.

But Firebirds general manager Garen Szablewski said he told the players and coaching staff to remain in the Capital Region because he'd heard Florida might be deemed ineligible for rules violations.

"We're really excited," Szablewski said. "We really thought our record this year didn't really reflect the quality of the team."

Albany started 0-5 before winning seven of its final 11 games.

Wilkes-Barre is 3-0 against Albany this season, including a 49-40 home win over the Firebirds on July 18.

"We couldn't be happer to get in the playoffs," Firebirds quarterback Stephen Wasil said. "We played them tough last time and I don't see any reason why we shouldn't have won."

The Firebirds return to practice this morning in Halfmoon.

The statement, in full, is pretty lengthy and can be found by clicking in black...

The Firecats explanation can be found here...

The Last Buick Open

((HT: MyFoxDetroit/WJBK-TV))

General Motors Co. will end its half-century run as sponsor of the Buick Open golf tournament as it tries to focus scarce marketing dollars on its cars and trucks, a person briefed on the decision said Tuesday.

GM and tour officials will make the announcement after this year's open, which begins Thursday and ends Sunday, said the person, who did not want to be identified because the announcement will not be made until the tournament ends.

The troubled automaker, which emerged from Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on July 10, has been cutting back on professional sports sponsorships for the past year to conserve marketing dollars. Earlier this month the company placed longtime product development chief Bob Lutz in charge of marketing, and he has said the company will focus its advertising more on products.

GM, which has racked up more than $80 billion in losses in the past four years, is trying to spend more promoting its new vehicles, especially its cars, which it says are competitive or better than those made by its Japanese rivals.

The company is selling or phasing out its Pontiac, Saturn, Saab and Hummer brands and will concentrate on selling Chevrolet, Cadillac, Buick and GMC.

The century-old automaker has been cutting back on everything from professional baseball to NASCAR in the past year. In 2008 GM ended a nine-year endorsement deal with golf superstar Tiger Woods ((pictured, thanks WJBK-TV)), who will play in this week's Buick Open in Grand Blanc, Mich., about 50 miles north of Detroit.

GM is watching every dollar it spends, and sponsoring PGA Tour events is not cheap. Golfers will compete for $5.1 million in prize money at the Buick Open, starting with Thursday's first round.

The automaker already has cut costs at the open, ending a tradition of paying for dealers to travel to Michigan for the tournament and wining and dining select guests in lavish hospitality tents.

The end of GM's sponsorship is another ripple effect from the crisis hitting Detroit's three automakers. Michigan had the nation's highest unemployment rate last month at 15.2 percent, and the Flint area, where the tournament is held, reported 17.4 percent.

Both GM and Chrysler Group LLC had brief stays under bankruptcy court supervision and emerged this year free of staggering debt and burdensome contracts. The companies have received a total of $65 billion in federal aid.

Ford Motor Co. has avoided taking government aid by borrowing $23.5 billion before worldwide auto sales went into the worst slump in more than 25 years.

GolfWeek Magazine, citing two sources it did not identify, reported on its Web site last week that GM would end the PGA Tour's longest partnership and a new sponsor and venue would replace Warwick Hills.

Kenny Perry, who will not play this week, won the tournament last year as it celebrated its 50th anniversary.

Vijay Singh has won a record three Buick Open titles. Woods, Perry, Julius Boros and Tony Lema have two Buick Open titles.

Woods provided the tournament with a boost last week when he committed to playing in Grand Blanc even though it will likely lead to him playing in three straight tournaments. He and rock legend Bob Seger highlight Wednesday's pro-am and will be followed by a throng of fans, starting with their 7 a.m. tee time.

Fox2's Simon Shaykhet has the bad news from Grand Blanc...

NASCAR's Indy Race Still In Good Hands Without Sponsor

((HT: IndyStar/Ballard))

The NASCAR race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway will have a new name next year. Or, more likely, an old one.

Allstate announced Monday it would not renew its title sponsorship of the race, which ran for the fifth time Sunday as the Allstate 400 at the Brickyard.

Speedway spokesman Ron Green said a replacement won’t be sought and the race will revert to its original name as the Brickyard 400.

“We weren’t actively or aggressively looking for a title sponsor when we landed Allstate,” Green said. “They were looking to do something and it just made sense at the time. If someone were to come along again, certainly we would listen, but this event does not need a sponsor to be financially successful.”

Terms of the IMS-Allstate deal never were made public, but track president Joie Chitwood said at the time it was announced it was on the “high end” of race sponsorships, which would put the number well into seven figures annually.

Allstate refused to pay an advertising premium required by ABC/ESPN and so its name was not used during Sunday’s telecast. The network struck a separate naming rights deal with a restaurant chain and billed the race as the “Brickyard 400 presented by Golden Corral.”

Attendance Sunday was estimated at 180,000, off about 20 percent from last year, but in a statement Allstate officials said their decision wasn’t based on that.

“When we looked at all of our business results,” said Pam Hollander, Allstate’s director of sponsorships and promotions, “they were just stronger in other properties.”

Montoya Swears On His "Wife and Child" He Didn't Speed...

Dan Wetzel of Yahoo!Sports has a cool column up resurrecting Juan Pablo Montoya's ((pictured, thanks NASCAR Images)) implosion at the stock car racing event in Indianapolis over the weekend...

The key points...

Speeding on the pit road by both .06 and .11-miles-per-hour cost him close to a quarter of a million bucks. He was leading the race and was about to turn it in to a horizon job, until he need to pit...

Wetzel continues...

The stock car circuit shrugged off the criticism, saying the sensors don’t lie. Helton declined comment.

“I would’ve been pissed too,” NASCAR competition director John Darby said.

Meanwhile, on Twitter, Montoya’s wife, Connie, was blasting NASCAR for a “bs call” and compared it to Juan Pablo’s days in Formula 1, which is famous for questionable decisions and penalties.

Montoya eventually cooled off, a little, after the race. He expressed a mood of resignation.

“I was cruise[ing],” he said. “I was super fast.”

He later tweeted that he “had a rough day to say the least” and “[I] don’t wanna say much of what happened, we just have to move on.”

Pattie said there would be no appeal, even though NASCAR had made a mistaken speeding call on Montoya at a race earlier this year.

“It’s electronic; they did their job,” Pattie said. “It’s not the days of the old handheld, so we’re fine.”


Here's the first part of the exchange with his pit...
((HT: ESPN/NASCAR))


Those of us at OSG HQ wonder, like Wetzel, if he talked to his wife and kids about part of that conversation...

SEC Title Game Stays In ATL Through 2015

From the SEC their own selves...

The Southeastern Conference championship game will remain at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta at least through 2015.

SEC Commissioner Mike Slive said Monday the league has agreed on a five-year extension to keep the game at the Dome.

The game has sold out every year except for 1995, the year after its move to the dome.

Last year's matchup between Alabama and Florida drew nearly 76,000 fans, the most to attend a sporting event in the Georgia Dome.

The 2009 championship game will be Dec. 5.