Football Timeout

Ricky Williams Says Media Need to Step Up Their Game

J.J. Cooper — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 00:20:00 +0000

Filed under: Dolphins, NFL Media Watch, Sports Business and Media

It's become cliche for athletes to criticize the media. They're too negative, they're looking for the sensational story. They're trying to stir up trouble.

So when you hear that Ricky Williams called out the Miami media, you might think it's more of the same. But Williams' comments are well worth a closer look because he went beyond the cliche. Williams' criticism has nothing to do with the media not being on the Dolphins' side -- he's smart enough to understand that the media's job isn't to make the team look good. He even said that he's not blaming the media for writing negative stories.

What he's unhappy with is the laziness he sees from sportswriters and broadcasters.

"It's the fact they don't work as hard at what they do as we work at what we do," he told Dave Hyde of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel.

Williams believes there is a lack of effort to understand the game. He would like to see questions that allow players to explain what they do and how they do it. He would like to see serious analysis instead of a focus on Kendall Langford's missing earring.

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FanHouse TV: Joe Montana Dishes on Favre, Brees, Leinart

FanHouse TV — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 20:59:00 +0000

Filed under: Arizona Cardinals, Saints, Vikings, NFL Video

They are so many quarterback questions to be answered in the upcoming NFL season, and FanHouse TV is honored to have Pro Football Hall of Famer Joe Montana tackle them all.

Big Joe talks with FanHouse's Chris Harry and dissects Matt Leinart's status, Drew Brees' chances of repeating and if Brett Favre can keep it going at 41.

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Rich Eisen Re-ups With NFL Network, Adds Pregame Duties, Podcast

Milton Kent — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 20:54:00 +0000

Filed under: Sports Business and Media

Rich Eisen, the signature anchor of NFL Network since it premiered nearly seven years ago, has signed a new multi-year deal to remain, the channel announced Tuesday.

Eisen, formerly of ESPN , is the host of the channel's Total Access nightly analysis and highlight show, as well as the main anchor on the draft, Super Bowl and other big events. He will add hosting NFL Network's NFL GameDay Morning, the Sunday morning pregame show, replacing Spero Dedes, who moves into the CBS booth.

In addition, Eisen will get his own podcast, The Rich Eisen Podcast, which will drop each week on NFL.com.

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Rich Ellerson Tuesday Press Conference Quotes

Army Football Headline News — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 20:16:00 +0000

The following quotes have been excerpted from Army head football coach Rich Ellerson's press conference, held Tuesday, September 7, 2010, in the Randall Hall auditorium.

C-USA Football Game Previews – Week Two

C-USA Football news — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 19:11:22 +0000

A big week of Conference USA Football gets underway on Friday night with a doubleheader of action on ESPN. The Friends of Coal Bowl leads things off, as 22nd-ranked West Virginia visits Huntington for just the third time ever to play Marshall. First-year MU head coach Doc Holliday spent the past two years on the WVU staff and will face his old team in the home opener for the Thundering Herd. Joe Tessitore and Rod Gilmore will call the action beginning at 7p ET.

Hassin Named Independent Player Of The Week

Army Football Headline News — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 19:01:00 +0000

Army sophomore fullback Jared Hassin has been named the Rivals.com Independent Player of the Week for his three-touchdown performance in the Black Knights' 31-27 victory at Eastern Michigan.

Tim Tebow vs. Brady Quinn: Broncos QB Battle Rages On

Dennis J. Georgatos — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 18:48:00 +0000

Filed under: Broncos, AFC West

Coach Josh McDaniels says the quarterback competition between Brady Quinn and rookie Tim Tebow for the No. 2 job behind Kyle Orton is still alive.

He even suggested it could fluctuate from week to week during the regular season, depending on how the game plan is drawn up.

On Tuesday, as the Broncos began preparations for Sunday's opener at Jacksonville, McDaniels greeted an inquiry about the backup job like this:

"That's a good question," McDaniels said. "We're not going to name one right now."

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Tim Tebow vs. Brady Quinn: Broncos QB Battle Rages On

Dennis J. Georgatos — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 18:48:00 +0000

Filed under: Broncos, AFC West

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Channing Crowder Reflects on Bill Parcells’ Work With Dolphins

Andy Kent — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 17:52:00 +0000

Filed under: Dolphins, AFC East

DAVIE, Fla. -- Tuesdays are normally pretty quiet around the Miami Dolphins' practice facility as the players are off. In fact, the only noise that could be heard this afternoon was dance music from inside the practice bubble where the team was hosting a community relations function for area school kids getting ready to go back to school.

But at 3:24 p.m., a short, three-sentence statement was released by the team addressing a major power shift at the top of its football operations between Executive Vice President of Football Operations Bill Parcells and General Manager Jeff Ireland:

"Effective immediately, Jeff Ireland will assume full control over all aspects and decisions in regard to the Miami Dolphin football team and support staff. This was the intent of the structure put in place in the past. Bill Parcells will remain with the club on a daily consultant basis."

Just like that, the man referred to as the football czar in South Florida has turned over the keys to what was his Rolls Royce to the 39-year-old Ireland, 30 years his junior -- and just five days before Miami opens the 2010 season at the Buffalo Bills. The thinking all along was that whenever Parcells did decide it was time to move on that would mean he felt comfortable leaving the Dolphins in the hands of Ireland and head coach Tony Sparano, it just wasn't expected to happen until after his four-year contract was up at the end of the 2011 season.