Chargers short-handed at linebacker early on

by | Aug 29, 2008 | NFL Random Thoughts

The San Diego Chargers will start the season short-handed at linebacker, a unit that generally is looked at as a team strength.

In addition to a less than full strength Shawne Merriman, who decided that he will play despite four doctors telling him he needs surgery to reconstruct two torn ligaments, the team will miss Stephen Cooper, who will serve a four-game suspension for violating the NFL’s banned stimulants policy.

The Chargers do have some depth. Derek Smith, a 12-year veteran, will step in for Cooper, who has said he ingested a banned substance through a nutritional supplement, according to the North County Times.

San Diego also catches a break, catching Carolina and the New York Jets at home while traveling to Denver and Oakland during the first month of the season. The Chargers should emerge from that quartet of games no worse than 2-2 and probably 3-1 or undefeated. But these losses make that fast start a tougher one to get.

Chiappone working to ban personal seat licenses

by | Aug 29, 2008 | Business of Football

New Jersey Assemblyman Anthony Chiappone, D-Hudson, is fighting for New York Giants and Jets fans, sponsoring legislation that would ban the sale of personal seat licenses at all state sports facilities.

He urged the New York Giants to rethink their plan to sell PSLs for every seat in the under construction Meadowlands football stadium and applauded the New York Jets for allowing 27,000 fans in the upper deck to buy tickets without paying the one-time license fee, according to media reports.

The Giants, who declined comment for the linked Associated Press story, plan to sell seat licenses for as low as $1,000 to fans who want upper deck seats. Those desiring better seats could pay as much as $20,000. The Jets PSLs range from between $4,000 and $25,000.

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Vikings owners pass on meeting with Roski

by | Aug 29, 2008 | Business of Football

The owners of the Minnesota Vikings have been invited to meet with real estate developer Ed Roski Jr. to discuss moving the team to Los Angeles but to this point they’ve passed.

Lester Bagley, Vikings vice president of public affairs, told the Minneapolis Star Tribune that the team’s intention “is to resolve the [stadium] issue in Minnesota.”

Roski in April announced plans to build an $800 million, 75,000-seat stadium in Los Angeles with the goal of luring a team to the area. Roski’s business partner reportedly told the San Gabriel Valley Tribune that seven franchises have expressed interest in Roski’s stadium but wouldn’t list them. Roski in April apparently named seven: the Vikings, New Orleans, Buffalo, Jacksonville, San Diego, Oakland and San Francisco that would be targeted for his 600-acre plot, which would host a stadium and entertainment complex.

The Vikings have a lease at the Metrodome in Minneapolis that runs through the 2011 season. The team has been floating a $954 million stadium project that would include other pieces as well but to this point has been unable to get support from the state Legislature.

Another plan recently announced by the Metropolitan Sports Facillities Commission would re-use certain parts of the Metrodome and cut about $!00 million off of the cost of a new facility.

NCAA bristles at CBS Sports college fantasy plans

by | Aug 26, 2008 | Business of Football, College Football, Fantasy Football, NFL Media

CBSSports.com last month announced that it has launched an all-new version of its College Fantasy Football game, “continuing to be the only major fantasy sports service provider with a collegiate fantasy football game.”

CBSSports.com originally released the game in 2005. But the controversy this year is that for the first time, it will use real, individual player names rather than listing school and position, such as “FLORIDA QB” or “MICHIGAN RB”.

“As the leader in the fantasy sports business, we’re constantly looking for ways to distinguish our service from the competition,” said Jason Kint, senior vice president and general manager, in a statement. “We believe combining fantasy sports and college football will give fans and alumni yet another reason to get involved in the sport, increasing the popularity of college football much in the same way fantasy sports has affected professional football.”

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Giants contact Strahan

by | Aug 26, 2008 | NFL News, NFL Random Thoughts

With Osi Umenyiora out for the year with a knee injury, it’s possible that both participants in the 2002 slide-and-hug that resulted in a new single-season sack record might return from their respective “retirements” without missing a game.

Heck, Brett Favre and Michael Strahan could enjoy quiet dinners and whisper sweet nothings in each others’ ears on a more frequent basis, as Favre has now joined the New York Jets. The Giants contacted Strahan to see if he would be interested in returning to help plug the hole felt by Umenyiora’s loss.

According to media reports, Strahan’s agent, Tony Agnone, told the Associated Press he’ll talk to Strahan, who is currently on vacation in Greece. The two sides did no negotiating, said Agnone, who also represents Umenyiora.

Strahan turned down $6 million during the offseason, choosing instead to retire following the Giants’ Super Bowl win. He later signed to work with Fox Sports on its NFL pregame show.

Strahan, a 7-time Pro Bowl player, reportedly sent someone word that he would come back for $8 million. Favre, as might be expected, endorses the move.