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Pastimes : Football Forum (NFL) -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Mark who wrote (889)	5/21/1998 8:16:00 AM
From: JakeStraw	Respond to of 45645

...and what kind of cheese they want with that ham sandwich.<g>

To: Mark who wrote (889)	5/21/1998 8:37:00 AM
From: JakeStraw	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 45645

REPLAY IS BACK -- FOR EXHIBITION GAMES (AP) - The NFL will again experiment with instant replay in the preseason, but it will not carry over when the games count. NFL owners, wrapping up three days of meetings, approved the use of TV replays during this year's preseason. Club owners voted replay down for regular-season use at a March meeting in Orlando. "We'll have the coach's challenge system and we'll do a replay experiment like we did several years ago, with a few new wrinkles," said commissioner Paul Tagliabue, adding that regular-season use will be addressed again in the future. The replay will be used sparingly and the experiment will only cover 11 exhibition games televised by the networks. Each team will be allowed two challenges a game at the coach's discretion. The league used instant replay to help officiate its games from 1986-91 before owners got rid of it, citing long delays in making calls among the reasons for dropping it. Each year, a proposal to bring it back has been introduced to the competition committee and then to the owners. But none of them have received the votes necessary for passage. Tagliabue also announced the NFL will allow its teams to purchase Arena Football League teams in their territories. The NFL didn't take any action on awarding future Super Bowls. Kansas City made a presentation to be the host of Super Bowl 40 in 2006, but it didn't get the required three-fourths vote.

To: Mark who wrote (889)	5/26/1998 8:46:00 AM
From: JakeStraw	Respond to of 45645

NFL TO HELP PAY FOR BRONCOS' CHAMPIONSHIP RINGS (AP) - Denver Broncos players and coaches will get some help from the NFL in paying for their Super Bowl rings, believed to be the most expensive in league history. The NFL said Wednesday it will reimburse the Broncos between $4,500 and $5,000 for each championship ring. The Super Bowl Policy Committee recommended the move during the NFL's spring meetings in Coral Gables, Fla. Next year the minimum will increase to $5,000. "It reflects the increase in cost of rings, and it (means) they can continue to be of the quality of previous Super Bowl rings," NFL spokesman Greg Aiello said. Broncos owner Pat Bowlen will present the players with the rings at team headquarters on June 5. The design of the World Championship rings is being kept secret. The Broncos beat the Green Bay Packers 31-24 on Jan. 25 in Super Bowl XXXII.

To: Mark who wrote (889)	5/26/1998 11:49:00 AM
From: JakeStraw	Respond to of 45645

COSBY JOINS GROUP PLANNING BID FOR NEW CLEVELAND FRANCHISE (AP) - Comedian Bill Cosby has joined a group of investors planning to bid on the new Cleveland Browns. "We hope to assemble what will not only be a very fine football team, but also an organization with a strong conscience that is socially responsible, an organization worthy of respect in many ways," Cosby said in a statement distributed by Larry and Charles Dolan, the brothers who head the group. Charles Dolan is chairman of Cablevision Systems Corp., which owns a majority interest in the NBA's Knicks, NHL's Rangers and Madison Square Garden in New York. His brother is an attorney in suburban Cleveland. Under the proposed deal, the Dolan brothers and a Dolan family trust each would own 30 percent, Cosby would own 5 percent, and 5 percent would be held in reserve for the Dolans or another investor. The NFL, which has begun reviewing applications, has not set the price and said it would conduct a "managed auction." Most talk about the price ranges from $250 million to $300 million. NFL spokesman Greg Aiello estimated the league has about six serious candidates. Possible bidders include Cleveland Indians owner Richard E. Jacobs, toy tycoon Thomas G. Murdough, shopping mall magnate Bart Wolstein former Browns quarterback Bernie Kosar and a group including former Browns players Calvin Hill and Paul Warfield and New York real estate investor Howard P. Milstein. The Browns moved in 1995 to Baltimore and became the Ravens. The new team will begin play in 1999 in a new 72,000-seat stadium at the site of the old Cleveland Stadium.

To: Mark who wrote (889)	5/28/1998 8:36:00 AM
From: JakeStraw	Respond to of 45645

NBC, TURNER ANNOUNCE LEAGUE OF THEIR OWN (AP) - Shut out of the recent NFL television contract, NBC and Turner Sports announced Wednesday night that they will form their own league. NBC Sports anchor Hannah Storm read a statement making the announcement at halftime of the Chicago Bulls-Indiana Pacers playoff game. "General Electric and Time Warner announced tonight after several months of extensive study that NBC and Turner broadcasting are moving forward toward the creation of a new professional football league," the statement said. "We have agreed upon a clear vision of a working model and have appointed Dick Ebersol of NBC and Harvey Schiller of Turner Broadcasting to spearhead this effort. Both parties anticipate a complete announcement this fall." Under the latest NFL television deal signed in January, Fox, CBS, ABC and ESPN agreed to pay at least $17.6 billion in the next eight years for rights to the league's football games. NBC, which had been broadcasting professional football for the last 33 years, and Turner, which had been doing games for eight years, passed on their chances to remain in the NFL. Soon after, the networks announced that they were exploring the possibility of starting a new league in the fall of 1999. The league, which would be owned by the two networks, would likely have between 10 and 12 teams in major U.S. cities. Its games are expected to be played on Sunday afternoons on NBC and Sunday nights on Turner's TNT. The league could also play games on additional nights on either TNT or TBS. Since the AFL merged with the NFL, other attempts at forming rival leagues have failed, including the World Football League, the United States Football League and the Canadian Football League's efforts to build up U.S. interest. And, after losing out to Fox on an NFL package four years ago, CBS explored an alternative pro football league, then scrapped the idea

To: Mark who wrote (889)	6/2/1998 8:43:00 AM
From: JakeStraw	Respond to of 45645

COACH SAYS RICE READY TO GO (AP) - Jerry Rice made only a brief appearance on the first day of the San Francisco 49ers' mini-camp Monday, but it was enough for 49ers coach Steve Mariucci to speak optimistically about his wide receiver. "He's making good progress," Mariucci said. "He's right on schedule and will be ready to go when training camp opens in July." Rice, who holds 13 NFL records, including the all-time mark for touchdowns scored, left camp without speaking to reporters. Rice, entering his 14th NFL season, missed most of the 1997 campaign due to reconstructive surgery on his left knee after tearing ligaments and cartilage in the 49ers' first game of the season, Aug. 31 at Tampa Bay. Rice tried to make a comeback during a Monday night game against Denver on Dec. 15, but cracked his kneecap when he fell after making a touchdown pass. "He could probably go in this camp if we needed him to," Mariucci said. "But we have the luxury of resting him more, rehabbing him more. (The knee) is probably not 100 percent." Rice did participate in some individual drills, which included running routes. It's unlikely he will take part in any contact drills throughout the training session. "He's anxious to start mixing it up," Mariucci said. "He looks fine running routes, but we'll just limit what he does." Rice, drafted in the first round out of Mississippi Valley State College in 1985, has played in 11 Pro Bowls.

To: Mark who wrote (889)	6/3/1998 8:49:00 AM
From: JakeStraw	Respond to of 45645

RAVENS CUT TESTAVERDE (AP) - Vinny Testaverde's career in Baltimore formally ended Tuesday, when the Ravens released the former Pro Bowl quarterback to save $2.6 million in salary cap money. The move did not come as a surprise. Testaverde long ago cleared out his locker at the team's practice facility, and the Ravens have already gone through several organized workouts with Jim Harbaugh as their starting quarterback. By waiting until after June 1 to release Testaverde, the Ravens saved $2.6 million against the 1999 salary cap. Testaverde, 34, passed for 4,177 yards and 33 touchdowns two years ago and made it to the Pro Bowl. He had 29 straight starts for Baltimore until a knee injury forced him out of a game against Seattle last December. Eric Zeier performed well in his place, and coach Ted Marchibroda subsequently benched a healthy Testaverde for the final two games. BEARS RELEASE COX (AP) - Bryan Cox, the outspoken linebacker who was a disappointment in Chicago, was released Tuesday by the Bears. Cox, who signed a four-year, $13.5 million contract in 1996, had 232 tackles and eight sacks in 25 games for the Bears after getting 34.5 sacks in five years with the Miami Dolphins. "No decision to release a player is an easy one," Bears coach Dave Wannstedt said. Tuesday's transaction was a formality. Cox knew in February that he was no longer in the team's plans when the Bears gave his agent, Cliff Brady, permission to seek a trade. The move saves the Bears $2.3 million under the salary cap this season and allows them to spread the remainder of Cox's $5 million signing bonus over the next two years. Cox, 30, incurred $102,500 in fines for making an obscene gesture at a game official in 1996 and for throwing his helmet in last year's season opener at Green Bay. REICH RETIRING AFTER 13 NFL SEASONS (AP) - Frank Reich, the Detroit Lions backup quarterback, apparently isn't coming back for a 14th NFL season. Reich, the reserve quarterback on four Buffalo Bills teams that lost in the Super Bowl, told Lions coach Bobby Ross of his plans to retire immediately, The Detroit News and the Detroit Free Press reported Tuesday. Ross said he urged Reich, 36, to think it over one more day but does not expect him to change his mind, the newspapers reported. Reich was expected to play one more season and compete with former Michigan State signal-caller Jim Miller for the backup job to starter Scott Mitchell. Reich, a backup during most of his 13-year pro career, might best be remembered for leading the Bills to the biggest comeback in NFL playoff history. In the 1992 AFC wild-card game, Buffalo overcame a 32-point deficit to beat Houston, 41-38, in overtime.

To: Mark who wrote (889)	6/9/1998 8:33:00 AM
From: JakeStraw	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 45645

FAVRE TOOK PART IN STING ON PHONY AUTOGRAPHS (AP) - Green Bay Packers quarterback Brett Favre cooperated with an FBI sting operation that resulted in two men being charged with selling more than 1,000 phony Favre autographs, a prosecutor said Monday. Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven Biskupic disclosed Favre's role in the probe during a federal court hearing in which a second man charged in the case pleaded guilty. "Brett feels bad about the whole incident -- and he really feels bad for the little kids who thought they were getting real autographs," said Joe Sweeney, a representative of Favre's marketing agency. Biskupic said the sting operation started after authorities got a tip last year that Ron Marth, a sports memorabilia dealer from suburban Mequon, Wis., was selling phony Favre autographs. An undercover officer gave Marth 50 photos of Favre and asked if he could get the quarterback to sign them. Marth promised to get the photos signed for $3,750, Biskupic said. When Favre appeared at an autograph show organized by Marth in November, Marth asked Favre to sign five of the photos, but Favre declined, as arranged in advance. Even though he didn't sign any photos, Marth returned the 50 photos to the officer with "Brett Favre 4" scrawled on them. Favre, shown the autographs, said they were not his. Marth, 53, has pleaded guilty to fraud charges in exchange for a recommendation from prosecutors that he be sentenced to only one year in prison. Rex Valenti, 26, of West Allis, pleaded guilty to one count of aiding and abetting a wire fraud. Biskupic said that because of Valenti's cooperation with investigators, he likely would face about six months in prison.