Bengals’ trio of WRs will pose problems for opposition

Posted: July 28th, 2010 | Brian Baldinger | Tags: Cincinnati Bengals, Cedric Benson, Terrell Owens, Brian Baldinger, Antonio Bryant, Chad Ochocinco

If history is any indication, Terrell Owens in the Bengals offense makes a lot of sense.

As recently as the 2007 season, the Bengals had their most success under offensive coordinator Bob Bratkowski using a three-receiver attack. The trio of Chad Ochocinco, T.J. Houshmandzadeh and Chris Henry were nearly impossible to defend. Watching the tape, Steelers defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau was completely flummoxed on some Sundays on how to defend them. Teams simply couldn�t double-team everyone, and the ball usually went to the receiver who faced single coverage.

The Bengals haven�t had that luxury the last two seasons, but they will with Owens. Cedric Benson has the ability to pound the ball into the belly of defenses behind what I believe is an improved offensive line. It�s the offensive line, which is much better now than in 2007, that could make the spread even more affective.

I believe Ochocinco and Owens will operate mainly on the outside, with Antonio�Bryant in the slot. The Bengals are now one of the few teams in the league that can go into a spread formation and present a formidable trio of receivers that will pose problems for defenses.

This can work, and work well.

Are there enough footballs to go around? That�s my biggest question.

Divas don�t win championships, teams do. If the Bengals think team-first, they can go far. T.O. should be smiling, and Bengals fans will learn to love him. Forget the popcorn. It�s time to forget about selfishness and think about rings. It�s the one thing missing from their resumes.

� Brian Baldinger

Posted in: NFL Network �

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Madden: Tatum’s reputation took on a life of its own

Posted: July 28th, 2010 | Chris Bayee | Tags: Oakland Raiders, John Madden, Jack Tatum

Hitter, yes. Assassin, no.

That is John Madden�s assessment of the late Jack Tatum, whom the Hall of Fame coach tutored as a Raider during the 1970s.

The safety co-wrote a book titled �They Call Me Assassin� after his NFL career ended, but he was never called �The Assassin� during his playing days, Madden said.

�After the book, people started to call him �The Assassin� and say that was his nickname, which was never true, and that he called himself an assassin, which he didn�t,� Madden said. �The story is that he�s a high school All-American and he�s recruited to Ohio State as a hitter. And he�s praised to be a hitter. And he plays at Ohio State and he�s an All-American, because he�s a hitter. And he goes to the pros and is a first-round draft choice because he�s a hitter.

�And then he hits a guy, the guy doesn�t get up, and they call him an assassin.�

Madden also said the hit that left Patriots WR Darryl Stingley paralyzed affected Tatum for the rest of his life.

�He never talked about things, and you couldn�t get him to talk about it,� the coach said. �It was something that ate on him for his whole life.�

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Players’ take on Dez’s defiance: It’s the principle

Posted: July 26th, 2010 | Simon Samano | Tags: Dallas Cowboys, Dez Bryant, Keith Bulluck, Marshall Faulk, Michael Irvin, Roy Williams

Know your role and shut your mouth.

That seems to be the attitude that many former NFL players-turned-TV analysts have taken to Cowboys rookie WR Dez Bryant, who refused to carry Roy Williams� shoulder pads after Sunday�s practice. Even though Williams later downplayed Bryant�s refusal to participate in the rookie hazing ritual (a minor one, at that), you can still count NFL Network�s Marshall Faulk among those ex-players perturbed by the rookie�s defiance.

�When I look at what Dez Bryant did, it�s just disrespecting the tradition and kind of questioning the leadership of the Dallas Cowboys,� Faulk said.

You see, it�s not about the actual act of carrying the pads; it�s about the principle. Even veteran LB Keith Bulluck, who just signed with the Giants and has been around the block, wonders what Bryant�s problem is.

�It could be the fact that they may be giving him star treatment already down there,� Bulluck said. �He�s wearing Playmaker�s (Michael Irvin�s) number; that�s a big thing in itself. � It�ll tell a lot about the Dallas Cowboys as a team to see how they handle that, their No. 1 draft pick acting the way he�s acting, being defiant.�

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The Big Ten might make itself at home at Lambeau Field

Lambeau Field, historic home to the Green Bay Packers, might also soon be home to the Big Ten's title game. Big Ten officials will meet in early August to talk about it, and Packers president Louis Murphy(notes) said he'd be on board.

The Big Ten is a "conference" in the NFL's minor league, which calls itself "college football." College football is very similar to the professional game we're all familiar with, except receivers only need one foot inbounds to make a catch, players don't get paid, and they don't bother to crown an actual champion in any given year.

There are other sites under consideration, all of them also pro venues: Ford Field, home of the Lions, Soldier Field, home of the Bears, and Cleveland Browns Stadium.

Go with Lambeau, Big Ten. I say this as a completely uninterested observer, too. I'm not a Packers fan, and I don't care if the Big Ten lives or dies. But if you want your game to seem special, like a truly unique college football event, then Lambeau's your place.

I don't expect it to happen, because the people in charge will probably put a pretty high value on the accommodations and appeal to tourists held by a city like Chicago or Detroit (I think Detroit still has some appeal, though I'm not sure). And I get that. I'm not saying it's a bad reason.

But if the goal is to make the Big Ten championship game a unique and special event, you have to go with Lambeau. Even on television, and even in the NFL, where corporate interests have sucked most of the uniqueness out of everything, Lambeau still retains a special kind of old-school football charm.

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Michael Vick and Kevin Kolb are total BFFs

Michael Vick's(notes) biggest supporter out there might also be his competition for a starting job: fellow Eagles quarterback Kevin Kolb(notes).

Birds' Eye View passes along some comments from Kolb on Vick and his recent situation, in which someone got shot at a party he was hosting.

"I just told him that it was unfortunate what he had to go through," the Eagles' new starting QB said recently. "I just said, ‘If there’s anything I can do, whatever is I don’t care, just holler.’ And, of course, he said, ‘I appreciate it.'"

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Supplemental Draft Preview: Harvey Unga

What? There's an NFL draft on July 15? In a manner of speaking, yes. The 2010 Supplemental Draft gives players who didn't participate in the actual draft for whatever reason. In the past, such players as Cris Carter, Mike Wahle(notes), Jamal Williams(notes), and the "legendary" Brian Bosworth have been plucked from the Supplemental Draft, bound for greater things (or, in Boz's case, really bad movies.)

Four players are eligible for the draft this year, and with the help of Rob Rang from NFLDraftScout.com, we're going to give you the basics. First up is BYU running back Harvey Unga, who ran for 3,455 yards on 696 carries in his collegiate career, and caught 102 passes for 1,085 yards as well. He has 45 career touchdowns, and at least 12 in each of the last three seasons.

Here's Rob on Unga's pro prospects.

The reason he's in the supplemental draft ... as part of being a player at BYU, he had to adhere to a strict honor code. He had failed that code and was released from the team

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Supplemental Draft Preview: Joshua Price-Brent

What? There's an NFL draft on July 15? In a manner of speaking, yes. The 2010 Supplemental Draft gives players who didn't participate in the actual draft for whatever reason. In the past, such players as Cris Carter, Mike Wahle(notes), Jamal Williams(notes), and the "legendary" Brian Bosworth have been plucked from the Supplemental Draft, bound for greater things (or, in Boz's case, really bad movies.)

Four players are eligible for the draft this year, and with the help of Rob Rang from NFLDraftScout.com, we're going to give you the basics. The only defensive player in this year's draft is defensive tackle Joshua Price-Brent from Illinois. In his two years as a starter, Price-Brent amassed 71 tackles, five sacks, 17 ½ tackles for loss, and three forced fumbles. He was declared academically ineligible this spring.

Here's Rob on Price-Brent's pro potential.

It's not just the academics - about a year ago, he spent 30 days in jail for a DUI. So, this is one of those guys where there is some off-field stuff as well. Teams will want to do their due diligence to make sure they're not taking too much of a chance. But he is a talented player - measures in at just a shade under 6-foot-2, 318 pounds at the recent private workout he had for clubs. 18 teams were present at the workout, and several sent their directors of player personnel. He has the size to hold up inside, but he doesn't have great strength - he only had 21 reps at the 225-pound bench press at his private workout, and that would have been the worst of any defensive tackle over 295 pounds that was invited to this year's scouting combine.

But you see some athletic ability and some "want-to" on the field. He's a productive player - not a superstar, but a guy who makes you think he's coming around to being something special. He's moving up on a lot of charts, because he's an established player in the Big 10, and a lot of teams are starting to warm up to him. He's probably the safest of the four players.

I asked Rob about the tradeoff between strength and speed - if he doesn't have the upper-body strength to hang in as a true nose tackle, and lacks the explosiveness to be a legitimate three-tech, does that make him a one-tech specialist?

That's the concern I have for him. He's not a natural pass-rusher and he doesn't have the lateral quickness to make it as a three-technique tackle. I see him in a 4-3, but not as a true nose tackle. He's a one-gap player; he just doesn't have the strength to be a two-gap guy at this point. He can contribute even as a rookie as a rotational player, but I don't know if he'll ever be a standout.

Rob also mentioned that he probably doesn't project well as a 3-4 end, though some teams may look to put him there because of his optimal size for the position - he may not have the wingspan to be a classic Steelers/Ravens end. The buzz is pretty strong on Price-Brent, and he could go in the fourth or fifth round.

Price-Brent and BYU running back Harvey Unga are the feature players in this draft. The other two players, Northwestern State running back Quentin Castille and Truman State running back Vanness Emokpae, do not project as draft picks, which means that they will likely be picked up by an NFL team as undrafted free agents. You can read Rob's take on Castille and Emokpae right here.

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Is it collusion that's keeping Terrell Owens unemployed?

Free agent wide receiver and possible ex-turd (we'll get to that in a minute) Terrell Owens expressed some confusion and frustration yesterday over the fact that he's still unemployed. Owens feels like he was a choir boy last season in Buffalo -- and a productive one at that -- but that no one noticed. From the AP's Rachel Cohen:

“There were a number of times where prior I probably would have reacted, said something I wasn’t supposed to say,” Owens told The Associated Press on Tuesday. “I really had some restraint, very patient.”

Did any owners notice?

“It’s almost like I didn’t play last year,” he lamented.

Perhaps it is. But the important thing is that, at this time next year, Owens isn't saying, "It's almost like I didn't play last year again. In fact, it's exactly like that, because no one ever signed me to a contract."

So what's keeping that from happening? Could it be ... the c-word? CBS Sports' Mike Freeman threw it out there on Twitter.

I really am starting to believe there is collusion between teams with Terrell Owens(notes). It's payback for him acting like a turd.

Turd-like behavior or not, though, collusion among teams and/or owners would still be a major violation of the league's collective bargaining agreement. It would be awfully hard for anyone to prove, though, and even if they did, what's the league going to do about it? Fine someone? How would that help Owens?

I believe there are teams out there that could, and probably should, bring Owens aboard. Not many, but some. These are the questions a team has to ask themselves before they'd consider inviting the VH1 star into their delicate little ecosystem:

1. Is Owens going to produce like a 1st receiver, 2nd receiver, 3rd receiver or lower?

2. If his role is as a 3rd receiver (which is where I think most teams would land on the first question), how much of an upgrade is he over your current 3rd receiver?

3.  Does that upgrade justify taking on the media attention that Owens attracts and/or the risk that he'll do something to destroy your locker room?

4. And finally, can you get him at a price that makes sense?

And as I said, I think there are teams out there who could give Owens-positive answers on all those questions, except maybe the last one. I don't know how much money Owens is looking for, but at this point, surely he realizes that he's not going to get Nate Burleson money. He's probably not even getting Arnaz Battle money.

The big question, though -- and what Owens feels like is preventing him from getting a contract -- is the third one. He thinks his past behavior is being held against him, despite the fact that he was a good boy in Buffalo.

And I think he's probably right. I also think that, eventually, someone will have some injuries and/or other problems, and find themselves needing Terrell Owens. In the meantime, though, he'll probably be jobless a little while longer, and if he's looking for answers, Freeman's is probably the best one he's going to get.

Related: Players Your Sucky Team Can Buy

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Heroic Charles Woodson shuts down a house fire

Okay, so maybe he didn't completely shut it down -- the fire did manage to reduce a gigantic house to a pile of dirty ashes -- but Packers cornerback Charles Woodson(notes) did help to ensure that the only damage done was to property, not people.

A fellow named Rick Ruiz, Woodson's wine-making partner, is calling Woodson a hero after he helped him escape a house fire over the weekend. From a report at Cheesehead TV:

“He’s a hero if you think about it,” said Rick Ruiz, director of operations for TwentyFour wine. “He actually woke me up, told me to get up.”

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Favre shows off healthy ankle by fleeing from reporters

As far as Brett Favre(notes) updates go, this one is pretty much like all the others. He's still coming back. He's still not telling anyone about it. He still just wants to miss training camp, but doesn't want to say that out loud, because he thinks we are all very, very dumb.

But his ankle appears to be fully functional.

Favre's been practicing with a high school team in Mississippi, because that's what you do when you're like a little kid and you just like to have fun out there. According to a very brief AP article on the subject, the recently repaired ankle looks just fine.

Brett Favre looks like he’s getting along just fine on that surgically repaired ankle.

Favre worked out with some youngsters at Oak Grove High School in Hattiesburg, Miss., on Monday, then eluded reporters looking to ask him about his future by running to his truck and driving away.

As you likely know, I'm not a Favre fan, but I will say this. After last week's shameful display from ESPN, LeBron James and society, I'm happy to see any athlete moving away from reporters. It's a nice change of pace from LeBron running towards reporters, screaming "LOOK AT ME! LOOK AT ME! DON'T YOU WANT TO KNOW WHERE I'M TAKING MY TALENTS?"

Of course, there's no such mystery with Favre. It's become pretty clear that he'll be taking his talents back to NFL fields this fall.

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CFL fan using a wheelchair rolls onto the field

By MJD

Here in America, we have a certain way of handling things when a fan bursts onto the field of play. Either security or an actual player will tackle/clothesline/assault the unruly fan, we'll all have a good laugh, then go on with the game.

But what happens if you try it in Canada? And the fan is a gentleman using a wheelchair? Let's see.

Oh. You get politely wheeled away, and all the pretty cheerleaders smile at you.

I'm not sure how I feel about that. If you can elude security and get onto a field of play (let alone while doing it in a wheelchair), I think you've earned the right to get tackled by someone.

You've also earned some attention from police, and possibly a fine or a small amount of jail time, sure. But you've also earned a story, and that story isn't complete without a climax like, "And then (insert name of fierce Canadian linebacker here) came out of nowhere and drilled me, breaking three of my ribs and destroying my wheelchair. It was awesome."

You need to rectify this, Canada. Get that guy back out there, and have someone blast him. He deserves it, just like anyone else.

Gracias, Deadspin, via Orlando Kurtenblog.

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Upon Further Review: Is Kevin Kolb ready to take over?

In the first in a series of specific scouting reports, Shutdown Corner investgates whether the Philadelphia Eaglas are in good hands with new starting quarterback Kevin Kolb(notes). With Donovan McNabb(notes) in the nation's capital and Michael Vick(notes) possibly on the outs, how can the Eagles insure the success of the man they have designated as the the future of the franchise?

There were several things that prevented the Philadelphia Eagles from going to the Super Bowl last season. A torn ACL cost linebacker Stewart Bradley(notes) his entire 2009 season, and replacements were hard to come by until the team traded for ex-Rams defender Will Witherspoon(notes) in October. Whatever plans the offensive brain trust had for Michael Vick seemed to go awry; for the most part, Vick was less a "Wildcat" option and more a speedbump for every offense drive in which he took part. Depending on what happens with Vick's current legal issues, he may not be on the team in time for the 2010 season. The Eagles scored just seven rushing touchdowns in the red zone (as many as little-known Cardinals running back Tim Hightower(notes) did all by himself), continuing a longstanding issue with short-area conversions.

Most of the blame for a season that ended in a 34-14 wild-card loss to the Dallas Cowboys fell on the shoulders of quarterback Donovan McNabb, which is something McNabb got used to a long time ago (Perhaps the Eagles should have looked harder at a defense that allowed five straight scoring drives in the second quarter of that game). Despite his status as the best quarterback in franchise history (and a 2009 season that saw him throw 22 touchdowns and just nine interceptions), McNabb had seen the writing on the wall for a while. First, when the team drafted Houston quarterback Kevin Kolb in the second round of the 2007 draft, and second, when head coach Andy Reid benched McNabb in a Week 12 loss to the Ravens in 2008. Eventually, the Eagles wanted to see what they had in Kolb, and they cut bait with McNabb after the 2009 season in order to move forward with the man they perceive to be their next franchise quarterback.

But did the Eagles move too quickly in going to Kolb full-time? He was the first quarterback in NFL history to throw for at least 300 yards in his first two starts when he took the helm early in 2009 as McNabb recovered from a rib injury. But in those two games, Kolb faced the moribund Kansas City Chiefs defense (in Week 3) and the defense of the eventual Super Bowl champion New Orleans Saints (in Week 2). The word on Kolb is that he will present more short-level accuracy than McNabb, but against New Orleans, he looked better throwing longer to his own receivers on a first-quarter touchdown to DeSean Jackson(notes) than he did throwing short on a fourth-quarter interception to Darren Sharper(notes).

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Nike 7ON brings high school stars to higher prominence

Now that this year's Nike 7ON Tournament is all wrapped up, it's time to introduce you to a few players I found especially interesting throughout the two-day event. With this kind of football, where you're going five-wide against nickel-plus defenses and there are no linemen on either side, it's not always easy to project performance from 7-on-7 to the "real thing".

Quarterbacks don't have to deal with pressure, and can progress through their reads as they like. Receivers can run full routes without breaking off and adjusting to quarterback pressure. And you don't see how well a back blows through a blitz with the right kind of blocking; because those concepts are set aside for this game. It's fast-break football, and it's very interesting, but there are certain things you just can't pick up in any 7-on game. That said, the teams at the Nike function were doing it right, showing incredible athleticism and endurance with their speed and agility in temperatures that pushed past 90 on Thursday and Friday. Here are some of the kids who really stood out to these eyes.

QB Nick Patti, Dr. Phillips High, Orlando, Florida - Patti, who played for the "Zoom Blade" team, will be a member of the class of 2012, and he's already making a name with his abilities. At 5-foot11, he doesn't have ideal quarterback height, but he can make all the throws in a way that goes beyond what you might expect from your average high school quarterback who's just hauling it all over the place. Good carriage in the pocket (again, against no pressure), and he's one to watch for the arm strength and palette of throws. Running back Dee Hart showed off his vertical ability on a jump ball on the first day from one of Patti's passes.

WR/DB Shane Wynn, Glenville, High, Cleveland, Ohio - Class of 2011. Wynn was very impressive in space, especially with his after-catch moves. The 5-foot-8, 155-pound speedster was great at catching the ball out of a quick out or up pattern and twisting his way upfield through defenders. Reports indicate that he's got a lot of big-school offers, and it's easy to see why. The Cleveland team, who suited up as "Hyper Strong", was noted from the start for their speed.

QB Teddy Bridgewater, Miami Northwestern High, Miami, Florida - Bridgewater was the MVP of the tournament as his "Vapor Trail" team took the trophy. He has a big frame (6-foot-3, 192 pounds) with room to fill it out. Not only did he show off his estimable mobility, he picked off a pass against Dr. Phillips High and played a little receiver as well. Bridgewater has been quoted as saying that he'd like to be another Vince Young(notes) - he's certainly got the side-to-side mobility for it. Definitely one to watch, as is receiver Eli Rogers, another 2011 recruit from the same team.

OLB James Wilder, Jr., Plant Senior High, Tampa, Florida - Playing for the Nike "Super Speed" teams, Wilder projects as a possible linebacker, defensive end, or running back at the next level. He showed good speed in keeping up with receivers and impressed with his size (6-foot-2, 216 pounds). He also caught some balls out of the backfield.

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Troy Polamalu runs silent and deep

The first thing you notice when talking with Pittsburgh Steelers safety Troy Polamalu(notes) is that his off-field demeanor couldn't be any more different than the makeup of the scud missile you see on game day. Face-to-face, Polamalu is so soft-spoken, one has to push the microphone closer when interviewing him, and he's far more comfortable talking about others than himself. This week, his first focus wasn't on the knee that is recovering well after costing him 11 games in 2009 (the most in a single season in his seven-year career), nor was it the egal travails of one Ben Roethlisberger(notes). Polamalu was fully about helping to coach and advise the Zoom Blade team from Orlando, Florida in the national 7-on-7 tournament. Polamalu went to high school at Douglas High in Winston, Oregon, about 170 miles south of the games played this week. Polamalu played safety and running back, made All-State in baseball, and All-League in basketball, and had warm memories about his time there.

"It was a small town," Polamalu told me. "I loved how everyone went to school together from kindergarten to the 12th grade; everybody knew each other. I loved that everybody played every sport, and I think those experiences are lost nowadays."

From Douglas High, the heavily recruited Polamalu went to USC, where he learned a great deal from head coach Pete Carroll. But Polamalu didn't see the "rah-rah" side to Carroll that everyone else talks about. To him, "it was more that you loved him as an individual, and you wanted to make him happy, and that's where the motivation was. He was great to play under in college - an awesome coach and a great person. It's going to be weird seeing him on something other than cardinal and gold

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Cris Carter goes old-school at the Rookie Symposium

By Doug Farrar

When former Eagles, Vikings and Dolphins receiver Cris Carter talks about overcoming difficulties and playing in the NFL for a long time, it would behoove young players to listen. Carter, who ranks third in NFL history with 1,101 regular-season catches, may have had the best hands of all time, was unquestionably the best sideline receiver in league annals, and will surely go into the Hall of Fame when the voters get a clue, came very close to missing his chance at greatness.

Selected by the Philadelphia Eagles in the fourth round of the 1987 supplemental draft, Carter was eventually cut by Buddy Ryan because he couldn't handle his off-field activities. But he cleaned himself up and went on to have one of the greatest careers among the last generation of NFL players.

Now, Carter gives his life lessons to the next generation every year at the Rookie Symposium. It's a great chance for players coming into the league to learn how important it is to keep their heads on straight, and what awaits them either way. This year's talk was particularly video-worthy:

Carter talked about the need to come into camp looking to "take a dude's job", and that being the first step to a long career. He also discussed the need to keep one's family (including one's momma!) in check once the contract is signed, the need to watch that money (because "ain't nobody taking double teams

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According to Madden, Tim Tebow is tougher than Chuck Norris

Complete team ratings for Madden 2011 are being released, little by little, at ESPN's The Gamer blog this week. So far, the full rosters for all AFC West and AFC East teams have been released, and so far, no football player on earth is tougher than Tim Tebow(notes).

Tebow's got pretty favorable ratings across the board -- 79 speed, 90 acceleration, 62 catching (in case you'd like to move him to tight end), 86 carrying, 88 throwing power and 74 throwing accuracy. Overall, he's a 70, just one point behind Brady Quinn(notes). Kyle Orton(notes), for comparison's sake, is an 80.

Where Tebow really stands out, though, is toughness. In the TGH category -- and I find this wholly appropriate since it's such an impossible thing to rate numerically, but what he hell, seems kind of tough -- Tebow's a 98.

Of all the other players on all eight listed rosters, only four can match Tebow's toughness: Philip Rivers(notes), Logan Mankins(notes), Nick Mangold(notes) and, naturally, Wes Welker(notes). One point down at 97 are Mike Vrabel(notes) and Patriots rookies Zac Robinson(notes) and Rich Ohrnberger(notes). White people, apparently, are very, very tough.

Tebow is also super strong. His strength rates an 84, which is as strong as or stronger than all of the following offensive linemen:

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Randall Cunningham's young son dies in tragic accident

Terrible news for former NFL quarterback Randall Cunningham and his family -- Cunningham's two-year-old son Christian drowned Tuesday afternoon in a hot tub in the back yard of Cunningham's Nevada home. Las Vegas Police Lieutenant Dennis Flynn has been quoted as saying that it was an accident. According to initial reports, Cunningham was not at home Tuesday afternoon when the child was found, and that an unnamed woman tried to resuscitate the child after finding him at about 4:30 p.m. She called 911 at 4:45, and the child was taken to St. Rose Dominican Hospital, Siena campus, where he passed away.

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Marcus mentioned in the 'Guy shot at Michael Vick's party' story

The case involving the shooting of a man outside of Michael Vick's(notes) 30th birthday party has a few new wrinkles in it, one of them possibly involving Marcus Vick(notes), Michael's little brother, himself a former backup quarterback for the Miami Dolphins.

The bigger story yesterday, though, was the discrepancy in the timelines of events given by Vick's attorney, and what's shown on security tapes. The AP saw the video yesterday, and according to them, Michael Vick's car doesn't leave the scene until 2:07 a.m. The shooting happened about four minutes later.

That's at odds with what Vick's lawyer had previously said, which is that his client had been gone for 10 or 20 minutes when the shooting took place.

This "discrepancy" was all over ESPN yesterday, but myself, I'm not putting a ton of stock into it. Yes, if you choose to, you can look at it as Vick's lawyer being caught in a fib, which would look bad. But he said 10 or 20 minutes, and it was actually 4. That's a difference of six or 16 minutes. Can you accurately recall the exact events of your Saturday night, in six or 16-minute intervals? I can't recall the last 30 minutes of my life in accurate six-minute intervals.

So the timeline problem, really, isn't something I care about at the moment. As for Marcus, the mention of his name appears to stem from a radio report in which a gentleman named "Bartley Barefoot" said his "sources" were "sure" that Marcus Vick was "involved."

Gregg Rosenthal of Pro Football Talk was being interviewed by Mr. Barefoot and his co-host Johnny D., when Barefoot broke in and dropped Marcus Vick's name. Sports by Brooks took it a step further, noting reports that the shooter may have been driving a white Cadillac Escalade, and then connecting that with previous reports that Marcus Vick does indeed own a white Cadillac Escalade.

What to make of that? Again, for me, not much. If it turns out that I'm wrong, I'll apologize, but for the moment, I'm choosing not to put much faith in the sources of Bartley Barefoot. I'm sure Bartley's a wonderful man, but I'm going to choose not to view him with a sense of Cronkite-like integrity. And the fact that Marcus Vick and a potential shooter might drive the same (or similar) cars ... I don't find that terribly compelling, either.

We'll see what happens, and according to ESPN's Adam Schefter, we might not have to wait long. He said on "NFL Live" that we could expect the shooter to turn himself in to authorities "sometime soon."

Originally, I didn't expect this thing to turn into much of a story. I thought -- and I'm willing to consider the possibility that I gave him too much credit with this -- that Michael Vick, with all the image-rehabbing his done, the fine line he knows he's walking with the commissioner, and everything he's got to lose, would absolutely not, in any way, let himself actually get involved with a shooting.

I still believe that, and I haven't seen enough yet to even consider changing my mind. It's true that Michael Vick doesn't have the best track record in decision-making, and maybe there were some poor decisions made on this night, too. Anything terribly nefarious, though, I'm just having a hard time believing. There's still some unfolding left to happen here, though.

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Related: Michael Vick, Miami Dolphins, Philadelphia Eagles, NFL Criminal Behavior, Poor Decisions

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Things are about to get a little Canadian on the NFL Network

Football season starts today. If you're Canadian, that is.

More Americans may be taking an active interest these days, too. The NFL Network announced yesterday that they'll be broadcasting Canadian Football League games this year, starting tonight with the big Montreal Alouettes vs. Saskatchewan Roughriders game.

Not a Canadian football fan? Me neither, really. But it's not because there's anything wrong with their game, it's just because I never really see it. And hey, it's July, and I know a lot of you don't care for the soccer.

The CFL's version of football is pretty similar to our beloved game, but there are some differences. Here's a list of things that might seem a little bit odd to an NFL fan, and I'll be honest with you ... on most of these rule differences, the Canadian version sounds like the better option to me.

Note:

• The Canadian field of play is 110 yards long, and their endzones are 20 yards deep. They put their goal posts right at the goal line, too.

• They play with 12 players on a side. The extra guy is usually a slotback or some kind.

• They only get three downs to achieve a first down. Their first downs are the same ten yards as ours.

• The game isn't over when the clock is at 0:00. They play to the zeroes, and then the offense gets one more play.

• The ROUGE! On a kickoff, if the returner fails to advance the ball out of his own endzone, the kicking team gets a point. They get a ROUGE! Same applies on a punt, and a team can also get a ROUGE! by punting the ball out of the back of the endzone. A kickoff that goes out of the back of the endzone results in nothing special.

• They only get one time-out per half.

• They don't have a two-minute warning. They have a three-minute warning.

• They can go in motion like a group of heroin addicts in the park. Anyone in the backfield can be in motion as much as they want, wherever they want, alongside whoever else they want. Wide receivers, too.

• They don't have fair catches on punts, but the punting team has to allow the returner to catch the ball. If it hits the ground, it's a live ball.

• A guy can try a field goal, literally, any damn time he feels like it. Running down the field, and you don't think you can score, but your leg feels good? Pull up and try a drop-kick. Make it, and a field goal is yours.

• Defensive players have to play a full yard back of the line of scrimmage.

• Defensive backs can only jam receivers within one yard of the line of scrimmage.

• They call ham bacon!

Tonight's game starts at 7 p.m. All I can tell you about is that Avon Cobourne, the star running back for the Alouettes, is going to get buck wild on that Roughrider defense.

Related: Former NFLers

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