 |
 |
 |
|
NEWS, NOTES & QUOTES FROM CBS SPORTS’ “THE NFL TODAY” WITH
JAMES BROWN, DAN MARINO, SHANNON SHARPE, BILL COWHER AND BOOMER ESIASON FOR WEEK 1 ON SEPTEMBER 9
This NFL season marks the 40th year of THE NFL TODAY on CBS.
CBS Sports first broadcast "NFL Today" as a 15-minute, regional sports program that "presented interviews with National Football League players and coaches, and news and features about the NFL" on September 13, 1964. Like its current edition, the show preceded the broadcasts of NFL games on the CBS Television Network.
*On welcoming newcomer Bill Cowher, former coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers, to THE NFL TODAY
James Brown: How soon do you go back to the sideline?
Bill Cowher: Opening Day, I’ve never felt this much less stress. No time soon. Trust me.
Dan Marino: I got a gift from big Ben Roethlisberger, he said I’m going to need this during the year (Marino dons a “Spit Shield” sitting next to Cowher on THE NFL TODAY desk). I know you get excited sometimes so I’m ready. I’m going to get some for the whole crew.
-On the AFC vs. NFC
Shannon Sharpe: If this is a quarterback driven league, clearly the best quarterbacks reside in the AFC. Until the NFC quarterbacks’ play comes up to the AFC, this trend will continue for a long time.
Boomer Esiason: We all know it’s about the quarterbacks and the Hall of Famers-in-waiting, Peyton Manning and Tom Brady, but they also have two good defenses on those teams. They are the two best teams in the league, but don’t forget about San Diego. San Diego has an up-and-coming quarterback. They clearly could have the fastest team in football. And they certainly have the best player in LaDainian Tomlinson.
-On Cleveland quarterback situation
Rich Gannon: Head coach Romeo Crennel told us just this week that Charlie Frye would get the start in Week 1. Not exactly a ringing endorsement for Charlie Frye. If you look at their schedule for the first month of the season, it is absolutely brutal. If he doesn’t play well, it wouldn’t surprise me to see the rookie Brady Quinn fairly early.
*On Pittsburgh-Cleveland
Bill Cowher: Mike Tomlin’s first game. There is no question Ben (Roethlisberger) is going to have more leeway…On the other side of the ball, Brady Quinn, I know he is the third quarterback today, three of the first four games are at home. I think by the end of the first month he may be in the starting lineup. You don’t want to start him on the road. I think there is a lot of pressure on the Head Coach and General Manager. This is a big game in Cleveland.
Boomer Esiason (joking): It must be good for Ben Roethlisberger to actually have a coach that will trust him.
-NFL TODAY “General Manager” Charley Casserly
On Rodney Harrison being suspended for four games for using HGH and whether there are any others involved:
Casserly: Multiple sources have told me, that have knowledge of the investigation, that there are other football players’ names that have shown up on these prescription lists. I talked to the NFL and they told me that any active player or staff member whose name has come to them have been disciplined already. But again, these sources have told me that there are other names out there.
On the Falcons trying to recover bonus money from Michael Vick due to his legal woes:
Casserly: The number is $19 million that they are going to seek when they meet with the special master in early October. This is money coming from previous paid roster bonuses. Now, I don’t think they’re going to be successful in front of the special master. However, where they can be successful is filing a grievance citing fraud against Michael Vick. I believe he committed fraud when he concealed the fact that he was involved in illegal gambling when he signed his contract in 2004. There is a precedent for the Falcons to follow in a case involving fraud won by the Kansas City Chiefs versus Tamarick Vanover one of their former players.
On Tennessee and Pacman Jones:
Casserly: The door is not closed for Pacman Jones to go back to the Tennessee Titans. In fact, if he shows a significant 180 turn in his behavior, they’ll consider bringing him back. However, there is an issue of $5.6 million option bonus that he received last year. When he received it, he failed to tell the Titans about one of his arrests. That is fraud. Both sides have agreed to put this matter to the side until it is decided whether he comes back into the league. One potential solution for settlement is for Pacman to keep some or all of that money and contract years are added to Pacman’s original contract.
*QUICK HITS – SURPRISES AND DISAPPOINTMENTS
Marino: Well, the surprise for me in the NFC West is going to be Arizona. Ken Whisenhunt is going in there as a first-year coach, and he's had experience with the young quarterback in Ben Roethlisberger, the offensive coordinator in Pittsburgh there. He'll do a good job developing Matt Leinart. Defensively they have a pretty solid defense. In their division, they won five games last year -- four of them inside the NFC West. I'm thinking they can make a positive run and win that division. Disappointment is the Kansas City Chiefs. The Kansas City Chiefs are a team that went to the playoffs last year, riding all on Larry Johnson. Damon Huard is a tough kid, but he's going to have to start.
Esiason: Disappointment in Kansas City, that would be top of my list, too. But I'm also going to go with the Cincinnati Bengals. I worry about their defense when they go on the road. That's where it's really going to show. A lot of pressure on that offense. My surprise, guess who's coming back to the playoffs? The Pittsburgh Steelers. All the distractions from last year (jokingly alluding to Bill Cowher’s future). Is he retiring? Kind of like Tiki Barber. He (Cowher) is actually out of the picture now. Mike Tomlin is there. They kept Dick LeBeau. The offense is intact. Ben Roethlisberger, he is who he is. He's going to be in the pocket. He'll be out making plays. I say they're going to be back.
Cowher: I think when you look at sleepers, I like Minnesota. When you look at Minnesota and you sit there and you look at them, Tavaris Jackson, the quarterback is a young quarterback like a Kordell Stewart. They have two running backs. Number one run defense in the National Football League a year ago. Sounds like a little bit of a team that we had back in Pittsburgh. My disappointment, Chicago Bears. I think the Chicago Bears have had a two-year run. I think Rex Grossman…There's a lot of pressure on him. When you take away Thomas Jones, you can't tell me you've made your team better. Cedric Benson has proven to be a guy, he's going to have to carry the load. And we don't know. That that's going to be a team right now that I don't think they're going to live up to the expectations.
Sharpe: My surprise team is the Green Bay Packers -- for defensive reasons. They have two book ends, Aaron Kampman, Cullen Jenkins. He is young and up-and-coming. Two lockdown corners, Charles Woodson is back. Al Harris -- other guy. The predator. And can't forget this guy, he's about to break my good friend Dan Marino's record…Brett Favre. Disappointing? Kansas City Chiefs. I know they get Donnie Edwards back. But they did not do enough offensively. From the skill position set, with the exception of Larry Johnson and Tony Gonzalez, I don't really want anybody else on that offensive side of the football.
*SUPER BOWL XLII PICKS
BOOMER ESIASON: New England vs. Philadelphia
SHANNON SHARPE: Indianapolis vs. St. Louis
DAN MARINO: New England vs. Philadelphia
BILL COWHER: New England vs. Seattle
