Bucks Will Sport New Colors, Uniforms Next Season

Rumor has it the Milwaukee Bucks will be getting new uniforms next season and going retro. I liked the purple but don’t mind the colors from the days when Sidney Moncrief and company dominated the Central Division. I hope they keep the fierce-looking buck in the team logo. Even as a kid I wasn’t fond of the cartoon Bango mascot.

[Cross-posted to The American Mind.]

Bill Parcells Press Conference

Bill Parcells finally spoke to the press yesterday, for the first time since the Terrell Owens signing. Looking through the transcript, it’s easy to see why he waited so long. He was asked variations on the same question over and over and over, even though he answered it pretty well the first time.

Sarah P. Henry transcribes the first part; part 2 is scheduled for latter today. Some excerpts:

So why’d you want to draft T.O.?

Parcells: He’s a good, productive player, for one thing. I’ve seen quite a bit of him. I think he can help us.

The other issues didn’t bother you?

Parcells: You always have some concerns about things whenever you acquire a player that you really don’t know personally. Contrary to what a lot of the people have been writing here, we work as a team here. We really do. With (Cowboys owner) Jerry (Jones) and (Vice President of College and Pro Scouting) Jeff (Ireland) and myself. And we make decisions as an organization, and we do it collectively. We do now more than ever. Whatever decisions we make then we all support that. And I support whatever decisions in the organization. I was part of it. I continue to be part of it. In the draft we worked real well together on. Hey now, I’m not saying we don’t have a difference of opinion every once in awhile about things. That’s just natural. But we sound it out and once we go, we’re going. And if we’re wrong, we’ll cut our losses, and we’ll go again. We’ve been wrong on a couple things here, but this talent acquisition is about 50/50 anyway. So if you can get about half of it right you’re doing pretty well. Lately, I’m pretty satisfied with that.

As a coach, you’ve never been afraid of a gamble. How big of a gamble is it to bring this guy into your locker room?

Parcells: I don’t view it as a gamble. I mean, I’m gonna make every attempt to work…it’s in my best interest that he’s successful. And it’s in his best interest that he’s successful. And so we really, I think want the same thing. I’ve always told all my players that. The problems I’ve ever had with players is when my expectations for the player are higher than theirs. That’s when I get hot. That’s when I get cantankerous, I guess would be the right word. But as long as a player’s got good work habits and is ready to go. Now, this player has been in a particular style of offense for 10 years. This style that he’s been in is going to change. He has quite a bit of mental work to do to get ready for that adjustment. And I’ve explained that to him. I said, ‘Hey, this isn’t gonna be just like rolling in and getting used to and running what you know. You’re gonna have a big adjustment to make as far as the offense goes.’ Now he’s been in the league for quite awhile, I don’t worry about him making that adjustment, but it is gonna be different. And in this offense you’re not going to catch 100 balls. It’s just not gonna happen. You have to be ready for that.
[...]

You said it was a collective decision, but did you approach this idea first or did Jerry?

Parcells: I don’t think that happens. When the season’s over we try to put our musts together and our needs together and we try to just… You never know how it’s going to unfold as the season goes on. I didn’t know whether he’d be traded. I didn’t know anything about what would happen. We did discuss it. We talked about it. And we try to put a plan in place to address some of our needs. That plan is not comprised individually. Now, I do give a very strong opinion on what we need to do from the football standpoint. Then we have the economics to consider of it. And we have the domino effect on other players on the team to consider. We talk about all those things every time we try to make a move. If we do this, this is what happens there and this is what happens here. And that’s what we did.

[...]

From a football perspective, how does he improve your team?

Parcells: Well he gives us speed outside. He’s certainly gonna command attention. I think that will be good for (tight end) Jason Witten and (wide receiver) Terry Glenn as well. It’s tough to cover them all. You can take one guy out of the game if you want to, I think. But it’s tough to cover them all.

[...]

Terrell’s been in a different offense until now. Do you change what you want to do because you talked about having him and Jason and Terry?

Parcells: We want to use the player’s assets. We’d be foolish not to try to do that. I have a general idea of what he does well from having played against him. But I’ve gotta just see, you know, what he thinks about things like I would any player that’s experienced. ‘What routes do you like? What do you feel comfortable with? What’s the routes you’re struggling with?’ You know, they all have ‘em. They don’t just come in and say, ‘I can do anything you want me to do.’ We go over things and say, ‘How do you feel about this? How do you feel about that?’ And I would do that with any player that was a veteran that we were trying to integrate in. I’ve done that over the course of my career. I remember vividly the day I got a player called Shawn Jefferson. OK? I said, ‘Shawn, what do you like?’ He said, ‘Sevens, eights and nines, Coach.’ That’s a tree route. Sevens, eights and nines. He said, ‘I can run those for you all day.’ I asked him, ‘Well, what about a four?’ He said, ‘I can run a four.’ I said, ‘Well, what about a six?’ He says, ‘I’m not in love with a six.’ So along the way I get an idea about what he can do, what he likes. I haven’t had that conversation yet with Terrell.

Since we last talked to you, you’ve extended your contract. Do you still see this as a year-to-year thing, or do you see yourself staying here for more than one more year?

Parcells: Well, I thought… And this is a ‘we’ thing, too. This is not just me. I don’t think it’s good to be a lame duck coach with people speculating about that. I think it’s good for business particularly, in the acquisition of players, for them to get the feeling that the coach is gonna be there for a while. I do that with that intention, and knowing full well that when you get to be my age, things can happen. I have to tell you I like it very much here in Dallas. I feel like I’ve been treated fairly here. I like the organization, I just, I like it. And I’m challenged by it. It hasn’t gone exactly the way I want it to go. I gotta tell you that. But I think we were a lot closer to being good than anybody really knows. We made a field goal here or there, and we’re gonna have 12 wins. This division is heating up though. I think everybody’s improved. I think it’s gonna be a very good division and highly competitive. And I don’t think there’s a hands-down favorite. I think the competition is gonna be very good. And I’ve looked at it closely.

So why the mystery in those terms? Why not just tell Jerry you’re gonna be here for two years?

Parcells: I don’t have any mystery. I signed the deal. I’m going with it. Who used the word mystery?

It seems like a mystery at the end of the season.

Parcells: Well, maybe you’re just confused by it. Maybe it’s a mystery to you. It’s not a mystery to me. I know what my intentions were. Why would that be a mystery? If I wasn’t intending to go on further, I wouldn’t have done it.

Apparently, part 2 will actually talk about something other than T.O.

Chad Peters gives a preview of that.

Update: Here’s part 2 of the transcript.

Hootie Johnson Stepping Down at Augusta

Those nagging women won’t have Hootie Johnson to kick around anymore.

Billy Payne, who ran the Atlanta Olympics a decade ago, is replacing Hootie Johnson as chairman of Augusta National Golf Club, home of the Masters. The 75-year-old Johnson had served in the role since 1998, most prominently turning back demands that women be allowed to join the club. Johnson also ordered two major overhauls of the course, adding 460 yards — making it the second-longest test in major championship history — to counter rapidly improving equipment and longer-hitting players.

A South Carolina native and member of the club since 1968, Johnson is relinquishing his title on May 21 and moving into the role of chairman emeritus. Payne will become the sixth chairman in club history. “The tournament is successful by any measure and will continue to grow,” Johnson said in a statement. “I know I leave the championship in very capable hands.”

The 58-year-old Payne has headed the Masters media committee since 2000. “It’s an honor to be the new chairman of Augusta National Golf Club and the Masters tournament,” he said in the statement. “Hootie did a wonderful job as chairman, and I will endeavor to maintain the customs and traditions of our club as established by (co-founders) Clifford Roberts and Bobby Jones.”

Michelle Wie Makes Cut in Men’s Event

Michelle Wie made the cut in a men’s golf event, only the second woman to do so. It’s not the PGA Tour, though.

Michelle Wie made her first cut in a professional men’s tournament Friday after shooting a 3-under-par 69 in the Asian Tour’s SK Telecom Open. Wie finished at 5-under 139 after two rounds and was tied for 17th at the Sky 72 Golf Club course, six strokes behind co-leaders Iain Steel of Malaysia (66) and Prom Meesawat of Thailand (64). The cut was set at even-par 144.

“It’s just wonderful. Great. I feel really, really happy,” Wie said. “Now I want play well tomorrow. It’s not over yet.”

The Hawiian-born teenager becomes the second woman to make the cut at a men’s tournament in South Korea; LPGA star Se Ri Pak finished tied for 10th in the lower-tier KPGA Tour SBS Pro-Golf Championship in 2003.

While it’s not exactly the Masters, this is an impressive achievement. And she hasn’t even hit 20.

Kyle Turley Attempts Comeback as Tight End

Johnathan Turley wants to get back into the NFL so badly that he’s trying to change positions, at age 30, after a two year layoff. Len Pasquarelli reports,

Former standout offensive tackle Kyle Turley, who hasn’t been in a game since a 2003 playoff loss because of severe back problems, is attempting to revive his career at the Miami Dolphins’ mini-camp this weekend.

As a tight end.

Turley, 30, is an unsigned veteran invitee to the three-day camp, which began on Friday and is principally for rookies. His participation in the camp, which also includes veteran free agent linebacker Barrett Green and undrafted Virginia Tech quarterback Marcus Vick, was first reported by the South Florida Sun Sentinel and subsequently confirmed through team officials.

Weighing about 40 to 50 pounds less than the 309 pounds at which he played right offensive tackle for six seasons with the New Orleans Saints and St. Louis Rams, and trying to adapt to a new position, Turley is definitely a long shot to earn a contract for training camp. But the former first-round draft choice, who missed only one regular-season game before his back woes sidelined him for more than two years, is determined to get back into the league. It’s believed that the tryout with the Dolphins, whose tight end depth chart is a bit unsettled behind starter Randy McMichael, is the first audition that Turley has had.

I wish him luck. The NFL is a brutal business, though, and the tight end position has moved in the direction of athletes who can do it all–block, catch, and run. I can’t see a converted offensive lineman do that.

Montgomery Maulers Fired, Rehired

The owner of the Montgomery Maulers fired the entire team last week when they demanded to actually be paid for work. A new owner has now purchased the team.

The Montgomery Maulers have been rehired. The minor league football team was sold to new owners Wednesday, a week after the entire roster was fired when some players threatened to boycott over money they were owed.

In fact, the buyers were the ones who provided their Tampa, Fla., team as a fill-in on three hours notice Saturday night for a game in Osceola, Fla. The substitute Maulers lost 72-12 in the National Indoor Football League game. “We tried to do our best, but we weren’t the Maulers,” said John Morris, who purchased the team along with partner and coach Mike Mink. “I’m very, very proud to say that we are the Maulers today.”

An attorney for four of the players had said last week that some Maulers were owed up to $1,000 in back pay by owner Jamie LaMunyon. She promptly fired the entire team. “The last week has been a real trying time for them,” said attorney Donald Jackson, who represented the players. “The players are quite excited about getting back on the field this weekend.” He said they would receive pay for their previous games on Wednesday night.

NIFL President Carolyn Shiver said the purchase was “not an unfriendly buyout” and the league didn’t order LaMunyon to sell. “We just said, ‘Miss LaMunyon, it would be in the best interest of Montgomery and the Maulers if you allow us to sell the team,’” Shiver said. “She agreed with that.”

Somehow, I can’t see this happening in the NFL.

Dilfer to 49ers, Dorsey to Browns

The Browns traded Trent Dilfer, whose days as a starting quarterback appear behind him, to San Francisco for Ken Dorsey, who has never emerged as an NFL caliber quarterback, and an undisclosed pick.

The San Francisco 49ers acquired a proven backup quarterback for Alex Smith, getting Trent Dilfer from the Cleveland Browns on Thursday in a trade for quarterback Ken Dorsey and an undisclosed 2007 draft pick.

Dilfer, who won a Super Bowl with Baltimore in 2001, will give the 49ers depth behind Smith, who struggled as a rookie last season after being the No. 1 overall pick in the 2005 draft. “Trent was a player we had interest in last season,” 49ers coach Mike Nolan said in a statement. “We were looking for a veteran quarterback with experience that could help mentor Alex Smith. Trent fits the bill on both counts and we are excited to have him with the 49ers.”

Presuming the pick is either conditional or low (6th or 7th) this move would seem to advantage the 49ers. Dilfer is at least a plausible NFL starter.

Washington Nationals Finally Have an Owner

The Nats finally have an owner, or, technically, a group of them, led by Ted Lerner.

A group of area businessmen led by developer Theodore N. Lerner was awarded ownership of the Washington Nationals yesterday and pledged to build a first-class baseball organization by investing heavily in player development and working closely with the city on construction of the team’s new stadium on the Anacostia waterfront. Lerner, who has made a fortune in real estate across the Washington region over the last five decades, was informed of the decision by Major League Baseball in a telephone call from Bud Selig, the league’s commissioner. It brought to a close a 17-month ownership search for the franchise that was moved to Washington from Montreal before the 2005 season.

[...]

Lerner, 80, was selected over seven other bidders who each had agreed to pay the $450 million sale price set by Major League Baseball, whose 29 other owners bought the struggling Montreal Expos for $120 million in February 2002.

Selig told reporters that it was the “family model” of the Lerner group and Lerner’s strong roots in the Washington area that persuaded him to award them the team. Lerner will oversee a Nationals ownership group of 14 investors that includes his son Mark D. Lerner, who will run the franchise, and his sons-in-law, Edward L. Cohen and Robert K. Tanenbaum. “The family model meant a lot to me,” Selig said. “I’ve seen the family model work and it works well. There’s continuity. There’s stability. If you look back in our history, the family model works well. The family ownership was very important and the depth of their commitment to philanthropy was most impressive.”

Selig also said the Lerners’ recent addition of former Atlanta Braves president Stan Kasten, who is well respected in baseball circles and enjoys Selig’s confidence, helped tip the balance. And the commissioner offered the reclusive Lerner some advice. “I said to him this morning, ‘Whether you know it or not, your life took a very dramatic turn in the public,’ ” Selig said. “I’m not sure he really knows it, but he’ll surround himself with good people like his son and Stan Kasten.”

That the Expos/Nats were allowed to compete for three years while being wholly owned by the other franchises was a scandal. It is hard to conceive of a more obvious conflict of interest than having competitors control a team’s finances and personnel decisions.

Former QB Heath Shuler wins Congressional Primary

Former Heisman trophy candidate Heath Shuler won the Democratic primary in his old home town and will now face a twenty year incumber for Congress in November.

Former University of Tennessee and NFL quarterback Heath Shuler won a congressional Democratic primary Tuesday in North Carolina. Shuler notched 77 percent to beat Michael Morgan, with 62 percent of votes tallied. He’ll face Republican incumbent Charles Taylor, representing the 11th District, who handled opponent John Armor by taking 81 percent of the votes tallied.

Shuler is expected to give Taylor, a veteran representative criticized for his ties to disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff, a strong run on the general ballot. Taylor, however, has survived a number of Democratic challenges during his 16-year tenure.
“This is the year,” Shuler said Tuesday night. “We continue to see the trend that he has in his votes. He doesn’t reflect our family values, the people in our district or the direction our country should be going.”

Shuler was highly touted for the Heisman as a senior, under the slogan “You must be 21 to win the Heisman.” The number refering to the one Shuler wore on that ugly orange jersey at Tennessee. He did not win the award and was a flop as a pro, however.