Stealing Strange Steelers Stuff

Now I love the Steelers as much as the next guy [ed. MORE than the next guy, don't kid yourself.], but come on, this is ridiculous.

A Steelers GOLF CART? Who would want such a thing? Even stranger, who would want a Steelers tombstone? Even more bizarre, who would want to STEAL one? Either a Browns fan who hates the Steelers so much he hates seeing the headstone, or a Steelers fan who saw it and said, “I HAVE to have that Steelers headstone!” I don’t think either one is better, frankly.

See, this is what happens when there’s no interesting Steelers news . . . Pittsburghers don’t know what to do, so they just start swiping strange stuff, and the papers, who also don’t know what to do, report on the strange pilferings.

Bradley and Pittsburgh

Which Hollywood star showed up at the NCAAs?

You have to go to my blog to find out. (Hey, I’m not serving up the picture twice – bandwidth isn’t free, ya know!)

I have to say, I was a bit disappointed that Pittsburgh failed to get anywhere near the Final Four . . . AGAIN. I’m more of a Penn State fan, but like it when Pitt does well – it reflects well on my area of the state. Thus, as the only Western Pennsylvania area team, I always pick Pitt to do well in my NCAA pools. And they always let me down with an first weekend exit. All the more reason for me to hate Pitt, I guess.

And if you think Randy Moss is screwed up . . .

. . . you should check out his agent.

An agent for Randy Moss was charged with possession of crack cocaine after police were called to a hotel to investigate a disturbance, authorities said Wednesday.

Dante DiTrapano and his wife, Teri, of Charleston, W.Va., were arrested Tuesday at a hotel in St. Petersburg, police said.

The hotel’s management called police to report a disturbance in couple’s room. When officers entered the room they found the drugs, police said.

…

“I’m sticking by my friend and I’ll support him and his family as he gets help battling his problem,” Moss said.

This is the type of statement you expect an agent to say about a player, not vice versa. Especially if that player is the self-admitted weed smoker Randy Moss.

However, this still doesn’t explain how someone who is seemingly clean as TO is can be such a problem.

Cross-posted at The Unusual Suspects.

T.O. Signs Potential Record Contract with Dallas Cowboys

Nick Eatman reports on the press conference announcing the Cowboys’ three year, $25 million deal for Terrell Owens.

Terrell Owens is now a Dallas Cowboy. The two sides made it official Saturday afternoon at Valley Ranch where owner Jerry Jones introduced his new wide receiver in a jam-packed press conference room at Valley Ranch. The Cowboys gave Owens a three-year deal worth $25 million, including a $5 million signing bonus.

“I couldn’t be more excited about getting here and being apart of this franchise,” said Owens, who sat alongside his agent Drew Rosenhaus during the press conference. “I’m not really interested in looking back to the past. I’ve made so mistakes. I know that. But it starts today. You can’t ever move forward if you keep bringing up the past.”

Jones fielded several questions concerning the risk-level of signing a player with off-the-field issues such as Owens, but refused to single out his new wide receiver as being any different those regards. “I think you have risks in every player that you sign,” Jones said. “I wouldn’t call this a high-risk move. Not at all.”

In fact, Owens might have given Jones and the Cowboys even more assurance when he interrupted a question during the press conference, turned to his new owner and said, “Jerry, I know what is expected of me and I won’t let you down.”

And Owens also knows he isn’t exactly a favorite among Cowboys’ fans and his touchdown-celebrations on the midfield star back in 2000 is the biggest reason for that. But Owens said he and Jones have already talked about that. “I will embrace the star,” said Owens, who also gave a quick message to his newest fans. “Hey, just get your popcorn ready. Because it’s going to be a show.”

Of that much, I’m sure.

Len Pasquarelli has details on the contract.

he contract that Terrell Owens signed with the Dallas Cowboys on Saturday provides him the opportunity to be one of the highest-paid wide receivers in NFL history over a three-year period, and the chance to earn more than he would have under his contract with the Philadelphia Eagles, ESPN.com has learned.

[...]

The three-year contract can be worth as much as $25 million if Owens plays through the deal and Dallas opts to pay him pricey roster bonuses in the springs of 2007 and 2008. Owens, who was released by the Eagles on Tuesday, will earn a bonus of $5 million for this season and a base salary of $5 million, for total compensation of $10 million. Under his contract with the Eagles, Owens would have earned $8.52 million for 2006. It should be noted that Owens lost about $4 million in 2005, between the base salary that he forfeited during his suspension and the prorated signing bonus money the Eagles withheld because they claimed he was in default on his contract. Dallas must pay Owens a roster bonus of $3 million in March 2007 to retain him for that season, at a base salary of $5 million. There is another roster bonus of $3 million due in March 2008, and Owens has a base salary of $4 million for that year.

[...]

Compared to the contracts of other high-profile wide receivers leaguewide, Owens can earn more over a three-year period than Randy Moss of Oakland did with his recent deal, and more over two seasons than Indianapolis’ Marvin Harrison did with his new contract signed two years ago.

Of course, as was the case in Philadelphia, Owens’ earning potential will be tied to his performance on and off the field. Because of the roster bonus, and the exercise dates of each, the contract in Dallas could be as short as one season. Even at one year, however, the $10 million that Owens will bank is more than some skeptics felt he could garner after his tumultuous 2005 season.

And if Owens is productive, and is not a distraction, the Cowboys seem to have the wherewithal and the future salary cap space to retain him for all three seasons of the contract.

Actually, a fair deal on both ends. The Cowboys risk $5.67 million on a superstar receiver this season. If all goes well, he continues to get superstar money. If not, the team cuts its losses and prorates the rest of the signing bonus over two more years at $1.66 million each. Not risk free, by any means, but certainly absorbable under the new labor deal.

Cowboys Reach Agreement for Terrell Owens

DMN’s Jean-Jacques Taylor reports that the Cowboys have reached an agreement in principle for controversial wideout Terrell Owens.

The Cowboys have reached an agreement in principle with star wide receiver Terrell Owens, two sources said Friday night. The sources said a formal announcement regarding the free-agent receiver is expected in the next few days. The sources also said Cowboys owner Jerry Jones and coach Bill Parcells are scheduled to return to Dallas today. Jones and club spokesman Rich Dalrymple could not be reached for comment. Owens’ agent, Drew Rosenhaus, could not be reached for comment.

[...]

Owens would give the Cowboys the type of dynamic receiver they have not had since a neck injury forced Michael Irvin to retire after the 1999 season. Until last season, Owens had caught at least 77 passes for at least 1,100 yards each of the last five seasons. He has played in the Pro Bowl five of the last six seasons. Dallas hasn’t had a Pro Bowl receiver since Irvin in 1995 and has had just one 1,000-yard receiver since 2000.

The addition of Owens should help an offense that struggled to score touchdowns at times last season. Dallas failed to score more than 14 points in six games, losing each of them. With Owens in the lineup drawing double coverage, it should create more one-on-one opportunities for receiver Terry Glenn and tight end Jason Witten. And with Owens occupying at least one safety, that means one fewer defender in the running game that Julius Jones has to be concerned about, which should make him more productive.

Owens will be playing for his third team in four seasons because he can be toxic within a locker room. He has feuded with his last two quarterbacks – Jeff Garcia and McNabb – and each quarterback had a Pro Bowl on his resume. Owens has thrown sideline temper tantrums when he doesn’t think he’s getting the ball enough, and those tantrums have been directed at coaches and teammates. However, there has never been any question about his work ethic or production.

The Cowboys are betting that Parcells can handle Owens and prevent him from becoming a problem in the locker room.

We shall see. There’s no question at all that he’s one of the top two or three wide receivers in the business; whether he’s worth the headaches he brings is another matter.

Taylor breaks Owens’ game down this way:

HEAD: He’s probably the most combustible player in the NFL, and if the ball isn’t coming his way regularly enough then he will take out his frustration on quarterbacks, assistant coaches and head coaches. That said, he’s an intelligent player who understands how to attack man and zone coverages and find room to maneuver against each.

HANDS: You don’t catch an average of 76 passes over the last nine seasons with having superior hands. Owens drops few passes and will catch the ball in traffic. He competes hard for passes in jump ball situations and normally comes down with them.

LEGS: Owens’ ability to run after the catch makes him one of the game’s most dangerous players. He can turn a five-yard out into a 70-yard touchdown because of his strong lower body that allows him to run through arm tackles and then outrun everyone chasing him. In 2004, he finished seventh among receivers with 404 yards after catch, accounting for slightly more than one-third of his receiving yards.

ROUTES: Name a route and Owens runs it well. He has the speed to run by defensive backs on the fly pattern. He has the upper-body strength to create separation on out routes. And he understands how to find soft spots in zone coverage and patiently wait for the quarterback to get him the ball. Owens knows how to make all of his routes look the same until he’s ready to make a move, then he uses his explosion to get in and out of his break so quickly that the defensive back has little chance to cover him.

HEART: You can question whether Owens is a good teammate, but you can’t question his desire to play the game at its highest level. He will play through pain and his desire to win, in some respects, is what causes many of his sideline antics. He believes that if the ball is in his hands, he will help his team win.

Retired cornerback turned analyst Eric Allen says,

The Cowboys’ signing of T.O. is a great move for both parties. It’s a great move for the Cowboys because it gets them one step closer to becoming a Super Bowl contender. Say what you will about his attitude and off field actions, but Owens is a superstar receiver who gives his all on the field every play. He’s a tremendous talent who makes things much easier for his teammates because opposing defenses must key in on him to stop him from completely dominating the game.

Related posts below the fold.

Steelers Add Seats to Heinz Field

There will be 700 more Terrible Towels waving at Heinz Field this year.

If any of those are opened for season tickets, they will be snapped up almost instantly. Any additional seats allocated for general use will also be bought. Up in Pittsburgh, these tickets are the hottest thing in town. Art Rooney II seems to agree:

Steelers President Art Rooney II isn’t expecting any trouble selling the seats, saying that the team found strong demand for them in an informal survey it did with potential customers.

“I think they’ll go fast,” he said.

That’s the understatement of the week. While, as the article says, the Collective Bargaining Agreement puts pressure on mid-market teams like the Steelers to expand, these seats were planned because Heinz Field was simply selling out every week; they could make more money building more seats. My guess is that they could add up to 100,000 seats and still sell out that stadium every week.

Steelers Re-sign Townsend

Steelers re-sign Deshea Townsend.

This was one of the players I would have been most concerned about letting get away. Townsend has performed very well over the past few years, and filling the hole he would leave at cornerback would have been difficult. Now we have two good cornerbacks and a backup who also seems to be ready should he be called upon.

With the signing of Townsend, believe it or not, the Steelers now have all their starters signed for the next two seasons except for restricted free agent Ike Taylor. Not a bad place for the defending Super Bowl champions to be, and a place that most teams wish they could be in at this time. Having only lost three starters from the Super Bowl team, and having gained players who should be good replacements for them, the Steelers could be very dangerous next year.

The only suspense left for Steeler fans this offseason will be the draft.

Packers Give Favre More Time to Make Up His Mind

Brett Favre continues to hold the Green Bay Packers hostage.

In a move that would give Favre more time to make a decision about his future, the deadline for a $3 million roster bonus due from the Packers will likely be pushed back, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports. Under the original agreement, Favre would become an unrestricted free agent if the Packers did not pay the bonus. The Packers will not pay the roster bonus until Favre commits to coming back, and Favre’s agent, James “Bus” Cook, said several weeks ago that he would have no problem pushing the deadline back.

Favre doesn’t plan to make a decision regarding his future until he sees what personnel moves the Packers make this offseason. “In some ways, I’m kind of waiting to see what we do free agent-wise and in the draft and those things,” Favre told ESPN Tuesday. “And they’re probably kind of waiting on me, too. So it’s a little bit of a waiting game. Right now, I’m just trying to get away from it as much as I can and clear my mind, as hard as that may be.”

Favre is a first ballot Hall of Famer and the Pack owes him a bit of leeway. But not this much. It simply makes no sense being this far into the free agent signing period and not knowing whether they need to sign a quarterback. And, of course, the most attractive ones are already off the market.

Redskins Trying to Trade Ramsey for Punter

ESPN’s Rumor Central:

Still trying to land something better than a seventh-round draft choice Ramsey, the Redskins are trying to interest Buffalo officials in a trade, ESPN.com’s Len Pasquarelli reports. The Redskins’ target is Pro Bowl punter Brian Moorman, one of the best young players in the league at his position. Washington coaches have had their eye on Moorman for a few years now.

Man, it’s a long way from 1st round draft pick to being traded for a punter–and the other team not jumping on the offer. If the Bills don’t pull the trigger, the Skins will be trying for a bag of magic beans.