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RE: RE:NFL News

 
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RE: RE:NFL News - 7/13/2009 3:07:59 PM   
Trekgeekscott


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quote:

ORIGINAL: Duane Sampson
    Tony Romo Dumps Jessica Simpson
    Mon Jul 13, 2009

    FoxNews.com reports Dallas Cowboys QB Tony Romo has dumped girlfriend Jessica Simpson. Romo parted ways with Simpson on Thursday, a day before her 29th birthday. A source close to Simpson told People Magazine that she was “heartbroken” at the news. “She loves Tony. But it's been difficult lately. He's busy with his career and she's getting ready to shoot her show 'The Price of Beauty.' They decided to part ways.”


    Nerds shouldn't dump babes, he'll be sorry....




I know the just the guy for her post relationship relationship!



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RE: RE:NFL News - 7/14/2009 10:49:12 AM   
Jim Frenette


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quote:

ORIGINAL: Duane Sampson

    Tony Romo Dumps Jessica Simpson
    Mon Jul 13, 2009

    FoxNews.com reports Dallas Cowboys QB Tony Romo has dumped girlfriend Jessica Simpson. Romo parted ways with Simpson on Thursday, a day before her 29th birthday. A source close to Simpson told People Magazine that she was “heartbroken” at the news. “She loves Tony. But it's been difficult lately. He's busy with his career and she's getting ready to shoot her show 'The Price of Beauty.' They decided to part ways.”


    Nerds shouldn't dump babes, he'll be sorry....



About time

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RE: RE:NFL News - 7/17/2009 3:38:32 PM   
Bruce Johnson

 

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Tony Romo is a nerd?  I thought he was a jock.

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Post #: 4153
RE: RE:NFL News - 7/19/2009 9:02:47 AM   
Ryan Taylor


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Moved to the Mike Vick case thread.




Ryan "Son of Don" Taylor

< Message edited by Ryan Taylor -- 7/19/2009 9:24:46 AM >
Post #: 4154
RE: RE:NFL News - 7/19/2009 9:05:33 AM   
Ryan Taylor


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Wedge ban looms over coming season

Posted by Mike Florio on July 19, 2009 7:34 AM ET

One of the biggest -- yet most overlooked -- areas of uncertainty as the coming football season approaches relates to the reality that, as of 2009, the only wedge permitted in football will involve yanking a rookie's undershorts as high up his back as the material will allow.

The NFL has banned the wedge maneuver on kickoff returns earlier this year. 

Sort of.

Technically, the new rule prohibits three or more players from lining up shoulder-to-shoulder within two yards of each other.  And this means that mutiple groups of two players can still do it, as long as there's at least two yards between each of the two-man formations.

"There's a lot of gray area," Bears special teams coordinator Dave Toub said earlier this year. "It's going to be tough to officiate.  They say it's two yards, but how long do they have to be together?  Can you form two two-man wedges now? I've got a lot of questions.  We'll have the officials come in [to training camp] and explain it to us."

In our view, the manner in which the rule is enforced will help the teams better understand how to comply with it.  And that really won't be known until games are played and flags are thrown -- or not thrown -- in response to the new tactics that teams will use.

Still, it's hard enough for an official to determine in real time whether a player gets two feet down at the edge of the field after catching a pass.  How will the men in black and white figure out whether three or more players "intentionally" are gathering within two yards of each other horizontally in the middle of the human food processor that unfolds as one team tries to advance the ball after a kickoff -- and the other team tries to stop it?

Regardless, the days of the full-blown, hand-in-hand, three-or-more-body arrowhead formation have ended.  And some of the guys who were charged with the duty of disrupting the mass of humanity are happy about that.

"Probably half the time I've been a wedge guy," Ravens' Pro Bowl special-teamer Brendan Ayenbadejo tells the Baltimore Sun.  "I'm not too fond of going against the wedge.  I'm not too fond of it just because the wedge is a thing you have to honor.  So I can't just run around it or run by it.  I have to engage."

Naturally, however, Ravens special teams coordinator Jerry Rosburg shies away from acknowledging that players like Ayanbadejo were/are used as flesh-and-bone-and-blood battering rams.

"I can only speak for us," Rosburg told the Sun, "but I think it's safe to say special teams coaches are not throwing guys in there with the idea we can sacrifice them.  That's not the way the game is coached.  These are human beings we're coaching.

"You're not necessarily launching yourself [into another player], you're trying to get into creases and use up blockers and make the ball go one way or the other."

We think it's a matter of semantics.  With overgrown men achieving a full head of steam and encountering a group of overgrown men who have banded together to form a wall of protection aimed at springing the guy who has the ball, the player charged with disrupting the formation likely feels like he's being sacrificed.

And those guys will still feel like they're being sacrificed, regardless of whether three or more players can stand shoulder to shoulder or whether they can now do it in only groups of two.

"I don't think it's going to protect guys as much as they think is going to happen," Redskins special teams player Rock Cartwright previously told the Washington Post. 

And we agree.  Though the obvious goal of the rule is to prevent serious injuries like the one that ended the career of Bills tight end Kevin Everett in Week One of the 2007 season, the reality is that, while Everett was a wedge buster, his injury didn't occur while he was busting a wedge.

"They just didn't block me," Everett told Tim Layden of Sports Illustrated in December 2007.

And so Everett had a clean shot at the man returning the ball, Domenik Hixon, who at the time played for the Broncos.

Everett's helmet crashed into the side of Hixon's, resulting in the neck injury that sent Everett to the turf, motionless.

So while banning the three-or-more-man wedge might help, it doesn't address the more fundamental reality that a kickoff return necessarily sets the stage for violent collisions, since one or both players hitting each other have a chance to build up a significant amount of momentum before impact.

Whether that's happening with one man slamming into a group of four, as a wedge buster does, or two players engaging each other with no one else around, as Everett and Hixon did, the potential for serious injury remains.

Thus, it could be that the rule will impact the overall game primarily by making it easier to get to the man with the ball, thereby hampering starting field position and potentially triggering a decrease in scoring.

And if that happens, the league will have to find a way to address the situation, possibly by moving the kickoff point back to the 25 yard line.

Which would give the men covering the kicks even more of an opportunity to build up a head of steam before crashing into another player.




Ryan "Son of Don" Taylor
Post #: 4155
RE: RE:NFL News - 7/19/2009 9:11:01 AM   
Ryan Taylor


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High-profile receiver camp going on in Minnesota

Posted by Aaron Wilson on July 18, 2009 5:30 PM ET

There's a small, star-studded NFL convention unfolding at the University of Minnesota, an elite wide receiver clinic organized by Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald.


According to Jim Trotter of SI.com, the Pro Bowl wideout recruited several of the league's top receivers as well as some defensive players to attend intense football workouts in Minneapolis. Fitzgerald also books hotel rooms for the players and opens up his home for meals.


The "professors" running the drills are retired star wide receivers Jerry Rice and Cris Carter.


Beyond the pedigree of Rice and Carter, Fitzgerald brought in a lot of talent to make the drills competitive.


Per the report, that group includes Brandon Marshall (Denver Broncos), Greg Jennings (Green Bay Packers), Malcolm Jenkins (New Orleans Saints), Lee Evans (Buffalo Bills), Michael Clayton (Tampa Bay Buccaneers), DeAngelo Hall (Washington Redskins), James Laurinaitis (St. Louis Rams) and Brian Robiskie (Cleveland Browns).


"The way Cris teaches us to run a route, I never heard it put that way," Evans said. "What he was teaching wasn't new. It's just the way he said it that you could relate to. Like they always say, there's more than one way to skin a cat.


"You've got to find what works for you. It may or may not help you, but it worked for him and you see what kind of career he had."


According to Trotter, Carter didn't hold back with the, er, constructive criticism when evaluating Cardinals tight end Dominique Byrd, who doesn't have a sterling history on or off the field.


Carter's take on Byrd, who was arrested for DUI when he played for the Rams and had trouble being on time for flights to games and got in trouble for falling asleep in team meetings: "You're a wide receiver in a fat man's body."
Perhaps some of Carter's teachings will inspire Byrd to improve his dedication. Or maybe he'll just go kick rocks.
Regardless, the camp sounds like an ultra-productive way to get ready for training camp.









Ryan "Son of Don" Taylor

Post #: 4156
RE: RE:NFL News - 7/19/2009 9:12:37 AM   
Ryan Taylor


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Cornwell expects a lockout

Posted by Gregg Rosenthal on July 18, 2009 2:06 PM ET

The CBA negotiation process between the players union and the NFL is just getting started after a meeting this week both sides called "good."

But one of the finalists for the NFLPA Executive Director job, attorney David Cornwell, believes he knows how the negotiations will end up.

"Based on what I observed last week, an NFL lockout is a certainty," Cornwell wrote on his Twitter page.  "Count on it."

Cornwell doesn't expound on the reasons why he believes this.  But there is a long time to go before any possible lockout to find out why.




Ryan "Son of Don" Taylor

< Message edited by Ryan Taylor -- 7/19/2009 9:18:25 AM >
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RE: RE:NFL News - 7/19/2009 9:16:40 AM   
Ryan Taylor


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Carson Palmer's elbow is "100 Percent"

Posted by Gregg Rosenthal on July 18, 2009 11:40 AM ET



Tom Brady isn't the only franchise quarterback coming back from a major injury this offseason.

Carson Palmer, once thought of as a possible successor to Brady and Peyton Manning among the quarterback elite, is coming off a mysterious elbow injury that sidelined him for 12 games last season.

Palmer spoke with AOL Fanhouse's Nancy Gay and said he's all the way back.

"I'm great. I feel great. I'm 100 percent healthy, throwing, lifting, running all that stuff."

Palmer said he needed to improve as arm strength last month, but now is fully ready for training camp.  (Which, thankfully, is less than two weeks away.)

Despite the loss of T.J. Houshmandzadeh, Palmer arguably has the deepest receiver group of his run in Cincinnati.  Laveranues Coles has replaced Housh and second year pro Andre Caldwell looks like a playmaker.  Even Chris Henry has kept quiet this offseason.

If Palmer can get some blocking, the passing game will be difficult to handle. 

As for the most famous Bengals receiver, Palmer believes Chad Ochocinco is getting back to the form that helped him lead the AFC in receiving four times. 

But there's no way Palmer will let him crash at his house. 

"I'm not sure where that came from," Palmer said.  "But the doors are locked, the alarm is on. And he's not getting past my attack dogs. We're good."







Ryan "Son of Don" Taylor


< Message edited by Ryan Taylor -- 7/19/2009 9:17:52 AM >
Post #: 4158
RE: RE:NFL News - 7/20/2009 2:46:01 PM   
Ryan Taylor


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Kazemi had traces of marijuana in system during shooting

Posted by Gregg Rosenthal on July 20, 2009 3:02 PM ET

Two weeks after Steve McNair's death, details about the night of his passing continue to trickle out.

The Tennessee's state assistant medical examiner revealed Monday that McNair had roughly twice the legal amount of alcohol in his system when he was killed.

McNair's blood alcohol level was about .16 when he was shot.

Sahel Kazemi, who shot McNair before turning the gun on herself, had a small amount of marijuana in her system at the time of the shooting. 

Kazemi admitted to the police that she was high when she was stopped for DUI on July 2.




Ryan "Son of Don" Taylor
Post #: 4159
RE: RE:NFL News - 7/20/2009 10:23:36 PM   
Ryan Taylor


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Roethlisberger gets sued in Nevada

Posted by Mike Florio on July 20, 2009 7:10 PM ET




Earlier today, our own Gregg Rosenthal received a tip regarding a legal claim that was about to be made against Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger.  And as we were doing our due diligence (primarily in order to avoid being on the wrong end of a legal claims of our own), Gregg was tipped off to the fact that a suit has indeed been filed.

According to the web site for the Second Judicial District of Washoe County, Nevada, Andrea McNulty filed suit against Roethlisberger and several others on Friday.  Though the details currently are scant, the lawsuit generally has been categorized as a claim for defamation.

That said, other types of claims possibly are contained in the suit papers against one or more of the defendants.

Per Rosenthal's source, one or more of the other named defendants (John Koster, Guy Hyder, Mark Masters, Dave Monroe, Mike Rosenow, Debbie Neall, Bryan Casuscelli, and Stacy Dingman) currently work and/or used to work with McNulty at Harrah's, where McNulty is still employed. 

Still, Roethlisberger's connection to the case is unclear.  It's possible that she claims that he did or said something to her for which civil liability could be imposed in his capacity as a customer at Harrah's.

Given that a summons was issued on Friday, Roethlisberger might have been served suit papers while in Lake Tahoe for the 20th Annual American Century Celebrity Golf Championship. 

As we hear it, Roethlisberger regularly visits the area. 

Meanwhile, we're in the process of tracking down more information.

We've got a feeling that, in this regard, we're not alone.





Ryan "Son of Don" Taylor
Post #: 4160
RE: RE:NFL News - 7/20/2009 10:25:11 PM   
Ryan Taylor


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Roethlisberger denies civil allegations of sexual assault

Posted by Mike Florio on July 20, 2009 8:57 PM ET




In a complaint that reads like the rape allegations made several years ago against NBA star Kobe Bryant, Harrah's employee Andrea McNulty alleges sexual assault against Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger in a lawsuit filed last week in Washoe County, Nevada.

But lawyer David Cornwell strongly denied the allegations Monday night, in a statement released to PFT.  "Ben has never sexually assaulted anyone; especially Andrea McNulty," Cornwell said.  

In the civil suit, which Cornwell confirms was served on Roethlisberger over the weekend and a copy of which our own Gregg Rosenthal has obtained, McNulty alleges that Roethlisberger asked her to come to his hotel room to fix the television, and that he thereafter forced her to have sex with him. 

Roethlisberger faces one civil count of assault, one civil count of sexual assault and battery, one civil count of false imprisonment, one civil count of false pretenses, one civil count of fraud, and one civil count of intentonal infliction of emtional distress.

McNulty also claims that the coworkers named in the complaint thereafter defamed her by making allegedly false and inflammatory statements, and by allegedly serving as aiders and abettors of Roethlisberger's alleged misconduct after the fact.

Cornwell, a finalist for the position of NFLPA Executive Director who has represented in the recent past Saints running back Reggie Bush and Browns receiver Donte' Stallworth, points to the fact that no criminal complaint has been filed, and that no criminal investigation has occurred. 

"The timing of the lawsuit and the absence of a criminal complaint and a criminal investigation are the most compelling evidence of the absence of any criminal conduct," Cornwell said.  "If an investigation is commenced, Ben will cooperate fully and Ben will be fully exonerated."

It's unknown at this point whether McNulty ever has attempted to file criminal charges as a result of the incident, which allegedly occurred in July 2008.

"Ben will not be baited into a public discussion about his personal life, but we will defend
him vigorously," Cornwell said.  "The limited value that Ms. McNulty derived from public disclosure of these viciously false allegations is the only value she will ever receive from Ben in this case."

Regardless of how this one turns out, it has the potential to serve as a significant distraction for Roethlisberger as the 2009 season approaches, especially if the lawsuit triggers a criminal probe.




Ryan "Son of Don" Taylor
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RE: RE:NFL News - 7/21/2009 7:42:28 AM   
Lynn G.


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Odd to file a civil suit but not have gone to the police. Without a police investigation - how do they expect enough evidence to be presented?

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RE: RE:NFL News - 7/21/2009 8:52:52 AM   
Ryan Taylor


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quote:

ORIGINAL: Lynn G.

Odd to file a civil suit but not have gone to the police. Without a police investigation - how do they expect enough evidence to be presented?





That is odd Lynn.

Another odd thing is, even though it is just a civil case at this point, that the MSM has yet to pick up on it.

It is Ben Roethlisberger and one would think any thing of this type would be huge news.




Ryan "Son of Don" Taylor
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RE: RE:NFL News - 7/21/2009 8:56:22 AM   
Ryan Taylor


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Wrong posting.





Ryan "Son of Don" Taylor

< Message edited by Ryan Taylor -- 7/21/2009 8:58:55 AM >
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RE: RE:NFL News - 7/21/2009 8:59:49 AM   
Ryan Taylor


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ESPN ignores Big Ben story, so far

Posted by Mike Florio on July 21, 2009 8:23 AM ET

It's been more than 12 hours since we reported on the existence of a Nevada lawsuit against Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger.  It's been roughly 12 hours since we reported that the case includes Kobe Bryant-style allegations against the two-time Super Bowl winner.

As expected, the Associated Press has finally caught up with the story, and as usual failed to credit us in any way, shape, or form, despite the quasi-legitimacy that our NBC partnership provides.

But the folks in Bristol, to whose news desk we sent an e-mail not long after the story was published, have said nothing about the lawsuit.

It conjures memories of the Mike Vick "Ron Mexico" lawsuit from several years back, which was flat out ignored by ESPN and others for days, if not weeks.

So why?  Would ESPN have squatted on the thing if a member of the NFL reporting army brought this one to the table?  Or does the adage "if it's not our news, it's new to us" still apply?

Our money is on the latter.

But let's see if the story makes it into the Tuesday morning SportsCenter loop.




Ryan :Son of Don" Taylor
Post #: 4165
RE: RE:NFL News - 7/21/2009 9:01:59 AM   
Ryan Taylor


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In Roethlisberger case, it's important to keep an open mind

Posted by Mike Florio on July 21, 2009 8:48 AM ET

We recently completed a spot with Drew Forrester of WNST in Baltimore, and we discussed at the top of the segment the lawsuit filed against Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger.

Despite the obvious Ravens rooting bias against anyone from the 'Burgh, Forrester expressed skepticism regarding the case, due to the apparent absence of criminal charges.

Regardless of whether criminal charges were, have been, or will be filed, the fact that Andrea McNulty has opted to proceed in civil court does not automatically make her claims less credible.  This isn't a pro se filing that she cobbled together on a first-generation Mac and printed via dot matrix.  She has enough evidence and/or tells a sufficiently compelling story to persuade a lawyer to take the case.

Of course, that fact won't impress many of you, given that lawyers don't have the greatest of reputations.  But the fact that a lawyer is willing to risk his own reputation by taking the case should at least prompt folks to keep an open mind at this stage of the game.

And the lawyer who took the case, Calvin Dunlap, is no stranger to high-profile litigation.  As our own Taco Bill discovered via his own first-generation Mac with dot-matrix printer, Dunlap represented the wife of Nevada's governor in a nasty divorce proceeding.

Our main point for now is that everyone should keep an open mind.  No one should presume that Roethlisberger did it, and no one should presume that Andrea McNulty is making it all up.

Then again, the reality is that it's one or the other.  We've seen the allegations in the complaint (we'll share the details once we get a certified copy of the document from the courthouse clerk), and this incident was not the result of a misunderstanding. 

The complaint makes it clear that either Roethlisberger is guilty as sin, or McNulty has fabricated the entire case.

For now, we're not choosing sides.  But we intend to apply the same degree of curiosity and cynicism that we have applied in past legal cases, even if the ultimate outcome means that residing 100 miles from Pittsburgh is about 500 miles too close.




Ryan "Son of Don" Taylor
Post #: 4166
RE: RE:NFL News - 7/21/2009 11:52:30 AM   
Duane Sampson


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    Tony Zendejas Suing L.A. County Sheriff's Department
    Mon Jul 20, 2009

    AP reports former NFL PK Tony Zendejas has sued the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, claiming he was harassed for seven years before facing rape charges on which he was eventually acquitted. Zendejas' $2 million suit claims he was charged with rape without foundation. A Los Angeles County sheriff's official declined comment on Monday. Zendejas was acquitted in March of charges of drugging a woman at his San Dimas restaurant last year and raping her. He was initially charged with four felony sex counts -- two of which were dismissed during the trial.




    I think he should get 200 million. The bad thing about false rape or even harassment charges is that the accused is affected for the rest of his life no matter that he is innocent.
Post #: 4167
RE: RE:NFL News - 7/21/2009 4:10:45 PM   
Ryan Taylor


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Complaint gets very specific regarding interaction between McNulty, Roethlisberger

Posted by Mike Florio on July 21, 2009 10:46 AM ET




We've finally obtained a full and complete and reliable copy of the complaint filed against Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger in Nevada.

The complaint contains very specific allegations, which either helps prove that the event actually occurred -- or which demonstrates that the plaintiff, Andrea McNulty, has a very active imagination.

McNulty, who says in the complaint that she has worked at Harrah's since March 2003, alleges that she was assigned to serve a concierge-style function on the Penthouse floor of the hotel during the 2008 American Century Celebrity Golf Championship. 

McNulty alleges that, on July 10, she and Roethlisberger had a conversation about fly fishing, and that they talked about the fact that McNulty is an avid fly fisherman.  (Though, on the surface, the exchange isn't relevant, the contention -- if true -- shows that there was at least a minor relationship between McNulty and Roethlisberger prior to the incident.)

As to the incident itself, it allegedly occurred on Friday, July 11.  McNulty claims that, at approximately 10:00 p.m. local time, Roethlisberger returned to his room with a young woman, who left roughly 20 minutes later. 

McNulty says that Roethlisberger walked the woman to the elevator, and that Roethlisberger then stopped to talk to McNulty and other staff, for roughly 20 minutes.  (Obviously, it'll be critical to determine who these other staff members are, and what they have to say.)

As he was leaving, Roethlisberger allegedly told McNulty that the sound system on his television wasn't working.  She offered to have someone from engineering fix it, but Roethlisberger said he would call her about it later.

Roethlisberger allegedly called her a few minutes later, and he said that the television was still broken.  She offered to have someone go to the room and fix it.  He allegedly asked her to come and "take a quick look" at it.

McNulty claims that she tried to call a couple of other colleagues to handle the situation, but that she couldn't reach anyone.  She alleges that Roethlisberger called again and asked her when she was going to fix the television.

Citing a direction from management to ensure that Roethlisberger had an enjoyable trip, she decided to try to fix it herself.

McNulty claims that, when she arrived at the room, he was wearing a T-shirt and athletic shorts.  She adds, for no apparent reason other than to show the clarity of her recollection, that the room was a mess.

Roethlisberger showed her the television that was malfunctioning, located in suite's bedroom.  Using the remote, she determined that there was no problem with the television or the sound system.

She claims that, as she tried to leave the room, Roethlisberger blocked her path, and that he "grabbed [her] and started to kiss her."

She claims that she was "shocked and stunned that this previously friendly man, that appeared to be a gentleman in her previous contacts with him was suddenly preventing her from leaving, was assaulting and battering her."

McNulty admits that she didn't try to fight Roethlisberger, citing his size and strength.  She claims that she "communicated her objection and lack of consent," and that he nevertheless began "fondling [her] through her dress and between her legs."

She claims that he pushed her onto the bed, and despite her alleged protests he "pulled her underpants off and proceeded to penetrate her."

McNulty claims that she told him, "You don't want to do this."  She also claims that she said, "Please don't," and that she told him she was not on any type of birth control.

She claims that he said in response, "Don't worry, I'll pull out," which he ultimately did.

At that point, he allowed her to get off the bed.  McNulty claims that she went to the bathroom, and "tried to pull herself together."  When she emerged, she claims that Roethlisberger asked, "There are cameras on this room, aren't there?" 

She responded by saying, "Yes, there are cameras everywhere."

McNulty alleges that he then seem worried, and that his tone became "stern." 

"If anyone asks you, you fixed my television," he allegedly said.  "You fixed my television.  Now go!"

We'll be posting separately the allegations relating to the coworkers at Harrah's, most of which are based on conduct occurring after the alleged assault.

Again, these are only allegations in a civil complaint.  There is, to our knowledge, no criminal complaint or investigation, and Roethlisberger through lawyer David Cornwell has strongly denied the contention.

Still, if the allegations set forth above are true, and if sufficient evidence can be compiled to prove that, then this thing could get very ugly for Roethlisberger.




Ryan "Son of Don" Taylor
Post #: 4168
RE: RE:NFL News - 7/21/2009 4:11:55 PM   
Ryan Taylor


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Self deleted




Ryan "Son of Don" Taylor

< Message edited by Ryan Taylor -- 7/21/2009 4:17:12 PM >
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RE: RE:NFL News - 7/21/2009 4:14:36 PM   
Jeff Jesser


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Should get a bit interesting here for Big Ben (and little Ben).  
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RE: RE:NFL News - 7/21/2009 4:18:56 PM   
Ryan Taylor


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Is ESPN trying to preserve its relationship with Roethlisberger?

Posted by Mike Florio on July 21, 2009 12:38 PM ET




As the current 600-pound elephant in the media room continues to be ESPN's ongoing decision not to mention the civil claim of sexual harassment against Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, others are beginning to notice.

The current lead item on Deadspin focuses in part on ESPN's decision not to mention the case, but it's still not clear why.  We've been trying to get an explanation directly from Bristol, but to no avail.

The obvious theory is that ESPN isn't paying attention to it because one of the many ESPN NFL reporters didn't report it. 

But there might be something deeper going on.

As our pal Todd Wright of Sporting News Radio pointed out, ESPN possibly doesn't want to risk pissing Ben off, because ESPN needs to maintain its access to him.

For example, he did an interview last week with SportsCenter from Lake Tahoe, and he previously appeared for "Five Good Minutes" on PTI from the U.S. Open.

And our own Tom Curran points out that Roethlisberger will appear in an August episode of Shaquille O'Neal's new reality show, which will be televised by ESPN's sister network, ABC.

So why alienate the starting quarterback from the defending Super Bowl champs, on one of the highest-profile teams in the NFL? 

The same approach was suspected by some (i.e., us) last year, when FOX's Jay Glazer reported that Brett Favre funneled information regarding the Packers' offense to the Lions, and ESPN thereafter ignored it.

Why?  Because we think they eventually want to hire Favre.  In the interim, they want to have unlimited access to Favre, his wife, and his agent, Bus Cook.

So Todd Wright might have the answer.  Either way, there's something more to this one than meets the eye.  Otherwise, our eyes would be seeing something about Roethlisberger's civil lawsuit on ESPN or ESPN.com.





Ryan "Son of Don" Taylor
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RE: RE:NFL News - 7/21/2009 4:20:41 PM   
Ryan Taylor


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Questions arise regarding McNulty's psychiatric care

Posted by Mike Florio on July 21, 2009 11:37 AM ET

In her complaint against Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, plaintiff Andrea McNulty claims that she checked into a Reno hospital on September 25, 2008, with major depression and anxiety.  She attributes her condition to the alleged sexual assault.

But our friends at Joe Buck's favorite web site report that "ources connected" to the case claim that her psychiatric care is unrelated to any alleged interaction with Roethlisberger.

Instead, the sources claim that McNulty's psychiatric problems arose from a bizarre situation involving McNulty and another man's wife.

Here's the story, as best we can understand it.

Per TMZ, McNulty was involved with a married man.  The married man's wife created a phony e-mail account, posing as a solider in Iraq, apparently in the hopes of gaining information about McNulty's relationship with the married man.  A former coworker of McNulty's claims that McNulty "fell in love" with the fictitious soldier, and that McNulty began telling people they were engaged.

The wife of the married man stopped the correspondence, and McNulty then began telling people the fictitious soldier was killed in action.

TMZ also reports that McNulty and Roethlisberger had a consensual "sexual liaison" in July 2008.

Without knowing the identity of the sources for this information, it's difficult to properly assess it.  If, for example, TMZ has gotten the information from coworkers named as defendants in the case, they have a clear incentive to blame McNulty's problems on something other than the Roethlisberger situation.

Indeed, it's a standard part of the playbook for anyone who is sued in civil court.  The plaintiff almost always is attacked, and a female plaintiff claiming sexual misconduct invites a healthy dose of what became known as the "nuts and sluts" defense whenever someone directed allegations of sexual misbehavior at a certain former President who eventually had no choice but to admit his deeds, as to at least one former partner.

So we're continuing to keep an open mind as to all sides of this one, and we'll continue to provide updates as events warrant.




Ryan "Son of Don" Taylor

< Message edited by Ryan Taylor -- 7/21/2009 4:23:38 PM >
Post #: 4172
RE: RE:NFL News - 7/21/2009 4:24:55 PM   
Ryan Taylor


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Is ESPN trying to preserve its relationship with Roethlisberger?

Posted by Mike Florio on July 21, 2009 12:38 PM ET




As the current 600-pound elephant in the media room continues to be ESPN's ongoing decision not to mention the civil claim of sexual harassment against Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, others are beginning to notice.

The current lead item on Deadspin focuses in part on ESPN's decision not to mention the case, but it's still not clear why.  We've been trying to get an explanation directly from Bristol, but to no avail.

The obvious theory is that ESPN isn't paying attention to it because one of the many ESPN NFL reporters didn't report it. 

But there might be something deeper going on.

As our pal Todd Wright of Sporting News Radio pointed out, ESPN possibly doesn't want to risk pissing Ben off, because ESPN needs to maintain its access to him.

For example, he did an interview last week with SportsCenter from Lake Tahoe, and he previously appeared for "Five Good Minutes" on PTI from the U.S. Open.

And our own Tom Curran points out that Roethlisberger will appear in an August episode of Shaquille O'Neal's new reality show, which will be televised by ESPN's sister network, ABC.

So why alienate the starting quarterback from the defending Super Bowl champs, on one of the highest-profile teams in the NFL? 

The same approach was suspected by some (i.e., us) last year, when FOX's Jay Glazer reported that Brett Favre funneled information regarding the Packers' offense to the Lions, and ESPN thereafter ignored it.

Why?  Because we think they eventually want to hire Favre.  In the interim, they want to have unlimited access to Favre, his wife, and his agent, Bus Cook.

So Todd Wright might have the answer.  Either way, there's something more to this one than meets the eye.  Otherwise, our eyes would be seeing something about Roethlisberger's civil lawsuit on ESPN or ESPN.com.




Ryan "Son of Don" Taylor
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RE: RE:NFL News - 7/21/2009 4:26:43 PM   
Ryan Taylor


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No police report found regarding McNulty

Posted by Gregg Rosenthal on July 21, 2009 1:05 PM ET




The apparent absence of criminal charges filed against Ben Roethlisberger has made many skeptical of the civil case against him.

In fact, lawyer David Cornwell quickly brought up that fact in a statement released to PFT Tuesday night.

"The timing of the lawsuit and the absence of a criminal complaint and a criminal investigation are the most compelling evidence of the absence of any criminal conduct," Cornwell said.

Through calls with the police Tuesday, we have confirmed that no criminal charges available to the public have been filed by Andrea McNulty in Washoe County, Nevada.  Washoe County is where she filed the civil case. 

Public records also indicate that McNulty has not filed charges in Douglas County, Nevada.

Douglas County has jurisdiction where the Lake Tahoe Harrah's Casino is located and would be the logical place to file charges.  McNulty claims Roethlisberger sexually assaulted her at Harrah's, her place of work.

To cover all bases, we also checked with the Reno Police Department. (In Washoe County.)  They did not have any complaint from McNulty on file, but did warn they wouldn't be able to say so if they case was still open.

The absence of public information regarding any criminal complaint from McNulty doesn't guarantee such a complaint doesn't exist.  And its possible a complaint could be filed in the future.

We spoke with McNulty's attorney, Calvin Dunlap, early Monday afternoon.  He confirmed that the civil case was to be filed.   He has not responded to calls since that time.




Ryan "Son of DOn" Taylor
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RE: RE:NFL News - 7/21/2009 4:28:47 PM   
Ryan Taylor


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Source: ESPN issues "do not report" alert on Roethlisberger story

Posted by Mike Florio on July 21, 2009 1:19 PM ET

We probably should be glad that ESPN has opted not to acknowledge the sexual assault civil lawsuit filed against Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger.  Since their audience won't get any information about the story from ESPN, maybe a nice chunk of their audience will come here for it.

And maybe they won't go back.

Though we still don't know precisely why ESPN hasn't acknowledged the existence of the lawsuit, we know a lot more about the "how".

A media source tells us that, late last night, ESPN issued a "do not report" memo to all of its outlets and reporters.  The directive came without explanation.  "Even some of the reporters are wondering why," the source said, "but haven't been told."

The same strategy was employed last year, in response to Jay Glazer's report regarding Brett Favre's alleged efforts to help the Lions beat the Packers. 

As we reported at the time, the memo said the following:  "WE HAVE BEEN TOLD BY RELIABLE SOURCES THIS REPORT IS NOT TRUE.  We did NOT report it yesterday.  Today, the NFL responded to the report, saying even if Favre did this he did not break any league rules.  We are NOT reporting it today, because that would mean airing the erroneous report.  DO NOT REPORT IT."

This time around, ESPN can't claim that the report of a civil suit alleging sexual assault isn't true.  Clearly, it is; Roethlisberger has hired attorney David Cornwell, who has denied the allegations in a statement initially sent to us, and then sent to other media outlets.  And we've seen, and reported on, the contents of the complaint.

So in the absence of a legitimate reason from ESPN, we assume that there's some other agenda at play here.

If nothing else, it gives Don Ohlmeyer plenty of fodder for his initial ombudsman column.




Ryan "Son of Don" Taylor
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