Legion of Angels News Archive

BEREA, Ohio (AP) - Cleveland Browns general manager Phil Savage defended his decision to suspend tight end Kellen Winslow, who claims the club tried to cover up his staph infection and has appealed his one-game ban without pay.

Savage suspended Winslow on Tuesday for his disparaging comments and behavior following Sunday’s loss in Washington. Winslow, who agreed to keep his medical condition private, revealed he had staph and said the Browns, who have had a high number of staph cases in recent years, still have a problem with infections.

“The Browns are bigger than one person,” Savage said during his weekly appearance on WTAM radio. “We couldn’t and won’t allow one person to tear down the organization, so we had to do something.”

Winslow appealed his suspension on Wednesday. His case will be heard by an arbitrator on Tuesday.

If he wins his appeal, Winslow, who will miss Sunday’s game at Jacksonville, could recoup the $235,294 — his one-game paycheck — he was docked with the suspension.

Source — FOX Sports

Three days after calling a FOXSports.com report that he talked with the Detroit Lions before their Sept. 14 game against Green Bay “total b.s.,” former Packers QB Brett Favre admitted on Wednesday that he had indeed spoken with then-Lions president Matt Millen prior to the game.

Speaking at the Jets’ training complex in Florham Park, N.J., Favre spent nearly 15 minutes answering questions about the Sunday report by FOXSports.com’s Jay Glazer that said he called the Lions before their Sept. 14 game against the Packers. The report said Favre spent more than an hour giving Millen and Lions coaches information on nuances of the offense he used to run. Green Bay won the game 48-25.

Favre, who had a bitter split with the Packers in the offseason, said Millen called to invite him to go hunting. The friends then talked about football, but Favre denied sharing any specific information to be used against the Packers.

“I didn’t give him any game planning,” Favre said. “I haven’t been in that offense in over a year. I don’t know what else to tell you. It was pretty simple.”

Favre and Jets coach Eric Mangini said that sharing information is common in the NFL, and it isn’t against league rules.

“It happens every day,” Favre said. “It happens more than you know.”

Favre initially denied any contact with the Lions, sending a text message to Sports Illustrated’s Peter King on Sunday calling the report “total b.s. . . . not true and pretty ridiculous.”

“I stand by my story 1000 percent,” Glazer said Wednesday. “I guess Brett and I will just agree to disagree on certain things. The way I do my work, I don’t go on what just one person told me. I investigated this fully and for quite some time. I spoke with several sources, and when I go with something, I make sure it’s dead-on. I think my track record speaks for itself.”

Favre said he received a call from Millen while traveling home from the Jets’ training facility, and the two spoke for 25 minutes.

Green Bay beat Detroit twice last season, including a 37-26 victory in November in which Favre set a team record with 20 consecutive completions. Favre had a bitter split with the Packers in the offseason.

“We went empty formation and just keep throwing completion after completion,” Favre said he told Millen. “They study film, they know what type of plays.

“When Matt called me and was talking about hunting and told me that he lived an hour from here, don’t think for a second I wasn’t thinking, ‘Now, surely he wants to know something,”‘ Favre said. “Yeah, I played for the Packers for 16 years and we played against the Lions a bunch, but it’s no secret what we did against them. I don’t have a playbook from Green Bay. I didn’t send the playbook. I didn’t call him and say, ‘Look, if you do this, you’re going to win the game.’ I didn’t do that.”

Favre also said Dallas quarterback Tony Romo called him last week — not the other way around — to ask for suggestions on playing through injuries.

“Next thing I know, I’m calling everyone in the league, giving out secrets,” Favre said. “I’m willing to help, but it’s awful ridiculous.”

“I did not call the Lions, nor did I call Tony Romo,” a defiant Favre said Wednesday. “I don’t know what else to tell everyone, but I’m not calling people.”

During the call with Millen, Favre said as far as he knew, he was on the line only with Millen.

But he added that if he were “a guessing man,” there’s a chance other people might have been listening in on the conversation.

“I don’t know,” he said. “I’m telling you, I didn’t have a game plan in my lap, driving home, saying, ‘OK, last year, third-and-3 to (the) 6, we went … hold on, light.”‘

Favre, wearing a green Jets sweat shirt and a navy New York Titans cap, held his composure throughout the news conference. He clenched his jaw a few times and only once raised his voice in anger, when he was told that former teammate Charles Woodson said if the Lions called Favre, it’s OK, but not if it happened the other way around.

“Go back and tell Charles I did not call them,” an irritated Favre said. “I didn’t call ‘em.”

Favre was asked numerous times if he might have said anything that could be perceived as helping the Lions plan for the Packers. After all, Favre and Green Bay had an ugly divorce in the summer.

“I’m well aware of the perception of what’s going on,” Favre said. “Aren’t you and isn’t everyone else? Believe me, I’m trying my best to help this team win, the New York Jets, and spending no time trying to make sure the Packers lose. I’ve got enough on my plate, believe me.”

Favre said the controversy wouldn’t change the way he approaches similar situations.

“Nothing was wrong,” he said. “If Matt calls me and says, ‘Sorry about the big deal, the offer still stands,’ I’ll take the call. I know he’s not in football right now, but, you know, nothing happened. Nothing happened that was any different than happens any other day. But the fact I was in Green Bay for so long and what happened this offseason, that makes it a big deal.

“I am who I am. I’m part of the Jets. I’m trying to get ready for the Chiefs. I don’t have time to be dealing with other issues, especially other game plans. I wish them well up there. I really do.”

Source — FOX Sports

ST. PETERSBURG - Charlie Manuel had heard all about what a dangerous path his baseball team had taken to the World Series. He’d listened to Clint Hurdle last October, and Jim Leyland the year before that, heard both managers talk about how the Rockies and the Tigers, respectively, had been hurt by long lay-offs after wrapping up pennants so quickly.

“Both managers said it may have given them problems,” the Phillies manager said early this morning after Game 1. “I can understand why, I guess. But I tried to look at it a little differently.”

There was good reason for that. Where others feared rust, Manuel saw the potential for rest, the opportunity to give his team a few days to heal their bodies and cool their heels. And Manuel hoped that nobody would benefit more from the down time than his second baseman, Chase Utley, who has been playing with a bothersome hip most of the season’s second half.

“Well,” Manuel said. “I thought he looked OK tonight. What did you think?”

He looked awfully good. No more than 10 minutes into the game, in fact, he made everything painted Phillies red look as good as anything could possibly look in the opening moments of a World Series. After trying to flummox a Tampa Bay shift with a bunt, after working the count against Scott Kazmir to 3-and-2, Utley provided a blessed service for his team that extended in any way you wanted to take it.

He drilled the payoff pitch deep over the right-field wall, over the blue Fox World Series sign, giving the Phillies an instant 2-0 lead and allowing his teammates to spend the rest of the evening blissfully unaware of any rust that may or may not have accumulated in the week since they wrapped up the National League pennant.

It helped that Cole Hamels was dominant again, and it helped that Joe Maddon gifted them what proved to be the winning run by playing the infield back down two runs, and it helped that Ryan Madson and Brad Lidge were all but unhittable in closing out the last two innings of this 3-2 victory.

But the biggest help of all came early, came 10 minutes deep, came with Utley announcing himself in his very first World Series at-bat, circling the bases with his head down and his stride swift, as always.

Rust? The only thing that looked rusty were the damned cowbells at Tropicana Field that the Phillies mostly kept quiet from that point on.

“I’m happy for Chase,” Manuel said. “Here’s a guy who says I’m going to go out and play every day no matter what, I love to play this game, and I think unless you watch him day in and day out you may not really know just how good he is.”

That much is doubtful, even if Utley doesn’t possess the MVP plaques that his teammates, Jimmy Rollins and Ryan Howard, have. But Utley has long been the wheelman of the Phillies’ lineup, the player you don’t want to face if Rollins is on base, the one you want to avoid extending rallies because Howard is hitting behind him.

The Mets certainly have grown weary watching him swing a bat the past few years. And last night the Rays weren’t so delighted to see what Utley brought to the ballpark, either.

Mostly, what Utley brought was a definitive sense that the biggest concern enveloping these Phillies heading in — the same rust that slowed down the Rockies in 2007 and the Tigers in ‘06 — would be a non-factor.

As Manuel said, “Nothing’s better at quieting those cowbells than a home run.”

And as Scott Eyre, a Phillies reliever, had said a day earlier: “I’m not sure what the right answer to that question is. I don’t think we should have kept the Dodgers series alive a few extra days. I think we did the right thing finishing off that series when we did. Don’t you?”

Let the record show, unequivocally: they did the right thing. Especially since they have Chase Utley on their side.

Source — FOX Sports

As we approach the halfway point of the season, I have been inundated with requests from the commissioner’s office and my peers in the press to make sense of this NFL season.

As the foremost authority on football, everyone wants me reveal the Super Bowl contenders and the Super Bowl pretenders.

This week’s NFL Truths column will address those mysteries.

10. I have no (expletive)ing idea which teams are legitimate. No clue.

I’m embarrassed. I’m paid to make sense of the NFL. This deep into the season, I should have a firm grasp on two or three favorites to win it all. I don’t.

I’m not sold on the undefeated Tennessee Titans as long as Kerry Collins is the quarterback. I nicknamed him Clipboard Kerry Collins years ago, and I still believe it. He’s not a starter. And he’s certainly not a Super Bowl quarterback.

Can he be Trent Dilfer? Maybe. But the Titans don’t have a Ray Lewis. Tennessee’s defense isn’t as good as the Baltimore defense that dragged Dilfer to a Super Bowl. The Titans sport a spotless record and Collins has yet to throw for 200 yards in a game.

I’m not sold on the 5-1 New York Giants. Not as long as Plaxico Burress continues his descent to a level below Terrell Owens. Burress working in New York is a powder keg that will ignite and blow up the Giants. The G-men lost to the Browns. Eli Manning is starting to regress.

The 5-1 Buffalo Bills? No way. Their leading rusher averages 3.5 yards per carry. Their quarterback has thrown five touchdowns. I don’t know anyone on their defense. The Bills have a lovely schedule. They’ll get exposed in the postseason.

What about the Pittsburgh Steelers? Schedule. Over the next month, the Steelers play the Giants, Redskins, Colts and Chargers. Big Ben won’t survive this stretch. Pittsburgh’s offensive line can’t protect.

9. The two teams I sort of like are the Carolina Panthers and the Green Bay Packers.

It troubles me to admit that about the Packers. I’m in the tank for Brett Favre and hoping he embarrasses Ted Thompson. After losing three in a row, the Packers have regained their footing with wins over Seattle and Indy. I expect the Packers to announce they’re for real on Nov. 2 when they face the Titans.

Aaron Rodgers has been better than I expected. Green Bay will score a lot of points the second half of the season.

Carolina gets to fatten its record with games against the Cardinals, Raiders and Lions over the next month. I love Carolina’s defense. It’s arguably the fastest unit in the league. Steve Smith and Muhsin Muhammad form a terrific tandem at receiver. And John Fox is as good a coach as there is.

8. Here’s my sleeper team: Da Bears.

Kyle Orton has won me over. He’s a pocket-passing version of Jake Delhomme although Orton is more accurate. I never envisioned Orton developing into a solid NFL starter. I thought his arm was too weak and he was too inaccurate under pressure.

I was wrong. The kid is completing 62 percent of his passes, which is a 10 percent improvement over his career numbers. Chicago posted 48 points against a Minnesota defense that can’t be run on.

If the Bears make the playoffs, they can beat any team they face.

7. After watching Brett Favre’s Wednesday press conference, there is even less reason to doubt the accuracy of Jay Glazer’s reporting about Favre helping the Lions prepare for the Packers.

I just happen to disagree with people who think that it is somehow a stain on Favre’s Green Bay legacy. It’s not.

The Packers treated Favre poorly. He has every right to want to see the organization flop without him, and of course he’s going to do everything he can to assure that it happens. What Favre did isn’t unusual in the slightest.

You ever seen someone fired from a job and escorted out by security? You ever wondered why they ask for a player’s playbook when they cut him? You think fired coaches don’t share everything they know about the team that canned them?

Brett Favre is a human being. He wants to see the Packers fail. There’s nothing wrong with that.

6. Speaking of rooting for failure, Vince Young didn’t appear all that happy watching the Titans improve to 6-0 against the Kansas City Chiefs.

I’m not trying to pile on Vince. Don’t make a big deal about this observation. But Young stood by himself away from the rest of the offensive players throughout much of the Tennessee-Kansas City contest.

If he’s trying to learn on game days, he’s learning from a distance. The backup quarterbacks usually stand around the offensive coaches and try to be around the communication process. Not Vince. He stood on an island on Sunday.

In fairness, he might need to stand back for a minute so he can see the big picture. And he did seem to show a little emotion when the Titans scored.

5. The Rams should not overreact and give Jim Haslett the permanent head-coaching assignment because the Rams have won two straight.

Haslett is benefitting from ownership putting pressure on the entire roster. When a head coach gets relieved this early in the season, the locker room gains some intensity and focus. It’s too early in the season to quit and mail it in.

Guys are still playing for contract leverage and dreaming about individual achievements. Before anyone anoints Haslett, let’s see what the Rams are doing in early December.

4. I’m disappointed Mike Singletary was given the 49ers job at midseason.

As an interim coach Singletary could screw up his resume by taking over the 49ers at this time. If the 49ers go in the tank and lose their remaining games, Singletary could take the blame and end up being positioned poorly for a genuine opportunity.

Singletary was on track to be an NFL head coach. I realize you have to take these opportunities whenever and however they’re presented. But I wish Mike would’ve waited.

3. When was the last time Al Davis made a bold decision that worked? Selecting Sebastian Janikowski in the first round of the 2000 draft.

Janikowski hasn’t been a Pro Bowl kicker. He’s not headed for the Hall of Fame. But he has remained a consistent weapon for the Raiders throughout his career. Last week he beat the Jets with a 57-yard field goal in overtime, bailing out coach Tom Cable who blew the game in regulation by calling one of those overused, last-second timeouts before a field-goal attempt.

There is no such thing as “icing” a kicker in warm weather. Leave the icing to hockey.

2. Kirk Herbstreit, Chris Fowler and Craig James refuse to place my 20th-ranked Ball State Cardinals in their Associated Press Top 25 polls.

This hurts. You’re talking about three of my favorite college football broadcasters. My Cardinals are 7-0 and likely to hit 8-0 this weekend after a contest against Eastern Michigan.

But let me be perfectly honest. I don’t have a real problem with Herbie, Fowler and James being a bit suspicious of the Cardinals. We’ve struggled to replace star receiver Dante Love, and we haven’t been tested since September.

The most difficult portion of Ball State’s schedule is in November when the Cardinals play Northern Illinois, Central Michigan and Western Michigan. If we get through November unscathed and Herbstreit, Fowler and James continue to ignore my Cards, you’ll be treated to an angry, hilarious column about the Three BCS Elitists.

*1. Is anything more enjoyable than watching the Cowboys bomb and T.O. implode on the sideline?

As I said last week, Jerry Jones knows talent and is willing to pursue it. He knows nothing about winning chemistry and how to build it or maintain it.

Source — FOX Sports

HAIKOU, China (AP) - Annika Sorenstam announced in June that she is “stepping away” from golf at the end of this season, a phrase the 10-time major winner has repeatedly used rather than say she’s retiring.

Now, with a half-dozen events left before she plays the Dec. 11-14 Dubai Ladies Masters — a Ladies European Tour event — Sorenstam is hedging a bit more.

“We’ll see if I will come back in a few years to play,” Sorenstam said Thursday, on the eve of the 54-hole Grand China Air tournament, the first LPGA event in China.

“As of now, I’m leaving the door open. … That’s why I’m not using the ‘R’ word.”

The 38-year-old Swede is getting married in January, and she expects family and business interests to keep her occupied. She designs golf courses, has a clothing line, a charitable foundation and runs a golf academy.

Sorenstam said she won’t miss the “daily grind” of professional golf — the practice, gym sessions and pressure to perform.

“I have done that for so long and I have enjoyed it very much,” she said. “I’ve pushed myself. I’ve enjoyed the journey, but I’ve come to a point now where I’m very happy, I’m very satisfied with what I have achieved.”

Still, Sorenstam clearly has reservations and is choosing her words carefully.

“If I get the urge to come back, I have a chance,” Sorenstam said. “That’s why I have never said this is the end. But we’ll see.

“There are new challenges ahead,” she added. “Getting married and starting a family. Who knows? I might come out on tour sooner than later. It might be tougher than I think it is.”

Sorenstam has won three times this season and heads a 63-player field in China — two-thirds of whom are Asians. And that’s not because the field is stacked because of the location.

Fifty-one players come off the top of the LPGA’s money list. Eight more are Chinese, invited by the Chinese Golf Association. And four others are sponsors’ invitations, three of whom are Chinese. The other sponsors’ invitation is England’s Laura Davies.

Yani Tseng of Taiwan will be among the crowd favorites at the West Coast Golf Club, located on the mainland Chinese island of Hainan — situated between the South China Sea and the Gulf of Tonkin.

In June at the LPGA Championship, Tseng became the first rookie to win a major since South Korean Se Ri Pak in 1998. At 19, she was also the second-youngest woman to win a major. Morgan Pressel — who is also in the China Air field — was 18 when she won the Kraft Nabisco Championship last year.

Another favorite will be 19-year-old Shanshan Feng, an LPGA rookie this season. She is also the only Chinese player on the LPGA tour.

“Chinese golf is getting bigger and bigger. It is getting more and more popular,” Feng said. “China can become another Korea for golf. I believe so. Maybe not now but in the future.”

In the LPGA’s rookie of the year standings, five of the top six are Asians. Tseng is No. 1, followed by South Koreans Na-yeon Choi and Hee-young Park. Japanese Momoko Ueda is No. 4 and Feng is No. 6.

Sorenstam credited Pak with popularizing women’s golf in South Korea, just as Sorenstam benefited from breakthroughs by fellow Swedes Liselotte Neumann and Helen Alfredsson.

“If I would guess what will happen in the next five to 10 years, we’re going to continue to see growth from this part of the world,” Sorenstam said. “I’m sure we’re going to see a lot more Chinese players joining the LPGA.”

Source — FOX Sports