Haley, Belichick share similarities
The similarities are eerie. They are both sons of football men. That's obvious enough. But it goes much deeper than that. They are both sons of real football men, hard-nosed football scouts, the kind who loved to study film and break down the game and search for secrets in the rewind. There aren't many of those men around.
They both traveled with their fathers on college scouting trips.
They both grew up around great football players.
They both started breaking down game film when they were young boys.
"Other kids had their hobbies," wrote David Halberstam in his book TheEducation of a Coach. "Some collected postage stamps and others had baseball cards. But Bill studied film."
Dick Haley said: "Todd loved looking at film when he was, I don't know, 11 or 12. And he was good at it right away."
They both played other sports more than football. Bill played lacrosse. Todd played golf. They both got into pro football on the bottom floor, in jobs that required getting coffee for the coaches and driving them to work. They both worked nonstop.
They both learned a whole lot about football from Bill Parcells, the two-time Super Bowl champion coach. Bill was Parcells' defensive coordinator, and the two clashed and synchronized and won. Parcells gave Todd his first coaching job, though it came with a warning.
"You're crazy," Parcells told Todd.
The pay was less than half of what Todd was making as a scout. But Todd wanted to coach that much.
They both became coordinators for Super Bowl teams.
So, of course, you know the two men are New England guru Bill Belichick and Todd Haley, hired on Friday to be the new coach of the Chiefs. And that adds one more eerie similarity to the equation. Chiefs general manager Scott Pioli, who made his reputation working with Belichick in New England, is the guy who hired Haley.
"You know, they do have similar backgrounds," Pioli says in a somewhat surprised tone, as if he had never really thought of it.
And it's probable that he never thought it quite that way, never had really gone down the line, point by point, and noticed that the man he hired was, in fact, a perfect eHarmony match for the man he had worked with. Even so, it was no coincidence. Maybe Scott Pioli wasn't looking for another Bill Belichick - he knows, better than anyone, that there is no other Bill Belichick.
Thing is, Pioli was not opposed to finding someone with some Belichick in him.
"It doesn't hurt," Pioli says. "They do have a lot in common in their background. They have a few differences, too."
And that is true also. Haley does not appear to be as determined a football hermit as Belichick (though Haley admitted that he did have to be reminded, several times before his Friday news conference, to smile some). Haley seems as if he's probably a better dresser. Haley thinks offense first, while Belichick thinks defense first. And so on.
But there is no question that Pioli is trying hard to rebuild the Chiefs, as best he can, in the New England Patriots' image. And Haley fits. He's a dedicated film watcher who gets real enjoyment out of breaking down opponents' weaknesses.
He's a former scout who has a good feel for what makes good and great football players (his father Dick Haley was, of course, a legendary scout for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the 1970s). He's a guy who loves just talking about football and philosophies, which should make for some fun and loud late-night conversations with Pioli.
kansascity.com
Cardinals' Warner a real superhero
TAMPA, Fla. -- Here's why this Kurt Warner story is the greatest sports story of this generation: The story has a second act. No one expected that. No one ever expects that from their great sports stories. There was only one Miracle on Ice. Only one Miracle Mets. Kurt Warner's miraculous story ended seven years ago. Everyone moved on to the next big thing.
Only here it is again: Kurt Warner is the starting quarterback for the Arizona Cardinals in the Super Bowl against the Pittsburgh Steelers today. In many ways, this part of his story is even more absurd than the first part.
***
There are, of course, great sports stories everywhere. Texas Rangers outfielder Josh Hamilton made it out of his drug abyss and became one of the best sluggers in the major leagues. Rulon Gardner made if off the dairy farm in Wyoming and beat the unbeatable Russian, Alexander Karelin, to win an Olympic wrestling gold medal. Vince Papale, a 30-year-old bartender in Philadelphia, tried out for the Philadelphia Eagles and made the team. You probably saw the movie.
Well, of course, Warner's story was like a Disney movie, too. He was a high school quarterback in Cedar Rapids, Iowa; none of the big schools even glanced his way. He was a third-string quarterback at Northern Iowa until his senior year. He tried out for the Green Bay Packers, but was quickly released, and no other NFL team even invited him to try out again. He worked his famous job as a stocker for Hy-Vee while playing football in the Arena League.
Well, you know how that worked out. Warner refused to give up on himself, he hooked up with the horrendous St. Louis Rams, he got a chance to start when St. Louis' hometown hero Trent Green got hurt, and he guided the Rams to the Super Bowl championship. There's the Disney movie. Cue the sweeping music. Edit in some cheers. Fade to black. There's never been a story in the NFL quite like it. Two years later, in 2002, Warner took the Rams back to the Super Bowl, where they lost to the New England Patriots and their own Cinderella Man, Tom Brady.
That's where the story really was supposed to end. Fade to black.
"Did you ever wonder if you would make it back to the Super Bowl?" a reporter asks Kurt Warner now.
"There were plenty of times I wondered if I would ever start again," Warner says.
***
In 2002, Kurt Warner broke his finger, not that it mattered much. He looked old and done even before that happened. It didn't really surprise anyone. Magical stories like Kurt Warner's are not built to last. He started six games that season, and the Rams lost all six. He played lousy. In 2003, he started the first game and fumbled six times. He was benched right then, and he only played in one more game for St. Louis. The Rams lost that game, too. Warner was released.
He signed with the New York Giants. He started off OK, but then he had a lousy game against the Chicago Bears, and that set off an eight-game losing streak. Warner was buried on the bench by the end of the streak -- the Giants finally went with their young quarterback Eli Manning. When the season ended, Warner was released again.
This time, he signed with Arizona - the dregs of the NFL. Not only were the Cardinals terrible (they had made it to the playoffs once in 22 years), but they had a somewhat storied history of signing washed-up heroes. Two years earlier, in the most prominent example, the Cardinals had signed all-time rushing leader Emmitt Smith. They then put him through a painful and hard-to-watch final two seasons. Arizona has become the place for legends to crumble.
kansascity.com
49ers, Raiders should share home
The NFL is urging the 49ers to explore sharing a new stadium with their cross-bay neighbors, the Raiders, hoping the Bay Area could follow the lead of the New York Giants and the New York Jets, who have joined forces to privately finance the most expensive stadium in U.S. sports history. The owners of the Giants and Jets say they too believe joining forces may be the best hope for the Bay Area's two teams to build a new stadium, especially in such dire economic times. The $1.6 billion Jets-Giants stadium in New Jersey will use new video technology to broadcast each team's colors and logo throughout the stadium for home games -- allowing two rival franchises with different histories and fan bases to feel at home. The 49ers have not begun formal discussions with the Raiders, but the team plans to expand the scope of its environmental review in Santa Clara for a stadium that could accommodate two teams playing at least 20 games a year.
Copyright (c) 2009, The Modesto Bee
Packers logo needed NFL's OK
The Green Bay Packers helmet logo on the caps of every crew member on the USS Green Bay had to be approved by the National Football League first.
Cmdr. Joe Olson, the ship's captain, said he checked with the Packers and the NFL to make sure the helmet wasn't violating copyright laws.
The league wanted to know who would be purchasing the caps. When told it would be predominantly members of the USS Green Bay, permission was given. The hats will be available to the public when tours of the USS Green Bay are given following the commissioning ceremonies Saturday in Long Beach, Calif.
Olson said he thinks the caps will also be available at the Packers Pro Shop at Lambeau Field in the near future.
They cost $12 on board.
greenbaypressgazette.com
Not in the Cards
CHARLOTTE --- After 16 games in which so much went right, the Panthers' season ended on a night where everything went wrong.
Carolina turned the football over six times and the Panthers gave up scores on five consecutive first-half series, allowing the Arizona Cardinals to take control and pull away for a 33-13 win in front of 73,695 at Bank of America Stadium on Saturday night.
"We picked a bad day to have a bad day," head coach John Fox said.
Added wide receiver Steve Smith: “For the people that say it was ugly - you need to be on the field to see how ugly it actually was.”
The Panthers' season ended at 12-5, while the 11-7 Cardinals move on to their first NFC Championship Game appearance - a trip made possible by a swarming, ballhawking defense that forced six Carolina turnovers.
All year long, the most crucial indicator of Arizona's success was its ability to force turnovers. In the nine games they snatched one or zero takeaways, they were 2-7. When they snatched more than that - and coming into Saturday they had forced at least three turnovers eight times - they were unbeaten.
Saturday night, the theorem was proven once again, and the equation was heartbreaking for the Panthers.
All six of the Panthers' turnovers came out of Delhomme's hands - five interceptions and a first-quarter fumble - and led to 23 of Arizona's points.
"I'm at a loss for words," Delhomme said. "For one reason or another, I didn't give us a chance tonight. It's disappointing. I don't know what else to say.
"I should get the blame (for the loss). It's inexcusable."
But Delhomme's teammates stepped forward to accept responsibility.
"Really, you can point a finger at anybody you want to in any group," defensive end Julius Peppers said. "You can point it at the secondary. You can point it at the (defensive) line; you can point it at the (offensive) line, Jake, the running backs, take your pick.
"It's not one person or one group's fault. We've just got to play better. We just didn't play well today at all - anybody."
The turnovers were only one narrative thread woven into a sad tale that began with boundless promise in the game's opening moments.
Carolina opened the game with a 39-yard Mark Jones kickoff return that set the offense up at midfield, and followed that with a 50-yard march to a 9-yard Jonathan Stewart run just 3:04 into the game.
But it didn't take long for the Panthers' night to turn as dark as the skies above.
After the defense forced an Arizona punt on the Cardinals' first possession, the game and season skidded out of control from there. A three-and-out deep in Carolina territory set up the Cardinals for a six-play, 60-yard march to a game-tying Tim Hightower touchdown reception from Kurt Warner.
In the 56 seconds that followed, the Panthers' effort began crumbling.
When the Panthers' offense took over, a disturbing trend began when Arizona defensive end Antonio Smith knocked the football out of Delhomme's hands and recovered at the Carolina 13. Two snaps later, Edgerrin James burst into the end zone from four yards out, and the Cardinals were in front to stay.
On the next series, the Panthers used a 45-yard pass-interference penalty on Arizona's Antrel Rolle to advance into the red zone. But with second-and-9 from the Arizona 14, Delhomme's end-zone pass to Steve Smith was intercepted by Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, who was covering underneath the receiver and stepped in front of the pass, returning it 20 yards. Arizona followed the interception with an eight-play, 49-yard drive to a 49-yard Neil Rackers field goal and a 17-7 lead.
Carolina wouldn't make another first down the rest of the half, while the Cardinals continued their downfield sprints, adding another Rackers field goal and a 29-yard Warner-to-Larry Fitzgerald touchdown strike to take a 27-7 halftime lead.
By halftime, Fitzgerald was already over 150 yards and had set the Cardinals’ all-time single-game postseason receiving record with a performance that made injured receiver Anquan Boldin scarcely missed.
"Going into it, we knew he’s the guy they're going to, especially with Boldin out," Panthers linebacker Jon Beason said. "When they are throwing the ball like that, you have to get pressure on Warner."
Warner was pressured by the Panthers, but was only sacked once and had few hiccups, completing 21 of 32 passes for 220 yards and two touchdowns. He went into halftime with a 145.6 quarterback rating after going 15-of-19 for 200 yards before intermission.
After halftime, Carolina's defense stiffened, but the offense couldn't snap out of its struggles.
The sequence best that encapsulated Carolina's frustration came five minutes and 48 seconds into the third quarter, when Beason intercepted a Warner pass and fell to the ground at the Arizona 31.
After being flogged into silence by the Cardinals' 27-point run to close the first half, the fans erupted as Beason went to the sideline. It appeared as though the door to a rally could be opening for the Panthers, whose defense had now recorded consecutive stops for the first time in the game.
"I really (felt) like that was our opportunity to change the momentum and get back in the game," said left tackle Jordan Gross.
But the opportunity was quickly squandered.
The offense went backward - first on a two-yard loss by DeAngelo Williams, then five yards on a Jeff King false-start penalty - and then gave up the ball entirely as a Delhomme pass for Smith skipped off the hands of both Rodgers-Cromartie and the receiver and into the grasp of Cardinals cornerback Antrel Rolle, who returned it 47 yards to the Carolina 26.
"They came with a safety blitz and I tried to hurry up and throw it out to Steve," Delhomme said. "The corner (Rodgers-Cromartie) jumps it and I'm trying to get it past him. It's tip, tip, and right to Rolle.
"It wasn't our night. It wasn't mine, that's for sure."
Arizona turned the field position into the third of Rackers' four field goals during the evening and a 23-point lead. Still, the Panthers entered the fourth quarter on the move, with Delhomme completing passes of 35 and 14 yards to Steve Smith and Dante Rosario, respectively. That was Smith's first reception of the evening.
But four plays into the final quarter, Delhomme looked for Smith on third-and-13 from the Arizona 17 and found Arizona cornerback Ralph Brown, who fell to the black-painted grass in the end zone with the Cardinals' fourth interception. The fifth and final pick followed on the Panthers' next series with 10:47 remaining, and any lingering hopes of a Carolina comeback were squashed for good.
Carolina finally returned to the end zone with 50 seconds remaining, when Delhomme found Smith for an eight-yard touchdown that was followed by a failed two-point conversion, leaving the final margin at 20 points.
A touchdown at the beginning, and a touchdown at the end. In between, a night that defied all explanation given the events of the previous 16 games, in which the Panthers went 3-1 every quarter, never fell out of at least a share of first place in the NFC South, developed one of the league's most devastating running games and, in the season's final seven games, averaged 32 points an outing.
"It was a dramatic turn - I wouldn't say a dramatic turn for the better," Smith said.
Added Gross: "It's just tough to lose like this, at home, in front of your fans, when there was so much promise for this team.
"I really don't think that we're the team we showed today. I think we're better than that. I think it was just not our day."
All the Panthers could as they adjourned to a solemn locker room was console each other, exchange hugs and handshakes and lament how a season that seemed so right for so long went awry in such stunning fashion.
"Honestly, going into it, I thought it was destiny," Beason said. "I thought it was fate. I thought we were supposed to be here for a reason.
"My coach told me a long time ago in high school that you can do everything right, but sometimes it's just not meant to be. I don't think that's the case tonight, but you can only do what you can do."
Saturday night, it wasn't enough, bringing a sweet season to a bitter end.
(c)2008 Lincoln Tribune.Com
Chargers, Cardinals Reach NFL Playoffs' Second Round
Jan. 4 (Bloomberg) -- The San Diego Chargers and Arizona Cardinals, neither considered favorites by Las Vegas oddsmakers, advanced past the first round of the National Football League playoffs.
Today, the Baltimore Ravens, who beat the New York Giants to win the Super Bowl ending the 2000 season, are favored by three points over the Miami Dolphins in Miami, while the Philadelphia Eagles are picked to win by the same margin against the Minnesota Vikings in Minneapolis.
The Chargers won the 25th overtime playoff game in 50 years with a 23-17 victory yesterday over the Indianapolis Colts in the American Football Conference playoff. The Cardinals won their first home playoff game in 61 years by 30-24 over the Atlanta Falcons in the National Football Conference game.
"We're a work in progress," Cardinals quarterback Kurt Warner said in a post-game broadcast interview. "This is one step closer to our goal."
The Cardinals will play the Carolina Panthers or New York Giants next weekend and the Chargers will meet the Pittsburgh Steelers or Tennessee Titans. The Giants, Panthers, Titans and Steelers had first-round byes after finishing the regular season with the best records in their conferences.
In San Diego, Darren Sproles, who had a total of 328 all- purpose yards, gave the Chargers a 14-10 halftime advantage on a 9-yard run with 47 seconds left in the half after LaDainian Tomlinson, playing with a groin injury, rushed for 3 yards at 10:18 in the second quarter to tie the game at 7-7.
All-Purpose Sproles
"He's all purpose," Antonio Gates, who had eight receptions for 87 yards, said in a post-game broadcast interview. "That's what I call him, Mr. All Purpose. He made a tremendous run at the end of the game."
San Diego kicker Nate Kaeding's 26-yard field goal tied the game at 17-17 with 33 seconds left in regulation. The Chargers won the toss and got the football for the start of overtime.
The Colts, looking for their 10th straight win, had scored first with a one-yard run by Joseph Addai. Adam Vinatieri kicked a 43-yard field goal in the second quarter before Reggie Wayne, who caught four passes for 129 yards, scored on a 72-yard pass from Peyton Manning.
Manning, the NFL Most Valuable Player, completed 25 of 42 Passes for 310 yards.
"It was disappointing to lose a playoff game, especially a game we had some chances to win," said Manning in a post-game broadcast interview. "The Chargers made the plays when it counted. Give them credit."
Colts coach Tony Dungy said he would make public in a week his intentions to coach or retire next season.
'Tough Guy'
"We came within a couple of plays of winning the game but in the end you have to win them," Dungy said. "Sproles is a tough guy. He made things happen. We missed him a couple of times in the open field."
In Glendale, Arizona, Antrel Rolle recovered a fumble and returned it 27 yards for the go-ahead touchdown for the Cardinals.
Warner completed 19 of 32 passes for 271 yards as Arizona recovered from a 17-14 halftime deficit. He threw for two touchdowns, a 42-yard pass to Larry Fitzgerald and a 71-yard pass to Anquan Boldin, in the first half.
"It's never the way you start, it's the way you finish," Cardinals running back Edgerrin James, who carried 16 times for 73 yards, said in a post-game broadcast interview. "I'll take that any day."
The Cardinals capitalized on Falcon quarterback Matt Ryan's mistakes to move a game closer to the Feb. 1 Super Bowl. Arizona converted a fumble into a touchdown and a sack into a safety.
Ryan, who completed 26 of 40 passes for 199 yards, gave the Falcons a 17-14 lead with a 2-yard pass to Justin Peelle with 27 seconds left in the first half. He added a second score on a 5- yard pass to Roddy White at 4:19 in the fourth quarter to bring Atlanta within six points.
(c)2009 BLOOMBERG L.P.
Kasay's FG helps Panthers top Saints, secure NFC's No. 2 seed
New Orleans, LA (Sports Network) - DeAngelo Williams ran for 178 yards, and John Kasay made four field goals, including the game-winner with one second left, as the Carolina Panthers secured the NFC South title and a first- round bye with a 33-31 victory over the New Orleans Saints.
With the win, Carolina locked up the No. 2 seed in the NFC playoffs and will host the highest-seeded wild card-round team in the divisional round.
Jake Delhomme completed 14-of-20 passes for 250 yards and a touchdown for the Panthers (12-4), who will appear in the playoffs for the first time since 2005. Steve Smith caught five passes for 134 yards, while Muhsin Muhammad registered 79 receiving yards and a touchdown on seven catches.
Jonathan Stewart added a touchdown run in the win for Carolina.
Drew Brees threw for 386 yards on 30-of-49 passing for the Saints, with four touchdowns and an interception, becoming the second all-time leader in single- season passing yardage. His season mark of 5,069 yards stands behind only former Dolphins quarterback Dan Marino, who threw for 5,084 yards in 1984.
Marques Colston added 123 yards and a touchdown on seven catches for the Saints (8-8), who will finish short of the playoffs for the second consecutive season. Moore caught eight passes for 91 yards and two scores, while Robert Meachem scored a touchdown for the second consecutive game.
Smith's 54-yard reception early in the third helped set up Stewart's two-yard touchdown run, giving the Panthers a 30-10 lead with 10 minutes left in the quarter.
The Saints then put together a touchdown drive that bridged the third and fourth quarters, covering 69 yards in 10 plays. Brees hit Meachem on a screen pass from the seven-yard line, and Meachem found his way into the end zone, making it 30-17 less than 30 seconds into the fourth.
After a Panthers punt, Brees passed for 101 yards on a 12-play, 89-yard drive in which the Saints committed a couple penalties. His nine-yard TD strike to Moore capped the drive to bring New Orleans within 30-24 with 5 1/2 minutes to play, and Brees climbed to within 60 yards of Marino's all-time mark.
Carolina went three-and-out, and a 21-yard punt allowed the Saints to start on the Panthers' 45-yard line with just under four minutes left. Two plays later, Brees hit a streaking Colston down the left sideline for 26 yards to get to the Panthers' 13.
On the next play, Brees threw a perfect pass to Moore in the back of the end zone to tie the game, and Garrett Hartley's extra point put the Saints ahead, 31-30, with 3:11 to play.
After the kickoff, Carolina started at its own 18, and Delhomme hit Smith on a 39-yard pass on the initial play. After the two-minute warning, Muhammad caught an eight-yard pass down to the Saints' 31.
Williams then took three consecutive rushes down to the 20 with six seconds remaining. Kasay came on for the field goal try, and, after a false start penalty, his 42-yard attempt went through the uprights with one second left, giving the Panthers a 33-31 lead.
The following kickoff went out of bounds, giving the Saints one last try for a score from their 40-yard line. With Brees 16 yards away from setting the single-season yardage mark, New Orleans took a delay of game penalty to back up five yards.
His pass attempt fell incomplete, and the Panthers came away with the win, while Marino held on to his record.
Kasay kicked a 45-yard field goal on Carolina's opening drive to give the Panthers an early lead midway through the first quarter.
After a Saints three-and-out, Kasay added a 26-yard field goal before the end of the first quarter for a 6-0 Carolina lead.
Hartley hit a 21-yard field goal early in the second to cut New Orleans' deficit in half. Kasay restored the Panthers' six-point lead on a 34-yard make with seven minutes left in the quarter.
Following an interception on the ensuing Saints possession, Carolina drove 29 yards in four plays. Delhomme found Muhammad open in the middle of the end zone from eight yards away to make it 16-3 with 3:09 until halftime.
The Panthers jumped out to a 20-point lead on the next play. New Orleans' Skyler Green fumbled the football on the kickoff return, and Dante Wesley picked up the loose ball for Carolina and ran 12 yards for the score.
The Saints got one of the touchdowns back before halftime. With only 40 seconds left before the break and New Orleans at the opposing 26, Colston made a leaping catch at the six-yard line and powered his way into the end zone to make it 23-10.
Game Notes
Carolina has won six of the past seven against the Saints...The Panthers' win marks the first and only win by the road team in an NFC South intradivisional contest this season...Moore has eight touchdowns in his last nine games...Brees tied the single-season record with 10 300-yard games this season (Rich Gannon, 2002)...Kasay moved into seventh all-time in career field goals made. He now has 386, moving him past Nick Lowery (383).
(c)2008 The Sports Network
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