FanHouse http://www.fanhouse.com FanHouse http://www.fanhouse.com/media/feedlogo.gif FanHouse http://www.fanhouse.com en-us Copyright 2009 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/ With Yankees Done, Pressure's Really on the Giants Now http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2009/11/07/with-yankees-done-pressures-really-on-the-giants-now/ http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2009/11/07/with-yankees-done-pressures-really-on-the-giants-now/ http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2009/11/07/with-yankees-done-pressures-really-on-the-giants-now/#comments Dan Grazianoby Dan Graziano

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Eli Manning and the Giants can't count on the Yankees to keep New Yorkers' minds off their problems anymore.It's not that the Giants' three-game losing streak has gone unnoticed. It's just that, with all the excitement over everything the Yankees have been up to, New York sports fans have had other things on their minds. Yes, they're aware, vaguely, that the Giants' defense hasn't been able to stop the Saints, Cardinals or Eagles the past three weeks. And they have seen a headline or two about Eli Manning suddenly looking much more mortal than his contract and his championship pedigree say he should. But the panic meter hasn't moved too much over all of this, because New York is still one of the few American towns in which football can take a backseat to baseball. And for the past few weeks, for very good reason, New York has been a baseball town.

That all changes this weekend. The San Diego Chargers hit town -- another dynamic offense surely licking its chops over a chance to take its turn at the Giants' battered ego and secondary. If the Giants lose again, they're looking at a 5-4 record heading into their bye week, which would mean two solid weeks of tabloid and talk show debate on the issue of "What's Wrong With the Giants?"

 

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]]> aaron rouseAaronRousecc brownCcBrownchris cantyChrisCantyeli manningEliManningmichael boleyMichaelBoleynew york giantsNewYorkGiantstom coughlinTomCoughlin Dan Graziano dan-graziano 2009-11-07T09:00:00 00:00 Chiefs Petition a Protest From the Heart http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2009/11/05/larry-johnson-petition-is-a-fan-protest-from-the-heart/ http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2009/11/05/larry-johnson-petition-is-a-fan-protest-from-the-heart/ http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2009/11/05/larry-johnson-petition-is-a-fan-protest-from-the-heart/#comments Dan Grazianoby Dan Graziano

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Chiefs fanThe Chiefs fans who want Larry Johnson off their team aren't your typical angry fans, lashing out over something as unpleasantly common as another losing season. The online petition they started, which was barreling toward 20,000 signatures Thursday afternoon amid a surprising run of national publicity, says nothing about wanting a coach fired or demanding that an owner sell. It is a petition from the heart, whose roots lie not in anger over the team's record or current stretch of on-field futility, but rather in a deep and abiding love of the team and its history.

"People in Kansas City, we don't mind losing," Dan Cataldi said. "We get used to it, actually. But it just gets frustrating when we don't like the team. That's what we can't stand."

Hence, this petition, which is addressed to new Chiefs GM Scott Pioli and makes the simple plea to remove Johnson from the field and/or the team before he collects 80 more yards and surpasses Priest Holmes as the team's all time leading rusher.

 

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]]> larry johnsonpriest holmes Dan Graziano dan-graziano 2009-11-05T17:00:00 00:00 Thursday-and-Long: Don't Sleep on the Dallas Cowboys http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2009/11/05/thursday-and-long-dont-sleep-on-the-dallas-cowboys/ http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2009/11/05/thursday-and-long-dont-sleep-on-the-dallas-cowboys/ http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2009/11/05/thursday-and-long-dont-sleep-on-the-dallas-cowboys/#comments Dan Grazianoby Dan Graziano

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Don't look now, NFL playoffs, but Tony Romo and the Cowboys might just be coming for you.In case you hadn't noticed, sports these days are all about Goliath. In 2009, the Steelers, Lakers, North Carolina Tar Heels and now the Yankees have all won titles in their respective sports. Cinderella is yesterday's news. The teams that win these days are the teams that always win, and if you think that's boring, well, tough. You can kiss one of Derek Jeter's five World Series rings.

So with that in mind, we need to be really careful about overlooking the Dallas Cowboys.

Yeah, yeah, yeah. All you ever hear about the Cowboys is what's wrong with them. Terrell Owens was a pain. Roy Williams is a loudmouth, too, and isn't good enough to replace T.O. Tony Romo's too concerned with his golf game and his high-wattage love life to ever attain his potential. The new stadium is ridiculous...

 

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]]> arizona cardinalsArizonaCardinalschicago bearsChicagoBearschris johnsonChrisJohnsoncleveland brownsClevelandBrownsdallas cowboysDallasCowboysdenver broncosDenverBroncoseric manginiEricManginimarion barberMarionBarbermichael crabtreeMichaelCrabtreeoakland raidersOaklandRaiderspittsburgh steelersPittsburghSteelersryan clarkRyanClarktennessee titansTennesseeTitanstom cableTomCabletony romoTonyRomo Dan Graziano dan-graziano 2009-11-05T12:00:00 00:00 Congress Shoots Down NFL's Request for Help on StarCaps Ruling http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2009/11/03/congress-shoots-down-nfls-request-for-help-on-starcaps-ruling/ http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2009/11/03/congress-shoots-down-nfls-request-for-help-on-starcaps-ruling/ http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2009/11/03/congress-shoots-down-nfls-request-for-help-on-starcaps-ruling/#comments Dan Grazianoby Dan Graziano

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NFL commissioner Roger Goodell didn't find a receptive audience on Capitol Hill when he went to seek help on the StarCaps case on Tuesday.NFL commissioner Roger Goodell testified before a congressional subcommittee Tuesday, asking U.S. lawmakers for legislative help in the league's ongoing effort to suspend Minnesota Vikings defensive tackles Kevin and Pat Williams for a positive drug test. But at the end of a three-hour hearing, the chairman of the subcommittee made it clear that Congress has no interest in getting involved in the StarCaps case. Rep. Bobby Rush of Illinois urged Goodell and players' union head DeMaurice Smith, who also testified, to work out their differences over the case and the league's drug policy through collective bargaining.

"Ask Rodney King for some advice," Rush said in his closing statement. "Can't we all get along?"

 

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]]> Dan Graziano dan-graziano 2009-11-03T19:59:00 00:00 Explosive Eagles Could End Up Among League's Elite Offenses http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2009/11/02/explosive-eagles-could-end-up-among-leagues-elite-offenses/ http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2009/11/02/explosive-eagles-could-end-up-among-leagues-elite-offenses/ http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2009/11/02/explosive-eagles-could-end-up-among-leagues-elite-offenses/#comments Dan Grazianoby Dan Graziano

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Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb has a lot of options these days when he drops back to throw.PHILADELPHIA -- You don't think of the Eagles along with the Saints or the Colts or the Patriots in terms of the number, the variety and the explosiveness of their offensive playmakers. Teams like that set the standard, and the Eagles don't feel like they fit into that kind of conversation. And that's fine, because they're not there yet.

But if you watched the Eagles score on big play after big play Sunday afternoon against the Giants, you got the feel that they might very well be there soon. Andy Reid's Philadelphia offense remains a work in progress, but with the number of different weapons he has at his disposal on any given play, we could soon be talking about the Eagles as one of the most exciting and dynamic offensive teams in the league.

 

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]]> andy reidAndyReiddesean jacksonDeseanJacksondonovan mcnabbDonovanMcnabbjeremy maclinJeremyMaclinlesean mccoyLeseanMccoymichael vickMichaelVickphiladelphia eaglesPhiladelphiaEagles Dan Graziano dan-graziano 2009-11-02T14:30:00 00:00 Football, Baseball and Brotherly Love - Philadelphia Is Sports Heaven http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2009/11/02/football-baseball-and-brotherly-love-philadelphia-is-sports-h/ http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2009/11/02/football-baseball-and-brotherly-love-philadelphia-is-sports-h/ http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2009/11/02/football-baseball-and-brotherly-love-philadelphia-is-sports-h/#comments Dan Grazianoby Dan Graziano

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PHILADELPHIA -- Mike Alvarez is a lifelong Philadelphian with a Cole Hamels haircut and a vintage maroon Phillies cap who spent his Sunday in a parking lot. Alvarez didn't have tickets to the Eagles-Giants game in the afternoon. He didn't have tickets to the Phillies-Yankees World Series game at night. What he did have was a parking space for his truck, a seemingly bottomless supply of beer and enough slightly slurred wisdom to know that there was no place he would have rather been than this particular parking lot on this particular day, surrounded by his fellow Eagles and Phillies fans.

"They got flat-screens over there," Alvarez said, waving his beer can in the direction of a nearby RV. "Everybody's grilling food. I've made a ton of new friends. What more could you want?"

 

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]]> new york giantsnew york yankeesNewYorkGiantsNewYorkYankeesphiladelphia eaglesphiladelphia philliesPhiladelphiaEaglesPhiladelphiaPhilliesworld seriesWorldSeries Dan Graziano dan-graziano 2009-11-02T11:30:00 00:00 Wings on Pigs, Icicles in Hell, A-Rod a World Series Hero ... Yet Again http://mlb.fanhouse.com/2009/11/02/wings-on-pigs-icicles-in-hell-a-rod-a-world-series-hero-ye/ http://mlb.fanhouse.com/2009/11/02/wings-on-pigs-icicles-in-hell-a-rod-a-world-series-hero-ye/ http://mlb.fanhouse.com/2009/11/02/wings-on-pigs-icicles-in-hell-a-rod-a-world-series-hero-ye/#comments Dan Grazianoby Dan Graziano

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Mark Teixeira and Alex RodriguezPHILADELPHIA -- If the Phillies were trying to get into Alex Rodriguez's head by hitting him with pitches, they're going to need to find another tactic, and fast. Something very strange has happened here in late 2009, and the inside of that particular head is no longer the mushy, insecure, vulnerable place it once was. Matter of fact, when Cole Hamels hit Rodriguez with a pitch in the second inning on Halloween night, the Yankees' All-Star third baseman and would-be centaur says, it had the opposite effect.

"Kind of woke me up a little bit," Rodriguez said early Monday morning, after his ninth-inning double had broken a Game 4 tie and moved the Yankees within one game of a championship. "Just reminded me, 'Hey, this is the World Series. Let's get it going a little bit.' "
FanHouse World Series Coverage: Price | Fletcher
Game 4: Yankees 7, Phillies 4 | Box Score | Series Home

 

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]]> alex rodriguezAlexRodrigueznew york yankeesNewYorkYankees Dan Graziano dan-graziano 2009-11-02T01:28:00 00:00 Studious Hakeem Nicks the Early Star of Rookie WR Class http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2009/10/29/studious-hakeem-nicks-the-early-star-of-rookie-wr-class/ http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2009/10/29/studious-hakeem-nicks-the-early-star-of-rookie-wr-class/ http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2009/10/29/studious-hakeem-nicks-the-early-star-of-rookie-wr-class/#comments Dan Grazianoby Dan Graziano

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Rookie WR Hakeem Nicks is impressing people with his talent and work habits with the New York Giants.It was the fluke catch of the week. Sunday night at the Meadowlands, Giants rookie receiver Hakeem Nicks caught a tipped pass that had been intended for Mario Manningham and carried it all the way to the end zone for a 62-yard touchdown against the Cardinals. It was a shake-your-head play -- the kind the defense can write off as an excusable miracle, a bizarre bounce, nothing more than pure luck.

But they say luck is the residue of design, and the people who know Hakeem Nicks say that design is a huge part of his game. Coaches and teammates past and present describe Nicks as an intensely studious, hyper-prepared player who obsesses over his playbook and game scripts and would rather talk about route-running than anything else. Knowing Nicks means knowing that the seeds of that Sunday night play were planted years ago at Independence High School in Charlotte, N.C., where a coach named Tommy Knotts drills 16- and 17-year-old kids on something even NFL coaches struggle to get across -- the importance of film study.

 

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]]> butch davisButchDaviseli manningEliManninghakeem nicksHakeemNicksnew york giantsNewYorkGiantsnorth carolina tar heelsNorthCarolinaTarHeelssteve smithSteveSmith Dan Graziano dan-graziano 2009-10-29T12:00:00 00:00 Suddenly Slumping Giants Slip Back to NFC East Pack http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2009/10/26/suddenly-slumping-giants-slip-back-to-nfc-east-pack/ http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2009/10/26/suddenly-slumping-giants-slip-back-to-nfc-east-pack/ http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2009/10/26/suddenly-slumping-giants-slip-back-to-nfc-east-pack/#comments Dan Grazianoby Dan Graziano

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Things haven't been as smooth as they were supposed to be for Eli Manning and the Giants.EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- This was to have been the Giants' get-right game. Sure, New Orleans beat them up last week, but the Saints are an undefeated team that was coming off a bye week and playing at home. The Giants spent the week shrugging off that loss and promising to be better this week at home against the Cardinals. The defense promised more blitzing and less trepidation. The offense promised to be sharper. To a man, the Giants were certain they'd come up with a big win Sunday night over the reigning NFC champs...and then they lost.

"For whatever reason, we've had two weeks in a row now where one area has not performed very well," Giants coach Tom Coughlin said. "So, back to the drawing board."

And back, whether they like it or not, into a three-team NFC East tussle where there's no clear favorite -- not even them.
More: Cards Flip the Script on Giants | Eagles Look to Close in on First Place

 

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]]> ahmad bradshawAhmadBradshawbrandon jacobsBrandonJacobsdallas cowboysDallasCowboyseli manningEliManningnew york giantsNewYorkGiantsphiladelphia eaglesPhiladelphiaEaglestom coughlinTomCoughlin Dan Graziano dan-graziano 2009-10-26T12:05:00 00:00 Cardinals Flip Script on Giants http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2009/10/26/cardinals-add-defense-and-a-running-back-to-their-bag-of-tri/ http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2009/10/26/cardinals-add-defense-and-a-running-back-to-their-bag-of-tri/ http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2009/10/26/cardinals-add-defense-and-a-running-back-to-their-bag-of-tri/#comments Dan Grazianoby Dan Graziano

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Beanie Wells and the Cardinals defense out-muscled the Giants at the Meadowlands on Sunday night.EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- They flew all over the field all night, racing to the ball, harassing the opposing quarterback with a variety of aggressive blitzes. The defense was disruptive, deep and energetic, and the main reason its team won the game. All of this was to be expected, of course...just not from this particular team.

On this night, it was the Arizona Cardinals beating the New York Giants at the latter's own game, forcing four turnovers and out-muscling Big Blue 24-17 on national TV in the swamps of Jersey.

"We definitely fed off our defense tonight," Arizona quarterback Kurt Warner said.
More: Check Box Score | Standings

 

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]]> adrian wilsonAdrianWilsonarizona cardinalsArizonaCardinalsbeanie wellsBeanieWellseli manningEliManningkarlos dansbyKarlosDansbykurt warnerKurtWarnernew york giantsNewYorkGiants Dan Graziano dan-graziano 2009-10-26T01:18:00 00:00 Cardinals Still Doing It Their Way http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2009/10/22/a-year-later-cardinals-still-doing-it-their-way/ http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2009/10/22/a-year-later-cardinals-still-doing-it-their-way/ http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2009/10/22/a-year-later-cardinals-still-doing-it-their-way/#comments Dan Grazianoby Dan Graziano

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Larry Fitzgerald, Kurt Warner and the Arizona Cardinals are still working to find a way back to the Super Bowl.When Justin Tuck showed up to watch film of the Arizona Cardinals this week, he was fired up. He knew what he was going to see -- Cardinals QB Kurt Warner sitting behind his line, taking forever to get rid of the ball while a swarm of receivers ran their routes downfield.

"I was licking my chops," said Tuck, the Giants' defensive end. "But then I went in there and...he's not holding the ball as long as he used to. We're looking at an average of 2.2 seconds, which is a drastic change."

You wouldn't think the Cardinals would have to change much, playing in the weak NFC West and coming off a season in which they represented the NFC in the Super Bowl. But starting with an opening-week loss to the surprisingly game division-rival 49ers, the Cardinals found life as defending conference champs to be tougher than they thought it would be.

 

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]]> arizona cardinalsArizonaCardinalsjustin tuckJustinTuckken whisenhuntKenWhisenhuntkurt warnerKurtWarnerlarry fitzgeraldLarryFitzgeraldnew york giantsNewYorkGiants Dan Graziano dan-graziano 2009-10-22T11:12:00 00:00 Sorry, Favre-Haters, Vikings Best in NFC http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2009/10/19/sorry-favre-haters-but-vikings-are-nfcs-best/ http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2009/10/19/sorry-favre-haters-but-vikings-are-nfcs-best/ http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2009/10/19/sorry-favre-haters-but-vikings-are-nfcs-best/#comments Dan Grazianoby Dan Graziano

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Brett FavreFace it, people. The only reason you don't want to believe this about the Minnesota Vikings is because of him. And honestly, that's fair. Brett Favre drives everybody crazy all summer with his anguished, will-he-or-won't-he retirement drama. There are and should be consequences for something like that. In this case, the consequence is that you won't let yourself believe the gray-haired Sears pitchman from Mississippi has his hands on the reins of the best team in the NFC.

But I'm sorry to report that Favre and the Vikings don't care what you think, because as of this morning they were 6-0. And regardless of how good the Saints looked against the Giants, Minnesota is the deserving favorite to represent the NFC in the Super Bowl.

 

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]]> adrian petersonAdrianPetersonbaltimore ravensBaltimoreRavensbrett favreBrettFavreminnesota vikingsMinnesotaVikingsnew orleans saintsnew york giantsNewOrleansSaintsNewYorkGiants Dan Graziano dan-graziano 2009-10-19T13:00:00 00:00 It's a 'Hard Knock' Life, But This Year's Bengals Can Take It http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2009/10/19/its-a-hard-knock-life-but-this-years-bengals-can-take-it/ http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2009/10/19/its-a-hard-knock-life-but-this-years-bengals-can-take-it/ http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2009/10/19/its-a-hard-knock-life-but-this-years-bengals-can-take-it/#comments Dan Grazianoby Dan Graziano

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It's never easy being a Cincinnati Bengal, but the 2009 group is determined to change the culture.CINCINNATI -- As losses go, this one was a stinker. Flying high off yet another last-minute intra-divisional win, the Bengals showed up for a home game Sunday against the Texans and had just about everything go wrong. They lost, 28-17, most important, and they also saw key defensive lineman Antwan Odom and Domata Peko go down with injuries. Odom's is a torn Achilles' tendon, which means they've lost him for the season. Bad, bad loss.

But the message Bengals coach Marvin Lewis delivered to his team in the wake of this bad loss was the same, simple two-word mantra he delivered on the first night of the season, after a goofy last-minute bounce cost the Bengals a game against the Denver Broncos:

"Don't flinch."

 

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]]> andrew whitworthAndrewWhitworthantwan odomAntwanOdomcarson palmerCarsonPalmercedric bensonCedricBensonchad ochocincoChadOchocincocincinnati bengalsCincinnatiBengalsdomata pekoDomataPekomarvin lewisMarvinLewis Dan Graziano dan-graziano 2009-10-19T10:00:00 00:00 Child, Please! Ochocinco Helps Bengals Avoid Blackout http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2009/10/16/child-please-ochocinco-helps-bengals-avoid-blackout/ http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2009/10/16/child-please-ochocinco-helps-bengals-avoid-blackout/ http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2009/10/16/child-please-ochocinco-helps-bengals-avoid-blackout/#comments Dan Grazianoby Dan Graziano

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CINCINNATI -- Chad Ochocinco is taking some of the credit for the fact that Bengals fans in this area will be able to see the team play on TV on Sunday, and it appears he does have something to do with it. On Thursday the Bengals asked for (and got) a one-day extension of the league's deadline for selling out Sunday's home game against the Houston Texans. Had they not done so by Friday afternoon, the game would have been blacked out in the local market. And as of Thursday night, about 3,000 tickets remained unsold.

But at 1:08 p.m. Eastern time, Ochocinco announced on his Twitter page that he and Motorola had bought the remaining tickets and would be giving them away. Problem solved.
More: Benson Leading Bengals' Charge | Ray Lewis Fined for Hit on Ochocinco

 

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]]> chad ocho cincochad ochocincoChadOchocincocincinnati bengalsCincinnatiBengalshouston texasHoustonTexas Dan Graziano dan-graziano 2009-10-16T15:05:00 00:00 Resurgent Cedric Benson Leads Way as Bengals Find Stride http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2009/10/16/resurgent-cedric-benson-leads-way-as-bengals-find-stride/ http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2009/10/16/resurgent-cedric-benson-leads-way-as-bengals-find-stride/ http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2009/10/16/resurgent-cedric-benson-leads-way-as-bengals-find-stride/#comments Dan Grazianoby Dan Graziano

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Cedric BensonCINCINNATI -- If Cedric Benson were going to make this climb from the NFL scrap heap to the top of the rushing list, it only makes sense that he'd do it here, among the well-known collection of misfits and ne'er-do-wells that league observers and HBO subscribers know as the Bengals.

This is in many ways the perfect spot for someone like Benson, who was unwelcome in Chicago before he even arrived and who drank himself out of town without ever delivering on the promise that comes with being the No. 4 pick in the draft. Here by the muddy banks of the Ohio River, in the shadow of the creaky Roebling Bridge, a team that's had only two winning seasons in the past two decades is happy to make Benson feel at home.
More Coverage: Ochocinco Buys Tickets, Nixes Bengals Blackout

 

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]]> cedric bensonCedricBensonchicago bearsChicagoBearscincinnati bengalsCincinnatiBengalsmarvin lewisMarvinLewis Dan Graziano dan-graziano 2009-10-16T14:50:00 00:00 Sources: Limbaugh Out of Rams Bidding http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2009/10/14/sources-limbaugh-out-of-rams-bidding/ http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2009/10/14/sources-limbaugh-out-of-rams-bidding/ http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2009/10/14/sources-limbaugh-out-of-rams-bidding/#comments Dan Grazianoby Dan Graziano

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It doesn't look as if Rush Limbaugh will be the owner of the St. Louis Rams anytime soon.Two NFL sources said Wednesday afternoon that the Dave Checketts-led group bidding to buy the St. Louis Rams has dropped controversial radio talk show host Rush Limbaugh from its group of bidders. One of the sources said Checketts is concerned that his bid is weak to begin with, and that the presence of Limbaugh in the group would effectively kill any chance he had.

Limbaugh's emergence as a possible part-owner of an NFL franchise has caused a major controversy in recent days. Several NFL players, with the support of DeMaurice Smith and the NFL players' union, have spoken out in opposition to the idea of the right-wing Limbaugh owning a team. Colts owner Jim Irsay said he wouldn't vote to award a franchise to a group that included Limbaugh. And even commissioner Roger Goodell cited "divisive comments" made by Limbaugh as something the NFL would want to avoid adding to the ranks of its owners.

 

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]]> dave checkettsDaveCheckettsrush limbaughRushLimbaughst. louis ramsSt.LouisRams Dan Graziano dan-graziano 2009-10-14T17:12:00 00:00 The 2009 Buffalo Bills: What Did You Really Expect? http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2009/10/12/the-2009-buffalo-bills-what-did-you-expect/ http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2009/10/12/the-2009-buffalo-bills-what-did-you-expect/ http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2009/10/12/the-2009-buffalo-bills-what-did-you-expect/#comments Dan Grazianoby Dan Graziano

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It's been a rough year for Trent Edwards and the Buffalo Bills. But with the offensive line they put together, how could they have expected otherwise?Fired a week before the start of the season as the Bills' offensive coordinator, an angry and confused Turk Schonert said the problem in Buffalo was that coach Dick Jauron wanted "a Pop Warner offense" -- an offensive playbook as simple and uncreative as possible, and that Schonert's schemes were too complicated to fit in with Jauron's plan.

Now five weeks in to the season, having committed nine (NINE!) false start penalties Sunday in losing one of the worst offensive games in sports history to the previously winless Browns, the Bills are playing as if to prove Schonert right.
More Coverage: Bills Lose 2 Linebackers for Season | Team Schedule

 

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]]> buffalo billsBuffaloBillsdick jauronDickJaurongeoff hangartnerGeoffHangartnerjason petersJasonPeterstrent edwardsTrentEdwards Dan Graziano dan-graziano 2009-10-12T12:41:00 00:00 Raiders Redefine Awful in 44-7 Loss http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2009/10/11/raiders-redefine-awful/ http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2009/10/11/raiders-redefine-awful/ http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2009/10/11/raiders-redefine-awful/#comments Dan Grazianoby Dan Graziano

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Tom CableEAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- It's easy to believe Tom Cable when he says he's not worried about the possible criminal assault charges that could be coming his way. Honestly, even if he gets arrested, how bad could it be compared to coaching the Raiders?

Unless he's going to be sentenced to watch an endless loop of his team's 44-7 loss to the Giants (or worse, one single replay of Sunday's Bills-Browns game), Cable has to be thinking about heading up to Napa County first thing Monday morning and turning himself in. Because as embarrassing as the Raiders can be off the field in the middle of the week, they show up on Sundays and take humiliation to new, ever-darker levels.
More: Check Box Score | Manning Stellar in Short Appearance

 

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]]> jamarcus russellJamarcusRussellnew york giantsNewYorkGiantsoakland raidersOaklandRaiderstom cableTomCable Dan Graziano dan-graziano 2009-10-11T17:28:00 00:00 Eli Manning Plays More Than Enough http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2009/10/11/eli-manning-plays-more-than-enough-for-giants/ http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2009/10/11/eli-manning-plays-more-than-enough-for-giants/ http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2009/10/11/eli-manning-plays-more-than-enough-for-giants/#comments Dan Grazianoby Dan Graziano

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Neither his injured foot nor the Oakland Raiders gave the Giants' Eli Manning any problems Sunday.EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- The question swirling around the Giants all week was whether Eli Manning would play in Sunday's game against the Raiders. The answer, it turns out, was yes -- even though he really didn't have to, as New York routed Oakland 44-7.

Manning played most of the first half of the "game," completing 8 of 10 passes for 173 yards and two touchdowns against a Raiders team that looked as if it would rather have been getting a group root canal, or giving depositions for the Napa Valley district attorney's office. Manning showed no ill effects from the foot injury he suffered a week ago, and with a little more than two minutes left in the first half and the Raiders clearly not trying to win, he came out in favor of backup David Carr.
More: Check Box Score

 

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]]> eli manningEliManningnew york giantsNewYorkGiantsoakland raidersOaklandRaiders Dan Graziano dan-graziano 2009-10-11T14:34:00 00:00 Rashard Mendenhall: One-Week Wonder, or Sign of Things to Come? http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2009/10/05/rashard-mendenhall-one-week-wonder-or-sign-of-things-to-come/ http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2009/10/05/rashard-mendenhall-one-week-wonder-or-sign-of-things-to-come/ http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2009/10/05/rashard-mendenhall-one-week-wonder-or-sign-of-things-to-come/#comments Dan Grazianoby Dan Graziano

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One week removed from Mike Tomlin's doghouse, second-year Steelers RB Rashard Mendenhall was the biggest man on the field.PITTSBURGH -- Mike Tomlin wouldn't play along. Oh, it sounded like a good story. Rashard Mendenhall, the Steelers' young backup running back, was benched in Week 3 because Tomlin didn't think he was paying close enough attention to his playbook. Mendenhall was contrite, and spent the week telling folks he hoped he'd get a second chance because he knew what he'd done wrong and was determined to make up for it. Willie Parker, the starting running back, went down with a toe injury, and Mendenhall stepped in and shredded the Chargers on national TV. Great story, but Tomlin says he isn't buying.

"I'm not going to take any credit for that," the Steelers' coach said when asked if he felt he'd motivated Mendenhall. "I didn't rush for a yard tonight."
More Coverage: For at Least One Night, Pittsburgh Offensive Line Dominant

 

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]]> pittsburgh steelersPittsburghSteelersrashard mendenhallRashardMendenhallsan diego chargersSanDiegoChargerswillie parkerWillieParker Dan Graziano dan-graziano 2009-10-05T15:25:00 00:00