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PITTSBURGH — Running back Najeh Davenport was released by the Pittsburgh Steelers on Saturday after the team couldn't work out a trade for Willie Parker's former backup.

Also released were safety Mike Lorello, long snapper Jared Retkofsky and offensive lineman Doug Legursky.

Davenport rushed for a career-high 499 yards and averaged 4.7 yards per carry last season, but was ineffective as a starter in the Steelers' final two games after Parker broke a leg Dec. 20.

Davenport was held to 25 yards on 16 carries in a 31-29 wild-card playoff loss to Jacksonville after gaining 27 yards on 12 attempts in a season-ending loss at Baltimore.

Pittsburgh Steelers release running back Najeh Davenport, three others....

Associated Press

CHAUTAUQUA, N.Y. -- NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said it's "ridiculous" to reward untested rookies with lucrative contracts and wants the issue addressed in contract talks.

"There's something wrong about the system," Goodell said Friday. "The money should go to people who perform."


Goodell referred to Michigan tackle Jake Long's five-year, $57.75 million contract -- with $30 million guaranteed. Long was the first overall draft pick by the Miami Dolphins in April.

"He doesn't have to play a down in the NFL and he already has his money," Goodell said during a question-and-answer period at the end of a weeklong sports symposium at the Chautauqua Institution. "Now, with the economics where they are, the consequences if you don't evaluate that player, you can lose a significant amount of money.

"And that money is not going to players that are performing. It's going to a player that never makes it in the NFL. And I think that's ridiculous."

Goodell on rookie pay: 'There's something wrong'....

By Nick Eatman

IRVING, Texas - - For 14 seasons he was one of the most dominating players of his era.

He outworked, outhustled and simply outplayed his opponents, ruling the line of scrimmage and mounting a consistent attack on opposing quarterbacks.

The majority of Randy White's career highlights occurred at Texas Stadium, including his Ring of Honor induction back in 1994.

But the guy nicknamed the "Manster" knows his opportunities to visit the field he once ruled are dwindling by the day as the Cowboys' new $1 billion stadium in Arlington, Texas, is scheduled to open for the 2009 season.

That's one reason why White jumped at the chance to attend a Dallas Desperados practice Wednesday at Texas Stadium.

Another reason is because he still loves the game of football and relishes every chance he gets to be around it.

Hall-of-Famer White Back At Texas Stadium Again....

Associated Press

One man was arrested and a second was sought Tuesday in a robbery and beating that left Raiders receiver Javon Walker unconscious on a side street after a long night of partying at Las Vegas nightclubs.

Police said Arfat Fadel, of Las Vegas, was accused of multiple felonies, including kidnapping, robbery, battery and conspiracy in a June 16 robbery. Lt. Clinton Nichols said Walker lost about $3,000 in cash and $100,000 worth of jewelry in the robbery.

The loot has not been re- covered, Nichols said.

"Mr. Walker was in town to have a good time, as many of our visitors to Las Vegas do," Nichols said. "As he will readily admit, he probably had a little too much to drink and he did not pick up on the clues that Mr. Fadel was someone he probably should not have been with."

Police released a booking photo of Fadel, 30, and a black-and-white surveillance videotape image of the other alleged assailant who they believed was still in Las Vegas.

Police catch Walker suspect....

By CRISTIAN SALAZAR – 1 hour ago

NEW YORK (AP) — Don Imus, responding to criticism about racial remarks on his radio program, said on the air Tuesday he was trying to "make a sarcastic point" about unfair treatment of blacks in the criminal justice system but had been misunderstood.

Imus resurrected his radio career six months ago with a pledge to mend the wounds caused by a racist and sexist comment he made about a women's basketball team.

On Tuesday he said he was following the spirit of that promise by calling attention to the unfair treatment of blacks — in this case the arrests of suspended Dallas Cowboys cornerback Adam Jones.

"What people should be outraged about is that they arrest blacks for no reason," Imus said Tuesday. "I mean, there's no reason to arrest this kid six times. Maybe he did something once, but everyone does something once."

Don Imus says he was making a 'sarcastic point'....

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Former Chicago Bears running back Cedric Benson was ordered Monday to install an ignition-lock breath tester in his car after he was charged with drunken driving.
Benson was charged in separate incidents of boating and driving while intoxicated. Travis County Court-at-Law Judge Elisabeth Earle ordered him to install the device within 72 hours as a condition of his bail at a pretrial hearing.

The device prevents the car from starting if it detects alcohol.

Cedric Benson ordered to get alcohol car lock....

By Wayne Drehs
ESPN.com

PARKERSBURG, Iowa -- Step-by-step, Jared DeVries walks deeper into the nightmare that is his former high school. Every time his white cross trainers hit the ground, he is greeted by another noise: the crackling of broken glass here and the squish of wet ceiling tiles there.



The Detroit Lions defensive end has read the articles, seen the pictures and watched the videos. His friends and family warned him about what to expect.



It was a just about four weeks ago, on the evening of May 25, when an EF5 tornado, three-quarters of a mile wide, with winds in excess of 200 mph, ripped through this community of 1,900, destroying or damaging nearly half the town. The tornado, which stayed in Parkersburg for 34 seconds before traveling another 43 miles, killed six people and leveled 21 businesses, the city hall and the heart of the community: Aplington-Parkersburg High School.



DeVries knew his high school was damaged, but not until he showed up here does it hit him. Not until he climbs over the orange "BIOHAZARD" tape, walks through the water-, brick- and glass-covered halls and stands in the doorway of what was once his gymnasium, does it sink in.

Iowa town turns to football to recover from tornado....

ESPN.com news services

The Dolphins say they want Jason Taylor to play one final season in Miami, but that reportedly hasn't stopped the Green Bay Packers from continuing to check on his availability.

The Green Bay Press-Gazette and Milwaukee Journal Sentinel are reporting that the Packers have called the Dolphins to check if the team is willing to deal the star defensive end. The Packers also inquired about Taylor before April's NFL draft.

And a source in South Florida told the Journal Sentinel that, despite Taylor's insistence earlier this month that he's willing to play in Miami in 2008, he has only pushed harder for a trade from the only team he has ever played for.

Reports: Packers checking on Taylor's availability in trade

Bryan Chu, Chronicle Staff Writer

Raiders wide receiver Javon Walker was beaten, mugged and found unconscious off the Las Vegas strip early Monday morning, a Las Vegas law enforcement official said.

No arrests have been made, but police have some leads.

"We don't believe this is a random act," Las Vegas police Lt. Clint Nichols told the Chronicle. "They knew who he was and (Walker) presented a target.

MORE....

Irving, TX (Sports Network) - The Dallas Cowboys started their three-day mandatory mini-camp on Tuesday without star wideout Terrell Owens, who missed practice with what team officials termed as a personal matter.

Owens signed a three-year, $27 million contract extension earlier this month before news broke that he was placed in the NFL's "reasonable cause" testing program after missing a drug test. The veteran wide receiver attributed the missed test, and subsequent missed calls by the league office to Owens, to a mix-up of phone numbers. Nevertheless, Owens will be subject to as many as 24 random tests in the next calendar year.

MORE....

By ANDREW D. SMITH / The Dallas Morning News

Rather than just reading over the massive numbers, try – for just a moment – to envision the product they describe.

Imagine four city buses parked in a line. Now imagine another layer of buses stacked on top of them. Add five more layers and hang the 28-bus cluster over a mental football field.

Having trouble? You're not alone. Even the folks behind the new Cowboys stadium can't really fathom how the world's largest video displays will change the game for fans.

"We have no reference point. It's completely different than anything else in football," said Jack Hill, director of stadium construction.

MORE....

By JOHN BRANCH

Michael Strahan, the longtime leader of the Giants’ defense, is retiring from the N.F.L., leaving his lone Super Bowl victory as the final game of a 15-year career.

trahan, a defensive end and a likely first-ballot Hall of Famer, told the Giants of his decision on Monday morning. A news conference was scheduled for 11:30 a.m. on Tuesday at Giants Stadium.

MORE....

By Associated Press

AUSTIN, Texas - Chicago Bears running back Cedric Benson has been charged with drunken driving after being arrested for the second time in just more than a month.

Authorities said Benson was arrested early Saturday in downtown Austin after he failed a field sobriety test. The former Texas star was charged with driving while intoxicated and was released on bond.

The arrest comes a month after Benson was charged with boating while intoxicated and resisting arrest. He has said that neither charge is true, and the cases are pending.

STORY....

Erie County District Attorney Frank Clark calls Bills running back Marshawn Lynch the “principal suspect” in an alleged hit-and-run accident, saying the player was inside his vehicle when it struck and injured a pedestrian.

What’s unclear, Clark said yesterday in Buffalo, N.Y., is whether Lynch was driving the 2008 Porsche SUV when it struck a woman crossing an intersection in downtown Buffalo before speeding off early Saturday.

“There were other people in the car, too, (Lynch) wasn’t the only person in the car,” Clark said. “I don’t know whether he was driving that car or not. But I’m confident that before the investigation ends, we’re going to find out, whether he talks to us or whether he doesn’t.”

STORY....

Oakland Raiders have signed running back Darren McFadden, their top pick in this year's draft.

Terms of the contract were not disclosed, but SI.com reported that the deal was for six years and $60million, including $26 million in guaranteed money.

The Raiders will hold a press conference at 2pm EDT on Friday to officially announce the signing.

McFadden, the number four overall selection and a two-time Heisman Trophy runner-up at Arkansas, is the third first-round pick to sign this year, joining overall number one Jake Long of the Miami Dolphins and third pick Matt Ryan of the Atlanta Falcons.

Long, an offensive tackle, signed a five-year, $57.5 million deal prior to the draft, while quarterback Ryan inked a six-year pact for $72 million.

STORY....

BOSTON (AP) — A Massachusetts newspaper is reporting that a New England Patriots player was arrested on drug charges, and then helped federal authorities in a sting operation that resulted in the indictment of a supplier.
New York State Police say starting offensive lineman Nick Kaczur was arrested in New York in April on a misdemeanor charge of illegal possession of oxycodone, a prescription painkiller, according to a report Wednesday in The Boston Globe.

Court documents say a cooperating witness then worked with the Drug Enforcement Administration by wearing a hidden recording device during three drug transactions.

ARTICLE....

Green Bay Packers running back Noah Herron foiled a break-in at his home Friday night by hitting one of the intruders with a bedpost, the Green Bay Press Gazette reported.

According to the Wisconsin newspaper, Herron said he heard his doorbell ring at about 11:15 p.m. but didn't answer it because he was not expecting any guests. The running back then heard noises on his deck, breaking glass and two men enter his home, as was stated by the Brown County Sheriff's Chief Deputy, John Gossage, and in an affidavit filed with a search warrant.

Herron, who had unscrewed a post from his bed, hit an intruder who entered his bedroom. The Gazette reported that the injured intruder was hospitalized and was expected to recover.

STORY....

BY JON WIENER and DAVID BLAUSTEIN

Terrell Owens has an idea for keeping his new teammate Adam "Pacman" Jones out of trouble.

Owens, who is being recognized this summer as an Alzheimer's Association Champion for his work for the foundation, says Jones  who was suspended from the NFL after a series of arrests, including one stemming from a shootout at a Las Vegas strip club  should join him in his charity work.

"I hope we can get him affected by [Alzheimer's] just a little bit so he can forget about those strip clubs," Owens joked in an interview with ABC News Radio.

Owens, who has experienced his own share of controversy in his career before coming to Dallas in a 2006 trade, believes "Pacman" will succeed in Dallas once NFL commissioner Roger Goodell lifts his nearly two-year suspension.

Jones has been granted permission by the league to join the Cowboys' training camps and pre-season games. A decision on whether he will be reinstated for the 2008 season will be made by September 1, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said in a statement on Monday, Reuters reports.

"Pacman's a great kid, and obviously he's a great athlete. If we can get him on the field and Roger Goodell can reinstate him, I think that's really just going to put his mind in a better place. The year he's had has really helped him get his life in perspective, and I think he's ready to do the right thing," Owens said.

Owens Gives Back, Looks Forward

FULL STORY....

By JAIME ARON

IRVING, Texas (AP) — Adam "Pacman" Jones can join the Dallas Cowboys for everything but the regular season — for now.

Commissioner Roger Goodell said Monday he would decide by Sept. 1 whether to fully end Jones' suspension, which wiped out the entire 2007 season when he was with the Tennessee Titans. The Cowboys play their opener Sept. 7 in Cleveland.

"Commissioner Goodell told Jones that his continued participation in the NFL depends on demonstrating that he can conduct himself in a lawful and reliable manner," the league wrote in a statement. "Jones will be expected to continue the personal conduct program established for him by the NFL and the Cowboys and to avoid further adverse involvement with law enforcement."

Jones could be in action as soon as Tuesday, the team's next organized practice.

MORE....

Associated Press


HOLLYWOOD, Fla. -- Jason Taylor wanted to clear the air on numerous topics.

No, he did not demand a trade from the Miami Dolphins. Yes, he wants to play one more season before moving on to an acting career. No, he still hasn't spoken with new Dolphins boss Bill Parcells. Yes, he believes Tony Sparano will be a good coach in Miami. No, he doesn't regret missing workouts to appear on ABC's "Dancing with the Stars." Yes, he desperately wants to leave football a winner.

But on one issue -- whether he will he be at training camp with the Dolphins next month -- Taylor showed he can dance while seated, too.

"Do I want to be here? Yeah, I'd love to be here," Taylor said Sunday morning while seated on the top level of an arena in Hollywood -- the South Florida suburb, that is, not the moviemaking capital that has piqued his interest considerably in recent weeks and will likely beckon once he retires. "I would love to be a Dolphin and win games and have it work out for everybody. But that may not be the case."

So the mystery of whether the six-time Pro Bowl defensive end has played his last game for Miami will live on, at least a bit longer.

MORE....