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Top NFL Veterans to Watch this Year! msnbc.com 1. Tiki Barber. Tiki’s tale of football redemption could become one of the most intriguing story lines of the season. If anyone offers him a contract. A couple of teams supposedly are interested, and Tiki’s agent has declared that they know where Tiki will play. But the two teams in which he has expressed the most interest — the Buccaneers and the Steelers — may not be interested in him. His obvious goal is to restore relevance, and then possibly to relaunch a media career that begins with slightly lower expectations. The first question is whether he’ll get that chance.
2. Kevin Kolb. Based on the manner in which the Eagles have gotten the absolute most out of every quarterback that has taken the field under coach Andy Reid, why is there a presumption that Kevin Kolb constitutes a can’t-miss proposition? No offense to Kolb, but his (limited) achievements could be chalked up to the coaching in Philly, given that the coaching in in Philly has done wonders since 1999 with a laundry list of signal-callers. Sure, even if Kolb is 75 percent in Arizona of what he was in Philly, Kolb will still be better than anything the Cardinals had last year. But given the manner in which the Eagles have grifted the likes of the Dolphins out of a second-round pick for A.J. Feeley and the Redskins out of a two and a four for a possibly washed-up Donovan McNabb, buyer beware are the operative buzzwords.
3. Donovan McNabb. Speaking of McNabb, Adam Schefter of ESPN said earlier this morning on Mike & Mike in the Morning that Redskins coach Mike Shanahan wants to get a draft pick for McNabb. Schefter, who once wrote a book with Shanahan and who thus knows a little more than the rest of us about Shanahan’s thinking, speculated that Shanahan would want something like a fifth-round selection that could increase to a fourth-rounder based on McNabb’s play in 2011. But McNabb will want out ASAFP, and he won’t be inclined to restructure a contract that pays him $12.5 million this year. The Redskins eventually will cut McNabb before Week One, at which time the $12.5 million will be fully owed. McNabb will want the Redskins to do it now, so that he can find a new chair before the music stops. And so it could get ugly, quickly, in D.C., with a two-ring training camp circus featuring McNabb and Albert Haynesworth trying their best to get out of town, and Shanahan trying his best to show them who’s boss.
4. Vince Young. The Titans have made clear their desire to trade or cut Vince Young, the third overall pick in the 2006 draft. Under the 2011 transition rules, the Titans will have to cut Young by Friday at 4:00 p.m. ET, if they can’t trade him. Otherwise, they’ll owe him a $4.25 million roster bonus. Chances are that Young will be cut, and then the question will become whether he can get it done in a new city. A couple of high-profile occasions on which Young couldn’t handle adversity have overcome the situations in which he has handled prosperity. At the time his 2010 season ended with an injury to his thumb and a shoe to his butt from former Titans coach Jeff Fisher, Young’s passer rating was perched at 98.6. Can we be sure that Young’s bad reaction to periodic rough spots can be blamed only on Young? What if Young were playing for a head coach who knew how to press the right buttons, in order to get him through the inevitable challenges of playing quarterback in the NFL? It could be that it’s all Young. But there aren’t enough good quarterbacks to go around, Young has been a good quarterback, and if there’s a head coach who can better manage Young, he could still do a lot of good things in the NFL.
5. Peyton Manning. Colts owner Jim Irsay has declared for months that Peyton Manning’s next contract will be the biggest contract in league history. Now that Irsay is staring down the barrel of a $120 million cap limit with more than $23 million devoted to Manning, the owner is tapping the brakes. For Manning, the question becomes whether he’ll make another money grab, or whether he’ll give the Colts enough cap space to get him the help he needs in order to build a better on-field legacy. It’s a tricky situation for everyone, and Manning could take a big hit in the eyes of the fan base if he holds out into the preseason while he waits for a new deal.
6. Plaxico Burress. Plaxico Burress seems to be interested in every team other than the Giants. The Giants, surprisingly, could be interested in Plaxico Burress, based on recent comments from co-owner John Mara. In the end, the question comes down to Plaxico’s priorities. He has said he wants to play for a coach who cares, and a quarterback who can bring it. Money is surely a factor, as is Plaxico’s spot on the depth chart. Teams will be interested. Burress must then compare the opportunities to his priorities. When he does, the decision will be easier than a decision not to take a loaded gun into a Manhattan nightclub. OK, maybe it won’t be an easy decision.
7. Reggie Bush. The Saints owe Bush a base salary of $11.8 million in 2011. He won’t make that much money. The question becomes whether whatever money he makes will be made in New Orleans or elsewhere. If he wants out, all he has to do is do nothing. The Saints surely won’t keep him past Week One, at which time that $11.8 million salary becomes guaranteed. There’s a good chance the Saints won’t even bring him into the building for training camp absent a new deal, given that a torn ACL or a busted Achilles’ would likely lead to $11.8 million making its way to Bush’s back pocket. He’s worth more to the Saints than he is to any other team. But would he take less elsewhere for a fresh start? Lately, he has been saying all the right things. In the end, all that matters is whether he’ll say “yes” when the Saints extend their best offer for a reduced salary in 2011.
8. Ike Taylor. Yeah, Nnamdi Asomugha has become the crown jewel of the 2011 free agency class. Sure, Antonio Cromartie gets more buzz. But Ike Taylor quietly has become one of the names to watch in free agency. If the Steelers wanted to keep their No. 1 corner, the Steelers would have signed him before he made it to free agency. And if Taylor wanted to stay, he wouldn’t be publicly declaring his intention to go to the highest bidder. Making the situation even more intriguing is the fact that Taylor quietly is held in high regard by some of the coaches who are familiar with his style of play over the last eight seasons. He consistently faces the top receiver on the opposing team, and he can handle press coverage effectively, allowing the Steelers to keep offenses guessing as to whether Taylor will run with the receiver, or whether he’ll release his man after applying a jam and occupy a short zone. With the Ravens dumping salaries, some fans think they’re making room for Asomugha. Given that the Ravens have seen twice (and sometimes thrice) per year what Ike can do, maybe he’s the guy they’re truly after.
9. Matthew Hasselbeck. Despite the belief that the long-time Seahawks starter will jump to the Titans and that the 49ers will keep Alex Smith, there’s an emerging belief that Hasselbeck will slide down the coast, joining forces with Jim Harbaugh. Whether Hasselbeck goes to San Fran or to Arizona, staying in the NFC West could be his best move. The team with the best quarterback play will likely win James Carville’s favorite division, and Hasselbeck could relish the Favre-style opportunity to stick it to a team that no longer wanted him. Either way, it’s rare that a quarterback who has started a Super Bowl is available in free agency. Surely, there will be a market for his services.
10. Chris Johnson. The Titans’ key player won’t be a free agent for two more seasons, and therein lies the problem. Johnson wants much more than the last two seasons of his rookie deal will pay him, and for good reason. He has become one of the best players in the league. After two more years, Johnson will have less tread on the tires — and thus less reason to justify big money. So now is the time to get paid. A holdout is virtually guaranteed, and it could get as ugly as last year’s Darrelle Revis debacle.
The King 25: Ranking Top NFL Free Agents
1 Nnamdi Asomugha Position: CB Age: 30 Old Team: RAIDERS Best Fit: TEXANS King's Take: Best free-agent corner since Deion Sanders in 1995.
2 DeAngelo Williams Position: RB Age: 28 Old Team: PANTHERS Best Fit: DOLPHINS King's Take: Good fit for Miami, which still wants to power-run.
3 Cullen Jenkins Position: DE Age: 30 Old Team: PACKERS Best Fit: REDSKINS King's Take: Follow the money: Jenkins wants it; Dan Snyder has it.
4 Aubrayo Franklin Position: NT Age: 30 Old Team: 49ERS Best Fit: 49ERS King's Take: Top nosetackle in this class and, at 30, still in his prime.
5 Sidney Rice Position: WR Age: 24 Old Team: VIKINGS Best Fit: JAGUARS King's Take: But expect the Rams to go after him very, very hard.
6 Jason Babin Position: DE Age: 31 Old Team: TITANS Best Fit: JAGUARS King's Take: Led all free-agents-to-be with 12 1/2 sacks in 2010.
7 Santonio Holmes Position: WR Age: 27 Old Team: JETS Agreed To Sign With: JETS King's Take: Has two strikes against him in player discipline.
8 Matt Light Position: T Age: 33 Old Team: PATRIOTS Best Fit: SEAHAWKS King's Take: Only proven above-average left-tackle starter available.
9 Antonio Cromartie Position: CB Age: 27 Old Team: JETS Best Fit: RAIDERS King's Take: Al Davis? Overpay for a cornerback? Yup. He always does.
10 Ray Edwards Position: DE Age: 26 Old Team: VIKINGS Best Fit: EAGLES King's Take: Rush end to complement the underrated Trent Cole.
11 Johnathan Joseph Position: CB Age: 27 Old Team: BENGALS Best Fit: STEELERS King's Take: Good, aggressive Pittsburgh-quality corner.
12 Matt Hasselbeck Position: QB Age: 35 Old Team: SEAHAWKS Agreed To Sign With: TITANS King's Take: Tennessee outbids Vikings on best quarterback in crop.
13 Marshal Yanda Position: G-T Age: 26 Old Team: RAVENS Agreed To Sign With: RAVENS King's Take: But beware of Washington, which could break the bank.
14 Doug Free Position: T Age: 27 Old Team: COWBOYS Agreed To Sign With: COWBOYS King's Take: Dallas will pony up for rising star who'll protect Tony Romo.
15 Ahmad Bradshaw Position: RB Age: 26 Old Team: GIANTS Best Fit: BRONCOS King's Take: New York wants to keep him, but not at silly money.
16 Eric Weddle Position: FS Age: 26 Old Team: CHARGERS Best Fit: JAGUARS King's Take: But he won't get away from San Diego without a fight.
17 Charles Johnson Position: DE Age: 25 Old Team: PANTHERS Agreed To Sign With: PANTHERS King's Take: Makes no sense for a team with cap space to lose him.
18 Brandon Mebane Position: DT Age: 26 Old Team: SEAHAWKS Best Fit: BRONCOS King's Take: John Fox needs interior-line beef to bolster run defense.
19 Harvey Dahl Position: G Age: 30 Old Team: FALCONS Best Fit: DOLPHINS King's Take: Miami has to get better up front.
20 Barrett Ruud Position: LB Age: 28 Old Team: BUCS Best Fit: BUCS King's Take: Tackling machine. Tampa Bay has to have him back.
21 Ike Taylor Position: CB Age: 31 Old Team: STEELERS Agreed To Sign With: STEELERS King's Take: Has strengths and weaknesses; Pittsburgh knows both.
22 Melvin Bullitt Position: SS Age: 26 Old Team: COLTS Best Fit: PATRIOTS King's Take: Overshadowed by top safeties, but a solid NFL starter.
23 Braylon Edwards Position: WR Age: 28 Old Team: JETS Best Fit: RAIDERS King's Take: Will want too much money. Al will likely give it to him.
24 Willie Colon Position: T Age: 28 Old Team: STEELERS Best Fit: STEELERS King's Take: Missed 2010 (Achilles tendon); still best T option for Pitt.
25 Malcom Floyd Position: WR Age: 29 Old Team: CHARGERS Best Fit: CHARGERS King's Take: San Diego can't afford to lose Floyd and Vincent Jackson.
Ohio State bans Terrelle Pryor, to the benefit of his pro career By Graham Watson yahoosports.com
If it comes at all, Terrelle Pryor's entry to the NFL's supplemental draft will come at a price. Ohio State said in a letter to Pryor's attorney Larry James today that the former quarterback has been "completely disassociated" with the program and would not have been reinstated to the team after his five-game suspension. The school also has banned him from any contact with the athletic program for five years. The team said the punishment stemmed not only from Pryor trading his memorabilia for tattoos, which is what prompted the NCAA's five-game suspension, but also because Pryor failed to cooperate with the NCAA regarding the investigation. Pryor's lawyer asked for the letter after NFL spokesman Greg Aiello told FoxSports.com that Pryor didn't meet the criteria to be eligible for the supplemental draft. "If there are no players eligible for a supplemental draft, there is no supplemental draft," NFL spokesman Greg Aiello wrote in an email to FOXSports.com on Sunday. "It is for players whose circumstances have changed in an unforeseen way after the regular (college) draft. It is not a mechanism for simply bypassing the regular (draft)." Aiello cited examples of "unforeseen" changes as players who were kicked off their college teams, declared academically ineligible or graduated and then decided to leave school. Pryor doesn't qualify on any of those fronts. Obviously, with Ohio State's letter, Pryor would likely qualify for the supplemental draft, but is also painted as a villain in the eyes of the university he played with for three seasons. It also shows that Pryor's decision to leave school in June, which seemed voluntary, was ultimately forced by the school. This also explains why Ohio State coach Luke Fickell didn't return Pryor's phone messages in the days leading up to his departure. This is perhaps an even sadder ending to Pryor's Ohio State career than the one we all believed for the past month. Even Ohio State isn't standing by the image of Pryor being the decent football player who made some mistakes and left the program. Pryor is now portrayed as a guy who willfully ruined his university's reputation and disgraced himself and his association with the game. He's like the Barry Bonds of college football, only not nearly as successful. It will be interesting to see how this plays with NFL scouts. Before they might have been able to overlook Pryor selling his memorabilia to make some cash, but now, with the five-year ban from the program, there has to be more to the story. There were four other players suspended for trading memorabilia, but they're all still in school. As far as we know, they'll be eligible after they serve their suspensions and the school won't be banning them from the grounds. So what did Pryor really do to make Ohio State want to distance itself from him so badly? We may never know.
Tiger Woods drops out of the world top 20 yahoosports.com We all knew this day was coming, we just didn't think it was coming so soon. Tiger Woods has dropped out of the world top 20, a moment which we've all anticipated in the last few months, but one which retains major historical significance. You know the story. Woods hasn't been close to a world-beating golfer since his scandal broke in November 2009. This season, he's played exactly nine holes of competitive golf since Augusta, an ill-fated excursion to The Players Championship in May. And now, he's only ranked No. 21 in the world. Indeed, perhaps the only surprise surrounding Woods' place in the rankings was the fact that he remained in the top 10 for so long. But the Official World Golf Rankings tally scores based on a rolling two-year average, and since Woods had a successful 2009 -- before Thanksgiving, at least -- he was cruising on past successes. Which is why he'll be hitting terminal velocity in the rankings before long. We're coming up on the two-year anniversary of a remarkable run in which he posted two wins and a second-place finish in three straight tournaments -- the Buick Classic, the Bridgestone and the PGA Championship -- and once those no longer count in his favor, he'll have only the September 2009 BMW Championship and the November 2009 Australian Masters counting in his favor. The top of the rankings remain familiar: Luke Donald, Lee Westwood, Martin Kaymer, Rory McIlroy and Steve Stricker. Phil Mickelson comes in at No. 6, and British Open winner Darren Clarke is No. 31. (Auburn also received votes, which seems a little strange.) We don't need any more reminders of how far Woods has fallen. And although winning will solve many of his on-course ills, those days seem further away than ever before.
My Pre-Season player to Watch at ALL Times!
Here is to all of you haters out there.... Ha! Ha! Looks like the NCAA wont be able to make an example out of OSU after all. Truth is, the Buckeyes are the Ncaa's crash crop when it comes to bringing in money. The kids shouldn't be punished for the stupidity of a coach and a player who is no longer with the team. So, don't ever say that the NCAA isn't about money.
Ohio State doesn't face worst sanctions espn.com Ohio State likely won't face the most severe charges possible in the memorabilia-for-cash and tattoos scandal that cost football coach Jim Tressel his job. NCAA investigators said they found no evidence that Ohio State failed to properly monitor its football program or any evidence of a lack of institutional control, according to a letter sent to the university and released Friday. NCAA investigators also said they have not found any new violations. "Considering the institution's rules education and monitoring efforts, the enforcement staff did not believe a failure to monitor charge was appropriate in this case," the NCAA said in the letter sent Thursday. The notice clearing Ohio State of the most serious of institutional breaches is a big break for the university, which will meet with the NCAA's committee on infractions on Aug. 12. That committee could accept penalties Ohio State already placed on itself or could pile on recruiting restrictions, bowl bans and other, stiffer sanctions. The NCAA letter first reported by The Columbus Dispatch said that Tressel was the only university official who knew about the violations involving his players. He didn't report them to anyone else at the school. Ohio State spokesman Jim Lynch said the NCAA's findings were consistent with the university's own investigation into what happened with the allegations surrounding Tressel and the players. Tressel stepped down under pressure in May, months after the university discovered emails showing he'd been warned by an attorney in April 2010 about his players' involvement with a Columbus tattoo parlor owner. The coach knew players received cash and tattoos for autographs, championship rings and equipment but did not tell anyone at Ohio State or the NCAA for about nine months. NCAA rules -- and Tressel's contract -- specified that he had to disclose any and all information about possible violations. The university announced earlier this month it would vacate the 2010 season, including its Allstate Sugar Bowl victory over Arkansas and its share of the Big Ten championship. It also self-imposed a two-year NCAA probation, in addition to suspending six players for the first five games and forcing Tressel out. Ohio State also will overhaul its compliance office by the end of the year, creating a centralized office that will oversee athletics as well as other university departments, one of its trustees announced Friday. The move will strengthen oversight of all aspects of the university, said trustee Robert Schottenstein. Shortly after Tressel ended his 10-year run at Ohio State, which included the 2002 national championship, star quarterback Terrelle Pryor -- one of the suspended players -- left the school, hoping to try his luck in an NFL supplemental draft. Tressel met with Ohio State and NCAA officials on Feb. 8 to discuss the allegations. According to a transcript released Friday, he said that he made a mistake by keeping the information from his superiors. He also said he knew that NCAA sanctions were "inevitable." "It was pretty simple. We were either gonna be horribly in trouble from a criminal standpoint, or we're gonna be minorly involved in drug, you know, buying and stuff, or we're gonna face the NCAA reality that we did some things with our memorabilia we're not allowed to do," he said. "I was totally confident one of those was gonna happen." The U.S. attorney's office notified Ohio State officials last December that it discovered some Ohio State memorabilia during a raid. That led to the investigation into five players who were suspended, but allowed to participate in the Sugar Bowl on Jan. 4. Tressel was asked if he would have never come forward if the government had not sent the letter. "Never is a long time. I don't know," he replied. "I had confidence in the federal government that they were gonna do what they were supposed to do," he said. "They didn't need my help to do it, nor did they need my interruption to do it." The NCAA also said in its letter released Friday that it investigated a Sports Illustrated report that said nine more players sold memorabilia to the tattoo parlor owner, but confirmed that only one had any dealings with the man.
Terrelle Pryor to miss NFL shot in 2011? espn.com Terrelle Pryor's pending application for a supplemental draft remains under review by the NFL and the primary determination likely will be made on whether the NCAA certifies he would not have been eligible for 2011 Ohio State games because of rules violations, sources have told ESPN senior NFL analyst Chris Mortensen. But Pryor does have a unique case that should give him serious consideration for the supplemental draft because, according to his attorney, Larry James, Ohio State officials have agreed a completed investigation that occurred past the Jan. 15 underclassmen deadline determined he would not have been eligible for any games for the 2011 season. Pryor's signing with an agent, Drew Rosenhaus, after the Jan. 15 NFL deadline for underclassmen to declare for the April draft is not considered a factor relating to his NCAA eligibility status under normal NFL protocol. Rosenhaus, speaking Monday in a phone interview with ESPN's "Outside the Lines," said after "hounding the NFL on this matter," that he continues to await word on a clarification. "They've indicated to me pretty consistently that they're not going to have an answer until there's a CBA in place," Rosenhaus said. "Well, now that we're on the verge of that being official, we do expect to hear from the NFL about Terrelle. The sooner the better because we've got to set up a workout for him. We've got to get him meeting the teams, we've got to have him taking physicals and whatnot." Eligible players for a supplemental draft include those who have had unforeseen changes such as being banned from their college programs, made ineligible academically or having graduated before deciding to leave school, according to the NFL. Originally, Pryor signed an agreement with the university and coach Jim Tressel that stated he would return for the 2011 season but would be required to miss the Buckeyes' first five games. That agreement reportedly allowed Pryor to play in the Sugar Bowl on Jan. 4 against Arkansas. Legally, it was a non-binding document so Pryor could have declared for the April draft before the Jan. 15 NFL deadline. The confusion that ensued and further findings that questioned Pryor's eligibility for the entire 2011 Ohio State season likely will be clarified by the NCAA, allowing the NFL to make a decision in the near future. If the NCAA presents a case that Pryor could have remained eligible for any portion of the season, his application could be denied by the NFL. "We've got a lot of work to do and we know that training camps start as soon as Wednesday," Rosenhaus said. "So we hope to hear something ASAP from the NFL, and you know, obviously we're hopeful and we're confident that they will include him in the supplemental draft." According to scenarios based a strict league policy laid out by NFL spokesman Greg Aiello in an email to FoxSports.com, Pryor doesn't qualify. In citing examples of players who were eligible for a supplemental draft, Aiello presented examples that, according to FoxSports.com, included "unforeseen" changes such as being banned from their college programs, made ineligible academically or players who had graduated before deciding to leave school. "If there are no players eligible for a supplemental draft, there is no supplemental draft," Aiello said in the email. "It is for players whose circumstances have changed in an unforeseen way after the regular (college) draft. It is not a mechanism for simply bypassing the regular (draft)." Because the NFL's supplemental draft is normally held 10 days before the start of training camps, it's uncertain how the lockout will affect the process. The league's owners and players have agreed to a 10-year agreement, and training camps start to open Wednesday. Forty players have been selected in the NFL supplemental draft since its inception in 1977. Teams submit picks to the league and if their bid is the highest, they receive the player but lose the corresponding draft pick in the next draft. Former Georgia tailback Caleb King said earlier this month, soon after being declared academically ineligible for the 2011 season, that he would also like to enter the supplemental draft. In a news conference in June to announce he was leaving, Pryor apologized to the Buckeyes, to his former teammates and to the now-departed Tressel for his role in the pay-for-memorabilia scandal that led to the former coach's exit. Pryor had already been suspended by Ohio State and the NCAA for the first five games of what would have been his senior season this fall for accepting improper benefits, such as cash and discounted tattoos. The scandal led to Tressel's forced resignation. Tressel acknowledged knowing his players were taking improper benefits but covered it up for more than nine months before Ohio State officials discovered his knowledge. Pryor is Ohio State's all-time leading rusher among quarterbacks, with 2,164 yards. He also threw 57 touchdown passes, tying a school record. The NCAA said in a letter to Ohio State last week that as a result of the governing body's investigation that it wouldn't recommend the school be hit with the most serious charges of failing to properly monitor its football program or any lack of institutional control when if faces the NCAA's committee on infractions on Aug. 12.
Congrats to these Three, but no one will ever care about the Baseball Hall of Fame until Pete Rose is Inducted!!!!
Eagles may want to sign Brett Favre; Vick would be ‘honored’ By Doug Farrar yahoosports.com
Folks, we're really sorry for this. We really are. But it's our duty to keep our Spidey-Senses up for NFL news, and we've caught wind of a … well, we're searching for the right word to describe it … rumor. Howard Eskin of 610 WIP Sports Radio in Philadelphia has it out there that the Eagles are interested in possibly procuring the services of ... Br… Bre… Brett Fa… Oh hell, we can't even write it. Howard, take it away! The worst part is that though Favre has made no noises about returning to the game after retirement (again), his possible tenure with the Eagles makes all the sense in the world, especially given the time constraints of the (potential) new CBA. If the league year starts next Wednesday, training camps will be limited at best, and we all know how Favre has enjoyed playing his own tune when it comes to that part of the preseason — he was very transparent in his last two retirements, both of which had him with the Minnesota Vikings when those retirements were retracted. Add in the fact that Favre knows Eagles head coach Andy Reid and offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg from his days in Green Bay, and you've got a good scheme fit for Favre's talents. And when the Eagles trade Kevin Kolb(notes) (as they undeniably will), that will put Michael Vick(notes) out there as the absolute starter. Factor in Vick's breakneck style, the injuries it led to in 2010, and the four games he missed, and it's clear the Eagles need a veteran backup familiar with a West Coast Offense that has aerial passing components. Right now, this is just Eskin's rumor, though he's fairly dialed in. The Eagles can't talk to free agents or draft picks, but there's nothing in the lockout rules we're aware of preventing them from talking to retired players. If Favre is interested in coming back to a team able to challenge for a Super Bowl, in a media hotbed, behind a vulnerable quarterback, which a staff he knows, and talented targets all over the place … well, there would be few better places for him to go. Then, there's the intangible argument. The lockout has taken the attention of the NFL media through the spring and summer; very few people have made Favre the primary subject of their attention, and we all know how he reacts to that. It's tempting to ask the owners and players to put some sort of "Anti-Favre" provision in the new CBA before the NFLPA signs off on it, but we suppose we'll have to see how this plays out. Again. Good Lord, again.
Williams on Woods: 'I've wasted two years' sportsline.com ORLANDO, Fla. -- Steve Williams isn't a particularly complicated guy. As a suburban sherpa, he carries a golf bag for a living, commands more than a modicum of respect among his peers and has earned the right to be rewarded for his loyalty. Despite what many people think, he's an honest man with far more integrity than most folks these days. Which is doubtlessly why, if you've heard the audio clip of Williams venting about his firing by fading and former world No. 1 Tiger Woods, he sounds annoyed, betrayed and a little angry. "You could say I've wasted the last two years of my life," Williams told Television New Zealand, sobering remarks that are now airing on the BBC and other outlets. He was in Tiger Woods' wedding. They were thick as thieves. They worked out together, dined together, drove to the course as a twosome. As a result, everybody assumed that when Woods was caught up in the seamiest sex scandal in sports history, Williams had to be complicit. He insists that he was as clueless and shocked as the rest of us. Many who follow the circus that is the PGA Tour -- despite occasional friction with Woods' longtime bag man and enforcer -- believe him, too, without much hesitation. If you heard the confusion and anger in his voice in the audio clip, it only underscored that belief. After a record-shattering start in their 12 years together, Williams said he stuck with Woods lately through thick and thin. That's a charitable way of phrasing it. More like thin and thinner. "I've stuck with Tiger and been incredibly loyal," he said. "I'm not disappointed I've been fired -- that's part of the job -- but the timing is extraordinary. I am extremely disappointed, given that the last 18 months has been a particularly difficult time. "With the scandals, a new coach, a swing change, I've stuck with him through thick and thin and been incredibly loyal -- and then this happens. I wouldn't ditch someone when the chips are down. I've stuck by Tiger and put myself and my family in a difficult position." That's because most people assumed Williams was aware of Woods' tomcatting. But that just doesn't compute. Williams takes a dim view of cheating in any fashion -- he was a caddie at the overseas tournament years ago where Vijay Singh was accused of cheating. Williams still hasn't forgotten, and maybe hasn't quite forgiven, put it that way. Remember the awkward incident two years ago when Williams popped off about Phil Mickelson? He characterized Mickelson as a fake and said had little time for such people. In other words, Williams is a black-and-white guy with a very hard head. Turns out, Williams was the guy working for the biggest fraud in golf history. Yet, even after he knew it, he remained an employee out of sheer loyalty and against the better judgment of many, because his family and friends were suggesting that he quit as the taint continued to spread. With a bad taste in his mouth, some thought Williams might walk away from the most lucrative second-banana job since Ed McMahon worked for Johnny Carson. What did loyalty get him? A pink slip. What did Williams know and when? Don't assume you know the answers. Williams' wife, Kirsty, was a close friend of Elin Nordegren, Tiger's ex-wife. For Steve to have had knowledge of what was taking place with his boss and his bevy of women might have meant the end of his own marriage, too. Kirsty Williams and Elin Nordegren were inseparable on the course while watching their husbands ply their strange trade. After 20 months of enduring a scandal that just refuses to end, watching Woods trash his swing, lose millions in endorsements and an immeasurable amount of credibility, Woods summarily ditched Williams without publicly bothering to say why. "I'm a very big stickler for loyalty and I stuck with Tiger through his difficult period when a lot of people thought I should have left his side," Williams said. "That was the most difficult period that I've ever been through in my life. I'm pretty hard-headed and took it probably a lot better than my wife and family did, but there's no way that I should have been put through that." For months, while Woods hid from the media and licked his many public-relations wounds, Williams was painted with the same broad brush of guilt by association. Other Woods associates were linked to both the trail of women and ensuing coverup. Williams was left to twist in the wind. "My name should have been cleared immediately," Williams said. "It wasn't and that's what makes it even more disappointing what's transpired." When Woods returned at the Masters last year, the body language between him and Williams had changed. The camaraderie that had always been self-evident took a hit. There was a professional distance. Now we know why. "I, along with a lot of people, lost a lot of respect for Tiger and I pointed out before his return at the Masters at Augusta in 2010, that he had to earn back my respect," Williams said. Actually, that week, Woods said he wanted to be judged by his actions going forward. So be it -- he just fired one of his last remaining allies in Williams. Williams always insisted that when his gig with Woods ended, he'd go home to New Zealand and never caddie again. But given the midseason abruptness of his termination, he had already started to work with popular Aussie Adam Scott -- Woods gave his assent beforehand. Williams says he will continue to work for Scott, who in terms of personality and temperament is the perhaps polar opposite of Woods. "Through time, I hope he can gain my respect back," Williams said of Woods. "He definitely needs to earn my respect again, that's for sure." In that regard, Williams is standing in the longest of lines, isn't he?
Owners approve proposed labor deal sal espn.com
NFL owners approved a proposed 10-year labor agreement with the NFL Players Association on Thursday, putting the potential end to the league's lockout in the hands of the players -- who might cast their own vote Thursday night. Owners voted 31-0 to accept the proposed collective bargaining agreement, with the Oakland Raiders abstaining, after a full day of meetings at an Atlanta-area hotel. In an email to the player representatives of the 32 NFL teams, the NFLPA said the league's finalized settlement requires that players re-establish their union and provide evidence by Tuesday that a majority of players have signed union authorization cards. "Hopefully, we can all work quickly, expeditiously, to get this agreement done," commissioner Roger Goodell said. "It is time to get back to football. That's what everybody here wants to do." The league also required that players vote by Tuesday to ratify the proposed labor agreement, which would contain virtually all of the provisions of the old CBA along with the non-CBA items that class counsel and the NFL have agreed to in the Tom Brady mediation. Under said conditions, the players would then have Wednesday, Thursday and Friday of next week to try to bargain any changes to the old CBA. Any changes would have to be agreed to by the owners in order to be incorporated into the agreement, which would then become final July 30. If the NFL does not agree to the players' proposed changes, the old CBA terms on issues such as benefits, discipline and safety will remain unchanged for another 10 years. In a letter sent to all players after owners cast their votes, NFLPA executive director DeMaurice Smith said issues still remain that must be resolved. "As you know from yesterday, issues that need to be collectively bargained remain open, other issues such as workers compensation, economic issues and end of deal terms remain unresolved," Smith said. "There is no agreement between the NFL and the Players at this time." Multiple owners, however, insisted both sides had reached an agreement. "That's baffling to me," Carolina Panthers owner Jerry Richardson told ESPN's Sal Paolantonio. "We believe we have handshake agreement with the players." "We believe we have an agreement," added New York Giants owner John Mara. "Now it's up to the players." Shortly after results of the owners' vote was announced, Smith told ESPN that team representatives would examine the agreement. Earlier Thursday, the NFLPA had scheduled an 8 p.m. ET conference call with its executive committee and player reps to decide whether to accept an approved settlement from owners, and how to start the voting process for the 1,900 players who have to decide if they want to vote in a recertified union. A high-ranking NFLPA executive committee member told ESPN senior NFL analyst Chris Mortensen that the owners' approval "puts the onus on players to make a decision to agree -- paints us into a corner with fans. We'll discuss tonight but the idea of reconstituting as a union has never been a slam dunk as the owners have already assumed." Said another high-ranking NFLPA official: "We are not happy here. We had to honor to not vote on an agreement that was not final (Wednesday). This is not over. This actually takes away incentives from players to vote yes tonight." Goodell said team training facilities would open Saturday and the new league year would begin Wednesday, contingent on the NFLPA's recertification. The likely start of training camps is estimated to be Aug. 1, sources said. The proposed CBA has no opt-out clauses for either side, meaning there would be labor peace until 2021 if the NFLPA ratifies the deal. Goodell also announced cancellation of the Aug. 7 Hall of Fame preseason game between the St. Louis Rams and Chicago Bears. "The time was just too tight," Goodell said. "Unfortunately, we're not going to be able to play the game this year." Smith and Goodell on Thursday were working to impose certain conditions to immediately lift the lockout if the two sides approve a deal tonight, according to sources. The NFL lockout began March 11, but an end appears near. ESPN.com Topics keeps you up to date on all the latest on the labor situation. More » NFLPA sources say league lawyers Bob Batterman and Gregg Levy were pushing for the condition that the lockout remain in effect until the players recertify as a union. However, there was more dialogue between Goodell and Smith throughout the day to build a trust that in the event the players approve the agreement later Thursday, the lockout could be immediately lifted if the players also agree to recertify as a union. Smith said the decision to recertify as a union wouldn't be taken lightly, just as the choice to decertify in March was taken seriously "because we were a real union" -- taking a shot at owners' claims that the NFLPA's decertification was a "sham." "The decision to decertify as a union was a significant one," Smith said. "Every individual person has to make a decision on whether they want to become part of a union. The individual decisions are something that our players take extremely serious." The players were unable to negotiate a one-time only application of the franchise tag, which is something that was of particular interest to the plaintiffs in the Brady vs. NFL antitrust case. An NFLPA official said: "Are we happy with that result? No. Is it worth hanging up a deal with 1,900 players? No. The tag has had very few multiple uses and does carry some financial rewards for players. Not allowing more transition tags, via right of first refusal, was a big victory. That would have impact more free agents than franchise tags." On abstaining from the owners' vote, Raiders CEO Amy Trask told NFL.com: "We had profound philosophical differences of a football and an economic nature," adding, "we voted the way we thought was appropriate."
Highlights Of Proposed CBA
Details of the proposed collective bargaining agreement that would need to be ratified by NFL players:
• Ten-year deal, through the 2020 season
• New league year would begin on Wednesday
• Players receive 48 percent of revenue in first portion of deal
• $120 million salary cap; team minimum 89 percent ($106.8M) as long as league spends 99 percent ($3.8B)
• Veterans earn free agency after fourth season
• Four-year rookie contracts, with team option for fifth year
• Lower rookie salaries, with cap on team spending for rookies
• Later training camps, no more full-contact, two-a-day practices
• Offseason team activities (OTAs) reduced from 14 to nine
US Women Choked in World Cup Final, But.... By Michael Ventre NBCSports.com contributor Good article on the world cup loss from Ventre. Very good read!
Nobody likes to lose. It makes your cereal taste sogy and your bed feel lumpy. Depending on the circumstances and what's at stake, losing can remain in your system like a parasite. There is no known cure, other than to go out and win the next time around. But I have to issue the U.S. women’s soccer team a special waiver, to be used just this once. It’s not because losing is acceptable. It’s just that, considering everything, it’s not as stomach-churning as it could have been. The U.S. women deserve a few gentle noogies today for squandering a raft of opportunities in their World Cup final Sunday against Japan. In another sporting context, you might be tempted to give them even more of a scolding. In the first half alone, they probably could have been ahead, 5-0, or so, if shots had gone a foot or two this way or that. They had leads of 1-0, and 2-1 in this 2011 final, and each time allowed a determined team of Japanese women to tie the game. After extra time, it came down to penalty kicks, like it did in 1999. There likely were lots of sports bras on the field Sunday in Frankfurt, but none were bared for the U.S. in a moment of sports exultation and marketing bliss. The U.S. women failed to come through. They lost. Here are the three provisos from the aforementioned waiver that apply: •They played hard and they played well; they just didn’t capitalize on several chances, and they couldn’t fend off Japan. •They lost to Japan, a nation reeling from the devastation of an earthquake, tsunami and a nuclear disaster. The crushing disappointment that ordinarily accompanies such a defeat is diluted somewhat by the satisfaction that Americans — and the rest of the world, for that matter — feel toward Japan’s spirit-lifting triumph. •And, it was an exciting game full of plot twists that kept onlookers riveted. The U.S. women were among the favorites to win this World Cup. Japan wasn’t. The Japanese weren’t considered as athletic or talented as the Americans. What they were was well-coached and disciplined. Plus, they had perseverance, which is often the best thing to have. If you were rooting for the Americans you experienced queasiness in the first half as opportunity after opportunity either hit a post or went wide or over the goal. There were the conflicting senses that the U.S. was in control and that Japan was gaining confidence. It was that old lament come to life again in sports: “If you let a team hang around and don’t put it away ...” In the second half, the Americans got a goal by Alex Morgan and one by Abby Wambach in extra time, but each time Japan fired back to tie the match. It was not an exemplary display by the U.S. of how to close. The Americans were six minutes away from winning their third World Cup before they let Japan back in. But it was the penalty kicks that represented the icing on a fallen cake. Shannon Boxx, Carli Lloyd and Tobin Heath all looked like LeBron in the fourth quarter when they missed penalty shots. Japan won that shootout, 3-1, and with it came its first victory against the U.S. in 26 tries. So any pundit would ask this question after such a fumbled chance: To rip, or not to rip? When choosing the former, it is important to feel it in one’s gut. The instinct to hammer must be greater than the one to ease up. In this case, it’s just not there with any real potency. These U.S. women didn’t lose on a comical own goal. They didn’t pout when things didn’t go their way, like the Brazilian women did against the Americans. And on Sunday, they didn’t deflate after failing to convert chances; they kept competing, especially when it became clear that Japan had no intention of giving up. Taken as a whole, they had a magnificent run. Generally speaking, they expressed a positive message to the women’s soccer movement in the United States. Just as Brandi Chastain’s famous moment sticks in the memory, this one will stick in the craw. Just as women’s soccer can hang Brandi’s bra on its mantel as a symbol of female determination in sports, this game will be an aching reminder that you can lose, too. Sunday’s defeat does not rank on the ignominy-o-meter quite like Greg Norman at the Masters, or the Buffalo Bills in the Super Bowl, or the 2006 Dallas Mavericks/2011 Miami Heat. Those were larger flops. And there's the national team aspect. These were young women representing their country. (See waiver: section C, subparagraph 5). They gave it their all. It’s just that a lot of their all missed the goal. On the other side were young women representing their country, one that was desperate for some measure of national pride after an agonizing period of devastation (which figures to continue for some time). None of the Japanese women tore off their shirts to expose their sports bras, but in their own way, simply hugging each other and smiling served the same purpose. Where do the U.S. women go from here? They keep their heads held high and carry on, with an eye toward 2015. Remember, much of the reason they’re considered among the greatest in the world today is because of the groundwork laid by the 1999 team. That reminded young women interested in soccer that anything is possible. And now that they know losing is possible after you thought you had it wrapped up, maybe they’ll work that much harder.
Favorite Male and Female Athletes 2011
Every year, Harris Interactive conducts a poll to list America's most popular sports stars. While popularity can be a fungible concept, the results remain somewhat instructive, especially in terms of which players have reached a level of fame beyond their sport's diehard audience. Last season, Kobe Bryant(notes) found himself at the top of the list of male stars. Now, he's dropped to No. 3 in a tie with Michael Jordan, and behind Indianapolis Colts quarterback Peyton Manning and new champ Derek Jeter of the Yankees. From Janis Carr on OCRegister.com: Kobe Bryant no longer is the favorite athlete in America, according to a Harris poll, having slipped to No. 3 in 2011. But that's nothing compared to the free fall for LeBron James(notes). James, who was rated the No. 6 overall favorite athlete in 2010, didn't make the top 10 list this year after leaving Cleveland for Miami's South Beach. He shouldn't feel too badly, though. Brett Farve (No. 4) New Orleans quarterback Drew Brees (No. 9) and NASCAR great Dale Earnhardt Jr. (No. 10) also were left off the list this year. [...] According to the poll, Bryant remains the top athlete among Hispanics and African-Americans and on the West Coast. You can access the poll directly here if you have concerns about methodology. While Jeter is the new champ, Serena Williams is listed as the most popular female athlete for the third year in a row. Better luck next time, Abby Wambach. It's not a surprise to learn that Bryant and James have dropped on this list, because popularity in America is often tied to winning at the highest levels. In the past, both players have been divisive, to the point where they've only been considered likable when they win championships. With the Lakers losing to the Mavericks in the second round of the playoffs, Bryant is no longer the league's golden god. James, obviously, is largely seen as a bratty loser. As such, they're no longer at the top of this vaguely scientific heap. Maybe next year they'll see their fortunes change. Or, perhaps, Derrick Rose(notes) (No. 9 this year) will move higher after another long playoff run. Worse yet, maybe there won't be an NBA season and the poll participants won't name anyone from the league. And then this post will end up on Shutdown Corner, and you can substitute Tom Brady in for Bryant and read the same post. The world works in mysterious ways.
Here's the complete Top 10:
Male
1. Derek Jeter 2. Peyton Manning 3. (tie) Kobe Bryant 3. (tie) Michael Jordan 5. Tiger Woods 6. Tom Brady 7. (tie) Albert Pujols 7. (tie) Hines Ward 9. Derrick Rose 10. Aaron Rodgers
Female
1. Serena Williams 2. Venus Williams 3. Danica Patrick 4. Maria Sharapova 5. Mia Hamm 6. Anna Kournikova 7. (tie) Martina Navratilova 7. (tie) Sue Bird 9. (tie) Kerry Walsh 9. (tie) Michele Wie
The Open Championship - First Round Complete and Friday Tee Times
T1 Tom Lewis (a) 4:31 a -5 65
T1 Thomas Bjorn 7:26 a -5 65
T3 Lucas Glover 3:09 a -4 66
T3 Webb Simpson 5:04 a -4 66
T3 Miguel A. Jimenez 8:10 a -4 66
Jordan May Lose a lot of Money for his Golf Charities Due to Lock-Out yahoosports.com
Charlotte Bobcats owner Michael Jordan could lose $1 million dollars this week at the American Century Classic golf tournament, and that figure would have nothing to do with any sort of side bets he makes on making par with his foursome. Because the NBA has locked out its players, and prohibited any sort of contact between NBA team employees and NBA players (even if they are currently "under contract," so to speak, with other teams), Jordan could face a million dollar fine should he either be paired with or simply speak to one of the five NBA players scheduled to appear at the tourney. Who are the players, and team employees, you ask? Ray Allen(notes), Shane Battier(notes), Jason Kidd(notes), Deron Williams(notes) and Jimmer Fredette(notes). Michael Jordan and Vinny Del Negro. What is, "a fair 5-on-2 game if each of the participants were in their prime," Alex? No. It's actually part of a lineup in a golf pro-am in Lake Tahoe that is taking place this weekend featuring current NBA stars, along with current NBA team employees like both Jordan and Del Negro. Not a big deal, you'd think. And something you might not even have been aware of until reading a post like this, or receiving a tweet like I did. But as we mentioned earlier Wednesday, the NBA is ready to levy fines of $1 million should NBA team employees (say a Charlotte Bobcats owner, like Jordan; or a Los Angeles Clippers coach, like Vinny Del Negro) decide to commiserate with NBA players; much less re-tweet them, or even speak about how much they'd like to see them play Summer League hoops this summer in one word or less. So why are NBA players allowed to tee it up with Jordan and Del Negro this weekend, and not with Portland Trail Blazers team employee (and former Portland power forward) Brian Grant's Trail Blazer-filled charity golf tournament pitched to raise money for Parkinson's research? As was included in the Portland Tribune piece we linked to on Wednesday, Portland cannot include current Portland Trail Blazers who are currently locked out: Brian Grant — also on the Blazer payroll as an ambassador — can't have current NBA players participate in his upcoming golf event for Parkinson's disease. So what's the difference with the American Century Championships? Is it because it's nationally televised? Because too many sponsors would feel the heat if either Jordan or all of the NBA stars dropped out? I mean, this particular tournament (unlike Brian Grant's) isn't even for charity. A fun batch of viewing, no doubt (I'm a closet golf dork), and you know all the corporate sponsors will have their various charitable write-offs as the year progresses, but Grant's tourney is easily the thing to sign a waiver on, right NBA? Is it because there's a better chance of current Blazers chatting it up with Brian Grant at his tournament? Seems a bit farfetched, especially as Ray Allen still endorses Michael Jordan's specific line of Nike shoes. If the Portland Tribune is to be believed, and the five current NBA players listed above actually show up to this tournament, then we have some real -- and absolutely needless -- hypocrisy here, led completely by the NBA and its league office decision-makers. We're not saying The Lake Tahoe Five, or Jordan and Del Negro, should go home. We're impressing upon the NBA to stop trying to win the PR war that it's already lost with these sorts of rules. Rules that we've learned aren't exactly hard and fast, especially if you get to have your tournament on national TV.
Does EA capitalize on last season's success or fail to deliver?
College is many things to many people, but my four years at Mizzou were defined by football. Faurot Field, the colors black and gold, and waking up at 5 a.m. to be at the tailgate spot long before kickoff are the memories that define my college experience. If you're an NCAA football fan, chances are you have some kind of memory similar to this -- college is all about tradition, and that's what NCAA Football 12 brings to the forefront this year alongside a bunch of other bells and whistles.
NCAA Football 12 is EA Sports and developer Tiburon's latest stab at boiling down one of America's most revered pastimes to something you can play in your living room. Luckily for players, NCAA Football 12 is great at this. It takes all the teams, stadiums, fight songs as well as pomp and circumstance we'd expect and shoves it on a disc for you to enjoy.
It starts with the way the game is presented. The ESPN integration is back from last year, and it's more interwoven than ever before. The games kickoff with an introduction pulled from Saturday's cable line-up, the commentary is energetic and interesting, and camera angles make it feel like you're watching the real thing. Tiburon put in a bunch of tunnel entrances and touch traditions to make your school feel like your school. The Wake Forest Deacon riding in on a motorcycle, slapping the NIU Husky statue, the LSU Tiger roaring in its cage -- it's all there, and this attention to detail makes the games feel more like the real thing than any NCAA game I've played before.
Of course, then there are the little things that pulled me out of the experience and reminded me I was playing a game. A shadow would freak out on the ground, a cameraman would be cut in half by the field goal net, and so on. Anyone who has played NCAA Football in the past few years is used to these little moments. Seasoned players are also going to be used to the gameplay in general.
Yes, NCAA Football 12 packs a new collision system that makes tackling more lifelike and the 3D grass makes for some breathtaking replays, but the nuts and bolts of gameplay feels largely the same. That's fine, as it's as awesome as ever to read blocks and break a big run or pick off a cocky QB, but it does keep NCAA Football 12 from feeling like it made any massive leaps forward. Last year's game was great and this year's game adds a bunch of flair, but the additions are all about presentation and leave the meat of the game feeling familiar.
Coach Pinkel for President.
Dynasty was great last year with its ability to run an online league with friends from a computer, call recruits, and create your own stories. All of that is back, but Dynasty in NCAA Football 12 is about customizing the experience. When I started my dynasty, I was able to create conferences, tweak bowl game settings, and rename divisions. When I had it just right, I created a coach and took the hard road -- choosing the new option to start as an offensive or defensive coordinator. This restricted me to only playing one side of the ball, but it made the rise of my coach -- Fran Mirabella III -- more realistic. I signed a two-year contract and got to watch my job security rise and fall based on whether I was hitting my contract's objectives.
In the past, I've always watched my record and the school's prestige, but the coaching contracts put a new twist on that. Even when Fran's offense was rocking, we'd lose games thanks to the defense falling apart when I was off the field. In the grand scheme, though, it didn't matter as my contract was judging me for yards gained and records broken -- not the number of wins we were pulling in. That's a worry for a head coach.
When my contract was up, I got to get hands-on with the new Coaching Carousel. Here, teams fire, rehire and sign on new coaches. I chose to investigate my options rather than immediately re-sign, and that let me field offers from teams looking for a new direction. This is where you'll make your moves, and it was a bit nerve-wracking for me to pass on my current school's final offer in hopes of getting something better down the road.
The Coaching Carousel is a welcome addition to the NCAA Football franchise -- even though I'd like to see some tweaks. No matter where you start (coordinator or head coach), you're in charge of recruiting for the entire team. That's a bit unreal and should be another honor saved for landing the top slot on a program. I want to be locked out of options until I have the big job so the move feels like a big deal.
The part of NCAA Football 12 getting the biggest overhaul (thankfully) is Road to Glory. Last year's mode was pretty much a rehash, but this year's takes the idea of playing as just one player from high school through college to a different place. Now, it's like a role-playing game. You earn and lose experience points as you practice and play, and this leads to you leveling up in your role on the team. You can go all the way from third string to a campus god, and it unlocks various options along the way.
I chose to be a quarterback, and when I first started, my options were severely limited. The coach gave a play, I executed it. However, as I leveled, I began to take more control. I could flip the play. I could call hot routes at home. I could get additional plays to choose from a certain number of times. It's a really fun mechanic. After years of playing football games, it's interesting to have the choices I've taken for granted stripped away and be left to re-earn them. It makes Road to Glory feel like something other than just another football mode.
Boosters are a part of that, too, but they also tend to break the experience. You can spend the experience points you're earning on career and one-game stat boosts. I could improve my throwing accuracy and power for a game or make my agility better for my entire career. Again, this is a cool idea I dug, but there's a flaw -- it's too easy. By the middle of my freshman year, I was already a 99 overall thanks to boosters. I still struggled in games and didn't have an amazing record, but it was silly to be done with this new option less than a fourth into my career. I hope Tiburon balances it for next year's installment, as it has a ton of promise.
Come to NIU. We have... just come're.
Outside of all that, though, you're getting the NCAA video game you probably already know and love. Passing feels tight, running's fun, loading still takes too long, and online action has the tendency to be a split second off. Little additions such as Road to Glory's online leaderboards and the ability to create your very own playbooks are cool, but the majority of the experience is what you'd expect.
Closing Comments
NCAA Football 12 is great. I love the coaching changes in Dynasty, Road to Glory isn't perfect but has good ideas, and the new presentation tweaks really make the games feel special. The gameplay is the sweetness fans expect, but it's largely unchanged. That's not a knock -- you don't need to reinvent the wheel every year -- but it does keep NCAA Football 12 from feeling like a groundbreaking experience. Instead, it's more like a special edition of NCAA Football 11, which I'm more than happy to play for hours and hours.
IGN Ratings for NCAA Football 12 (PS3).
9.0 Presentation
The touch traditions and entrances make the games feel more real than ever and the Road to Glory and Dynasty tweaks are welcome. Loads could be faster.
9.0 Graphics
The replays are gorgeous, and the video game can look like the real thing at a glance. Shadows and sideline people could use some work, and the field itself can look flat in action.
8.5 Sound
I like Brad Nessler and Kirk Herbstreit in the box and enjoy their new dialogue, but there’s still some stale stuff here and there. Bands and fan noise sound great.
8.5 Gameplay
It's the same rock solid football so many of us know. Passing, running and defending all feel great. New tackle system is nice, but could've gone for more additions.
8.5 Lasting Appeal
Online Dynasties should keep people around, and Road to Glory isn't perfect but is fun. Still, it can seem like last year's game and that could turn some off. Not me, though.
8.5
OVERALL
Great
NCAA Football 12 Review psnation.org
Title: NCAA Football 12
Format: Blu Ray
Release Date: July 12, 2011
Publisher: EA Sports
Developer: Tiburon
Price: $59.99
I love College Football, but really only when it pertains to the Wisconsin Badgers. I’m not one of those people that likes to create a player and build him up over 4 years etc. I just like to play the game, and kick some butt in hopes to making it to a Bowl Game. You’ll see other reviews out there written by people that recognize if a uniform isn’t accurate, or if there aren’t the correct number of sections in the stadium. My focus in this review is about the meat of the game; how it looks, how it plays, and if it satisfies my Badger Football cravings. For the meticulous technical stuff, this review is NOT for you.
Gameplay:
I’m not going to bore you with what every button does where, but I will say, this is the best an EA Football game has ever felt. The running game especially is so well done this year, and those hitches when the ball is hiked, gone. This is the classic interface that we’ve seen over the past few years, and with some refinemtents this year, they’ve done a great job at streamlining the entire experience.
The passing game is pretty-much what you’d expect, and Play Action doesn’t result in a sack every time now, which is welcome change. The biggest gameplay change though, is definitely the running game. It’s hard to actually describe, but it “feels” so natural now. Your runner will bounce off of defenders the way that you’d expect, he’ll roll away from a gang-tackle if you’re quick enough on the right stick, and the motion just feels so much better this time around. Even draw plays work this year, where in years past it would almost certainly result in a tackle behind the line.
Running still isn’t perfect, but neither is it in real-life. Your Fullback will miss a block occasionally, and sometimes your Tight End will cut too early when blocking, but again, that happens in real-life as well. Screen passes actually work too, instead of being spied every time. Your Tight End will actually make an effort to keep his feet inbounds when there’s a close throw, something that happens out of Play Action quite a bit when I’m playing because well, I’m old.
Passing overall is pretty tight, but it does still feel like defenders have this ability to just jump a route from ten yards away. It’s not as frequent as in past years, but there have been occasions still, and it was frustrating. Better though, is that it seems like there’s a better opportunity to connect downfield with a covered receiver, where in years past it would be swatted-away nine times out of ten. All of this is tied-in to a pretty refined play calling system that works extremely well. I never felt rushed or confused about play to call. I’m pretty simople though, as I can play an entire game using on I-Formation, but that’s only in certain games.
Defense has also been refined, including the ability to click the left stick to bring the camera behind the player you’re using instead of the camera always behind the offense. It’s pretty sweet to be able to click that quick for a different read on the Offense. Getting past the O-Line feels a lot better this year, and it’s much easier to identify mis-matches at the line. Pass defense though, still needs a bit of work. Your defenders will do what they’re supposed to do more than in past games, but even when I had a ball thrown directly into my Safety’s hands, with no one around him for at least 5 yards, he still couldn’t catch the ball for an interception. For some reason, Interception’s still feel like there’s a dice roll controlling whether your defender will catch the ball or not, since the ones I actually did catch seemed FAR tougher (maybe this is just sour grapes though.)
Kicking is petty standard, and hasn’t seemed to have changed much, which is fine. It’s still using the “pull the right stick back, then push forward” method, but it works, so I’m fine with it. Can I say again though, that the running game is SO good this year? Really, it’s awesome!
One piece that I really do want to complain about though, is the fact that there’s not simply a “Season” mode. Instead, you can either build a character and work him through his College Career, or start a “Dynasty” in which you have to run all of the aspects of a team, including recruting players and running the day-to-day stuff. Well, I don’t want to do any of that crap. I just want to start a season and play through it. Honestly, I hate that they’ve taken a simple season mode away, and am thankful that at least in Dynastly mode, you can have the CPU handle most of that stuff.
Visuals:
EA Sports did something wonderful with the games visuals this year. It looks so natural in terms of the turf, the lighting, the stadiums, and the players themselves. The turf looks great this year, as do the stadiums. With the addition of a new HDR lighting system this year, everythign just looks more natural than any other Football game that I’ve played. Also, the framerate has definitely gotten a boost this year, with a lot less hitching and much better animations and transitions.
Some things are still not perfect, like when a highlight is shown at halftime or at the end of the game. Implemented this year is an actual day-to-night transition in the lighting and in the sky itself. But if a replay from earlier in the game is run, the lighting etc kinda freak-out for a second or two, but nothing here that detracts from the actual game. At a few other times you may see a quick glitch, or framerate change, but again, it never really affects gameplay, which is key. Also, you have the ability to save highlight photographs and videos that can be accessed in-game and on the EA Webpage, which is a great way to share with your friends. The photos, two of which you see below, really look great too. You only get so many slots though, unless you want to buy more…
All-in-all though, this is a great looking Football game, probably one of the best visually. The new engine is quite impressive, and even with some of the weird glitches, it’s beautiful to look at in any situation. It’s also cool to actually see activity around the stadium during gameplay, epsecially with the mascots that roam around the perimeter of the field. You catch a glimpse of the mascot trying to rile the crowd up, or even doing some cool gymnastics moves. It feels a lot less “pre-canned” this year for sure.
Audio:
As usual, the sound is superb. The announcers keep-up with the action, and everything on the field has that grittiness and impact that you’d expect. Well done also is how the crowd audio is handled, well, mostly,.What’s there is great, but a couple aspects in terms of specific atmosphere are still missing. First, when I attempt to fire the crowd up, at home, before a pivotal play, the crowd sometimes is essentially silent. It only seemed to really ratchet things up when I scored or when it was 3rd/4th down. Also, not an audio thing really, but they still don’t have Bucky doing pushup’s when the Badgers score a touchdown, which is really disappointing,
Online/Multiplayer:
As with most of the EA games this past year, included in the package is the code for your online pass. When you get online, you can either choose to do a quick match in ranked or unranked, or you can scroll more to the right to find the lobbies. The system is very straightforward and works well.
Online play is as solid as you’d expect from EA Sports. It still has that little twinge of lag that I think we’ll always have, but the game is incredibly playable online. Lobbies are available, as well as the opportunities to hook-up a Quick-Match in Ranked or Unranked varieties, and of course, you can always setup your own game for someone else to join. Voice Chat sounds good, and the responsiveness is exactly what I expected. Just don’t think that it’s going to play like the Single Player. If you do, prepare for frustration.
Conclusion:
It’s been a long time since a Football game has felt as refreshing and new as NCAA 12. It’s still sitting on the foundation that’s been established over the last few years, but the leap that the visuals have taken is noticeable, and the refinements to the running game are welcome and bring a huge new element to the game as a whole. I only wish that they would have included a simple “season” mode for those of us that don’t want to deal with managing other aspects of the team. The bottom line though, is that I am thoroughly enjoying NCAA 12, and it’s definitely one the best Football games that I’ve ever played. Go Badgers!
Grade:A
NCAA Football 12 Review
By Jeff Rider
The Charleston Gazette
In "NCAA Football 12," players can create custom conferences during Dynasty mode.Advertiser
The college football landscape is in a constant state of flux.
Players leave and new recruits arrive to take their place. Coaches are hired and fired, opening the door for eager assistants hungry for a chance to take the reins. Programs rise and fall, with true dynasties becoming the exception rather than the rule. Schools abandon decades of tradition to seek glory and fame in a new conference. Even the game itself is constantly evolving, with trendy new offenses replacing "3 yards and a cloud of dust" and defenses adapting to keep pace.
Indeed, nothing about the sport of college football remains the same for very long.
With "NCAA Football 12," the developers at EA Tiburon have not only given gamers the tools needed to keep up with this ever-changing world, but also to create their own unique college football universe. Combine that with the most compelling on-field gameplay the series has ever offered, and it's clear that "NCAA 12" isn't simply the best college football game to date.
It may also be the last college football game you will ever have to buy.
Before talking about the revolutionary features that give "NCAA 12" its near infinite replayability, let's focus on what really matters - the action between the lines. I loved the way "NCAA 11" played, but the Tiburon team has taken things to a whole new level this year.
It starts on the defensive side of the ball, where a new collision-based tackling engine has eliminated all of the player warping and suction from years past. Now, tackles aren't initiated until the defender makes contact with the ball carrier. This new collision system not only leads to more realistic-looking tackles, but also affects the way players block and run their routes.
As offensive linemen are no longer automatically sucked into a blocking animation when the ball is snapped, they are free to disengage players at the line of scrimmage and seek out blocks down field. One of the first long touchdown runs I had was made possible by a guard who pancaked his defender at the line of scrimmage, then took on a safety who was moving into position to make a tackle some 10 yards further down field.
For receivers, the new collision system makes it much more difficult to get a clean release off the line when a defender has tight coverage. I've watched as receivers stumble and get knocked off-balance trying to free themselves from defensive backs, disrupting the timing of their routes. This dynamic works both ways, though, as I have had receivers get wide open deep down field after the defensive back missed his initial jam at the line of scrimmage. Playing bump-and-run coverage is a definite risk-reward proposition.
While the new collision system is an overwhelming success, I did discover one unfortunate bug caused by it that cost me one game and nearly a second - roughing the passer penalties. In years past, a player could get near the quarterback and even collide with him withou triggering a tackle animation. This year, the quarterback instead reacts to any contact from an opposing player. The first time this happened, one of my defensive linemen was rushing off the edge and putting pressure on the quarterback, who stepped up and fired a pass down field. After the ball had been released and both players were walking back toward the line of scrimmage, my player brushed up against the QB, which sent him flailing to the ground like a European soccer player. Fifteen yards and an automatic first down. The second time this happened was even more egregious. My defensive tackle, while still engaged with an offensive lineman, barely touched the quarterback with his foot - yes, his foot - yet that was enough to send the signal caller tumbling to the turf and draw another roughing the passer call.
I'm hoping that turning down the slider that controls the frequency of roughing the passer penalties to zero with help eliminate this problem, but only time will tell. Perhaps this is something that can be addressed in a patch.
Outside of the new collision system, the biggest addition on the field is unquestionably the improved AI on both sides of the ball. This is especially true on defense, where zone coverage is finally an effective tool. Players recognize their assignments and actually point out receivers as they move from one zone to the next. Man-to-man coverage has also been tightened, but at no point did I feel as though the defensive AI was cheating. Middle linebackers no longer have world-class leaping ability or eyes in the back of their heads. I have thrown plenty of interceptions, but each one was my fault, not the result of crooked AI or a canned animation that caused a player to suddenly warp in front of my receiver.
On offense, the improved AI looked to exploit any weakness in my defense, be it on the ground or through the air. Running backs moved with a near human-like quality, utilizing their full range of jukes and spins to pick up extra yardage. Running out of the shotgun formation was still hit-or-miss for both myself and the computer, but AI quarterbacks aren't afraid to tuck the ball and run. In my West Virginia dynasty, the LSU quarterback consistently shredded my defense with both designed runs and improvised scrambles. He won the game for the Tigers with a 38-yard quarterback draw that caught me completely off-guard.
Had EA Tiburon stopped at simply tweaking the gameplay I would have been impressed with "NCAA 12." But the developers didn't stop there. Not even close. The list of new features includes a full coach mode complete with a broadcast camera angle, the ability to create custom playbooks and a revamped Road to Glory mode that allows for a full high-school season and the option of playing both sides of the ball.
But the biggest additions were saved for Dynasty mode.
Dynasty mode has long been the series' premier attraction, but after a while the experience tends to get stale. The world of college football is constantly changing, but seismic shifts rarely during in Dynasty mode. That isn't going to be a problem in "NCAA 12," because you control the world in which you're playing.
For the first time, players have the freedom to tailor their "NCAA 12" experience to their liking. Conferences can be completely realigned with as many as 16 teams or as few as four. Bowl tie-ins can be edited, even for the BCS games. Everything from the names of divisions to which days of the week games are played on can be changed either prior to starting a Dynasty or during the offseason once your Dynasty is under way. Want to transform the Big East to the way it was before the ACC swiped Miami (Fla.), Boston College and Virginia Tech? Go ahead. Think Notre Dame should join the Big 10? Make it happen. Feel like Conference USA deserves a BCS bowl bid? You need your head checked, but you can do it in "NCAA 12."
The other major addition to Dynasty mode is the Coaching Carousel. When you begin your Dynasty, you can chose to sign on as a head coach or either the offensive or defensive coordinator. Playing as a head coach gives you full control over your team once the ball is kicked off, but coordinators can only call plays for their side of the ball. Each job has specific stat-based goals attached to it, and reaching those goals helps maintain your job security. Perform well and your current school may give you a contract extension or another school could step in with an offer. Fail to meet your goals and you could find yourself looking for work elsewhere. Sadly, there is no option to try and undermine the credibility of other coaches on your staff by having former sports reporters dig up dirt on them, but maybe that can be added next year.
The most powerful new feature to grace Dynasty mode is one that most players will never make use of - the ability to edit players once your Dynasty has begun. Remember how I said "NCAA 12" could be the last college football game you'll ever have to buy? With the ability to edit players in Dynasty mode, you can keep your team's roster accurate for years to come. Even if you aren't concerned with maintaining an accurate roster, the ability to edit players will help eliminate one of the biggest flaws in "NCAA 11" - terrible computer-generated recruits. Would it take some work? Sure, but the reward is there for those willing to put in the time.
Online Dynasty mode also returns, complete with the Coaching Carousel and the ability to SuperSim games from the web (for a $2.99 fee).
The presentation side of "NCAA 12" received an overhaul, too, with several new team-specific entrances and mascots, including LSU's tiger and Oklahoma's Sooner Schooner. New graphic overlays and conference-specific wipes help move the game closer to a true broadcast experience, but the commentary from Brad Nessler and Kirk Herbstreit has outlived its usefulness. If nothing else is changed for "NCAA 13," the commentary has got to be redone.
Graphically, a new dynamic lighting engine gives the players and the field a realistic look and the true 3D grass is impressive to see in replays, but doesn't add much to the experience in real-time. Uniforms get dirty and grass fields degrade over time, and weather effects are well done, especially rain.
Last season, the "NCAA Football" franchise finally stepped out from the shadow of "Madden NFL." This year, it stands poised take that next step and surpass its cousin as the top video-game football experience. We'll have to wait another month to find out what "Madden NFL 12" is bringing to the table, but with "NCAA 12" the bar has most definitely been raised.
9.6/10
Embrace tradition – or gleefully throw it out the window
Words: Richard Grisham, GamesRadar US
There’s nothing in sports more traditional than college football, which is why it feels so subversively sweet to destroy much of it with a few clicks of a button. We no longer need to moan about BCS inequities or conference imbalances; NCAA Football 12 lets us alter the landscape of the game to our hearts’ content. So we put ourselves in the position of Czar, built ourselves a one-of-a-kind 16-team “Super Conference” featuring the best programs in the land, and let the dogs loose.
Our expectation was that our impossibly powerful group of first-rate schools like Alabama, Oklahoma, Oregon, Wisconsin, and others would produce an endless parade of memorable Saturdays – and did it ever. Every weekend pitted storied universities against each other, with classic games unfolding regularly. Our hope, of course, was that the winners of the two divisions (named Bryant and Rockne, naturally) would square off in the Conference Championship game as undefeated contestants with a straight path to the BCS Title match. Unfortunately, the 16 teams beat each other up so badly during the regular season that the best any team could muster was two losses apiece – and a couple of upstarts from the strip-mined Pac 12 and ACC wound up as title game contestants. It was a hard lesson to learn, but a valuable one – and we’re already back at the drawing board to come up with an even more compelling scenario for next season.
Re-drawing the NCAA football map is only one small improvement in a sea of tweaks that make up EA Sports’ latest take on the collegiate game. But it’s indicative of what NCAA Football 12 provides - a broad series of improvements to pretty much everything without introducing any significant new modes or features. In a title this deep, that was probably the wisest possible choice.
Thanks to the best tackling system we’ve yet seen in a football game, the on-field action is incredibly compelling. We found ourselves being constantly impressed with the realistic angles that bodies would bend based on where they were hit or the velocity thrown into the ballcarrier. Whether getting flattened by a flying linebacker along the sidelines or pancaked by a 350 pound defensive tackle at the line of scrimmage, NCAA Football 12 convinced us that it may be wise to seek a career doing something other than playing big-time football.
The visuals haven’t changed much – they were already superb – but the one noticeable improvement is welcome. The field itself is the feature this season, as the grass comes alive like never before thanks to a 3D effect that we didn’t know we wanted until we saw it. It’s especially great in the replays, adding a layer of realism that’s always been missing.
Of course, if there’s anything that the current generation of hyper-realistic sports games has taught us, it’s impossible to remove the uncanny valley. The better the games get, the more the unnatural moments stand out. Players still glide through referees and even each other on occasion, the crowd appears non-responsive to big plays, and players don’t always react appropriately to what’s happening in front of them. In addition, the commentary remains mostly unchanged and can get repetitive. None of these are game breakers, but they do take you out of the moment.
We could spend hours talking about the finer details of so many aspects of NCAA Football. For the first time since its introduction a few seasons ago, the Road To Glory mode has gotten some meaningful updates, including an expanded amount of time for your player in High School (a full season plus the ability to play both sides of the ball), and a slew of improvements to your experience once you’ve chosen a university. The online dynasty options continue to be the best offerings of their kind with any sports game – between the incredible website for you to monitor your school and interact with your competitors to the custom Team Builder interface, the depth you can reach is unprecedented.
With an extra few weeks to savor NCAA Football 12 before Madden hits, you’ve never had a better chance to sink your teeth into a sublime sports experience. It ain’t perfect – and we’re more convinced than ever that perfection in an HD sports game is an impossibility – but it is another soaring triumph that has something for just about everyone.
You'll loveSublime tackling
Gorgeous visuals
Amazing depth all around
You'll hateStale, uninspired commentary
Crowds are hit-or-miss
No historic teams or players
NCAA Football 12 At The Top Of Its Game?
gameinformer
The year after a championship can be tricky. You may be the team to beat, but you still have a long road ahead of you as you try to recapture that magic. Last year, EA came out with a great college football product that captured the feeling of the sport. NCAA 12 builds upon NCAA 11 with a list of improvements, but how much better is it?
Going into this review, I was most interested in NCAA 12’s promise to fix the magnet tackles and catches from years past. For the most part, developer EA Tiburon succeeded, yet the game feels much like it always has. The new tackling button doesn’t create unrealistic whiffs, nor does the catch button facilitate unbelievable grabs. You won’t see wide receivers slide across the field towards the ball or tackle animations engage too soon. True multi-defender gang tackles don’t occur, either, although they look better than they did last year because multiple defenders can throw their weight around to change the trajectory of the runner.
The franchise’s improvements, however, are balanced by an ongoing problem – the AI’s lack of ball awareness. While I’m glad that receivers don’t magically shoot forward to make catches, there are times when the opposite happens – the ball sails by them and they don’t even put their hands up to catch it. The AI’s ball awareness improves as you move away from the default difficulty, but even then you’ll see the occasional defender letting the ball carrier run by without attempting a tackle or an AI QB make some glaringly bad throwing choices. At least defenders are more aggressive, moving fluidly in their zones, jumping passes, and providing tighter coverage in general.
NCAA’s gameplay wrestles with the constant process of improving the past, and I think Dynasty Mode’s new Coaching Carousel reveals a need to update the series’ recruiting component. The Coaching Carousel lists goal-based expectations that influence your coaching prestige and keep you gainfully employed. This provides more structure to Dynasty mode, but it didn’t change how I went about my business. Recruiting was renovated just last year, but I wish the points you get for talking to recruits were more spread out and distinct (right now you can get a similar amount of points for seemingly disparate answers) and that recruiting encompassed the physical and mental traits of players instead of just discovering whether they like the campus weight room. Improving recruiting could take the coaching experience to the next level.
Road to Glory’s additions are more numerous than the Dynasty changes, but stop short of being a full overhaul. Earning coach’s trust through your play and working your way up the depth chart isn’t hard, and I have mixed feelings about the mode. It’s fun to upgrade your player and unlock the ability to call audibles, but that’s all stuff that I wish I had from the beginning.
NCAA 12 is better than NCAA 11, and yet I feel like we’ve come to the point in the series’ lifecycle where the changes – while all worthwhile – are getting harder to notice. Perhaps that’s because of all the hard work has already been done. Consider the game’s online dynasties, which are already full-featured enough that one of its main new additions – being able to sim ahead a week from your computer – is an optional pay-to-play feature. When things are going this good, it seems insane to ask for an overhaul of some core features like recruiting. But as they always say in football, you’ve got to fight for every yard.
GI Rating
9.00
Concept:
NCAA bolsters its game by giving Dynasty and Road to Glory modes a backbone by making coaches more prominent in both
Graphics:
The new lighting system is noticeable while you’re playing as well as in replays. The 3D grass, however, is largely irrelevant
Sound:
It sounds weird, but I miss third booth man Lee Corso. The booth sounds dull with just Kirk Herbstreit and Brad Nessler, and there are still comments that seem out of place
Playability:
The improved tackling and catches fix those legacy issues, but the game doesn’t feel dramatically different
Entertainment:
Despite the variety of improvements, the most exciting new feature is the ability to create custom conferences and mess around with the BCS bowl tie-ins
Replay:
High
