Showing posts with label Cincinnati Bengals. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Cincinnati Bengals. Show all posts

Monday, October 19, 2015

NFL Network's post-game locker room interview gets X-rated (VIDEO)


Albert Breer’s NFL Network locker room interview with Adam Jones after the Bengals’ win over Buffalo on Sunday really gave the audience an inside look at the team most fans don't get to see.


Because they was nekkid!




Looks like they could use some bigger towels in there too.

Tuesday, December 9, 2014

Bengals coach Marvin Lewis calls Johnny Manziel 'a midget' (AUDIO)

All of the uncertainty surrounding who will be the Browns quarterback when they play the Bengals Sunday has everyone wondering if Cincinnati's game plan will change if Johnny Manziel replaces Brian Hoyer.

Asked if that would be the case during an interview on 700 WLW, Marvin Lewis came back with a short response.

"No ... you've got to defend the offense, you don’t defend the player ... particularly a midget,” said the Bengals head coach.



Wow. We all know Johnny football is smaller than most NFL quarterbacks but come on.

Here's the audio track:




Soon after that interview, Lewis said he was sorry.

"I apologize to Johnny and the Browns and all the fans in Cleveland," Lewis said. "It was just a poor remark. I seriously did not imply anything by it."



It sounds like coach forgot one little segment of the population in his apology.


Wednesday, November 26, 2014

Bengals' Devon Still hasn't paid child support, says mother of cancer-stricken daughter: Report

Devon Still, who made headlines and won the hearts of fans from all over when the Cincinnati Bengals re-signed the once-cut player to help pay for his daughter's battle with cancer, has not paid child support in months, the little girl's mother claims.

Still, a defensive end for the NFL team, has not paid any child support for his four-year-old daughter Leah since July, according to her mother Channing Smythe.



The deadbeat claim threatens to overshadow what has been one of the few feel-good stories in a league otherwise riddled with controversy, including allegations of domestic violence and child abuse.

Smythe's attorney, Gloria Allred, has delivered a letter to the NFL asking it to investigate if Still has violated its Personal Conduct Policy by failing to pay child support, reported the New York Daily News.
"I don’t think it is fair that Devon Still, who is Leah’s father, has refused to pay any child support for her for the months of August, September, October and November of this year.," Smythe said in the letter.
Still's highly-publicized story began when he initially missed out on making Cincinnati's 53-man roster so he could be by his daughter's side while she endured expensive treatment for cancer. The sympathetic Bengals organization then offered him a spot on the practice squad, ensuring Leah would be covered under the team's health insurance policy.

Still fired back at the newspaper via Twitter:



He claims he went public with his daughter's cancer diagnosis "not for sympathy," he wrote on Instagram, but "because I've come to the point where I no longer [am] feeling sorry but [want] to ask that y'all keep my daughter in your prayers...

"The more prayers that go up, the more faith we [have] that she will overcome this obstacle," he wrote.

The courageous Leah was diagnosed with stage 4 neuroblastoma in June and given a 50 per cent chance of survival. She has since endured surgery to remove a tumor, five rounds of chemotherapy, one round of radiotherapy and, most recently, stem cell treatment to restore bone marrow.



Still's trips from Cincinnati to Delaware to be with his daughter each time she goes in for treatment have been making news for months but, Smythe claims she has been unable to work at all because Leah needs full-time care.

Still's agent, a spokesman for the Bengals and an NFL spokesman did not respond to requests for comment when contacted by the Daily News.

He has set up a donation program encouraging people to pledge money for every sack the Bengals' defense gets this season in an effort to help raise money and awareness about pediatric cancer.

Hopefully this situation will be resolved right away and won't tarnish something the NFL can be proud of.

And — more importantly — a little girl's health.


Saturday, October 25, 2014

Browns' Andrew Hawkins 'evicts' son for liking Bengals players (VIDEO)

Andrew Hawkins plays for Cleveland Browns, but before signing there last winter, he spent three years with the Cincinnati Bengals.


His son Austin, who is now two years old, really only knows his dad from his Bengals days. So when asked who his favorite player is, the little guy says A.J. Green and Mohamed Sanu. 

That answer gets him sent outside with his bags packed and a curt "good luck."

A video posted by Andrew Hawkins (@youngbabyhawk) on


It looks like the youngster just learned a hard lesson about life and — more importantly — division rivalries.

Wednesday, April 23, 2014

Former Bills cheerleaders file lawsuit for wages and exploitive 'jiggle tests': Report

Five former Buffalo Bills cheerleaders are suing the NFL team in New York Supreme Court for unspecified damages, claiming they weren't paid for their time at games or mandatory public appearances that left them open to groping and sexual comments.

Two members of the Buffalo Jills squad held a news conference Tuesday with their attorney, Frank Dolce, explaining how they were each exploited out of "840 hours of work" and subjected to harassment, such as being told to sit of men's laps and being subjected to a "jiggle test,"  reported WIVB.



The women say they were wrongly classified as independent contractors by Stejon Productions, which manages the Jills and failed to pay them for hundreds of hours of work during 2012 and 2013 season.

"We had always dreamed since we were little girls of becoming Buffalo Jills cheerleaders and unfortunately it was anything but a good experience," said former Jills cheerleader Alyssa U.

"[They made us do] everything from standing in front of us with a clipboard and having us do a jiggle test to see what parts of our body were jiggling and if that was something she saw, then you weren’t performing at all."

The five women claim other degrading behavior included being forced to wear a bikini and then go into a dunk tank, being auctioned off like prizes, and "the Jills were forced to sit on participants" laps because there was not enough seats in the golf carts.



The lawsuit is the third filed this year against a National Football League team by its cheerleaders.

The Oakland Raiders and Cincinnati Bengals also have pending wage battles.

The Buffalo plaintiffs claim that they did not receive compensation for working at Bills games. Instead, they received a $90 game ticket and a parking pass. 


They also claim that no compensation was paid for practice time.

"We were the laughing stock of NFL cheerleaders," Alyssa U said. 

The Bills said they were aware of the lawsuit and would not comment on "pending litigation."

Thursday, January 2, 2014

Chad Johnson offers to rescue Bengals fans from blackout

As reported earlier this week, the Cincinnati Bengals, Indianapolis Colts and Green Bay Packers still had several thousand unsold tickets for this weekend’s playoff games.

If the teams are unable to sell those tickets by a Thursday deadline, their respective playoff games will be blacked out on local television.



The Bengals still have about 8,000 tickets to sell to avoid a blackout of Sunday's playoff game against the Chargers. But on New Year's Eve, former Bengals receiver Chad Johnson made a generous offer on Twitter that could take care of everything.  In response to a story by Cincinnati Enquirer writer, Joe Reedy, about the Bengals stating, "Unless the rate of daily sales increases, we will not achieve a sellout," Chad Johnson tweeted, "I'll get the rest." After almost 300 re-tweets one fan asked if Johnson was actually going to buy the tickets.  He responded that he would be in touch with Jeff Berding, Bengals Director of Sales and Public Affairs, once back in Miami. If Johnson does purchases the remaining 8,000 tickets to Sunday's game the total bill would come to over 900,000 dollars.

That's novecientos mil to you, Ochocinco.

Steep tab for a guy who pleaded to have his child support payments lowered only last summer.





The reaction from Bengals fans was mixed with everything from "I've got a bridge to sell you" to "Make him an honorary captain."

Chad Johnson played wide receiver for the Cincinnati Bengals from 2001 to 2010.

Tuesday, December 31, 2013

Chargers LB Thomas Keiser arrested for battery: Report


San Diego Chargers linebacker Thomas Keiser was arrested on Sunday night on suspicion of misdemeanor battery, according to U-T San Diego. The arrest happened just hours after the Chargers beat the Chiefs to claim the final wild card berth in the AFC.

Keiser was at a bar in the Gaslamp Quarter of San Diego when he got into an altercation that eventually turned into a fight.

"We're aware of the issue involving Thomas," the Chargers said in a statement. "We'll continue to monitor the situation and let the legal process run its course."



The incident is still under investigation, but San Diego Police Captain Dino Delimitros did provide a few details to the Associated Press.

"He got in a fight with somebody, the bouncers got involved, the police came up and somebody demanded a citizens' arrest," Delimitros said.

Keiser's bail was set at $8,000, according to U-T San Diego, and he was released at some point on Monday.

The 24-year-old Keiser is in his first season with the Chargers after spending his first two years with Carolina. He opened the season on the Chargers practice squad, but was later signed to the active-roster in October. The linebacker has played in 12 games this season with three starts and is third on the team with 4.5 sacks.

The Chargers open the NFL playoffs on Sunday in Cincinnati against the Bengals.



Friday, November 1, 2013

Gio Bernard makes Brent Grimes miss two tackles during incredible TD run (VIDEO)

Cincinnati Bengals running back Giovani Bernard covered so much ground on this 65-yard touchdown run that one Miami Dolphins defender had the chance to miss two tackles on the same play.

And it might be the most impressive TD run of the season.



Cincinnati was trailing Miami 17-10 in the fourth quarter of Thursday night's game, when the rookie out of North Carolina took the hand off from Andy Dalton and took off to his right. The play nearly ended before Bernard even got back to the line of scrimmage as cornerback Brent Grimes almost dragged him down. Somehow staying on his feet, Bernard reversed direction and bolted for the far sideline, taking a serpentine route that brought him even further behind the line of scrimmage. After reaching the far sideline, Bernard followed three blockers — including quarterback Andy Dalton — up the edge of the field. At the 10-yard line, Bernard veered back toward the center of the field as he closed in on the end zone. At this point, Grimes had another chance at a tackle. And he missed, again.

Touchdown Run of the Year or Worst Tackling On Same Play of the Year? You decide.


Monday, October 28, 2013

Pacman Jones threatens Jets' David Nelson: 'I'm going to find out where you live': source

Hot-headed Cincinnati Bengals’ cornerback Adam "Pacman" Jones may have crossed the line with a threat to wide receiver David Nelson during the Jets’ 49-9 loss on Sunday.

Jones, who has a long list of legal trouble during his NFL career, made it clear that Nelson would face repercussions for what he perceived as dirty play even if it meant taking matters into his own hands off the field, a source told the New York Daily News.

"I’m going to find out where you live and come and get you," Jones told Nelson, according to a source."



Jones admitted to the Bengals’ website that he jawed with Rex Ryan in the second half.

"He told me to shut the hell up," claimed Jones.

Jones, who had a pick-six in the second half, wasn’t thrilled with what he perceived as cheap shots from Nelson, who was called for an unnecessary roughness penalty on the last play of the third quarter.

"(Nelson) was playing dirty," Jones told the team’s website, Bengals.com. "He cut me like four times after the play. Thank God I took my medicine today - I guess - and I didn't go off. Hopefully, he'll get fined. At least three fines. There were three real cheap shots after the play."

The combustible Jones is no stranger to violence off the field. In October, he was found not guilty of assaulting a woman and received a citation for disorderly conduct during a police stop this summer. Jones was ordered to pay $11 million for his involvement in a shooting outside a Las Vegas nightclub in 2007.

Nelson, who was signed by the Jets a few weeks ago, had team highs in receptions (eight) and yards (80) in the loss.

Antonio Cromartie’s wife goes off on Jets defense via Twitter

While the New York Jets were getting crushed by the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday, it was Antonio Cromartie’s wife who took things into her own hands during the game — well, at least into her thumbs via Twitter.

Terricka Cason, “Lady Cro” on Twitter (@iluvTERRICKA) tweeted about Andy Dalton’s big game: “Dalton making this s--- look like pop warner” as she gave a running commentary about the Jets poor defense.



Dalton had a huge game in the Bengals’ 49-9 win over Gang Green on Sunday. He burned Cromartie and the Jets secondary for 325 yards and five touchdowns. Four of them to receiver Marvin Jones.



Cromartie’s better half, who describes herself as “E! CandY Girl, Actress, Model, Dancer, Host” in her Twitter bio, showed much more fight than the Jets, even after seeing some negative response from some users. Her tweets included:

“This Is just embarrassing the whole team failed to show up today.”

“We have to keep our game consistent and jump off this up And down roller coaster.”

After some followers criticized her tweets, Cason brought out her own D:

"I guess cause ima wife I'm not suppose 2comment on a Game... That will never happen.. I was raised in this game uncles played pro, cousins 2"

Then she turned it down a bit:

“Let’s regroup and have a better game next week.. I think what’s sad is I know how good our team is and sometime it fails to show”

“At the end of the Day I kno the effort that these guys put forth each week win or lose GO JETS”

Finally, she’d had her fill.

“Ok Good Night it was fun see you next week same time same place with better results... J-E-t-S JETS JETS JETS”

The Jets host New Orleans at 1 p.m. next Sunday.

Friday, August 9, 2013

Brian Banks makes NFL debut after false rape conviction

By Tony Mangia

Brian Banks played in his first NFL game Thursday night for the Atlanta Falcons after a remarkable and improbable journey from being wrongly accused of rape, a five-year stint in prison and fighting to finally realize his dream of playing for an NFL team.

After signing earlier in the off-season with the Falcons, Banks — whose football career was derailed more than a decade ago by the false accusations of rape and kidnapping in 2002 — made his long-awaited debut when he entered the Bengals-Falcons preseason contest in the fourth quarter at middle linebacker and made two tackles.




Before the game, the 28-year-old rookie couldn't contain his thoughts — and who can blame him — on his Twitter account.

After the game, Banks was just as enthusiastic.

"It was out of control," he said. "Just running out there, the flames, the cheers and the crowd, it was emotional, it really was. I wasn't nervous at all. I wasn't over-excited or anything, but just running out of that tunnel, I mean, the adrenaline that comes with that is just indescribable.

"It's better than any roller-coaster ride you can ever get on."

Banks' story became widely known after the convictions were overturned. He was a standout California high school player and a recruit at USC before his legal troubles arose. He took a plea deal of six years in prison rather than risk facing a potential 41-year sentence. He served five years and spent another five on probation, labeled a sex offender.



His whole life was turned upside down and put on hold from 2002 until the victim recanted her claims last year.  Banks was given several tryouts from NFL teams this spring, including the Seattle Seahawks, whose head coach Pete Carroll was the one who recruited him at USC.

It’s not the first time he has played football since high school.  Last year, Banks signed with the now-defunct UFL’s Las Vegas Locomotives. He made it to the field before the league pulled the plug.

The next goal will be to make it to the 53-man roster.  That may be too much to expect, but there’s a chance Banks will get a chance to continue developing his skills on the Atlanta practice squad.

Either way, it's a great re-start for Banks. You can't help but root for this guy.

[VIDEO]

Tuesday, March 5, 2013

Jesse Holley, Cowboys WR with 7 career catches subject of Hollywood feature

Sony Pictures has acquired Jesse Holley, the working title of a film based on the unlikely — and brief — rise and fairly unspectacular NFL career of the Dallas Cowboys wide receiver of the same name.

Holley's story is being readied for the big screen with former Cowboys great and Holley mentor Michael Irvin serving as executive producer.

The onetime cellphone salesman and Roselle, NJ. high school star — who won Irvin's 4th and Long reality show on Spike TV in 2009 — made the Cowboys roster against all odds after stints with the Bengals practice squad and the CFL.

The picture will be directed by Dan Lindsay and TJ Martin directors of The Undefeated, last year's Oscar-winning football documentary, and is being written by Randy Brown, the writer of the Clint Eastwood baseball flick Trouble With The Curve, according to Deadline.com.

Not a bad Tinseltown pedigree for a film about an NFL receiver that has a total of 7 career grabs on his stat sheet.



The movie's pitch to studio executives went like this wrote Deadline:

Holley overcame a poverty-ridden upbringing and multiple personal obstacles and went from working as a security guard to being an NFL wide receiver for the Dallas Cowboys. That gridiron career started in spectacular fashion when Holley caught a 77-yard TD game winning pass in overtime, in his very first game.

The pitch-writer took a little dramatic liberty with the story.  The 77-yarder against the 49ers in OT didn't happen and he was dragged down at the one-yard line.  But it did set up the winning field goal.



The choice of the 29-year old Holley as the centerpiece of a million dollar feature film seems surprising. He was a rarely used fifth receiver and a passable special teams player.  He signed with the New England Patriots last season and looking to hook up with a team this season.

He seems like a nice guy with no outstanding warrants or felonies I could find. But he did date a Dallas Desire Lingerie Football League player way back. 

My advice.  Get points on the gross and maybe some acting lessons.


Wednesday, November 7, 2012

Tom Coughlin calls Giants defense 'soft'

After Sunday's 24-20 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers, New York Giants defensive end Justin Tuck said his team was "mushed" around by the Steelers offensive line after third-string running back Isaac Redman plowed through Big Blue's defense for a career- high 147 yards.

Head coach Tom Coughlin was more straightforward in his assessment of the team and used the "S" word to describe the Giants defense.

"It was soft, no question," Coughlin told the Star-Ledger on Monday.

"It was soft early," he said.  "We came back and played a little bit better and they had their breakout there at the end of the game."

Tuck didn't disagree with his coach that the defense was more pliable than a roll of Charmin.

"Not to the point where they were more physical than us," said Tuck.  "But to the point where you got a guy in the gap and Redman was just behind his guard, behind his guard, and a guy jumps out of his gap trying to get around to get Redman and he kind of like filters forward for three more, four more yards, and that's just us got to do a better job of escaping blocks and getting to the ball carrier."



Granted, the Giants were without three linebackers including Chase Blackburn — who spearheads the defense.

"We had some poor tackling, I think," observed Blackburn.  "Even the runs that were hit for 3-4 yard gains, we hit them at minus one or one yard or at the line of scrimmage and he [Redman] just continued to roll forward a little bit."

The Giants travel to Cincinnati to play the Bengals on Sunday.  The Bengals have lost four straight but — as history will attest — the Giants have lost on five straight road trips to Tigerland since 1972.

The Giants run defense is ranked 19th in the NFL at 118 yards per game.

"It's so correctable and that's the frustrating thing," said Tuck.  "Most times you'd rather just get your butt whipped up front and say, 'Well, I did my best and they still beat me.'  we had some things that we could've easily corrected."

The "S" word.  Good for describing babies' behinds or Kenny G's rock but not the Giants D.

Saturday, August 11, 2012

Rex Ryan: Marvin Lewis asked me not to run the Wildcat

New York Jets' fans waited all spring and summer to see Tim Tebow unleashed in the team's new Wildcat offense.  They're still waiting.

Head coach Rex Ryan didn't run the Tebow-based Wildcat at all on Friday night against the Cincinnati Bengals and claims the reason was an unusual agreement he made with his opposing coach, Marvin Lewis, before the exhibition game.


The Jets coach has been boasting all summer about how afraid opposing defenses are going to be handling Tebow this season and claims Lewis' plea is just evidence of that fear.

"I know nobody's worried about Wildcat and all that stuff.  It's real easy to stop," a sarcastic Ryan said last week.  'That's why I got a call at 7 a.m. the day before we played by Marvin not wanting to see the Wildcat.  I guess I'm the only guy who thinks it has a place in the NFL... me and every defensive coach in the league."



Ryan— who once coached with Lewis in Baltimore— suspiciously turned off the Tebow Wildcat on Friday against the Bengals.  It's odd that a coach would not test out his new secret weapon but it's even more strange that a coach wouldn't want to test his defense against the offense— just in case they come across it during the regular season.

Coaches who have made gentleman's agreements before meaningless preseason games are rare but not unheard of.



Last summer, Saints coach Sean Payton called Jim Harbaugh to make some kind of a pact before a pre-season game only to have it fall on the deaf ears of the 49ers coach.  The unanswered call led to the Saints unleashing hell and piling on a half-dozen sacks on the unsuspecting 49ers.

Ryan could have blitzed Lewis just the same, but it might not have mattered.  Tebow was less than impressive in his debut with Gang Green.  There were a couple of completions and first down runs.  But there were also a holding call and an interception in about a quarter and a half.

If the Jets want to test out their Wildcat, that's their decision, regardless of what the opposing team wants.  Maybe we'll see it next week or maybe Ryan is saving it for the real games. 

As for the Bengals, what were they afraid of?

Friday, August 10, 2012

Tebow completes first pass in a Jets' uniform and it's a floater

Tim Tebow made his well-publicized debut in a New York Jets uniform— only it was on a special teams punt.  The highly anticipated appearance of Tebow behind center didn't happen until 14:01 of the second quarter after starter Mark Sanchez had already marked his territory.

Tebow's first set of downs as quarterback for the Jets— in an exhibition game against the Cincinnati Bengals— didn't look much different from where he left off with his old team the Denver Broncos— a sprinkling of free-flying passes and stampeding runs through the defense.

You know what they say: The more things change, the more the QB stays the same.

The Jets' new "backup" did complete his first throw in green and white— a 12-yarder to Steven Hill.  Other high and low lights in Tebow's first game with Gang Green included a first down run, a holding call, and another 10 yard run before throwing it away on a third-and-two.  The Jets settled for a 42-yard field goal.  He later threw a bad interception in the third quarter to end his night 4/8 for 28 yards, an INT and 34 yards rushing.

The Wildcat was nowhere to be seen.


While Tebow already looked like he was in shaky mid-season form, Sanchez came out flat and finished his quarter by going four of six for 21 yards. He was sacked twice and scrambled on one play.  Later, Sanchez joked he was using "his inner Tebow" on that run.

Rex Ryan said he was happy with Tebow's game.  At half time, the head coach said that opposing defenses were going to have to "go after him" to keep him from making plays.

Tony Sparano, the Jets offensive coordinator, said he was going to keep the offense "vanilla" for the first game.  Tebow added a little Rocky Road as usual.


Thursday, July 19, 2012

Ex-Giant Dhani Jones captures Mother Nature from the unfriendly skies

Ex-New York Giants linebacker Dhani Jones got an incredible Instagram shot of a storm bearing down on Queens, N.Y. as his plane was departing LaGuardia Airport.

Jones shot the epic storm just as it was nearing the city at about 1:30 p.m. and tweeted the photo along with this ominous message: "Check out what's coming at NYC?"


The former Bengals and Giants linebacker used to wrangle the NFL's top running backs but knows nothing compares to Mother Nature.



As his plane hovered at 10,000 feet, Jones— a globe-trotting adventurer— caught the freak storm right when New York City was coping with extreme temperatures and right before heavy rain, thunder and lightning wreaked havoc below.  Four people were reportedly hit by lightning strikes.

"Through all my travels around the globe, I have always remained in awe of the power of Mother Nature,  he said.






Friday, July 13, 2012

Terrell Owens a no-show at child support hearing; could face jail time

The last time we saw Terrell Owens in the NFL he was wearing the orange and black stripes of the Cincinnati Bengals but— after missing  child support hearing yesterday— a judge says we could soon be seeing him donning stripes of the prison kind.

Owens was a no-show at a scheduled child support hearing in Atlanta Thursday, according to WSB-TV, much to the displeasure of Judge John Goger.

The judge reset the hearing for July 19, but warned the out-of-work, former NFL star if he fails to show up again, he could be thrown into jail.



David Hartlin, Owens' attorney, blamed the absence on a miscommunication.

The 38-year old Owens is $20,000 behind in child support payments.  The mother of his 7-year old daughter, Melanie Smith,  says he has avoided paying child support for months.  He reportedly pays $5,000 per month for the little girl.

"It's a tragedy, not only that we are here today,' said Smith lawyer, Randy Kessler.  "This is the third time she has had to file this year."

The former 49ers, Eagles and Cowboys receiver last played in the NFL with the Bengals in 2010.  Owens was last seen playing in the Indoor Football League for the Allen Wranglers.


Saturday, April 28, 2012

Giants new LB Keith Rivers picks up woman in ER

Manhattan's Roosevelt Hospital was the site of another sports star sighting yesterday.  After Detroit Tigers outfielder Delmon Young finished detoxing  before his Friday morning arrest for assault,  New York Giants newest linebacker Keith Rivers was spotted carrying a sick female friend out of the mid-town hospital after a night of clubbing with Reggie Bush.

The New York Post reported that after sober-looking Rivers arrived at the hospital at 9:30 a.m. yesterday, he gave his name to security, walked inside and left with the woman.

Roosevelt is the same hospital where a "highly intoxicated" Young was treated early Friday morning after he went on his anti-Semitic rage and pushed some guy outside the Hilton hotel.

That same morning, at about 10:30 a.m., Rivers— who told reporters Young was not the reason he was there— was seen leaving the hospital with an attractive brunette in her mid-20's.  She was wearing high heels and a short skirt which looked like the the same clothes she was wearing the night before.

The unidentified young woman appeared haggard and her make-up smeared after a rough night.  Rivers protectively put his arm around her and walked here down the street said The Post.



When asked if he had seen Young in the ER, Rivers replied, "I am dealing with my own problems."  Then he and the woman jumped into a cab and sped away.

It seems like they all speed away.

A few hours earlier Rivers and a group of his friends had met up with Bush at celebrity hangout Lavo.  Both guys played football together at USC.

Bush and Rivers— who did not appear to be drinking— hung out at the club until 3 a.m. at tables near Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck.  Luck was reportedly celebrating being the No. 1 pick of the NFL Draft on Thursday night.

Welcome to New York City Keith and watch out for Kardashians.


Friday, April 27, 2012

Rutgers WR Mohamed Sanu victim of cruel NFL Draft prank

With the first round of the 2012 NFL Draft winding down on Thursday night, Rutgers wide receiver Mohamed Sanu got the phone call every prospective NFL player waits for— that he was the 27th overall pick by the Cincinnati Bengals.

Sitting with family and friends, a rush of unexpected excitement swept through the living room of his New Jersey home as he envisioned being on the receiving end of Andy Dalton's passes after he got the call.  Up until then, Sanu was considered a second or third round pick at best.

When Sanu's agent,  Mike McCartney, got the good news from Sanu, he was a little surprised but it all seemed "normal" as he put it. So he went to Twitter and proudly tweeted, "SANU to Bengals!"

"Everybody's going nuts in his home.  He's like, I can't hear you, Mike, I'll call you soon," McCartney recalled about the moments after the call.  "His brother calls me and he's euphoric and going nuts.  We're all kind of high-fiving over the phone.  And I said, 'They're about to show it on ESPN. I'll call you later.'"

For a few moments more, the celebration continued then quickly turned to confusion.

After Sanu's agent had tweeted the big news and Sanu and his supporters waited for the big announcement on the TV screen, Cincinnati selected Wisconsin guard Kevin Zeitler.

Sanu had been pranked-called on the biggest night of his young football career. The first round would end later, without Sanu's name being called.



When McCartney heard the Bengals' pick on ESPN, he hoped Sanu had misheard which team had called him and called Sanu's brother to check it out.  When there was nothing but silence on the other end of the line, he feared the worst.

In all of the excitement to answer the phone, Sanu hadn't even noticed the northern New Jersey 908 area code on his phone.

Sanu quickly shook off the mean trick like an old pro.

"It'll be all right.  It's meant to be that I''ll be with another team," McCartney recalls Sanu saying to him after the letdown.  "If it happens tonight great, if not, it'll happen (Friday)."

Sanu, nor his family or friends have expressed any anger to the young man who played the prank.  In fact, Sanu didn't even call the number back, his agent did.

"It was some kid from Rutgers who said his friend got his phone and played a practical joke.  He was apologetic," McCartney said.  "He said  he doesn't work for the athletic department and wouldn't tell me how he got Mohamed's number, wouldn't tell me his name."

McCartney— the son of former Colorado head coach Bill McCartney— kept his emotions in check.

"I just said to the kid, 'Do you understand how much pain you just caused?  And it's not just him, it's his family.  Do you understand what you did?'" McCartney said.  "At that point, there was nothing more I could do."

On Friday morning, Sanu tweeted, "Thank God for giving me another day and another opportunity to chase my dream.  #thankfuland blessed."

Maybe tonight, some team will be smart enough to draft this kid.  Just check the area code Mohamed.


Monday, August 22, 2011

Jets Flight Crew Unveils Sexy 2012 Calendar Photos Shot by Owner's Daughter

The New York Jets have leaked some of the Flight Crew's sexy 2012 calender photos and they'll have you thinking about a different type of fantasy football. 

Only this time, the Jets cheerleader's swimsuit calendar was created by owner Woody Johnson's two daughters.  The photos capture 19 of the team's 41 pom-pom shakers in a variety of tantalizing poses over the twelve months.

J-E-T-S, Jets, Jets, Jets.  The letters never looked so good.  Even Giants fans would have to agree.


According to the New York Post, Gang Green's cheerleader calendar was created by Johnson's two girls.  The photos were shot by 23 year-old daughter, Daisy, in sun-drenched Aruba.

Older sister, 29 year-old Jamie, who is also a photographer, was the art director for the project.

A team representative told the Post that Daisy went through the usual interview process and was selected on her skills.  Oh-kaaay.

Whatever the procedure, the outcome is what matters and it looks like the aspiring Daisy and the models all have skills.

The Flight Crew cheered on Gang Green during last night's rain-soaked 27-7 exhibition win over the Cincinnati Bengals.  Quite a change from the sun-and-fun of Aruba.

The 2011 Flight Crew team will make its regular season debut, with the football team on Sept. 11, when the Jets meet the Dallas Cowboys in a nationally-televised game in Met-Life Stadium.

This was the second consecutive year the calendar was shot in Aruba and it's a lot easier on the eyes than Rex Ryan in a wig during a press conference.