Sunday NFL Pregame Quotage

With Plaxico Burress being Subject #1 on the pregame shows, I might as well go with the person who’s been on the case of NFL scoopage this season, Jay Glazer of Fox Sports so Fox NFL Sunday goes first today.

FOX NFL Insider Jay Glazer Reports Burress Will Turn Himself Into Police Giants
Source To Strahan: Plaxico Is Making Us Look Stupid
Bradshaw: “I Would Not Want To Play For Jon Gruden”
Johnson Picks Falcons Head Coach Mike Smith As Coach of the Year

FOX NFL Insider Jay Glazer was the first to break the news that Giants WR Plaxico Burress accidentally shot himself in the leg outside a nightclub early Saturday morning. During today’s edition of FOX NFL SUNDAY, Glazer added new information: “About an hour ago, I got a call from a New York police source, who told me they have received word that Plaxico Burress has agreed to turn himself in with his attorney for questioning as early as tomorrow. Antonio (Pierce) took him to the hospital and there is talk about Pierce possibly being charged with obstruction of justice, but what I am being told by my NYPD source is that Antonio is fully cooperating. In fact, he’s helping lead police to the gun.”

Glazer’s Complete Story on FOXSports.com: http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/8866348/Giants’-Burress-accidentally-shoots-self-in-leg

Former Giants DE and FOX NFL SUNDAY analyst Michael Strahan along with analysts Jimmy Johnson, Howie Long & Terry Bradshaw reacted to Glazer’s report:

Michael Strahan: “He messed up. One of the first things the Giants do during training camp is bring in the police and they tell you, ‘if you have a gun here at training camp, give it us. We will hold it for you. We don’t care if you have a permit, it does not matter…’ You have that understanding and you know what the ramifications are. Instead of worrying about what the NFL or the Giants can do to you, what the state of New York can do to you is a lot scarier than worrying about a football career. Everybody (in Giants organization) is surprised. Regardless of all the information and bad things you’ve heard about Plaxico, they never expected the guy to have a gun. I had a chance to talk to players there and Antonio Pierce. Pierce said ‘I didn’t know he had a gun. I was surprised he had a gun.’ He’s in a place right now where he needs help and the Giants have offered help but he will not take it. Exact words ‘he’s making us look stupid.’”

Jimmy Johnson: “Why won’t he receive the help? Why won’t he just say, ‘okay, I’ve done wrong. What can I do to make it right?’”

Michael Strahan: “I don’t think there is anybody that can get inside his head to figure out why he won’t do it. I don’t know if he can figure out why he won’t do it.”

Howie Long: “It’s sadly ironic that every wound in regard to Plaxico has been self-inflicted and this is an obvious case of that. The Giants have gone out of their way and bent over backwards to help him. You say taking his money doesn’t matter. If they take his signing bonus, it’s a life changing fine.”

Terry Bradshaw: “I believe that this is one organization that will say ‘enough is enough’ and release him.”

Michael Strahan: “When you’re in that organization and play well for that team you’re part of that family. They’re not going to abandon a guy. They want him to get his life straight before they even worry about football which is very rare in this business. The Giants do care. They want Plaxico to be a better person, a better man and really want to take care of the guy.”

Insider Jay Glazer followed up on a story about ‘Water Pills’ that he broke a few weeks ago: “Sources have told me that they (players potentially facing suspension) have information that at least two high-ranking NFL members knew that there was an illegal substance called bumetanide in these ‘star cap’ pills and didn’t tell the players and didn’t tell the NFL players association. If the players are still found guilty, they are going to file a temporary restraining order in another jurisdiction. They’ll also file suit not just against ‘star cap’ but against the National Football League as well as the individuals who withheld this information.”

Following reporter Pam Oliver’s sit-down interview with Tampa Bay head coach Jon Gruden and QB Jeff Garcia, analyst Terry Bradshaw reacted: “I love Jon Gruden but I would not want to play for him. I wouldn’t want to be in Jeff Garcia’s shoes simply because I don’t want to have to look over my shoulder.”

Analyst Howie Long on beleaguered Eagles QB Donovan McNabb: “There are about nine quarterbacks on the face of the earth that are really good. Donovan is one of them.”

Analyst Michael Strahan on Jets RB Leon Washington: “He’s the most underrated, unknown player in the league.”

Analyst Jimmy Johnson on Patriots QB Matt Cassel: “Enjoy him while you’ve got him because he’ll be playing somewhere else next year.”

During FOX NFL SUNDAY’s ‘Fired Up’ Segment, analyst Jimmy Johnson spoke about owners making changes to their teams: “Thanksgiving marks the start of the holiday season but in the NFL it’s the time when angry football fans from San Francisco to Cleveland, and onto Philadelphia start demanding a change. I’ve talked with numerous NFL owners and GM’s on the subject of change. They always have a vision that one coach, one person can magically
make them into a champion and when that one person says ‘no,’ they throw up their hands and say, ‘who do we hire now’? Owners should understand that just changing the coach is not going to change the talent. Your entire organization has to work together. Make sure you upgrade your talent. This happened in Atlanta last season. Owner Arthur Blank pursued Bill Parcells and USC’s Pete Carroll and was rejected on all fronts. Then Blank pursued a more sensible plan; he hired a young GM in Tom Dimitroff, then an unknown leader in Mike Smith who is my choice for Coach of the Year. Finally, they drafted Matt Ryan who appears to be a franchise quarterback. Too many owners get swayed by coaches who can draw up exotic pass plays and who are great with the X’s and O’s but they don’t communicate well with players and can’t evaluate talent. The Lions were 9-7 the season before they cleaned house. Eight years and three head coaches later, Detroit is four games away from being 0-16. It’s easy to say, ‘get rid of a coach or player,’ but you had better know you can get better before you get rid of someone. New York is happy they stayed with Tom Coughlin. Sometimes hiring someone else is not nearly as good as what you have. What should Philadelphia do? Thursday you were screaming for a change. Just chill out and let an outstanding coach and quarterback do their job. So Philadelphia, you want a change? Go ahead! You could be Detroit in a couple of years. Or you could bring back Rich Kotite. It’s your move.”

We then go to The NFL Today from CBS.

(On New York Giants’ Plaxico Burress)

SHANNON SHARPE: Forget about the fact that he’s carrying an unlicensed handgun. Forget about the fact that he feels he needs to go into a club with an unlicensed handgun. What about the fact that the guy is injured? And instead of being at home rehabbing trying to get back to show his teammates…‘I’m going to miss this week in Washington but I’m doing everything I possibly can to get back on the field with you guys next week.’ What happened to that? What about his responsibility of doing everything he can to get back onto the field? Forget all this other stuff about the handgun and him going into the club. He doesn’t care about anything but Plaxico Burress.

BILL COWHER: When a guy is producing, you tolerate certain things. But this action that took place here was totally unacceptable.

BOOMER ESIASON: There’s no way he will ever put a New York Giant uniform on ever again. This is one of the dumbest moves in the recent history of the NFL. When you think about the Tisch family and the Mara family, the owners of the New York Giants, they will not stand for this. It’s over for Plaxico Burress in New York as a football player.

DAN MARINO: It’s stupid and it’s selfish. This is a team that went to the Super Bowl last year. He was a critical part of that. It’s selfish from the standpoint of him and their team. And you can’t overlook what is he doing going with a handgun into a club? Or going to a club where you need a hand gun to go to? It’s totally ridiculous.

BILL COWHER: It’s tough enough when you’re on to top, but he’s now become a major distraction for the team.

? “INSIDE THE GAME” WITH CHARLEY CASSERLY

(On New York Jets QB Brett Favre)

CASSERLY: He (Brett Favre) hasn’t told the Jets whether or not he’s coming back next year. If he retires the Jets don’t have a viable option at starting quarterback.

(On New England QB Matt Cassel): If I’m Matt Cassel, I want to go with a team that has a chance to win. Who are those teams? Minnesota Vikings, Tampa Bay – both could be in the playoffs this year. One other team I’d call, how about the archrival the New York Jets? Good football team, new stadium, pay the players well, Brett Favre may not come back, (so) they’ll need a starting quarterback, that would really add a lot to that rivalry. Guess what, next year’s opening game, Matt Cassel, Tom Brady – we could see that.

?QUICK HITS

(On where Cleveland Browns go from this point in the season)

BILL COWHER: First of all, where they go, there’s got to be one voice, and that has to be the head coach. But you let it play out. You’ve got five games to evaluate and go from there. Derek Anderson got hurt in the pre-season and that led to a very shaky start. Plus, his receiving corps, Joe Jurevicius hasn’t played all year. Donte Stallworth has given him nothing. Winslow has been hurt and Braylon Edwards has had a bunch of drops so they have not handled the adversity very well. But let this play out. Right now the team is playing for next year.

BOOMER ESIASON: Coach I want you to pay very close attention to me because I have 40 million-50 million reasons why you should be listening to what I am saying here. When the owner says the product on the field is sickening and the general manager is stabbing the head coach in the back, you have a dysfunctional family that needs to be taken care of immediately. The way that you do that is to throw everybody out of the building and you start over because five, six, seven games into next year, you don’t want to find yourself in the same situation. I don’t know who their replacement may be but I have a good idea on who they’d like it to be (looking at Cowher)…I say the inmates are running the asylum. Get them all out.

?COACH COWHER ON HOW TO IMPROVE THE NFL (Some of the ideas Cowher presented):

In my most recent discoveries, a Thanksgiving Day game, you think about food, family and the tradition in the National Football League…Let’s pick competitive games before
the season starts and rotate it on a yearly basis.

Football is played outside, no domes. The game was meant to be played on grass or painted dirt. Let the game be played on natural surfaces.

That goal posts are this wide (18’ 6”), I want to make them this wide (14’6”). Eighty-five field goal percentage right now in this league? That is too easy. Let’s shorten the goalposts.

Let’s also make a three-point line…a kick outside the 30-yard line, you get three points. If the kick comes inside the 30-yard line, you get two points. This will add strategic elements to the game that now will make it more interesting for fans to look at and add another element for the coaches to coach.

REACTION TO COWHER’S “EXPERIMENT”
SHARPE: Detroit already plays 16 pre-season games. I don’t need to see anymore games from them. I got one recommendation. How about this? If a steam losing by 28 points in the third-quarter or 21 in the fourth quarter, in the stadium put a different game on to Jumbotron. Fans shouldn’t have to watch bad football. I’ve already paid a high dollar to go there and watch a game. If it’s a bad game, let me see something I want to see on television.

Now let’s head to ESPN’s Sunday NFL Countdown.

“SUNDAY NFL COUNTOWN” NEWS AND NOTES – November 30, 2008

ESPN’s “Sunday NFL Countdown” host Chris Berman and analysts Mike Ditka, Keyshawn Johnson, Cris Carter, and Tom Jackson previewed today’s NFL games. Some excerpts:

Reaction to news of Giants wide receiver Plaxico Burress shooting self in a New York night club

Keyshawn Johnson: “It can happen because you are not paying attention to your investment. Your investment is that $35 million to play for. When you are not paying attention to that, you are not paying attention to protect your family and all those sorts of things – the good things that come from playing in the National Football League … If you have to have a gun in the first place at a club, why even bother going to the club. It makes absolutely no sense to me.”

Mike Ditka: “This is all about priorities. When you get stature in life, you get the kind of contract, you have an obligation and responsibility to your teammates, to the organization, to the National Football League and to the fans. He just flaunted this money in their face. He has no respect for anybody but himself. I feel sorry for him, in the sense that, I don’t understand the league, why can anybody have a gun? I will have a policy, no guns, any NFL players we find out, period, you’re suspended.”

Keyshawn Jackson: “I don’t feel sorry for him. I’m glad he wasn’t seriously injured. I think this is the reason there is a big disconnect between fans and these players. $35 million contract signed and he went berserk. Because, like many players, that money he feels gives him the right to say I don’t have to play by the rules and that’s what he’s done. That laundry list you read [Berman read on air about Burress’ mishaps this season], that’s how he’s been since the moment that he signed that $35 million contract. And unfortunately, there are other players like him who absolutely don’t care once they get that money.”

Cris Carter: “I’m sad because we would get to the state in the National Football League or any other pro sport where guys really forget their relevance in society. All you have to do is pick up the [New York] Times today or pick up the [New York] Post or [New York] Daily News and look at what state we are in, as a country, financially. It’s hard to have a job. Let alone when you have a job and a good one. For me, it was always pride in the National Football League and pride in doing my job and the responsibility I had to the people that were paying me. To me, it doesn’t make any sense. Look at the long laundry list – are we shocked he shot himself? Really, based on everything that’s happened.”

Keyshawn Jackson: “Let me ask you something. They act like this is so commonplace. Are these guys walking around with guns? Are a lot of NFL players, going to clubs, are they going with guns?”

Keyshawn Johnson: “I would say, probably, and I don’t know the statistics, but I would say about half the league does … Because a lot of guys think you’ve got to have a gun, having security with you, that’s not cool.”

Cris Carter: “You need to realize, if you run into a professional athlete, you are more likely to find an athlete that’s packing some heat.”

Chris Berman: “That’s pathetic. If you get out of that for a minute, just the Plax, he’s like the only guy wearing a red shirt in a room with guys wearing blue shirts. And the guys in blue shirts, it’s like a good thing. At what point – ‘maybe, I should think about putting a blue shirt on today.’ And we’re glad he’s not seriously hurt.”

Keyshawn Johnson: “The NFL has a security policy. You get it. They talk to you about the whole deal. Every single city that you go in, there’s a security for that team. You can contact that security officer and they’ll find you an off-duty FBI guy, off-duty city police that’s licensed to carry a gun. You can interpret that any way you want if you want protection. They won’t get in your way.”

Tom Jackson: “Boom! he just shot his way out of New York.”

Is Plaxico Burress worth the trouble?

Tom Jackson: “Absolutely not. Even if they were a team struggling, that would be the case. I don’t want this on my football team. The fact is, when he’s out, they don’t struggle. They’ve now had the chance to see him a couple times this year, see their team and what it is like when he is not on the field. I think they are actually a better football team. Yes, he makes some catches – 35 catches, four touchdowns. That is average to me. So give me the player who is a team guy, who fits in with the rest of what we are as the New York Football Giants and [head coach]Tom Coughlin can do that now because he is a made man in New York.”

Cris Carter: “People need to realize it is not going to be an adjustment because all through the off-season, Plaxico, off-season surgery, wasn’t there. Not at the OTAs. Training camp, remember holding out – mysterious injury. When he got his contract, he got really healthy. Domenik Hixon is a better route runner, is better after the catch than Plaxico, and is more speed in the lineup and if far more dependable.”

Keyshawn Johnson: “Is he worth the trouble? Right now, he is walking across the Grand C
anyon, on a tight rope, strong winds with no net underneath … I know he’s had some issues, whatever that is, you can’t just give up on him and throw him to the wolves. You have to try to help him somehow.”

Cris Carter: “Key [Keyshawn], if I give you $35 million, what help can I get for you? … This is no young guy at the draft, shooting up at the combine. I heard the man a few weeks ago saying: ‘I ain’t losing no sleep’.”

Mike Ditka: “One thing you can guarantee he is losing, that is his address in New York.”

Chris Berman: “From Super Bowl hero to this? Super Bowl is only February. Everybody on the Giants got the message except him

What did you learn Thanksgiving?

Mike Ditka: “The whipping boy for National Football League for the last two weeks has been Donovan McNabb, and you can throw [head coach] Andy Reid in there too. They proved that they know what they’re doing. The play calling in this game was outstanding, Donovan’s play was outstanding, Brian Westbrook was outstanding. This is still a good football team. I don’t know what happened to them before. They figured out this, if we run the ball, and they did run the ball, we can be successful.”

Chris Carter: “I was forced to watch the Lions – for the first time – to watch a whole Lions game. I’m convinced, I’m a high school coach, I coach my son’s high school team, St. Thomas Aquinas. The Lions will not win this year. And we need to book a matchup between the Lions and St. Thomas Aquinas, No. 2 in the nation.”
Johnson: “Watching Tony Romo, watching him run around playing sandlot football on Thanksgiving day, throwing the football to receivers that are just getting open and not necessarily running routes, he’s pretty good.”

Tom Jackson: “Here’s what I took from turkey day and coach has it exactly right. You start looking at the rushing numbers from each of those teams that won football games – Jeff Fisher and company, back to almost 300 yards running the ball; a little balance shown by the Dallas Cowboys along with Tony Romo; and Donovan McNabb, if you get a 185 yards rushing off 25 carries, yes, he’s the five-time Pro Bowler, the guy who makes the appearances in the championship games, they guy who’s been to the Super Bowl.”

Best team in the NFC South:

Cris Carter: “I have to go with Tampa Bay because they have things that I can really identify with. Coming down the stretch, the leaves are changing, defense. We know they are going to play good defense … I trust [Jeff] Garcia, the quarterback. And [head coach Jon] Gruden is proven in the playoffs.”

Tom Jackson: “I like the consistency of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. You mentioned that defense, when they lose a game, they’ve lost three, they lose by three, they lose by four, they lose by three. Carolina: they lose by 17, they lose by 24, they lose by 10. So when they don’t show up, they really don’t show up. So I’ll take the Tampa Bay Buccaneers along with Jeff Garcia.”

Mike Ditka: “I like the Bucs because of their balance. I do like the Falcons though. The Panthers, I don’t trust. But in their rear view mirror, watch out for the Saints. If their defense ever wakes up, that offense can put some points on the board.”

Finally, we move to NBC’s Football Night in America.

HIGHLIGHTS FROM WEEK 13 OF NBC’s “FOOTBALL NIGHT IN AMERICA”

NEW YORK – Nov. 30, 2008 – Following are highlights from NBC’s “Football Night in America” studio show, as host Bob Costas, co-host Cris Collinsworth, co-host Keith Olbermann, co-host Dan Patrick, analysts Tiki Barber and Jerome Bettis, and reporter Peter King of Sports Illustrated take a look at the day’s top storylines in the NFL:

COLLINSWORTH ON THE GIANTS: “Another statement day for the New York Giants. They have proven they can win without Umenyiora, they can win without Strahan, without Shockey, so they certainly can win without Plaxico Burress.

“I think they looked even better as a football team today simply because they distributed the football. They looked great.”

BARBER, REPORTING FROM WASHINGTON D.C., ON THE PLAXICO BURRESS SITUATION: “It was originally reported that Derrick Ward was the third player involved in the situation, in fact it was Ahmad Bradshaw. He was not involved with the shooting but he was at the scene. Also, the NYPD has taken an interest in this case because they’re not sure this was originally reported as a gunshot wound. In New York City any gunshot would, regardless of the circumstances, has to be reported to the police department.”

BARBER ON ANTONIO PIERCE: “At first he wasn’t cooperating with police but when faced with an obstruction charge, he decided to cooperate. And going forward, we think he should be clear of all charges.”

BARBER ON THE MOOD OF THE GIANTS TEAM: “The mood in the locker room was pretty jovial and upbeat because these guys feel like they can win without him and they have a lot of young guys who are eager to play.”

BARBER AND COSTAS DISCUSSING THE BURRESS INCIDENT:

BARBER: “Last week, Steve Smith, one of Plaxico’s fellow receivers, was attacked at gunpoint and robbed in front of his house so his mindset is ‘I have to protect myself, I’m a target.'”

COSTAS: “I’d like to have somebody show me one time when an athlete was out in a public place and by having a gun, he either averted harm to himself or other innocent people. Show me one time as against the dozens of times people came to grief for carrying guns.”

BARBER: “I’m in complete agreement with you. But a lot of these players grew up in neighborhoods that we’re not familiar with. They grew up with gangs. This what they know. When they feel threatened, their thought is to protect themselves and not rely on someone else to do it for them. I’m not saying it’s right but you have to understand the mindset.”

KING ON BURRESS’ CONTRACT: “This was a $23 million gunshot wound for Plaxico Burress. Twenty-three of the $27 million he got in his contract was all based on the future. There’s $1 million guaranteed money in signing bonus that’s due on December 10. The first real test of the Giants love of Plaxico Burress is whether they pay him that bonus in 10 days. I think he’ll play someplace in 2009 but I do think it’s highly unlikely that he’ll ever play for the Giants again.”

COLLINSWORTH ON THE JETS: “I was an idiot for believing in the Jets.”

ADRIAN PETERSON, TURNING THE TABLES IN AN INTERVIEW WITH JEROME BETTIS:

PETERSON: “You’ve been to the Super Bowl and played against a lot of great teams, what do the great teams have in common?”

BETTIS: “The key was the stars were the ones willing to do whatever it took. You’ve got to let them know that you’re willing
to do whatever it takes to win because if you’re willing to do whatever it takes to win then those other guys will do whatever it takes.”

PETERSON: “I’m going to take that advice and use it.”

BETTIS ON PETERSON: “I got to see a lot of Walter Payton and he reminds me of Payton because he likes the physicality.”

COLLINSWORTH ON ‘STAR CAP’ SUPPLEMENT SITUATION: “You’re responsible for what you put in your body and I cannot imagine those players being anything but suspended.”

PATRICK ON THE BENGALS: “You could stop them. You could contain them.”

OLBERMANN ON MARK BULGER: “Renaldo Hill said after the game, ‘Bulger was telegraphing his throws. We knew where the ball was going.’ Well that makes one of you.”

PATRICK AND COLLINSWORTH ON CAROLINA:

PATRICK: “That’s an ugly 9-3 team.”

OLBERMANN: “I’m from Cincinnati. There’s no such thing as an ugly 9-3 team.”

COLLINSWORTH ON THE CHARGERS: “This is one of the great disappointments we’ve seen in several years in the National Football League what the Chargers have done this year.”

Interesting stuff on the Burress issue. You get quotage from all sides.