I give Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton credit. He got me to watch the Pro Bowl.

As much as I like the NFL, I never watch the Pro Bowl. Baseball and basketball have interesting all-star games. Football's is rarely worth watching.

But I was curious about Newton, so I watched most of the second half. He had moments — two, I think. He looked like a rookie.

Newton threw 27 passes, completed nine, and had two touchdowns and three interceptions.

Newton isn't polished enough to get out there and improvise. To improvise, a player has to have the fundamentals down, and on Sunday night, he did not.

In Newton's defense, he threw a 55-yard touchdown pass to Steve Smith.

And he did have to play the second half, when players care less about being polite and some try to win. He faced more pressure than the NFC's first-half quarterbacks, Aaron Rodgers and Drew Brees, did.

Newton probably performed worse than any player on the field.

But the scenery was lovely, and nobody credible will remember.

Pro Bowl: Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton made a bad game worse

Is he the best thing that ever happened to the NFL? Or is he the most polarizing, unorthodox quarterback who is completely over-hyped at every single small accomplishment? There are two starkly different views on Tim Tebow, and as this season has proven, neither is entirely true and won't be for years to come. But one thing is for certain: The Tim Tebow Argument has captivated sports like nothing before its time.

Never have I seen a topic so profusely, passionately argued over, and over, and over, and over again. In one corner you have the Tebow Haters and in the other corner you have the Tebow Faithful. Like I've said before, neither is entirely correct, which is why the argument continues and will continue for Tebow's entire career (however long that lasts). So Let's take a look at both sides of the argument:

Tebow is a Savior:

• He took over a 1-4 mediocre Denver Broncos team and led them to 6 straight wins.
• Engineered five 4th quarter comebacks.
• Led the Broncos to the AFC West crown (which no one predicted they would win) by inspiring his teammates to believe in one another that they could win.
• Threw for 316 yards (including an 80 yard TD in OT to win it) in a first round playoff win over the Pittsburgh Steelers who had the No. 1 passing defense coming in.

Tebow is a Sinner:

• He had nothing to do with the defense playing great football, and holding opponents to such low score totals with the Tebow-led offense struggled so bad.
• His season QB rating is an extremely mediocre 72.9.
• On basic routes he struggles to make the most simple NFL passes, and thus had only 28 yards passing in the first half against one of the worst pass defenses in the NFL (New England Patriots).
• In his last two regular season games against mediocre teams (Buffalo and KC), he threw 4 interceptions and only 1 TD, while fumbling it multiple times. Denver only made the playoffs because the other AFC West were extremely bad.
• Even in his win vs Pittsburgh he failed to make a basic throw to WR Demaryius Thomas that could have led to a game winning field goal at the end of regulation.

As you can see, both sides of the Tim Tebow Argument have excellent points. But in the end, sports boils down to only one stat that matters: winning or losing. And regardless of what Tebow's stats are, or how fundamentally flawed he is on the field, he finds ways to win. Whether it be throwing for over 300 yards or leading 4th quarter comebacks with a mediocre team that traded away its best WR (Brandod Lloyd). Tim Tebow wins with his best receivers being: Eric Decker and Matt Willis, and a TE in Thomas who's barely played much at all. And in the end, if Tebow continues to win, nothing else will really matter.

The time in which the pro football schedule is released is very important for football enthusiasts. It is also an important time for the gamblers who make a lot of money off of who wins and who loses. They have to know who is playing so that they know who to bet on. With the 32 different teams in the NFL there are 16 games played between each. That means the schedule is very full, providing football lovers with a lot of games to enjoy throughout football season.

Beginning the Thursday after Labor Day, the pro football schedule goes into effect and continues all the way through late December or even into early January. There's then playoffs played between six teams from both the AFC and NFC conferences. This means a total of 12 of the 32 teams make it to playoffs. These playoff games are scheduled on the pro football schedule, but it is not known until the end of the regular season what teams will be playing. These are usually called bowl games and are played until two winning teams remain. Each team is from the two conferences.

You may notice in the pro football schedule that there is a date designated for the Super Bowl. It is not known what teams will be there until the smaller bowl games come to an end and there is one team from each conference available to compete. Once the two teams are determined, then it is time for the biggest night in football. This is the night that many people, including those not too fond of the game, try to acquire tickets to enjoy the star studded and very exciting event.

Nevertheless, the pro football schedule is very convenient so that fans know when their favorite teams are playing. They can then schedule their lives around watching the games on TV or they can work on getting tickets so that they can attend the events live. It is important that people have the right schedule so that they can make the necessary arrangements to make sure they can see their favorite football teams in action.

This means that wives can make their plans with their friends and they can become scarce when the schedule says that their husband's favorite team will be playing. That means the guys will be coming over and she may not want to be around for that. So not only does the pro football schedule work for the football fans, but it works for those who want to avoid walking into a pit of screaming sports fans cussing the refs.

And let (insert your name here) be (insert your name here).

Here in the United States, our favorite spectator sport is no longer football. It's not basketball, or baseball or hockey either.

He's a 23 year old kid.

And the reason we're watching him is because he took his physical talents (considerable) and devoted a single minded focus and commitment to success on the football field.

Like very few 23 years do.

He tries something. He fails. He submits to instruction and mentorship from people who know better.

He tries and fails a thousand more times.

On time number one thousand and one he gets it right.

And he keeps going, both for the end result and the love of the game.

Whether or not that success has to do with a connection to God, I leave that up to each of you to decide.

But truth of the matter is, the guy's talent and achievement earned him a platform from which to speak.

Don't like his platform? Object to what he's saying?

Go cultivate your own talent.

Shut out the rest of the world and their opinion of you.

Stop listening when they tell you your style of quarterbacking will never make it in the NFL.

(At this moment, you'd have a hard time selling that to the Pittsburgh Steelers.)

Because you know – just like with Tebow – most of them are just pissed off they don't have the talent or drive of Tebow, and it's easier to throw rocks at a house than to build one.

Do your thing. YOUR thing. Doesn't matter if you have NFL talent.

You have something that will draw a crowd and make the forces of attraction and abundance pay attention to you.

Then when you've attracted a crowd by the single minded, crazy work ethic you have and the results that go with it, you will have made your own fortune.

Then you get a platform from which to speak, just like Tebow.

And you get the money to use however you like.just like Tebow.

Tebow is Tebow. He's ALL of Tebow.

How much of YOU are you being?

The degree to which you complain about Tebow – or idolize him for that matter – is that much less of you being yourself.

Take that energy and channel it back into your own life story.

Late in last Thursday's contest between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Cleveland Browns, Browns QB Colt McCoy was flushed out of the pocket. As he ran, he kept his eyes downfield, searching for a receiver. Just as it appeared he was about to tuck the ball away and run, Steelers LB James Harrison left his coverage responsibility in the flat and zeroed in on McCoy.

Just as McCoy let the ball flutter away, Harrison left his feet, launching himself at the quarterback.

What everyone expected was a fine. As I have mentioned before, Harrison is no stranger to those; in the last two seasons, the troubled linebacker has paid over $100,000 out of pocket. But few people knew how Goodell would really react to the hit.

His decision was made clear on Tuesday, when the NFL handed down the ruling: a one-game suspension. This doesn't seem like too much of a big deal until you consider the facts; this was the first suspension for a hit under the new player safety rules, and it will cost Harrison his entire game check, or over $70,000.

I have previously been hard on the league for fines. Many fines have been unwarranted; others have been levied with uncertainty or on uncertain terms, such as when hits in question are not penalized during the game. In this case, though, I think a fine is warranted. A suspension is an entirely different question.

There have been many hits this year in the league like Harrison's on Thursday night. It was a stupid penalty, a helmet-to-helmet hit that certainly deserved to be penalized. It put his team in a hole, and it was, in general, a dumb thing to do for a guy who should know better by now. But what makes this hit any different than the tens of hits this year that have not been penalized? It's simple: it was James Harrison.

The league does not want you to think that it has an agenda, that it may be biased, but now it's a certainty: the league is biased. They are pushing a certain agenda, and Harrison is the perfect guy to make an example out of. He is a physical player who doesn't intend on changing his ways. He has been in trouble before, and he will be in trouble again. The league wants to send a message that this kind of behavior will not be tolerated. They are not amused with his behavior as he is with theirs; Harrison, upon learning of his suspension, tweeted LOL.

It's clear what the league is trying to do, but to me, this is simply another instance of the league not being fair to all parties involved. They are treating certain players differently, and they are making the water murkier by the week. Players are more uncertain than ever about the rules, despite Goodell's intentions.

Q: I know you'll think this is reaching, and in a way it is, but if you are LeBron, don't you feel a bit remorseful, maybe guilty? Doesn't it ever dawn on you that maybe you single-handedly might've caused this? — Mike.

A: Why, because he invoked his right as a free agent to move to the team of his choice? What you're really saying is you don't think there should be free agency. LeBron played by the rules of the system offered to him. He did not create that system.

Q: OK, so the NBA has its most successful year in recent memory and they want to tear it down? OK, let's put the Dan Gilbert personal Heat agenda aside for a second and go to other big cities, such as N.Y. and L.A. Did people fill up MSG or go see the Lakers when there was just one superstar or are they going now because there is a chance to win something? The hate and agenda by all this crap to change the NBA from what made it successful until now is just asinine. — Julio.

A: Look, any team could have done what the Heat did prior to the 2010 offseason, cut payroll to bare bones in order to eventually slide in three near-max contracts. But, let's be honest, how many teams (and owners) would have been willing to put up with a 15-win season and two seasons without winning a playoff series in order to set up the future?

Q: Why can't the owners try to force some of the players back by playing a season with scab players like the NFL did during the strike in the mid '80s? — Moe.

A: If no one is going to the D-League now, why would they go to see D-League players in NBA arenas?

Q: It's pathetic that Stern and the owners can't make a fair offer. It's also unfair that players can't get their act together. — Ivan.

A: Stern doesn't have to make a fair offer. He's going to win regardless. The players have to accept the reality of their situation, with the deal offered by the owners hardly as punitive as characterized.

Q: I think majority of the fans went from frustrated to not caring anymore. — Alfred.

A: I think it's anger disguised as indifference. But that doesn't mean they will be rushing back.

ASK IRA: Is any of the lockout blame on LeBron? – Miami Heat – Sun-Sentinel

With the recent acquisition of fan favorite running back Warrick Dunn, tons of questions have been pondered.

Rather than form my own question's that may never be answered, I have formed my idea of what Warrick Dunn spells for the Buccaneers and quite possibly the NFL.

Firstly, I wonder whether or not Tenard Jackson will take one for the team.

The young stud & steal of a safety the Buccaneers took in last years draft currently owns the right to Tampa Bays #28 jersey. This item must be of much interest to Dunn, who many hope to someday call the teams all-time leading rusher.

Though Warrick has come off as the character who won't bring attention to the surface, I believe it's the only number Dunn should be wearing. For a young man to sacrifice his number to a player who's already established himself as a figure in the teams history, it certainly can't hurt the teams maturity and morale.

Secondly, we all saw how hard it was for the A-Train to go.

When Mike Alstott retired nearly a month ago, it didn't look as if one of the most remarkable players of his position during his generation had wanted to leave in those circumstances. He didn't seem like he knew it was the right decision, instead he looked and acted as if somebody took the sport he loved away. The bad had finally out-weighed the good and it was time to call it quits.

Now, with a running mate of 6 years ago back in Training camp for the next two seasons, I can only imagine the excitement that'd strike the Buccaneer community if Mike Alstott came back for another run at Thunder & Lighting. Certainly, it's a stretch by all means, but it can't possibly be out of reach. In addition to that idea, it's especially possible with Warrick's opening to maybe become the teams premiere back.

Which leads me to my next point. It's quite possible Warrick Dunn starts in Tampa Bay.

You can call me a Carnell basher, but since his arrival to the league I've never been sold on his abilities. Now, more than ever, I doubt Cadillac Williams' future with the team.

This opens an extreme opportunity to those competing during training camp and pre-season for the Buccaneers starting Running back position. It's assumed Warrick will, but with who? Currently, Tampa Bay has yet to re-sign both Earnest Graham and Michael Pittman.

If you ask me, Warricks got the skill set to outshine the two Running backs in the event we re-sign them both, however that's unlikely. In my personal opinion, Warrick Dunn will be the teams starting Running back during their 2008 campaign.

To further my thought process, Warrick Dunn is better than any receiving threat at Running back the team has had since his departure. In 6 seasons for the buccaneers, Michael Pittman has caught an average of 47 receptions a season.

In addition to that, his worst statistical season came last year when he posted just 26 catches. That same season, Earnest Graham caught 49 passes himself that season. In 2007 alone, Jeff Garcia completed 75 passes to his running backs. Dunn can only contribute to those kind of numbers that almost accommodate his running style.

If Warrick starts for the team in 2008, he'll be well on his way up(or down for that matter) the leagues all-time leading rushing list. With 10,181 yards in his 11 seasons in the NFL, Dunn sits 23rd in league history. During his career, the undersized back out of Florida State University has averaged 925 yards a seasons. With that pace, it'll only take him 4 more seasons to be considered the leagues 5th All-Time leading rusher ahead of Jerome Bettis, Erick Dickerson, Tony Dorsett, Jim Brown, Marcus Allen and Marshall Faulk.

Seems unlikely, but due to the fact that Warrick Dunn has averaged over 1,200 yards in his previous 4 seasons with the Atlanta Falcons and that Emmit Smith was nearly 38 years old when he retired, it isn't out of the question.

What does that mean for the NFL?

In a time that players and coaches tenures are seldom longer than even the contract they sign, and the increased athletic ability and intensity in which we play the game, it's rare to see an ever-lasting approach to ones career. We saw one end this past month on Brett Favre. Given the chance, we could again experience that excitement with Warrick Dunn.

Signed for less than the average change-of-pace back for many teams in the league, Warrick Dunn was easily this years most important and football-smart moves during the off-season.

Though some believe the thrill of watching Warrick Dunn in a Tampa Bay Buccaneers uniform has passed, some like myself, imagine it has merely begun. We'll have to find out. If anything, we'll continue to watch.

For anyone wondering if Kyle Orton would actually report to the Kansas City Chiefs, that question was put to rest on Friday afternoon. He reported to Kansas City's facilities on Friday afternoon. But don't expect a quick turnaround for the former Denver Broncos quarterback.

Tyler Palko will start Sunday's game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, his second career start. Orton could be activated, according to the above Associated Press story, but likely as the team's third-string quarterback. However, Orton will get the chance to overtake Palko as the starting quarterback after this weekend's game.

Chances are good that Orton will become the team's starting quarterback, putting him in line to start the season finale against the Denver Broncos on Jan. 1, 2012. That certainly will be the big storyline for the game, especially if either team is in a position to take either the division title or a Wild Card spot.

For more on Orton, visit Chiefs blog Arrowhead Pride. To learn more about the Broncos, head over to Mile High Report. And SB Nation NFL has you covered for the entire league.

Kyle Orton Reports To Kansas City Chiefs, Could Reportedly Be Active Against Pittsburgh Steelers

Bills running back C.J. Spiller is eager to see more time at his natural position, running back, this week against the New York Jets. Spiller has been playing mostly at wide receiver the past month, but now must assume the No. 1 running back job with the injury to Fred Jackson.

Said Spiller: "I’ve been away from home. That’s kind of how I look at it. But it definitely feels good to start getting more running back reps … just getting into that mode, that mindset."

Spiller knows it will not be easy to run on the Jets.

"Any time you play a Rex Ryan defense there’s no dancing around," he said. "Them guys, they fly around, a lot of bodies moving. You’ve got to hit it as north and south as fast as possible. Whenever you see it you’ve got to get it. That’s typical NFL because those holes close quickly, especially against a good defense. You cant take nothing against these guys. It’s a great defense."

Bills QB Ryan Fitzpatrick on the loss of Jackson: “It’s tough not having Fred out there on the field. We know where his heart is and where his mind’s going to be…with us. He’s not going to be able to be out there with us this week unfortunately, so we have to have the next guy step up. That’ll be CJ, and we expect big things out of CJ. We expect him to get in there and make big plays, and we’ll see how it goes. he’s going to get a chance.”

Spiller eager to run – BillBoard – The Buffalo News

“Tonight was no different than any other night for me,” Matthews said. “It was just the fact I was able to get home. (I’m) just putting pressure on the quarterback each and every week and if he holds on to the ball when I hit him, then so be it. If not, I’m still going to take a shot. It’s good.”

Matthews came into Monday night with only three sacks in the Packers’ first eight games, part of an inconsistent pass rush that has helped make the Packers’ defense susceptible to big plays.

But Matthews, Charles Woodson and the rest of the Packers’ defensive players showed they still can take over a game, limiting Adrian Peterson to 51 yards and a touchdown and holding Ponder to 190 yards passing with an interception.

“We’re mad,” Woodson said. “We’re mad about the way we’ve been performing. Not holding up our end of the bargain. The way our offense has been playing and carrying this team, we want to be a part of that too. We don’t want it to just be one-sided.”

At 9-0, Green Bay remains the NFL’s lone unbeaten team. And if the Packers can field a decent defense to go with its trademark high-octane offense, they just might become unstoppable.

“I think we’ve known that we can play at this level, it’s just a matter of getting it done,” Matthews said. “We have the same players, same coaching staff, same defensive scheme, it’s just a matter of putting it all together and that’s exactly what we did tonight.”

Green Bay’s defense came into the game giving up nearly 300 yards passing per game, second-most in the NFL. Their last time out, the Packers nearly blew a big lead in the fourth quarter at San Diego, holding on for a 45-38 victory.

“I felt as a defense we owed it to ourselves to play a game like that,” Woodson said. “Owed it to our fans, our team, especially our offense who’s been playing out of their minds this year. We needed a game like that. It feels good, but it’s still one game.”

Aaron Rodgers, meanwhile, turned in another one of the standout performances the Packers have come to expect from him, throwing for 250 yards and four touchdowns without an interception.

Rodgers comes closer to perfection than nearly anyone in the NFL most weeks, but even he isn’t ready to start pondering the possibility of a perfect season by the Packers.

“We try to go 1-0 every week,” Rodgers said. “I know I said that last week. We’ve got nine of them right now banked and we’re going to try to get to 10 this Sunday.”

The Vikings did their best to make life rough for Rodgers, sacking him three times and smacking him virtually every time he took off running. In the end, their NFC North nemesis just walked away with another victory.

“Anybody can be stopped,” defensive end Jared Allen said. “We were hitting him. It comes back to guys doing their jobs. We’ve got to cover guys better, we’ve got to get to him, we’ve got to capitalize on third and long — I don’t think we got off the field on third down. He’s in the zone, though. He’s a hell of a player. I hope they win it all now.”

Worse yet, the Vikings could be without cornerback Antoine Winfield for the rest of the season because of a broken clavicle. Monday was Winfield’s first game back from a neck injury.

It was a rough night all around for Vikings coach Leslie Frazier.

“You got to take a look at where we are and you look at the team that’s undefeated in our division,” Frazier said. “And you try to use this game as a gauge as to how far you have to go. And if the score’s any indication we have a long ways to go.”

The Packers’ biggest play of the day came from rookie Randall Cobb, who returned a punt 80 yards for a touchdown in the first quarter.

It was an up and down night for Cobb, who muffed a punt to set up the Vikings’ only touchdown — then immediately rebounded with a 55-yard kickoff return.

“I guess when the lights come on my tempo, my game speed goes up,” Cobb said. “But I’ve got to get to where I’m doing it every game, not just on big games. Going forward, moving forward, like I said a few weeks ago, I want to be more consistent on my returns, especially in the punt-return game.

“It’s been ups and downs. I’m still having some ups and downs. I’ve got to get better and get more consistent at that.”

Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Matthews, defense shake off season-long struggles as Packers pound Vikings 45-7

Mike Reiss first started covering the Patriots in 1997 with the team's official newspaper, Patriots Football Weekly, before moving on to the MetroWest Daily News in his hometown of Framingham. From 2005 to 2009, he covered the Patriots for The Boston Globe, while also writing on the NFL. He started his popular Patriots blog in 2004. Send any questions or comments for Mike to his mailbag. Follow him on Twitter here.

Chris Forsberg

Chris Forsberg has been reporting on the Boston sports scene since 1999. With his video camera in tow, Forsberg covered everything from Massachusetts high school sports to Boston's pro sports teams. Follow him on Twitter.

Belichick leftovers: Faulk, Price, Deaderick

Let me make clear that I haven’t spoken with anyone associated with the Colts or Redskins about this, and let me make just as clear that this is not even what you would call a “rumor.” There are no “sources who wish to remain anonymous” or “reliable sources.” No, this is pure speculation. But it’s speculation that makes sense.

Here is how this could play out:

1) There is a legitimate chance that the Colts will finish with the worst record in the NFL this year. They are playing poorly on both sides of the ball right now, and Manning’s absence only explains a small part of that. There is nothing to suggest that this Colts squad is suddenly going to turn things around, and there is no reason for Manning to rush back to try to win a few games for a mostly hapless team this year.

2) If the Colts in fact finish last, they will have a franchise-changing choice to make: to draft consensus first pick Andrew Luck, or to bet on Manning for the next few years and trade the pick for multiple draft choices or players.

3) History has shown that trading the first pick is a dicey proposition, particularly when it is a once-in-a-generation quarterback. The Colts have experience both keeping and trading that pick. The Colts once made the decision to trade just such a pick, swapping first choice John Elway to the Broncos for several picks. One of those picks ended up being Chris Hinton, so it’s not as if the trade was a complete bust. But we all know who got the best of that trade. More recently, when faced with the same choice of drafting a once-in-a-generation quarterback, the Colts took the opposite approach. They ignored all trade requests and held onto the pick, selecting Manning. Having taken both approaches and seen how they panned out, the Colts would seem highly likely to hang onto the pick and select Luck if they are in a position to do so (despite Phil Simms’ recent public misgivings about him).

4) If Manning is not healthy enough to play next year, then Andrew Luck would start for the Colts and everyone in Indianapolis will be happy (until they learn that drafting Luck doesn’t address any of the problems with the running game or on defense).

5) But if Manning is healthy enough to play next year, it seems unlikely that the Colts would invest countless millions of dollars in the two quarterbacks next year, and the year after, and the year after, for so long as Manning is still able to play.

6) While Manning will say and do all the right things in public — that’s just the kind of guy he is, isn’t it? — he will be fuming behind the scenes about having Luck holding a clipboard on the sidelines, knowing that as his skills inevitably decline, or as the offense struggles, the fans will start chanting Luck’s name. And the offense is going to struggle. Seriously, have you seen the Colts’ offense this year?

7) Not wanting to create another Brett Favre-Aaron Rodgers mess, and wanting to pave the way for Luck to quarterback the team for the next 10+ years, the Colts and Manning will orchestrate Manning’s move to another team. Think that couldn’t happen? Think it’s a lock that Manning will ride off into the sunset in a Colts jersey? Then you’re forgetting the days of Johnny Unitas in a Chargers jersey, Joe Namath in a Rams jersey, Joe Montana in a Chiefs jersey, or Fran Tarkenton in a Giants jersey.

It may not happen right away, but if the Colts draft Luck, the odds are that Manning finishes his career in a uniform other than the Colts’. Heck, the odds are that Manning will do that someday even if the Colts don’t draft Luck.

8) There are only a few teams in the league that do not have elite or promising quarterbacks on their rosters right now. It’s really quite remarkable. Take a moment and go through the league team-by-team — most have quarterbacks they are very happy to have lead them now and for the next several years. That limits the options for a Manning trade. And one of those options is the Redskins, who do not seem to believe that Rex Grossman or John Beck is the quarterback of the future — and you don’t believe that either. (Not incidentally, if the Cowboys don’t make the playoffs, don’t be surprised if Tony Romo isn’t on their roster next year, which would make the Cowboys another potential destination for Peyton Manning in this scenario).

9) Despite being burned by the Donovan McNabb trade just a year ago, the Redskins would be foolish not to consider putting together a package for Manning. He’s still an elite, name player, assuming he returns from the neck injury as something close to the 2009 Peyton Manning. And in case you hadn’t noticed, the Redskins do have a thing for acquiring name players, whether they fit into their system or not.

10) So, if everything falls into place — and that’s a big “if” — it is not inconceivable that Andrew Luck starts at quarterback for the Colts in 2012 and Peyton Manning does the same for the Redskins. In fact, I’m going to predict that is precisely what happens if the Colts finish last this year — Peyton Manning will be wearing burgundy and gold in 2012 or 2013.

Bold prediction: Peyton Manning to start at QB for Redskins in 2012

To date, two Congressional committees have expressed an interest in taking action aimed at forcing the NFL and NFLPA to implement an August agreement to conduct HGH testing.  Now, former Presidential candidate John McCain (R-Ariz.) wants a Senate committee to get in on the act, too.

Senator McCain told Dan Patrick earlier today that public hearings should be held promptly to ensure that testing will commence.

"I always worry about Congress being involved in things, because I'm a conservative," McCain said.  "But I think that if I were chairman of the Commerce committee, which I . . . I'd be hauling these guys up before Congress to explain why we are not enforcing an agreement" to conduct HGH testing.

The Commerce committee currently is chaired by John D. Rockefeller IV (D-W. Va.).  Senator Rockefeller expressed concern regarding the NFL's labor situation before the lockout commenced.  He has yet to make any comments about HGH testing.

"It seems to me since they made an agreement, they have to come up with compelling proof that these tests shouldn't be conducted, rather than saying it has to be proved that they can be," McCain added.

He's right.  And we'll separately explain soon what could happen if the NFLPA and NFL don't turn their agreement to conduct HGH testing into actual HGH testing.  Even though it's the NFLPA that seems to be dragging their feet, the situation could play out in a manner that harms the NFL's interests significantly.

Senator John McCain wants hearings on HGH testing

(WSCR) It's no secret: The Bears hold all the cards in the Matt Forte contract situation.

Forte, who is in the final season of his rookie contract, accounts for almost half of the Bears total offense, but is making roughly $550,000 this season.

The Bears have the option of using the franchise tag on Matt Forte for the next two season, ultimately getting six seasons out of Forte for minimal cost.

"The Bears have to forget the fact that they can franchise Matt Forte next year at a number that's expected to go down from what it was in 2011, and you have to acknowledge that you have one of the elite players in the NFL," Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk told The McNeil and Spiegel Show. "If you don't take care of the guy, you're going to start causing wide-spread trouble. The flip side of that coin is Chris Johnson. He got paid and now he's disappeared. I think that's part of the Bears' concern."

LISTEN: Mike Florio on The Mully and Hanley Show

For the rest of this interview and other 670 The Score interviews click here.

The one option Forte does have is sitting out — something Florio does not recommend. Forte has the support of the fan base, but that could be lost if he quits on his team.

"If he walks, the fans are gonna turn (on him). It's very easy to get behind a guy who is showing up and busting his but every week. (If) he walks out the door, I think it all changes.

"I can't remember anyone walking out in the middle of the season. … I can't recall anyone showing up and walking — that would be a gutsy move by Matt Forte."

Florio: Sign Forte Or Major Problems Will Arise

DALLAS – October 26, 2011 (WPVI) — Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Vince Young is being sued by a Dallas strip club manager he allegedly punched in the face last year.

Creiton Kinchen claims in a lawsuit filed in a Dallas court Tuesday that the 28-year-old Houston native and former University of Texas star hit him "suddenly and without provocation" at the club.

Kinchen, a manager at Club Onyx in Dallas, says he refused to convert $8,000 off Young's credit card into single dollar bills for tip money.

Kinchen says Young was drunk at the time of the June 12, 2010, scuffle. Young was cited for misdemeanor assault. He has said that he was provoked and "made a mistake even being there."

Tom Condon, Young's agent, could not immediately be reached Wednesday for comment.

(Copyright ©2011 WPVI-TV/DT. All Rights Reserved.) philadelphia eagles, michael vick, andy reid, desean jackson, nfl

Vince Young sued for assault at Dallas strip club

Just about everyone in the NFL knew that the new kickoff rule in which the tee would be lined up at the 35-yard line instead of the 30 would change the return game to some degree. Just seven weeks into the 2011 season might be a bit early to draw definitive conclusions with the poorer weather conditions having not yet arrived. What is clear is the Bills have been unable to unleash the return talents of Brad Smith and C.J. Spiller with their opponents forcing Buffalo to take touchbacks at a league-leading pace.

The Bills kick return unit ranks 31st in kick return average with a mark of 19.8. The average drive start the kick return unit is providing Buffalo’s offense is last in the league averaging the 19.1-yard line. But one could hardly blame Smith or Spiller.

Of the 30 kickoffs the Bills have fielded this season 24 have gone for touchbacks, good for fourth most in the league. Buffalo’s 80 percent touchback percentage is the highest in football. More than even Denver’s 77 percent with the Broncos playing three of their first six games in the thin mile high air of their own stadium where the ball carries further.

Smith and Spiller have combined for just six returns in six games. The lack of opportunities has been particularly frustrating for Smith, who was second in the league in kick return average last season (28.2).

“If I said it’s been easy I’d be lying to you,” Smith told Buffalobills.com. “Coach has stressed how important making good decisions back there are as much as I want to bring it out seven or eight (yards) deep and try to make a play. That sometimes is not the best thing to do.”

Bills special teams coordinator Bruce DeHaven believes the kicking game has been dumbed down somewhat by the new kickoff spot and removed a degree of strategy.

“It’s really taken a lot of the kickoff return talents out of the game,” he said. “It’s taken the return element out of the game. We’ve sat and watch guys kick it out of the back of the end zone four or five times in a row. You’re catching the ball going backwards eight or nine yards deep. I don’t think it’s good football trying to bring that ball out eight yards deep and getting tackled on the 10-yard line. The rewards do not outweigh the risks in that situation.”

DeHaven’s own returners have proven him correct in that assessment so far. Of the six returns Buffalo has made this season four of them have been stopped shy of their own 20-yard line (66%).

Fortunately the Bills offense has been able to overcome their poor average drive start to still score points, due in part to their defense’s ability to take the ball away this season and hand the offense shorter fields.

“That’s just a testament to the team and how we’ve been able to adjust,” said Smith.

There’s no debating that touchbacks are significantly more frequent this season than last. In 2010 only 17 percent of kickoffs went for touchbacks. Through the first six weeks of 2011 more than 50 percent (50.1%) of kickoffs have been downed or gone through the back of the end zone. In fact the total number of touchbacks in 2010 (416) was already eclipsed by the 2011 total after just six weeks (452).

Some believe as the weather turns colder and wind is more of a factor and the ball becomes more like kicking a rock that there will be shorter kickoffs, and thus more opportunities for returns. DeHaven feels that while the number of return opportunities might increase he’s not convinced it will improve the league’s average drive start for offenses.

“There will be more return opportunities, but I think one of the really important factors in this is it’s not how deep the ball is kicked, it’s the fact that the coverage team is five yards closer to the opposite end zone than what they were in the past,” he said. “There’s just not as much room to operate once that returner comes out of the end zone.”

Average drive start for NFL offenses this year (21.8) is about five yards less than it was last season (26.8). Granted there are 10 more weeks of the 2011 season to be played, but it’s clear that the running room for returners is not what it used to be with coverage players getting down the field faster with five fewer yards to cover at the kickoff.

“Not only is it harder to get to the 20 when the ball is deep in the end zone, but now with things more cluttered and congested down by the goal line there’s a greater chance for penalty or a block in the back,” said DeHaven. “If you get a block in the back at the 25-yard line you’re starting at the 17 or 18 that’s one thing, but now you’ve got teams starting at the seven or eight-yard line and it’s hard to get out of a hole when you’re starting there.”

The Bills have also faced four of the top eight kickers in the league in touchbacks in their six games, including Sebastian Janikowski, who has 19. Buffalo’s Rian Lindell has just 10 touchbacks and his touchback percentage of 28.6 percent is third lowest in football. Booting the ball through the end zone however, is not Buffalo’s approach.

“I’m trying to approach it like hitting a 3-wood off the tee in golf,” said Lindell. “I want to make sure it’s going where it’s supposed to go and it’s coverable. If I try to go hammer it and it drifts over into the middle of the field then its trouble because the returner can go either way. I’m just concerned with making it a coverable kick because our guys have been running great.”

Buffalo’s kick coverage has been very, very good this season. Prior to Sunday’s games Buffalo ranked fourth in the league in kick coverage (19.7 avg) and fifth in opponent’s average drive start (20.3). Had Lindell not put his first kickoff against the Giants out of bounds giving New York a drive start at their own 40, that drive start figure would still be less than the 20-yard line, something better than a touchback provides.

“I’m disappointed in our kickoff returns because we’re starting at the 20 so many times and Brad is a valuable weapon in that area,” said head coach Chan Gailey. “But at the same time our kickoff coverage has been pretty good. We’re near the top of the league in tackles inside the 20. If we can keep doing that then I’ll take the swap.”

Following their bye Buffalo is tied for third in the league in tackles inside the 20 on kickoffs with 11. Only New England (12) and the Jets (14) have more.

When covering kicks DeHaven has preached hang time and accuracy as the two most important factors for Lindell.

“This is the way we approached it when I was here the first time in Buffalo when the kickoff was at the 35-yard line,” said DeHaven. “We put a premium on hang time and kicking the ball outside the numbers. We just felt they would run out of room just pinning them in along the sideline.”

DeHaven agrees that there’s likely to be more return opportunities later in the season when wind and colder temperatures affect the flight path, hang time and distance of the kickoffs, and that could be where Buffalo’s coverage units will have an advantage.

The Bills kick coverage team has had to cover and make the play on 25 kickoffs already this season, good for third most in the league.

“There are some of these teams that haven’t had to cover any kicks,” said DeHaven. “Now if they get to a point where they do it’s just not the same when you just run down there and you don’t actually have to play off of blocks and everything like that. It’s going to be a little more difficult. The fact that we’ve been able to coach our guys up because we have covered a lot of kicks should help.”

Buffalo’s kick return unit would like to bring their numbers more in line with what the kick coverage unit has been able to accomplish this season. All Brad Smith wants are some opportunities. He’s hopeful the colder weather provides more of them. Until then the talented return man is just trying to be patient.

“We’re going to keep working and get reps,” he said. “Even though we haven’t been running them back they’ve been blocking great. We’re just going to keep getting better as more opportunities come and we keep evolving and growing. There’s still a lot out there for us.”

New kickoff rule provides limited returns

Josh Freeman threw for 287 yards and a touchdown and LeGarrette Blount ran for another touchdown as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers beat the Indianapolis Colts 24-17 in the NFL on Monday.

Freeman, who ran for a touchdown early in the game, scrambled for a huge first down on the winning drive as the Buccaneers won their third consecutive game.

Indianapolis dropped to 0-4 for the first time since 1998. That was the rookie season of superstar quarterback Peyton Manning, who has not played this season because of a neck injury.

Colts third stringer Curtis Painter started the game, filling in for injured backup quarterback Kerry Collins.

Painter threw for 281 yards and two touchdowns to receiver Pierre Garcon. Collins was injured in last week's game against Pittsburgh when he suffered a concussion.

Blount helped clinch the win with a 35-yard touchdown run with just over three minutes left in the fourth. He finished with 25 carries and 127 yards.

The Buccaneers (3-1) have caught fire after losing their season opener to Detroit.

Blount's TD run lifts Bucs past Colts

Some of the Chiefs players recognized the feeling after the team’s first loss, a blowout at Arrowhead Stadium against the Buffalo Bills two weeks ago. It was something familiar but bitter, and they began working quickly to curb it.

Before the 2010 season, when the Chiefs finished 10-6 and won their division, the team spent three years mired in a funk that seemed never-ending. Losses piled up. Injuries mounted. They lost 38 of 48 games throughout the 2007-09 seasons, and the attitude in the locker room soured accordingly. After a while, some of the players lost faith that they even had a chance to win.

During those three seasons, the attitude stretched beyond the team’s headquarters. Kansas City was a bitter place on Sundays, and attendance at Arrowhead showed it.

“Nobody wants to lose,” cornerback Brandon Carr said, “and go into a game thinking you’re going to lose.”

Now, after two historically lopsided losses to begin this season — the Chiefs were outscored 89-10 in those defeats — the players who lived through those three miserable years are determined to avoid a slide back toward the NFL’s abyss.

They want nothing to do with resembling, as some of them put it, the “old Chiefs.”

“We’ve been there,” said cornerback Brandon Flowers, who was a rookie in 2008, when the Chiefs went 2-14. “This team has faced two-win seasons, four-win seasons. It’s easy to be like, ‘Here we go again,’ when something happens wrong.”

A moment later, Flowers shook his head. He has been down this path.

“Terrible,” he said of his first two seasons, when the Chiefs won a combined six games. “That’s how these first two games started off. That’s why we were saying we can’t allow that to happen no more. The leaders on this team stepped up; we won’t allow that to happen no more.”

Flowers’ instincts aren’t wrong, and he’s among those trying to prevent a relapse. There already are signs the season is headed in a disappointing direction, and some early statistics suggest the Chiefs are on pace to be similar or worse than even those teams that comprised the worst three-season stretch in franchise history. Among those are points allowed and turnovers.

But here is the stat that says it all: The 79-point differential between the Chiefs and their opponents is nearly twice that of the franchise with the next-highest loss margin, the Miami Dolphins, who have lost their two games by a total of 40 points.

That’s bad enough to make it into Jay Leno’s monologue.

“Well, here’s something frightening,” Leno, host of “The Tonight Show,” chortled on Wednesday. “Scientists from NASA have said a research satellite the size of a bus will crash into the Earth on Friday. They say they have no idea where it will land, although they say it has better odds of landing in the end zone than the Kansas City Chiefs.”

“We’re letting a lot of people down, man,” second-year defensive back Javier Arenas said.

Fans’ attitudes seem to have soured, too. According to the secondary ticket-price aggregator TiqIQ.com, the average price to attend a Chiefs home game has dropped 5.3 percent — that’s the second-highest decrease, behind only the Indianapolis Colts — after the team’s first two regular-season games. Fears have risen that Chiefs will struggle to fill Arrowhead, along with concerns that games could be blacked out on local television — something that, before a 2009 game, hadn’t happened in 19 seasons.

So the week after the Chiefs’ 41-7 loss to the Bills, Flowers approached several of his teammates, most of them veterans, and told them to lean on youngsters and make certain their attitudes didn’t sink if the season continued taking on water. Others began talking about positive thinking, even if the rewards seemed far away — for players and fans.

“You never want to disrespect the game,” said linebacker Derrick Johnson, sharing a message he learned as one of six current players who were with the Chiefs for all three of those losing seasons.

Andrew Jacobs, a sports psychologist based in Overland Park, said teams that believe they’re going to lose probably will. He said that’s the first thing the Chiefs have to prevent, adding that it starts with each player believing that this is an isolated rough patch — not part of a new trend of losing.

“Your mind-set dictates what happens,” he said. “… You have to have a plan. You have to have a game plan with how you’re going to deal with this.”

The Chiefs, along with every other team, were denied their usual offseason bonding period because of the NFL lockout, under which franchise owners prohibited players from using team facilities. That’s usually the first rung on the social ladder for new players. Carr said the lockout seems to have affected the Chiefs significantly, adding that miscommunication played a role in last Sunday’s 48-3 loss to the Detroit Lions.

That the Chiefs have lost three key starters — running back Jamaal Charles, safety Eric Berry and tight end Tony Moeaki each suffered season-ending knee injuries in the past three weeks — only adds to the uphill climb they face this season.

This week, the team simplified practices and the playbook in an effort to reduce confusion and build confidence. The changes weren’t limited to the field.

Carr insisted to several of his teammates that they join him socially, whether it was at a restaurant, one of their homes or in the team’s film room. He said he had dinner with a group of teammates three times this past week, an effort to forget the troubles of work and simply get to know each other better.

The players on those bygone teams that lost so much, Carr said, had little chemistry and were poor communicators as a result.

“We’ve tightened up,” Carr said. “We’ve tightened our circle up as far as teammates, as far as guys just getting out and hanging with each other — just to kick it off the field — because that goes a long way on the field.”

The situation is certainly urgent. The Chiefs play the high-powered Chargers today in San Diego.

“The main thing, man: We’ve got to do whatever we can to get this damn victory,” fullback Le’Ron McClain said.

Many of those who lived through the Chiefs’ more discouraging seasons have either moved on or been shown the door. The team’s decision-makers suggest that the poor attitude years ago originated with a few cantankerous players, and the roster has mostly been cleansed of such trouble.

Of the 53 members of the team’s active roster, 29 never experienced the turmoil of any of those three losing seasons.

Some of the youngsters say there’s no way they’d let their attitudes dip so much that it would affect the team long-term. The veterans say they used to say the same things.

“I think in our minds, we did have a chance to win,” Johnson said of the old days. “Now, if we got down by a certain amount of points, I can’t tell you the confidence we had then. All the letdowns we’ve had, I don’t know.”

For now, players hang onto the fact that it’s still early in the season; there are 14 games left, and if the Chiefs begin winning, who might remember those first two Sundays?

“But the thing about it is,” McClain said, “we’ve got to get out there on the field and show it. … We’ve got to get that mind-set, man. That mind-set of winning.”

Jacobs said the Chiefs seem to be taking the proper actions. But further losing, of course, will add to their problem.

“As awful as they’ve been,” Jacobs said, “it’s been two games. The NFL is about adjustments and change and corrections, and yeah, they’ve lost three of their better players, and they’re under the eight-ball.

“All that means is, they’ve got to focus and refocus on themselves and what they have control over. If they can take charge of that, they have a chance to overcome that. But if not, they’re just going to fall into that abyss, and they won’t get out of it.”

Chiefs pledge not to fall into the abyss

The Chicago Bears are cheering the retirement (supposed) of Brett Favre more than any other team in the NFL. Why? Because after 17 years, it has stopped being Chicago Bears hunting season in Green Bay.

Brett Favre considered the Chicago Bears his own personal punching bag during his reign with the Packers. In the end stages of Favre's career, the Chicago Bears finally caught up with Favre, going 6-2 under Head Coach Lovie Smith. However, before Smith's arrival, Favre tore up the Chicago Bears, only making the heated rivalry all the more smoldering. Did not matter whether it was in Chicago or Green Bay, Bear season was in session.

To tell a Bears fan that Chicago went through 21 different Quarterbacks while Favre started every game for the Green Bay Packers over the past 16 years, means that you are looking for a fight. Some teams just have no luck with certain positions, and Quarterback has been snake eyes for the Chicago Bears. Conversely, Chicago fans have had #4 rubbed in their eye for so long, it is almost hard to recall the Green Bay Packers with another Quarterback at the helm.

So the Chicago Bears continue on their merry way, hoping against hope that someone, anyone, will come to the forefront of what will no doubt be another Quarterback competition next season in Chicago. At least this year, they will not be staring north and seeing what could have been, had one draft pick in the past 16 years been a quality Quarterback for the Bears.

Of all the quarter backs that I have watched play this year in the NFL this year Drew Brees has had to be the most exciting. Aside from Peyton Manning, no other quarter back can even come close to his accuracy. It's like out of nowhere this year he just blossomed. Many people haven't been following Brees's career for very long and therefore are confused as to why he is just gaining such notoriety as one of the NFL's premier quarter backs. The truth is that Drew has always been a great football player all around. It's just the he has just recently gotten the supporting cast that he needed to be able to highlight all of skills.

During his years with the San Diego Chargers Brees was never really given the support that he needed. He was a great quarter back then but had not yet blossomed into the player that we know and love now. During his first couple of years with the Chargers he was not even the first choice for the team as starting quarter back, but due to complications with other quarter backs like Doug Flutie and Phillip Rivers he remained.

After choosing not to continue on with the Chargers because of money issues Brees signed with the Saints for a 6-year, $60 million deal with the Saints on March 14, 2006. I believe that a big part of the reason that the Chargers didn't want to pay Drew more was because of his shoulder injury. They may have been unsure of how well he would play after it. Well I am pretty sure that they aren't so unsure anymore. Not paying him what he was truly worth may have been one of the biggest mistakes that they could have made. If you pay close attention to his stats, Drew has gotten better and better year after year.

So is Drew Brees the best quarterback in the NFL? Well maybe not THE best, but he is definitely one of them.