Chrebet placed on IR with another concussion
Updated: Nov. 7, 2005, 2:26 PM ET

Chrebet, who suffered another concussion Sunday in the Jets' 31-26 loss to the Chargers, was placed on injured reserve, coach Herman Edwards announced Monday.
The wide receiver suffered at least the ninth concussion of his college and pro careers making a big catch in the Jets' loss. Chrebet considered retiring in the offseason, but decided to return for another season.--football gambling--

With the Jets facing third-and-5 with 2 minutes left and driving for a potential go-ahead score, Chrebet caught a 6-yard pass near the left sideline -- another clutch play in a career filled with them. Chargers safety Jerry Wilson drilled Chrebet as he caught the pass and sent the receiver to the ground on his back, and the back of Chrebet's head violently hit the Giants Stadium turf.
Chrebet stayed down as team medical personnel rushed over. Television replays appeared to show that Chrebet lost consciousness at least for a few seconds.--football gambling--

"Wayne's as tough as they come, so if he's down there, you know it's serious," running back Curtis Martin said Sunday.--football gambling--

By the time Chrebet got back to his feet and slowly walked back to the sideline with trainers, it was clear something was wrong. And it looked all too familiar to the Jets.--football gambling--

"I have a lot of concern that he'll be OK," quarterback Vinny Testaverde said Sunday. "It's just hard to see not only a teammate, but a very close friend get hurt the way he was."--football gambling--

Back in the locker room after the game, Chrebet needed help untying his shoes and taking his jersey and pads off. He could barely lift his T-shirt off over his head.--football gambling--

Jets GM Terry Bradway stopped in briefly and whispered a few words to Chrebet and shook his hand, before patting him on the leg and leaving. A few minutes later, Chrebet left the locker room without speaking to reporters. --football gambling--

Chrebet finished the game with three catches for 39 yards, including a 20-yard catch on third-and-18 that helped keep the Jets' last scoring drive alive late in the fourth quarter. --football gambling--

Chrebet, in his 11th year with the Jets, had a post-traumatic migraine early in the 2003 season and missed the final eight games that season with postconcussion syndrome. He considered retiring, but instead chose to come back last season. Chrebet played in all 16 games, but sustained a mild concussion in the regular-season finale against St. Louis.--football gambling--

He missed the Jets' first-round win over San Diego, but returned for the divisional round loss to Pittsburgh the following week -- although he had no catches.--football gambling--

Chrebet has 15 catches for 153 yards this season, and his 580 career receptions rank him second to Don Maynard's 627 on the team's all-time list. --football gambling--
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report. --football gambling--

Steelers score high in tailgating, too, Pittsburgh caterer says

By Sean Schultz
sschultz@greenbaypressgazette.com

Green Bay Packers fans have nothing on the Pittsburgh Steelers when it comes to tailgating. -NFL Football-

Pittsburgh caterer Rania Harris swears it’s true. And she should know — she scouts the parking lots around Heinz Field before Steelers’ home games, looking for recipes. -NFL Football-

Harris, from Mount Lebanon, Pa., is a Pittsburgh TV and radio personality, dishing on recipes that use Heinz products. She’s a spokeswoman for the H.J. Heinz Co. and also does recipe development for the Pittsburgh-based food company. -NFL Football-

Harris provided 57 recipes for the new book, “Heinz Field Touchdowns to Tailgating.” The book also includes chapters titled “57 Q&As to Test Your Football IQ”, “57 Amazing Football Facts,” “The Inside Scoop on Tailgating.” -NFL Football-

A caterer since 1979 and a cooking school teacher, she’s been with Heinz since 2001. She does a tailgating segment on Steelers running back Jerome Bettis’ weekly TV show. She also stars on a Sunday morning pregame TV show, “Grid Iron Gourmet,” and a Thursday night radio show. -NFL Football-

Harris has heard about the intensity of the Packers’ tailgating crowd, but suggests the Steelers stadium regulars are just as good. -NFL Football-

“Here it’s almost become a religious experience,” she said. “It’s very serious here. I’ve done a lot of catering in these years I’ve been in business and I’m impressed at what I see on Sunday mornings at Heinz Field.” -NFL Football-

There’s a lot more than burgers and sausages frying in the parking lots of Pittsburgh. -NFL Football-

“You see all sorts of wonderful food displays,” she said. “There’s pork barbecues, Italian sweet and hot sausages and kielbasa, pork tenderloin and filet mignon. I see big pots of soups and chilis people are cooking off generators, and big urns of coffee being perked.” -NFL Football-

Coffee? At an NFL football game? Not to worry. -NFL Football-

“They definitely have their beer here, too,” she noted. -NFL Football-

At that stadium, she turns out 3,500 food samples each game for fans as they pass through two gates into the stadium. On a recent Monday night game, the faithful consumed 3,500 baby burgers topped with Heinz ketchup and other condiments. -NFL Football-

NFL out in force for Mara service

By Associated Press
Friday, October 28, 2005 - Updated: 12:56 PM EST

NEW YORK - In a big turnout of football star power, family, friends and admirers gathered Friday for an emotional send-off to New York Giants owner Wellington Mara, one of the founding fathers of the NFL. -NFL Football-
An overflow crowd packed St. Patrick's Cathedral for the funeral Mass honoring Mara, who died Tuesday at 89. Mara, elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1997, died of cancer at his home in Rye. -NFL Football-
Giants players and office staffers arrived in seven charter buses led by a New Jersey State Police cruiser on a crisp, fall morning perfect for Mara's beloved football. -NFL Football-
Former Giants great Frank Gifford spoke during the 1-hour, 45-minute service before an assemblage of NFL celebrities usually reserved for a Hall of Fame ceremony. -NFL Football-
“I'm so honored to stand here and say a few words about this man that I love,” Gifford said. “I had three stages of knowing Wellington Mara. He was my boss for a long time, and he was a father figure. And finally, as we got older, he was my friend.” -NFL Football-
The alter was simply decorated with four bouquets of red flowers, two on either side. Mara's casket was brought into the cathedral accompanied by a bagpiper playing “Amazing Grace.” -NFL Football-
Running back Tiki Barber, a Mara favorite, led the team into the cathedral, followed by a parade of somber teammates that included quarterback Eli Manning and tight end Jeremy Shockey. -NFL Football-
Among the other mourners were Phil Simms, Phil McConkey and Harry Carson, members of the Giants' 1986 Super Bowl team. -NFL Football-
“Giant fans from all around the country wish they could be here,” Carson said. “It is sad, but we also know his spirit will be with us no matter what.” -NFL Football-
Other former players arriving early included tight end Mark Bavaro and quarterback Dave Brown. -NFL Football-
Among those in the crowd were former Giants coach Bill Parcells, who came with his current boss, Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones; Carolina Panthers coach John Fox, a former Giants assistant; and Cleveland Browns coach Romeo Crennel, another ex-Giants assistant. -NFL Football-
The presence of NFL coaches from around the league, just two days before their Sunday games spoke volumes about the level of regard for Mara. -NFL Football-

© Copyright 2005 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed

Officials expect Superdome to be ready for some 2006 Saints game
October 20, 2005 --- nfl ---
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BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) -- Superdome officials say the stadium should be largely cleaned up from Hurricane Katrina and ready for the New Orleans Saints to play at least some of their games there in 2006. --- nfl ---
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The announcement Thursday came as San Antonio officials said they were working Saints owner Tom Benson to keep the team in Texas. The state must also respond to the team's assertions that its state-owned practice facility has been rendered unusable by damages caused by federal agencies in the weeks following the Aug. 29 storm. --- nfl ---
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The Superdome, severely damaged by high winds, should have a temporary roof in place within 10 days, said Doug Thornton, regional vice president for SMG, which manages the stadium. An environmental assessment of its interior -- damaged by rainfall through holes in the roof and its use as a shelter for evacuees -- should be finished by Dec. 1, he said. --- nfl ---
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``We're working to make the Dome ready for the next season,'' Thornton said at a meeting of the Louisiana Stadium and Exposition District Commission, the state board that oversees the Superdome. --- nfl ---
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The Saints have drawn criticism recently with shake ups in upper-level staff, as Benson apparently leans toward moving the team from New Orleans to San Antonio. --- nfl ---
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On Monday, Benson fired Arnold Fielkow, the team's top business executive since 2000 and an advocate for keeping the Saints in Louisiana. Fielkow has said that stance led to his dismissal. On Tuesday, Conrad Kowal, senior director of marketing and business development, resigned. --- nfl ---
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The team also sent a letter to the Louisiana National Guard and the stadium commission, saying their Jefferson Parish practice facility, leased from the state for $1 per year, has been damaged so badly by federal actions after the storm that the team cannot return ``for some time (if ever).'' --- nfl ---
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``These actions have effectively terminated the Saints' lease for the facility and have caused great and continuing damage to the team,'' said the letter, signed by lawyers for the team. --- nfl ---
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Tim Coulon, head of the stadium commission and the state's negotiator with the team, said Thursday that state officials planned to inspect damage at the practice facility next week. --- nfl ---
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``If there's some damage to those buildings, we're going to rectify that,'' Coulon said. --- nfl ---
Asked it he thought the letter was Benson's first step toward leaving New Orleans, Coulon said he hoped not.--- nfl ---
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``I don't want to speculate, because I haven't heard from him,'' Coulon said. ``But it's not too late (for Benson) to step up to the plate and be the good citizen.'' --- nfl ---
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Under the terms of the state's contract with the team, the Saints could argue that the storm has made the stadium unusable, move to another state and avoid paying an $81 million penalty, Coulon said. --- nfl ---
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Coulon said the state would fight such a move, probably in court or in arbitration.--- nfl ---
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Browns' Edwards sidelined by arm infection

CLEVELAND (Oct. 9, 2005) -- Browns rookie wide receiver Braylon Edwards remained hospitalized following surgery to treat an infection in his right arm. - NFL Football -

Edwards practiced all week and was not listed on the team's injury report for Cleveland's game against the Chicago Bears. Browns spokesman Bill Bonsiewicz said the first-round draft pick took part in the team's walkthrough Oct. 8.

Afterward, Edwards, who had cuts and scrapes on his arm, noticed that it was swollen and showed team doctors, who admitted him to the Cleveland Clinic. - NFL Football -

Edwards underwent a surgical procedure to have the infection cleaned out, Bonsiewicz said.

It was not immediately known if Edwards has a staph infection.

Edwards didn't mention any problems with his arm to reporters last week. He wore a protective sleeve over his elbow during practice. - NFL Football -

Edwards, who has yet to crack Cleveland's starting lineup, has nine catches for 166 yards. He scored on an 80-yard TD reception in the Browns' Sept. 18 win at Green Bay, the type of game-breaking play the club envisioned him making when they selected Edwards with the third overall pick in April's draft. - NFL Football -

The former Michigan star has been listed as the club's No. 3 receiver, but coach Romeo Crennel said Edwards has been making steady progress. Edwards missed two weeks of training camp before signing a five-year contract in August. - NFL Football -

The Browns (1-2), who had a bye last week, have had a history of injuries to top draft picks.

Quarterback Tim Couch missed the final nine games of his second season with a fractured thumb and was plagued by elbow trouble during his time in Cleveland. Defensive end Courtney Brown missed 33 games over five seasons with assorted injuries before being released in March.

Tight end Kellen Winslow Jr. broke his ankle in Week 2 a year ago, and is sidelined this season with injuries sustained in an offseason motorcycle injury. - NFL Football -

With Edwards out, Frisman Jackson was expected to move up on the Browns' depth chart.

© 2005, NFL Enterprises LLC.

Mexicans Catch Football Fever as NFL Takes Game South of Border

The San Francisco 49ers football team will play before their biggest crowd this weekend in 14 years -- in Mexico City.

The National Football League is using the game between the 49ers and the Arizona Cardinals to try to add to its 20 million fans in Mexico, the largest group for any country after the U.S. The NFL says the Oct. 2 game will draw 85,000 to Azteca Stadium for its first-ever regular-season game outside the U.S.

``We have a great fan base in Mexico and it's been growing dramatically over the last several years,'' said NFL Chief Operating Officer Roger Goodell.

Football is the second-most popular sport in Mexico, trailing only soccer, said Ricardo Perez, director of sports and special events for Grupo Televisa SA, world's largest Spanish- language media company. Perez said NFL games on Televisa, which is co-sponsoring the 49ers-Cardinals match, draw ratings as much as 40 percent higher than baseball.

Sales of NFL caps, jackets and other merchandise in Mexico bring in about $15 million a year, according to the league.

Companies scoop up advertising time during NFL games on Televisa because the audience is made up of ``high-income'' earners, said Perez, 43. He declined to give Televisa's ad prices or revenue from NFL games.

Those wealthy fans include Fernando Villarreal, a 51-year- old independent business consultant based in Monterrey. Villarreal travels several times a year to the U.S. to watch his favorite team, the Dallas Cowboys.

`Nightmare'

On his last trip Sept. 19, Villarreal went back and forth to Dallas in the same day to watch the Cowboys play the Washington Redskins. The Cowboys, the most popular team in Mexico, let a 13- 0 lead slip away in the final four minutes of the game and lost 14-13.

``It was the season opener and it was a beautiful night,'' Villarreal, who attended the Cowboys' three Super Bowl victories in the 1990s, said in a telephone interview from Monterrey. ``And then it turned into a nightmare.''

Televisa began airing games in the late 1960s, planting the seeds for the popularity of football in Mexico, Perez said. Games can now be seen on Mexico's television networks as well as cable TV networks ESPN Inc., owned by Walt Disney Co., Fox Sports Networks LLC, owned by News Corp., and Sky Mexico, Televisa's satellite television unit.

Both ESPN and Fox Sports are part of Empresas Cablevision SA's basic cable package in Mexico, which costs 260 pesos ($24) a month.

Football or Baseball

Mexicans prefer football over baseball even though more of them play professional baseball than football. Eighteen Mexicans started the 2005 baseball season on Major League teams. Only one Mexican -- 361-pound (164 kilograms) Rolando Cantu -- plays in the NFL. He is an offensive lineman for the Cardinals who never has played in a regular season game.

``The NFL has done its homework in Mexico,'' Perez said. ``The challenge now is to spread the game to the masses.''

The NFL converted Joshua Olivo, a 14-year-old student in Mexico City, from a soccer fan to a football fan by inviting him to join about 100,000 other Mexican kids in a flag football league set up in 1998 by the NFL. Olivo said he knew nothing about football when he joined the league three years ago.

``I liked soccer more,'' said Olivo as he threw a football to his teammates at his school's practice field this week. ``When they invited me to play, I got interested and now I like football better.''

First Fans

Olivo said he plans to be one of the first of the 85,000 people to file into Azteca Stadium for the Sunday night game.

While the crowd would be the biggest the 49ers have drawn in 14 years, it would be smaller than the crowd of 112,376 that packed into Azteca to watch the Cowboys play a pre-season game in 1994.

Pre-season games in Mexico City in 1997 and 1998 also drew over 100,000. NFL and Televisa officials said they removed the lowest 10 rows of seats from the stadium for this weekend's game so that spectators can see over the players standing on the sidelines.

The 49ers and Cardinals have a combined record this year of one win and five losses. The 49ers, which won five Super Bowls from 1981 to 1995, had the worst record in the NFL last year with two wins and 14 losses.

The Cardinals, which will be considered the home team for the game at Azteca, haven't had a winning season since 1998.

``If this game fills Azteca Stadium with these two teams, then it's a true measure that people indeed love NFL football in Mexico,'' said Jose Manuel Basave, who writes a football sports column for El Norte newspaper in Monterrey.

©2005 Bloomberg L.P. All rights reserved.

NFL REPORT
Cowboys rally to edge Niners

COMPILES BY ED McNAMARA

Coming off a brutal loss, Dallas trailed by 15 in the first half, and doom loomed. But the 'Boys hung in there like men, and this time, they were on the fun side of a wild comeback.

Keyshawn Johnson caught a 14-yard touchdown pass from Drew Bledsoe with 1:51 to play, and Dallas overcame a 12-point deficit in the fourth quarter to beat the 49ers, 34-31, yesterday in San Francisco. - NFL Football -

Johnson's TD capped a 76-yard drive by Dallas, which is 2-1 after three nail-biters. Bledsoe threw for 363 yards, his first 300-yard game since 2003, and passed Joe Montana for eighth on the passing yardage list.

Dat Nguyen intercepted Tim Rattay's tipped pass at midfield with :54 left to finish off the 49ers (1-2). Rattay threw three TD passes, including an 89-yarder to Brandon Lloyd.

The Cowboys won at San Diego with an end-zone interception on the final play, but Washington's two long TD passes in the final four minutes shocked them Monday night.

"I think we proved we can take a punch and still win in the end," coach Bill Parcells said. "You take 'em any way you can." - NFL Football -



Colts 13, Browns 6

Maybe this season, defense will carry the Colts to the Super Bowl. For the third straight game, Peyton Manning's renowned offense was held in check. Even in a league where the unpredictable should be expected, who saw this coming?

Dwight Freeney had three of the Colts' four sacks and Edgerrin James ran for 107 yards as Indianapolis (3-0) won its seventh home game in a row. Cleveland (1-2) put up a good fight but was overmatched. - NFL Football -

"Our offense just is not quite on all cylinders," coach Tony Dungy said. "What our offense is doing is making clutch drives. I think we're going to be fine."

The Colts have allowed 16 points and are only the sixth team since World War II to hold its first three opponents to single digits, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.

Manning was 19-for-23 for 228 yards, and even on a subpar day for him, he set more records. He became the second-fastest to top 30,000 yards passing in his 115th game. Dan Marino did it in 114. Manning hit Marvin Harrison six times for 53 yards, making them the most prolific duo in NFL history. They've combined for 9,568 yards, breaking the previous record of 9,538 held by Buffalo's Jim Kelly and Andre Reed. - NFL Football -

Falcons 24, Bills 16

Yes, Michael Vick can beat you with his arm as well as with his legs. Bothered by a hamstring injury, Vick threw for two TDs and Atlanta rolled up 236 rushing yards. He wasn't exactly playing on one leg, though, gaining 64 yards on nine carries. Warrick Dunn added 97 yards.

"Now I don't know if I saw a different kind of quarterback," Falcons coach Jim Mora Jr. said, "because when it got right down to it, he still was able to make plays running. But he did make some key plays with his arm." - NFL Football -

Atlanta (2-1) ended a four-game road slump. Willis McGahee ran for 140 yards for Buffalo (1-2), which may have lost star linebacker Takeo Spikes (Achilles tendon) for the season.



Bucs 17, Packers 16

Lambeau Field doesn't intimidate the Bucs anymore, or anybody else. Carnell "Cadillac" Williams ran for 158 yards as Tampa Bay (3-0) ended a 13-game drought at Green Bay. Williams broke Alan Ameche's 1955 record for rushing yards in his first three games (434).

Ryan Longwell missed a PAT (bad snap) for the first time in 157 tries, and the Packers are 0-3 for the first time since 1988. - NFL Football -



Dolphins 27, Panthers 24

First-year coach Nick Saban already is making a difference for the host Dolphins (2-1). Lance Schulters intercepted Jake Delhomme with two minutes left to set up Olindo Mare's 32-yard field goal with four seconds left.

Miami rookie Ronnie Brown ran for 132 yards. Steve Smith had 11 catches for 170 yards and three TDs for Carolina (1-2).



Bengals 24, Bears 7

The Bengals haven't been 3-0 since 1990, the last time they made the playoffs. Maybe they'll finally make a return trip. Cincinnati intercepted rookie Kyle Orton five times and became the first team in 34 years to get five in consecutive games. Carson Palmer threw three TD passes to burn the host Bears (1-2). - NFL Football -



Vikings 33, Saints 16

Daunte Culpepper threw three TD passes as host Minnesota (1-2) ended its funk. The Saints (1-2) had four turnovers and 14 penalties, and they're not psyched for their debut Sunday in San Antonio. "We just have to fight through it," safety Jay Bellamy said. "It is not home and we know it's not home."



Rams 31, Titans 27

Marc Bulger threw for three TDs and Torry Holt caught nine passes for 163 yards for the host Rams (2-1). Titans tailback Travis Henry will be suspended four games for violating the NFL's substance-abuse policy.



Seahawks 37, Cardinals 12

Shaun Alexander ran for four TDs and 140 yards and host Seattle (2-1) pulled away in the second half. Arizona (0-3) lost Kurt Warner to a groin injury.

Copyright 2005 Newsday Inc.