Giants' Mara remembered as one of greats

LARRY McSHANE

Associated Press

NEW YORK - On a crisp autumn morning, perfect for the game he loved, New York Giants owner Wellington Mara was revered Friday as a peerless father, friend and football man at a service packed with luminaries from across an extraordinary career.

Mara's coffin sat in the aisle of St. Patrick's Cathedral flanked by the two most important groups in his long life: his wife, Ann, their 11 children and an assortment of grandchildren on one side, and this year's Giants on the other.

The Manhattan cathedral took on the cast of Canton, Ohio, as it swelled with NFL greats: fellow Hall of Famers Frank Gifford, Andy Robustelli, Gene Upshaw, John Madden and Willie Brown. NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue was there, along with Giants favorites from the 1950s through the 1990s. -NFL Football -

Mara died at 89 Tuesday at his suburban New York home after a long fight against cancer. Although tied to the Giants since becoming a ballboy for his father Tim's team at age 9, Mara's family and faith were recalled more than any football games.

An assortment of NFL coaches with ties to Mara also turned out, including Dallas coach Bill Parcells, New England's Bill Belichick, Carolina's John Fox and Cleveland's Romeo Crennel. Their attendance, two days before Sunday's kickoffs, spoke volumes about their level of regard for Mara. Owners from at least another dozen franchises came to mourn, further evidence of his standing as the league's senior owner.

"At this moment, we all feel like family coming together to celebrate the life of Wellington Mara," said Harry Carson, one of the captains of the 1986 Super Bowl champion Giants. Several of Mara's former players shed tears as his son, John, remembered his dad's low-key presence.

"I can't help but think he would have been so embarrassed by this," Mara said during the Mass celebrated by Cardinal Edward Egan. "He would have shook his head and tried to hide in a corner somewhere." -NFL Football -

Mara, who followed his father into the family business, closed by quoting Shakespeare: "Now cracks a noble heart. Goodnight sweet prince, may flights of angels sing thee to thy rest."

The altar, like Mara himself, was done in understated style: just four bouquets of red flowers, two on either side. Mara's black casket was brought into the cathedral accompanied by a bagpiper playing "Amazing Grace."

Mara treated his players as family, too, as many Giants alumni observed. His football sons came in all ages and ethnicities, all colors and sizes. Once they gained admission to the clan, membership was permanent.

"He was definitely a father figure for all of us," said George Martin, a defensive end on the '86 team. "Once you were a Giant, you were always a Giant."

Martin was joined by an assortment of his title-winning teammates: Carson, Phil Simms, Phil McConkey, Karl Nelson, Bart Oates, Mark Bavaro. McConkey said he called Bavaro on Tuesday after hearing word of Mara's death. -NFL Football -

"Mark said, `I never thought there could be a New York Giants without Wellington Mara,'" McConkey recounted. "And there never will be. He will be embodied in the spirit of his team forever."

Before the 1-hour, 45-minute service began, the current Giants team arrived in seven charter buses led by a New Jersey state police cruiser. Tiki Barber, a Mara favorite, led the team up the steps and into the cathedral. Eli Manning, Jeremy Shockey and the rest followed in a somber parade.

Afterward, the players - old and young - stood mutely on either side of those steps as Mara's casket was loaded into a hearse. A horse-drawn carriage led the funeral procession as the sound of bagpipes filled Fifth Avenue - a little touch of St. Patrick's Day in October for the late Irishman. -NFL Football -

Teammates Amani Toomer and Michael Strahan, two of the most veteran Giants on the 2005 team, stood side by side watching the scene. Earlier, Gifford - who was spoke at Mara's Hall of Fame induction - spoke for both the late owner's families during his eulogy.

"I know we're all still suffering the loss of this great man," Gifford said. "But we can still celebrate his wonderful life."

The Charlotte Observer

Jaguars hang on to beat the Bengals 23-20

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (Oct. 9, 2005) -- Chad Johnson jokingly resuscitated the football early, and Carson Palmer nearly brought the Cincinnati Bengals back to life late.

Then Jacksonville's defense put an end to all that. - - - Football NFL - - -

Byron Leftwich threw for two touchdowns, Fred Taylor ran for a season-high 132 yards and the Jaguars made a huge stop in the closing minutes to hand the Bengals their first loss of the season, 23-20.

"This shows how good of a team we have," said Jags receiver Ernest Wilford, who caught an 11-yard touchdown pass in the third quarter. - - - Football NFL - - -

The Bengals started 4-0 for the first time since 1988 -- the franchise's last Super Bowl season -- and entered the game as one of the last two undefeated teams in the league.

But the Jaguars (3-2) took advantage of good field position early and had two key stops in the fourth quarter that left AFC South rival Indianapolis as the lone unbeaten.

"This was huge," Jags cornerback Rashean Mathis said. "There's a big difference between 3-2 and 2-3. It means a great deal." - - - Football NFL - - -

Josh Scobee kicked three field goals, including a 51-yarder in the second period and a 53-yarder with 9:45 to play that gave the Jaguars a 10-point lead.

Jacksonville's defense held on from there -- barely -- and kept Palmer from engineering a dramatic comeback. - - - Football NFL - - -

Bobby McCray knocked the ball out of Palmer's hand at the Jacksonville 45-yard line with 1:28 to play. Akin Ayodele, who dropped a possible interception the play before, recovered it.

The Jags ran out the clock from there. - - - Football NFL - - -

The defense's other key stop came on fourth-and-1 at the Jags 39-yard line with 14:30 remaining. Rudi Johnson ran up the middle, and John Henderson and Marcus Stroud stuffed him for no gain. The Jags then drove 26 yards to set up Scobee's final field goal, which tied his previous career long and the franchise record. - - - Football NFL - - -

The Bengals used two long passes from Palmer to rookie Chris Henry to cut the lead to 23-20 with 5:16 remaining. Palmer hit Henry down the sideline for a 47-yard gain, then hit the third-round draft pick across the middle two plays later for a 25-yard score.

Aside from the final drive, nearly everything went right for the Bengals late. Very little went right for them early. - - - Football NFL - - -

Cincinnati fell behind 13-0 before Chad Johnson caught a 14-yard TD pass from Palmer. Cincinnati had a 69-yard punt nullified by penalty, dropped an interception, shanked a punt and had another one blocked -- all in the first half.

The Jaguars had great field possession following the miscues, helping them score a touchdown and a field goal. - - - Football NFL - - -

"We dug ourselves a hole with field possession in the first half," Bengals coach Marvin Lewis said. "We didn't play very well at the beginning of the game and we were playing up hill."

Leftwich found George Wrighster for a 26-yard score after gaining about 40 yards when Kyle Larson 's long punt was brought back because of an illegal touching. Wrighster caught the pass in the flat, hurdled Deltha O'Neal at the 5 and trotted into the end zone.

When Cincinnati put together a decent drive Johnson turned the wrong way on Palmer's deep pass and couldn't get to it. But Johnson and Palmer got into it on the sideline, and Lewis had to separate them. - - - Football NFL - - -

Larson's next punt was blocked, and the Jags got the ball at the Bengals 33. Scobee's 32-yard field goal made it 10-0.

Scobee followed with the 51-yard field goal that made it 13-0.

Palmer and Johnson, having worked things out, hooked up three times on the next drive, including the 14-yarder for a touchdown. - - - Football NFL - - -

But Johnson complained after the game that Palmer wasn't trying hard enough to get him the ball.

"They didn't get it to me period!" said Johnson, who had five receptions for 52 yards. "They doubled me the whole game. That happens every week. Does that mean that when a team doubles me that I'm through? It's not too hard to get it to (Terrell Owens) or Randy Moss."

Johnson made good on his promise of having something special planned if he scored during Cincinnati's lone appearance in prime time this season. He beat Mathis in the corner of the end zone, then performed CPR on the football. He pretended to give it mouth-to-mouth and three chest compressions. - - - Football NFL - - -

"We need to win these," Johnson said. "I'm not satisfied with 4-1. The Bengals of old might have been OK keeping it close. We're not supposed to be close anymore." - - - Football NFL - - -

© 2005, NFL Enterprises LLC.

More foreign games could be in NFL's future

SAN FRANCISCO (Sept. 27, 2005) -- The NFL could schedule more regular-season games outside the United States if Week 4's game in Mexico City is a success, the league's chief operating officer said.

Roger Goodell expects Azteca Stadium to be sold out for a game between the San Francisco 49ers and the Arizona Cardinals, the first regular-season game held outside the U.S. If the game generates the interest and attention expected by the league, future games could be headed to Asia and Europe.

"We want to hold or reserve judgment on that until we've been through this, but we know there's growing interest in playing regular-season games" outside the U.S., Goodell said in a conference call. - Football NFL -

Among the destinations to be considered are England, Japan, China and Canada, as well as another game in Mexico.

The league chose Mexico City for its first international regular-season game both because of its proximity and the sport's growing popularity. Hispanics in the U.S. also cite football as their favorite sport, surpassing even soccer, according to the league. - Football NFL -

The NFL has played several exhibition games in foreign countries in the last two decades, including a preseason game between Indianapolis and Atlanta in Japan this year.

"We have such great interest," Goodell said. "We have a great fan base in Mexico. It's been growing dramatically over the last several years, and we're responding to that interest. It's also going to be a great opportunity to understand more about playing a game internationally."

Both teams will receive undisclosed financial considerations from the NFL to make the trip a profitable one. - Football NFL -

© 2005, NFL Enterprises LLC.

NFL Notebook: Panthers DE, Packers WR, out with ACL tears

By The Associated Press

Kris Jenkins was poised to regain his status as the best defensive tackle in the NFL this season. Instead, the cog of the Carolina Panthers' line will miss his second consecutive season because of an injury. - Football Gambling -

Jenkins' anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee was torn in Carolina's loss to the New Orleans Saints. Although he was injured in the first quarter, he said yesterday he didn't realize the severity and briefly returned to the field in the third quarter before leaving for good.

"I didn't think it was that bad ... it felt like I had hyperextended it at first," he said. "I could still run on the thing. When I went back out there, I realized then I had torn something big."

Jenkins, a two-time Pro Bowler, missed 12 games last season with a shoulder injury.

Packers

Javon Walker, Green Bay's best receiver, will miss the rest of the season after the ACL in his right knee was torn in the opener. He will need an operation once the swelling subsides. Walker, who made the Pro Bowl last season after catching 89 passes for 1,382 yards and 12 touchdowns, threatened to hold out this year if the final two years of his contract weren't renegotiated. But he showed up in training camp on time, saying he wanted to prove he was worthy of a blockbuster contract through his play. - Football Gambling -

Steelers

The Steelers are valued at $820 million, according to Forbes Magazine's annual survey of NFL franchises, a 14-percent change from a year ago. The franchise is in the middle of the NFL pack at No. 16, down two spots from last year's No. 14. The Redskins ($1.264 billion), Cowboys ($1.063 billion) and Super Bowl champion New England Patriots ($1.040 billion) are the only teams valued at more than $1 billion. The Minnesota Vikings ($658 million) and Arizona Cardinals ($673) are the least-valuable teams, partly because of their unfavorable stadium situations, though the Cardinals are building a new stadium.

Ravens

Baltimore quarterback Kyle Boller will miss the game Sunday against Tennessee with a hyperextended right big toe, so Anthony Wright will make his first start since facing the Titans in the 2003 playoffs. Boller was injured Sunday night while being sacked by Larry Tripplett in the third quarter of the Ravens' 24-7 loss to the Indianapolis Colts. He was replaced by Wright, who went 19 for 31 for 214 yards and two interceptions.

Redskins

Mark Brunell will start for Washington Monday night against the Dallas Cowboys, retaking the quarterback job from Patrick Ramsey. Brunell came in to lead a season-opening victory against the Chicago Bears Sunday after Ramsey left the game with a mild neck injury. Ramsey threw an interception and fumbled twice in the game. - Football Gambling -

Colts

Indianapolis coach Tony Dungy received a three-year contract extension this weekend. Dungy's deal, which was to expire after 2006, will now keep him with the Colts through 2009. Financial details were not released.

Saints

New Orleans, left searching for a host site after Hurricane Katrina ravaged the Superdome roof, announced plans to split seven home games this season between Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge, La., and the Alamodome in San Antonio. The Saints will play four games on the LSU campus and three in San Antonio, where they have been holding practice since fleeing New Orleans. They will go ahead with plans to play their first home game, originally scheduled for Sunday night at the Superdome against the Giants, Monday night in New York. - Football Gambling -

Broncos

Cornerback Champ Bailey has a dislocated shoulder and running back Mike Anderson has separated cartilage in his ribs. Both players need to be evaluated further before their status for next week is decided.

Seahawks

Seattle defensive coordinator Ray Rhodes rejoined the team after being hospitalized last week after a spell of dizziness. Meanwhile, the status of tight end Itula Mili is unclear. Mili missed the game Sunday after developing a blockage in his intestine. - Football Gambling -

Jaguars

Jacksonville offensive line coach Paul Boudreau returned to work, a day after collapsing in the locker room from "heat and dehydration." .

Bengals

Running back Kenny Watson had surgery to repair a torn biceps, and will not play again this season. Cincinnati put Watson on injured reserve but didn't immediately fill his roster spot.

Police plan extra presence at football game

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

HOT SPRINGS - Police plan to beef up security at tonight's high school football game between Hot Springs and Pine Ridge because of talk of retaliation from a June fight.

A June 2 fight between two large groups of juveniles and young adults in downtown Hot Springs left one man seriously injured and two tribal members facing felony charges, officials said.

Shannon County Sheriff Jim Daggett said he has heard rumors of possible retaliation because of the fight and an attempt to extradite brothers Dakota Garnier, 19, and Dirk Garnier, 20, from the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. - Football Gambling -

''Some of the people from Pine Ridge feel that the story has been distorted,'' Daggett told the Rapid City Journal by telephone. ''Because of that, there are some pretty hard feelings. There may be some repercussions at the game.'' - Football Gambling -

Daggett said he passed on his concerns to Fall River County State's Attorney Lance Russell.

Hot Springs Police Chief Roger Exum said there would be an increased police presence at the game, which is usually staffed by a couple of officers. - Football Gambling -

''We'll probably have four to six officers at the game,'' Exum said.

The Garnier brothers maintain that they were the victims, not the perpetrators, of an assault, said Janis Schmidt, co-founder of the Lakota Wawokiya Civil Rights Organization.

Smith hoping to lure college football to Bristol

BRISTOL, Tenn. -- Bruton Smith is putting his money where his mouth is. Literally. Again.

The chairman of Speedway Motorsports Inc. said Friday that he again formally has offered the University of Tennessee and Virginia Tech $20 million each to play afootball game at Bristol Motor Speedway.

"It would be the most exciting thing we've ever done in football," Smith said Friday at the track. When asked if he was trying to "conquer the world," he quipped: "Absolutely. We're looking for something bigger.

"The world of racing has already been conquered," he said. "We want to move on to something else."

Track officials said they had contacted both schools about the proposition, and UT athletics director Mike Hamilton will be a guest of Smith for the Sharpie 500 on Saturday night.

Smith said the game would have to be played in November, allowing time for workers to raze the infield of several buildings and the scoring pylon.

"We won't schedule a [game] date," Smith said. "That would be up to the universities. But it would have to be in November, when we could take the time to scrape the infield, take everything out."

The playing surface would be artificial turf.

Playing host to a football game would not be a first for the facility. Washington and Philadelphia played an NFL exhibition game at the track in September 1961.

"It would be expensive," to make the changes to the track's infield, Smith said. "I don't know [how expensive], but we'd take some bids when the time comes."

Smith said the prospect of BMS playing host to Tennessee and Virginia Tech is "very exciting," and added that the 160,000-seat "stadium" would set the record for the largest crowd to watch a collegefootball game.

The current record is 112,118 on Nov. 22, 2003, at Michigan Stadium. UT's Neyland Stadium is the nation's second largest venue, seating 104,079.

This is not the first time Smith has broached the subject of having the Vols and Hokies play at the track. In January 1999 the idea was floated -- at about $3.5 million per team -- but nothing came of the talks.

Virginia Tech AD Jim Weaver said he spoke in September 1998 to his Tennessee counterpart, then-AD Doug Dickey, about scheduling a home-and-homefootball series between the schools. The earliest dates would have been 2010 and 2011, however, and no deal was made.

More recently, Texas Motor Speedway, another SMI track, tried to lure the annual Oklahoma-Texas game from the Cotton Bowl to the infield of the modern racing facility in Fort Worth.

Smith noted that Bristol could be expanded by about 12,000 seats. Even with a capacity of 172,000, and at $50 per ticket, the gate would generate $8,600,000. Smith would not elaborate on how he would make up the difference, but added: "I enjoy making money."

If you do the math, tickets would have to sell for more than $232 each to account for the $40 million. Obviously, television rights would be a large factor in the equation.

Smith said he won't beg the schools to accept his offer. "They either like the money or they don't," he said.

By comparison, the BCS title game paid an estimated $13 million per team last season.

What remains to be seen is whether the NCAA would allow the game to be played at the racetrack.

Nascar.com

A-B has designs on NFL teams

Blitzing beer-thirsty football fans, Anheuser-Busch Cos. will increase its TV advertising during professional games this season and for the first time use team emblems on cases of Budweiser and Bud Light. To kick off the National Football League season, which officially begins Sept. 8, Anheuser-Busch on Monday rolls out Budweiser and Bud Light, packaged in cardboard cases embossed with the emblem of participating NFL teams. Each design will be sold only in the team's home market. The nation's largest brewer is looking to leverage its team sponsorships ahead of Labor Day, the summer's last major beer-selling weekend. The NFL and game broadcasts remain the premier marketing assets for a beer company that wants to reach a large, diverse base of customers, said Tony Ponturo, vice president of global media and sports marketing at A-B's domestic brewing unit. - Football Gambling -
"In this day and age of distractions, lots of programming choices and technology developments, there is still something about a Sunday afternoon or Monday night telecast where the consumer is there," he said. A-B won't increase the number of advertising spots on "Monday Night Football," but it is looking to expand its presence during other game broadcasts. Ponturo declined to disclose how much A-B spends on these media buys, but the dollar amount this season should be about 10 percent to 15 percent higher than last year. Anheuser-Busch also hopes to build a tighter connection between its brands and local teams through team-specific packaging. Molson Coors Brewing Co. remains the official sponsor of the National Football League in a deal signed three years ago. - Football Gambling -
That deal allows Molson Coors to use the symbols of all 32 NFL teams as long as the emblems are displayed together. However, A-B is the official beer sponsor for 28 of the NFL's 32 teams. Under these deals, it aggressively has used team emblems for ad banners, signs and other material displayed on retailers' shelves. This year, Anheuser-Busch is adding a new element by packaging Budweiser and Bud Light in cardboard cases that bear the emblems of 27 of its 28 sponsored football teams. The sponsorship deal with the Pittsburgh Steelers didn't allow the use of its emblem on packages. - Football Gambling -
Retailers in the St. Louis area will offer cases of beer bearing the Rams emblem. The special packaging will be available through September. This type of packaging helps create a connection between the fan and the brand, said Richard Irwin, director of the Bureau of Sport and Leisure Commerce at the University of Memphis in Memphis, Tenn. He's also president of the Sport Marketing Association. "What really intrigues the consumer is that this products aligns with something that he considers to be important," Irwin said. "That is the emotional attachment that every corporate sponsor of a sports entity is really trying to tap into." In the future, A-B could extend the life of that connection by using the emblems on the cans themselves, yielding a memento that could be collected and saved on a shelf, Irwin added. Though the customized packaging poses a logistics challenge, the brewer said it's worth the effort. "The local teams and the local market is really where the emotion is," Ponturo said. "The fans are really following their team." Connecting to consumers and what they are passionate about gives A-B a competitive advantage, he said. - Football Gambling -
Irwin has no doubt that this is a good investment for Anheuser-Busch. "People in those NFL markets are going to favorably respond to that type of branding and packaging," he said. Anheuser-Busch has increased its total marketing efforts this year as it seeks to drive up sales in a sluggish beer market. Although A-B is facing increased competition from Miller Brewing Co., a unit of SABMiller PLC, it sees a bigger threat coming from distilled spirits, which are growing in popularity among younger adult drinkers. - Football Gambling -

Gregory Cancelada
Post-Dispatch